Demon Sword Maiden

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"Senior sister?" Lily stepped into the stone room and saw Rinne sitting calmly on a wooden couch in the corner, reading a book. She hadn't even noticed when that piece of furniture had appeared.

"Where's Sister Shimizu?" she asked, scanning the room, but there was no sign of her.

"You were training just now, weren't you, Lily? Come here. Your comprehension is quite good overall, but there are still a few things you haven't fully grasped. Let me explain them to you."

"Huh? Oh… Yes, thank you, senior sister." Although Lily wanted to ask about Shimizu again, her attention immediately shifted once training was mentioned. She knelt beside the couch, placed her hands gently on Rinne's knees, and listened attentively as the guidance began.

Rinne taught with clarity and precision, enlightening Lily with ease. Yet, this only deepened her curiosity. How could she be so well-versed in training, as though she had mastered every path? Who exactly was her senior sister?

These doubts continued to grow, but Lily had asked before and never received a clear answer. She knew better than to push the matter now.

"Remember these key points well. Go now and continue your training. The sooner you act, the more effective the results will be. Don't waste time."

"Yes." Lily nodded and withdrew her consciousness from the mirror realm, returning to the physical world to resume her breakthrough attempt.

The room was bathed in a dim golden glow, with streams of light swirling endlessly. Shimizu disliked the constant radiance; she was more at home in the darkness.

The heat in this place was stifling, with golden mist filling the room like an oppressive steam bath. Sweat rolled down Shimizu's body, and it shocked her to realize that her spirit body could even experience such discomfort.

The temperature never reached scalding levels, but it hovered just above her threshold for comfort, pressing relentlessly against her endurance. It wasn't the heat itself, but its unceasing pressure that slowly wore down her mind.

Shimizu felt utterly drained, as if she were being scorched by the flames of divine punishment. Suspended by glowing ropes above an endless sea of gold, she hung helplessly in the shimmering void.

In truth, barely half a day had passed in the real world, but time flowed differently here. For Shimizu, it felt as though she had been trapped in this golden, unchanging space for a month. Even someone with her resolve was beginning to fray.

She had never feared pain, having endured illness since childhood. But this static world, unchanging and drenched in suffocating heat, was breaking her in a different way. It was slow, quiet, and maddening.

At first, it didn't seem unbearable. If this torment had lasted only a day or two, she wouldn't have minded. She had always prided herself on her endurance. But what she hadn't anticipated was being sealed in this barren, unchanging void and subjected to slow, silent torture for what felt like an entire month.

And worst of all, there was no end in sight. She had no idea when, or even if, she would be released. Her spirit body was trapped, unable to escape.

Shimizu began to lose hope. What was happening outside? Was the crisis still raging? Had they been forced to abandon Hekiraku City? And what about Lily? Had Lily forgotten her?

Shimizu was completely cut off, with no way to reach the outside. All she knew was this endless gold, this smothering stillness.

What she didn't realize was that time here passed a hundred times faster than in the real world. This chamber had been designed for Celestial Maidens to train their minds and spirits, and there might not be another place like it in any of the three realms.

A month passed. Then two. Then three. Shimizu's willpower had nearly run dry. She would have preferred battle, wounds, even pain, to this static torment of heat and silence. Yet outside, less than a single day had gone by.

Lily, still focused on refining her comprehension, remained unaware. It was normal to spend days or weeks training, so she hadn't noticed that Shimizu's consciousness had yet to return.

When Rinne finally released her, less than a full day had passed in the physical world. But for Shimizu, it had felt like ninety-nine days. The golden light swirled around her once more and lifted her out of the seventh room. As it faded, she collapsed to her knees, drained and powerless.

Her eyes were clouded with fear, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Rinne sat quietly on the wooden couch, her gaze soft but firm. "Well then, Miss Shimizu. Shall we speak with sincerity now? Or would you prefer to continue playing those little games?"

During the early days of her confinement, Shimizu had thought long and hard about the senior sister's true identity. But by the time a month had passed, her will was breaking. The silent, unchanging void had nearly shattered her mind. Now, the thought of provoking that woman again—of being sent back into that timeless torment—made her body tremble. She wasn't afraid of suffering or pain. But that endless, suffocating stasis could crush even her indomitable spirit.

