Demon Sword Maiden

Ayaka chose not to press the matter further. Instead, she turned to Lily, cherishing this rare moment of solitude between them. She had tried asking Lily certain questions through voice transmission before, but the answers she received had always been vague.

“Sister… you must have faced unimaginable dangers after falling into Yomi, haven’t you?”

After everything she had been through since falling into Yomi, Lily only now realized how deeply she had been alone.

Alone in the enclosed space, Lily felt the stirrings of desire creeping through her body once more. The weight of loneliness, stress, and suppressed yearning gnawed at her, urging her to throw herself into Ayaka’s embrace. But deep down, she knew she couldn’t—she shouldn’t.

Ayaka was different… but wasn’t this still a betrayal? Would she not be forsaking her senior sister all the same—just as she was about to in this looming marriage? Was there truly any difference?

“It’s… a long story,” Lily said softly. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“It seems you’ve come across some extraordinary opportunities, sister,” Ayaka mused. “I thought that by adventuring along the Sanzu River, I’d be able to catch up to you… but instead, the gap between us has only widened.”

“That’s not true, Sister Ayaka… Just having you by my side right now is the greatest support I could ask for.” Lily’s voice carried raw sincerity. She had endured so much on this journey—so much pain, so much solitude—with no one to confide in.

“By the way, Sister… where exactly are we going?”

Lily’s expression darkened, her features shadowed by an unspoken worry—one so heavy it seemed almost beyond comprehension.

“Lily? What’s wrong?” Ayaka asked gently, stepping closer.

Lily lowered her gaze, struggling to find the words.

To see someone as strong as Lily looking so lost—it pained Ayaka. A quiet dread settled in her heart. Whatever was weighing on Lily’s mind, it was no trivial matter.

“Lily, I may not be strong enough yet, but I am still your sister!” Ayaka declared firmly. “I will continue to grow, to become stronger. No matter what trials you face, I will stand by your side and face them with you!”

“Sister Ayaka, I…” Lily slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes clouded with uncertainty—uncertainty about herself, about her future.

Her soft, cherry-red lips trembled as she struggled to form words.

Ayaka’s gaze fell to Lily’s lips, and for a brief moment, hesitation flickered in her eyes. Then, without another thought, she pulled Lily into her arms and pressed a kiss against her lips.

Lily’s mind screamed at her to resist, but her body defied her. Instead, she melted into the kiss. Perhaps it was the exhaustion of her journey, the unbearable loneliness that had built up inside her, that made her surrender.

High above the endless expanse of Yomi, two women, bound by fate yet torn by uncertainty, shared a bittersweet kiss.

‘I missed this… Sister Ayaka’s warmth, her taste, the way she feels… Rather than becoming the wife of that so-called Boundless Empress, wouldn’t it be better to just— No. No, I can’t.’

Lily’s heart was in turmoil. The very thought of this betrayal clashed violently with her morals—yet, instead of quelling her desire, it only made it burn stronger.

An overwhelming urge clawed at her—to reach out, to touch Ayaka, to claim this elegant, mature sister as her own. The temptation was intoxicating. But she knew… she couldn’t.

‘Betraying your senior sister? And what of Ayaka? Have you considered what this means for her future? What will you do with her?’ A voice echoed from the depths of her soul, relentless and accusing. ‘ don’t know… I truly don’t know…’

She wanted to silence the voice—to close her eyes, surrender to instinct, and let her desires take over. But in the end, her deeper obsession, the weight of her emotions, won out. Even after lingering in Ayaka’s embrace, lost in the heat of the moment, she finally twisted her shoulders and pushed her away, her movements weak, almost reluctant

7.

Lily’s face was a portrait of sorrow—an anguish so deep it was beyond words.

Her breath came in trembling wisps, dissolving into the cold air. She gazed at Ayaka, her eyes unfocused, distant. “Sister… the Madam of Yomi wants me to marry someone.”

Footnotes:

Silva: No, just no. Please don’t take her in. She was blatantly disrespecting you when she thought you were weaker than her. And now she’s head over heels for you? She’s as toxic as it gets.

Silva: Yes, hello, say you are a gold digger without saying you are a gold digger.