Book 1: Chapter 53: Dance of Sorrow

The sound of sheathing Seiwa Tamashi reverberated throughout the mountain woods.

‘It’s finally over… I think.’

Due to the desperate situations brought about by the Daidouji Clan and Mountain Imps, her innate potential had been awakened. Because of that, she was able to live to fight another day.

But then again, just what kind of power was that? Lily didn’t have the answer for the time being.

Daidouji Akira… This vile, fiendish, and ruthless man wanted to kill her merely because she won against his nephew in a compet.i.tion.

Then he wanted to take her by force because she was beautiful.

However, Lily did not feel much hatred in her heart. If she must hate someone, then she should direct her hatred towards this world where the strong eat the weak. From the way Lily viewed it, Daidouji Akira was no different from a demon. If she ran into him, just kill him, that’s all.

What was there to hate?

Was she supposed to direct her hate at fate? Fate had brought senior sister and herself to doom, then it threw them into this parallel world. But wasn’t it because of fate that she was able to live through that crisis just now?

If this was not predestined, then it could be that she got played around like a toy by some high and mighty G.o.ds.

She didn’t have an answer, the only thing she could do was to forge her own path forward in this dangerous world. The path which would lead to the awakening of her beloved woman.

Lily spread out the Spirit Waves to scout her surroundings. She found out to her surprise that the detection range had expanded to around three or four hundred meters. The range was a few times wider than before.

She quickly found the Sakura Parasol stuck on the branches halfway up the steep slope.

With the interference and threat gone, Lily jumped up and grabbed a twig that grew on the slope. Then she nimbly jumped over any trees and boulders where she could stay for a time. With her jumping force now, she could leap for at least six to seven meters in one go.

After retrieving the Sakura Parasol from the tree branch, she climbed up the slope.

A towering figure stood right in front of her.

That was n.o.boru, who died quite a while ago.

Lily approached this man who was riddled with scars.

He —who already died for so many years— appeared more manly than any humans alive.

Lily looked around and noticed that the Daidouji Clan was already gone. She didn’t have such a strong impulse to seek them out for revenge.

“I have been turned into a girl and trapped in this parallel world. I only wanted to protect myself and save senior sister. I… do not like the cycle of hatred and slaughter, but if someone tries to trample my honor, I will fight back without mercy!”

n.o.boru’s pitch black body was lifeless. His anima had already been taken away. Lily wanted to bury n.o.boru, but she found that she was unable to move this dead man.

She felt something tugged at her heartstring.

As though she suddenly recalled, she returned to the bottom of the valley to fetch the skeletons of little Aomi. She buried it beside n.o.boru’s foot.

For a split second, she thought she saw n.o.boru’s body trembled for a moment. He’s such a magnificent father, even though his soul has been taken away, his willpower was still here!

Lily retreated for a few steps, with her back facing n.o.boru.

The girl took off what little remained of the tattered red kimono. Her bare back was reflected by the bright moonlight.

She changed into the white yukata from the bag she recovered earlier.

She turned around with a proud and sincere look.

“Shing—!” Seiwa Tamashi flashed with the reflection of the moonlight as Lily unsheathed it. With a solemn expression and a pair of mournful eyes, she slowly started to dance and hummed a tragic song from her mouth.

That song and dance didn’t possess a shred of playfulness. There were only hints of sadness, sorrow, and homage.

As the dance came to an end, Lily stepped forward and used the katana to write something near n.o.boru’s foot.

She wrote down these few words.

“Died in Honor.”

The white-clothed girl then carried the sword and made her way down the mountain.

By the side of the giant monk, there was a small tomb. A branch was set upright in front of the tomb, with a bright red cloth attached on top of it. The cloth fluttered gently as the night wind blew past.