Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 5 – Hostage Situation

Kuromon set down his teacup and poured another glass of fine nectar. Then, he produced a violet pill that exuded a seductive fragrance and dropped it into the nectar.

“Drink it, and the positions of Chief Commander of the Celestial Maiden Army and manager of the Medicinal Storehouse will be yours,” Kuromon said with a wide grin.

Overhead, Lily, who was spying from above, was startled. The scent of the pill stirred the charm aura within her body. Though the pill wasn’t nearly as potent as the Fragrance-Breaker Pill, it was clearly a similar aphrodisiac, likely one that induced confusion and arousal without necessarily causing direct bodily harm.

“That b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲ Kuromon! He’s obviously using this enticing position to coerce Riyuki into becoming his mistress!” Lily cursed silently. Despite the fact that Riyuki had committed more grievous offenses from an enemy standpoint, Lily couldn’t help but feel an instinctive disgust toward Kuromon’s actions.

“So despicable… Using a woman’s desperation for advancement to blackmail her! He’s worse than the demons of Yomi!”

At least the demons of Yomi fought openly, if you were strong, you lived; if not, you died. It was brutal, but simple. Unlike in Takamagahara, where even this small, remote city fortress was full of scheming and deceit.

Riyuki trembled all over. An internal struggle raged in her heart.

Celestial Maidens, currently the lowest caste in all of Takamagahara. Even someone like her, who had reached the Celestial Stage, barely held a status above that of common rabble.

How difficult was it for a Celestial Maiden to survive in today’s Takamagahara?

Without a proper assignment—specifically, without Celestial Maiden Token—one could be captured and disposed of by any faction at will. But if one sought out factions for shelter, they’d be ruthlessly exploited, used like livestock, endlessly overworked.

Many Celestial Maidens found their progress halted for decades or even centuries. Some even regressed, crushed under the weight of constant exploitation and mental strain.

The opportunity before Riyuki was nothing short of extraordinary.

And as for accepting a man? She was no virgin. The lover she’d once held dear in her youth had long perished in this chaotic world. Since then, she had lived in solitude for hundreds of years.

To think…if she just endured this shame, gave away a body no one cherished anyway, and closed her eyes, she could grasp an unprecedented opportunity. The thought nearly broke her resolve.

Yet deep down, a lingering pride as a Celestial Maiden still remained.

If it were someone she loved, she could give them everything. But this man? From head to toe, she found him utterly repulsive. She had chosen the path of the strong. How could she debase herself like this, surrendering her body to a hideous, degenerate pleasure god?

Riyuki took a deep breath. Though her cheeks flushed faintly, she steadied the turmoil and desire for resources that had welled up inside her. She spoke calmly, “Such a rare and precious nectar, my lord, you should enjoy it yourself.”

“What?” Kuromon was taken aback. “Miss Riyuki, that’s quite childish of you. Are you truly saying you don’t want training resources comparable to owning your own Hakanajima?”

Watching from above, Lily found her view of Riyuki shifting slightly. So this woman might have committed terrible deeds in her pursuit of power, even harming others… but at least she cherished her own body. She wasn’t utterly base.

Seeing Riyuki’s refusal, Kuromon noted it wasn’t particularly firm. He got up and walked straight over to her, wrapping a thick arm around her waist and pressing the cup of nectar to her lips.

“Come now, don’t be so difficult. In the future, among all the struggling Celestial Maidens, you’ll be the most accomplished. Plenty of others want this chance, I’m not giving it to them. Drink it, and you’ll gain power, treasure, and pleasure. Why not?”

As he tried to pour the nectar into her mouth, his hand slid downward.

Riyuki’s heart did not waver in the slightest. She wasn’t weak enough to be moved by Kuromon’s advances. If this grotesque god had shown genuine affection, she might’ve hesitated… but she remembered all too well that just hours ago, he had been fawning madly over Taira no Furaku, the female Supreme God. Only because he couldn’t have her did he now turn to manipulate and coerce her instead.

Kuromon was nothing but a depraved fool consumed by lust!

“Lord Kuromon, please remove your hand,” Riyuki said coldly. Her tone had turned icy, and her body radiated a sharp celestial power.

That divine pressure carried killing intent.

Though she looked serene and graceful on the surface, Riyuki was a seasoned Celestial Maid who had carried out many dangerous missions. If a real fight broke out, even two Kuromons wouldn’t be able to defeat her.

“You…” Kuromon’s expression darkened. He had almost resorted to force, thinking Riyuki wouldn’t dare resist him. But that killing intent held him back.

There were plenty of women in Takamagahara. As a noble of the Kegaretsu Clan, he intended to enjoy millennia—no, endless ages—of carnal pleasures. Why risk it for this used-up woman? What if she injured him here? Even executing her wouldn’t make it worthwhile. After all, he was Kuromon, a noble Kegaretsu god!

“Hmph! You filthy wench. Know your place!”

With a vicious punch, Kuromon struck Riyuki in the abdomen, sending her flying into a corner.

