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Lily couldn’t remember the last time she saw the sun. Her eyes lit up with joy as she felt the cool breeze and the warmth from the sun. Her gaze was attracted to the pools of golden blood, she could feel an extraordinary aura contained within.

“Why is Rokuhara Tandai’s blood golden? And it wasn’t being absorbed by the ground and soil… it was like liquid metal. Was it a secret practice method? Or was he a demon? Rokuhara Tandai was an official position, not a name…what is his true identity and background?”

Lily didn’t know, but she still activated her domain and gathered the blood, storing it within her ancient mirror. She placed the blood within the thick stone jar that had served as the entrance to the mirror space for future inspection¹.

“Where did Rokuhara come from?” Shenzu’s clothes had been destroyed, though Lily didn’t see anything, she could only think of the residual jade…did that jade possess a space a person could enter?

At this time, they were more worried about Rokuhara returning for revenge. Though Kagura had dealt lethal wounds, it was not as if he would die immediately.

On the battlefield, the three broken ninth-grade katanas remained, Shenzu’s twin swords were missing, perhaps she had stored them within her remnant jade when Rokuhara had appeared. Shenzu’s remnant jade should have the power to store things, it was quite strange, most jade maiden’s ancient jades did not have this ability.

Lily decided to take the three snapped katanas, perhaps she could have Ehiro reforge them into tamahagane.

“I shouldn’t stay here.” Lily found Keiko still unconscious, covered in rubble. The aftershocks had destroyed the wall Keiko had been placed behind, but as an awakened samurai, she suffered no injury.

Lily had Kagura return into the mirror before resummoning her demonic hound and placing Keiko on its back, she jumped on behind Keiko and left.

When she arrived at the Heian-kyo marketplace, it was a bit ostentatious, however she couldn’t care less. The citizens were all in an uproar due to the appearance of the sun.

Her demonic hound shuttled through the crowd quickly, startling a horse and sending it crashing through grain stalls. Lily really couldn’t care much about it.

But from behind her, came a horse’s neigh and the loud heavy voice of a man, “Who dares rampage on the streets? How arrogant!”

That voice sounded quite familiar, Lily took a quick look.

A huge three meter samurai warrior in dark steel armor and an antler helm stood there. One hand gripped the horse’s head controlling it, the other had a five meter long great spear, the citizens around him all looked like children.

“Mister Honda?” Lily queried.

Seeing Lily, Honda was also startled, his momentary loss of control almost snapping the horse’s neck.

That horse was quite unfortunate, tears leaked from its eyes.

“Lady Lynne!?”

No matter Lily’s real name, in Honda’s heart, she would always be that dignified, virtuous, powerful, and beautiful Lynne.

The horse being let loose from Honda, fled for its life.

Honda approached Lily,

“Lady Lynne, you, why are you in Heian-kyo?”

Honda was too tall, Lily decided not to dismount and just talked from atop her hound.

“Mister Honda, why are you here?”

Honda’s eyes showed that he had gone through quite a bit, his armor also seemed to be mottled, as if he had slept out in the wilds for a while.

“The battle that day, I can only feel ashamed of it. Everytime I think about it, I feel that I cannot face Lady Lynne.”
“Mister Honda, it is in the past, you don’t need to think much about it.”
“Much thanks Lady Lynne, how can your heart be so kind and tolerant?”
“……how did Mister Honda arrive all the way here?”
“Would you perhaps know how to get to Minamoto’s Heian General Dojo?”

Lily had never visited, but she had passed by it, “It’s on the way back, would you like to accompany me back?”

“If so, thank you Lady Lynne.”

Back then, Honda had been considerate and honest with her, but loyalty could not be split in two, so they had a bit of a conflict. Honda could be counted as an old friend, Lily was more than willing to interact more with him.

On the way, Honda told of his travels. After the battle with Lily on the mountain shrine, he had left the Tokugawas and traveled to the endless wastelands to train. Afterwards he had traveled to Ise and Iga before arriving at Nara’s Sinless Domain. He had sought instructions and spars with the samurai of the Sinless Domain and participated in the extermination of some evil spirits. He had gained much on his trip, but a few days ago he had received a letter from his father. Apparently Lord Tokugawa was traveling toward Heian-kyo for the Yoshitsune Memorial Tournament, to express the Honda family’s loyalty to the Tokugawa, he was to return to the Tokugawa. Grateful for his father’s favor, he had traveled to Heian-kyo to rejoin the Tokugawas. Though his power had improved, he had fallen into confusion in regards to the future.

A musclehead warrior like Honda Yahatarou, if he didn’t follow his lord, what could he accomplish?

“Lady Lynne,” Honda’s big strides matched Lily’s demon hound, “Do you know when the Yoshitsune Memorial Tournament will start?”

“Hm? It should be very soon, it’s said to be in the early springs when the sakura trees bloom, I’m not too sure of the precise dates.” Lily replied, perhaps Ayaka told her? Well, she forgot.

