Although Nanako and Lily had not actually done anything. Their relationship had never reached the level that, according to what she had heard, Shimizu and Lily supposedly shared. Of course, that was only what Shimizu herself had claimed. Perhaps she had merely been boasting. Whether it was true or not was impossible to tell.

Even so, Nanako was already completely satisfied. Perhaps… this had always been the wish hidden deep within her heart.

Ever since the very first time she had met Lily, back when they had still been enemies, Nanako had fantasized about bullying that busty woman. Later, although she had come to adore this older sister, that little selfish desire had never disappeared. As Lily had grown ever stronger, even if nothing had truly happened between them the previous night, simply being able to discipline such a mature, beautiful older sister had immensely satisfied Nanako’s pride. The lingering sense of inadequacy she had always carried was finally gone.

As for taking things even further… There was no need to rush. There would be plenty of time in the future. Perhaps one day Nanako herself would grow up into a tall, breathtaking beauty. When that day came, it would not be too late to do more mature things. For now, she simply enjoyed games like these.

Still, the two of them were exhausted. It was not because they had grown tired of playing. Ever since setting out to seize the Oborozuki soul, they had fought one bloody battle after another. Even after being drawn into the world beneath the parasol, they had never had the chance to rest properly. Naturally, fatigue had caught up with them.

“Sis… may I sleep with you?”

“Huh?” Lily’s face immediately flushed red. After all, they had just… gone through that experience. Still, it had only been a game. Even though it had gone on for quite a while, her emotions remained strangely unsettled.

“Don’t misunderstand, Sister. I only want to fall asleep beside you.”

Lily smiled warmly and nodded. “Mhm.”

At least for tonight… this was enough. Lily embraced Nanako, allowing the girl to bury her face against her chest, and the two drifted peacefully to sleep in each other’s arms. Nothing else unusual happened that night. In this world, neither the monsters, the powerful, nor even the men held any interest in women, so there was no need to fear that anyone would covet them.

* Takamagahara.

On a distant, secluded hakanajima, white mist blanketed the island. Winding mountain paths twisted through dense forests where ancient trees flourished. A curved bridge stretched across a gentle stream, leading to a simple yet elegant old residence.

Inside, a beautiful, gentle, and serene woman with long blue-violet hair, dressed in a plain kimono, quietly prepared tea. Yet the surface of the tea trembled slightly. It had long since gone cold, but her hands continued moving absentmindedly, as though her thoughts were elsewhere.

“So… my little brother really…” Ashikaga Kiyoko murmured. Her gaze remained tranquil, yet she did not even notice the tea splashing onto her fair hand.

Within the Ashikaga family genealogy, there was indeed a record of such a girl, two years older than Kiyoshi. However, after disappearing at the age of seven, she had never been seen again.

Ashikaga Kiyoko possessed the Heaven-Blessed Maiden Physique. Her talent was peerless, but so profound that no one in the Ashikaga family had ever been able to comprehend it.

From childhood, Kiyoko had perceived the world through eyes that transcended ordinary people. She had always felt that this was not the world where she truly belonged. When she was seven, she learned that her family intended to send her to Kamakura City as a political hostage. Rather than submit, she ran away from home.

Yet this gentle, beautiful older sister, already remarkably tall for her age, left an unforgettable impression upon the heart of the five-year-old Ashikaga Kiyoshi. Although he had been too young to remember her clearly as he grew older, the seed planted deep within his soul remained, shaping his lifelong attraction to women of her kind.

Kiyoko’s fortune was extraordinary. While wandering, she encountered the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, but among them she met Michizane. Recognizing her astonishing potential, he offered her some guidance, and Kiyoko advanced at a breathtaking pace. Later, Michizane directed her to seek out Mita, the raccoon deity of Izumo Province.

After receiving Mita’s guidance, Kiyoko remained in Izumo Province to train on her own. By the time she was fifteen, she had already reached the Throne Stage. At that time, Lily had not yet arrived in the Heian Dynasty.

Afterward, despite possessing only the strength of the Throne Stage, Kiyoko successfully crossed the Heavenly Gate. Thanks to her Heaven-Blessed Maiden Physique, she received the guidance of Tennin-Mikoto in Takamagahara and was bestowed with a Nigimitama.

The power of this Nigimitama surpassed even the Aramitama possessed by Ashikaga Kiyoshi. However, it could only be inherited by women born with the Heaven-Blessed Maiden Physique.

Because of it, Kiyoko attained unimaginable strength within only a short span of years. Although her own talent was extraordinary, the true source of her overwhelming power lay in the Nigimitama dwelling within her.

Like the Aramitama, the Nigimitama could form a pseudo-divinity. Even without mastering a Path, its bearer could possess a divine rank comparable to that of a Supreme God.

Kiyoko only learned much later that Ashikaga Kiyoshi had obtained the Aramitama. She had opposed it from the beginning and feared what it would bring. As it turned out, the very outcome she had dreaded had indeed come to pass.

“Kagami Lily…” Kiyoko gazed into the rippling green tea, where Ashikaga Kiyoshi’s soul seemed to appear within its reflections. “What’s wrong, Kiyoshi? Why are you looking at your sister with such sorrow?”

“Are you trying to persuade me… not to avenge you?” Ashikaga Kiyoko’s expression remained calm. “Do not worry. Even if I were to kill Kagami Lily, you would never return to life. And doing so would only stain everything you stood for.”

“Kagami Lily… the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms? Is she truly even more beautiful than your sister? Kiyoshi… I will not kill her. Instead, I shall make this Kagami Lily… my woman. That is what you truly wished for, wasn’t it? The longing you never managed to fulfill… your sister will fulfill it in your place.”

