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The second battle, Nanashi versus Yokota Daizo.

That overly self confident sumo who had beaten Hojo Ujizane half to death was no match against Shenzu. Even when competing in physical strength, that mountain-like man was unable to overcome the tall delicate Shenzu. In the battle, Yokota Daizo was overrun, unable to react to Shenzu’s continuous linked attacks.

Yokota suffered dozens of stabs and was covered in blood, but none of the wounds were fatal. Shenzu’s objective was obviously the finals, she didn’t take Yokota seriously at all. Considering Yokota has verbally insulted Shenzu earlier, the fact that Shenzu did not kill him with her personality was a worrying issue.

“Why did this woman risk coming here? Is her target really me?”

The third battle, Minamoto no Tsukawa versus Makoto Oniwa.

Oniwa was the Sinless Domain’s last contestant.

“Lord Makoto! You can do it!” Tsukako was not qualified to enter the spectator stage and could only cheer for Makoto from within the crowd. Seeing Makoto’s gloomy but resolute face, she blushed red. Not only was she Makoto’s deputy, she was also his woman.

But, Makoto Oniwa’s opponent was Minamoto no Tsukawa.

“The Sinless Domain has nothing but a bunch of lawless roosters and dogs, yet you dare stand within this Heian-kyo?” Tsukawa’s eyes were filled with confidence and did not care that his sentence would offend the entirety of the Sinless Domain. Seeing that Ayaka was not there, Tsukawa’s mood was somewhat bad. “Why didn’t sister Chief Advisor come? What’s the point of this competition? You from the Sinless Domain, get off the stage! I have no interest in playing with you!”

Lily watched the spectacle below the stage, she felt that Tsukawa purposefully acted provocatively in front of Ayaka not to be rude, but because he wanted her attention. For some reason, the idea of Tsukawa liking Ayaka made her feel uncomfortable.

Afterall, what right did she have to meddle with Lady Ayaka’s marriage or emotional affairs?

As the battle started, Tsukawa took the initiative and attacked, waving his sickle around he swung continuously, bringing the power of his vigorous tyrannical aura and his unnatural strength, the blow both fast and heavy!

“Clink! Clang! Clank!” Tsukawa forced Oniwa on the defense, it was all he could to parry the strikes.

Tsukawa kicked the counterweight, sending it wrapping around Oniwa’s blade before stomping on the chain and swinging his sickle on a collision course with Oniwa’s blade sending Oniwa off balance. Keeping one foot on the chain pulling Oniwa back, Tsukawa took another step and kicked out, sending Oniwa flying!

Oniwa’s blade still wrapped in Tsukawa’s chains stopped Oniwa from flying further but sent him headfirst into the ground.

“Lord Oniwa!” Tsukako cried out in heartache, her huge chest trembling.

With a roll, Oniwa recovered and broke his blade free from the chains. As he got up his body flared with a devilish aura and he charged at Tsukawa with the power burst.

“Hmph! The way of the devil! Evil never surpasses justice!” Tsukawa jumped high up and sent his sickle slashing in circles.

“Pow!” Oniwa coughed up blood, Tsukawa’s weapon was too strange. The counterweight was sent in his direction, the orb embedded within releasing bursts of golden light.

The continuous impacts shattered Oniwa’s outfit bit by bit as blood was sent flying. Letting out an infuriated roar, Oniwa slashed out.

Tsukawa threw himself to the ground, and kicked the arms slashing at him, sending Oniwa’s blade flying away before bouncing on the ground and using the recoil to stand back up, violently slashing his sickle through Oniwa’s arms!

“Ah——!!!” Tsukako let out a terrified scream in the audience.

Oniwa stood there dazed, looking in disbelief at the blood red slash on his arms.

As if he had just noticed Tsukako, Tsukawa stepped forward and grabbed Oniwa’s collar, lifting him up high before flinging him out of the stage at her.

“Lord Oniwa!” Tsukako cried out with a mixture of happiness yet sadness. Oniwa had survived, but he would probably never be able to practice again.

Asides from those throne realmed powerhouses about to ascend, it was hard to reattach a human’s arms.

But perhaps, Lord Oniwa would stop taking risks and stay with her forever. As Tsukako had that thought, Tsukawa’s eyes shone with ruthlessness as he threw his sickle.

That huge sickle flew through the air before piercing through Oniwa’s back, nailing him to the ground below the stage.

Right in front of Tsukako.

“NO——!” Seeing this, she let out a scream of horror and knelt beside the corpse crying. “Lord Oniwa—— Lord Oniwa——”

Makoto Oniwa, Tsukako’s first and only man, the master of her dojo, and her senior brother…had been killed in front of her.

“Minamoto no Tsukawa——wins!” The high judge, Sasaki, seemed reluctant to describe the match.

