| Author: Carrot Sauce | Original Source: SFACG | Word Count: 3140 characters |
| Translator: Aoi | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1755 words |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
Lily’s blade created ripples in the air as the crimson aura from it took shape into a poignant crimson beam.
Bzzt!
A crimson-colored crescent sword beam traversed across the arena, shuttling through at the speed of light while carrying a poignant and primordial voice akin to a woman’s high-pitched whisper, as it shot towards the countless peak-stage Permanence level demon familiar and struck the scythe-wielding Tsukawa behind them.
“What?! T-This is…”
“Brother Yoshitsune!” Yoshitada kneeled on the spot when he saw this terrifying and poignance-filled sword beam that had far exceeded his imaginations traverse across the arena.
The Genji samurai also stopped moving as their emotions of pride and sorrow were also influenced by this sword beam’s fluctuations!
The surroundings turned silent and dark momentarily, leaving only the splendorous sword beam and the ignorant demons still in motion.
A crimson flash streaked through the night sky within this silence.
The sword beam passed through all the demons, leaving behind a perfectly horizontal crimson wound on all their bodies.
The surroundings regained color again.
Splatter!
Splatter!
Splatter!
The demons cried out in pain as they welcomed death, spouting fountains of blood with a raging, torrential momentum! They fell to the arena’s floor like rocks falling from a cliff.
Minamoto no Yoshitada’s knees shuddered. He recalled Yoshitsune’s heroic figure from his early days, back when that remarkable young man had produced one miracle after the other as he galloped across the battlefield and swept everything before him! The sword beam Yoshitada witnessed just now was as dazzling and unstoppable as Yoshitsune’s!
This move utilized all the intricacies of Genji Swordstyle and even portrayed the dauntless, beautiful, and heroic figure of Yoshitsune!
It far surpassed the Genji Swordstyle used by the Genji samurai of this generation! And even surpassed the summit of Genji Swordstyle that Yoshitada was aware of, its 9th stage!
“It’s the Genji Swordstyle’s 10th stage! That lass Lily was telling the truth. I swear on my soul that this is undoubtedly the Genji Swordstyle’s 10th stage!”
Yoshitada felt his knees weaken and lay down on the floor, finding it difficult to even kneel and raised his head to look at the magnificent sword beam while crawling up feebly.
“I even feel that…” Yoshitada’s eyes filled with tears, “if Yoshitsune were to execute this move, it would still pale in comparison to how perfectly and deeply this sword beam portrays his heroic figure and spirit!”
“I-It’s as if… I’m watching Yoshitsune from Lady Shizuka’s perspective!”
Lady Shizuka was once acclaimed as the prettiest woman of the world and Yoshitada also held deep emotions of love for her. However, her eyes only reflected the legendary hero within them, and Yoshitada had come to terms with this reality already. These emotions were also the reason for his high comprehension of this sword move.
The Genji members also felt touched after hearing Yoshitada cry out and kneeled with tears in their eyes as they comprehended the meaning of the sorrow contained within the silent sword beam, recalling the premature death of the legendary couple.
“So it’s the Yoshitsune seen from Lady Shizuka’s eyes… No wonder its power surpasses the 9th stage and portrays Lord Yoshitsune with more perfection1!”
Most of the Genji samurai shed bitter tears at this moment. Lily’s sword move had captured the Genji samurai inside Yoshitsune’s sorrowful recollection! The Yoshitsune Memorial had gained meaning in the truest sense right now!
Ayaka also looked at the sword move with astonishment, but she shook her head faintly when she heard Yoshitada’s sorrowful voice and saw him touched.
“This sword beam portrays Yoshitsune from a woman’s perspective! However, it feels as if Lily had gained a deep comprehension of the undying love and adoration Lady Shizuka held for Yoshitsune by placing herself in the former’s place! It doesn’t mean that Lily feels lust or love for Yoshitsune. Yet, it’s a fact that she was able to put herself in another woman’s place and sympathize with her emotions. My dear Lily. Why do you have such deep, melancholic emotions within you? It’s impossible to understand the sorrow felt by the death of a lover without having the same experience. Just what did you experience, Lily? What is it that you’re hiding in the depths of your heart? I really wish I could hug you and melt your frozen heart with my warmth…”
Although it felt like a lot of time had passed, the enlightenment everyone received had occurred in a single instant. Lily’s sword beam had influenced everyone’s soul and invaded deep into their perception.
The sword beam had finished killing the demons in an instant and had long arrived before Tsukawa’s eyes, filling his vision with a crimson glow. An incredulous look of panic painted his face as the sword beam illuminated his hideous expression.
“No! I don’t want to die2! I’m the Genji’s best talent3! I cannot die4!”
However, the sword beam had already sliced into his chest, delivering a stabbing pain to his chest as its surging power rampaged through his body!
“Nooooooo!”
The Genji members felt as if they were witnessing a memorial ceremony at this moment when the sword beam was on the verge of taking Tsukawa’s life. None of them resented or opposed this conclusion and just silently waited for it to reap the life of the so-called Genji’s best talent.
