Demon Sword Maiden

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The next morning, the pale green sky began to brighten as sunlight crept over the eastern hills.

As planned, the Celestial Maiden trial commenced with the first light of day.

Over thirty young women of eligible age gathered for the trial, each dressed in light-hued kimonos. Ryuen and Murasakiyo stood side by side among the hopefuls.

"The trial begins now. I won't waste time with long explanations, since all of you already understand what's at stake. Your performance alone will determine whether you ascend to the heavens," announced the Celestial Maiden in purple-pink robes.

The trial grounds stirred with unease as Lily approached. She wore a sheer pink veil and a short red dress, Oborozuki Muramasa hanging at her side. Without her usual companion, she silently stepped into the line of participants, drawing the attention of all present.

"Sister Lily?" Ryuen's voice carried both surprise and joy.

"Why is she here?" Murasakiyo murmured, anxious. Knowing Lily's true power, she feared her own chances at passing had just dropped dramatically.

"Miss, may I ask what your intentions are?" one of the village elders inquired, stepping forward.

"What?" Murasakiyo gasped. "But Sister Lily, you told me…"

"Murasakiyo, enough!" Ryuen snapped. "She saved our lives. Even if I lose my place, I won't complain. Don't be so ungrateful!"

"Miss, while you are our benefactor, is it not inappropriate for you to suddenly enter a trial meant for our Shizutake Tribe?" said the elder who had welcomed Lily the day before.

"I apologize, elder. It's difficult to explain, but I sensed that participating in this trial might lead to an important opportunity. I cannot be sure, but I feel compelled to try," Lily replied softly.

"Miss, this puts us in a difficult position," the Grand Elder said with concern. Each slot was dearly valued by the tribe.

"It's fine," said Riyuki unexpectedly. "We came to Hekiraku Realm in search of talent. The Shizutake Tribe just happens to be our current location. What is your name?"

"Tsukihana Lily," she answered. Since Murasakiyo had already mentioned her given name, Lily had no choice but to offer a different surname as cover.

Though Murasakiyo still struggled to accept Lily taking one of their spots, she said nothing. She had realized something was off when Lily used a false name. Even if she was upset, she wouldn't stoop to betrayal.

"Lily?" Riyuki murmured, the name vaguely familiar. She dismissed the thought. "Very well, Tsukihana Lily. You may participate in the trial." With the leader's decision made, no one in the Shizutake Tribe dared to object. The trial began without further delay.

"First, we will measure your strength. But strength alone is not enough. You must walk the Celestial path and show clear comprehension of True Intent," the Celestial Maiden in purple-pink robes announced. "To assess this, we will use sacred tools."

Two Celestial Maidens stepped forward, each holding a jade orb roughly the size of an egg.

"Place these jade spheres between your breasts. If that proves difficult, use your underarms instead," one of them instructed. "Infuse the sphere with your spirit energy and understanding of your abilities. After three seconds, remove it, and we will evaluate your potential."

Murmurs spread through the group. Even Lily blushed beneath her veil. She couldn't help but question the odd method, why the need to clamp the sphere that way?

But there was no time to dwell on it. Lily and the others followed the instructions. Only a few managed to use the method between the breasts; the rest resorted to using their underarms. Still, Lily had a sense that the results might differ based on the method used.

Naturally, Lily didn't perform at full capacity. Revealing her true strength would only shock and alarm the Celestial Maidens. Instead, she infused the jade sphere with spirit power equivalent to a Sextuple-soul Big Dipper, along with a modest amount of her comprehension.

Moments later, the jade sphere infused with her energy was retrieved and given to the Celestial Maidens. Despite her restraint, it radiated a light far more brilliant than any other participant's, drawing immediate attention.

"Well now, no wonder you had the confidence to enter as an outsider. You certainly are gifted," Riyuki said, glancing from the glowing sphere to Lily's veiled figure, her eyes glinting with intrigue. She clearly had other intentions behind her praise.

The strength assessment had already eliminated nearly half the participants.

The next stage offered a choice: swordsmanship, spellcasting, or dance. Lily selected swordsmanship and passed with ease, her skill undeniable.

In the end, only fifteen candidates remained. They were paired off in mock duels, not to determine a victor, but to let the Celestial Maidens evaluate their performance in real combat.

Though these Celestial Maidens were deeply corrupt, they still adhered to a structured and discerning process when selecting worthy candidates. Ultimately, Lily passed the trial without difficulty, all while concealing the true depth of her power. Her control was so precise that none of the Celestial Maidens suspected a thing.

Ryuen secured the second-highest score. Her natural strength had already placed her among the most capable of her generation. Murasakiyo, however, ranked below the top ten and did not qualify.

