<h4>Volume 4, Chapter 76 - By The Waterside</h4>


    Trantor: LazyButAmbitious


    “Sis Lily,e with me.” Shimizu took Lily’s hand and walked along another passageway in the ancient tomb.


    “Sister Shimizu, why do you seem so familiar with this ce?”


    “Not really, I’ve only been here for a day.”


    Shimizu led Lily out of the passageway and came into a hidden cavern bordered by sturdy rock walls. The area wasn’t very big, but it featured a beautiful hot spring,


    “You must be tired after dancing for so long. Look, you’re all sweaty. Why don’t you take a bath?”


    Lily eyed the hot spring with a yearning look and quickly nodded like a chick pecking at rice.


    “Lily?”


    “Sister Shimizu?”


    “Today, let me help you wash your body.”


    “Ah? No, no, no, I can do it myself.”


    Shimizu looked at Lily in earnest and grabbed her shoulders with both hands, “Sis Lily, let Sister help you wash just for today.”


    There was a sense of seriousness in her voice,cking its usual yfulness.


    After some thought, she added, “Don’t worry, you can wear something to cover up your private parts.”


    Although Lily didn’t know why her sister was so insistent, she was relieved that she was given some leeway. Lily bowed her head and remained silent.


    “Since you’re not speaking, I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ by default.” Shimizu decided and pulled Lily to the edge of the hot spring.


    By default…such a feminine response. Why did I act like that just now, and why am I secretly happy? Lily thought in her heart.


    Shimizu went behind Lily and instructed her to stand still. She wasn’t a girl who often took care of others, so her movements were a little clumsy. It also didn’t help that some sections of Lily’s clothes were a bitplicated, requiring a modest amount of effort to remove.


    After taking off the dance clothes, Shimizu kept her promise and reserved two pieces of white cloth to cover Lily’s important parts. With gentle steps, the two women went into the shallows of the hot spring


    “Turn over and let Sister wipe for you,” Shimizu said.


    Since she had already agreed to the request, Lily turned around obediently as if surrendering herself to Shimizu.


    Shimizu dipped a small towel in the warm water and pressed it against Lily’s smooth back.


    “Sis, let me help you remove the cursed seal, okay?” Shimizu seemed to have contemted this for some time.


    “Eh? No way!”


    “I’m familiar with the legend behind the curse, but my tolerance is better than yours so it doesn’t matter. Even if the effects get doubled, it’s my duty as your elder sister to bear your troubles. Moreover, my body isn’t like yours…forget it. You also don’t need to worry about ‘that’. You should understand what your sister is referring to.”


    “Why? Besides, it won’t work. How can I allow my sister to suffer for my own negligence…?”


    “Lily, Elder Sister exists in this world to protect you. I’m sure you can understand my good intentions.” Shimizu knelt behind Lily and wiped her back with slow but soothing movements.


    Lily twisted her waist slightly, her long hair hanging down one side of her shoulder. Because of her position, she didn’t know that Shimizu was kneeling behind her.


    Two young girls with long hair; at the ancient hot spring; behind the stone door; surrounded by ruined walls and pirs. Time seemed to stand still, just like a gorgeous painting.


    “Sister Lily, some people may have been born for other people. Only when they meet can they find true meaning in their lives. These people are willing to sacrifice their lives for their special person, not to mention bearing some strange strange poison. Sister will not hesitate to suck it for you.” Shimizu gently cupped Lily’s ample buttocks.


    Strands of Lily’s wet hair were unknowingly stuck to the edge of her lips. She shook her head, “Sister Shimizu, Lily understands your sentiment…but Lily would rather sacrifice her life for you instead. I won’t allow any harm toe to you, especially as a result of my own problems.”


    “If that harm is enough to make your sister feel satisfied and happy, why would you want to stop it?”


    “But sister…” Lily wanted to push away Shimizu’s sneaky hand but had little strength to do so.


    “Don’t disobey your elder sister. Everything that I’m doing is for your own good.” Shimizu focused her mind and formed a whirlpool in the hot spring. Several streams of clear water then emerged from the whirlpool and snaked around Lily’s legs


    “Ah, what is this?”


    “Did you forget? Sister was a user of water-attributed spiritual energy.”


    Indeed, although Lily mainly used her de maiden powers, she could also use ordinary, unattributed spiritual energy. However, she rarely relied on it since it was of little significance. Lily usually cultivated the pure spiritual energy between heaven and earth to strengthen her body, but this practice could be ignored since it was a slow process, especially with her current absorption speed.


    The streams of water wrapped Lily’s body like ribbons and gently lifted her up.


    Lily’s body was currently soft and weak due to the mixed effects of the curse, alcohol, and fatigue from recent battles. If not because of her strong willpower and the dangers she faced outside, she would’ve copsed long ago.


    Since her sister wasn’t an enemy and had no ill intentions towards her, Lily couldn’t garner any strength to resist the entanglement of water.


