| Author: Carrot Sauce | Original Source: SFACG | Word Count: 3108 characters |
| Translator: Yuki | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1700 words |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
Boom! The formation was destroyed by Ayaka and the ten thousand troops forming the formation suffered a backlash, collapsing one after another with varying injuries.
“Cough…cough…” Shenzu vomited blood and fell onto the ruins of the collapsed wall. The remnant shockwaves were enough to inflict worse injuries than what she had suffered against Lily. She attempted to stand up and continue commanding the army despite the blood she was throwing up but could not.
“Damn, that Fujiwara no Ayaka is so powerful, she easily destroyed the Great Rokuhara Army Formation…”
Around Fujiwara no Ayaka, countless lotus leaves once again gathered into three lotus flowers as she stepped on the flow and stood in midair.
“Hmph. A mere formation at the level of the big dipper, you wanted to capture me with that? If you weren’t all soldiers of the imperial court, I would have long annihilated you! Get lost!”
With Ayaka’s strength, if she really wanted to kill these elite Rokuhara black armored troops, even if she couldn’t kill ten thousand with a strike, she could still annihilate a thousand with a blow.
Just as Shenzu and the ten thousand troops were helpless in front of Ayaka…
In the sky, the last ray of light in the eastern skies was covered by a boundless darkness. Dark clouds that looked like black mud flowed in and covered half the skies above the Chief Advisor’s mansion.
An ancient dreary sedan chair flew in from a distance. This sedan chair was made of ancient thousand year old wood and the black curtains were embroidered with dark gold Genji crests.
The closer it got, the more its enormous size was revealed. This sedan chair was taller than most pavilions! It flew on its own, surrounded by inky black clouds.
Seeing the sedan chair, Fujiwara no Ayaka frowned, “He’s finally here.”
Fujiwara no Ayaka was not a faithful believer, though she followed and supported the emperor, she was not foolishly loyal. The person behind the scenes who wanted to take her down obviously did not plan on relying upon an imperial edict.
They just needed to have sufficient reason to send troops.
The huge sedan chair stopped above the chief advisor mansion’s gate, it was 18 feet long, 36 feet tall. Facing Ayaka in the air, it looked like a giant and emanated tyrannical power.
When Shenzu saw the sedan chair, her eyes glowed, and morale of the Rokuhara and Genji troops soared!
“He has come!”
The curtain of the sedan chair was brushed aside as a ten meter tall hulking warrior came out. He was wearing pitch-black armor, a black lacquer helm with a black demon face mask. The armor had dark golden stripes, and if examined closely, those stripes were flickering amongst the countless secret runes flowing along the armor.
The huge demon masked samurai stepped into the air, each step leaving behind black mud. That mud didn’t remain in the air and dropped like heavy rocks, smashing through tiles.
The giant demon masked samurai faced Fujiwara no Ayaka, like a giant facing a small petite maiden.
His voice was deep and thick, echoing in the night skies.
“Lord Chief Advisor, since things have already come to this point, my heart is filled with regret.”
Ayaka was like a white lotus, her long clothes and hair fluttering in the air, she faced this giant samurai with no fear.
“That’s right, things have already come to this point. Is there a need to hide behind a mask? Lord Shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo1!”
“Lord Chief Advisor, you and I are the two great pillars of the Imperial Court, if possible, I would prefer to not meet you in battle. Would you not give me face and obey his majesty’s will so that he can abdicate in peace. On my name and honor, I guarantee you and your followers will come to no harm.”
“If your guarantee was of any use, then Lord Yoshitsune’s spirit in heaven could have rested in peace long ago. Minamoto no Yoritomo, what you have done might be hidden from the masses, but do you really think you can hide it from the heavens? You used Tanba to eradicate dissidents and blame me for the crime? You even dared threaten the emperor into abdicating! How many of the turbulent things in the world are the result of your manipulations? What are you planning?”
“Ahahaha, Lord Chief Advisor, why can I not understand your words? Today, I am not here to debate with you, this is not the place for it either, but his majesty’s last edict, as loyal retainers, how can we not obey?” The demon masked Minamoto no Yoritomo’s voice cast a heavy suppression, it made the battle mikos below feel heavy and depressed, and a few weaker battle mikos fell to the ground holding their throats in pain.
Ayaka’s eye flickered to those few mikos as a white lotus flew over and emitted a pale glow, dispelling the heavy suppression.
“That edict, is it not just another one of your manipulations, forcing his majesty to write it.”
