Demon Sword Maiden

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"Shimizu…" Lily recognized her instantly, guided by the familiar rhythm of her soul's aura. "Where is the Boundless Imperial Princess?"

Shimizu hovered in a daze, her expression unusually blank and innocent. Then, without warning, her body went limp and began to fall.

Lily leapt forward and caught Shimizu before she could hit the ground. The last traces of dark energy that once shielded her had faded completely. Without hesitation, Lily tore away what remained of her own ruined wedding dress to cover Shimizu, leaving herself in little more than her undergarments.

All traces of dark energy had now vanished from the air. Yet the countless demons, abyssal gods, and Dark Celestial Maidens remained frozen in stunned silence.

"What just happened?" Wakarai muttered, visibly shaken. "Did the Boundless Imperial Princess… merge with her clone?"

Ayaka, Rei, Kaguya, and the others quickly ascended the Rinraku Stage, gathering around Lily in concern.

"Lynne, what's going on? Why is only one of them left, and why is she completely healed?" Chiya asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Is she the Boundless Imperial Princess… or your sister from the mortal world?" Asura-Onna asked, visibly uncertain.

"Judging by her soul's energy, she's definitely Shimizu," Ayaka said softly. She could clearly distinguish between the two. "But… her body carries traces of both their auras."

"She's Sister Shimizu," Lily sent through a voice transmission, her tone firm. She had no intention of revealing more to those watching.

"What's really happening here?" Kaguya asked telepathically.

"I… don't know either," Lily replied.

Just then, Shimizu stirred. Her eyelids fluttered before she slowly opened her eyes.

"Sister Shimizu!" Lily called out, her voice anxious. "Are you alright?"

Shimizu weakly shook her head. "I… my body feels strange…"

The many factions scattered across Yomi were just as confused. None of them realized the Imperial Princess' soul had vanished, and fear kept them from making any sudden moves.

"What in the world is going on?" the Lord of Oblivion asked the Sanzu Demon Queen. "Wasn't the Boundless Imperial Princess trying to kill them just moments ago? Why do they seem like allies now?"

"Lord of Oblivion, don't you feel something's different about her?" the Sanzu Demon Queen said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

The Dark Celestial Maidens began to close in.

"Release Her Highness immediately!" a Celestial-ranked captain shouted, mistaking Lily and the others for captors.

"Wait, Zuiami," said another, more powerful Dark Celestial Maiden. "Doesn't Her Highness feel… different? And what happened to the woman who looked just like her? She's gone."

Their doubt growing, the Dark Celestial Maidens circled in more tightly, advancing with caution.

Shimizu, now more aware of her surroundings, raised her hand. A current of dark energy swirled around her, gathering the scattered clothing, lost artifacts, and the sword Murasame-Anko back into her grasp.

Though they couldn't see the scattered clothing and treasures clearly, the powerhouses of Yomi could still sense them. Yet none dared to make a move, held back by their lingering fear of the Boundless Imperial Princess.

As the scene unfolded, Wakarai grew more uncertain. "Brother Kurorai, did you notice? After that huge battle, the Imperial Princess' aura has weakened, while Lily's presence feels much stronger."

"I felt it too. After a fight like that, she should be drained. But instead, she seems completely different. She no longer treats Lily and the others with contempt—now she acts like she's one of them," Kurorai replied in a low voice.

"Brothers, could it be that this woman is no longer the Imperial Princess, but that Big Dipper clone?" Fushirai asked cautiously.

"What?" Wakarai and the other Supreme Gods turned to him in astonishment.

"It's only a theory, but that clone always had the aura of a Big Dipper. Maybe she could control a part of the Imperial Princess' strength because of that. They've been in conflict from the beginning, which could explain the fight. And now it looks like the clone has re-merged with the original. That kind of technique is rare, but not impossible. Most importantly, the will and soul signature I sense from the current Princess match the clone's more than the original," Fushirai explained, his eyes gleaming with insight.

"Could that really be possible? But after hearing you out, I think it just might be. Still, even if a clone has a different soul, its mind should be identical to the original. I've never heard of a clone and its original being at odds like this," Wakarai said, clearly unsettled.

"I get that too. Maybe our assumption was wrong from the beginning. Maybe this isn't a simple case of clone and original—it could be something else entirely," Fushirai muttered.

"Brother Wakarai, if Fushirai's right, what should we do now?" Umashi asked, stepping forward.

"Hmph," Wakarai scoffed. "Clone or not, she's humiliated us with her power. If she's truly been defeated, we should seize the chance to humble her. But we can't afford to underestimate her—this might all be a trap. We'll probe cautiously. And keep an eye on the Dark Celestial Maidens and the Boundless Abyss demon gods. We don't want to end up fighting everyone at once."

