Demon Sword Maiden

At the mention of elimination, the hearts of the ninety or so women present grew heavy. Including Hyozuhi, six of the hundred maidens had already been eliminated. Some had died in the Empty Spirit Cave, while others were defeated by other women there. Since the victors found it cumbersome to accept the defeated as slaves, those unfortunate women were dragged off for hard labor.

Although a few months had passed with few eliminations, witnessing someone else's downfall from time to time reminded everyone of their precarious situation.

And now, they were going to eliminate ten people, which meant one out of nine would fail! It was no wonder the hundred maidens felt heavy-hearted upon hearing this.

Lily felt anxious too.

"If it’s a competition of strength or comprehension, I won't be afraid. But when it comes to pleasuring women, it's hard to say…" Although Lily didn't think her skills were bad enough to place her in the bottom ten among the hundred maidens, this wasn't as straightforward as strength. Lily didn't have full confidence, but she couldn't afford to lose!

Renka stepped forward to explain, "The Yomi female kingdom in the Abyss of Parting Sorrow is relatively far from here. We'll send you there. Although tens of thousands of subjects live there, the sudden appearance of a hundred strangers would raise suspicion. That's why we've prepared various identities for you to blend in seamlessly."

Renka waved her hand, signaling Wakaki, the guard with short blue hair, to bring over a large wooden toad with its mouth wide open.

"To ensure a natural and seamless entry, the identities we've prepared vary. Some are advantageous, some are not. If we allowed you to choose freely, issues like fairness might arise in the selection process. So we decided to let you draw lots to determine which identity you'll get. Whether you gain an advantage or not will depend on your own destiny," Renka explained.

Luck is also a part of one's strength. Female warriors who'd reached this level understood that. Although not everyone was happy with the arrangement, they didn't complain.

"A recruit of the female kingdom?" a blade maiden said after drawing her lot. "It's fine. Although the status isn't high, it should be helpful for getting close to the generals of the female kingdom, right? The position of a general should be pretty high."

"The daughter of a merchant in Yomi?" A red-haired blade maiden stated impassively before stepping aside.

"The descendant of a great Yomi clan who came from far away to settle down in the female kingdom and purchase a house? Hahahahaha, this identity isn't bad. It suits me perfectly!" Tamai was thrilled to draw such a favorable lot. Many women cast envious glances at her.

"What? A prostitute???" Masako exclaimed in shock upon drawing her lot. "There are prostitutes in the female kingdom? This isn't fair! I want to draw again1!"

"Shut up! If you aren't satisfied, you can choose to drop out now. That way, the number of eliminations will be reduced to nine, and I believe others won't object." Renka threatened Masako, holding a whip against her chin.

"Tch… how excessive! Jerk!" Masako muttered, but it was still better than giving up. She was a promiscuous woman who had lost her virginity long before coming to Yomi. She had many lovers and didn't care about her reputation, but this was too humiliating. Masako wanted to stand out among the hundred maidens and even dreamed of becoming a female overlord, with many gods and goddesses of Takamagahara serving her.

At that moment, a gentle-looking woman with a ponytail, standing around 1.7 meters tall and dressed in celestial maiden feathered garments, stepped forward to draw her lot.

"Look, isn't that Takiri Rie from the northern quarters?"

"Isn't she a descendant of the Takiri Clan? They say that the Takiri Clan is a truly terrifying force in Yomi. Why was she captured?"

"Who knows… Such a big force probably has fierce internal struggles. Hmph, what Takiri Clan descendant? How laughable it would be if she drew the prostitute lot!"

Several female warriors began to gossip.

Takiri Rie didn't seem to hear their deliberately loud conversation and calmly drew her lot.

In each quarter—be it the eastern, western, or northern quarters—a woman could easily become the target of public criticism and gossip among the hundred maidens, either naturally or through circumstance. This was the case for Lily in the western quarters, and in the northern quarters, Takiri Rie found herself in a similar position.

Takiri Rie was very fair and beautiful, with a virtuous and graceful demeanor. When in a crowd, she wasn't particularly eye-catching, so Lily hadn't noticed her before.

Takiri Rie drew her lot, took a look at it, and remained expressionless. Her heart didn't seem troubled. She didn't announce what she had drawn, leaving quietly after collecting her lot.

Now it was Lily's turn to draw her lot.

Lily had always been lucky, but now she could only leave it to fate. Lily reached her hand into the toad. There weren't many lots left. She wouldn't dare cheat, so she just pulled one out at random.

She opened her lot.

"Eh?! A slave??!" Her face flushed, and her heart raced with surprise and anxiety. "How… how could this happen…"

"Hahahahahaha!" Tamai burst out laughing. "The lot you drew really matches your identity!"

"This…" Lily glanced toward Rakshasa-Onna, her master. Right now, she could only hope for her help.

