“How is it now?” Furaku lightly patted the paddle in her hand. “Well, young lady, do you understand the consequences of disobedience? Now, will you confess?”
Lily’s disheveled hair clung to her flushed face as she panted. “If what you want is treasure, and if I possess any, I don’t mind giving them to you. It’s not out of fear. It’s just… what value do such things hold in my eyes?”
“Hehehe, still pretending not to be scared of this paddle, are you?”
Furaku leaned close, whispering into Lily’s ear. “My, my… such pride and self-importance. Don’t tell you’re afraid of getting your bottom smacked?”
“Shut up! Who—who would be afraid of that!” Lily’s face burned crimson. That woman was actually teasing her like so little girl? She, Kagami Lily, a legendary female samurai who once battled ten Great Imperial Gods at once, how could she fear sothing like… that! Such petty pain and humiliation could never be her weakness!
“Still saying you’re not afraid? Look how red your face is…”
Just then, two Dark Celestial Maidens pushed open the door. “M-Madam Furaku!”
The sight that greeted them was indescribable. Lily’s flawless, glowing body under the dim light, and the thick scent in the air, a mixture of incense smoke and a woman’s body fragrance, made both Celestial Maidens blush deeply. Flustered, they quickly covered their mouths and noses with silk scarves. Just inhaling a little of that heavy air had left them dizzy; to think Lily had endured this for so long… it spoke volus of her sheer endurance.
“What are you doing barging in? Didn’t I tell you I’m in the middle of an interrogation? Without summons, no one is to enter!” Furaku scolded.
“Forgive us, Ma’am. Lord A-no-Tajikarao, he…”
Lily’s heart skipped a beat at the ntion of that na. Was he coming to interrogate her personally?
“The Great Lord A-no-Tajikarao ordered us to inform you that the Celestial Maiden Rebels have begun large-scale movents. Everything is under control, and they will soon be captured. He wishes for you to focus on interrogating Bishamonten. There’s no need to waste more ti extracting information from the rebel Celestial Maiden.”
“What nonsense is this? Wasn’t it you who begged to interrogate her? And now, halfway through, when things are getting interesting, you tell to stop? Even if I were willing, ask this young rebel lady if she’d be willing!” Furaku raised Lily’s chin with the paddle.
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about!” Lily snapped coldly, her face still flushed.
“We’re sorry, Ma’am. It’s our incompetence that’s troubled you so much… but these are Lord A-no-Tajikarao’s orders…”
“Hmph. So what if he’s a god? I’m his guest, not his subordinate! Still… since I did take your paynt, I suppose I’ll et you halfway.”
Though she said so, Furaku was clearly unwilling to let Lily go. That woman possessed ability—real ability. If she didn’t seize the chance to make her submit now, it would only cost her more ti later. Besides, interrogating Bishamonten wasn’t sothing that could be done in a day or two. Furaku also feared that if A-no-Tajikarao personally questioned Lily, the secrets of her training, the kind of secret she coveted, might end up in soone else’s hands. There was no way she’d allow such an opportunity to slip away.
Rising to her feet, Furaku looked at Lily, reluctant to stop midway through such a satisfying interrogation.
“In that case, send this rebel lady along with . She’s to be imprisoned in Bishamonten’s cell.”
“What?”
“What, what! Just do as I say!”
“Y-yes, Ma’am…”
The two Dark Celestial Maidens dragged Lily to her feet, escorting her toward the deeper parts of the prison. Sha burned inside her chest, but beneath it, a spark of elation stirred.
“All this humiliation I’ve endured, it wasn’t for nothing. The chance is finally here!”
Of course, Lily couldn’t have known she would be sent directly to Bishamonten’s cell, but that actually turned out far better than her original plan.
Initially, she had intended to feign compliance and endure their tortures, waiting patiently for a chance to locate Bishamonten’s holding place before making her move. But now, they were taking her straight there, better than she could have hoped.
However…
“Fine, take wherever you want, but…can you stop pulling on ?” Lily snapped.
“Hehehe, young lady, I think you’re using the wrong word. I’m not pulling you, I’m *leading* you.” In her hand, Furaku held a leather cord. That cord was a spirit treasure, one end tied to the collar around Lily’s neck. Though rely a Kunitsukami artifact, its unique properties perfectly countered Lily’s powers.
To be led by a leash, humiliation flared in her cheeks as fury boiled in her heart.
“Be grateful I’m not making you crawl, my dear. What? Keep mouthing off, and I might just order you to. Unless, of course, you don’t mind the sha.”
“You…” Lily bit her lip, lowering her head with furrowed brows. ‘Just a little longer,’ she thought. ‘I’m almost there. If I lose my temper now, everything might fall apart.’
For her goal, she endured. Even if the situation was degrading beyond words, she forced herself to remain calm. Lily’s will and heart were far greater than those of ordinary Celestial Maidens.
To act rashly in anger was nothing but foolish bravery. Lily, however, possessed both wisdom and courage, her mind set on the greater picture.
