Demon Sword Maiden

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"The Celestial Maiden trial begins tomorrow morning," announced a tall, mature Celestial Maiden, her makeup heavy and her voice commanding. She wore a white robe, her hair slicked back, and her forehead adorned with ornate golden jewelry.

"Tomorrow?" the grand elder exclaimed, visibly startled. "Wasn't it supposed to be three days from now? Many of the girls are still preparing. Could you perhaps…"

"Silence, you shriveled old hag. How dare you question the will of the heavens?" snapped the mature Celestial Maiden. "Do you think we Celestial Maidens sit around idly like you? Takamagahara is overrun with fugitives and chaos. If you and your girls don't show up tomorrow, you can wait another fifty years." Her tone left no room for argument. As the leader of the group and a Celestial Stage powerhouse, she held absolute authority.

The Celestial Maiden in purple-pink robes glanced over the kneeling elders. "Where is the tribute?" she asked coldly. "Don't tell me you failed to prepare that too."

At the elder's signal, several middle-aged women stepped forward, offering trays filled with gemstones, a few pieces of Blood Spirit Magatama, delicate silk scrolls, and a rare local product, prismatic jade bamboo cores.

The mature Celestial Maiden gave the offerings a quick, dismissive glance before collecting them with a wave of her hand. "Pitiful tributes. Your Shizutake Tribe grows more disappointing each time. I ought to reduce your selection quota. But since your people clearly struggle, I'll be generous. This time, you may send two additional candidates."

"Truly? Thank you, Your Excellency!"

The Shizutake villagers bowed deeply, overwhelmed with gratitude. Though the Celestial Maidens were cruel and condescending, the increased quota brought them relief. The grand elder even shed tears of joy, unfazed by the earlier humiliation.

The Celestial Maidens were escorted to the finest quarters in the tribe, a structure built long ago to host honored guests from the Hekiraku Realm or the Celestial Maidens who visited every fifty years.

While the Celestial Maidens reveled in their own arrogance, Ryuen remained unaware of their arrival. She was soaking in the same bath Lily had used earlier, blushing furiously and trembling, her hands hidden beneath the water. Whatever she was doing, it was best left unspoken.

"Sister Lily… bathed here," Ryuen murmured, her face flushed with embarrassment and awe. It wasn't until Murasakiyo's voice echoed from outside that Ryuen snapped out of her daze and learned the trial would begin the very next morning.

Meanwhile, not far from the Celestial Maidens' quarters, Lily and Shimizu stood quietly within the bamboo forest, as if casually strolling through the area.

The Celestial Maidens had placed a simple concealment formation around their quarters to prevent spying. While this might fool the tribe's elders, it was useless against someone like Shimizu. Though still adjusting to her Supreme God body, she had complete command over her spiritual senses. The Celestial Maidens would never know they were being observed.

"Sister, what are they saying?" Lily asked urgently, eager for any information about the Hekiraku Realm.

"Lily, you should listen for yourself. Place your hand on my chest," Shimizu replied.

"I've been interrogating that goddess for years, yet she still resists," the mature Celestial Maiden said. "Her Grace Tamai-no-Mikoto has ordered us to summon Hekiraku Realm's master interrogator to Takamagahara without delay."

"What about this place and the upcoming trial?" asked the one in purple-pink robes.

"Trial? There won't be a real trial," the mature Maiden scoffed. "We'll choose five Shizutake girls who are decent-looking and strong enough, then offer them to Lord Shikikai as tribute. After that, we'll ask that wretch to accompany us to Takamagahara." Her voice tightened with resentment. Even speaking his name made her stomach turn, but duty kept her resolute.

"I see. Sister Riyuki, that's clever. Without gifts, that old fiend wouldn't even hear us out," said the jade-eared Celestial Maiden admiringly.

"But still… isn't it risky to deal with a lowly demon like him?" one of the younger Maidens asked nervously. "What if he turns on us?"

"He wouldn't dare," Riyuki replied confidently. "We're giving him a chance to gain influence in Takamagahara. If he helps interrogate Bishamonten, Her Grace may reward him generously."

Lily trembled at the name. Bishamonten? Her heart skipped a beat. She leaned in, listening even more closely.

"Her Grace has declared that whoever can make Bishamonten confess will inherit her Divinity," Riyuki said, her eyes gleaming with ambition.

"No wonder you're so committed, Sister Riyuki! I couldn't understand why you'd go near that vermin otherwise."

"Mind your words. This is Tamai-no-Mikoto's will. As members of the Tamai faction, we must give Her Grace our full loyalty. If Sister Riyuki inherits Bishamonten's power, our faction will gain unmatched status in the grand court. Besides, after Tennin Mikoto's defeat in Yomi, this is the perfect time to show her arrogant Dark Celestial Maidens who truly reigns supreme."

