Demon Sword Maiden

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Riyuki frowned, surprised he was asking what had already been settled. They had clearly proposed that Lord Shikikai be brought to Takamagahara to interrogate Bishamonten.

She quickly collected herself. Since they were the ones making a request, maintaining a prideful attitude could jeopardize the opportunity they were trying to seize.

"Your name is well known, great Lord. We came to Hekiraku Realm to select Celestial Maidens and took this opportunity to pay you a visit. These young women are gifted in both beauty and talent. We hope you can extend your guidance."

"Oh?" The Lord cast his gaze slowly over the group of girls.

"What kind of assistance do you need from me?"

"These trainee Celestial Maidens show great promise, but they are still inexperienced. We hope you will train them on our behalf before they ascend to Takamagahara. When you judge them ready, we will retrieve them," Riyuki explained.

"Hmm…" The Lord nodded, his eyes lingering on Lily. "Discipline… or rather, train these girls? It sounds troublesome, but since this comes from the Celestial Maidens of Takamagahara, I suppose I have no choice but to accept."

"What?" Ryuen's entire body shook. She stared at the Lord, then exchanged frantic glances with the other girls. These Celestial Maidens were liars. They had handed them over to this degenerate under the guise of a noble cause. Train them? Everyone could see what that really meant.

"You call yourselves Celestial Maidens, but you deceived us and sold us to demons! Are you not afraid of divine punishment?" Ryuen shouted. She didn't even blame the demon. In Hekiraku Realm, demons and warrior maidens had always been enemies. What disgusted her was the betrayal from those who claimed to serve the heavens.

Her hatred was reserved for the Celestial Maidens alone.

"You wear the mask of virtue, but your hearts are poisonous. No wonder darkness covers Takamagahara!" Ryuen cried out in fury. "You are not Celestial Maidens. You're just hypocrites and slave merchants!"

The rest of the Shizutake girls joined in, throwing curses at the so-called Celestial Maidens.

Riyuki chose not to respond, letting their rage wash over her without comment. The Lord fixed his gaze on the girls. The eyes embedded in his massive belly opened and began to emit pulsating waves of purple light.

" "Aaaah!" "

The moment their eyes met the light, it pierced into their souls. They lost control of themselves, faces flushed and limbs weakening. Unable to remain standing, they dropped to their knees without resistance.

Even Ryuen, who fought to resist, only lasted a few moments before her knees buckled and she fell with a helpless cry. Except for her, who still glared defiantly, the rest of the girls were lost in a fog of desire. They appeared completely controlled by the Lord's power.

"How dare you insult the Celestial Maidens in my presence? Kneel and apologize to Lady Riyuki immediately!" The girls were powerless to disobey.

They turned toward Riyuki and bowed, begging for forgiveness in voices that were empty and detached. It was obvious they were not in control of themselves.

'A technique that manipulates the soul?' Lily, the only woman still standing at the rear of the group, felt her body tense. She watched the entranced girls in silence.

'So this is the so-called Lord Shikikai, the infamous master interrogator. As I feared, his abilities are real. Not even most Supreme Gods can manipulate someone's soul with a single glance. And yet he did it without effort. Someone like him must never be allowed near Bishamonten. That is Sister Uesugi's mother. I won't let such filth lay a hand on her.'

Lily clenched her fists in silence. Shimizu still hadn't responded, but she couldn't wait any longer. Even if this monster couldn't be killed now, she had to stop him. No matter the cost, she could not allow him to ascend to Takamagahara.

"Huh?" Lily remained the only one standing, drawing the gaze of Lord Shikikai and every surrounding demon.

Lord Shikikai finally spoke. "Miss Riyuki, it appears one of your candidates is far more talented than the rest. She remains completely unaffected by my stomach pupil. Who is she?"

Riyuki and the other Celestial Maidens turned their attention toward Lily. Riyuki, in particular, was intrigued. She had no prior knowledge of this woman at all.

"Now that I recall," Riyuki said with thinly veiled sarcasm, "she isn't even from the Shizutake Tribe. She volunteered for the Celestial Maiden trial and achieved the top results. Such talent is rare. Lord, I believe she would benefit greatly from your training."

"Who are you, girl? Why do you hide your face? Remove your veil and show yourself," Lord Shikikai commanded. As he spoke, the grotesque eyes on his stomach emitted two concentrated beams of sinister purple light aimed directly at Lily.

