Book 13: Chapter 128: The Takamagahara Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant

Bishamonten nodded. “I see. It seems that after we escaped Takamagahara, the Celestial Maiden Rebels had an even harder time.”

Riyuki said, “Fortunately, the Celestial Demon Path suddenly opened, drawing large numbers of powerful figures from Takamagahara into it. At the same time, numerous powerful figures from Yomi-no-kuni stormed into Takamagahara, throwing vast regions into chaos and leaving Takamagahara temporarily unable to deal with us. That finally gave us a chance to catch our breath.”

In truth, the Celestial Maiden Rebels had also secretly established contact with some of the more honorable demon clans from Yomi-no-kuni, further intensifying the chaos. However, Riyuki did not consider such a desperate measure particularly glorious, so she said nothing about it.

“I never imagined it! Takamagahara is actually persecuting the Celestial Maidens so brutally!” Yanagihada said furiously. “Back then, weren’t we the ones who guarded the four corners of the realm and waged campaigns across the various worlds for those pleasure-seeking gods?!”

Riyuki looked at everyone and said, “Everyone, I risked passing through the Celestial Demon Path this time to reach Herikaku City. First, I wanted to form an alliance with Herikaku City so that we could face our common enemy together. Second, I have an important piece of news to tell everyone. As for how you wish to respond after hearing it, that will be entirely up to you.”

Bishamonten said, “Calling it an alliance makes things sound too distant. We are all sisters here. Many members of the Celestial Maiden Rebels once risked their lives to save me. We are all Celestial Maidens and belong to the same family. Naturally, we should stand united against our common enemy.”

“Mm.” The sisters all nodded in agreement.

They had already regarded one another as family, so there was no need to speak of forming an alliance.

Riyuki’s face brightened with delight. Perhaps she really had chosen the right path. She would never again have to serve the Kegaretsu Clan, endure humiliation, or suffer their indignities!

“Miss Riyuki, you said you had some important news. What is it?” Kaguya-hime asked.

Riyuki took a deep breath, looked at the sisters, and said, “Deep within Takamagahara, an ancient highborn house is about to pour the strength of its entire clan into holding a beauty pageant.”

“A beauty pageant?”

Every sister present was an extraordinary beauty capable of stunning the Three Realms, so they naturally had some interest in the subject.

“That’s right,” Riyuki said. “It is a grand event known as the Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant. The event was originally a tradition in the territories of those decaying clans deep within Takamagahara, and it had been held once every thousand years. Although each occasion was grand, it had never been enough to stir all the beauties of Takamagahara.”

“But from the way you’re describing it, this year’s beauty pageant has stirred up all the beauties of Takamagahara?” Chiya asked.

Riyuki nodded.

“Although the chaos caused by the Celestial Demon Path has yet to settle, Takamagahara was never exactly peaceful to begin with. Moreover, it is incomparably vast, so the current turmoil is essentially no more than a large-scale bandit invasion. Its impact is limited. But now that this matter has emerged, the attention of countless Celestial Maidens, women from other divine races, and the Seraphim race has been drawn to it. After all, the matter of the Oborozuki soul is a closely guarded secret of the upper echelons, and very few can truly benefit from it. Most Celestial Maidens and other women have therefore not participated. But this beauty pageant has left every beauty in Takamagahara restless!” As Riyuki spoke, her chest rose and fell noticeably, making it clear that she was not particularly calm herself.

“Eh? What kind of beauty pageant could possibly attract so much attention?” Shimizu could not help asking.

Riyuki did not keep them in suspense. “The Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant has always been renowned for its immense scale and generous rewards. After all, those ancient pleasure-seeking gods possess tremendous wealth, and unlike the Martial Gods, they do not need vast quantities of treasures for advancement or to train armies. As a result, they have always been extremely generous with their rewards. The prizes awarded to the champions of previous editions have already been astonishing. However, compared with this year’s reward, they are nothing.”

“Then what is the reward this time?” Rei asked.

“The official announcement only says that it will be an unprecedented reward far surpassing those of previous years! But according to the rumors, the champion’s prize in this year’s Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant is the divinity of an ancient and powerful female Supreme God!” Riyuki said, her eyes gleaming.

As a Celestial-stage powerhouse, she had once spared no effort in striving to obtain a Supreme God divinity, yet she had failed and had nearly fallen in the process. Thus, Riyuki yearned intensely for one.

And really, which female adept would not yearn for one? For the sake of a Supreme God divinity, most would be willing to give up everything!

“A Supreme God divinity?!” The sisters were all shocked.

“Is the information reliable?” Yanagihada asked.

“This is reliable intelligence from within our Celestial Maiden Rebels. I can say with certainty that it is absolutely true.” Riyuki nodded firmly. “Otherwise, I would never have risked coming here to tell you about it.”

A Supreme God divinity could be said to be the most precious treasure beneath a Great Imperial God. No matter how extraordinary another treasure might be, it could never compare to becoming a Supreme God oneself. That was a true leap to the heavens!

Moreover, this was the divinity of an ancient and powerful female Supreme God. There was no doubt that it was the most suitable prize for female adepts throughout the world. Female Supreme God divinities were exceedingly rare, so how could the countless beauties of Takamagahara not flock toward it?

“This female Supreme God divinity is indeed extraordinary. If it is genuine, then it is truly an exceptionally precious prize.” Rei said, “Miss Riyuki, you risked coming all the way here to tell us this news. What exactly do you intend?”

