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    When Lily was first taken captive, her strength was already ranked among the strongest of the hundred maidens, with only a handful capable of challenging her inbat.


    Besides Lily and Hyozuhi, three others stood out: Tamai, Takiri Rie, and another skilled de maiden. In those days, these three could threaten Lily in a direct duel, but thepetition of the hundred maidens went far beyond individual battles. It spanned multiple disciplines andsted for three years, making the final result unpredictable, even if Lily had the upper hand at that time.


    Now, however, Lily’s power had grownparable to that of a Supreme God, far exceeding most of the experts in both Yomi and Takamagahara. Among the hundred maidens, only Rie could hold a candle to her, standing at the peak of the septuple-soul level. The rest of the maidens were no longer in Lily’s league, as her strength hadpletely eclipsed theirs.


    Masako, standing before her, was at the sextuple-soul Big Dipper Stage, but herbat prowess was undeniable. Skilled in both tactics and strategy, she had cleverly exploited the physical-onlybat restriction of the Empty Spirit Cave to mask her weaknesses and capitalize on her strengths. She had defeated Hyozuhi, leaving her in a pitiful state. Had Lily not taken Hyozuhi as her ve, her fate could have been far worse.


    Even when surrounded by numerous prisoners, Masako remainedposed. Her swordsmanship was extraordinary—each strike from her dual des was precise, flowing effortlessly between offense and defense, with a strength that far outmatched her opponents.


    Prisoner after prisoner fell under Masako’s relentless strikes. The strongest among them, a double-soul Big Dipper Stage inmate wielding a massive hammer, hesitated at first, unsure whether to attack, but quickly realized that any hesitation would only lead to certain death.


    These prisoners, though heinous criminals, were all seasoned ouws, unafraid of death. The hammer-wielding double-soul Big Dipper Stage expert swung his weapon with ferocious force toward Masako. But with a physique stronger than most female adepts and her superior swordsmanship, Masako deftly deflected the blow with a swift movement of her de.


    The dungeon trembled as the impact sent debris flying in all directions. Amidst the cloud of dust, Masako’s second de struck true, cutting deep into the chest of the double-soul Big Dipper Stage expert, unleashing a torrent of blood.Sweat glistened on Masako’s body from the intensity of the battle, but without pausing, she turned to face the remaining prisoners. The walls of the prison, though worn, were far sturdier than those in the outside world. Even powerful Big Dipper Stagebatants would struggle to break through the thickyers of stone deep underground, making escape impossible.


    The confined space of the dungeon required an even higher level of swordsmanship, demanding precision in every move.


    From the shadows, Lily silently watched Masako’s battle unfold. Though the fight was intense, it was clear that victory was inevitable for Masako, given herbat prowess.


    With a single decisive stroke, Masako decapitated the final enemy, the double-soul Big Dipper Stage prisoner. She swiftly followed up with a thrust to pierce his core, ending the battle.


    “Another filthy scoundrel wiped from existence! Though I hail from the Rakshasa Dojo, I’m not like the rest of them or those women from the Female Queendom who lust after each other1. Personally, I prefer men… but you wretches are just too repulsive.” Masako licked her lips, her voice filled with disdain.


    Lying at her feet were over a dozen lifeless bodies, most of them Throned Stage prisoners, with one belonging to a Big Dipper Stagebatant.


    Her revealing ckbat armor clung tightly to her, soaked with sweat from the grueling battle. She sheathed her des and began rummaging through the belongings of the fallen prisoners, hoping to find something of value.


    “Tch, they’ve got nothing worth taking!” Masako clicked her tongue in frustration.


    Lily stepped out from the shadows of the underground passage, her gaze calm.


    “Were you the one who defeated Hyozuhi in the Empty Spirit Cave? You’ve certainly honed your skills with the de.”


    “Who''s there?!” Masako, startled by how close the voice was, turned sharply. She hadn’t sensed anyone nearby.


    Masako’s eyes narrowed. "It’s you? Kagami Lily?" Although Masako had heard bits and pieces about Lily, the battle on the ancient battlefield remained a closely guarded secret. None of the hundred maidens, including her, were privy to the full truth. However, she did know one thing—Lily was both powerful and dangerous. Rumors of her prowess and her ability to charm others, even capturing the favor of the Female Queendom’s Queen, made her a figure of concern. To Masako and many others, Lily was one of the greatest threats among the hundred maidens.


    Lily nodded, her voice calm. "That’s right, it’s me."


    “What do you want?” Masako, still winded from her recent battle, felt sweat trickling down her chest. She turned, warily cing her hand on the hilt of her sword.


    “Well, Miss Masako, if you were in my position, what would you do? With your intelligence, I hardly need to exin it, do I?”


    Masako’s eyes shed with a sharp gleam.


    “I see… You’re trying to use Okai Prison to eliminate your rivals. But wouldn’t it have been easier to sneak up and attack me while I was distracted in battle?” Masako asked, her voice cold.


    “Do you really think that’s necessary?” Lily asked calmly as she stepped closer.


    “Hmph! Arrogant woman! Don’t think you can take advantage of me just because I’ve been through a battle. If you’re looking to eliminate an opponent, you’ve chosen the wrong one!”


