Volume 9 - Dojigiri: Chapter 32 – Shuten Doji’s Ambition
Shuten Doji led his companions out of the small forest, his voice filled with a cold laughter. “Everyone, let us go to Suno and give Tamamo-no-Mae a proper greeting!” As he spoke, Shuten’s massive form shrunk down to a mere three meters tall.
Walking behind Shuten were the one-meter-tall old Hagewashi Tengu, Hojo Tokimasa, and two other formidable figures.
One of them stood at an imposing six meters tall, with a gray-blue body and green eyes. He was extremely fat yet strong, resembling a mountain of meat. His upper body was bare, showcasing black lines and two boar-like tusks protruding from his mouth. This person was Onito Yokozuna, a half-man, half-corpse demon adept and a double-soul big dipper expert. In his past life, he was an invincible professional-level sumo wrestler from Iyo Island.
Iyo Island resided to the southwest of the vast Akitsu continent. When viewed through Lily’s perspective, if one were to remove the distant Nanban island and scale down the entire map by a factor of ten, the resulting image would bear a striking resemblance to the Japan of Lily’s previous world. With this in mind, Iyo Island could be equated to Shikoku. Similarly, Tsukushi Island represented Kyushu, Akitsu Shima corresponded to Honshu, and Ezo symbolized Hokkaido.
These comparisons served to establish a parallel between the geographical features of this world and the regions of Japan in Lily’s previous world.
The other shadow following Shuten was a young ninja boy, his back adorned with two large triangular boomerangs. Despite his purple skin, his physique was lean and strong. His appearance was neither handsome nor ugly, but his monster-like pointed ears and enigmatic eyes with peculiar lines in the pupils seemed to hold great mysteries. This ninja’s name was Fuma Ryuyaku, hailing from the Fuma clan of Iyo Island. He was regarded as the foremost genius of the Fuma clan and a single-soul big dipper expert.
He looked like a young boy, but that was only his current form. Little did others know that Fuma Ryuyaku had existed for much longer than his appearance suggested. Two hundred years ago, while delving into the depths of the demon way, he had already assumed this youthful guise. The secrets and experiences he carried from his centuries-long existence were veiled beneath his seemingly innocent facade.
Accompanying them was Hojo Tokimasa, a double-soul big dipper adept and an aide sent by Minamoto no Yoritomo. Finally, the most powerful of the four was the triple-soul big dipper expert, Hagewashi Tengu.
Despite their extraordinary combat prowess, the group of five concealed their true power as they approached the tranquil village of Suno. Walking with the demeanor of ordinary adepts, they blended seamlessly into the peaceful surroundings, giving no indication of the immense strength that lay dormant within them.
Suno village seemed no different from any other mountain village, except that it appeared more prosperous and peaceful. They strolled through the fields, along the hillsides, and arrived at the entrance of the village.
“This place is unexpectedly peaceful! Is this truly the den of the greatest archdemon, the nine-tailed fox? It doesn’t seem like it at all! Is this a joke? Ahahahaha!” Fuma Ryuyaku, the genius ninja, sneered and burst into laughter.
The silver-haired hermit, Hojo Tokimasa, quietly transmitted his voice to Shuten. “Lord Shuten, you must be cautious. Who knows what traps the thousand-year-old demon fox has set in her den? Additionally, the shogun has given instructions that after capturing Fujiwara no Ayaka and Kagami Lily, you can do as you please with Fujiwara no Ayaka. As for Kagami Lily, you can keep her imprisoned temporarily, but in the end, you must hand her over to the shogun for judgment.”
Shuten smiled confidently. “Relax, I’ve considered everything.”
Hand her over to the shogun? Did they think that he, Shuten Doji, was a fool? In this world, he was the one who took what he desired. Once something was stolen by him, there was no reason to give it back!
Kagami Lily, the renowned epitome of beauty, whom he had come so close to capturing, was the woman Shuten Doji desired above all else. Giving her up was out of the question for him.
While he wouldn’t sever ties with Minamoto no Yoritomo solely for a woman, Shuten had his own hidden agenda. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have heeded Yoritomo’s instigation and taken the risk to come all the way to Suno.
Even if the nine-tailed fox seemed to have lost all her power, Shuten couldn’t dismiss the possibility of her retaliating when pushed to the brink of death. The stakes were too high to treat it lightly. So why had he insisted on this aggressive approach?
Shuten Doji harbored ambitions of his own. The alliance between himself, Minamoto no Yoritomo, and Daitengu was far from stable. It seemed certain that the shogun and the cloistered emperor would emerge victorious. But what would become of him once Yoritomo ruled the world? Daitengu retained his position as the cloistered emperor, but what about him? As a formidable arch-demon, would he still enjoy favorable circumstances under Yoritomo’s reign?
Yoritomo was only using him to deal with Tamamo-no-Mae. How could he allow a supremely powerful arch-demon to establish a neighboring kingdom? The moment Tamamo, Ayaka, and Lily were dealt with, Shuten knew he would become the next target. He would be seen as a threat devoid of value. No matter how much Yoritomo walked the path of Yomi, he was still human, while Shuten Doji was a demon. Their goals would never align.
This logic was clear to Shuten, an eight-hundred-year-old demon. Recently, he had heard rumors from his old friends on Iyo Island. These rumors spoke of the unique qualities possessed by Ayaka and Lily. It was even suggested that Ayaka might hold the knowledge of the long-lost reason behind the world’s pursuit and extermination of the mirror girls. She might possess the secret and destined mission of the mirror girls.
However, she was exceedingly powerful, making it unlikely that anyone could compel her to disclose such information. Nevertheless, wasn’t this an opportunity?
If there was a destined mission, it likely revolved around Kagami Lily. In Shuten’s eyes, the other mirror girls were inconsequential, but Lily had achieved remarkable feats. Was there anyone else more suited to accomplish the mirror girls’ destined mission?
If he could capture these two women, not only would he possess two generations of unparalleled beauty, but he would also tip the balance of power in the world. The mirror girls were hunted and suppressed by major forces, indicating that their powers were deemed terrifying. But why should he fear these immature young girls?
The mirror girls’ destined mission must be linked to tremendously powerful factions, possibly even connected to the secret of the heavenly path. If he could gain control over all the mirror girls, utilizing his ability to manipulate women, he could attain the power needed to reshape the world. No one would dare challenge his position, and Yoritomo would think twice about opposing him.
Moreover, by capturing Lily, he could exert influence over powerhouses like Tamamo and Mita. If he managed to kill Tamamo, he would gain access to the treasury of the thousand-year-old demon fox, a treasury rivaling the wealth accumulated by the Heian Dynasty. With such resources at his disposal, he would have the confidence to confront Yoritomo, especially considering the heavy toll the battle on Mount Ooe had taken on his faction.References