Demon Sword Maiden

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Beneath the darkened sky, broken mountain peaks and uprooted trees stretched across the landscape.

The land, swept by howling demonic winds, was strewn with the colossal corpses of demon kings—each the size of a mountain.

Though Shimizu had reached the rank of a Supreme God, her lack of experience left her unprepared. The gruesome sight made her heart tremble.

More unsettling was the way her consciousness began to blur. Her body moved on its own, ascending a cliff as though she were reliving a memory long buried.

From that height, her view stretched across the realm. She saw the corpse of a demon god as vast as the sea, and titanic beings still engaged in relentless combat. The sheer brutality left her breathless.

When she looked to the sky, countless meteors streaked downward like falling stars.

Upon closer inspection, those meteors were not stones, but Celestial Battle Maidens plummeting through the sky. The sight was both haunting and strangely beautiful… a tragic painting etched across the heavens.

A sharp gust echoed through the air as a streak of white light cut across the heavens.

Her garments shimmered like rippling moonlight, blending into the very air around her.

She turned slowly, revealing a face veiled in white. Her gaze was cold and distant, like the frozen moon that hung over Takamagahara.

Even from a distance, Shimizu felt her soul shudder beneath the weight of that gaze.

"You… who are you?" Shimizu tried to speak, but no sound came out. She realized she was merely a bystander. She could only watch, powerless to intervene.

Something in those eyes reminded her of someone else, yet they were entirely different. The person she recalled was proud but gentle, her gaze filled with life and charm. There was a warmth that stirred even other women with its quiet beauty.

The woman before her had similar eyes, yet they were filled with coldness and cruelty. Her brows carried the mark of relentless killing intent. Though she stood nearby, she felt impossibly distant.

"Your Highness!" Shimizu's vision dropped as her knees hit the ground. She remained fully aware, but her body moved without her control.

"A trap," the woman said quietly. Her translucent robes outlined a tall and flawless figure, sculpted as if by the will of the world itself. Yet there was no softness to her posture. She stood like a perfect blade.

"Your Highness!"

"This trap was set for me," the white-clad woman replied with a faint laugh. Her voice carried no emotion, no fear, no hesitation. She felt as if she existed only to destroy.

To Shimizu, if that woman ever died, it would feel less like the death of a person and more like the shattering of a sacred sword.

"Who is she, truly? How could a woman like this even exist?"

The woman turned and gazed at the sky. Her luminous figure looked like jade carved from moonlight, pure and untouchable. Her presence banished lustful thoughts, yet her beauty inspired them anew.

Could anyone ever conquer a woman like that? Perhaps it was the most impossible dream in the world.

"Too many Celestial Maidens have fallen." Her voice was cold and distant, as if the fallen sisters were little more than lost assets rather than comrades.

Even Shimizu, who had grown numb to war, felt sorrow watching the Celestial Maidens fall like stars. Yet the woman beside her remained completely unaffected, her only reaction a grim determination to destroy those responsible.

"Follow me," the woman said softly. The warrior whose memories Shimizu experienced responded without hesitation, moving behind her like a silent shadow. They seemed perfectly attuned.

No further words were needed. That one command was enough—they understood each other completely.

The woman shot forward like a streak of white light, piercing through the dim skies in an instant. In the next moment, waves of hazy moonlight surged forth. Demon gods the size of mountains were annihilated in an instant.

The warrior Shimizu had merged with surged forward, her body wrapped in swirling darkness as she raced to catch up.

Suddenly, a surge of violent desire erupted in her heart. She stared at the white-garbed goddess ahead, her eyes occasionally drawn to the vulnerable spot on her back. A fierce internal battle raged within her. Two opposing wills clashed with such intensity they threatened to tear her soul in two.

Shimizu felt the searing pain as the soul she shared was ripped apart. She tried to scream but no sound escaped her lips. Her vision turned red as she locked eyes on the proud goddess ahead. The killing intent building within her only grew stronger, fueled by indecision and inner torment.

"Ah!" Shimizu jolted upright from the underbrush, drenched in cold sweat.

"Who am I? What… was that?" she murmured, disoriented. She looked blankly at the forest cloaked in Eldritch Energy. Whose memory had she just relived? Why would someone who once followed that divine figure harbor such violent thoughts against her?

They had fought side by side. The goddess had been her leader. So why the desire to betray her? What could drive someone to want to kill her?

After a long while, Shimizu's breathing slowed, and she began to recover her composure. "Was that a memory? Whose was it? Maybe it was just an illusion… but it felt far too real."

