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“Sister, are we really going to just let him go? Kiyoshi holds enormous influence among the warrior clans across the realm. If he withdraws now, I fear he may stir up rebellion again in the future,” Nanako whispered beside Lily’s ear.

“Tonight, I was the one who summoned him. He came alone and made no treacherous move. Although I still cannot understand what has changed him so completely, he acted with clarity. He first revealed his ambitions to me, and only then intended to take action against me. A man who behaves like that… I cannot kill him here.” Lily gazed into the night, watching the vast army of Kiyoshi slowly retreat beneath the dark sky, her heart weighed down with sorrow.

Kill him? No.

Lily slowly shook her head, tears glimmering in her eyes. “Uncle Matsuda… Hojo Ujizane… Kiyoshi…”

“In this world, there have never been many men who sincerely helped me, men I truly admired. Yet almost every one of them has ended with their families destroyed because of me, or at least indirectly because of me. How many more must die before it ends?”

“Sister, none of that is your fault.”

Nanako lowered her parasol and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Lily in a gentle embrace.

Lily lightly clasped Nanako’s hand. Though Nanako was so small and delicate, she was still able to comfort her at this moment. Lily could not help but think that she herself was truly a useless woman.

“Nanako, send the order. The army will advance on Heian-kyo.”

That very night, countless Celestial Maidens appeared flying through the skies above Heian-kyo.

The sight struck terror into the rebel soldiers and made even the demons tremble.

News of Ashikaga Kiyoshi’s defeated army spread swiftly as well. Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, the campaign to retake Heian-kyo encountered almost no resistance. The few who stubbornly resisted were effortlessly annihilated by the Celestial Maidens.

Celestial Battle Maidens had been born for slaughter across the Three Realms. Their military discipline was exceptional, and combined with their overwhelming power, taking control of Heian-kyo was hardly even a contest. This was not a symmetrical war in the slightest.

On nearly every street, Celestial Maidens could be seen patrolling from the sky or from the highest vantage points.

Before the night had even ended, Heian-kyo had fallen completely under their control.

“Haa…” Above the courtyard of an old, weathered temple, several black-clad Celestial Maidens descended from the sky.

“Stop right there! Who… who are you?” Ijuin Reira stood in the courtyard with several Tsunaga Sister warriors, gripping katana, naginata, and bows as they faced the newcomers from the temple’s raised platform.

The leader among the Dark Celestial Maidens wore a thin, revealing black feathered robe. Tall, alluring, and exuding mature charm.

It was Yanagihada.

Her hair was tied up, and even her lips were painted with lipstick. As she looked at the sleepless Tsunaga Sisters who had been standing guard all night with weapons in hand, she could not help but sneer inwardly. Yet her voice remained calm.

“Don’t panic, little sisters. We’re not enemies. Lyn-hime sent us specifically to protect His Majesty the Emperor.”

“H-How do you know that?” Reira’s vigilance deepened, and she pointed her sword straight at Yanagihada.

At that moment, a soft and beautiful voice echoed through heaven and earth. “Ijuin Reira, I sent them. There is no need to worry.” The voice seemed to resonate directly within Reira’s very soul.

“Sister Lily? Is that really you, Sister Lily!?” Reira immediately recognized Lily’s voice.

Although she still remained wary of Yanagihada, whose black attire, commanding presence, and seductive charm made her seem intimidating, Reira trusted Lily’s voice completely.

“My apologies for my earlier discourtesy. Please, come in,” Reira said.

The temple doors opened.

Inside the dilapidated building, Narinaga was trembling as he hid behind the altar table. Hoshi Murasaki and several female guards stood on either side of him. They had also received Lily’s voice transmission.

Yanagihada’s high heels clicked sharply against the temple floor as she strode inside. Even though the place was old and shabby, shoes were still meant to be removed before entering. Murasaki could not help but frown.

Yanagihada glanced around the room. “Hmm. Where is the Emperor?”

“B-Behind the altar! That is His Majesty, Emperor Narinaga!” Reira hurried in after her, speaking anxiously.

“Oh?” Yanagihada looked toward the emperor. A trace of confusion crossed her face before it turned into open contempt. “I thought everyone in this room was a girl. Don’t tell me your emperor is a woman too?”

“How dare you! His Majesty the Emperor is a true man!” Reira exclaimed.

Yanagihada looked the emperor up and down again as he cowered behind the table. A strange glimmer appeared in her eyes as she sneered at Reira. “A true man? How would you know? Have you seen it yourself?”

“You—!” Reira’s face flushed red. “What are you even saying? Aren’t you supposed to be a Celestial Maiden? Why are you dressed so… revealing, and all in black? You have no sense of decorum at all!”

“Hmph.” Yanagihada snorted coldly and ignored Reira entirely, walking straight toward the emperor. “So you’re Emperor Narinaga?” Yanagihada said. Her chest rose prominently beneath her garments. Among the Dark Celestial Maidens, her figure was especially voluptuous, yet the aura she carried was equally imposing.

“Y-Yes… I… I am…” Emperor Narinaga trembled all over. In recent days he had wandered in constant fear and upheaval, suffering shock after shock.

“How insolent!” Reira shouted angrily. “Why do you not kneel when addressing His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Kneel?” Yanagihada stepped forward instead. With a single motion, her high heel planted firmly onto the sacrificial altar table, the tip of her shoe stopping just short of the emperor’s nose. The unique scent of a Celestial Maiden and the overwhelming pressure of her divine power washed over him.

Emperor Narinaga trembled uncontrollably, yet his face flushed red at the same time.

Seeing him blush so easily, Yanagihada let out a teasing, seductive laugh.

“What… what are you trying to do!?” Reira drew her blade and rushed forward.