A glimmer of moisture sparkled at the corner of her lips as she slumped to the wall in humiliation. Yet she neither dodged nor retaliated. If Kuromon truly violated her, she would resist, but if it was only a beating, she could endure.

She had refused Kuromon, yet still needed to work under him. If she didn’t let him vent, he would never let it go.

“You Celestial Maidens are born lowly! No wonder your kind is the most worthless in all of Takamagahara!” Still fuming, Kuromon hurled the nectar cup at Riyuki. The glass shattered, splashing across her body. He stormed up and began raining punches and kicks on her curled-up form.

“Go guard your damn cow feed! That’s all you’re good for!” As he beat her, he hurled curses nonstop. Riyuki gritted her teeth and endured.

To fight back now would mean losing her post. Even if guarding fodder was a lowly job, it still earned her a little more than most Celestial Maidens. Her current position came with a stipend of five Blood Spirit Magatama every hundred years, how could she give that up?

More importantly, she couldn’t afford to stain her status. If she did, she would be slaughtered by the entire Takamagahara system.

So long as it didn’t cross her bottom line, she had no choice but to endure.

Riyuki had taken an enormous risk for the sake of Takamagahara. And yet all the credit for her achievements had been stolen by those above her, leaving her to suffer this kind of fate.

From above the ceiling, Rei watched and sneered.

“You brought this upon yourself.”

For a subjugated race, no matter how hard they tried to submit and please their rulers, the only choice they were ever given was between a wretched death or a miserable existence.

Kuromon, seemingly uninterested in training or combat, had likely tired himself out just from that brutal beating. After working up a sweat, he finally waved Riyuki off.

Riyuki had no choice but to quietly gather her disheveled clothing and hair, and leave in shame.

She staggered down the dim corridor, dazed and hollow-eyed. The figure she now cast was completely different from the confident woman who had walked in earlier. It was as if she had lost all hope.

Lily and Rei silently followed her from the shadows, watching as she returned to her private quarters.

Her room was located on a middle floor of the fortress tower. After all, Riyuki was still an Empyrean Stage Celestial Maid, one of the highest-ranking Celestial Maiden captains in the fortress. She at least had her own private suite. This fortress tower was enormous, with hundreds if not thousands of rooms, space was never in short supply.

Back in her room, Riyuki didn’t cry. She simply stared blankly at the candle flame, kneeling in place. After a long while, she began to remove the soiled and torn feathered robe that Kuromon had sullied and damaged. As she undressed halfway, her mature, ivory-toned back came into view, carrying a hint of a woman’s quiet grace.

Just then, Lily quietly channeled a touch of divine power. The sliding door opened without a sound. She and Rei stood silently in the doorway, their expressions unreadable, watching Riyuki.

A while later, Riyuki began to rise. As she bent down to remove the rest of her garment, likely to go bathe, Lily finally spoke. “So, you choose to endure such humiliation just to survive… then why walk the path of advancement at all?”

“Who’s there?” Riyuki’s face flushed red. She hastily grabbed the half-removed, translucent feathered robe to cover her chest and drew a spirit-infused kunai in her other hand. Half-turned, she looked behind her, eyes sharp but her expression still tinged with embarrassment.

She had removed everything from the front, and now had to both defend against the unseen threat and keep from exposing herself, it was a deeply awkward position.

Rei stood in the doorway, her gaze icy and silent. If it weren’t for the intel they needed, about the interrogator and her mother, she might’ve already killed Riyuki. With the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the power of the Seven-Soul Big Dipper, killing Riyuki in one strike would’ve been entirely possible.

“What’s the matter? Don’t recognize me anymore?” Lily sauntered in, her tone mocking. “For a Celestial Maid, you’re not particularly bright. No wonder you’ve ended up in such a sorry state.”

Her crimson kunoichi outfit glimmered with quiet elegance, exposing her arms. The lower half was a two-panel red skirt, split front and back, cinched at the waist by a violet sash. Her long, toned legs moved confidently as she strode toward Riyuki.

“You!?” Riyuki’s entire body jolted. She tried to turn and fight, but Lily was far too fast. In an instant, she appeared behind Riyuki, pressing the tip of a masterwork dagger against the back of her neck.

The icy blade bit lightly into her warm skin.

Riyuki froze. Cold sweat broke out across her body.

“You… it’s really you? Why are you here?” Her heart pounded wildly. Of course she remembered, this was the very woman who, along with that strange female Supreme God, had taken down Lord Shikikai. That man had been a Supreme God, and especially adept at tormenting women. And yet the two of them had slain him. Although the other woman had carried the fight, Riyuki knew full well that Lily’s strength was still far beyond her own.

“Why?” Lily replied coldly. “For the sins you committed. Do I really need to explain? “Where is the female torturer?”

Riyuki instantly understood Lily’s purpose. The battle they had fought, the slaying of Lord Shikikai, it had all been for this. That meant Lily and the blue-robed woman beside her were enemies of all Takamagahara.

The moment Riyuki realized this, a cold, bitter smile crept across her face.