"We must act swiftly to prevent any complications," Riyuki added. "Once the trial ends tomorrow, we will immediately send the selected girls to Lord Shikikai's Toraochi Domain."

"Isn't the Toraochi Domain that forbidden place we always avoid? It's not far from here either. Now I understand why you chose the Shizutake Tribe, Sister Riyuki. Still, I've heard the Yamayuri girls are considered the most beautiful."

"That's only part of it," Riyuki replied. "Though weakened now, the Shizutake Tribe once produced the greatest warriors in Hekiraku Realm. One of them even rose to fame throughout all three realms as a legendary Celestial Maiden. Delivering their descendants as slaves will please that demon even more."

"I see now. As expected of you, Sister Riyuki. You've thought everything through. Once you inherit Bishamonten's Divinity, you'll be second only to Her Grace in our faction."

Lily stood frozen beside Shimizu, her chest rising and falling with disbelief. The Celestial Maidens—supposed paragons of virtue and justice—were plotting vile schemes out in the open. Their concern was not righteousness, but power and political advantage. It was horrifying.

And they were doing it by sacrificing Bishamonten herself. That was Uesugi Rei's mother, wasn't it? She was the tragic Celestial Battle Maiden betrayed by Shuten Doji, then captured and dragged back to Takamagahara by dark forces. She had once been hailed as the strongest Celestial Battle Maiden after Tsukuyomi herself.

Who could have foreseen that Tsukuyomi no Mikoto would fall in that great war a thousand years ago? Countless Celestial Maidens perished, and Bishamonten was captured, enduring torment without end. Yet Lily could picture her as a proud and unyielding woman. No pain could ever break Rei's mother.

Lily had no idea what secrets Takamagahara sought, but their desperation was clear if they were willing to collude with a vile interrogator like Lord Shikikai.

"This is revolting," Lily muttered, her pupils flickering with the glow of lunar flame. Lily couldn't turn a blind eye, not even if it were a stranger, let alone Bishamonten, Rei's mother. She had once gained Oboro Tamahagane ore in a cave linked to Bishamonten. That made her a benefactor as well.

"Sister Shimizu, I need a moment," Lily said softly. Lily immediately projected her consciousness into the Mirror Dimension.

"Senior sister…" Seeing Rinne again filled Lily with emotion. But this time, she didn't collapse into her arms. She walked forward with purpose and asked steadily. "How is Hekiraku City holding up?"

"No one truly knows how deep the Boundless Abyss goes. Hekiraku City can levitate, but it's still sinking…at least several dozen miles an hour. And the siege continues."

"Then, how long can the sisters hold out?" Lily asked, uncertainty clouding her thoughts. She couldn't bear the idea of that cruel interrogator torturing Rei's mother, but she was equally afraid for her sisters still defending Hekiraku City.

"You must go, Lily."

"What?"

"I know everything you do. Hekiraku Realm is one of many Iro dimensions. You may not have heard of it, but these smaller realms are classified as either Soto-Iro or Wu-Iro. I'll explain the difference in detail another time. If Lord Shikikai truly has such control, he likely governs some of the core laws of this realm. That could be the very key to escaping it."

"And Bishamonten… she is even more crucial. We cannot let someone like her fall into enemy hands." A flicker of anger sparked in Rinne's eyes. "Once I pass guidance to Ayaka and Rei, the defenders should be able to hold out a while longer. But you must act now. We cannot allow that vile creature to reach Takamagahara and subject Bishamonten to further disgrace. And if escaping this realm is your goal, I fear going to Toraochi Domain will be necessary."

"Lily, you must kill Lord Shikikai." It was the first time she had given Lily such a direct order to take a life. Her soul burned with fury, and that wrath rippled outward, as if shaking the very realm they stood in.

"I understand," Lily answered without hesitation. She never wavered. In moments of crisis, Lily had a rare clarity and determination that defied expectations.

Somehow, her senior sister's command carried a weight so vast it felt as if it could crack the very mirror that bound her. That sensation alone hardened Lily's resolve.

Since her senior sister said the city could hold out for now, then it would. Lily's only task was to eliminate that monstrous man as quickly as possible. Her heart surged with fierce killing intent.

"Senior sister…" Just before turning to leave, Lily paused, her eyes shining with emotion.

"What is it, Lily?"

"Who are you… really?" Lily asked softly. "I still don't know your true name. Not even the one you had in the world we came from."

"We don't have time for that now, Lily," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "When the moment is right, you'll know everything. I promise."

Her words ignited something deep within Lily. A fierce and unshakable will surged in her chest.