Demon Sword Maiden

Volume 13 - Takamagahara: Chapter 40 - Bishamonten’s Counterattack

The heavens above were dark and heavy, with black clouds stretching endlessly across the sky. Cold autumn rain poured from above, as if even Takamagahara itself were bound by the seasons.

A group of Celestial Maidens gathered upon a Hizan near the edge of the endless thunderclouds. Rainwater glistened coldly upon the mountain’s surface as thunder rumbled across the sky. Countless waterfalls cascaded down its slopes, disappearing into the boundless sea of clouds below.

The Celestial Maidens stood in the rain, their hair soaked and disheveled, their drenched garments clinging to their skin, faintly revealing their soft, fair figures beneath. Although they had successfully rescued Bishamonten, not a single one of them could feel at ease.

Rei gazed into the distant sky. From here, Yuten Castle could no longer be seen, likely hidden behind the endless veil of dark clouds. On clearer days, it might still be visible, though even then, it would appear faint and small.

“Lily…” Rei murmured. None of them had seen Lily being captured with their own eyes, yet several hours had already passed. If she had truly escaped, she would have reunited with them long ago.

Bishamonten, Meishin, and Asazora shared the same anxiety that gripped Rei’s heart.

“Mother, I must go. Please allow the Celestial Maidens to lend me a flying artifact.” Rei’s calm but unshakable eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon.

“If even someone with Lily’s strength could not escape, what could you possibly accomplish by going there?” Bishamonten, though Rei’s mother, cared for Lily no less than she did for her own daughter. Yet she could not allow Rei to throw her life away.

“Even so, I must go.”

“Lady Bishamonten, please take the Tea Squad with you. They will escort you to a safer location,” Meishin stepped forward and said solemnly. “But as for Miss Lily… she has yet to appear. I fear the worst. We cannot simply watch idly while she remains in danger. A girl like her, if she were to fall into the hands of those barbaric, brutish Heroic Gods, the consequences would be unthinkable! Even if our entire army of Celestial Maidens perishes, we must attempt to rescue her!”

Asazora and the other captains of the rebel group all voiced their shared determination.

“Our mission here was to rescue Lady Bishamonten. As long as she returns safely to the rebel headquarters, our lives no longer matter! To let a young girl suffer torment in our place, such a disgrace would never befit our cause! We are unanimous in our decision to follow Lady Uesugi back to Yuten Castle!” declared Asazora.

With Bishamonten’s return, she had naturally become the leader of all the Celestial Maiden rebels. Uesugi Rei was no longer merely their spiritual symbol, Bishamonten now stood as their true commander.

Yet in Bishamonten’s heart, her worry for Lily was no less than theirs. She knew, however, that with their current strength, going back would only mean certain death without the faintest chance of success.

“Lady Bishamonten!” A voice called from afar as a drenched Celestial Maiden flew toward them. Her movements were as elusive as a mirage, stealthy and graceful. Her outfit was scant and practical, a revealing mix between a kunoichi’s garb and a Celestial Maiden’s robe.

“What’s the situation?” Bishamonten asked anxiously.

The Celestial Maiden landed, gasping for breath, her face pale and grim. “According to the informants we have within the city… a few hours ago, Miss Lily was captured by Ame-no-Tajikarao himself.”

“What!?” The Celestial Maidens were shocked.

“And… she was personally taken by him to his palace for interrogation…”

Thud!

Rei’s heel slammed down on the cliff, shattering the rock beneath and sending debris tumbling into the abyss.

“Interrogated by that brutish giant god himself…” The Celestial Maidens’ faces turned ashen, their thoughts darkening.

“It’s over… It’s already been two hours. Those Heroic Gods may act righteous on the surface, but deep down, they’re all depraved beasts. A beauty like Miss Lily… by now, she’s probably already been…” one of the younger maidens murmured, trembling in despair.

“What did you just say!?” Rei’s silver hair flicked sharply as she grabbed the girl by her collar, her anger flaring despite the girl being of a higher celestial rank.

“Lil’ Rei! Stop this at once!” Bishamonten shouted.

She turned toward the others. “Listen to me, everyone. If Lily truly was interrogated by Ame-no-Tajikarao himself, then that might, in fact, be the lesser misfortune. That man, unlike his subordinates, is one I understand well. He’s a true and upright warrior, never one to commit dishonor. He would never harm Lily. He’ll follow the law and have her sent to the Heavenly Tribunal of Takamagahara for judgment. That place is where gods themselves stand trial.”

“But Mother, you saw it yourself—during those final moments, that Ame-no-Tajikarao was completely out of control! He even attacked us just to force Lily to fight him! Can such a man truly be trusted to honor the law and his morals?” Rei protested urgently.

“That…” Bishamonten hesitated, her brows furrowing. Ame-no-Tajikarao’s behavior back then had indeed shocked her. It had been as if he were possessed or his soul had fallen under some strange influence.

If he truly was in that state, then what he might do to Lily was anyone’s guess.

“Then what are we still doing here? Lily is a proud woman, if she were truly defiled, she… she… how could she bear it?” Rei’s voice quivered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“No! I refuse to stand here while my sister suffers at that god’s hands!” Rei seized Asazora by the arm. “Take me to Yuten Castle!”

