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As the imposing figure of Kamakura loomed, the atmosphere around them darkened, a reflection of his swelling power. His voice, laden with both accusation and acknowledgment, thundered across the clearing. “Kagami Lily! Your external purity belies your inner ruthlessness. You betrayed not only the court but the Genji Clan itself. You think I’m unaware? Many have fallen to your blade because they were deceived by your youthful guise. But I am not Shuten Doji; I will not make his mistake. In this world, you are my most formidable enemy!”

Lily’s response was swift and unyielding, her voice echoing with defiance. “Betrayal? You, Minamoto no Yoritomo, are the last person who should speak of such things! Unlike Shuten Doji, you could never truly understand me! I do not resort to deceit. When I say I’ll give you three moves, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

The darkness grew denser, a visual testament to Kamakura’s burgeoning power. “By standing against me, you oppose the heavens themselves, Lily. You’re preventing many from surviving in the new world to come!”

“And by survival, you mean transforming into demons?” Lily challenged.

“That is their choice¹, not mine to enforce,” came the retort, the shadows around them churning with the exchange.

“Absurd. With your machinations, you throw the celestial order into disarray. Is there truly any other path to survival?” Lily’s skepticism was unmistakable.

With a thunderous crash, Kamakura summoned the darkness to his command, morphing it into colossal tentacles that whipped towards Lily, each one capable of stirring the very clouds in the sky. The oppressive might of Kamakura’s soul world bore down on her, restricting her movement, but Lily summoned her purple sakura domain, its radiant energy managing to counter the dark soul world’s influence.

Her form, garbed in a cascade of crimson, weaved through the dark tendrils like a specter, evading their onslaught without striking back. She rose, regal and defiant, as if a sovereign of the nocturnal realm, and called out with unyielding spirit, “Come at me!”

“Since you so arrogantly court death, I shall oblige,” Acknowledging her challenge, Kamakura moved through the sky with purpose, his hand outstretched—a giant’s palm capable of rending earth and sky. Lily, presented with the option to evade, chose instead to confront the force head-on.

A luminescent crimson aura enveloped her hand as she met his attack with equal vigor, resulting in a titanic clash that sent tremors through the mountains and forests below. The two forces, one dark and one ablaze with the light of her spirit, nullified each other in a spectacle that left neither victorious nor vanquished.

Lily maintained her position aloft, her posture unyielding, as her hair and attire danced with the winds of the aftermath. Assertively, she declared, “That was the first move.”

“What?!” Below, Hikomoto could only watch in disbelief. Kamakura had channeled the full might of his soul realm into that singular palm strike, and yet, this woman had withstood it with apparent ease.

Without uttering a word, the expression on Kamakura’s face grew grave as he unsheathed a sizable katana, its blade seemingly drinking in the surrounding darkness, becoming a focal point of energy as the sky above muted to a solemn gray.

With a battle cry, Yoritomo’s clone propelled himself toward Lily, his sword a harbinger of doom, cleaving through the dark clouds with the weight of divine retribution. In an unexpected turn, within a twenty-kilometer radius, the tumultuous clouds scattered, unveiling the expanse of the sky.

Lily’s actions bordered on the miraculous as she halted Kamakura’s formidable strike with her bare hands, grasping the sword’s blade in a display of unmatched bravery. Such a feat may not have been heralded as a great skill, but in the heat of battle, where a single blow had the power to split mountains, her barehanded block was a testament to her valor. To confront Yoritomo in such a manner spoke volumes of her courage.

Hikomoto looked on in sheer disbelief, his voice tinged with shock, “She, she really dared to catch it!”

Kamakura, not one to relent, engaged the full might of his colossal frame to reclaim his weapon, compelling Lily to tactically retreat. A brief moment of reprieve typically followed such a bold move. But, Kamakura deceptively appeared to withdraw only to abruptly intensify his assault with a renewed vigor that betrayed any previous understanding.

The world seemed to echo with the force of his next move, a violent shockwave of black energy that seemed to crack the very fabric of the sky. Lily, anticipating the strike, countered by closing the gap and delivering a calculated kick to the sword’s guard with her celestial wooden clog, diverting the brunt of the attack.

This was no mere feint; it was an all-out offensive. The sheer force of it bore them both swiftly to the ground.

The impact was cataclysmic, the earth cratering under them as if struck by a meteorite. Trees were uprooted, boulders shattered, and debris was cast skyward.

“B̲i̲t̲c̲h̲!” Kamakura spat the insult as he retracted his sword only to launch another aggressive slash toward Lily, a sinister black radiance tracing its path.

With a burst of radiant light, Lily’s blade, Dojigiri-Yasutsuna, was swiftly drawn from her waist. “Three moves have passed!” she declared with resolve.

Her sword met his with a series of clangs, deflecting Kamakura’s blade and sending a shower of sparks into the air. Seizing her chance, Lily stepped atop the back of Kamakura’s sword and leaned into a stunning sword strike that sliced through his left arm and torso. The wound was deep, yet given Kamakura’s immense size, it was a minor cut. Dark blood and smoke flowed from the injury as he hastily swung his sword, retreating.

At that moment, Hikomoto, aglow with red fury, charged towards Lily. His sword, long and ominous with its dark red gleam, was raised for a strike filled with the wails of suffering souls. “Go to hell, woman!” he roared.

Lily began her elegant evasion, her superior agility allowing her to dance through the air with grace, outmaneuvering both Kamakura and Hikomoto. In a fluid motion, she counterattacked.