Yanagihada casually turned her head back and flicked a fingernail against Reira’s katana.

Reira and her sword were both sent flying through the air. She slammed into one of the temple’s wooden pillars before collapsing to the ground, her body limp and powerless.

“Reira!” the female guards cried out in alarm.

“Don’t move!” Reira shouted, her face flushed red as she struggled to breathe. “You… you’re no match for her… What secret technique did you use on me?”

“A secret technique? You’re overthinking it. This is merely the natural aura of the Charm Intent contained within our divine power during battle. I never imagined that even a trace of its aftershock would leave a mortal woman like you completely powerless.”

“……” Reira panted heavily, humiliation burning in her heart, yet she could do nothing.

“Let me ask you something. Who am I?” Without waiting for an answer, Yanagihada continued. “I am a Celestial Maiden. A deity of Takamagahara. Since when have gods ever bowed to mortals?”

“What? A… a deity…” Reira naturally knew of the gods spoken of in myth and legend. But the true structure of Takamagahara, and the identities of Celestial Maidens themselves, were things she had never understood.

“Y-You… are you a goddess?” Emperor Narinaga looked up at Yanagihada. The tall Celestial Maiden radiated a strange pressure that weighed upon him, yet within that pressure there also seemed to be a peculiar allure.

Completely disregarding the dignity expected of an emperor, he crawled out from behind the table and immediately prostrated himself before her, bowing repeatedly toward the tips of her shoes. His face flushed like that of a shy girl, and he was already dressed in women’s clothing. He seemed almost on the verge of licking Yanagihada’s feet. Yet in this dark and chaotic age, even an emperor without strength could only be bullied, humiliated, and mocked by those perverse court officials, used as a mere tool by those who held real power. If this powerful dark sister truly was a deity capable of protecting him, then even licking her feet would not matter.

He had never wanted to be an emperor at all. He possessed no ambition, no grand aspirations, and certainly no ability for such a role. All he wished for was a quiet life, free from threats and schemes, where he could simply live in peace.

“Tch… Are you really a boy? And an emperor at that? Are the emperors of your human world truly cross-dressing youths like this? No wonder your dynasty has fallen into such decline,” Yanagihada said with disdain. Yet seeing this boy who looked almost like a beautiful girl submit to her so completely from the very beginning made her feel oddly satisfied.

Yanagihada’s tastes differed from most Celestial Maidens. She did not like women, nor did she favor the masculine men that some Celestial Maidens preferred. Instead, she had always been fond of effeminate boys like this.

She could not help wondering whether Lily had deliberately sent her here with this in mind, perhaps as a reward for driving back Ashikaga’s army alone and for her past achievements.

‘So Lyn-hime can be this considerate after all.’

“Yes, little one. I am indeed a goddess,” Yanagihada replied, her tone carrying a faint trace of emotion.

“You! How dare you! You actually call His Majesty the Emperor a ‘little one’?” Reira could no longer bear it, though her legs remained weak and numb, preventing her from standing.

Yet when Emperor Narinaga heard Yanagihada call him “little one,” he felt no resentment whatsoever. Instead, a dreamy expression spread across his face like that of a bashful girl, his cheeks flushing even deeper. Crawling forward on his knees, he shamelessly pressed his face against the top of Yanagihada’s raised foot, savoring the overwhelming aura of the powerful Dark Celestial Maiden. Strangely, the humiliation gave him a sense of security.

“Oh goddess… will you really protect me?” the emperor asked, his face still red like a girl’s.

Even Yanagihada felt slightly stirred by the emperor’s excessive submission. She thought to herself, ‘What a shameless emperor. Dressing as a woman, and even less backbone than a real one… though he does look rather cute.’

“Of course I will protect you!”

With that, Yanagihada abruptly grabbed the emperor by the waist and lifted him up sideways, turning his face outward as she carried him effortlessly under her arm. Emperor Narinaga was less than 1.5 meters tall and weighed only around thirty-five kilograms. Yanagihada, however, was a formidable warrior even among those of the Celestial Stage. Among the Celestial Maiden commanders, her status was second only to the former Six Divine Generals. Within the Dark Celestial Maiden clan, she was considered the second most powerful figure. Even ordinary Celestial Stage experts could fall by her hand, which made her strength self-evident.

Lifting a small boy like this was effortless.

“What are you doing!?” Reira and the female guards finally could not endure it any longer. “Such disrespect! Put His Majesty down at once! Are you rebelling?”

“Hmph. Rebellion? I only obey Lyn-hime’s orders. The court etiquette of your Heian Dynasty means nothing before Celestial Maidens. This child will be protected by me, so you may rest easy.”

With that, Yanagihada carried Emperor Narinaga straight out of the temple. Reira staggered after her with the guards, but several Celestial Maidens blocked their path.

With a light step of her toes, Yanagihada launched herself into the night sky, carrying Narinaga with her.

“This…” Reira and the others could do nothing but watch as the Celestial Maidens took the emperor away.

From the shadows, Shenzu stepped forward. Her hair had grown much longer than before, and now that it hung just to her shoulders, the uneven ends made it look slightly disheveled. Leaning casually against a pillar, she finally walked out and said, “Well, it seems the little emperor has been carried off.”

Murasaki also stepped forward. “Let it be, Miss Reira. They are Celestial Maidens, goddesses. We cannot judge them by the moral standards of mortal women. She did not seem like a bad person to me. As long as His Majesty remains safe, that should be enough.”

“What do you mean enough!? Without the dignity of an emperor, how can he possibly rule such a vast dynasty!?” Reira fumed, her modest chest heaving violently with anger as she refused to relent. “I… I’m going to report this to Sister Lily!”