Demon Sword Maiden

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Several Gluttony Demons collapsed, their auras completely drained and their bodies strewn lifelessly across the bamboo-covered ground.

"Thank you for saving us. I never imagined you were this powerful. I behaved shamefully earlier. Please forgive my rudeness," Ryuen said, bowing her head.

Completely overwhelmed by awe, Ryuen knelt before Lily. Her prideful exterior had melted into reverence. Though she often appeared aloof, deep down she was submissive. At this moment, if Lily had asked her to kiss her feet, she likely would have done so without hesitation.

"Sister, kneel and thank them properly," Ryuen urged.

Murasakiyo obeyed, lowering herself beside her sister with a bow of gratitude.

"My sister spoke out of turn earlier. Please don't hold it against her," Ryuen said apologetically.

Lily smiled softly. "It's alright. Miss Murasakiyo was simply being honest."

"Would you take us to your village now?" Shimizu asked.

As they walked, Lily asked, "Miss Ryuen, why are those green demons called Gluttony Demons?"

"You must not be familiar with it. Most green demons fall into two kinds: Gluttony Demons and Lust Demons. Gluttony Demons consume women—our bodies, organs, even our souls. As for Lust Demons…" Ryuen trailed off, her face reddening.

"I understand. You don't need to explain further," Lily replied gently.

Before long, they arrived at an ancient village nestled in the bamboo forest. The houses resembled simple wooden huts from a thousand years ago, scattered across the sloping terrain. The breeze rustled the leaves, adding a quiet charm to the secluded settlement.

Upon entering the Shizutake Tribe, Ryuen and Murasakiyo guided Lily and Shimizu to the village elder.

The elder was a very short, elderly woman leaning on a crooked cane as she greeted them.

"The grand elder is unwell these days. She would have thanked you herself, but I must do it on her behalf. Please pardon us," the woman said as she led them through the village. Lily noticed the peaceful seclusion of the place and that it seemed inhabited solely by women.

"Long ago, our Shizutake Tribe gave rise to a great warrior, one said to have ascended to goddesshood in Takamagahara. Her swordsmanship was unmatched, and she was chosen as a guard to Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. But that was ages ago. After endless migrations and the erosion of time, only this small mountain village remains." The elder's eyes sparkled as she recounted the tale.

"Grandmother, you really shouldn't tell everyone that story. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto is a supreme god, one said to be part of the world itself. How could someone from our humble village become her guard? Some even say she doesn't exist as an individual at all," Ryuen said, clearly embarrassed and afraid Lily might mock the tale.

"You silly child. Must you be so grounded in realism? There are many things in this world beyond your understanding," the elder chided gently.

Lily and Shimizu smiled quietly. They had heard many stories like this before, claims that Tsukuyomi no Mikoto once taught swordsmanship in a distant village or saved an ancestor of a now-forgotten clan. Such tales were often little more than beautiful fictions, passed down to comfort and inspire.

The elder led them to a quiet, secluded manor. Fallen leaves covered the courtyard, and weeds had begun to creep up along the walls.

"You may rest here tonight, though I apologize for the mess. This is the best we can offer," the elder said with humility.

"Why not stay at my home instead?" Ryuen offered softly. "I live alone."

"I'll join too," Murasakiyo added quickly. "The trial is near, and I want to learn more from Sister Ryuen…and from you both."

Ryuen looked to the elder for permission. The old woman gave a knowing smile and nodded, as though she had seen this happen many times before. And so, Lily and Shimizu accepted the invitation and stayed at Ryuen's home for the night.

Ryuen proved to be an attentive host, especially toward Lily. She quickly set about preparing a bath and making them comfortable.

"Miss Lily, why don't you bathe first? We'll go after you're done," Ryuen said, pointing to a large wooden tub set inside one of the two bamboo huts in the backyard.

"Huh? Well… alright," Lily replied hesitantly.

With Ryuen's insistence, Lily stepped into the bathhouse, a simple bamboo-constructed shed. Despite its modesty, the feeling of soaking in the warm wooden tub was soothing and peaceful.

Still troubled by the situation outside, Lily sent a voice transmission to her senior sister.

"Sister Rinne, what's happening outside?" she asked.

"Not well," Rinne replied. "Hekiraku City continues to descend. It's slowing the demons for now, but you and Miss Shimizu must find a way to leave quickly."

"Understood!" Lily responded, her anxiety deepening as she began to sweat from more than just the heat.

But how were they supposed to leave? Could they only wait for the Celestial Maidens to arrive?

"Senior sister, how much longer can Hekiraku City hold out?"

"Don't worry too much, Lily. Unless the Supreme Gods intervene, the city can likely hold for about a month. But the Dark Celestial Maidens may suffer severe losses," Rinne said.

