V1 Chapter 11: Princess Seiki and the Earth Spider

On the battlefield stood a colossal creature: the Earth Spider, a great yokai renowned throughout Japan. Its head resembled a tiger's, its body that of a spider, with eight long legs, a mouth full of fangs, and a body covered in terrifying bristles. It towered seventy to eighty meters tall.

This legendary Earth Spider had once been captured and sealed by the God Weapon Emperor. But after the Emperor's death, the seal weakened, allowing the great yokai to escape.

Now, the formidable Earth Spider gazed in terror at a tiny figure standing before it, no larger than a speck.

The figure was a woman, but with delicate, deer-like antlers sprouting from her head. Dressed in a kimono, she held a folding fan and wore her cyan hair long down her back, her expression serene and detached.

"Princess Seiki, you have slaughtered countless of my descendants! What more do you want?" the Earth Spider roared in human speech, its voice trembling with anger... and a hint of fear.

"What do I want? Simple... your death!" Princess Seiki replied calmly, her gaze unwavering, her voice firm.

"Don't push your luck!" The Earth Spider bellowed, its rage overflowing. "This has gone too far!"

It wasn't my fault I accidentally destroyed your residence! the Earth Spider thought bitterly. I didn't even know there was a temple nearby when I woke up, let alone that it housed a powerful great yokai!

"You destroyed my Dōjō-ji Temple, shattered my last hope of ever seeing Anchin again. I won't rest until I've quenched my burning hatred with your blood!" Princess Seiki hissed, her face contorting into a bloodthirsty mask as she glared at the earth spider.

Seiki had once been human, her name hinting at her noble lineage.

She had fallen deeply in love with Anchin, a Buddhist monk. But Anchin abandoned her, falsely claiming he was going on a pilgrimage to Kumano. He left Seiki behind, promising to return, condemning her to endless waiting.

When Seiki realized she had been deceived, she tore after Anchin day and night without even putting on her shoes, enduring unimaginable hardships. By the time she finally caught up with him near Dōjō-ji Temple, she was no longer recognizable as either human or demon.

Exposed, Anchin hastily prayed to the Kumano gods to imprison Seiki. He then swiftly crossed the Higashikawa River, sought refuge in Dōjō-ji Temple, and begged the Head Priest for sanctuary. He hid inside the temple's massive bell.

When Seiki reached the riverbank, there were no boats left. Undeterred, she plunged into the water, transforming into a serpent with a human head to continue her pursuit ashore. Finally reaching Dōjō-ji Temple, she perished in flames along with Anchin.

Yet Seiki did not truly die. Fueled by her boundless obsession with her beloved, she transformed into a dragon through the sheer power of her obsessive thoughts.

After that, Princess Seiki remained at Dōjō-ji Temple, eagerly awaiting the day she might reunite with Anchin.

Who could have imagined that just a few days ago, the earth spider before her had suddenly burst forth from the ground, causing a massive collapse that completely destroyed Dōjō-ji Temple?

This nearly drove Princess Seiki mad. She relentlessly pursued the earth spider for days, slaughtering countless generations of its spider offspring.

"This is going too far! I'm a great yokai too!"

Seeing that Princess Seiki still refused to let him go, the earth spider abandoned his escape. He opened his terrifying jaws and spat a massive torrent of venom at her.

The venom surged toward Princess Seiki like a raging river!

Yet Princess Seiki remained unfazed. Just as the venom was about to strike, she casually flicked open her folding fan.

A colossal fire dragon materialized, instantly vaporizing the earth spider's venom into steam.

Undeterred by the failure of his venom attack, the earth spider shook his massive body. Countless spiderlings, each the size of a washbasin, crawled out from within his flesh.

The sheer number of spiders was terrifying.

All the smaller spiders swarmed toward Princess Seiki, and the earth spider itself lumbered forward. Its massive body shook the ground with each step.

Seeing the earth spider's advance, Princess Seiki transformed without hesitation into a colossal, horned serpent—a dragon.

The giant serpent opened its jaws and unleashed a devastating torrent of dragon breath...

Everything before it was obliterated in an instant...

The earth spider retreated frantically before the dragon's fiery breath.

The battle between Princess Seiki and the earth spider sent yokai fleeing in terror across a hundred-mile radius.

After all, a clash between great yokai could easily engulf bystanders, rendering their deaths meaningless.

Though a hundred miles might seem vast, for most great yokai, the scope of their battles extended far beyond that.

Then... Yae Sakura began encountering more and more yokai.

Until... she stumbled upon the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons!

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, usually referred to as the Night Parade, is a gathering of over a hundred yokai and spirits. However, since it was daytime, this procession paled in comparison to its nocturnal counterpart.

The Night Parade refers to an organized group of over a hundred yokai and spirits.

When these yokai unite, their collective power coalesces, greatly benefiting their leader and granting them immense strength.

This immense power drives many yokai to strive to become the Lord of All Yokai.

Even nominal recognition as the Lord of All Yokai could pave the way for a yokai to ascend to true great yokai status.

Yae Sakura's eyes lit up with excitement as she gazed upon the assembled hundred demons before her!

Yae Sakura hadn't obtained a single Crystal yet, but now, finally, they were coming to her.

"Yae-sama!" Natsuki clung tightly to Yae Sakura's sleeve, terrified by the sheer number of yokai before them. Could Yae Sakura possibly stand against so many alone? She was deeply worried.

"Just stay close behind me and don't wander off," Yae Sakura reassured her. "I won't let them touch you." With that, she stepped forward to confront the Hundred Demons, blocking their path.

Leading the procession was the notorious Roku-shin-fu, the Web-spinning Woman!