Demon Sword Maiden

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"If you want to verify whether I'm truly the Boundless Imperial Princess, I can give you an answer." Instead of backing away, Shimizu stepped forward toward Yanagihada's blade. Instinctively, Yanagihada stepped back, but her weapon meant nothing in front of a Supreme God.

Shimizu's gaze was unreadable. "I am not the Boundless Imperial Princess. My name is Minamoto no Shimizu. I am the mortal woman you accuse me of being."

"What?" Though suspicions had lingered, none of them expected Shimizu to admit it so plainly. Yanagihada was not the only one stunned; the other Dark Celestial Maidens raised their weapons and pointed them toward her.

Lily watched in silence, surprised and uncertain of Shimizu's intentions.

"But I can also tell you this. I now possess the body of the Boundless Imperial Princess. It has become part of me."

"You!" Yanagihada's body surged with dark energy. Every part of her wanted to strike, but she held back. This was still the body of Her Highness, and she knew full well that Shimizu was far stronger than she could handle.

"How dare you! What have you done to seize control of Her Highness' body? Where is she now?" Yanagihada's voice shook with anger.

Just then, footsteps echoed from both ends of the corridor. The other two commanders, Ansha and Yinzuhi, approached with a group of Dark Celestial Maidens. From the opposite direction came Ayaka, Rei, Asura-Onna, Rakshasa-Onna, and several others.

"…You're back! Both of you!"

"Hmph. Why hesitate now? Just as I thought, you're all working together. She already confessed!" Yanagihada spun and pointed her blade at Ayaka and the others.

Shimizu let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. Then, in a blur of motion, she moved like a shadow circling around Yanagihada. Before anyone could react, she was back in her original place, holding Yanagihada's weapon.

"What?" Yanagihada gasped, stunned.

"If I were you, I'd pretend I knew nothing." Shimizu released a pulse of dark energy from her fingers. The sword melted into broken metal chunks that clattered to the floor.

Though not the most powerful, the sword was still a mid-ranked Spirit Artifact. Watching it melt so effortlessly left the Dark Celestial Maidens in shock. Even if she wasn't the true Imperial Princess, her strength alone was enough to overpower all of them.

"What do you want from us?" Yinzuhi and Ansha raised their weapons, brandishing their naginata and divine relics as they pointed them at Shimizu.

Shimizu didn't seem to acknowledge their aggression. Instead, she asked calmly, "Where are your manners?"

With a low surge of dark energy, six enormous shadowy hands materialized in the air. In an instant, they slammed down and pinned Yanagihada, Yinzuhi, and Ansha to the floor.

"Ahh!"

"Release us!"

"You disgraceful woman!"

"Shimizu, please… let's be reasonable," Ayaka urged. "While you and Lily were away, we made a temporary alliance with the Dark Celestial Maidens. We agreed to protect Hekiraku City together."

"Silence! We're not your allies!" Yanagihada shouted. "You traitorous women conspired against Her Highness and stole her body! We'll never join you, even if the only other option is kneeling to abyssal demons! Sisters, forget about us—attack!"

Dozens of Dark Celestial Maidens, lined along both sides of the corridor, charged at Shimizu without hesitation. They knew they stood no chance, but their training and loyalty drove them forward.

But against overwhelming power, resistance was meaningless. Without even involving Ayaka or the others, Shimizu flicked her sleeve, sending out a surge of dark energy that flattened every attacker in an instant.

"You violent women. Can't you let me finish a single sentence? Who taught you to interrupt like that?" Shimizu gestured, and two massive dark hands rose from the shadows to lift Yanagihada into the air. She summoned two more hands, feminine in form yet even larger and more imposing.

Without a pause, the spectral hands tore away the armor from Yanagihada's lower torso and shredded her skirt. Then came a resounding strike across her pale, mature hips.

"Commander Yanagihada!"

"Sister, hang in there!"

The other Dark Celestial Maidens rushed to help, but Shimizu's dark energy surged once more, pinning them where they stood. This power wasn't hers alone. It was amplified by the very will of Hekiraku City itself.

Yanagihada, tall and elegant in her maturity, had never imagined suffering such public humiliation. Shame flooded her so deeply, she wished she could disappear altogether.

But after the initial cries of pain, something in her voice began to change. Her face was flushed, her breath short and uneven, her back bent from the overwhelming pressure. Yet, when she finally lifted her gaze to meet Shimizu's eyes, there was no protest left in her.

"You… how do you know the ancient disciplinary rites of the Dark Celestial Maidens?" Yanagihada's voice trembled with disbelief as she blushed furiously.

"Exactly as I said. Without punishment, you never behave reasonably." Shimizu stepped behind her, briefly admiring the results. Then she turned her attention to the rest. "I told you, I'm not the Boundless Imperial Princess. But this body once belonged to me. If there's anyone to blame for schemes and deceit, it's the spirit that took what wasn't hers."

