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“Is that the mirror girl?”

Upon learning of Lily’s inclusion on the wanted list and her descent into Yomi, he sent Tsukou to capture her. Subsequently, Tsukou employed a magical treasure to capture and transmit Lily’s true image back to him.

Mesmerized by her beauty, Wakarai resolved to claim her for himself. He hastened his arrival through various means but, mindful of his prestige, remained concealed until he witnessed Tsukou’s failing grasp, at which point he set aside his pride to intervene personally.

His esteemed status typically precluded him from engaging in such minor skirmishes, yet he had not personally witnessed Lily until now.

“Bring her to me!”

The magical formation dissipated, and Tsukou emerged from the mountain cave, carrying Lily.

“Kneel!” Tsukou forced her down with a sharp kick to the back of her knees and a firm push on her shoulders. Lily resisted, preferring to be knocked down rather than submit to kneeling.

“Pay your respects to His Majesty Wakarai, kneel!” Tsukou commanded.

“Enough,” Wakarai interjected. “She is my future bride. Show some courtesy.”

He outstretched a hand, from which an unstoppable force radiated, enveloping and elevating her into the air.

Clad in tattered garments, with her body ensnared by a commanding aura and hands bound behind her, Lily exhibited no fear before Wakarai.

Wakarai was struck with amazement as he observed her.

“I could never have envisioned such an ethereal beauty existing in the world,” Wakarai remarked, twirling Lily in midair to view her from all angles.

“Perfection…”

Gently lifting her chin, Wakarai inquired, “Everyone who beholds me either fears or reveres me. Why do you not fear me?”

“Would my fear alter anything? If capture is my fate, then why should I relinquish my dignity?” Lily replied, her tone icy.

As she noted, upon the arrival of this godlike being, she recognized that escape was beyond her solitary means; all her techniques and strategies would be futile.

Her sole chance lay in seizing an opening amid the tumult of battle. The monsters’ remarks suggested another formidable force behind Renka. Unable to defend herself and destined to fall into the clutches of a Yomi powerhouse, allying with Renka might offer a sliver of hope to incite conflict between two of Yomi’s dominant factions.

Lily was a woman who, regardless of the despairing circumstances, would clutch at any possibility and never surrender. Even with victory unattainable in this confrontation, she was determined to employ every means to carve out a chance.

She was resolved to deploy every conceivable measure to safeguard her dignity and purity.

“Ahahaha, such audacity and realism in a mere human girl. Your resolve is admirable! Mirror girl Lily, your spirit captivates me! Though you may lack strength, you possess the stature befitting my bride! Ahahahaha!” Wakarai’s laughter boomed.

Seizing the moment, Renka utilized a unique artifact to communicate the situation to Rakshasa-Onna. Initially believing there was no need to report their defeat, Lily’s bold words kindled a glimmer of hope.

Lily recognized the futility of further discourse, yet if she were truly abducted by this deity of Yomi to become his consort, all would be lost. Yet, she could not contemplate suicide; not from a fear of death, but due to the numerous ties binding her. Her greatest dread was enduring the torment of this inferno to survive.

Her only recourse was to stall for time.

“Is force the customary manner of seeking wives in your Yomi?”

“Hah, mirror girl Lily, your assertion isn’t wholly accurate! In Yomi, might makes right. Just as birds dominate the sky, fish the sea, and mortals bow to their sovereign, the principle remains the same.”

“Then, do you also intend to lay claim to Renka?”

Renka was taken aback. What was Lily implying? Moments before, she had seemed to aid her, and now she was betraying her?

“No, while beautiful women are scarce in Yomi, I, Wakarai, am not in want of female companionship.”

“If that is the case, then why cause her distress?”

With a flick of his finger, Wakarai unleashed a lightning whip that slashed across Lily’s body, tearing through her remaining clothes and the Celestial Maiden Garment, leaving a stark red mark on her skin.

Lily trembled, teeth gritted, as she steeled herself against the urge to cry out from the pain.

Despite having just praised Lily, Wakarai’s mood had darkened.

“Hm, even though I moderated the power of my lightning whip, the agony should be unbearable. How do you resist the urge to cry out? You possess ordinary strength yet remarkable willpower. Such arrogance, speaking so boldly without regard. If I am to marry you, it seems I must undertake your training with great care.”

Two more strikes of the whip descended upon Lily’s shoulders and legs.

Lily bit her lip as a single tear glistened at the corner of her eye, yet she remained silent.