True fear settled in her chest. Would the senior sister truly send her back there? Then again, why release her now? Had something happened outside? Did the senior sister need something?

Shimizu remained silent, trying to read between the lines. Maybe there was trouble in Hekiraku City. Or perhaps the senior sister needed her help?

As if reading her thoughts, Rinne began speaking in a measured tone. "That chamber is a training ground originally created for Celestial Maidens. It's called the Room of Time. It can replicate conditions from various secret realms to test and refine the body and spirit. But its greatest feature lies in its time ratio. One day in the real world equals one hundred days inside."

"What?" Shimizu was stunned. So that explained everything. She had endured months of torment, yet the outside world had remained unchanged. Hekiraku City hadn't even stirred.

She had thought she'd been trapped for months, maybe even half a year. But in reality, it had only been a few days.

If she dared provoke her again and ended up back in that room, she might truly lose her mind.

Shimizu lowered herself and knelt in front of the senior sister, her voice soft and subdued. "Senior sister… I was wrong. I judged you by your beauty and mistook you for someone weak. I never expected you to be so powerful."

"I was blind and foolish, and I disrespected you. Punish me however you see fit… just don't send me back into that room. You are Lily's senior sister, and that makes you mine as well. I should have shown proper respect."

Lowering her head, Shimizu let her hair fall forward to mask her trembling expression. The memory of her imprisonment still clung to her like heat, though the senior sister couldn't see the cold glint in her hidden eyes.

'So this is the kind of woman Lily admires. I never meant to cross a line, just tease her. But I miscalculated. In this Mirror Dimension, she's far beyond me. There's no point in pushing her further. If I earn her wrath again, I'll suffer. Worse, Lily might find out and it could change how she sees me. No… until I know who she really is, I'll play nice. For now, submission is the smartest path.'

Rinne looked at her quietly, as if seeing into the very corners of her heart. But she said nothing of what she found there.

"Oh, Shimizu," she said softly. "I do admire your spirit. Your affection for Lily is real. I won't interfere with your relationship, so don't worry."

"Thank you, senior sister," Shimizu replied, bowing even more humbly than Lily ever had.

"Still, you must be mindful of your timing and behavior. Do you understand?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. Could you teach me, senior sister?"

"There's no need to rush. Just be aware. I'll explain more when the time is right."

"Then I'll wait patiently. Please guide me when that time comes, senior sister." Her soft tone even seemed to soften the senior sister's expression.

"That would be best. Come, kneel beside me," Rinne said.

'Tch… so this is what she wants? Just proving she's better than me? We both love Lily, and now she wants to play the superior one.' But since she couldn't win, there was no reason to resist. It was just posturing, and she wasn't about to lose face over it.

Shimizu moved closer and gracefully knelt beside her feet, her posture deferent but her eyes dark with unspoken defiance.

The senior sister suddenly called out, "Come in, Lily."

Shimizu flinched. Her body trembled with unease. She didn't care if she appeared weak before the senior sister, better to yield than to suffer more. If she couldn't win, she could at least avoid further punishment.

But now this woman had summoned Lily. Would Lily really have to witness her kneeling at someone else's feet in complete submission?

A tremor ran through her. This crossed the line. She had endured much in life, ostracized by the Genji Clan, mocked for her frailty and talentlessness, bullied and humiliated without end. She never let it break her and never cared much for what others thought. But this was different.

'But not Lily… anyone but her. What should I do? Do I defy her now? But if I resist, won't she throw me back into that room?'

No matter the seniority, this woman was still a rival. If Lily saw her in such a disgraceful position, how could she ever hold her head high again? But it was too late. A faint ripple of energy swept through the room. Lily had already arrived.

Rinne rose and gently lifted Shimizu, one hand resting firmly at her waist. Though it was only a spirit form, Shimizu could feel the strength behind that touch. Rinne leaned in close and whispered, "You don't want Lily to see you like this, do you? Then you know what to do from now on. You're clever enough to understand."

Shimizu nodded slowly, her pride buried beneath urgency and fear.

Just when Shimizu thought the moment had passed, the senior sister tapped her lower back. A sudden jolt of sensation surged through her, spreading from her waist across her entire form. Her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed. At that exact moment, Lily stepped into the chamber.