"What?" Yanagihada, still held in the air in a humiliating pose, and the rest of the Dark Celestial Maidens were stunned.

Even Lily, watching from the side, felt secondhand shame. Shimizu's method wasn't brutally violent, but it was undeniably excessive. To discipline a commander so publicly in front of her subordinates was deeply humiliating. Still, Lily chose to stay silent. Despite everything, she pitied Yanagihada, who had only ever been a loyal follower.

Shimizu continued, "All I've done is reclaim the body that was mine from the beginning. I am your rightful master. For the past thousand years, you've been deceived by a wandering soul—the one you call the Boundless Imperial Princess—who hijacked my body. Do any of you realize that the very person you've served was the one doing the most harm to the Celestial Maidens?"

The Dark Celestial Maidens were stunned into silence.

"Hmph." Yanagihada scoffed, her cheeks still red. "What a ridiculous story. Do you really think we'll believe such nonsense?"

"It would be in your best interest to believe it, wouldn't it?" Shimizu's eyes darkened. The shadowy hand delivered another strike, and Yanagihada let out a sharp cry.

"Agh! You… You must've stolen the technique from Her Highness' memories after taking her body. This proves nothing!" Yanagihada shouted, still resisting.

"Wait, Sister Yanagihada," Ansha interjected, her face flushing. "My memories are fuzzy since we fell into the Boundless Abyss, but I do recall that in the past thousand years, Her Highness never used this punishment. Back in Takamagahara, though, many of us did receive it. When you think about that, what Lady Shimizu says actually makes some sense."

"A thousand years is nothing for a Dark Celestial Maiden! Since our defeat, we've lost all contact with Takamagahara. We've fallen into Yomi and can never return. Maybe Her Highness just chose to be merciful!" Yanagihada insisted, still unwilling to yield.

"But…" Yinzuhi, clad in black ninja armor and pinned to the floor by the shadowy hands, spoke up. "Haven't you noticed how much Her Highness has changed over the past thousand years? And the punishments she gives us… they've only grown harsher."

Yanagihada had her doubts, even after a thousand years, but she forced herself to trust the words of the Imperial Princess. After all, the Princess had grown far stronger since descending into Yomi, and that strength alone was the foundation of the Dark Celestial Maidens' dominance in the abyss.

Even so, the words of the two commanders held weight. Their logic could not be ignored.

"If you are who you say you are, then tell me about our past in Takamagahara," Yanagihada demanded. "We suffered a terrible battle a thousand years ago, and many of the sisters scattered or lost their memories. But I still remember. Her Highness once trained me, a former criminal who stole out of desperation, and turned me into a devoted Dark Celestial Maiden. Those memories are etched into my soul. Why don't you tell me something only you and I would know? If you can do that, I'll believe you."

Shimizu shook her head, clearly weary and impatient. "My memories are fragmented too. I don't recall anything you just said. All I know is that this body is mine, and I've expelled the soul who didn't belong. That's all I remember."

"You call that an answer? How am I supposed to believe you?" Yanagihada shouted, visibly agitated.

"If you can't believe me with words, maybe an ancient disciplinary method will jog your memory."

"Wait, what?" Yanagihada's body tensed, her voice laced with fear.

"That's exactly why I say it doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. I'm just saying it would be wiser if you did." Shimizu smiled calmly, turned her back on them, and took Lily's hand as they walked toward Ayaka and the others.

She glanced over her shoulder at the Celestial Maidens. "Now that I control Hekiraku City, you are to obey me as you once obeyed the Imperial Princess. And that applies to Miss Lily too."

Shimizu placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. Lily blinked, caught off guard. 'They're supposed to obey me now?'

Shimizu continued, "Otherwise, I'll just throw you all out of the city. Weren't you the ones who said you'd rather side with abyssal demons? Then go ahead."

With a sweep of her sleeve, parts of the corridor shifted, walls moved aside, and windows in the nearby rooms swung open. Howling winds from the abyss outside rushed in, chilling and foul.

Outside, the darkness loomed vast and empty. Flickers of demonic fire lit the distance, and monstrous cries echoed through the wind. The Celestial Maidens faltered, visibly shaken.

"What's wrong? I told you, I don't care whether you believe me. But if any of you refuses to obey, you're free to leap out that window. Or would you prefer I give you a little push?" Shimizu released the dark hands restraining them, only to immediately summon new ones that shoved several Celestial Maidens closer to the open windows.

"Ah!"

"No, wait!"

Even the proud Dark Celestial Maidens cried out in fear. They knew all too well what awaited them outside: capture, torment, and a fate far worse than death.

Remaining here meant uncertainty. But stepping outside was certain doom. Even if they doubted Shimizu, staying gave them at least a chance to live.

Ansha and Yinzuhi exchanged a brief glance and made their decision. They turned toward Shimizu and dropped to their knees without hesitation.

"Ansha is willing to serve you, Your Highness."

"Yinzuhi as well. We pledge ourselves to you."