Genji Swordstyle’s 10th stage—The fact that Lily was able to execute such a move brought up the possibility of this outcome being the hidden intention of Lord Yoshitsune, so no one dared to oppose it.
Death was the only outcome that awaited Tsukawa.
“Nooooooo!” Tsukawa howled hoarsely in despair in this final moment.
However, a unique suppression shrouded the world abruptly, making it seem as if the surroundings were submerged in a murky darkness as an enigmatic counterforce slowed down the speed at which the sword beam sliced into Tsukawa’s body.
A gigantic man donned in formal kimono and Eboshi cap appeared beside Tsukawa and pulled the latter back solemnly before retreating several meters away from the sword beam in mid-air. The man then proceeded to confront the sword beam by extending his other hand—which was covered in a dark, viscous blob—towards it.
The splendorous crimson sword beam sank inside the viscous, dark blob and stretched it into an expansive amalgamation of black oil blobs, following which the hundred meter long sword beam decelerated immensely and stopped inside the blobs!
The crimson sword beam lost its splendor’s color and grace after that and the oil blobs nibbled away at it, turning it into a viscous, black silt that fell onto the arena’s floor, forming puddles of murky oil on it.
The sword beam that Lily had executed using the Genji Swordstyle’s 10th stage had been dissolved!
Ayaka also stood and soared to the sky as she released an unfathomable pressure from her body and gazed at the gigantic man. Lily had never seen such mystic arts and raised her vigilance from the psychological repulsion she felt.
The mysterious man then landed on the arena’s floor slowly with Tsukawa in one hand. The darkness scattered gradually, allowing the arena’s lantern to illuminate the man’s features.
“What?!” Although he was a dozen or so meters away from her, Lily still felt stupefied when she saw the mild yet unfathomable expression on his face.
“Lord… Kamakura…” Even Lily was left speechless.
Minamoto no Yoritomo looked at Tsukawa, whose Spirit Jade was exposed because of the terrible wound he suffered to his chest and bowed towards Lily deeply with a mild and humble expression before she could say anything else, “You win the match, Ms. Kagami. Could you spare this chap’s life though5? I request you.”
“I-It’s the Shogun!” Minamoto no Yoshitada, Taira no Iemori, as well as the other leaders cried out in alarm.
No one imagined that the Shogun, who was the Empire’s Commander-in-Chief, would make an appearance in Heian-kyo after a long time of absence.
“What? Lord Kamakura’s the Shogun…?” Lily shuddered and looked at Minamoto no Yoritomo in disbelief. She was convinced that the man before her was Lord Kamakura. Although he looked the same as a normal human when compared to his gigantic form, he possessed the same charm, looks and proportions as his other self!
Minamoto no Yoritomo looked at Lily and furrowed his brows a bit bitterly, “Yes, it’s me, Minamoto no Yoritomo. Forgive me for remaining silent until now, Ms. Kagami. I’ve made you undergo a lot of tribulations on your journey because I was unable to come earlier, and I feel ashamed for that.”
“Lord Kamakura… But why did you…”
“Haha. It’s a troublesome matter, Ms. Kagami. I shall explain it to you in detail later. I wonder if you can spare this chap’s life for my sake now?”
Yoritomo wasn’t just the Lord of Kamakura, he was also the Shogun, an apex expert of the Heian Empire’s imperial court—the leader of all samurai!
Although Lily couldn’t forgive Tsukawa, there was not much she could do when faced with such a request.
“I have nothing to say since it’s a request from you, Lord Kamakura. Please do as you wish,” Lily bowed back silently and sheathed Yasutsuna.
“Oh? Well, thank you then.”
The moment Yoritomo waved his hand, Tsukawa’s black-bound body soared to the sky and the black oil blob burned the terrible sword wound on his chest before dragging him down to the arena’s floor.
“The chap still has some life in him. Treat him immediately.”
“Yes, sir!” A heavy-armored Genji samurai rushed over and carried the unconscious Tsukawa away.
Yoritomo looked at Ayaka with a friendly gaze to indicate that she didn’t need to show such caution towards him and gave a bow to her and the prince, “Forgive me for interrupting the match, I apologize for that. Although Minamoto no Tsukawa is stubborn, he still holds a possibility to gain enlightenment. Can you please give him one more chance, Prince Narinaga? I request you.”
“Erm… Well…” Although Minamoto no Yoritomo showed a mild and humble attitude to him, the prince felt his vision darken and paled as he replied with a stutter, “L-Let’s do as you suggest, Shogun. Let’s just do that.”
“Well… I shall take my leave then.”
Bzzt! A viscous vortex manifested in the arena and Minamoto no Yoritomo vanished inside it, leaving behind viscous black smoke that invaded the whole area.
Ayaka waved her sleeve to produce a gust of fresh, luminescent wind once Yoritomo left and scattered the black smoke away.
