Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 11 – Night Parade of One Hundred Maidens (Part 1)

“What!?” erupted from the captives in unison.

Despair overtook several of the more vulnerable captives, leading them to lose control of their emotions immediately. Personal crises could unravel even the composure of seasoned big dipper experts.

“I, I can’t gauge the strength of most people here!” lamented a blade maiden, her coiled hair barely contained by her green kimono, as she covered her face in tears. “Nearly everyone here outmatches me. In three years, regardless of what methods you employ, I may not grow stronger, much less become the best. Are those of us with the least strength predestined for a fate worse than death? Why bother training at all? Why not end my life swiftly instead of subjecting me to this? If you won’t, I’ll end it myself! Death seems a kinder alternative to your Night Parade scheme!”

“Right! Death is preferable to enduring such humiliation!”

“If our choices are death or a fate even worse, what purpose does any of this serve?”

The commotion escalated as several of the more vulnerable adepts and blade maidens succ.u.mbed to tears and outcry, casting the room into chaos.

“Quiet! Why the tears? Are you begging to be disciplined?” Renka brandished a long whip, slicing the air with menacing precision.

“Huhuhu, no need for alarm; I haven’t concluded yet,” Rakshasa-Onna intervened gently.

Silence once again enveloped the group of a hundred captives.

“Your concerns are valid. There’s a saying that where there’s life, there’s hope. Considering you’re all commendable individuals of this generation’s Night Parade, I find it hard to be overly harsh. Let’s begin by distributing jade tokens,” Rakshasa-Onna decreed.

Renka retrieved a bag and methodically distributed jade tokens to each woman, but upon reaching Lily, she simply bypa.s.sed her without offering one.

Lily nearly voiced her protest but chose to remain quiet instead.

Ultimately, out of the hundred women, Lily was the sole individual not to receive a jade token; the other ninety-nine were all given one.

Each woman clasping a jade token wore a look of bewilderment.

Rakshasa proclaimed, “Notice the jade tokens you hold? Should you face failure, present this token to a Rakshasa guard. Rather than being dispatched to a demon’s brothel or handed over to a nefarious overlord, you’ll be a.s.signed to a mine, workshop, or another facility within the Rakshasa Dojo for a century of labor. After this period, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake the Rakshasa Dojo’s recruitment examination. Despite its rigor, it represents a survival opportunity. Should you not secure a livelihood after a century, the fault is not ours. Given you’re all Big Dipper adepts, you will retain your youth and beauty even a hundred years later, ehehehe…”

A sense of relief washed over the captives, albeit mingled with the recognition of a challenging century ahead. Failing the final a.s.sessment would lead to dire consequences, casting a shadow over their futures. Despite the daunting outlook, the sliver of hope motivated them to embrace the challenge, forestalling despair from the outset.

Yet, Lily was devoid of a token!

Of the hundred ensnared, Lily alone was denied this opportunity.

Lily contemplated inquiring, but sensed a deliberate omission; it was implausible that Renka forgot or Rakshasa overlooked.

With her fate entirely at their mercy, should they opt to complicate her situation, Lily’s options were limited. A century of labor loomed large—what implications would this have for Rinne and her other companions? Unacceptable. Lily was resolved to triumph in this contest.

Victory or escape—these were the sole avenues open to Lily.

Why stage such a performance, then? Why not distribute the jade tokens outright?

Lily grasped the rationale behind the jade tokens—certain women of principle preferred labor over the role of a concubine.

Yet, why withhold this information initially?

It dawned on Lily that this could be a psychological strategy employed by the Rakshasa Dojo, aiming to consign those who failed to a century of arduous labor.

Had the dojo’s initial goal been merely to conscript individuals into labor, resistance would likely follow. Now, however, a century of labor appeared as a merciful alternative—a testament to the dojo’s cunning.

Aware of the deception, Lily chose not to reveal it, wary of the repercussions.

Dismissing the notion with a scoff, a tall, slim woman with a pink ponytail, adorned in a revealing dress embellished with gems and metallic lace, contemptuously tossed her jade token to the floor, shattering it. As a septuple-soul Big Dipper adept, her defiance was palpable.

The others were astounded by her dismissal of what was essentially a lifeline, yet they couldn’t help but admire her bravery and strength.

“Listen up, you weaklings—I was fully aware of their intentions and allowed my capture. Had I resisted, not even the Rakshasa captains might have subdued me! Your tears and fears are futile. Understand this: the path we’re on is not a downfall but a rare chance to ascend to true strength!”

“Before our arrival in Yomi, didn’t each of us advance to our current realms through sheer talent, overcoming challenges and countless battles? Are we to shrink from the challenges now?”

“Arriving here, I never entertained the thought of being second best! Without venturing into the tiger’s den, how does one expect to capture its cub? Perhaps the rest of you should resign yourselves to hard labor and save me the bother, ahahaha!” Laughed the woman with the pink ponytail, hands akimbo.

“You have the audacity to destroy a jade token from the Rakshasa Dojo?” Renka rebuked, visibly angered.

“Ah, such determination in a young lady is precisely what the Rakshasa Dojo seeks in its Night Parade members.” Rakshasa-Onna concealed her smile behind her sleeve.

Following Rakshasa’s intervention, Renka ceased her reprimands, stepped forward, and declared, “Strength alone isn’t our only criterion but potential as well. The strong of today may not secure victory tomorrow. For those currently less powerful, do not lose heart. We’ve ama.s.sed secrets and resources seldom seen outside royal domains. Furthermore, our evaluations extend beyond mere physical prowess.”

Observing their reactions, Renka noted hope flicker in the eyes of the less powerful, while those more formidable displayed nervousness and discontent.

Rakshasa-Onna concluded, “There, all has been communicated. Your fate now rests upon your endeavors.” She then transformed into a blur of purple and blue, vanishing from sight.

“Come along.” A towering figure beside Renka, a woman standing over 1.8 meters with short dark green hair, called out. Clad in a green gauze dress complemented by black quarter-high tights, her slender form and formidable legs were striking

Footnotes:

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   Robinxen: Good to see the author’s leg preference is going strong!