Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 12 - Passing Through

The leader of the Celestial Maids fixed her gaze on the heavy pouch in Lily’s hand. Through the thin fabric came the pure, overwhelming surge of Blood Spirit Magatama. Inside, the pouch was filled to the brim with at least a hundred Blood Spirit Magatama!

The leader and the surrounding Celestial Maids could not hide their astonishment; a hundred Blood Spirit Magatama was an unimaginable fortune. Asazora’s gaze fixed on the pouch swaying gently in Lily’s hand, her eyes trembling as uncertainty crept in. For the first time, she faltered.

“At present, we are lacking both funds and supplies. With this money, many of our sisters whose strength has been diminished could swiftly recover their divine power. We could purchase rare medicinal herbs for the wounded, or acquire treasures and weapons needed for training. It would all be most welcome.”

The Celestial Maidens of Takamagahara were desperately poor! Perhaps not to the point of madness, but certainly driven by fear of poverty. And Asazora’s squad was even more destitute than Riyuki’s group!

“Who exactly are you?” Asazora’s eyes grew sharp and wary. “Why can you so casually produce so many Blood Spirit Magatama?”

A sharp metallic note rang out as a katana flashed into Asazora’s hand, its tip leveled at Lily, only an inch away from her neck.

But Lily only smiled, her eyes shimmering with a sultry allure. This was entirely unlike her usual self. Ordinarily, she was never one to tease strangers with such flirtation. But now, she deliberately altered her demeanor, concealing her usual bearing to prevent anyone from linking her to the wanted posters. After all, no matter how different the clothes or the style, her face and figure still bore too much resemblance to those sketches.

Her slender fingers brushed casually along the hard spine of the blade, pressing it down as though it were nothing. “Celestial sister, do you wish to know my origin, or do you want the money? If you want to know who I am, I can tell you everything in detail. But if it is the money you want, then there is nothing to hide. Take these magatama, and let us all stop asking questions. Will that do?”

“C–Captain…” A small-statured Celestial Maiden stared wide-eyed at the money. She knew well how desperately their squad needed those Blood Spirit Magatama.

The others, too, looked upon them as though dry wood had met a raging fire. Their hunger for those magatama was undeniable.

Of course, for money they would never stoop to acts that tarnished the dignity of Celestial Maidens or women, such as submitting to the likes of the Kegaretsu Clan. Otherwise, they would not have been left so impoverished.

“Captain, there are only a dozen or so of us crossing this checkpoint. Taking along two more won’t cost us anything. If helping them brings us such a crucial fortune, why not agree?” suggested a slim Celestial Maiden clad in purple garments, her cropped hair and heroic bearing giving her a masculine air.

Another spoke up as well. “Captain, whether she speaks truth or falsehood, what does it matter to us? But these are real Blood Spirit Magatama! Why not agree? Besides, looking at these two girls, they hardly seem like villains.”

“Captain, for what we must do next, having these funds will make things much easier,” another twin-bladed Celestial Maiden transmitted secretly.

Asazora listened, then sighed helplessly. Even if this path carried risk, the truth remained: they needed these magatama far too badly. It had been many years since they had seen such a sum in hand.

“…Very well. I shall take you across. But on one condition: on the way, you must obey my commands absolutely. You cannot act on your own. Know this, one wrong step from you could endanger us all!” Asazora’s stern face carried the weight of command.

“Understood. I will do exactly as Sister says.” With a graceful flash of movement, Lily appeared beside Asazora and pressed the pouch of magatama into her hand.

The distance between them grew close. Though Asazora was a powerful Celestial Maiden of her generation, she had never stood so near to a woman of such breathtaking beauty. She could not help but feel a stirring in her heart, though as the leader of her squad, she betrayed no sign of it.

Accepting the pouch of Blood Spirit Magatama, Asazora felt a sudden rush of satisfaction. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “Do the two of you possess identity tokens?”

“Identity?” Lily tilted her head. “Celestial sister, had we not agreed not to ask about one another’s origins? Surely you are not the kind to break your word?”

At that, Asazora gave a helpless shake of her head. She drew out two ancient jade tokens. On one was inscribed the character “War,” on the other the character “Dance.” She handed the “Dance” token to Lily, and the “War” token to Rei.

“This is…?” Rei looked puzzled.

“These are identity tokens. They prove you hold legitimate standing. I imagine neither of you possesses one.”

“So that’s what Sister meant. My apologies, I misunderstood.”

“There is one thing I must say in advance,” Asazora warned. “Once we cross the checkpoint and part ways, it would be best for you to destroy these tokens.”

“Why? We really don’t have any identities. With these, at least we won’t be captured at will by those Heroic Gods. So why destroy them?” Rei asked.

Asazora’s eyes grew solemn. “Since I’ve taken your money, I don’t wish to bring you harm. But know this, your identity tokens are forgeries.”

“What?” Both Lily and Rei were taken aback.