A purple crescent blade, conjured from the ether, shot towards Hikomoto, who reacted just in time. “What?!” he exclaimed, attempting to defend himself. However, Lily’s blade, with a slight deviation, bypassed his large sword and struck his armor with a resounding crack.

Lily’s remarkable fortitude was on display as her sword, Dojigiri-Yasutsuna, renowned for its sharpness, managed to penetrate the exceptionally durable low-grade spirit artifact that was Hikomoto’s armor. Despite not investing her full strength, the blade inflicted a wound upon his shoulder, eliciting a sharp cry as blood erupted from the gash. Hikomoto retreated swiftly, his expression one of shock and pain.

He hovered in the sky, now opposite Kamakura, with Lily positioned between them. The exchange that followed left both men with minor injuries. While not grave, the realization that a seemingly casual strike from Lily could breach Hikomoto’s defenses sent a chill through him. He had narrowly escaped a potentially lethal blow, thanks to his caution.

Lily, with the might to challenge those at the quintuple-soul Big Dipper Stage, found herself not entirely outmatched even against the likes of Shizuka Gozen, who occupied that esteemed level. And while she may not measure up to the preeminent might of a figure like Michizane, she held her ground admirably.

Both Kamakura and Hikomoto, despite their quadruple-soul Big Dipper Stage prowess, found themselves at a disadvantage. Lily’s superior reflexes, swordsmanship, and agility outshone theirs, attributes that would have been even more pronounced had she not been under the oppressive force of Kamakura’s soul world.

“It seems she’s an opponent who requires both of us to act together. Regrettably, she’s a woman. It truly makes me feel ashamed and frustrated!” Hikomoto admitted through gritted teeth.

“Young Master Muyu, it’s all or nothing. Perhaps if you kill or even capture her, you won’t feel ashamed anymore,” Kamakura replied, a hint of strategy in his voice.

“Well said, Lord Kamakura!” Hikomoto concurred, his resolve hardening.

Amidst this tense standoff, the ground shook with the approach of the army. Unbeknownst to them, the troops had stealthily assembled into a battle-ready formation.

“Kagami Lily, I truly didn’t expect your progress to be so astonishing,” Kamakura acknowledged, his tone betraying a trace of respect. “Originally, I prepared a contingency plan in case Tamamo-no-Mae miraculously recovered², but it seems unnecessary now. However, my caution still paid off!”

He pointed his sword at Lily, a commanding presence on the battlefield. “Activate the sacrificial formation and kill this woman!” he ordered.

“What?!” Lily’s heart sank. The sacrificial formation had once gravely wounded Tamamo-no-Mae, and now it was being deployed against her—a malicious strategy that sacrificed thousands in exchange for immense power.

The army’s ranks swiftly fell into formation, with onmyojis positioned on levitating magical platforms, commencing the preparation for their collective spellcasting. Below them, vast contingents of soldiers stood at the ready, prepared to lay down their lives to accumulate the sinister energies required. Clearly, lessons had been heeded from earlier confrontations; these platforms had been upgraded for speed and fortified against destruction.

“Don’t even think about it!” Lily resolved to decimate the formation, but the platforms would not easily succumb to her strikes. Unlike the Suno conflict where the nine-tailed demon fox diverted the army’s focus, now all eyes were firmly on her. Kamakura and Hikomoto, flanking her on both sides, effectively barred her way.

“Lily!” Ayaka’s voice pierced through the tumult, “Should I step in and help you?”

Despite the predicament, Lily responded with conviction, “No need.” Abandoning her initial plan, she soared hundreds of meters skyward, contemplating her next move.

“Kagami Lily, do you think you can escape?” Kamakura mocked, his sneer echoing through the field as dark tendrils lashed out, hemming in her movements.

“Lord Kamakura, I admit that your real body is currently far stronger than me. However, you underestimated me in the end by sending your clone instead. This isn’t like you. If I had to guess, your real body is either at Suno or occupied elsewhere for a reason,” Lily called out, her voice echoing in the vastness.

“Quite perceptive, woman. But it’s a futile insight, as you are bound to die. My true self didn’t come because I intend to plunge those who defy the heavenly order into even deeper despair. And sadly, you won’t live to witness it,” Kamakura’s voice carried a cold ruthlessness.

“Is that so?” Lily’s retort was calm, unfazed.

“Do you really think you can subdue me again with your soul world, Lord Kamakura?” she challenged.

“What?!” The surprise was evident in his voice.

High above, Lily was a stark crimson speck against the gray expanse. The cherry blossoms around her, which had been stifled by the dark energy, started to stir, as if awakening to her indomitable spirit. Slowly, Lily’s vision cleared, resonating with the purest essence she harbored within. The blossoms transformed, shedding their purple hue for the pristine white of snow, untouched and immaculate.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind erupted, sweeping the snowy petals across the sky, driving back the oppressive dark power of Kamakura. His shock, shared by all the demons present, rippled through the air.

The sky itself then transformed. It was no longer a canvas tainted by Minamoto no Yoritomo’s darkness but became a vast sapphire blue, transparent and adorned with a delicate sprinkle of stars. A full moon, out of season but magnificent, rose to dominate the sky, shining with an ethereal glow.

The heavens were now a blur, with snowflakes dancing amidst the celestial vista, blurring the line between stars, snow, and blossoms. This breathtaking view was the manifestation of Lily’s soul world, a realm called “Setsugekka.”

1. Robinxen: Choice? Ultimatum more like.
2. Robinxen: That’s for later.