Rakshasa-Onna wore an expectant expression with a touch of mockery. "Don't worry, this is just an entry identity. What happens next depends on the opportunities you find. It's not like you're a real slave, so why worry?"

"Master…" Hyozuhi came over and took Lily's hand.

Most of the hundred maidens gloated over Lily's misfortune. The news of Lily being personally instructed by Rakshasa-Onna in the way of pleasure had spread. Her performance in the Empty Spirit Cave also made others wary. Such notable achievements provoked a lot of jealousy, and they hoped she would fail, suffer, or even be humiliated.

"Captain Renka, what should I do? I want to accompany my master!" Hyozuhi said firmly.

"Since you are Lily's slave and she's going to infiltrate the female kingdom disguised as a slave, you should also pretend to be a slave and go with her."

"Hmm…"

Once everyone had drawn their lots, a female guard rolled in a wooden cart filled with strange bottles.

"I assume you all know your identities now. Although my Rakshasa Dojo has some influence in the female kingdom, it's not an area we control. If you try to escape, it will be troublesome. Each of you will leave a Big Dipper stellar soul in one of these bottles. Don't worry, we'll take very good care of them2.”

"What?!" The hundred maidens were shocked.

"But leaving a stellar soul behind will weaken our strength! I only have two!"

"Why do you need strength when you're showing off your pleasure methods? If you're this narrow-minded, you might as well go straight to hard labor!"

Wealth and honor came with risk. Besides, they had no choice. Although the hundred maidens were unwilling, they could only comply.

This development left Lily in a quandary. She was still at the Throned Stage, so where could she get a Big Dipper stellar soul?

The hundred maidens hesitated and were reluctant to accept the arrangement, but they eventually gave in under the coercion and inducement of the Rakshasa Dojo. Only Lily stood there, frozen in place.

"Kagami Lily, you're the only one left," Renka urged.

"This…" Given Lily's nature, even if she had a Big Dipper stellar soul, she'd never hand it over. But she really didn't have one!

"Kagami Lily, what's the matter with you? Are you going to comply or not? If not, I'll sell you to a brothel right now!" Renka threatened.

But what could Lily say? If she revealed she was only at the Throned Stage, it would cause an uproar. The mirror's secrets might also be exposed, putting her in even greater danger. Besides, stellar souls carried the unique energy of one's soul and couldn't be faked. Given Rakshasa's strength, she'd surely see through any deception.

But Lily really didn't have one!

"What should I do? What should I do?"

"Kagami Lily, do you want to defy my orders?" Renka threatened. Even though Lily had stood up for her before, Renka blamed her for the death of her lover, who had been struck by lightning. She harbored resentment toward Lily and hoped she'd be sold to a brothel to suffer.

The hundred maidens watched Lily with anticipation. She was asking for trouble by defying orders.

"Enough, restrain Lily first," Rakshasa-Onna ordered.

Renka was pleased. She ordered someone to separate Lily and Hyozuhi, bind their hands, and lead them away. They were taken to a claustrophobic room, where disobedient women were kept. It was dark and small, with barely enough space to stand or sit. Thanks to Lily's good physical fitness, the confinement wasn't a big deal for her. Her main concern was figuring out how to pass this trial.

Rakshasa-Onna was a bit puzzled. Did Lily refuse to hand over her stellar soul because she didn't trust them? But Rakshasa had no intention of using the stellar souls of the hundred maidens for anything.

"Kagami Lily, I've taught you in vain. With such a narrow mind, your potential is limited. I don't know why The Madam specifically spoke up for you." Rakshasa-Onna paced around her residence after returning.

"Your Highness Rakshasa-Onna," Renka said, approaching, "that Kagami Lily openly defied orders. I suggest selling her to the biggest brothel in Yomi. They're offering a high price!"

"That won't work. The Madam promised Wakarai that she'd allow Lily to compete with his men in three years. Lily should still be a pure maiden. If she gets sold to a brothel and abused, wouldn't that cause The Madam to lose credibility in front of the gods of Yomi?" Rakshasa frowned. Although she phrased it that way, deep down, she was also reluctant to sell Lily to a demon brothel.

"Your Highness, The Madam only said that she'd allow Lily to compete with Wakarai's men, but she didn't say her chastity had to be protected. Even if she gets sold to a brothel, wouldn't she still be able to compete after three years? If she loses, and Wakarai truly loves her, he can redeem her and marry her, right?" Renka suggested.

"What??!" Rakshasa-Onna looked at Renka with a hint of shock. "You… you… Renka! As my chief subordinate, how did I usually teach you? You're strict and harsh, which is fine for managing the hundred maidens, but I didn't expect you to be so vicious! Your heart is as poisonous as a snake's! Kneel down!"

"Huh? Your Highness?" Renka stammered, suddenly flustered and trembling all over.

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