    As Masako unsheathed her dual des, a cross-shaped de of light shimmered in front of her. She moved swiftly, not waiting for her words to settle.


    Even with equal strength, few could rival Lily’s speed and agility, let alone with the vast gap in power between them. In a sh, Lily vanished from Masako’s sight.


    “What?!” Masako gasped in shock. “She’s behind me!”


    Lily held back her full speed, allowing Masako to sense her movement. Masako quickly pivoted,unching herself at Lily with her des shing.


    Lily extended her jade fingers, summoning a hazy, seductive lunar force, forming a pale crimson spirit de from pure spiritual energy. She didn’t need to unsheathe her sword to handle Masako.


    Lily flicked the crimson spirit de, effortlessly parrying Masako’s dual strikes from left to right.


    “What?!”


    Lily took a calm step back, while Masako stumbled, nearly losing her bnce. “How is this possible?” she eximed.


    “Witness my secret technique!” Masako shouted, unleashing all her power. Golden spiritual energy surged, filling the dungeon as her strength multiplied. She swung her dual des, sending blinding golden de arcs at Lily.


    Lily casually waved her crimson spirit de, effortlessly deflecting each of Masako’s strikes, whether light or heavy.


    Growing desperate, Masakounched a furious barrage of attacks, but her efforts were futile. Lily blocked every strike with ease, as if toying with her.


    “Hoo, hoo, hoo…” Panting heavily, Masako leaned forward, her sweat-soaked body trembling with exhaustion, her chest heaving with each breath.


    “This is impossible… utterly impossible! What kind of treasure is that sword? Could it be…” Masako’s eyes widened as realization struck. “You shouldn’t be this much stronger than me. Is this de a divine artifact?”


    “Huh? This thing?” Lily nced at the spirit de she had effortlessly formed, blinking in confusion.


    “Don’t think you can defeat me just because of a treasure!” Masako’s power suddenly surged as she ignited her Big Dipper ster soul, her body enveloped in golden light as she charged at Lily.


    “Profound Technique · Heaven-Severing Golden Justice!” Masako’s twin des shed together, forming intersecting arcs of golden light that shone so brightly they seemed to turn white, containing traces of both the heavenly principles of gold and light!


    “I didn’t expect her to grasp two heavenly paths. Even though she’s only scratched the surface, she’s quite the genius,” Lily muttered to herself.


    As the terrifying golden de lights bore down on her, Lily calmly lifted her crimson spirit de with one hand, flicking it upward.


    With a powerful surge, misty lunar force, tinged with seductive charm, dispersed Masako’s golden de lights and sent the remaining force crashing into her body.


    The force shattered Masako’s chest and shoulder armor, mming her into the rock wall, leaving a deep indentation behind.


    “Ah!” Masako cried out, her body feeling as if it was breaking apart. She slid down from the rock wall and copsed to the ground.


    The world spun around Masako, and for a moment, she couldn''t tell where she was or who her opponent was. “My treasure, my life-saving treasure!”


    Dazed, Masako tried to retrieve her life-saving treasure from her storage jade, but before her vision cleared, she felt the cold press of a de against her neck.


    Lily loomed over the fallen Masako, sprawled across the ground. “Masako, surrender.”


    “What…” Masako’s eyes widened, the cold de at her neck confirming her defeat.


    ‘I lost? I can’t believe it… What’s wrong with this woman…?’


    “Kagami Lily, you despicable woman! You ambushed me and used a divine artifact to suppress me!”


    Lily’s gaze turned icy as she withdrew her de.


    “Hm?” Lily stepped back and raised the shining de, her face bathed in crimson light. “You really think this is a divine artifact? Look again, with the same eyes you used to deceive Hyozuhi.”


    Lily casually tossed the spirit de in front of Masako.


    “If it’s truly a divine artifact, why not pick it up and use it against me?”


    Masako gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with rage. “You’ll regret this!”


    Struggling to reignite her Big Dipper ster soul, Masako sprang up, ignoring that her chest was now covered only by torn rags. She didn’t care whether her body was exposed—her focus was solely on grabbing the spirit de.


    But as Masako reached for it, the de vanished, dissolving into a swirl of cherry blossoms that drifted away.


    “What?” Masako’s eyes dimmed, her pride shattered, much like the rags clinging to her body.


    Her overwhelming loss swiftly turned to rage.


    “This is some kind of illusion! You’re nothing but a cheap s?l?u?t?, selling yourself to the Queen!” Masako snarled, retrieving her fallen dual des. With a furious roar, she charged at Lily with all her strength.


    Lily sighed, a hint of pity in her gaze.


    With a swift movement, Lily became a streak of moonlight, appearing right in front of Masako.


    Masako’s eyes widened in shock. Her des barely lifted before they dropped.


    Lily didn’t bother drawing her sword. She struck Masako’s abdomen with the hilt, sending her crashing down.


    “Ah…” Masako gasped as a gentle yet overwhelming force surged into her abdomen, scattering all the power she had umted in her spirit pce.


    Masako’s vision blurred, her body went limp, and she copsed face down, her body involuntarily kneeling before Lily2.