As she spoke, Ashikaga Kiyoko stirred the teacup with increasing force, paying no attention as tea splashed over the rim, soaking both her hand and the hem of her kimono.

When they woke the next morning, Nanako and Lily each took a bath separately. After all, Lily no longer felt comfortable bathing together with other girls. Both emerged feeling completely refreshed.

“Sister, I had a dream last night. I dreamed of a gigantic Heavenly Pillar. It seemed to be calling to me… and to you as well.”

“Calling to me?” Lily looked thoroughly puzzled. Why would she be drawn toward some enormous pillar?

“Sister, perhaps it’s some kind of omen. We’ve been following the rules of this world, and then I had this dream.”

Lily nodded. “Mhm… that does make sense. But where is this Heavenly Pillar?”

Neither Lily nor Nanako had the slightest idea, and the two fell into silence. Then… Lily gazed thoughtfully out the window. Beyond the courtyard, beyond the distant mountains, stood the colossal parasol that blotted out the heavens. Realization suddenly dawned upon her.

Later that morning, after reluctantly accepting the innkeeper’s payment, Lily and Nanako set off. They had little choice. Had they refused the money, the innkeeper had threatened to report them to the authorities. So they begrudgingly accepted the payment, left the town, and headed straight toward the area beneath the gigantic parasol.

A gigantic Heavenly Pillar might have been difficult to find elsewhere, but in this world, what else could it possibly be besides one of the parasol’s ribs?

By the afternoon, after crossing mountains and forests, they finally arrived beneath one of the massive ribs. Along the way, they encountered several monsters. The monsters attacked them, yet never once let their eyes wander.

Lily found this rather curious. If they had no interest in them, then why attack them at all? She deliberately pretended to be defeated, only to discover that instead of tying them up, the hulking monsters gathered around them, each carrying books such as the Classic for Women. With utmost sincerity, they lectured Lily and Nanako, telling Lily to dress more appropriately and reminding her that young ladies should not constantly wander through the mountains seeking adventure.

¹

The endless nagging nearly defeated Lily for real. In the end, she could only reveal a small portion of her strength, knocking them unconscious before making her escape.

Standing before the colossal parasol rib, large enough that several hundred people could scarcely encircle it together, both Lily and Nanako could only stare in amazement. They knew the Sakura Parasol could grow in size, but witnessing it here was an entirely different experience.

Within this world… this parasol truly was the sky.

“Nanako, is this parasol rib the Heavenly Pillar you saw in your dream?”

Nanako nodded. “It’s… incredibly similar. In my dream, you and I were climbing upward together.”

“Huh?” Lily blinked. “Climbing? Is that really necessary? Couldn’t we just fly up?”

“No, no. We have to climb. Only by climbing can we uncover its secret,” Nanako insisted firmly.

“But this pillar is so enormous and completely smooth. If we really have to climb it, there’s not even anywhere to get a grip.” Lily frowned. Surely they couldn’t damage the Sakura Parasol with weapons just to climb it? And if they simply used the power of flight while pretending to climb, it would amount to the same thing as flying, making the exercise meaningless.

Just as the two sisters stood there, perplexed, a chuckle echoed nearby. Lily turned toward the sound and discovered a tiny stone statue of a Fortune God hidden among the grass.

The statue spoke, “Are you two sisters seeking to ascend to the heavens?”

“Sisters seeking to ascend?”

“Indeed. Judging by your scent, you are outsiders, aren’t you? Then you probably don’t yet understand this world’s circumstances. This place is called the Heaven of Transgression. As you’ve already seen, many things here are reversed from the outside world. Naturally, this enormous pillar is the Heavenly Pillar. Legend says that if someone can climb to its summit and fold away the giant parasol, everything will return to normal. There is also another saying… that the people of this world would then become capable of anything.”

“Is that really true?” Lily asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

“It is. However, only sisters may climb it. Are you sisters?”

“We are.” Nanako answered as she took Lily’s hand.

“Then that is excellent.” The stone statue revealed an eerie smile.

“But this pillar is so enormous and smooth. How are we supposed to climb it?”

“Heh heh heh… Those destined to do so will naturally find a way.” With that, the statue’s eyes lost all vitality, and it never spoke another word.

Lily and Nanako exchanged bewildered glances before returning to inspect the gigantic pillar more closely. “This Heavenly Pillar is unbelievably massive… yet its surface is perfectly smooth.” Lily gently ran her hand along the immense pillar.

“It really is.” Nanako reached out and did the same.

The instant both sisters’ hands touched the pillar, an unbelievable rainstorm suddenly swept over them. The torrent lifted them from the ground and drew them into the pillar itself.

Having only just bathed that morning, the two of them were soaked all over again, much to their annoyance.

“Couldn’t this pillar have found a better way of bringing us inside?” Lily complained.

“Sis, look.”

The two now found themselves inside the enormous Heavenly Pillar. It was hollow within, forming a vast cylindrical chamber whose ceiling vanished far beyond sight. At the very center of this immense hollow cylinder stood a single pillar of Tamahagane spine, stretching endlessly toward the heavens.

This spine-like pillar was just as smooth, yet only about as thick as the mouth of a bowl. Lily and Nanako walked to its base and looked upward, only to see it disappear into the mist overhead.

Looking around again, they found that the gigantic cylindrical chamber was completely barren. There was nothing else inside.

“If we’re meant to climb the giant parasol, then this Tamahagane pillar is probably our only route.” Lily gazed into the boundless heavens above. The summit was nowhere to be seen, and she had a feeling this climb would be anything but easy.

“It certainly seems that way…” Nanako nodded.

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