“Lady Lynne, my father’s intent was for me to find Lord Tokugawa and represent the eastern land’s Tokugawas in the martial tournament. Lord Tokugawa’s influence in Heian-kyo is not high, and eastern land samurais are often discriminated against by those distinguished Kansai personnel. It is our hope that I can attain some fame and dignity for the Tokugawas. Only, I have no idea what the Yoshitsune Memorial Tournament is like…”

“Ah, hehe, I’m not too sure myself…” Lily had just gone through a life and death battle in regards to the heavenly issue. She had no time nor attention to give to a mere tournament. It was afterall, only a competition for the younger generation to win fame and fortune. Lily was not much interested, let alone competing².

“Lady Lynne, right, you haven’t told me why you came to this place?”
“Me? To find the truth in regards to mirror girls…”

Lily and Honda talked as they traveled. Honda was an upright and simple man, since they were no longer hostile, he was happy to talk. It made Lily think about those months in the eastern land, a nostalgic feeling.

The eastern land, crude and simple compared to Heian-kyo, but that place lacked the intricate shadow infighting and court intrigue. If Lily had a choice, she would prefer to stay in the eastern land.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the Minamoto’s Heian General Dojo, they planned on separating at that tall white wall. But before Lily’s demonic hound had taken several steps, Honda called out “Lady Lynne!”

“Yes?” Lily turned around, her beauty incomparable³.

“I, Honda Yahatarou, swear to the great Bodhisattva, I will win first place in the Yoshitsune Memorial Tournament! Then…then…I will propose to Lady Lynne⁴!” Honda proclaimed, blushing red but with a brave and loyal mien.

“Ah…” Lily didn’t know how to respond, she forced a smile, “Mister Honda, you’re a good man. You should first put your focus on the tournament.”

As Lily left, Honda stood there with a wild grin, he happily stomped his foot and clenched his fists, “Lady Lynne said I’m a good man! It seems she has some interest in me⁵! I want to win, I’ll definitely win the Yoshitsune Memorial Tournament and bring Lady Lynne as my wife!”

……
……

Lily was far too exhausted, she fell asleep on top of her demonic hound who continued its trip to the Chief Advisor’s mansion.

Arriving at the gates, in front of the demonic hound was a great sedan chair returning from the Heian palace. The hound looked at Lily and didn’t know what to do.

The demonic hound was a huge beast, standing up, people couldn’t see there was a person laying on its back. The soldiers at the front could see something lying on its back, but didn’t notice that the figure was Lily. They berated, “Where did this demon come from? This is the Chief Advisor’s Mansion, are you looking to die? Get lost immediately!”

As a proud demon, the demonic hound felt insulted and stared at those soldiers, baring its teeth and growling.

A fragrance blew over from the big sedan chair, a familiar female fragrance, it couldn’t help but bark a few times.

“Audacious dog demon! You dare go wild here? Immediately remove yourself, or we won’t be polite!” The lead samurai pulled out a whip and lashed at the demonic hound, though he took the lash he refused to retreat.

A few horseback samurai rode forward, preparing their long spears.

The demonic hound turned its savage eyes toward those mounted warriors and howled.

“Death seeking beast!”

“Hold——” Ayaka’s voice came from the sedan chair.

“Lord Chief Advisor.”

The sedan chair was slowly lowered and Ayaka disembarked.

As she looked at the demonic hound, her figure reflected in its eyes, it was the figure of its master when it was just a regular small white dog. Its eyes widened and pupils contracted.

Ayaka’s eyes softened as she looked at the demonic hound, “Ehehe, I had thought it was some demon, but to think it was a lost white demonic hound. It’s said that it’s auspicious to meet a white demonic hound in the morning. Do not be impolite to him, but demonic hound, this is not a place you should stay. I’ll have them prepare something for you to eat, then you should go back to your world.”

Saying that, Ayaka turned to get back on the sedan chair. Seeing her turn away, the demonic hound started barking.

“Ah? What’s wrong?” Ayaka turned around and finally noticed the tall demonic hound had two people resting on its back.

That one, long black hair, gentle figure, long legs and hips…

“Lily!??”

Ayaka dashed up to carry Lily, then ordered, “Bring the other girl in.”

She took another look at the demonic hound, “This demonic hound, why did it bring Lily? Prepare some spiritual medicine and food for it.”

With that Ayaka carried Lily into the mansion, leaving behind the demonic hound staring blankly at her back.

That was someone it was unable to forget, the master who had raised it!

But, the passage of time was long, back then it was just a regular white dog, not a terrifying demonic hound. It also had an aura of resentment now, its aura had completely changed, Ayaka no longer recognized it.

“Woof⁶!”

……

1. Robinxen: As you do.
2. Yuki: Wasn’t she going to compete and beat down some brat she met in the Fuyutsuki?
3. Yuki: Didn’t she just come out of a life and death battle? Shouldn’t she be looking quite miserable?
4. Robinxen: Fair play to the lad honestly.
5. Robinxen: Oh no…
6. Robinxen: Sounds like one of those dumb chainsaw fans.