Chapter 5

“He who refuses a meal that is set before him…” means that if a woman makes such an invitation to a man, he should naturally accept it.

—————————————————————————————————————

Ryujyu was facing the biggest decision of his life: to act or not to act. For about ten minutes now, he has been standing still without moving a finger.

“Hmm…”

He rolled over with a sigh. The sound of Ryujyu swallowing echoed through the room.

Right in front of him, Ashura lay defenselessly in an incredibly alluring position, deeply asleep. Ryujyu had entered the bedroom at Hakuryu’s request to wake her up.

–Is this what they call a meal that’s set out for you? —

Not quite.

Her closed eyelids were fringed with long lashes that cast a bewitching shadow, her transparent skin had a faint pink tint, and her regular breathing escaped from glossy lips.

Ashura lay on a fluffy, king-sized bed covered with a white canopy, without a blanket. Her long limbs were completely exposed. From her deeply opened collar, her modest but well-shaped chest was almost fully revealed. With her recent movement, her legs had spread further apart.

“I can’t take it anymore!”

Ryujyu shouted and lunged at Ashura’s bed.

“Cut!”

“Ugh!”

Just a few millimeters away from touching Ashura’s soft skin, pain shot through his head.

“What are you doing, Ryujyu?”

Turning around, he saw Buddha standing there.

“Oh no!”

Ryujyu hurriedly kneeled and bowed, trying to cover his hardened groin with his hands.

“I’m sorry!”

He had been struck hard on the head with a staff, and his ears were ringing.

“Huh? What’s going on? Oh, Siddhartha!”

Behind him, the mischievous voice of the now-awake Ashura rang out.

“What’s the matter? I’m glad you came, but… Ryujyu, what are you doing over there?”

“Whatever I’m doing doesn’t matter,” Ryujyu yelled in his mind.

He felt like crying.

“Hakuryu asked me. He wanted me to teach Ryujyu how to use his chi.”

No way! Ryujyu felt a jolt of electricity through his body at Buddha’s words.

“How to use chi? Oh, ‘chi. ‘ Right. They say Ryujyu is destined to become a great monk eventually, so maybe he’s suited for it.”

“Indeed. Although it seems he still has a long way to go.”

Siddhartha smiled slightly.

Ryujyu, trembling with fear, glanced at his face but quickly looked down again, frightened by the angry expression in his master’s eyes.

In his previous life, Ryujyu had fought alongside Ashura as a warrior in the human world. After Ashura’s death, he joined the sect founded by Buddha, but he died of illness before Buddha.

In this life, Ryujyu, who had been a notorious playboy, was reborn seven hundred years later as a monk, hailed as Buddha’s reincarnation.

However, until his next reincarnation, Ryujyu had to serve Ashura.

“Hakuryu mentioned lunch. I’ll join you.”

“Okay. I’ll be there soon. Hey, Ryujyu, you came to wake me up, right? I’m up now, so let’s go.”

Ryujyu had been in love with Ashura since their fighting days. This unrequited love still tormented him.

On the other hand, Ashura had known about Ryujyu’s feelings in their previous lives but now seemed to have forgotten them entirely. Their close relationship might be why she no longer saw him as a romantic interest.

To her, Ryujyu was always a convenient and reliable subordinate and friend, especially as she devoted all her love to Buddha Siddhartha.

When Ryujyu began serving Ashura, Buddha had warned him:

“If you lay a hand on Ashura, you will be damned to hell.”

At this moment, Ryujyu’s soul was virtually condemned to hell.

—

“So, how was the patrol? Any new information?”

Having finished Hakuryu’s special, delicious fried rice, it was tea time. Buddha and Ryujyu had gone somewhere for training.

“There is one thing that concerns me.”

“Hmm?”

“You know Mitsugon Yasha, right? The top threat in the Asura realm.”

(T/N:Yasha or yaksha, nature-spirits in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, sometimes depicted as demonic warriors.)

A top threat is someone classified as a first-level dangerous individual. Mitsugon Yasha was one of the notorious demon gods in the Asura realm. Originally serving as a god in the heavens, his penchant for conflict led to his fall to the Asura realm, becoming a demon god. Skilled in sorcery and possessing extraordinary combat abilities.

Those who fell from the heavens to the Asura realm were called demon gods. Their numbers were more than ten fingers could count.

Even in the Asura realm, his nature didn’t change, and over a long time, he gathered demons under his control, forming several groups. Those demons who followed such demon gods were known as the Yasha tribe.

Mitsugon Yasha was one of these demon gods.

“Of course. Is he involved in this incident?”

Ashura’s voice grew tense.

“He’s highly suspicious. The notorious Pikara, as it turns out, is one of Mitsugon Yasha’s men.”

“Really? That guy was part of the Yasha tribe?”

“Yes. When I stopped by their mansion during the patrol, it was completely empty.”

Ashura looked at Hakuryu as if to say, “That can’t be the end of it, right?”

“I’ve set up surveillance at the mansion.”

“And?”

Surveillance referred to a camera-like device that could fly around freely. Hakuryu had a monitor to receive its feed.

“Since we left, Yasha demons have been gathering there. Something is definitely going on.”

