Demon Sword Maiden

CHAPTER 54 – THE RETURN OF THE SAKURA PARASOL

Lily didn’t stop after melding all the crimson petals into the gauze but continued to weave, and the heavenly river made of silk slowly flowed in.

At this moment, Lily felt an invisible force in the starry sky. Her mind moved, and the rest of the heavenly river danced like white silk dipped into the starry night, dyeing it a deep blue color.

The long gauze woven by Lily finally had three colors. The first section was pure white, the second was crimson, and the third was inky blue.

At this time, the heavenly river made of silk was basically exhausted.

Lily got up, her body unknowingly dripping with fragrant sweat. Although she was a spirit body, she felt a little tired and fatigued.

However, she felt like things weren’t finished yet.

Lily picked up the gauze and spread it out in the starry sky. Soon after, the little stars actually smudged the gauze and turned into white floating cherry blossoms.

Lily slowly nodded, Like this, it’s like the gauze of the sakura parasol.

Lily held the gauze and walked out of the room. The gauze was dozens of meters long, which was obviously far more than the amount used to make the parasol. Lily focused her mind, jolting her consciousness back into the outside world.

“Phew…” Lily felt dizzy for a while. She was so tired that she fell to the floor as soon as her body relaxed.

Lily didn’t know that she had been weaving this gauze for seven days and nights.

In the following days, Lily taught the raccoons how to dance and practiced at the temple.

During this period, she tried to contact Ayaka, but it seemed that this place was located in the dense forest behind Izumo Mountain, and was blocked by the powerful forces of the entire mountain. Not only were outsiders unable to enter, but without the hidden travel scroll as well as Lily’s strange encounter and fall, it was impossible to find this place. Voice transmission orbs were also useless.

Lily guessed that, no matter how hidden the depths of Izumo Mountain was, the Heian Dynasty would definitely find out about such a major event like the fall of the main peak. But now that she was cut off from the outside world, she didn’t know how Lady Ayaka and the others would deal with it. Lily was fine, but she was afraid that Ayaka would worriedly come to Izumo Mountain to search for her, which wouldn’t bode well.

Also, I wonder if Kagura escorted Miss Otome to Heian-kyō. Once the sakura parasol is repaired, I will also have to return as soon as possible.

Finally, after a few days, raccoon Mita came out.

Lily was in a rush to see him, but she was a little apprehensive in her heart. Although she didn’t mean to, she took his loom and didn’t return it. She didn’t know how to explain herself.

“Grandpa Mita, the sakura parasol…”

“Ahem, Lily, look at you all anxious. This grandpa promised to use his old bones to help you repair your parasol in half a month. You don’t have to worry about it. Are you just here to ask about your parasol?” Mita sat cross-legged on the altar and said, pretending to be unhappy.

“Grandpa Mita…” Lily immediately apologized, “Sorry for Lily’s rudeness. Grandpa Mita is very powerful, after all, you have divine power. Although you are old, Lily thinks that you are incomparable to ordinary old people. Grandpa Mita, Lily is very grateful for your efforts to repair the sakura parasol and I will do my best to repay you, but Lily is too worried about the sakura parasol…”

“Repay? How will you repay? Why don’t you come and serve me?”

“Eh?”

“Hehehe, just kidding. Lily, although you are a world beauty, since you are my granddaughter, how can I have that kind of thought? If anything, it’s just to ask my granddaughter to help me massage the shoulders and rub the waist! Don’t get the wrong idea!” Mita jokingly said.

“Grandpa Mita…” Lily smiled bitterly. Who would get the wrong idea!

“By the way, your sakura parasol will be repaired in two or three days.”

“It is…?”

Seeing the worry in Lily’s eyes, Mita added, “The reason why I came out now is because the repair work of the parasol’s frame is going to be carried out at the same time as the canopy, so I came out to see you. How’s the material needed to fix the parasol’s canopy going?”

“Eh? How did grandpa know?”

“Heh, you stole my loom and thought I didn’t know anything because I wasn’t there?”

“I’m sorry, Grandpa Mita. Regarding this matter, Lily…”

Mita waved his hand and said, “Hehe, Lily, you don’t need to explain. You just need to tell me, did you really use the loom in the back room to weave cloth?”

“Yeah.” Lily nodded and took out a black wooden box. After opening it, three brilliant rays of light shot out, and inside, there was a gauze of three colors that shimmered like starlight.

“This…This is…” Mita’s chubby old face was fascinated by the divine light, “I have lived for so long, but I have never seen a woman in this world who could weave such cloth. Even with the help of that loom, this is too…”

“Grandpa, what grade is this cloth?” Lily felt that it was at least ninth-grade or higher.

Mita shook his head, “Sorry, I can’t see through it… I only know that, if this cloth is used as the parasol’s canopy, it will definitely be better than the previous oil paper from Takamagahara!”

“Really?” Lily was overjoyed. Could the sakura parasol surpass its previous self after it was repaired?

“Grandpa, I have an idea…1”

…

A few days later, rain was drizzling in the deep forest of Izumo Province.

The corners of the old, dilapidated temple were full of moss and crystal droplets of water fell down.

Looking carefully, the water droplets seemed to reflect the surrounding mountains and forests— the world.