With that, Wakarai cautiously took to the air and approached.

The Dark Celestial Maidens tensed the moment they saw Wakarai and several Supreme Gods approaching. Unsure of their leader's fate, they formed a protective ring—encircling Lily and her allies from the inside and preparing to block any threats from outside.

Meanwhile, the factions loyal to the Boundless Abyss hesitated. They remained still, equally uncertain about the current condition of the Imperial Princess.

Wakarai halted midair as he noticed their tense formation. Offering a disarming smile, he said, "Celestial Maidens, we were all invited here by Her Highness. After everything that's happened, we're simply concerned for her well-being. May I ask—how is she now?"

"Her Highness is unharmed," a Dark Celestial Maiden Commander responded firmly. "Everything is under control. There's no need for concern."

"Oh? Then why does it look like she's surrounded by enemies, as though she were one of them?" Wakarai asked, feigning confusion.

"Exactly! Didn't I just hear them calling her 'Shimizu'? Could that be Her Highness' true name?" Fushirai added deliberately.

The commander's expression darkened. "Regardless of what you heard, we'll handle this ourselves. Please stay back—for your own safety."

Wakarai's provocation struck a nerve. Many of the Dark Celestial Maidens had already begun to suspect something was wrong with their leader. Those among them with sharp senses, particularly the Celestials, could feel it—and this was exactly what they feared most.

At that moment, Ayaka quietly removed a spare coat and draped it over Lily's shoulders. The rest of the sisters kept a close watch on the surrounding enemies.

Ayaka sent a voice transmission. "Lily, what's our next move?"

Rinne's voice rang calmly in Lily's mind. "Don't let anyone realize the current Imperial Princess is actually Shimizu. Wait for a chance to escape—and stay calm."

Lily paused in thought, then nodded and relayed the same message to the rest of her sisters through voice transmission.

"I'm sure everyone is just as confused as I am, but that can wait. Sister Shimizu, you'll have to pretend to be the Boundless Imperial Princess for now. Use her authority to control the situation. Once things settle, we'll look for an opportunity to escape," Lily instructed via voice transmission.

"Will this really work?" Chiya asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"It's our only option," Rei answered firmly.

With a wave of her hand, Shimizu retrieved a set of black ceremonial robes from the Imperial Princess' storage treasure—the very same style the Princess always wore. She dressed swiftly, even baring one shoulder to match the Princess' usual appearance.

She pushed Lily and the others aside and stepped forward. "Everyone, I know the battle earlier was intense, but the situation is now completely under control. Remain calm," she declared.

"What?"

"You think everything's fine just because you say so?"

The gathered powerhouses stared in disbelief.

Unfazed, Shimizu turned back and smirked at Lily. "Kagami Lily, come here."

"Huh?" Lily was caught off guard. She had suggested they act, but Shimizu hadn't told her the details. So, she played along and stepped forward.

Without warning, Shimizu shoved her to the ground. "You little wretch! Now you see how strong I am. How dare you scheme against me? Still, your cunning has earned you a reprieve. Death would be too easy. The wedding will go on, and I'll make sure you suffer—slowly, and privately. Heheheh, heheheheh!"

Shimizu laughed with a teasing tone as Yachujo reappeared, swirling through the shadows like a serpent. Her demeanor perfectly imitated the Boundless Imperial Princess.

Lily quickly caught on. Though she was annoyed that Shimizu hadn't given her a heads-up through voice transmission, she recognized that this was just how Shimizu operated. Perhaps the unpredictability was part of the plan to confuse the other Yomi factions.

Lily played along. "You… I, Kagami Lily, cannot defeat you. I have nothing more to say. But no matter what you do to me, I will never give you my heart!"

"Hmph. That doesn't matter. A woman's body always submits first. When her heart resists but her body surrenders—that's when she's most alluring," Shimizu said, giving Lily a sultry look.

Lily blushed, unable to stop herself. In that moment, she realized Shimizu wasn't even pretending—her approach to women was eerily similar to the Imperial Princess.

"The wedding will proceed as planned," Shimizu announced as she flicked her sleeves and rose into the air.

She gestured, and dark energy lifted Lily effortlessly to her side. Shimizu wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a playful swat. The gesture looked so natural, it was hard to believe it was all an act.

The Dark Celestial Maidens, the many demon gods of the Boundless Abyss, and the vast crowd of Yomi powerhouses stood in stunned silence. None of them could tell if what they were witnessing was real or part of an elaborate performance.