She was heartbroken and silently resented Lily. Unbeknownst to her, Lily had just spared her from a terrible fate.

"Don't be discouraged, Sister Murasakiyo," Ryuen said, gently grasping her hand. "When I become a Celestial Maiden, I promise I'll return for you."

"Sister… we'll be worlds apart now. By the time you return, you'll still be young and radiant, and I… I'll have grown old and unrecognizable. Just stay by Sister Lily's side and walk the heavenly path. Don't come back. Please… don't ever come back!" Murasakiyo cried as she turned and fled toward her home.

Ryuen stood frozen in anguish but didn't go after her.

In truth, Murasakiyo's words weren't wrong. Once separated, their paths might never cross again. But Ryuen had long dreamed of becoming a Celestial Maiden, and she would not give up that dream, even for her sister.

Lily, watching from the side, remained calm. In her heart, she thought, 'You'll see each other again soon enough.' This trial was no sacred rite. The chosen girls weren't ascending to heaven, but being sent somewhere far darker, somewhere worse than hell.

'Don't worry, Miss Ryuen,' Lily thought. 'You won't become a Celestial Maiden, but I won't let any of you suffer. Not yet. And even if I told you what's coming, you wouldn't believe me.'

The Celestial Maidens appeared to be in an unusual hurry.They gave the girls no time to say proper goodbyes. That very night, after a rushed farewell and minimal preparation, the chosen were loaded onto a white ox-drawn carriage and sent off toward what they believed was their dream destination.

In the end, Ryuen left without saying farewell to Murasakiyo.

Veiled and silent, Lily sat in the ox carriage alongside several other Shizutake girls who had passed the trial. The carriage soared through the clouds until dusk, gliding over a blue-tinted mountain range as it followed a mysterious course.

The girls were filled with curiosity and excitement, though tinged with sadness at leaving their home behind. After all, the path to heaven always felt endless.

None of the girls had ever ascended to the heavens, nor did they know what the journey entailed. As a result, no one questioned the direction of the ox-drawn carriage. They simply assumed they had been chosen as elites and would now ascend to the heavenly realm alongside the Celestial Maidens.

"What does Takamagahara really look like?" Even Ryuen, usually composed and detached, couldn't resist sliding open the window to catch a glimpse of the skies with hopeful curiosity.

Yet Lily remained quietly seated in a corner, her expression unreadable. Ryuen glanced at her in puzzlement. For someone who had just gained a chance of a lifetime, why did Lily look so grim?

Lily's thoughts were consumed by a single goal: to find Lord Shikikai and kill him as soon as possible.

'A master interrogator? Disgusting. I won't let that predator set foot in Takamagahara to torment Bishamonten. She's not just Sister Uesugi's mother, she was a trusted confidant of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. Tsukuyomi once saved me. I owe them everything. How could I allow someone who once fought alongside Tsukuyomi to endure such disgrace?'

'This interrogator must die. But the ones pulling the strings from Takamagahara… they're even more vile.'

'Tsukuyomi has fallen in battle, and Amaterasu-Ōmikami is still missing. Likely imprisoned. So who's really in control of Takamagahara now? Who is it?' Lily's eyes shone with a cold, silvery light as her fury simmered beneath the surface.

Roughly a hundred miles behind the carriage, Shimizu moved quietly through the mountain forests, following Lily from afar. She kept her presence hidden. While her detection skills as a Supreme God allowed her to trace the Celestial Maidens unnoticed, even she couldn't evade them if they focused their divine perception directly on her. Despite gaining access to many of the Imperial Princess' techniques, Shimizu had yet to master a stealth method suitable for a Supreme God.

Meanwhile, Hekiraku City continued its slow descent into the abyss.

"Uesugi Rei, take this formation and deliver it to the Dark Celestial Maidens. Have them install it in Hekiraku City. It will improve the city's ability to repair itself," Rinne said as she calmly sketched a detailed arcane formation onto paper. It wasn't a long-term fix. Without a Supreme God formation master, and in the absence of the city's rightful ruler, the best they could do was apply temporary reinforcement.

"Thank you…" Rei accepted the paper, uncertain of how to properly address this mysterious woman. The title 'senior sister' still felt foreign to her.

"Uesugi Rei…"

"Yes?"

Rinne seemed to hesitate, lost in thought. Then she quietly said, "Never mind. Go now."

"Yes." Rei didn't fully understand why she showed this woman so much respect or why she followed her commands so readily. Perhaps it was Lily's reverence that influenced her. Or perhaps it was Rinne's unfathomable power. Even someone as strong as Rei couldn't help but feel anxious in her presence, her heart pounding every time they met.

And beyond that, there was something else…something unspoken. Rei often found herself blushing in her presence, stirred by emotions she didn't dare name.