Ashura looked into the monitor. She touched her chin and traced her lips with her fingers, a gesture that was naturally seductive and troubling for the men around her.

“If the Yasha tribe is involved, it could turn into a long-term conflict. It would be troublesome if they were banding together.”

Groups of demon gods scattered across the Asura realm usually kept each other in check, making it unlikely for them to cooperate.

“Is it possible for them to form an organization?”

“I don’t know. It’s not impossible. But even if they do, we want to avoid large-scale warfare. Such battles are utterly futile.”

Residents of the Asura realm don’t die. Thus, endless and literally futile battles ensue.

—Endless battles… it feels strangely familiar, like words I’ve heard and said many times before.

Ashura was momentarily lost in thought but was soon distracted by Hakuryu’s words.

“Crush the suspicious groups one by one. That might be the best strategy.”

“I understand, but if that’s the case, we need to hurry even more.”

Ashura peered into the monitor Hakuryu was holding once more.

“Hmm. Maybe I should infiltrate this place.”

Hakuryu’s mouth dropped open at the sudden suggestion.

“W-What are you saying?! That’s impossible.”

Ashura glanced at Hakuryu.

“Impossible? Nothing is impossible for me.”

With that, Ashura stood up and increased her aura. Her white skin turned a dusky gray, transforming into that of a demon. Her face also became regrettably ugly.

“Alright, prepare my disguise.”

“Are you serious? I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t disguise yourself as a demon. Wait outside the mansion with Ryujyu and the others. A hundred men should be enough.”

“But…!”

Ashura silenced Hakuryu, who was about to protest, with a sly smile.

“I’m not saying I’ll fight Mitsugon Yasha. I’m just going to find out what they’re plotting.”

Sure, that’s definitely not the case, thought Hakuryu, but he didn’t voice it.

—

Ashura, disguised as a Yasha demon, arrived at Mitsugon Yasha’s mansion. There was no need to enter through the front door. She created a secret passage and snuck in, blending in with the other Yasha demons without drawing attention.

—Yasha demons, huh? I don’t recall seeing any Yasha demons among those we fought last time. Perhaps they’re using lower-level demons to do the fighting now.

Ashura moved through the hall, glancing at the unruly Yasha demons. The hall was large enough to hold tens of thousands of Yasha demons comfortably, like an arena.

The ceiling was about as high as a three-story building, decorated with incongruous paintings of Indian gods. However, the master of the house was nowhere to be seen.

—Mitsugon Yasha. Where are you hiding?

The surrounding Yasha demons began to stir. It seemed the master was about to make an appearance.

—Alright! Let’s see if it’s a demon or a snake!

Ashura braced herself.

“Mitsugon Yasha General! Mitsugon Yasha General! Mitsugon Yasha General!”

The Yasha demons chanted loudly, but then…

“Silence, everyone!”

The chant stopped instantly, but the hall was soon filled with disappointed murmurs. The one who appeared was not the general they had expected.

“That’s Vice Commander Shoutora.”

“Shoutora? Where is Lord Mitsugon?”

The Yasha demons started chattering.

—Shoutora, huh? I’ve heard of him. He’s also on our blacklist.

“Sorry to disappoint you all, but Lord Mitsugon Yasha can’t come. There’s an uninvited guest in the mansion.”

The murmurs grew louder. Ashura slowly prepared for battle.

“This pesky bug has been flying around since midday.”

Shoutora held up the surveillance device sent by Hakuryu.

—Damn, we’ve been found out.

Ashura gripped the hilt of her sword.

“It seems we have a noisy visitor from the Asura realm. Why don’t you show yourself?”

With that, Shoutora threw the surveillance device towards Ashura. Without looking, she caught it with her left hand, making a satisfying snap as it settled into her palm.

The Yasha demons swiftly moved, forming a circle around Ashura.

“Hmph. So you knew from the start.”

“Using a secret passage was a mistake. Don’t underestimate the security of this mansion, King Ashura!”

“K-King Ashura!”

The hall instantly became chaotic, like a disturbed beehive. Everyone grabbed their weapons.

“Hmph! Silence, you fools!”

Ashura’s aura flared dramatically. Her gray hair turned deep indigo, her hair ornaments sparkled, and her skin became translucent like fine porcelain, revealing her beautiful and dignified form. When her closed eyelids snapped open, her blazing red eyes gleamed.

“Come at me all at once!”

The Yasha demons, who had been mesmerized as if watching the birth of Venus, regained their senses and rushed at Ashura. The sound of clashing swords echoed through the hall.

Ashura kicked down enemies from both sides, slashing through several Yasha demons in front of her with her sword. The bisected bodies fell to the ground.

She leaped towards Shoutora, using an enemy’s shoulder as a stepping stone. But more Yasha demons kept coming. Spinning and swinging her sword, she kicked away enemies with her long legs. Like performing a beautiful dance, Ashura built a mountain of demon corpses.

—Damn it! There’s no end to them. There are too many!

Ashura felt the pressure of a blade descending on her back. Instinctively, she turned and leaped backward.

There, a giant demon, as large as an elephant, was about to strike her with its sword.