Demon Sword Maiden-Chapter 140Book 12: : Contempt

"Can this Death Carriage truly take me to the Boundless Abyss?" Uesugi Rei asked, standing beneath the towering black carriage.

"That depends on the price you're willing to pay," the Dark Celestial Maiden captain said, squinting at Rei’s slender waist and curving hips.

"As long as I reach the Boundless Abyss," Rei replied, her sapphire eyes flashing as a slight smile curved her lips.

"Hmph, then come aboard," the captain said, leading Rei up the blackened steps of the Death Carriage. "Once you step inside, you’ll suffer along the journey—just like the sinners tormented across Yomi—until you reach your destination."

They boarded the Death Carriage, a massive wooden structure of several floors, pulled by three colossal abyssal beasts.

The captain guided Rei to the second floor of the grim carriage. The interior was shrouded in darkness, with only a few narrow windows leaking in a sickly, dim light.

Rei scanned the room, noting the chains, robes, and torture implements hanging from the walls. This was clearly not going to be a pleasant journey.

At that moment, several more Dark Celestial Maidens entered, surrounding her, their faces twisted with envy and ridicule.

"This one's not bad. Maybe this time we'll finally fulfill the promise—if she can last until the end," said a one-eyed Dark Celestial Maiden clad in exposed armor and a tattered fur pelt.

"Oh? Seems I’m quite fortunate then. What happened to the unlucky ones?" Rei asked, casually flicking her silver hair.

"The unlucky ones?" The one-eyed maiden sneered, licking her lips. "This Death Carriage wasn't meant for you outsiders. It was built to transport stolen treasures and goods to the abyss. You're worth even less—just disposable cargo. Board it, and prepare to die."

"We kill the ones we don't like, seize their treasures, and toss their souls into the abyss as phantom slaves." The captain spoke coldly.

"And what do you intend to do with me?" Rei asked, her long silver hair glinting in the dim light.

"Hehehe, you? We'll give you special treatment. If you survive our punishment, you'll reach the abyss. If not, we'll throw you off midway," the captain sneered.

Rei studied the women, seeing envy and deep corruption etched into their expressions. She smiled faintly. "Oh? So that’s the game you’re playing?"

"Huhuhu, games? You’ll be crying and begging soon enough!" the short, one-eyed maiden laughed maliciously.

"When does the carriage depart?" Rei asked calmly, eager to move forward since her decision was already made.

"Depart? Very soon. But you still have time to prepare—or to regret it," the captain said mockingly.

Rei remained unmoved. "Regret? Not my style."

"Hmph, still so arrogant? Take off your stockings!" a Dark Celestial Maiden barked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Rei caught the trembling excitement in their gazes and instantly understood what was about to happen.

"Oh? So that's the price? Seems rather cheap," she said mockingly.

Without hesitation, Rei bent down before the gawking crowd of Dark Celestial Maidens. Lifting her blue skirt to her waist, she slowly peeled off her thin black stockings. She held up the now-loosened stockings and casually offered them to the nearest Dark Celestial Maidens.

"Mine!" one of the Dark Celestial Maidens cried, rushing forward excitedly to snatch the stockings from her hand.

"So you do know your place. But what’s with that arrogant attitude? Have you no shame?" the captain jeered, stepping closer. "Stripping off your stockings in front of everyone—aren’t you even embarrassed?"

Rei chuckled lightly. "We’re all women here. Why should I feel embarrassed? So, is it time to depart?"

"Hehehe, naïve little thing. Did you really think taking off your stockings would be enough to reach the Boundless Abyss?" the one-eyed maiden sneered. "Lock her up!"

Rei observed coldly. Though the Dark Celestial Maidens were beautiful, their minds had long since been corrupted by their endless imprisonment within the abyss.

Several Dark Celestial Maidens approached on light steps, binding Rei’s wrists and ankles with cold metal chains. The chains were pulled taut in opposite directions, securing her firmly in place within the dim room.

A long black whip appeared in the captain’s hand. She lifted it and pressed its tip lightly against Rei’s chin. "I’m afraid you might not recognize this. This is the Heavenly Charm Whip—crafted specifically to discipline Celestial Maidens in Takamagahara. We Dark Celestial Maidens specialize in assassination, infiltration, secret protection—and punishing those who betray their sacred vows."

"This whip won’t leave wounds on your body, but it will inflict unbearable suffering. Throughout the journey, we’ll lash you ninety-nine times a day. If you endure, you’ll reach the Boundless Abyss. If not, you can beg for mercy—and we’ll either toss you off the carriage, or…"

"We Dark Celestial Maidens never force anyone. If you don’t ask us to stop, we’ll simply fulfill our promise."

Rei cast a casual glance at the whip and replied indifferently, "Oh? If it won’t leave injuries, then why should I worry? Go ahead, whip me all you want—as long as it pleases you."

"Hmph! Let’s see how long that sharp tongue of yours lasts! This whip inflicts pain far worse than what they use on prisoners in the Female Prison Hell. I look forward to seeing you kneel, begging for mercy in disgrace," the captain said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Heh," Rei chuckled contemptuously. "If I ever beg like that, make sure to record it with a spell. I'd love to see a side of myself even I haven't met yet."