“Don’t worry. At border checkpoints, even if your identities are inspected, they’ll be enough to deceive the guards. The reason I told you to destroy them is because I fear you might use them to seek work in Yuten Castle. For any proper employment, the Divine Officiants will use special artifacts to inspect the tokens carefully. Then the truth will be revealed. Though these jade tokens look no different from genuine ones, your identities are not registered within Takamagahara’s bureaucratic system that governs the Celestial Maidens. Once they cross-check, they’ll immediately know they’re fake.”

“To forge an identity token is a crime tantamount to treason. Even if you escape execution, your training will be abolished, and you’ll be dragged off to serve as military prostitutes, or meet an even more miserable fate. I tell you to destroy them for your own good.”

“Military prostitutes…” Lily lowered her gaze, her face flushed and her chest trembling. Yet deep inside, a surge of anger welled up. Takamagahara’s treatment of Celestial Maiden was far too twisted, far too cruel!

“I understand. Thank you for the warning,” Rei said.

“Enough. There’s no time to lose. Let’s go. Blend into our squad, join in our flying formation, and if you can avoid speaking, then don’t.” Asazora ordered.

“Understood.”

“Oh, and my name is Asazora, captain of the Azure Celestial Maiden Squad. Remember the names of the other members as well, so you don’t expose yourselves when questioned.”

“Alright! I’m Lynne.”

“Uesugi Rei.”

The Celestial Maidens exchanged information before weaving into a flying formation and soaring toward the checkpoint. To their surprise, the moment they lifted off, the flight felt much smoother and lighter than it normally did.

“Hm?” They exchanged surprised glances.

“Captain, what’s going on? Why does this feel so light and easy?”

“I feel as if I’m brimming with strength.”

“My perception is clearer than before!”

“The strong winds here don’t seem to hinder me nearly as much!”

One by one, their expressions brightened with disbelief, their voices filled with vigor.

“Lily, when you use this formation with other Celestial Maidens in the future, you must be extremely careful,” Rinne’s voice whispered into her mind. “Later, I’ll teach you how to cooperate with this formation without releasing your Lunar Force. For now, act as if you know nothing.”

“Yes, I—I feel much lighter too,” Lily replied, blushing.

Asazora glanced at her, a little perplexed, sensing something unusual about her presence but unable to grasp what it was.

The Celestial Maidens dismissed it as a strange coincidence and continued forward until they reached the floating platform before the great gates of the checkpoint.

“Stop right there!” Two towering Heroic God sentries stepped forward, blocking their path.

“Celestial Maidens?” The chubby Heroic God eyed them with both suspicion and disdain. At the same time, a glimmer of lust flickered in his gaze as it swept over their alluring figures.

The other guard, a burly brute wearing a horned helmet, fixed his eyes brazenly upon the captain’s chest, for Asazora still carried a proud and striking figure.

“Where are you from, and where are you headed?” the chubby Heroic God demanded.

Asazora kept her composure, speaking calmly yet firmly. “Greetings, brothers. We are the Azure Squad, from Runa Island, seeking employment in Homura Castle.”

“Homura Castle? There are two routes to reach it. Why not take the South Cloud Path, instead of this longer path?” the chubby guard pressed.

“We heard the South Cloud Path has recently seen rampant activity from the Celestial Maiden Rebels, making it dangerous. Therefore, we had no choice but to travel through Yuten Castle.”

“And do you carry a pass for this checkpoint?”

Asazora produced a scroll and handed it over for inspection.

“Hmm… this does not seem out of order.”

“Then, good brothers, may we pass now?”

The two towering guards looked visibly disappointed. If the Celestial Maidens had failed to present a valid pass, they could have seized them as illegal Celestial Maidens or rebel spies, then done with them as they pleased. But with proper documents, what excuse remained?

The chubby guard scowled, unwilling to let them pass so easily. Even if he could not detain them, he was determined to take advantage of the situation. Though Celestial Maidens were forbidden from refusing the Kegaretsu clan, these guards were merely Heroic Gods of another clan and lacked that level of power.

“A new order has come down. Yuten Castle is on high alert, suspicious persons must not be allowed entry! Even with passes, strict inspections are required,” the chubby guard declared.

“If you have questions, please ask them freely,” Asazora replied.

“Hmph! You Celestial Maidens are sharp-tongued and well-read. What could two simple brutes like us possibly pry from your words? We prefer hands-on inspection,” the horned-helmet guard sneered. “We’ll select a few of you at random for a body search.”

“That’s right. A full, thorough search, to see if you carry anything suspicious!” the chubby guard added, his lecherous eyes narrowing on the women.

“What?” Asazora’s composure broke for a moment, and the Celestial Maidens around her tensed with unease.

Though the search itself might not be harmful, these men would surely use it as an excuse to grope and violate their dignity.

The chubby guard stepped forward without hesitation, completely ignoring Asazora’s authority. He strode straight into their ranks, seized Lily’s delicate hand, and yanked her out from among the Celestial Maidens.

“I’ll begin with you,” he sneered, a wicked smile spreading across his face. “Heh, heh, heh…”