“Lord Chief Advisor, with your identity, you cannot be so careless speaking. My Genji clan has always been loyal to his majesty!”
“Is that so? Then how about we go to his majesty together, and clear things up?”
“Ahahaha, Lord Chief Advisor…no, I think I should call you Miss Ayaka now, you are no longer the Lord Chief Advisor, no have already been demoted to a commoner. Just based upon our friendship in the past, I can convey your request to meet his majesty, but it is up to his majesty if he wants to meet you or not, but of course, you must first obey the edict and accompany the Rokuhara army to the Bureau of Justice, once there everything can be discussed.”
“Hah, even if I accompany you to the Bureau of Justice, what do you think they can do to me? I will meet the emperor, who dares stop me!? Also, don’t speak my name, it feels so chilly when you do.” Ayaka remained in the air without any hint of weakness.
“What Miss Ayaka said is a bit inappropriate. Do you really intend to disobey imperial authority? Are you really going to rebel? I really don’t want to see that scene!”
“Rebel? I think you, Minamoto no Yoritomo are the real rebel, threatening his majesty, secretly manipulating the imperial court, creating unrest in the world! Today, I will go to his majesty’s side and defend the real imperial authority!”
“Miss Ayaka, to think the previous Lord Chief Advisor would so unreasonably turn black into white. The entire imperial court wants to punish you, but if possible I hope to save some face for you, can Miss Ayaka not understand my painstaking efforts?”
“Minamoto no Yoritomo, you think you can say such ridiculous words because of a mask? You sent ten thousand troops to surround my mansion and came here with a Demon God Physique, you have already revealed your true colors and yet you still speak such hypocritical words, don’t you think it’s a bit clownish? I am now going to the emperor, if you came here only to speak such hypocritical words, then please get out of the way!”
“Miss Ayaka, you are already a criminal, with all respect, I cannot allow you to leave.”
“Is that so? Then let us see if you are capable of stopping me!”
“Fujiwara no Ayaka, do you truly intend to disobey the imperial edict? That is a rebellion!” The huge demon masked samurai released a monstrous aura, black clouds rolled in behind him spreading endless darkness between the skies and earth.
“What I am doing is defending the true imperial authority2!”
Fujiwara no Ayaka’s body glowed with silver spirit power, bright, beautiful, and unfathomable! Around her, five crystalline lotus flowers bloomed as Fujiwara no Ayaka released the full extent of her spirit power!
Boom!
The earth started rumbling, and up high, the skies were divided in two, half silent starry skies and half billowing inky clouds, neither side relenting against the other.
The ten thousand troops down below stared silently at the sky, watching the clash between the two peak pillars of the imperial court.
Shenzu had stood up and swallowed a life-recovery magatama, looking up at the two peerless powerhouses, she now realized that Fujiwara no Ayaka had shown mercy. To capture Fujiwara no Ayaka, without Minamoto no Yoritomo, it would be useless even if all the forces of Heian-kyo moved.
“Lord Shogun…” Though Shenzu called him father face to face, in her heart, she would not recognize him. For her, everything was just to gain strength from him. But this time, he really made her feel awe.
“Terrifying, this man is really terrifying…”
“Only… that Fujiwara no Ayaka’s aura doesn’t lose to him… so this was not a battle I was qualified for…”
Black mist started spreading from the fangs of the demon mask, “What a pity, Fujiwara no Ayaka, that you and I have come to this point.”
Within his hands, a giant long sword appeared, ancient and radiating darkness. Heaven and earth, for a moment, reached equilibrium between the two giant forces. After a brief moment of silence…
Boom!!! Minamoto no Yoritomo attacked! The giant demon masked samurai turned into a black phantom, disappearing from the skies.
“What!???” The troops on the ground shouted in shock, “Lord Shogun, he, he disappeared!??”
Even Shenzu was shocked, Minamoto no Yoritomo disappeared!? No! He was so fast that even she could not see him! Too fast! But his body was so big!
Fujiwara no Ayaka could see him clearly! The ten meter tall demon masked samurai crossed the distance in an instant and reached her, attacking from the front with monstrous power!
Slash! The giant long sword sliced through Fujiwara no Ayaka, but it was just an afterimage. Ayaka’s real body had dashed into the high skies, appearing within the starry skies, as she waved her arm, a gohei appeared in her hand.
Bzzt!
A brilliant spirit energy arrow surrounded by stars and white lotuses crystallized and crashed down like a meteor in the darkness towards Minamoto no Yoritomo!