"The Dark Celestial Maidens?" Lily murmured. They had always been harsh to her, but she didn't wish for them to be slaughtered or enslaved. Still, she found it odd that her senior sister seemed concerned about their losses.

"Miss Lily? Is the water too hot?" Ryuen's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Huh?" Startled, Lily splashed the water as she sat up. She hadn't noticed Ryuen enter the shed and now stood beside the tub, droplets from the scented water landing on her face.

"I'm so sorry…" Lily said, flustered.

But Ryuen didn't seem upset. In fact, her face flushed as she trembled slightly. "I'll adjust the water temperature," she said quickly before turning and hurrying out.

Lily sighed and shook her head. She wasn't oblivious, Ryuen's feelings were becoming obvious. But she had no choice but to pretend not to notice and continue treating her with respectful distance.

After her bath, Lily put on a white robe and crossed the quiet courtyard. When she entered her room, she saw Shimizu already finished with her bath and waiting for her.

"As expected, you're always quicker than me when it comes to bathing, Sister Shimizu," Lily said with a small smile.

Of course, bathing speed had little to do with their relationship, but the comment was more habit than reflection.

"Lily, we're finally alone," Shimizu said as she gazed out at the moonlit sky, then turned back with a spark in her eye. "Why don't we continue where we left off?"

"Continue… what?" Lily asked, blushing deeply.

"What do you think I mean?" Shimizu said with a playful grin, stepping forward and pressing close, wrapping her arms around Lily's waist.

"Sister Shimizu… um… maybe not right now…" Lily stammered, only for her words to be cut short as waves of powerful energy suddenly surged from outside, followed by commotion.

"What's happening out there?" Lily asked in alarm.

"I can sense several powerful auras…at least two are at the Celestial Stage. They must have arrived via teleportation… and they're all women," Shimizu said, her tone suddenly serious.

"Could the Celestial Maidens have arrived already?"

Lily and Shimizu left the courtyard and made their way down the bamboo slope. At the heart of the village, where bonfires burned in a large open clearing, eight women stood atop a tall bamboo platform. Their hair was tied up, and they wore revealing yet elegant robes that billowed lightly in the firelight.

Around the platform, the elders and young women of the Shizutake Tribe knelt solemnly. There was no doubt now, the Celestial Maidens had descended.

The Celestial Maidens traditionally appeared only once every fifty years, always punctual. But their arrival two days early this time had caught the Shizutake Tribe off guard. The grand elder was brought out hastily in a wooden wheelchair, and with assistance from the younger women, she knelt respectfully before the visiting figures.

The Celestial Maidens, standing tall above the others, wore expressions of disdain as they looked down upon the kneeling tribe members with cold detachment.

"Are you the grand elder of this village?" one of the Celestial Maidens asked, her tied hair adorned with large amber jade earrings.

"Yes, I am Shizutake Mamiko. I was unaware Your Excellencies would arrive today, and we were unable to make proper preparations. Please forgive us," the grand elder said, her voice weak and followed by a fit of coughing.

Even from a distance, the Celestial Maidens wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"Tell me, Shizutake Mamiko, how old are you exactly?" the one with jade earrings continued.

"I have lived for nine hundred years," Mamiko replied.

"Only nine hundred years and you already look like this?" scoffed another Celestial Maiden in purple-pink robes. "Sister Tamami, I've trained for three thousand years, and I still look youthful. Why such a vast difference between us and them?" she asked with a disdainful glance at the elder.

Murmurs of discontent stirred among the tribe. The comment was a blatant insult to their beloved elder.

But the grand elder only smiled softly, her few remaining teeth barely visible. "I am just a mortal, unworthy of comparison to divine beings like yourselves. My end is near, and I doubt I will live to see your next visit. All I ask is that you offer guidance to the younger generation and discipline them well."

"Hmph, aren't we already setting an example?" the jade-eared Maiden mocked. "Look at us, then look at your elder women. They're barely half our age and already withered. But we remain in our prime, favored by the gods of Takamagahara. So let this be a lesson: being a woman does not excuse laziness. Your beauty will fade if you don't work for it. This is the result of idleness. Do you understand now?" She floated down gracefully, then placed her foot on the bowed head of the grand elder.

The women of the tribe trembled in silent outrage, yet none dared to speak up. The grand elder, still smiling, looked to them and said, "The Celestial Maidens speak the truth. You must strive to pass the trial, become trainee Maidens, and eventually bring honor to our Shizutake name. Don't grow old and useless like us. Now, thank the sisters for their wisdom."

Red-faced and ashamed, the young women knelt once more and called out in unison, "Thank you for your guidance!"

From the slope above, Lily and Shimizu watched in silence, both unable to hide their disgust.

The Heavenly Path had collapsed. Its corruption had not only spread through the mortal realm, but even those meant to be divine had become disgraceful shadows of what they once were.