She was about to leap off the cliff with her when—

“Uesugi Rei!” Bishamonten caught her by the arm and pulled her back forcefully. “Do you intend to drag Asazora to her death as well!?”

“Just send me there! I’ll handle the rest myself! Mother, go to safety while you still can!”

Slap!

Bishamonten’s palm cracked across Rei’s face. “You unfilial child! What kind of person do you take your mother for? Do you think I care less for Lily than you do? You’ve only known that girl for a few short years, and now you dare to look down on me?”

Lightning flashed across the stormy sky. Silver hair whipped in the wind as Bishamonten’s gaze burned with deep emotion, cold fury mixed with resolute determination. For a moment, Rei could only stand there, stunned by her mother’s sheer presence.

“My baby girl, you are the most important person to me, my only daughter. But as your mother, I will neither fear death nor allow you to abandon your sisters just to save yourself! My daughter must stand at the front lines and fight! But tell me, do you have the strength for that? Where has your calmness gone? Acting on impulse like this, how is it any different from throwing your life away? Do you deserve to be my daughter, or Lily’s elder sister?”

“……” For a moment, Rei was speechless. She knew her mother was right, but how could she possibly stand by while Lily suffered humiliation at the hands of those Heroic Gods? How could she wait here doing nothing?

Amid the storm, a flicker of grim resolve flashed in Bishamonten’s eyes.

“Daughter, come with me.”

“Huh? Where are we going?”

“Do as I say and follow me!” Bishamonten’s sudden shout roared like thunder, her voice echoing through the storm as lightning flashed behind her, an echo of the war goddess she once was.

Rei froze under that commanding presence, then obediently followed her mother into the forested depths of the mountain beneath the heavy rain.

Before a waterfall cascading into a clear pool, Bishamonten turned her back to Rei. “Rei-Rei… I’m not stopping you from saving Lily. But we can’t go about it this way, it would be nothing but suicide.”

“Mother…” Sometimes she called her Lil’ Rei, sometimes baby girl, and now Rei-Rei. Normally, such endearments would embarrass Rei, who always carried herself as a composed, proud woman before the Celestial Maidens. But right now, such vanity no longer mattered.

“Mother, then tell me… what should I do?”

Bishamonten suddenly turned around, her eyes filled with warmth, expectation, and the heavy love of a mother. Her chest rose and fell with restrained emotion, her gaze pure and resolute like thousand-year ice jade.

“Rei-Rei, your mother will grant you the power to save Lily.”

“What?” Rei’s whole body trembled. “The power to save Lily?”

Though she was willing to risk her life to rescue her, she knew full well that such an act would be little more than a desperate struggle. The opponent was Ame-no-Tajikarao. Rationally speaking, she stood no chance at all.

“Mother… do you mean—”

“I intend to pass on the divinity of Bishamonten to you,” Bishamonten declared solemnly.

At that very moment, Lily knelt on the floor with her legs to one side, her clothes torn and tattered. Her skin, pale as frost and snow, was largely exposed; her ample chest, like two gleaming orbs, rose and fell softly with every shallow breath.

Her hands were shackled above her, bound in heavy chains, while her smooth, fair back rested against a thick pillar. Under the dim light, her long hair draped to one side, her eyes shimmering faintly with moisture.

From the neighboring hall came the sound of music and laughter, it was Ame-no-Tajikarao hosting a grand banquet for his generals, with several Fallen Celestial Maidens summoned to dance and serve wine.

To the soldiers of the Yuten Army, Lily had already been tacitly acknowledged as their commander’s woman. Though they secretly coveted her, none dared to speak aloud. Otherwise, they would surely demand to “participate” in her punishment, under the pretext of avenging their injured brothers.

Although they called it vengeance, their true motives were plain to see.

Ame-no-Tajikarao’s decision to include Celestial Maidens in the banquet was a gesture meant to appease his troops.

Thinking of those maidens, forced or at least unwilling, to serve those crude gods with song and dance filled Lily’s heart with silent indignation. Yet she could do nothing; even protecting herself was already beyond her power.

Still, she considered it a small mercy that Ame-no-Tajikarao had not summoned her to attend the feast, nor committed any indecent acts against her.

What Lily feared most was not being violated outright. If he truly attempted that, she would have no choice but to call upon Senior Sister for aid, there was no way she would let Rinne suffer disgrace because of her.

What she truly dreaded was the middle ground: if Ame-no-Tajikarao harassed her, toyed with her, or interrogated her without crossing the line, she would be trapped in torment. To invoke Rinne’s power for such an act would seem excessive, but enduring it silently would be intolerable. That was the dilemma she feared most.

Fortunately, the brute seemed to be a man of rare integrity. Other than capturing her and chaining her to the pillar like a prisoner, he had not laid a single finger on her.

He might have been an enemy, crude and rough, but he was still an upright man, a true warrior. Against her will, Lily could not help but acknowledge that.

“I just can’t understand… how could a man so righteous choose to side with tyranny…”

She had no intention of attempting escape for now. The chains were too strong to break quickly, and any sound she made would immediately alert Ame-no-Tajikarao in the hall next door. It would bring her no benefit.

For now, she could only wait for the right opportunity.