Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 48 – Masako’s Death

Amidst the relentless rain and echoing thunder, the roar of warriors locked in combat resonated powerfully. The mountains flickered with spiritual lights, piercing the enveloping darkness of the world. Michizane and Masakado, leading their night parade, valiantly fought off the onslaught of demons emerging from the Gates of Yomi.

A mighty one-horned Yomi demon, boasting quadruple-soul level power, plunged its golden horn into Michizane, causing lightning and black blood to spurt in all directions. Michizane, a vengeful spirit fortified by years of acc.u.mulated resentment, withstood the blow better than a living person might have, but it still significantly drained his strength. Summoning a large ancient symbol in his palm, he struck the giant demon’s head, sending it crashing to the ground.

Meanwhile, Masakado battled fiercely against several formidable, starving Yomi demons.

In the rear, Tokiwa continued her performance. The sound waves not only vanquished weaker foes but also appeared to bolster the strength of vengeful spirits like Michizane, aiding in his recovery. “Tokiwa is truly remarkable! Hahahaha!” Michizane, though injured, fought with unyielding vigor, severing the golden horn of the giant demon and laughing heartily amidst the fray, “How many years has it been since I’ve had such an enjoyable fight?!”

Despite the ferocity of the battle, Lily, her sisters, and the hundred ghosts quickly a.s.serted their dominance, destroying one of the Gates of Yomi under their relentless a.s.sault. Hashihime, too, wreaked havoc among the black-armored army.

Benkei, with a decisive strike, brought down the baby demon. “Madam! Awaken! Your child has long pa.s.sed. This is a fiend! Even Lord Yos.h.i.tsune has fallen to these very foes!” Benkei’s warrior spirit, amplified in his vengeful form, surpa.s.sed even Michizane in might and ferocity, laying waste to the Yomi demons with his ma.s.sive naginata.

With a thunderous force, Benkei charged through the Yomi demons, unstoppable by any, and destroyed the second Gate of Yomi.

“No… no…” Shizuka Gozen gazed at the puddle of blood before her, her face pale and trembling with overwhelming anger. She knew the creature wasn’t her child, but the pain of her loss was still unbearable. Determined, she looked towards Masako in the distance, seething with rage. “I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”

At that moment, Lily was engaged in battle with the father-daughter duo. Shizuka Gozen, driven by fury and not caring for her own safety, became a blur of light, recklessly charging towards Masako.

From the sidelines, Tokimasa noticed Masako struggling and swung his tin staff heavily at Shizuka Gozen, but she ignored the attack. Lily intercepted the staff with her blade, the impact causing her to brace against the force. She then slid her blade along the staff and struck Tokimasa’s hand, causing him to cry out in pain as his wrist bore a deep sword wound.

Wielding his staff single-handedly, Tokimasa swung at Lily, who swiftly retreated and countered, kicking the staff back into his chest. The impact forced black blood mist from his mask, making him stagger backwards. His wings dissipated into smoke, transforming into two ghostly faces that attacked Lily.

Shimizu, not far away, controlled two black ribbons that entangled and absorbed the dark energy from the ghost faces. Seizing the opportunity, Lily pursued the retreating Tokimasa, who dispelled the ghosts and retreated further, casting arcane arts in defense. Lily dodged these attacks, but several Yomi demons leapt in her way, blocking her path.

Meanwhile, Shizuka Gozen, driven by her immense hatred and quintuple-soul strength, relentlessly pressured Masako, who had gained temporary power from an ancient evil formation. Shizuka Gozen’s sword, fueled by the wrath of a grieving mother and wife, was unstoppable.

Masako, always treacherous and remorseless, found herself continuously forced back by Shizuka Gozen’s ferocity.

In a nearby forest, Rei, unable to partic.i.p.ate in the high-level battle, led the puppet cavalry against the black-armored archers, causing significant damage.

A dark shadow suddenly soared across the sky. A fierce demon at the single-soul Big Dipper Stage launched a powerful punch at Rei, who instinctively blocked it with her ancient sword. The impact was so forceful that it knocked her off her warhorse, sending her crashing into an old tree. In pain, Rei struggled to get up, using her sword as support, only to find herself surrounded by two single-soul level demons. “This is truly a frustrating situation…” she thought, pondering her next move.

Suddenly, the two demons were enveloped in foxfire, billowing into the sky, causing them to howl in agony as they burned to cinders. Kimiko had reserved her strength in the previous battle, choosing only to act now to rescue Rei.

Meanwhile, there was a rumble as Tomoe Gozen charged long distance and crashed into the last Gate of Yomi like a meteor. Witnessing the destruction of all three Gates of Yomi, Masako took out seven pearls and hurled them towards Shizuka Gozen and the other experts. The resulting spiritual explosions rocked the dark mountain forest, bombarding the night parade, female cavalry, and even Masako’s own Yomi demons and black-armored soldiers, causing widespread injuries and casualties.

Shizuka Gozen, despite enduring the intense spiritual explosions, remained undeterred. She was driven by a deep resolve, unwavering even amidst the chaos.

Recognizing the critical nature of her situation, Masako tried to retreat. Her survival instincts kicked in as she sought an escape from the impending danger.

“Stop!” Shizuka Gozen commanded, her white hair miraculously extending and swiftly entangling Masako’s feet. This unexpected move effectively thwarted Masako’s attempt to flee.