"Hmph! Keep mouthing off. You’ll soon learn what it truly means to be a woman."

Rei raised her chest proudly, flicking her long silver hair with a flourish. Her feminine allure flooded the room. "Don’t I already look like a woman to you?"

The captain’s gaze drifted to Rei’s full chest, her mood souring. Snapping out of it, she barked at two nearby maidens, "You two! Go whip the beasts into motion. It's time to depart!"

With that, the captain moved behind Rei, who had surrendered her weapon for now. If they tried to seize her treasures, Rei would retaliate without hesitation. Otherwise, she intended to endure everything until she reached the Boundless Abyss.

The captain seized the back of Rei’s clothes and tore them open, revealing her flawless, smooth back. She ripped away her short skirt just as easily, tossing the shredded fabric aside.

She raised the whip high, aiming at Rei’s exposed back and shapely hips. The whip sliced through the air with a sharp crack.

Rei bit her lip lightly. In that moment, she realized that the pain was secondary—the whip was crafted to inflict a different kind of suffering, awakening powerful, shameful desires within its victim.

"Ah…" Rei was sensitive by nature. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, but her expression remained stoic. Rather than struggling like others might, she chose to endure, allowing the sensation to flow through her.

A subtle, almost playful smile curled at her lips.

After an unknown span of time, the Dark Celestial Maidens, once brimming with excitement, were now visibly exhausted and worn out. Yet, Rei merely stood there, her body glistening with sweat, her silver hair in disarray—her eyes still burning with unyielding defiance.

"I've never met a woman like you," the captain gasped, her flushed face half-buried in a pile of hay. "You're so beautiful, yet utterly shameless! Aren't you embarrassed being punished like this? Aren't you struggling?" she cried out, her hands unconsciously making strange, restless motions.

By now, Rei had uncovered the whip’s secret. No matter how strong the wielder, they wouldn’t tire so easily from merely swinging a whip. This tool inflicted not just suffering on its target—but also overwhelming strain on its wielder.

The wielder, too, was subjected to the whip’s corruptive sensations, sharing in the very torment they sought to inflict. In other words, this was a battle of endurance—a brutal clash of wills between attacker and target.

‘The creator of this weapon… truly a wicked genius,’ Rei silently admired.

Whoever succumbed to the strain first would lose their composure—and, inevitably, the contest itself.

Her gemstone-blue eyes gleamed beneath her disheveled hair as she met the gaze of the one-eyed Dark Celestial Maiden, her expression faintly weary. "I am embarrassed, you know. How could I not be, as a woman?"

"You! How dare you look down on me!" the maiden snapped. "You think you’re better just because your chest is bigger?"

Rei simply looked at her coolly, her silence sharper than any retort, as if dismissing the vulgarity outright.

"You b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲! You think you alone can defeat all of us?" she screeched, her pride stung.

The maiden resumed her whipping in frustration, yet Rei’s skin remained pale and flawless. Any fleeting marks vanished almost as soon as they appeared.

"Ah…" Rei let out a soft, almost graceful moan.

After some time, the one-eyed Dark Celestial Maiden’s face turned crimson as she moaned uncontrollably, her legs trembling before she collapsed. Two embarrassed maidens rushed to drag her away.

She was too overwhelmed to even walk on her own.

"Huh? Is that all you’ve got?" Rei laughed boldly, her voice cutting through the tense air. The air was thick with intense, chaotic feminine energy.

"Hmph! We’ll deal with her tomorrow!" the captain growled, stumbling as she led the retreating Dark Celestial Maidens out of the room.

"Actually…" Rei muttered under her breath, "this whip is more a punishment for the wielder than the victim, isn’t it?"

"What was that?" the captain snapped back.

"Why not swap places with me?" Rei teased, a sly glint in her eyes. "Maybe that’s where my real weakness lies."

"I won’t fall for that nonsense!" the captain barked in anger.

Once the Dark Celestial Maidens had retreated, Rei exhaled heavily. She bowed her head, her silver hair cascading down as wisps of white mist escaped from her parted lips.

In the most remote corner of Yomi-no-kuni…

A colossal black abyss gaped in the earth—a place feared as the most dangerous in all of Yomi. The eight demon gods, hauling the vast Hekiraku City, finally reached the abyss—a pit so deep and boundless it seemed to swallow the world itself.

Lily, clad in her flowing red garments, stood silently in her room, gazing out from the balcony into the endless expanse of darkness ahead.

"Is this… the Boundless Abyss?" she murmured.

At present, Lily’s Charm Heavenly Path and Lunar Heavenly Path both remained at the third stage. This was the critical moment when Lily needed to unleash her full potential and hone her abilities. Yet her progress had stalled.

Anxiousness gnawed at Lily’s heart with every passing day.

"Lily, did you hear that bell chime?" a soft voice called out behind her.

"Sister Ayaka?" Lily turned, surprised.

Ayaka, dressed in a pristine white Miko robe, stepped forward. Together, they stood on the balcony, their eyes fixed on the Boundless Abyss.

"Bell chimes?" Lily echoed, puzzled. "I don't hear anything."

"That’s strange…" Ayaka frowned slightly. "I can hear them… faint, distant bells, as if ringing from some faraway corner deep within this endless darkness."