Kagami Lily, who was dressed in white with her jet-black hair draped behind her back, was holding an inky blue oilcloth parasol in her hand.

Under that inky blue, there were cherry blossom petals resembling stars.

Lily, in the rain, in white clothes, holding her blue parasol that seemed to support the gray world filled with mist, made the ambiance more elegant.

However, in this plain yet elegant ambiance, her towering chest wrapped in a faint haze of heat made it difficult to focus on the tranquil mood, but it was strangely soul-cleansing.

Really, loving her felt blasphemous, and respecting her made one reluctant…

Lily strolled through the forest of the ancient temple with her parasol. She raised it and gently rotated it, looking at the raindrops falling from the sky. She focused her mind.

The parasol unexpectedly turned crimson, dotted with floating white cherry blossoms. It was exactly the same as the previous sakura parasol.

Lily relaxed her mind again, and the sakura parasol unconsciously turned into the same pure white color as her clothes— even more holy2.

A smile of relief appeared on Lily’s face.

She softly said, pressing her face against the handle of the parasol, “Sakura parasol, that’s great, that’s great… You’re finally back.”

A faint, ethereal voice replied:

“Master…thank you. Sakura vaguely remembers that the girl who created me likes white, but she made me red because the girl she was going to give me to likes red… Master, I didn’t expect it, but because of this calamity, you fulfilled this long-cherished wish for me3.”

“Sakura…” Although the sakura parasol rarely spoke, she had been silently guarding Lily. Since Lily came to this world, she could be said to be a part of her.

At this time, Mita, who was wearing a bamboo hat, came out with Rika and the other little raccoons.

“How is it? My craftsmanship hasn’t gotten rusty yet, right?” Mita proudly said with his hands behind his back.

Lily immediately bowed, “Grandpa Mita repaired the sakura parasol for Lily, which is equivalent to saving half of Lily’s life. Lily will never forget it for a lifetime. I will do my best to repay grandpa.”

“Little Lily, I don’t need you to repay me now, but one day, if you can really reach Takamagahara, don’t forget your grandfather.” Mita said.

“Takamagahara…” Lily’s gaze became distant. Although she knew she would eventually challenge that step, reaching Takamagahara…was too difficult, too difficult…

However, Lily’s gaze was still firm, but she was not overly arrogant. She bowed and smiled, “Lily will definitely work hard to not disappoint grandpa.”

“Hmm…” Mita nodded, “Your words are well-spoken and elegant, but they seem to lack confidence.”

“Eh?” Lily’s blushed.

“Alright, alright, just kidding. I know you have such a nature. You are obviously 37 inches4, but you would only say 30 inches, hehehe.” Mita’s eyes didn’t know where to look.

“Eh? Grandpa, what 37 inches; 30 inches? Lily doesn’t understand what you are talking about.”

“Hehehe, you are still young, so you don’t understand. Your confusion makes you look innocent and cute!”

“…” After hearing Mita’s words, Lily understood somewhat. She blushed and lowered her head. At this time, even if she understood, she had to pretend not to understand, right?

“That, Grandpa Mita, Lily really can’t return the loom to you right away. If grandpa needs magatama or other treasures, Lily can exchange it with you.” Lily changed the topic and said.

“Shush! If you do that again, grandpa won’t be happy anymore. My granddaughter, why are you haggling with me? Lily, that loom was originally not mine, and it’s just something among my pile of useless ornaments. In fact, for so many years, a lot of women who came here by chance wanted to use it to spin yarn and weave, but it was all in vain. Perhaps that thing has an indissoluble bond with you. After all, you came here by chance and encountered the loom, or maybe it was calling out to you, causing your destinies to intertwine— it’s unknown. Finding a master that can use such an incredible ancient artifact is also good luck. Take it with you.” Mita’s eyes showed traces of vicissitudes and wisdom.

“Then…then Lily thanks grandpa.” Lily was not overly pretentious. In fact, she also had this feeling in her heart, but since she was from another world, how could she share a destiny with this ancient loom or have a feeling of déjà vu?

Perhaps, this mystery was on the slow road ahead, waiting to be solved…

There was a brief silence.

Lily said, “Grandpa Mita, Lily is going to bid you farewell.”

“Eh?” Rika, who was behind Mita, was startled, “Sister, are you leaving?”

Several raccoons also gathered around and tugged the corner of Lily’s clothes.

“Sister Lily, don’t go.”

“We still want to dance with you.”

“Yeah, we don’t want that perverted old man to take care of us, we want you to take care of us!”

“Hey!” Mita glared angrily at the glib little raccoons.

For a while, the atmosphere also made Lily feel sad.

Mita looked at Lily, but nodded solemnly, “We understand that you eventually have to leave this place. However, this piece of Izumo forest is not a place where you can come and go as you like. Let’s give you a ride.”

Robinxen: I said nerf the parasol not give it an upgrade author!!! But Sakura Parasol Upgrade Plan does have appeal. Robinxen: The sakura parasol got upgraded with a chameleon system? Robinxen: SHE’S BACK ALREADY?! THIS WASN’T GOING TO BE AN ENTIRE ARC?! Robinxen: My mental maths says this is about 100cm give or take a few.