Demon Sword Maiden

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The old woman with the dark green face was short, only reaching Lily's waist. She walked with a hunch, limping toward Lily, circling around her, and marveling at her. She even occasionally sniffed at Lily, murmuring to herself, "Young girls really do smell lovely."

Lily felt uncomfortable hearing that. Was this old demon planning to eat her? However, one shouldn't judge by appearances; she shouldn't assume malice just because the old woman looked old and ugly. The thought itself was shameful, and Lily blushed in embarrassment.

"Where are you from, young lady?" the old woman asked.

Rakshasa-Onna had warned her that countless champions of the Hundred Maidens, some of the finest young women of their time in Yomi, had fallen and disappeared in Hyakki Street. It was best not to reveal her true identity.

"I'm a female warrior from the mortal world. I tried to pass through the Heavenly Gate but failed, ending up in Yomi. I'm looking for a way to return to the mortal world, and I stumbled upon this place by accident. It's quite extraordinary. I wonder if you could offer me some guidance?" Lily asked, presenting a different mystery to mask her real identity. When a bigger secret is used to cover a smaller one, it creates confusion and misleads anyone trying to determine her true identity.

If she were a champion of the Night Parade, focused on completing the trial to gain great opportunities, why would she be asking about escaping Yomi? Conversely, if she were a mere mortal seeking to leave Yomi, she wouldn't likely be one of the champions.

"Yomi is the effect; each person's entry has its own cause. Each person finds their way out of Yomi in a different way. Only those who can understand causality can guide you. But looking at you, I'd guess you fell into Yomi because of a romantic debt, didn't you?" the old woman asked.

"No— I said I ended up here because I failed to break through the Heavenly Gate," Lily said, wondering if the old woman was senile.

"Oh, oh, I see. Well, regardless, such a beautiful young woman finding herself in Yomi—it’s a hard life," the old woman said. "Young lady, you know you can't survive here without money. I have high-status, ordinary, and low-status jobs. Which would you prefer?"

Yomi's demons had a different value system than Lily. She was hesitant to choose the high-status one, so she asked, "What kind of jobs are these?"

"Haha, the low-status ones are hard labor—washing dishes, cleaning the yard, and laundry. The ordinary jobs are maid work—serving tea, greeting guests, and similar tasks. As for the high-status jobs, those are the most lucrative and easiest ones in the courtyard."

"What exactly do these high-status jobs involve?" Lily asked.

"Haha, this is a place called Oni Entertainment. It's a well-known entertainment district in Yomi. But our entertainment isn't just singing and dancing. Here, for the right price, we offer all kinds of services," the old woman said with a sly grin.

"Eh?" Lily shuddered, stepping back a bit. What kind of place was this? An entertainment district for demons, where women had to offer certain services, possibly even worse than human brothels.

"So, young lady, with your beauty, you'll make this Oni Entertainment's most valuable attraction, quickly earning a lot of money. In Hyakki Street, money is useful for getting rare treasures and secret techniques you can't find outside. What do you think? Since you're here, you should choose the high-status job, right?" the old woman suggested.

The four demons on the side also leered at Lily with lascivious eyes.

"How is this high-status?!" Lily frowned. "I absolutely refuse to do this. Grandma, just give me a regular job."

The old woman's face, full of wrinkles, almost folded in on itself as she said, "Unfortunately, there are no vacancies for regular jobs at the moment."

Lily was getting angry. She didn't want to do any lowly jobs, but it seemed she had no choice. "Then I'll take a low-status job."

"Hahaha, why be so hypocritical, young lady? It's normal for girls not to admit to these things. But here's the deal—there are no vacancies for low-status jobs either. However, the noble-on-the-surface-but-degrading-on-the-inside job is in urgent need of a beautiful girl like you. How about it? Why not give it a thought?" the old woman smirked.

"No way!" Lily shouted angrily. "If there's no job for me, I'll just leave!"

"Stop!" the old woman commanded. "We know that women like you act shy and won't admit what they want, so we have to force you to accept. Seize her! Whip her until she's compliant, and then teach her how things work here!"

The four burly demons stood up simultaneously, closing in on Lily from four directions.

"Who dares?" Suddenly, Oborozuki Muramasa appeared at Lily's waist, her hand gripping the hilt.

At that moment, she realized her actions weren't constrained by the force she'd felt earlier.

She glared at the little demon, Ketai, beside her. "You said demons couldn't harm people before midnight. You tricked me!"

"Big sis, I didn't trick you. You just didn't listen properly. I said demons couldn't harm people on the street. This is Oni Entertainment, not the street!" ℝ

"What?" Lily closed her eyes, but the corners of her mouth lifted into a relaxed smile. "In that case, I don't need to obey demons, do I1?"

"That's right, but we'll make you submit! We've dealt with many human women like you! Seize her!" the old woman shouted.

The four demons advanced on Lily, their heavy footsteps thumping loudly on the wooden floor.

Two of the demons reached Lily first, one extending his large hand toward the back of her neck, while the other grabbed for the hand holding her sword.

With a resounding clang, Lily unsheathed her sword, her movements as swift as a streak of lightning. A dazzling flash of silver cut through the air, and in an instant, one of the demons collapsed to the ground, felled by the precision of her blade.

"Hmm?" Lily realized that while her sword was out, the spiritual energy couldn't escape; even the blade's wave effect couldn't form. However, the power of Oborozuki Muramasa was still intact, though its range was limited to the blade itself, with no additional secret technique effects.

Lily remembered the sword symbol engraved on the ground when she entered the cave. "This is a world where the sword decides the outcome2!"

One demon fell, while another lunged for Lily's neck, one hand reaching for her sword arm. Lily moved swiftly, ducking under the demon's grab, then crouched and spun, lifting her sword in an upward slash.

With a sharp thunk, the demon crumpled to the ground, its life extinguished by Lily’s strike. In mere moments, two demons lay defeated. The remaining two faltered, their confidence shaken. They quickly retreated, drawing their weapons in a desperate attempt to defend themselves.