Minamoto no Tsukawa proudly walked off the stage to the sound of bloodthirsty cheers and exclamations.

As he met Lily in the underpass, his eyes radiated a proud threatening look.

Lily remained silent and chilly watching him pass.

She didn’t bother asking questions such as, “You already won, why did you kill him?” or “Why did you kill him in front of his companion?” She felt if she asked such questions, she would get some perverted answer that made no sense.

Seeing no reaction from Lily, Tsukawa couldn’t hold back and taunted, “You’re next¹, sister Chief Advisor should enjoy the look of her little lover screaming on the stage.”

Unwilling to respond to such a person, Lily flipped her hair and walked toward the competition stage.

“Fourth round, hailing from Sakura Blossom Valley, Lynne! As we all know, she’s the number one eastern beauty, Kagami Lily!”

Lily stepped into the arena amidst the cheers and maintained an unusually calm mood, she knew the battles in front of her would all be difficult, but she had to win.

“Her opponent is the man who made Heian-kyo’s samurais admire, the man who risks his life with every strike, Akimoto——Hara!”

From the cheers, she could tell Akimoto’s popularity was much lower than hers.

“Match start!”

Lily and Akimoto looked at each other from a distance. Akimoto was gloomy as always, but looking at him, Lily could only feel sadness.

During battle, Akimoto would risk everything with each clash, but he wasn’t a dull man. “Why are you so sad?”

Lily had seen Akimoto’s battle, she knew his tactics. If she didn’t kill him, then she would be unable to win.

“Are you afraid of death? I do not want to kill women, surrender.”

“No,” Lily responded grimly, “I just don’t want to kill you.”

“Since it’s like that, then I will no longer view you as a woman.” Akimoto drew and raised his unadorned katana.

“Ha!” Akimoto charged, it was another blow disregarding defense, he cared only about attacking with his full might.

Giving up on dodging or countering, Lily clashed head-on with Yasutsuna. Akimoto’s blade was heavy, but Lily’s blade was even heavier!

“Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!” No matter how Akimoto attacked, Lily would stop the blow with Yasutsuna. After being bounced back multiple times, Akimoto was off balance.

“You, you aren’t trying!” Akimoto was furious, a woman was showing him mercy, it was better to die.

However, no matter how he attacked, he could not break through her defense.

She didn’t attack at all, she only defended, but the difference in ability was too great!

Akimoto was a middle-staged permanence adept, his battle tactics allowed him to match a late-staged permanence expert, but Lily pocessed the power equivalent to a throned general. With her absolute strength and her named blade, it was easy to defend. Even if Akimoto wanted to sacrifice himself to deal a lethal blow, if Lily didn’t attack, how could he sacrifice?

“You’re stronger than me! Why will you not attack? Are you humiliating me?”
“No, I only respect you as an extraordinary samurai, I do not want to kill you!” Lily replied with a gentle sad look.
“Shut up! I have no need for a woman’s compassion! You’re stronger than me, much stronger! Kill me! Without victory, I will not leave this stage alive!” Akimoto didn’t hesitate to burn and harm his source for the aura to power his ferocious attacks.
“Pow!” With an ear piercing clash, Lily unleashed a full power slash!

Akimoto’s heavy katana cut in two by Yasutsuna, the slashed off blade half crashing into the ground, cratering the stage. The weight of the blade was quite obvious, it was simply not as tough as Lily’s ninth grade named blade.

Akimoto stared in shock at the remaining half of his katana.

“Enough.” Lily looked at Akimoto, “It’s over.”

With only half a blade left, Akimoto ceased attacking and retreated to the edge of the stage, his eyes filled with resolve. “You’re right, it’s over.”

Hearing this, Lily left out a breath of relief before realizing, “Don’t——” but it was too late. Akimoto flipped around his blade and stabbed his own stomach.

“Ah——Cough” Akimoto fell to his knees, “Li…Lily, you’re stronger than I am, it’s…my loss…”

With a burst of power, he dragged his blade up straight through his heart, destroying his spirit jade.

Lily could not stop that teardrop from falling. This result was the reason she entered the stage sad. Lily walked over and whispered, “Akimoto Hara, I respect you more than some warriors with monstrous power.”

“Cough——” Akimoto’s face was pasty white, trembling uncontrollably, he used his last breath to say “I, I need to go Izumo Mountain…it seems, that’s not possible. If you… find news of my mother there…in front of my grave…please burn…some incense and…tell me…Kagami Lily, replace me…and reach the end!…ehehehe.”

In the end, Akimoto’s unchanging, unsmiling face had a small smile.

Tilting to one side, he fell².

1. Robinxen: RIP generic antagonist guy.
2. Robinxen: Wow that’s uh… one way to go out.