Trapped and unable to free herself, Masako’s face hardened with a ruthless expression, revealing her desperation and determination in the face of defeat.

Reflecting on her marriage to Minamoto no Yoritomo, initially a mere political arrangement, Masako acknowledged the deep emotions that had grown over the years. Her thoughts revealed a complex mix of duty, affection, and unfulfilled desires.

Feeling a shift in the air, Masako realized that this day might mark a change from her past experiences. There was a sense of finality and desperation in her actions.

Summoning the power of her Big Dipper stellar soul, Masako unleashed a surge of strength. Despite possessing only two souls, her determination to fight was evident as she enhanced her aura, preparing to confront Shizuka Gozen directly.

“Return my son!” Shizuka Gozen, overwhelmed by the pain of losing her child, was engulfed in a wave of resentment and wrath, vowing vengeance. Shizuka Gozen, too, ignited her Big Dipper stellar souls, unleashing a formidable power.

Transforming into a red streak of light, Shizuka Gozen rushed towards Masako with fierce determination. Masako also charged towards Shizuka Gozen, sword in hand, ready to engage. The two women, fueled by deep-seated resentment, clashed in a blur of rainbow lights.

A sharp sound accompanied the clash, and blood splattered from a deep wound on Shizuka Gozen’s shoulder.

Masako, motionless on the other side, her hannya mask cracked, revealing a blood-streaked, ghastly face. A large amount of blood oozed from Masako’s waist to her lower abdomen, indicating a severe wound. Her eyes rolled back as she collapsed weakly to the ground, succ.u.mbing to her injuries.

“Masako!” Tokimasa, seeing his daughter’s plight, became frantic and charged at Shizuka Gozen in a frenzy.

Lily slashed through the air, but Tokimasa, driven by madness, ignored the danger. Dojigiri-Yasutsuna inflicted deep wounds on Tokimasa, yet he continued his relentless a.s.sault on Shizuka Gozen.

Two black ribbons wrapped around Tokimasa’s legs, attempting to restrain him, but he tore through them in a berserk state, dragging Shimizu along and leaving a deep trench in the ground.

“Sister Shimizu!” Lily shouted, chasing after the rampaging Tokimasa.

With a resounding boom that echoed through the sky, Benkei delivered a powerful punch, shattering Tokimasa’s tengu mask and sending him flying. He then swung his blade horizontally, bisecting Tokimasa.

With only half his body remaining, Tokimasa continued to crawl towards Masako, leaving a trail of blood.

“Masako… You, why go to such lengths for that man…?” Tokimasa questioned, bewildered and pained.

“Father… I think it’s been a long, long time since I’ve thought about that question…” Masako replied, her tone reflective and somber.

The father and daughter lay on the ground, their eyes locked. Suddenly, the world began to tremble as demonic energy surged, forming eight-colored clouds amidst the dark ones.

The two exchanged glances with the surrounding experts, their faces adorned with strange smiles. “Hehehehehe! We, father and daughter, will be leaving first. We’ll be waiting for you in the underworld. It shouldn’t be too long,” they declared, their laughter echoing until their demise.

Hojo Tokimasa and Hojo Masako, significant in their own right, met their end in the Izumo Mountains.

The mountains trembled, threatening to collapse under the strain of the tumultuous events. The experts struggled to maintain their footing amidst the fierce rainstorm and quakes.

On the other side of the mountain, the eight-colored demonic clouds churned ominously, striking fear into the hearts of all who witnessed them. The experts wore solemn expressions, aware of the gravity of the unfolding events.

“Lily! We must hurry to the other side of the mountain!” someone urgently called out.

“The eight-colored demonic clouds have just appeared. There might be a glimmer of hope to stop it!” Kimiko added, catching up from behind.

“Yeah!” Lily nodded, her resolve evident as she gripped her cursed blade. “No matter what, this must be stopped!”

“Minamoto no Yoritomo!” Lily exclaimed, transforming into a streak of crimson light that traced the mountain path, resembling a line reaching towards the sky.

“Attack!” echoed the chorus of experts and sisters, unified in their determination as they surged to the top of Izumo Mountain.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Izumo Mountain, a golden phoenix glided silently through the dark night sky, weaving through layers of rain and fog.

Atop the flaming phoenix, Princess Asuka stood composed, cradling the supreme sword intended for Lily – the world-renowned Oborozuki Muramasa

¹.

Far away in Heian-kyō, chaos reigned. The winds whipped up colossal waves, threatening to engulf the roofs of palaces.

In the Purple Serenity Hall, the emperor and his ministers sought refuge at its highest point, their eyes fixed on the relentless downpour and the ensuing floods, fear evident in their gaze.

Back at the chief advisor’s residence, Ashikaga Makoto, Kotoka, Mizue, Sakiko, and the other sisters who had remained behind ascended to the top of the back mountain. From their vantage point, they observed the chief advisor’s manor, nearly submerged by the relentless floodwaters.

Amidst the tumultuous rainstorm, the women cast anxious glances towards the west, towards the ominous concentration of demonic clouds darkening the horizon.

Author’s Note:

Footnotes:

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   LazyButAmbitious: Lily’s about to have three swords now. Hopefully Zoro happens to get lost, arrives in her world, and give her some lessons on the three-sword style.