Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 30 - Lily’s Crisis

“Miss Riyuki?” Furaku hadn’t expected to meet her in the bath. Though she was accustomed to interrogating female prisoners, at this moment she was relaxing, her mind wandering a little. Seeing Riyuki here caught her off guard.

“Forgive me, Madam Furaku. Since the Honored One is here, I’ll go bathe elsewhere,” Riyuki said softly.

“There’s no need for that, Miss Riyuki. You’re already undressed, why not join me?” Furaku replied. After all, this woman was the one who had introduced her to Takamagahara. Furaku was ruthless toward prisoners, but toward allies, especially her introducer, she wasn’t about to act arrogantly.

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Riyuki stepped shyly into the bath. Though they were both women, being scrutinized by a master interrogator like Furaku made her feel as though she were the prisoner about to be tortured.

The two of them were both mature women, yet their current circumstances were vastly different. One was an important guest of Yuten Castle, a woman of considerable authority; the other was a fallen Celestial Maiden captain, ostracized and recently assigned to Takamagahara without any real duties yet.

They sank into the bathwater together, and for a time, neither spoke.

To ease the tension, Furaku finally said, “I must thank you again, Miss Riyuki. Without your introduction, I would never have made it here. I imagine you must have been handsomely rewarded by Takamagahara for your service, no?”

Riyuki shook her head faintly. Even if she explained, what good would it do?

“For us Celestial Maidens, merely not being stripped of our identity, or enslaved as prostitutes and courtesans, is already a blessing. I only wish for a position that allows me to work. I wouldn’t dare expect rewards or recognition.”

“What? Impossible. Has Takamagahara truly treated you so poorly? Why not come work for me in the prison?”

“Eh? Would that truly be allowed?”

“I’ll speak to the Heroic Gods myself. They’ll surely agree.”

“Then… Riyuki offers her deepest thanks, Ma’am.”

“In a bath, there’s no need for such formality,” Furaku said with a faint smile. Her subordinates, the Dark Celestial Maidens, were rough and unrefined. Riyuki, however, had helped her rise to Takamagahara. If she could make use of her again, and without having to pay her, why not?

“It’s just a pity, Miss Riyuki,” Furaku added, “the girls from the Hekiraku Realm you helped capture have all been rescued.”

“What?!” Riyuki’s eyes widened. She had only just reported for duty and had heard rumors of an uproar in the courtesan district, but not the details. She hadn’t realized that the women she’d helped capture were sent there, and before they could even be properly trained, they’d all been taken away.

“That’s right,” Furaku said, her tone darkening. “Those women were suddenly rescued by a swordswoman named Lynne. Fortunately, that girl was caught soon after. I have her tied up with Bishamonten right now, interrogating the two together. That Lynne, though…what a remarkable girl. Beautiful, strong, and resilient. I’d been working them both so hard I was drenched in sweat by the time I came here to bathe. I’ll return later to continue their… re-education.”

Furaku leaned against the wooden edge of the bath with a sigh.

“Lynne?” Riyuki repeated. A stunningly beautiful and talented swordswoman?

She suddenly recalled her encounter with Lily back in Mokuri Fortress, when she had been captured and questioned about the route to Yuten Castle.

“Could it be… Kagami Lily?!” she blurted out. Could the world truly be so coincidental? A young, breathtaking female warrior with the power to storm Yuten Castle and rescue captives, appearing here of all places?

“What?” Furaku froze, her entire body tensing. Her eyes sharpened as she rose abruptly from the water, unbothered by her own nakedness. “What did you just say?”

“Ah… n-no, nothing! I didn’t mean anything by it…” Riyuki stammered, realizing her slip of the tongue. Though Lily had once captured and interrogated her, she hadn’t truly harmed her, and had even rewarded her with treasures. Riyuki hadn’t meant to betray her; it had simply slipped out.

Only now did she grasp what she had done. Lily was Furaku’s mortal enemy, the woman who had slain her husband. And now, with one careless sentence, Riyuki had doomed her!

Though Riyuki didn’t particularly like Lily, she wasn’t heartless enough to deliberately harm someone who had spared her life and even paid her.

But… Furaku had always thought that Lynne seemed familiar. She had seen her portrait before, but never connected it to the girl herself. Now, with Riyuki’s words, everything suddenly fell into place.

“Kagami Lily!? So that woman was her!” Furaku seized Riyuki by the shoulders, her hands trembling. The water in the bath swirled violently, her divine power erupting as it formed a whirlpool that splashed wildly against the walls.

Outside Yuten Castle, on a Hakanajima that floated near the city’s colossal walls, several hundred Celestial Maidens lay hidden among the island’s dense jungle, gazing toward the towering fortress in the distance.

“Lady Uesugi, based on your judgment, what should we do now?” asked Meishin, who crouched beside her within the undergrowth. The other squad leaders were also gathered nearby, waiting for her command.

“I trust Lily,” Rei replied firmly. “We must wait for her signal.”