Yet even after finding Bishamonten, she couldn’t act imdiately. Not only would it risk alerting A-no-Tajikarao and the Great Imperial God’s formation, but her powers were still sealed by the collar. As she was now, she wasn’t even a match for Furaku.
Still, just reaching Bishamonten was a major breakthrough. From there, she would act when the ti was right.
In the deepest part of the prison, a series of seals were broken, and a heavy cell door slowly opened. The oppressive aura that spilled out made Lily shiver.
“The Great Imperial God’s Formation…” she murmured, sensing its terrifying presence.
The cell’s doors and walls were indeed reinforced with the Great Imperial God’s Formation. No wonder Bishamonten had remained imprisoned for so many years without any chance of escape.
But even the Great Imperial God was not omnipotent. Unless the formation was disturbed, it wouldn’t react to what occurred inside. If one opened the cell through normal ans, the barrier would not be triggered.
And Taira no Furaku possessed precisely such ans.
“Get in!” The two Dark Celestial Maidens shoved Lily forward, pushing her into Bishamonten’s cell.
Lily stumbled several steps before catching her balance. The dimly lit room carried a heavy scent; a mature, healthy fragrance of womanhood.
Her hair fell ssily over her shoulders as she slowly raised her head. In the center of the cell stood a tall woman, taller even than Uesugi Rei, with long silver hair cascading like moonlit waves. Her body was powerful yet elegant, full and taut, the perfect balance of strength and femininity.
‘She is… Bishamonten!?’ Lily’s heart trembled in shock.
The mont she saw her, she was certain. Even bound by layers of divine chains and sacred seals, Bishamonten still radiated an unyielding, awe-inspiring divinity. Her aura was sharp and resolute, like a sword that refused to bend. And she resembled Rei so much, only more mature, though younger in appearance than Lily had imagined.
Bishamonten had not expected anything unusual. Hearing the noise, she calmly opened her eyes, assuming it was another cruel trick ant for her. But then, she saw the girl before her.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Those eyes, long dulled by years of confinent and tornt, now glimred with sudden brilliance, beauty touched by sorrow and shock. Even Furaku was taken aback by her reaction, unsure what had caused it.
But Bishamonten seed to realize sothing in that instant. The astonishnt in her gaze shifted into another emotion.
“Why have you brought this pretty girl to my cell?” Bishamonten asked coldly, her tone distant yet steady.
Lily, being closest to her, noticed what others could not, the strength and restraint hidden behind that icy calm. Bishamonten’s eyes flickered with sothing deep and suppressed, as though she was forcefully concealing it. That fleeting emotion felt like a boundless affection, ancient and endless, mingled with disbelief.
Why? Lily couldn’t understand.
“You two, leave. Don’t let the incense fog dull your senses,” Furaku ordered.
“Yes, ma’am!” The two Dark Celestial Maidens hurriedly withdrew. With a wave of Furaku’s hand, the door slamd shut.
Her heels clicked softly against the stone floor as she paced the prison, her steps echoing between the two won she had trapped.
With a gesture, she doubled the number of incense burners from three to six. The heavy, intoxicating fragrance thickened in the air. Even Bishamonten’s breathing began to waver.
“I can’t help it,” Furaku said with a smirk. “That brute A-no-Tajikarao is demanding quick results. But this little lady here, I’m not done playing with her either. So why not interrogate you both together?”
“What?” Bishamonten frowned, her voice strained between fury and confusion. “You vile witch… using such disgraceful thods, how shaless of you to even speak of it.”
“Shaless or not, that’s your problem, not mine. Whether you two beauties find it humiliating makes no difference to . If you don’t want this, then confess already.”
“Young lady,” Bishamonten turned to Lily, her tone grave, “this demoness’ thods are not sothing you can endure. Whatever she asks, just answer her. Don’t bring needless suffering upon yourself.”
They were strangers, yet Bishamonten’s concern sounded so sincere it almost startled Lily. Why did she seem more worried for Lily than for herself? And what was that flicker of uncertainty in her eyes?
“Lady Bishamonten, I may be just an ordinary Celestial Maiden from the borderlands, but I will never yield to such a despicable woman!”
“Hehehe, now this is interesting. You two talk as if you’ve t before. Is there so secret between you? Why not confess together? Not that I expect you’ll give in easily…every woman I, Taira no Furaku, have personally interrogated has been far from ordinary.”
With that, Furaku thrust her palm forward. A surge of power burst forth, far beyond what Lily could resist, and sent her flying straight into Bishamonten.
Their bodies collided hard. The height difference wasn’t much, barely an inch, yet their chests, full and soft, pressed against each other with an audible impact, reshaping under the force into shaful silhouettes neither could ignore.
“Uhh…” Lily turned her face away, mortified, her cheeks burning red. The mature scent from Bishamonten’s body enveloped her senses, making her flustered and breathless.
Bishamonten, too, was caught off guard. The faint, youthful fragrance from Lily’s body stirred sothing deep within her, a pulse she hadn’t felt in years.
Their reactions, fleeting but genuine, did not escape Furaku’s notice. When the two won realized it, they both turned their heads away in embarrassnt, their faces glowing crimson beneath the dim light.
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