    The streams of water flowed around Lily’s body as if she was a water goddess, directly raising her above the hot spring


    Sshes of water also spouted around Shimizu’s feet, slowly lifting her up. Currently, she was wearing a set of ck underwear that consisted of a sarashi embroidered with golden winter plums, and a loincloth patterned with flowers that hung from a golden chain around her waist. The set of ck underwear fluttered in sharp contrast to Lily’s in white cloth.


    Shimizu rose under the support of the surging waves and swirled around Lily, causing the water columns to gradually intertwine.


    The water flowed with force capable of lifting a person so even if Lily tried to resist, it would be useless in her current state.


    When Shimizu reached the same height as Lily, the water columns blended together and forced the two women’s bodies to cuddle.


    “What are you doing…Sister Shimizu…?”


    “It’s the water; I can’t help it.”


    “Really…?”


    Shimizu slightly leaned forward as she looked at Lily, reluctance rippling in her eyes, “Lily, Sister will have to say goodbye to you soon.”


    “Uh?” Lily’s body shook, “What do you mean…”


    Before Lily could finish her question, her mouth was sealed by Shimizu’s eager lips.


    They continued like this until the water current separated them.


    The column of water below Shimizu’s feet slowly receded in a whirling motion. This caused Shimizu to revolve around Lily’s body as she descended, allowing her to examine Lily’s chest, waist, and buttocks…


    The water flow suddenly stopped, and a fierce current spiraled from the hot spring, entwining the two women tightly. Because of the ssh of foam, Lily’s vision was a little blurred.


    Shimizu grasped Lily’s jade-like bottom and kissed it gently.


    “It’s here, right?”


    “No, don’t—”


    A stream of water snaked around Lily and covered her mouth. The struggling girl’s eyes were slightly narrowed and her forehead was riddled with anxiousness. She shook her head in resistance, not because she was worried for herself, but because she was worried for her sister.


    Unfortunately, the immense force of the water current left no room for her to resist.


    Constant licks assaulted Lily’s buttocks and washed away the cursed mark on her body. A deep pain stung her heart each time she felt the soft, wet touch on her skin.


    No, why in the world is there a woman, besides Senior Sister, who’s willing to sacrifice herself for me without hesitation? If this continues, I’ll end up falling in love with her…


    Lily, you are really too shameless…too flirtatious. Although the deep love for your Senior Sister hasn’t wavered at all, you are developing irresistible feelings for another woman as she licks your body…


    If your heart was truly devoted, it would’ve remained that way— that would’ve been for the best. Lily, you are known as the number one samurai in the East, but you are so defenseless in front of your sister…


    But, Elder Sister is willing to bear the two-fold effects of the cursed mark for your sake. Can you honestly say that you’ll ignore her love and care, even while knowing that it will hurt her?


    No, it’s absolutely impossible to ignore or hurt her, but it’s still not right to fall in love with her.


    Senior Sister, Lily is a bad woman, but even so, Lily will use this sinful body to protect her sisters!


    The hundredth contact was a touch that Lily wouldn’t forget. It washed away the curse on her body but left a deep mark on her heart.


    The water soon dissipated, causing Lily and Shimizu to slowly lose altitude. A strange silence pervaded as they stood in the warm water together. Right now, if Shimizu went in for a kiss, Lily wouldn’t refuse. Even at this moment, her mouth was slightly agape as if expecting something.


    However, she only got one sentence: “Sister is leaving.”


    “What??” Her sister had willingly received double the curse’s effects to save her, leaving a deep impression in her heart. Currently, Lily held no apprehension towards Shimizu and would allow her to do anything she wanted.


    However, Shimizu, who was always bent on conquering Lily’s heart, didn’t take advantage of this opportune moment.


    Instead, she abruptly said that she was leaving.


    Suddenly, a transparent, crystal-like stream of water sprung up into a wall that separated the hot spring in half.


    On Shimizu’s side of the hot spring, a staircase made of water surged up. At the end of the staircase, a stream of water warped into a torii that cascaded a watery curtain in the middle. It resembled a portal that reflected an unknown, gloomy mountain forest


    “Sister, don’t go!” Lily rushed forward. For the first time, she no longer waited on Shimizu to take the initiative. Unfortunately, the wall of water ruthlessly blocked her path.


    “Sister Shimizu!” Now that Lily’s body was mostly recovered, her spiritual energy erupted like a volcano, exploding with a forceparable to the Permanence Stage. Still, the wall of water remained in ce. The origin of such an incredible secret method wasn’t simple. Obviously, it was one of the many mechanisms in the ancient tomb— definitely not something conjured by Shimizu herself.


    No matter the origin, this mechanism wanted to take her sister away from her.


    Only a thinyer of water separated Lily and Shimizu’s hands, yet they could no longer touch each other.


    “Sister, don’t be like this…this is not an eternal farewell. Elder Sister has her own path to travel. Sakanoue no Tamurakonoe is also on this ind. He defeated me and made me realize that the gap between us is getting bigger and bigger. I don’t want to be a burdensome woman that drags you down. I want to fight alongside you and protect you so I can truly act my role as an elder sister. This is the path your sister has chosen!”