Since they were all united under a common cause, Rei saw no reason to conceal the truth any longer and told them Lily’s real name. Upon learning that Lily herself was a high-ranking fugitive of Takamagahara, the Celestial Maidens’ faith in her only deepened.

“It’s unbearable waiting like this. Who knows what’s happening inside right now! That interrogator…” Asazora’s voice trembled with unease.

The one being tortured was her own mother. How could Rei possibly stay calm? Yet she hadn’t come here to recklessly throw her life away. Charging in blindly would never save her mother. At this moment, she could only trust Lily completely.

“For now, we can only wait,” Rei said with resolute confidence. “Lily will find a way. I believe in her.”

Meanwhile, Lily and Bishamonten were still confined together within the dungeon.

Although Furaku had left, the two women remained tightly bound together, their bodies pressed close.

“Lady Bishamonten,” Lily whispered, “to tell you the truth, I came to Yuten Castle precisely to rescue you.”

Bishamonten’s breath quickened. Because of how close they were tied, every inhale caused their chests to brush and press against one another.

“Miss Lynne, speak carefully,” Bishamonten warned softly. “There are surveillance artifacts all over this cell.”

“What’s there to fear? They likely already know,” Lily said. “Lady Bishamonten, I’m sorry. I came to save you, yet I’ve ended up like this instead.”

“Lynne, don’t let despair cloud your mind,” Bishamonten said calmly. “Furaku tied us together precisely to make us feel greater humiliation than if we were tortured alone. Be strong, and don’t fall for her tricks.”

“I understand. It’s just the two of us bound together. We’re both women, so what’s there to be ashamed of?” Lily replied, though her face flushed bright red, her breathing growing faster.

“Lady Bishamonten, is there truly no way to break these chains?”

Bishamonten sighed helplessly and shook her head. “I’ve been imprisoned for years. Most of my divine power has been drained. These shackles cannot be broken. My body has been subjected to countless formations for so long that even my Spirit Palace has suffered severe and irreversible damage. To recover my former strength would take years and countless treasures, perhaps even more. And all my artifacts have already been taken. Even if I broke free now, I couldn’t regain my full power, nor could I escape their grasp.”

“Those despicable Heroic Gods actually used such vile methods to torment you!” Lily cried, anger burning in her chest.

“It’s not entirely their fault,” Bishamonten explained. “They only guard me and defend Yuten Castle. These formations and the spells that erode my Spirit Palace were designed by Takamagahara’s ruling class and executed by the Dark Celestial Maidens. As for the Heroic Gods… though I know many of them gaze upon me with lust, they dare not act against the strict military law. For all these years, none have dared defile me.”

Her voice turned colder. “It’s those Dark Celestial Maidens who’ve inflicted most of the torment. Still, their little tricks have yet to truly harm me.”

Even so, Lily looked at her with pity. Their chests pressed together so tightly there was almost no space between them. Without thinking, Lily’s abdomen nudged softly against Bishamonten’s, their bodies unconsciously moving against each other.

“Lady Bishamonten, the so-called rulers of Takamagahara are truly vile, to harm the Spirit Palace of a goddess is utterly unforgivable!”

Seeing the earnest fury in Lily’s eyes, Bishamonten’s body grew slightly hot. “Lynne, it can’t be helped. Their cruelty stems from fear. Still, though they’ve gravely damaged my Spirit Palace and drained my divine recovery, they have not harmed… my womanly body.”

“Those b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲,” Lily snapped, “then it must be for an even more depraved purpose!”

Indeed, as Bishamonten had said, though her divine power was ravaged, Lily could still feel that aura of healthy maturity emanating from her. As a woman, Bishamonten’s vitality and charm remained strong and vibrant.

“Lynne, for someone so young, your insight runs deep,” Bishamonten said with a weary smile. “You’re right. Once I reveal the secrets they seek, they’ll likely offer me as a prize, to a powerful Heroic God of Takamagahara, or perhaps even to Kegaretsu or the demon gods of Yomi. They’ll do anything for advantage. Even if I were to end my own life, they wouldn’t care. For the sake of the Three Realms and for myself, I’ll die before I reveal those secrets.”

Clang!

The cell door burst open, blown apart by a violent surge of power.

“Whether you confess or not isn’t for you to decide!” Furaku stormed in, clad in a revealing, crimson-patterned yukata. Her eyes swept past Bishamonten, filled with fierce longing, before turning to glare daggers at Lily.

For a moment, Lily was stunned. Then she saw the white-clad, short-haired Celestial Maiden standing behind Furaku. It was Riyuki. In that instant, she understood everything. Her identity had been exposed.

Riyuki tried to maintain a cold, disciplined expression, but her eyes flickered with guilt and avoidance.

Blame her? Hate her for betraying her? Lily didn’t even think that way. She had known the risks of infiltrating the castle and being captured. Such accidents were bound to happen. She had indeed paid Riyuki generously, but that was for information. The two of them owed each other nothing more.

“Kagami Lily!” Furaku bellowed, seizing Lily by the hair and wrenching her head back. “So it was you, you vile woman, you’re the one who murdered my husband! Kagami Lily!”