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In the dark and towering Hachiman Palace that brimmed with the intrinsic charm of the ancient times sat the massive cross-legged figure of Minamoto no Yoritomo, his body a bit larger than the time Lily had an audience with him.

However, the proportions of his body were just like a regular human’s, which made it stranger.

The beige- and yellow-dressed Ashikaga Makoto was seated in seiza before Minamoto no Yoritomo right now.

Her figure looked very bright and petite in comparison to the dark and massive man who looked like he was in his middle-ages.

“Lord Kamakura, this year’s situation is worse than the previous years. The monsters are running wild at the eastern borders as well as within the borders. Furthermore, an increasing number of powerful demons are eyeing this land now,” Makoto reported respectfully.

“I see…” Lord Kamakura replied meaningfully yet didn’t provide any further comments.

Makoto waited for a while before asking, “Lord Kamakura, is it possible to revoke the joint ban our Minamoto clan and the Taira clan placed on imparting high-level esoteric advancement arts to the East’s samurai? The Land of East is home to samurai, and we have plenty of brave men with decent aptitudes. Why aren’t we imparting advancement arts freely like western Kansai to withstand the covetous monsters that are growing powerful by the day?”

Lord Kamakura revealed bitterness through his brows’ movements after hearing Makoto’s question and answered hesitantly, “Our Land of East is indeed home to samurai like you’ve said. In my opinion, men ought to prove their existence by shedding blood and honing their sword in the process instead of learning high-level advancement arts right from birth like the noble children in Heian-kyo. Although the latter allows them to improve their strength vastly, they lose sight of the true path of a samurai’s sword. The ban might do more harm than good in the long-term, but don’t you agree that trying times are what produces true heroes? I was also forbidden from accessing the high-level advancement arts back when I was exiled to Hirugashima Island?”

“Your legends and vast experience are incomparable to that of an ordinary samurai, Lord Kamakura. It’s becoming harder for the samurai clans to resist the demons now and a lot of them who don’t have access to the proper advancement arts have chosen to traverse the path of demonhood offered to them by the Hundred Demons in their quest for higher power. Hojo Dijon had taken the wrong step in life because of this and the same applies to those in Owari at Kanto’s borders. Mino has also followed their footsteps and broken away from our control and Lord Takeda was almost bewitched by the demons as well,” Makoto reasoned.

“But hasn’t the East also produced talents like the Furinkazan, Honda Yahatarou, and Uesugi Rei? There’s also Kagami Lily, who I believe is the most prospective of them all. I really admire a genius woman like her who, unlike you, was able to attain the Spirit Jade level without access to high-level advancement arts. I believe her talents can be put to great use for the Heian Empire.¹”

Lord Kamakura leaned forward and caressed Makoto’s satiny cheeks lightly with two of his rough fingers that were thicker than her thighs.

Makoto felt an instinctive aversion, but the one before her was Lord Kamakura, an eminence of the Heian Empire, so all she could do was see his improper actions as grace from him, a disgracing grace.

“Go. Go to Heian-kyo. I’ve long found a successor to you, so you needn’t worry about stepping down from the position of the East’s guardian as a member of the Furinkazan. It’s time for you to join the court and showcase the talents and skills you possess. I’ll also impart the later sections of the Hachiman Divine Soul Art to you, so prepare for the journey now. You are the woman who I admire the most among my trusted aides.”

“Yes, Lord Kamakura,” Makoto shuddered and curbed the aversion she felt to the rough fingers caressing her cheek. Ashikaga Makoto wasn’t just a liege lord under the Minamoto clan that stood at the top of the East, she was also the madam of the Ashikaga clan, and a widow. Although there wasn’t anyone else inside Hachiman Palace, such treatment made her feel utterly humiliated.

“However, Kiyoshi’s hand is severed now, Lord Kamakura. I’m very worried about his condition. If I leave at such a time…”

“Isn’t the reason he’s so weak because he had you, a powerful mother, protecting him all this time? On the other hand, look at Kagami Lily. Although she’s a woman, she possesses both courage and tenacity. Is Kiyoshi that inferior to her in terms of these qualities? Leave it to me. Kiyoshi isn’t just the successor I’ve chosen to replace you in the Furinkazan. I intend to guide him with my all so that he can lead the samurai of the East from Kamakura one day.”

“Lord Kamakura…” Makoto’s eyes filled with mixed emotions, carrying both gratitude and worry within them. Her emotions were such a mess that she even neglected Lord Kamakura’s fingers brushing past her lips. Makoto found it hard to understand why Lord Kamakura treated her dead husband’s child so well. The biggest worry she harbored in her heart over going to Kansai was Kiyoshi as his foolish little son hardly had any chance to become a man of outstanding talents, which made her feel reassured about him. However, there was not much she could say now that Lord Kamakura had given his word.

“You have my gratitude… Lord Kamakura.”

Makoto expressed her gratitude even though she really didn’t want to go to Heian-kyo or be forced to see that man again.

