Otaku Witch

Maple covered her face, the two palm prints and a shoeprint on her face sent waves of piercing pain, making her entire face feel blistering hot.

This kind of feeling is truly nostalgic.

The last time she was humiliated like this was a hundred years ago.

Back then, she was just a weakling pushed to the brink by this damn world, with no other choice but to go to Monster Mountain seeking a sliver of hope. She longed to become strong, to live a stable life free from bullying.

But alas, such extravagant wishes are destined to be achieved only by a select few on this island of Japan, and it was clear she was not among them.

At that time, she felt like a drowning person, desperately grasping for anything that could save her, struggling for her life, but despairingly, the more she struggled, the faster she sank.

Fortunately, she was lucky enough that before she drowned, someone pulled her up and gave her redemption.

Lord Shuten, who once was the only light in her life.

However, the once weak and docile Maple was drowned; what was pulled up by the master was merely an evil ghost formed from obsession.

She no longer wanted to live through those days of being casually bullied. She was fed up with days filled with fear and anxiety. She wanted to climb up step by step, to become the highest person that no one in the world would dare provoke.

Therefore, Lord Shuten's redemption could not suffice because she knew clearly that another's strength is ultimately another's. That which grants you redemption can eventually let go, causing you to fall into an abyss of no return.

Even though Lord Shuten might not be that person, people change. In this damned world, who can remain pure and kind forever? That is an unrealistic luxury.

As brilliant as Lord Shuten might be, there will come a day when they submit to the world, become no longer radiant, and fall into corruption.

Just the thought of this possibility made Maple's heart ache and filled her with extreme fear.

Therefore, she knew well that Lord Shuten could only serve as a stepping stone for her ascent, not a haven. She absolutely could not become infatuated with temporary tranquility and give up her predestined path upward.

Hence, she leveraged Lord Shuten's background to start oppressing the Hyakki, gathering resources for herself. To change her weak Talent and Strength, she even audaciously requested Lord Shuten to forge her into the Demon Sword Princess.

A witch's Talent should have been predestined, unchangeable, but Lord Shuten's demon blade forging Talent could defy fate. In the process of forging more painful than death, her unwillingness, her ambitions, her everything, all turned into blade material, ultimately fused into a new demon blade Talent.

Maple Hunt (SSR): The red of the maple leaf is the color of blood. You are the maple leaf absorbing blood; bloodthirstiness is your nature. You can convert the blood you drink into your own Strength, growing from the thirst for blood.

All the suffering was ultimately worthwhile. This new demon blade Talent was the basis of her rise, and since then, the only hindrance on her path upward was Master of the Demon Blade, Lord Shuten.

No matter how strong a demon blade is, it belongs to a master and will be controlled by Lord Shuten, which Maple could not tolerate.

Therefore, she seduced the Chinese Clan Patriarch in Heian-kyo, prompting the Chinese Clan to launch a hunt on Monster Mountain, and during the final battle, she suddenly betrayed her beloved Lord Shuten.

Ah, she will never forget that feeling of slaying her dearest; at that moment, guilt and agony wrapped around her heart like a venomous snake, causing immense suffering. Even today, mere recollection causes unbearable pain.

He was the only light in her life, and this light was also to be extinguished by her own hands.

My Lord Shuten, this wretched world does not deserve a radiant soul like yours. As long as this world continues this way, one day, your brilliance will become dim, swallowed by Darkness.

That sort of fate, I refuse, Lord Shuten, my beloved. Instead of letting you sink into this Darkness, it's better for you to leave while still shining.

I will consume every inch of your flesh and blood, Lord Shuten. You and I will become thoroughly united, never to part.

At that moment, Maple thought this way.

Her Lord Shuten would become the eternal radiant light in her memory, in a world that belonged solely to her.

It's a pity, just a little short, just that last bit.

She failed to kill Lord Shuten, failed to make her beloved eternal.

And the cost of this failure was immense because her betrayal had already tainted that radiant light with blood, making it impure.

She failed to kill Lord Shuten, but she killed her light.

That day, watching Lord Shuten's eyes growing cold as they looked at her, Maple lost her dearest forever.

However, although she didn't eliminate the Master of the Demon Blade, Maple did succeed in consuming Lord Shuten's blood, gaining a fraction of his Strength from that enticing blood.

This portion of Strength was insufficient to allow her to forge blades as freely as Lord Shuten, but it was enough to counter the Master of the Demon Blade's control over her; she became the only free master-devouring demon blade.