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The cold autumn wind rustled the trees and carried over the increasingly thick smell of blood.

A few dozen samurai spread open the bushes and thorny undergrowth as they bypass the main peak to enter the deepest part of Mount Aoame. This area seemed to be covered in mist all year long.

In front of them was a rumbling waterfall, Hojo’s subjugation force had arrived before a river valley that’s hundreds of feet deep. Those waterfalls were the source of Suruga’s river, and the main reason this place was always shrouded in mist.

Lily was momentarily overwhelmed by this dynamic sensation. Even though they put their lives on the line for this profession, wouldn’t it be considered a reward to be able to see this kind of view?

However, as a beautiful young woman, the forceful concept of waterfall didn’t stimulate Lily’s intent. But regardless of gender, anyone would take a brief moment to appreciate this magnificent view.

The group walked along the side of the river valley and finally reached the end of the waterfall. Encircled by three mountains was a shallow pond that flowed down the valley to form the waterfall.

Hidden in the mist was a blood-soaked Demon Hound. It was currently resting on the other side of the shallows, riddled with extremely grave wounds.

Further beyond the other side was another waterfall that spanned several hundred feet tall. To the side of the waterfall, there were cliffs at irregular locations and they were joined together by old vine suspension bridges, some of which connected the precipice to the other side. Though it was questionable who built them in the first place.

Many Specter Wolves assembled all around the Demon Hound. One pair of eyes after another could be seen at the hillside, the mountain, and even in the forest. The pawns were protecting their leader, the Demon Hound, as they were unable to retreat any further.

Before Hojo Dijon led the units to the other side, he split their ranks.
“Hmph! Let’s see where else can you run today. Sakata, Matsuhei, take a few guys with you to search for the treasure,” the three-meter tall giant barked out an order.

“Yes!” A samurai with handlebar mustache and another with crown bald answered.

“Treasure? What kind of treasure is it?” Lily was also curious about it. For such a powerful demon to guard it, that must be an extraordinary treasure.

As Dijon unsheathed his jintachi, it reflected a cold light. He pointed it at the Demon Hound and yelled, “Instructor Yagyuu, and all the samurai of Hojo clan, follow me, and kill the Demon Hound! Let the name of Hojos spread through the Kanto!”

“Kill! ——!!”

Numerous samurai raised their weapons and followed after the most conspicuous giant in their group.
“Splish, splash!” They stepped on the shallows and charged toward the Demon Hound on the other side.

“Miss Kagami, this is time for the decisive battle. We can dilly-dally no longer. We might not be a match for the Demon Hound, but the four of us can form a small group to roam around the main group. We should focus on handling those Specter Wolves and guard the side wing of the troops,” the experienced Nagahide was also feeling his samurai blood boiling.

“Yes!” Lily nodded and followed Matsuda’s group to cross the shallows. They moved around the side of the troops to come to the side of the suspension bridge and guard the rear side.

The Demon Hound made the most of its short period of rest. Seeing that the two biggest threats —Dijon and Munesaki— were already closing in, it showcased the undying will of a cornered beast. The Demon Hound pushed its massive body up and let out a low growl. Despite having black blood leaking from its mouth, it threw itself at Dijon and Musesaki with even more ferocity.

Two High-Tier Sword Saint and one gravely wounded Superior High Ranked monster engaged in crazy close-quarter combat. Their clash caused the water to splash several feet high. The Spirit Power from three sides clashed like a violent storm. What appeared to be three tornadoes, were in fact, the Demon Hound’s blood-red eldritch energy and the two samurai’s blue Spirit Power. The swords struck the tooth and claws countless times within the second, sending sparks everywhere. The others were practically unable to intervene. Their only choice was to launch arrows from the distant. Though it wasn’t able to harm the Demon Hound very much, it still served as a great distraction.

The Specter Wolves beside the Demon Hound and those in the nearby mountain range also rushed over to throw themselves into the heat of action!

Matsuda’s group was comparatively weak, but with the few of them together, they were able to handle one wolf. On the contrary, Lily found it hard to cut in.

“Miss Kagami, just look after yourself!” While Nagahide was holding back the Specter Wolf, he even had time to be concerned about Lily.

“Ahhhhhh—!” Since the Specter Wolves could feel that their leader was on the verge of dying, they became more ferocious than ever. One after another, the samurai were pushed down and either got injured or bitten to death.

But even more Specter Wolves were being slain. Among the Hojo clan were the eight Sword Masters, these people killed the Specter Wolves unrestrained, securing their dominance over the battlefield.

At this time, the Fire Imp in the distant mountain finally rushed over to join the battle. They gave the samurai quite a bit of trouble, the archers immediately turned around to handle them. Fireballs and arrows were exchanged endlessly between two parties. In the end, the samurai were still a bit stronger as several Fire Imps had been shot down the valley.

Nagasaki, along with another Sword Master, abruptly blasted up the hillside to slay the Fire Imps.

“Awoooo—!” The Demon Hound let out a pained cry. As more ghastly wounds opened up on its body during the battle, it was only a matter of time for its blood to be drained.

The Demon Hound found itself in a defensive battle as it was pushed back with each attack. Munesaki was also somewhat exhausted seeing that his offense was slowing down. On the other hand, however, each swing of Dijon was vigorous. With several times more remaining Spirit Power than Munesaki, he became more ferocious over the course of the battle. He indeed lived up to his name as the strongest in the Hojo clan and one of the Eastern Nation’s Six Swords!

On the other side, while matching with Matsuda’s group to deal with the Specter Wolves, Lily would stealthily increase her power to help them through a difficult situation should they find themselves in trouble. Dijon was going all out against the Demon Hound at the moment, it was practically impossible for him to spare a single glance at Lily.

Despite that, Lily was starting to get more worried. From the look of it, that Demon Hound wouldn’t be able to last much longer, but she still hadn’t found a good opportunity to escape.

Once the Demon Hound was killed, she would lose any and all opportunities.
Lily looked towards where the two Sword Saints and great demon were duking it out as she prepared for an opportunity to escape.

Although the Demon Hound was already heavily wounded, it still gave Lily an oppressive pressure. A powerful demon such as this absolutely wouldn’t go down without a fight. When certain death was all but assured, it would definitely launch an all-out attack. That was the chance Lily was waiting for!

1. Robinxen: Sorry again for how rough this chapter is, my sleeping pattern has been ruined again and I’m trying to get it regular.