Around the time the Demon King launched his full-scale war on Gensokyo, the Underworld, connected to the mortal realm, was also invaded by a powerful foe. Yomu Konpaku stood in the very center of the pavilion, dual swords in hand, her gaze fixed on the countless enemies rushing toward her. She coldly stated, "I don't care who you are, but... there is almost nothing that the Rōkanken, forged by a yokai, cannot sever!" With the Rōkanken in her left hand and the Hakurōken in her right, she charged forward as she spoke. Her opening move was the strongest secret technique of the Life-and-Death Two-Sword Style... Rokudōken: Ichinen Muryōgō!

A certain blind old man once said: a sword severs the body, but the heart severs the soul. But for Yomu, it wasn't that complicated. The Rōkanken could sever all things tangible, while the Hakurōken could sever intangible souls. With these two swords in her possession... there was nothing she could not cut!

The enemies attacking the White Jade Mansion came suddenly. Yomu, who had been pruning the cherry trees in the courtyard as usual, found herself surrounded the moment she sensed the atmosphere had changed. She didn't even have time to utter her signature catchphrase, "First I'll slice you, then I'll..." She could only mutter something like, "What does what happens in Guangzhou have to do with me?" (Note: this is a transliteration of a nonsensical phrase used for comedic effect.)

She didn't know where these enemies came from, nor why the White Jade Mansion was suddenly assaulted by so many, but as the guardian, she couldn't possibly show mercy to intruders. However, being completely unprepared, facing enemies as dense and ghostly as fog made the situation somewhat tricky.

Of course, she couldn't be blamed for being unprepared; the news from the Tengu hadn't even reached the Underworld yet.

Fortunately, the enemies attacking the White Jade Mansion weren't overwhelmingly strong, nor were there as many as those at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Though fighting alone was somewhat difficult, Yomu could barely hold the line. Once the Rokudōken was unleashed, the power of karma shook the area, and almost no enemy could cross the boundary.

Attacking the White Jade Mansion with such a force configuration seemed reckless, but thinking it over, it made perfect sense: the Host was not in the White Jade Mansion. The Demon King's targets were only the Host and Rinro; as for everyone else, kill them if possible, or stall them if not. Using low-level cannon fodder to pin down the Underworld faction so they couldn't send aid elsewhere, while not a brilliant strategy, was certainly a viable one.

Moreover, even a cannon fodder unit needed a strong leader.

"The fluctuation of the Sword Immortal of Humanity!" Yomu cried out, slicing out with her twin blades. A violent ripple appeared in the space cut by the blades, and as the ripple expanded, all the surrounding enemies were shattered. Gradually, this fluctuation took on the form of a woman, from whom a subtle, explosive power could be felt.

Swoosh!

Just as Yomu prepared to detonate the fluctuation, a sharp tail stinger shot up from the ground, piercing the "Immortal's" heart. The tangible fluctuation instantly vanished into nothingness.

"Ah!" Yomu’s expression changed drastically. Before she could react, she saw a massive silhouette rushing straight at her. Instinctively, she swung her swords to block, but with a clang, even the indestructible Rōkanken could not withstand the blow!

"Nothing you can't sever? Well, here is something that can!" Hearing the somber voice, Yomu looked up, and upon seeing the enemy before her, she couldn't help but gasp.

It was a monster over three meters tall. While it possessed a human head, its entire body from the neck down was covered in thick, heavy scales. Behind it was a long, thick tail, the tip of which glowed with a faint, eerie light, swaying back and forth—this was the tail that had pierced the "Immortal." Furthermore, it had two arms like iron pincers, each clamping down on Yomu's Rōkanken and Hakurōken!

A human face and a scorpion body—undoubtedly, this was a monster!

Its huge physique and terrifying appearance pressed an invisible aura upon Yomu, stirring a strange fear in her heart. Cold sweat beaded on her face... Despite being a half-human, half-spirit entity residing in the forbidden Underworld, Yomu was unusually afraid of ghosts and ill-suited to facing terrifying things like monsters. It could be said that her nature was extremely timid; it wasn't entirely without reason that Yuyuko called her useless.

"Truly useless. The Underworld is too weak," the Scorpion-Bodied Man sneered. He flung his two iron pincers upward, and Yomu was immediately thrown high into the air.

Swoosh!

There was that sharp scorpion tail again. The moment Yomu was flung up, the tail whipped around with lightning speed, aiming directly for her heart!

"Useless thing, just die for me!" In a single move, Yomu was rendered completely defenseless. The Scorpion-Bodied Man's power was unquestionable.

Facing the deadly scorpion tail radiating a terrifying pressure, Yomu’s expression twisted. In desperation, she managed to place the Rōkanken and Hakurōken between herself and the attack... Crack!

Immense force traveled through the twin blades into Yomu’s arms. She felt an unbearable soreness, and both swords flew out of her grasp. While the tail was not completely blocked by this counter, its trajectory was deflected, grazing past her side.

