Demon Sword Maiden

“He wouldn’t dare,” Riyuki replied confidently. “We’re giving him a chance to gain influence in Takamagahara. If he helps interrogate Bishamonten, Her Grace may reward him generously.”

Lily trembled at the name. Bishamonten? Her heart skipped a beat. She leaned in, listening even more closely.

“Her Grace has declared that whoever can make Bishamonten confess will inherit her Divinity,” Riyuki said, her eyes gleaming with ambition.

“No wonder you’re so committed, Sister Riyuki! I couldn’t understand why you’d go near that vermin otherwise.”

“Mind your words. This is Tamai-no-Mikoto’s will. As members of the Tamai faction, we must give Her Grace our full loyalty. If Sister Riyuki inherits Bishamonten’s power, our faction will gain unmatched status in the grand court. Besides, after Tennin Mikoto’s defeat in Yomi, this is the perfect time to show her arrogant Dark Celestial Maidens who truly reigns supreme.”

“We must act swiftly to prevent any complications,” Riyuki added. “Once the trial ends tomorrow, we will immediately send the selected girls to Lord Shikikai’s Toraochi Domain.”

“Isn’t the Toraochi Domain that forbidden place we always avoid? It’s not far from here either. Now I understand why you chose the Shizutake Tribe, Sister Riyuki. Still, I’ve heard the Yamayuri girls are considered the most beautiful.”

“That’s only part of it,” Riyuki replied. “Though weakened now, the Shizutake Tribe once produced the greatest warriors in Hekiraku Realm. One of them even rose to fame throughout all three realms as a legendary Celestial Maiden. Delivering their descendants as slaves will please that demon even more.”

“I see now. As expected of you, Sister Riyuki. You’ve thought everything through. Once you inherit Bishamonten’s Divinity, you’ll be second only to Her Grace in our faction.”

Lily stood frozen beside Shimizu, her chest rising and falling with disbelief. The Celestial Maidens—supposed paragons of virtue and justice—were plotting vile schemes out in the open. Their concern was not righteousness, but power and political advantage. It was horrifying.

And they were doing it by sacrificing Bishamonten herself. That was Uesugi Rei’s mother, wasn’t it? She was the tragic Celestial Battle Maiden betrayed by Shuten Doji, then captured and dragged back to Takamagahara by dark forces. She had once been hailed as the strongest Celestial Battle Maiden after Tsukuyomi herself.

Who could have foreseen that Tsukuyomi no Mikoto would fall in that great war a thousand years ago? Countless Celestial Maidens perished, and Bishamonten was captured, enduring torment without end. Yet Lily could picture her as a proud and unyielding woman. No pain could ever break Rei’s mother.

Lily had no idea what secrets Takamagahara sought, but their desperation was clear if they were willing to collude with a vile interrogator like Lord Shikikai.

“This is revolting,” Lily muttered, her pupils flickering with the glow of lunar flame. Lily couldn’t turn a blind eye, not even if it were a stranger, let alone Bishamonten, Rei’s mother. She had once gained Oboro Tamahagane ore in a cave linked to Bishamonten. That made her a benefactor as well.

“Sister Shimizu, I need a moment,” Lily said softly. Lily immediately projected her consciousness into the Mirror Dimension.

“Senior sister…” Seeing Rinne again filled Lily with emotion. But this time, she didn’t collapse into her arms. She walked forward with purpose and asked steadily. “How is Hekiraku City holding up?”

“No one truly knows how deep the Boundless Abyss goes. Hekiraku City can levitate, but it’s still sinking…at least several dozen miles an hour. And the siege continues.”

“Then, how long can the sisters hold out?” Lily asked, uncertainty clouding her thoughts. She couldn’t bear the idea of that cruel interrogator torturing Rei’s mother, but she was equally afraid for her sisters still defending Hekiraku City.

“You must go, Lily.”

“What?”

“I know everything you do. Hekiraku Realm is one of many Iro dimensions. You may not have heard of it, but these smaller realms are classified as either Soto-Iro or Wu-Iro. I’ll explain the difference in detail another time. If Lord Shikikai truly has such control, he likely governs some of the core laws of this realm. That could be the very key to escaping it.”