But Lily stood firm. Her spiritual defenses were fortified by trials no ordinary woman could endure. Shuten Doji's curse and the Fragrance-Breaker Pill had already tempered her soul. This kind of spell was powerless against her.

'Sister Shimizu…' Still no response. Was she truly on her own now?

Lord Shikikai narrowed his eyes. Though surprised that Lily was unharmed, he showed no alarm. Mesmerizing women was only one of his talents. His true strength lay in blending soul arts with cruel physical methods.

"The Lord commands you to unveil yourself. Let us all see your face!" bellowed the walrus-headed demon who had accompanied her.

Lily remained still. Her calm expression never wavered.

"How dare you defy the Lord?" the walrus demon barked, striding forward with the intent to subdue her by force.

But Lord Shikikai raised his hand. An arcane formation glowed beneath the stone floor, revealing a circular opening. From it, a bizarre wooden and stone apparatus slowly rose into view.

"This is my latest invention," the Lord said with a grin. "Some call it torture. I prefer to call it training, as Miss Riyuki so delicately put it. Since this veiled woman will not obey, I shall use this device to educate her."

A chill ran down Lily's spine. The intricate structure left no doubt, it had been designed with one purpose in mind: to torment women. It was twisted beyond words.

"Bind her to the device," the walrus demon ordered. Several green-skinned demons grabbed Lily's chains and moved to drag her forward.

"One moment, please," Riyuki interjected. "Venerable Lord, while I am eager to witness your famed training methods, I suspect this one will cry and scream, which would be rather undignified. Should we not first discuss official matters?"

"Oh? So there is more than just training?" The Lord chuckled, reaching to grope one of the nearby female slaves as he grinned with satisfaction.

Riyuki blushed faintly but kept her gaze averted. She had underestimated Lily's presence. The Lord was clearly fixated on her, which gave Riyuki the perfect opportunity to exploit his interest.

"As a token of gratitude for your assistance in training these Celestial Maidens, Her Grace Tamai-no-Mikoto invites you to Takamagahara as an honored guest. And while we are here, there is a small favor we hope you will consider."

"Haha! You should have said so earlier!" the Lord roared with laughter. "You've already brought me such lovely gifts, especially that veiled one. I cannot see her face yet, but I already know she is unmatched. She is the finest woman I've seen in eons and perfect for my personal training. Speak your request. I am listening."

Riyuki felt a surge of satisfaction. As a woman, she found these methods revolting, but the chance to inherit Bishamonten's legacy outweighed her disgust. For that goal, she was willing to endure anything.

She continued, "There is a goddess in Takamagahara who remains defiant despite breaking numerous divine laws. By all rights, she should have been executed long ago, yet she holds secrets vital to Takamagahara's security. We have punished her in every way imaginable, but she refuses to yield. Nothing we do breaks her resolve. We are at a loss."

"I have heard for many years that you are the most skilled interrogator in all three realms. Her Grace wishes to entrust this matter to you. We ask for your help in forcing this goddess to speak, for the sake of peace in Takamagahara and across the three realms."

Each word struck Lily like a blade. Her anger grew with every sentence. She could only imagine how Sister Uesugi would react if she were here to hear it herself.

'Lord Shikikai must die. And none of you deserve to be called Celestial Maidens,' Lily thought bitterly.

"A goddess who can resist even the torture of Takamagahara's finest? Now that is a challenge I welcome," Lord Shikikai said with growing excitement. "I have broken many women who claimed loyalty and virtue. Watching one of such status fall, watching her betray everything she stands for, brings me unmatched pleasure. Since this is for the good of the realms, and your sincerity is clear…"

Lord Shikikai shifted his gaze back to Lily and grinned. "I will take on the task."

In truth, he had known about the request for some time. He had simply waited for the right price. Lily's presence alone had tipped the scales in his favor.

"In that case, I thank you in advance," Riyuki said with a polite bow and faint smile. "We must return to Takamagahara to attend to urgent matters. I leave these girls in your care. Please ensure they receive the training they deserve."

"Leaving so soon? That might make me question your sincerity," Lord Shikikai said with a smirk. "Why not stay a little longer and enjoy the sight of my new training device? You could witness firsthand the kind of instruction this veiled one is about to receive."