"Tch, so lucky?" Just as Yomu breathed a sigh of relief, the Scorpion-Bodied Man uttered a disdainful sound. Then, the tail, which had already passed, miraculously reversed direction and slammed viciously into Yomu's body.

Bang... Pfft!

With a dull thud, Yomu felt as if every bone in her body had shattered. She couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of blood before plummeting downward, crashing heavily into a pile of rubble.

"Damn it, a miscalculation?" The Scorpion-Bodied Man frowned. Although the surprise attack succeeded, the final blow had struck that white spirit, which absorbed most of the force, preventing a fatal outcome. Without hesitation, the scorpion tail struck out again. But just as he prepared to stab down, an elegant and languid voice drifted from nearby: "Oh my, you really can’t go around saying my Yomu is useless."

The Scorpion-Bodied Man instinctively turned his head. Dozens of meters away, in front of a massive cherry blossom tree, a young woman in fine robes, holding a black folding fan, descended from the sky amidst the scattering blossoms.

"Lady Yuyuko!" Yomu cried out, her face filled with surprise as she struggled to rise from the ground.

The Scorpion-Bodied Man’s previously disdainful expression instantly became intensely serious. He ignored Yomu, standing his ground in cautious readiness. It wasn't that he didn't want to attack; it was that he felt an immense sense of danger. Years of instinct told him that if he didn't pay attention to the specter before him now, he would surely die!

"You truly are useless," Yuyuko said, looking towards Yomu.

"Uh..." Yomu was instantly speechless, looking aggrieved. She had thought Yuyuko had finally stopped considering her useless and was feeling a surge of gratitude. This was apparently a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

"Are you the master of the Underworld? Then die!" Taking advantage of Yuyuko’s diverted attention, the Scorpion-Bodied Man immediately launched a surprise attack. His flexible tail pierced toward Yuyuko like lightning, moving several times faster than before, reaching her in an instant.

"Oh my, specters don't die twice, you know," Yuyuko smiled faintly, her ethereal body sliding sideways with the wind to avoid the killing blow. She chuckled, "Choose for yourself: will you remain here as a specter, or remain here forever as a specter?"

"Such a choice... then allow me to make you die again!" The Scorpion-Bodied Man roared in anger. He clearly felt scorned. He stomped hard on the ground, launching himself upward like a cannonball, his two iron pincers flashing with beams of death.

"What a pity, your strength is insufficient," Yuyuko chirped lightly. As she spoke, a massive circular halo appeared behind her. Two square light waves slowly rotated within the halo, and countless danmaku resembling butterflies flapped their wings and flew out, spreading outward in a spiral pattern.

The two death beams fired by the Scorpion-Bodied Man were instantly assimilated by the butterfly-like danmaku upon contact... This was only natural. Death beams could bring death, but no one surpassed Yuyuko in the degree of death they commanded.

"Damn it!" The Scorpion-Bodied Man cursed unwillingly and immediately retreated. Although the butterfly danmaku were incredibly dense, his speed was not inferior, and he managed to dodge them all.

However, the lesser enemies on the ground were not so fortunate. Under the power of death, none survived. Amidst piercing shrieks, more than half had fallen in a short time.

Some tried to flee, but the butterfly danmaku filling the entire space left not a single gap.

And apart from the butterfly danmaku, several pink light beams shot from Yuyuko's chest. Their speed surpassed that of electricity—both extremely fast and extremely slow, two extremes of speed that carried equal destructive power. Amidst violent explosions, the Scorpion-Bodied Man fled for his life. Even with his speed, he found it quite taxing.

"Oh my, oh my, you're quite capable... Hehehehe..." Seeing that her attacks were only clearing the minions and failing to inflict significant damage on the Scorpion-Bodied Man, Yuyuko was not dismayed; instead, she laughed even more happily. Then, she raised her black folding fan upward. Instantly, a huge, fan-shaped screen of black and red appeared behind her.

And from the screen erupted even more dense danmaku... butterfly-shaped ones, circular ones, colored beams... The danmaku filled the entire space; there were no gaps for evasion, not even any spare room. The danmaku connected to the danmaku, radiating dazzling, multi-colored light—beautiful and gorgeous, yet filled with deadly intent.

The fleeting, exquisite beauty of Saigyouji Muyo.

This was Yuyuko's ultimate danmaku.

"Ah..." The Scorpion-Bodied Man stared, dumbfounded. That splendor, that strange beauty, acted like a spell, freezing him in place.

BOOM!!!

When the barrage fell and the sound was annihilated, not a single living thing remained on the ground.

"Yomu, let's go," Yuyuko said, returning to the ground without sparing a glance behind her.

"Huh? Where to?" Yomu rushed forward. Although she had been defeated miserably moments ago, her injuries were not actually severe; her half-spirit nature had absorbed most of the attacks.

"To host a banquet, of course. A feast for the specters."

"But the Underworld..."

"Hehehe," Yuyuko chuckled lightly, offering no reply.

Just then, an old man, holding a spirit on his back and a long sword in hand, walked over from the distance. "Leave the defense of the Underworld to this old man."

"Grandpa!" Yomu exclaimed in shock.