Wakarai grinned with delight, seemingly proud of subduing a strong-willed woman like Lily, yet he restrained himself from further whipping, aware that excess might lead to her demise. Glancing down at the onlookers, he spoke as lightning crackled around him.

“What are you staring at? Begin stripping. Do you believe you can avoid punishment if I direct my whip at her?”

Renka implored, “Your Majesty Wakarai, as a divine being, must you trouble us lesser beings? Having achieved your desire, I beseech you, grant us mercy!”

“Indeed, I am being merciful. Now, strip.”

“We can kowtow, if that pleases you, but please…”

“What? Dare you, mere low-class female warriors, negotiate terms with me?” Lightning flashed in Wakarai’s eyes.

With a thunderous boom, a devastating bolt of lightning reduced one of the female warriors to ashes.

The quintuple-soul Big Dipper female warrior vanished under the thunder’s might before she could even scream, leaving a bottomless pit in her place.

The sight petrified everyone present.

“Well? Any further objections?”

Paralyzed by fear, the other female warriors remained silent, while Renka, teeth clenched, trembled, her hands itching for her amethyst hook weapons.

“Still resisting? Care to challenge me? Go ahead, attempt it; perhaps you might even survive. Just try!” Wakarai’s voice boomed like thunder.

“I… I will strip…” Renka’s voice quivered, teeth clenched, eyes misting. In Yomi, confronted by a force immensely superior, dignity fades, leaving only the will to survive.

In the merciless realm of Yomi, strength dictates dignity, particularly for female adepts. Anger smoldered in Renka’s eyes, her hands shaking as they reached for her attire.

Suddenly, purple spirit needles materialized, striking the back of each female warrior’s hands just as they began to disrobe. A killing intent so profound it seemed to engulf half the land surfaced.

Suspended in mid-air, Lily was dumbfounded, never before having sensed such potent killing intent.

“Behold your feeble determination! You would sacrifice your dignity and the honor of our Rakshasa clan merely to save yourselves? Have my teachings meant so little?”

The area resounded with a voice young and fierce, belonging to a girl no older than fourteen or fifteen, brimming with a killing intent so potent it could be considered hauntingly beautiful.

Despite their cries of pain, smiles broke through their tears at the sight of their savior—the esteemed leader of their clan.

Between the dark earth and sky, a young girl adorned in an ancient warrior outfit featuring purple patterns on a white canvas approached. Appearing no more than fifteen, her sleeves danced in the air, her long skirt flowed past her knees, and her long black hair cascaded down to her heels, accentuated by a purple hairband adorned with a mysterious ice-blue flower.

Perched on her shoulder was a crystal-clear blue owl.

“Rakshasa?” Rakshasa-Onna’s potent killing intent dispersed half of Wakarai’s thunderclouds, splitting the sky into two distinct halves.

Relief washed over Renka as she gazed upon the girl, exclaiming, “Your highness Rakshasa!”

Though thrilled at the rescue, confusion swirled within Renka. Rakshasa, being hundreds of thousands of miles distant, how had she arrived so swiftly?

Had Rakshasa been nearby, assistance would have been sought much earlier, not awaiting Lily’s intervention to report. Perhaps her highness Rakshasa wielded unknown methods. Despite her youthful appearance, Rakshasa, the formidable leader of their clan, had honed her skills for over ten millennia.

Rakshasa displayed no fear upon encountering Wakarai. Conversely, Wakarai was taken aback, mirroring Renka’s astonishment. Given the vast distance of Rakshasa’s territory, he deduced she must have been in proximity.

Rakshasa’s gaze fell upon Lily, suspended in air, before addressing Wakarai, “Wakarai, ever the sanctimonious one, portraying a dominating deity yet troubling these juniors. Descending personally to claim a beleaguered woman, has your dignity not suffered?”

In the presence of divine discourse, monsters stood mute. Confronted by the deity-like Wakarai, the enigmatic and murderous Rakshasa exhibited no trepidation.

Lily was unable to discern their comparative might, perceiving instead that both were likely equals in power.

“Rakshasa, you impertinent youth! How dare you address me with such insolence! This day, you shall learn the true meaning of discipline!”

The sky echoed with the resonant gathering of endless lightning, heralded by Wakarai, a deity of thunder, manifesting his divine might.

A spear of lightning, potent enough to shake the very earth, materialized in his hand, its creation sending Lily soaring thousands of meters away.

Bound by Wakarai’s might, Lily remained immobilized. Observing the thunderous spear, she deemed it far more formidable than anything wielded by the colossal woman encountered during their ascent to Takamagahara.

Without uttering another syllable, Wakarai hurled the thunderous spear directly at Rakshasa!