Riyuki said, “Our Celestial Maiden Rebels lack sufficient strength and find it difficult to contend with Takamagahara’s official forces. If we can obtain this divinity, it will be crucial to strengthening our power! Therefore, this time, several outstanding female commanders from the rebellion, including Asazora and Meishin, all of whom possess both beauty and strength, intend to participate. After all, it is a masked dance maiden competition, so the possibility of our identities being exposed is relatively low. Moreover, the venue is located in the depths of the abyss. The ancient clan there is essentially a feudal lord and overlord of its own territory, and even Takamagahara’s official forces cannot govern that place. No one asks about one’s origins or past, and no one has to show their face. This has been the tradition of the Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant for countless years. Don’t laugh at me, but I intend to participate as well.”

“There’s no need to be modest, Miss Riyuki. You’re quite beautiful yourself,” Kaguya-hime said with a nod.

The sisters all nodded in agreement.

“It’s just…” Riyuki’s expression became troubled again. “Even so, our rebellion still feels that our chances of winning are not very high. After all, countless beauties from all across Takamagahara, including noblewomen, goddesses, and Celestial Maidens, will gather there. Relying solely on these few women from our rebellion leaves us rather lacking in confidence. That is why I came here specifically to tell all of you about this. I also wanted to ask whether you sisters would be interested in participating in this grand beauty pageant.”

“A beauty pageant? Us?” The sisters were stunned.

Riyuki looked somewhat dejected. “To be completely honest, if any of the renowned beauties of Takamagahara were to participate, every one of them would have a far greater chance than I do. But I feel that I simply lack enough charm, and my chances are slim. As you sisters said, we are all family. Rather than allowing this Supreme God divinity to fall into the hands of unrelated outsiders, it would be better for one of our own to obtain it. That would make Herikaku City even stronger and also give the rebellion on the front lines a tremendous source of confidence and support.”

The sisters all had different expressions after hearing this, but they understood what Riyuki meant. A brief silence followed.

Riyuki asked, “May I ask what everyone thinks?”

The matter was of great importance. With Lily absent, the sisters each had their own thoughts, but none of them wanted to speak first and set the tone for everyone else.

In the end, Bishamonten held the highest standing among them, so she spoke. “Miss Riyuki, thank you very much for risking your safety to come and inform us of this important news. However, as you can see, Lily is not here. Although a Supreme God divinity is extraordinarily precious, venturing deep into Takamagahara to compete in a beauty pageant is simply too dangerous. Moreover, the competition itself is full of uncertainties. Personally, I think it would be better for us not to participate and simply wait and see how things develop.”

“Eh?” Riyuki had not expected Herikaku City to respond this way. “But this is an opportunity of a lifetime!”

Kaguya-hime held a highly respected position, and she continued, “I understand Bishamonten’s point. Although a divinity is precious, the sisters’ safety is more important. We cannot recklessly venture into the enemy’s territory and undertake something so dangerous while Lily is away.”

Shimizu said, “Hehehe, it’s only a Supreme God divinity, isn’t it? Even if I got one, it wouldn’t be of any use to me. Isn’t that right, Miss Uesugi?”

Rei did not answer. Her own divinity had been inherited from her mother. If she could obtain another divinity for her mother, that would naturally be a good thing, but she also agreed with her mother’s viewpoint.

“I would like to obtain a divinity, but I have to lead the Celestial Maidens in guarding Herikaku City and the mortal world’s entrance to the Celestial Demon Path. I cannot leave without authorization. Besides…” Yanagihada estimated that she probably did not stand much of a chance either.

Riyuki looked at the sisters in surprise. Most of them wore indifferent expressions. Whether they were worried or simply unconcerned, none seemed inclined to compete for the divinity.

Riyuki had not expected things to turn out this way, and she could not help feeling disappointed. “In that case, this Supreme God divinity will probably fall into someone else’s hands. Sigh…”

“The Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant…” Among the sisters, a mature and intellectual voice suddenly spoke. A woman of extraordinary height stepped forward. From her figure alone, it was immediately apparent that she had been born to be a supreme dance maiden. Dressed in a red-and-white miko outfit, she carried herself with remarkable grace.

“T-This lady is…”

“This is Fujiwara no Ayaka, the Chief Advisor of the Heian Dynasty, and one of our dear sisters,” Kaguya-hime introduced her. As a queen, Kaguya-hime naturally had much in common with Ayaka, the former Chief Advisor, and the two were quite close. With Lily away, they would often chat together, admire flowers, play board games, and indulge in other refined pursuits.

“So it is Lady Ayaka.” Although Riyuki was a Celestial Maiden herself, she somehow felt inferior to Ayaka and respectfully bowed to her.

“Miss Riyuki, I am rather interested in this Masked Dance Maiden Beauty Pageant. I would like to go and see it for myself.”

“Eh?!” The sisters were startled.

“Miss Ayaka, although this is certainly an opportunity, going deep into Takamagahara is far too dangerous!” Chiya urged.

“Ayaka…” Yoruko stepped forward and took Ayaka’s hand. “This isn’t something to fool around with. Y-You aren’t the kind of woman to act on impulse.”

Madam Yoruko had been Ayaka’s closest friend during her time in the Heian Dynasty. The other sisters also tried to dissuade her one after another. Ayaka, however, simply swept back her long, lonely sleeve, her jet-black hair flowing gracefully behind her.

“My dear sisters, I have never been a woman who acts on impulse. But this time, I must go.” Ayaka’s gaze was utterly resolute.

**Creaaak—**

Just then, the side door of the council hall opened. Lily pushed the door open and entered, and she happened to meet Ayaka’s gaze as the latter stood silhouetted against the light.