…

In the massive cavern of Lake Biwa’s lakebed, the samurai were watching the battle unfold between the red-dressed samurai woman and the raging archdemon kappa on the rubble- and dust-filled platform in the center.

Kyūbōzu’s wounds had healed mostly, and he also possessed abundant power reserves, making it hard to kill him with ordinary wounds.

Lily noted that the water streams had become pretty small in size by now and that the water humanoids carrying the wooden chest looked like young men now, their heights about the same as the wooden chest.

On the other hand, Kyūbōzu had expended his precious lifeblood essence and burned with hate for Lily as he struck at her with his palm.

Although the palm strike’s speed exceeded Lily’s predictions, she stepped sideways to dodge it and spun her hips to revolve and slash the back of his hand.

The steaming blood that jetted out from the wound on Kyūbōzu’s hand was also dark-green in color now.

However, Lily clearly felt that Kyūbōzu’s skin had become tougher. The reason Yasutsuna failed to sever the bones of his hand this time wasn’t because its bladed edge wasn’t sharp enough, but rather the power gap between them.

Lily’s blade strike still managed to cut one-thirds into his bones and severed his veins, so Kyūbōzu screamed in pain once again.

“This woman is really vicious!” Ui sighed while watching their battle from far away.

Kyūbōzu turned his hand over and swung it at Lily, but she evaded it with a swift yet graceful flip and landed down amidst the falling sakura.

Furthermore, Lily turned around to deliver a blade strike to Kyūbōzu’s chest the moment her feet touched the land.

A white crescent moon with enchanting red edges shot towards Kyūbōzu and left a deep blade wound on his chest.

Kyūbōzu howled in rage and spawned tens of tentacles from his body. The dark tentacles that were now as tough as maces because of the raged state he was in currently lashed towards Lily from all directions.

The world looked different in Lily’s eyes when compared to others. The tentacles looked like a single entity to her, and she was able to predict how it would move and which body part of hers this entity formed from killing intent would attack. Lily had seen through the fact that they weren’t actual tentacles and were rather killing intent!

It was impossible for Kyūbōzu to control each tentacle individually at the same time.

Kyūbōzu just had a single mind, so even if there were a lot of tentacles, it was easy for Lily to find an opening by seeing through his intent!

Lily danced past the tentacles with no regard for the sexiness and wholesomeness she oozed as she blossomed in any and all kinds of forms to evade those tentacles effectively. It was as if she were performing a sexy dance as the finale on the battlefield.

The samurai also stared at her performance in rapture.

“How beautiful…”
“How is it so beautiful when it’s obviously a battle of life and death?”
“I’d gladly die under the blade of such a samurai woman.”

“Squash me to death…” The obese samurai who had a hobby of collecting Lily’s paintings cried fanatically while kneeling down, “I have no regrets left now that I have witnessed the beautiful and sexy sword dance of my goddess! Sob-Sob…”

Tamurakonoe furrowed his brow. He wasn’t that fond of women, especially those who show off their sex appeal. However, Lily’s sword dance was amorous yet transcendent, sexual yet pure!

“This woman… Her evasion skills have reached a sublime level. My blade is the fastest in the world under the Permanence level! Can you evade it, woman?”

Sakanoue no Tamurakonoe drew his blade out. Except for defense, his attacks had never missed against opponents on the same or lesser levels of strength and none of them had managed to evade his blade until now.

However, Tamurakonoe began doubting his skills for the first time ever.

On the other side, Mizue quivered with a flushed face, “Why? It’s not that surprising for a woman to be so dashing, so why is my heart pounding so hard?”

Shimizu looked at her little sister’s perfected evasion skills with admiration yet mixed emotions welled up inside her simultaneously, “You’ve become so powerful now, Lil’ Sis Lily. Are you really more talented than me? Although I’ve awakened… can I really say with confidence that I can defeat and conquer her in all respects?”

Meanwhile, Lily had entered a state of selflessness again. Her sharp senses saw through the simple killing intent hidden within the chaotic attacks aimed at her from all directions. Even if there were hundreds of mace-like tentacles, she evaded them effortlessly with each passing second.

Lily spun back elegantly in the next moment to avoid the tentacles’ all-out attack and circled to Kyūbōzu’s back, causing him to stagger forward from using excessive force. However, she didn’t seize this chance to attack the opening he showed on his back.

Lily then took out a black ribbon from inside her sash and blindfolded her eyes.

“What?!” The spectators exclaimed in surprise.

“This b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲…!” Tamurakonoe cursed out of jealousy as he hated those who were more talented than him the most.

Kyūbōzu turned back and quivered in rage when he saw Lily standing opposite to him with her eyes blindfolded.

It was pure humiliation².

“How dare you look down on me like this, you insignificant human samurai woman?! My Lake Biwa’s kappa clan will have no standing left among the Hundred Demons unless I kill you!”

Kyūbōzu bellowed in rage and attacked Lily with countless tentacles from all directions once again!

1. Robinxen: Wait so he didn’t sell her out…? Or is his intentions a trial by fire thing? I can’t read him at all.
2. Robinxen: Well RIP you.