The setting of Sword of the Demon is not stationary, it is very linear. It depicts a long journey through and back through many places, with new, unforeseen events at every turn. It is written in present tense, and with no quotation marks around dialogue. It gives a vivid here-and-now feeling behind the events. These are existential realms, not grounded in reality; this is a purely fantasy tale. Still, many of its elements are taken from Japanese mythology. There are a lot of Japanese armour, weapons, and clothing detailed throughout. Japan itself is never mentioned.
She wanders through fantastical settings for a while. She is poisoned by a massive spider and is saved by one who comes to be known as the Aizen-Myu. He is in fact a God, who chose to take mortal form in order to seek enlightenment. He takes her through a deep ocean, on the back of a magical beast.
After some travels Kishimo boards the great wooden ship Ofuna. This ship is owned by the Miroku, who is an adult but his body resembles an infant's. This form is a curse put on him by the Aizen. Miroku speaks to the woman, naming her Kishimo, the 'sent one', and says she will help him reach the land of Tsunu, to reclaim it and rule there. Kishimo knows nothing of this prophecy. It is soon revealed that the Aizen wishes to rule there as well. Kishimo, her life saved by Aizen, is not so mistrusting of him as Miroku is; she doesn't see him as the flat out enemy that Miroku does. She travels with him through the Sea of Mists, and down to the sunken city of Yomi in the Land of Gloom. This is where souls lost in the ocean make their home for eternity. A chamberlain of Yomi, Suzanu-wu, leads Kishimo and Aizen up a staircase leading back to the surface.
Okinu-nushi, the Spirit Master, is a powerful being Kishimo meets, able to call upon other deities and spirits to do his bidding. He joins them on their journey, careless in his divinity.
The group reaches the land of Izumo, where a village is under the grasp of a demon, a serpent with eight heads, all of different colors. Every eight years he demands that eight children be sacrificed to him, and this has gone on for generations. Suzanu-wu is descended from those who once owned the sword called Kuzanagi, which was stolen by the same serpent. This sword is almost a character in itself. I see some parallels to some of the Elric stories by Michael Moorcock, especially with Kuzanagi. The sword has a mind and a life of it's own much like the runeblade Stormbringer. (Elric journeys through realms, comes upon demons, spirits, and deities as well.)
With the help of Kishimo and Aizen's powerful enchanted jewels (these have the power to make waters flow and recede), they approach the terrible monster. Suzanu-wu calmly confronts the serpent, addressing it as Lord Serpent, and providing cups of sake to intoxicate each head. Eventually he steals the sword back; he slays the beast, one head at a time. Having attained his sole quest, and regained his family's honor, he commits hara-kiri. Kishimo ends up with the sword Kuzanagi.
After the serpent is slain by Suzano-wu, from the serpent's belly comes forth all of the children that had been sacrificed, a new generation now free to complete their disrupted lives. Aizen makes his leave on the back of a Kirin, leaving Kishimo with both enchanted jewelsOn this note, Kishimo, and the Spirit Master continue on their journey.
Kuzanagi seems to have the power to open portals between different states of being. Many times, the characters travel through a sort of limbo-state, where there is no up or down, forward or back. With a swipe of the sword Kishimo can transport them away, to some unknown destination. After all this, Kishimo ends up aboard the ship Ofuna again. Miroku is freed from his bondage to the infant body, and retains his form as Issun-Boshi, or Little One Inch, a hero of old legend.
Approaching Tsunu, the group watches over a massive battle on its' beach: sailor-soldiers pouring out of Ofanu, to assault the army of defending shikome, minions of Aizen. This battle is evenly matched- the two forces annihilate each other until only the few god-beings remain in the land of Tsunu. Kishimo, Aizen, Little One Inch, and the Spirit Master are made to settle things on their own terms. It is suggested that perhaps the end of a journey takes away meaning from the journey itself, and it is pondered that perhaps they should leave the land of Tsunu rather than settling there. (Is this the enlightenment the God-Aizen sought?) The Spirit Master, having used much of his power assisting Kishimo, dies, his form spreading out thin into vapor until he disappears. From here, the other three make their own choices. The fate of Tsunu, who shall rule it, and how the battle shall continue are left unanswered.
I would say Kishimo holds the greatest power at the end of the novel, due to Kuzanagi and also the jewels. The Spirit Master can call forth power, but only power less powerful than himself. Aizen seemed to have given up his God-powers to experience humanity. And in the end, Kishimo is the one who attains the ultimate peace.
Me being a fan of swordplay, I enjoyed a couple cool duels: the first, two warriors in a gladiator style battle. They chop off each others' appendages. The severed arm returns to its owner, levitating where it was once attached, allowing him to counter strike, and it ends in a decapitation. It is revealed that they are immortal, and duel every day for eternity.
Another duel is between two prophets. They have told conflicting prophecies: One foresees doom for Kishimo and her companions, the other foresees success. The two fight it out over this issue in front of the Spirit Master when Kishimo first meets him.
The writing is great and intriguing, very vivid (and at times very wordy), otherworldly. There's no way to predict what may happen next. It just takes you for a cosmic ride through exotic experiences, pulling you along just like Kuzanagi guides Kishimo.
Good read! Where will my journey take me next I wonder??
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