Shimizu pushed herself up, though her legs wobbled beneath her.

"Lily!" she suddenly cried. The realization struck her, she had lost contact with Lily.

"No… I have to reach Lily. Right now." She staggered forward, nearly collapsing, and used her sword to brace herself. "What's happening to me?" she muttered.

The intense flood of memory had rattled her mind and body. For the moment, even walking was a struggle. Leaning on her sword, she pressed onward with uneven steps.

"I have to hurry. If I delay, I'll only drag Lily down with me…" Her thoughts were clouded, but her eyes remained filled with unwavering resolve.

Lily and the eight Shizutake girls were escorted deeper into the cave, eventually arriving at a vast underground demonic chamber.

Massive pillars filled the cavern, engraved with obscene and grotesque carvings that seemed to act as conduits for power. Runes surrounded them, radiating a stifling and overwhelming spiritual force.

At the top of a raised platform sat a throne constructed from ancient stone and twisted wood. Its design resembled a distorted Heian-kyo court fused with a demonic temple. The walls around it were adorned with indecent sculptures and murals depicting demons and women in profane poses, exuding a vile atmosphere.

Soft, muffled whimpers echoed from overhead.

Lily looked up and saw chains hanging from the ceiling. Women—many barely clothed or fully exposed—hung helplessly from them, their expressions hollow and defeated.

The stone walls surrounding the chamber held smaller openings. A single glance revealed twisted instruments of agony, and within, more imprisoned women writhed under relentless torment.

The scene left Lily speechless. Even the notorious prisons for women in hell paled in comparison to the depravity of this place.

Low growls and distorted laughter echoed throughout the chamber. Demons of every shape and form slithered and crept along the walls, perching like grotesque statues. Their eyes burned with lechery as they locked onto the girls below. Most of those gazes, Lily realized, were fixed squarely on her.

Oddly, Lily took comfort in that. If their focus was on her, the others might be spared the worst of the demons' attention.

Several of the Shizutake girls, still barely conscious, dropped to their knees in terror. Even the Celestial Maidens who had escorted them appeared shaken, visibly disturbed by the oppressive energy.

Heavy, thunderous footsteps echoed through the cavern as something immense approached. A towering figure lumbered from the shadows and made its way toward the throne.

It was a bloated man in tattered robes, grotesquely large. His exposed abdomen bore a gaping mouth with a thick, purple tongue and two bulbous eyes, creating a revolting and uncanny appearance.

One of his eyes scanned the group, while the other, disturbingly, was a separate demonic head with red skin and a small frame. It glared at Lily with unwavering attention. As he dropped onto the throne, the entire cavern rumbled beneath his immense weight.

Lily could sense that his physical mass was far greater than his form suggested, laden with an unnatural density.

'Is this Lord Shikikai?' Lily wondered silently. What unsettled her most was that she couldn't accurately gauge his power.

This meant he was at least on par with a Supreme God. Lily wasn't afraid of such beings, unless they were at the level of the Boundless Imperial Princess or Kuroyodai-Okutsukokami. Defeating them was one thing, but killing them outright was nearly impossible.

"Sister Shimizu?" Lily called out through her spiritual link, but there was no reply.

'What's happening?' Her heart raced. 'Why would Shimizu go silent at such a crucial moment?'

Just then, several scantily dressed women appeared, their eyes vacant and lifeless. Clearly enslaved for a long time, they climbed the steps of the throne to serve the grotesque figure with wine and other indulgences.

Riyuki, the mature Celestial Maiden, was visibly disturbed. No longer able to maintain the poise she had earlier, she approached with forced composure, avoiding the sight of the enslaved women. Bowing stiffly, she spoke, "I am Celestial Maiden Riyuki, servant of Her Grace, Tamai-no-Mikoto. I greet you."

Though he was a Supreme God and commanded respect, Riyuki was a Celestial Maiden of Takamagahara. Her station required dignity. Still, she could not withstand the overwhelming pressure radiating from the throne and bowed more deeply than intended, already beginning to lose control of herself.

Lord Shikikai looked over the gathered women, but his attention soon locked onto Lily, even though her face was hidden behind a veil.

Lily had intended to strike the moment she confirmed his identity. But now that she knew he was a Supreme God, she understood the risk. Attacking recklessly would only waste her opportunity. For now, she would wait for Shimizu to arrive.

The Lord continued staring at Lily until Riyuki's discomfort drew his attention. He slowly turned toward her, his expression full of crude interest. "So, the goddess from Takamagahara has descended. Tell me, what brings you here?"