Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 44 – Mountain Midnight

After the encounter, Hojo Tokimasa and the white snake managed to escape. Despite this, Lily and her allies from the night parade had successfully defeated many of the Yomi demons. However, this victory did not come without its costs, as they also suffered significant losses during the intense battle.

The defeated enemies consisted of Yoritomo’s black-armored demon army and demons originating from Yomi. Interestingly, the two powerful snakes they encountered, though formidable, did not exhibit the aura of Yomi.

Lily and her sisters returned to the sedan while the army continued to advance. As Lily stepped onto the sedan terrace, she suddenly felt her legs weaken and nearly collapsed. Hastily bracing herself, she gripped the wall for support.

“Lily, what’s wrong?” Ayaka, noticing Lily’s unusual state, quickly expressed her concern.

Lily, trying to downplay the situation, responded, “No, nothing… Sister Ayaka, I feel like those two snakes aren’t originally from the Izumo mountains.”

“They’re definitely not native to Izumo,” Kimiko stated as she emerged from the sedan. She hadn’t joined the previous battle, adding, “If Izumo mountains harbored two quadruple-soul big dipper snakes, they would be the stuff of legends. It’s puzzling how we’ve never heard of them.”

Lily, looking perplexed, inquired, “If they aren’t from Yomi and not native here, where did they come from?”

Kimiko contemplated, “They must be demons from the Izumo mountains, but not originally this powerful. It seems these snake demons have acquired immense power rapidly. Despite their quadruple-soul big dipper strength, their combat effectiveness is noticeably lacking. It’s as if they’ve been artificially elevated to this realm, lacking natural control or experience, similar to those who artificially boost their realm with large quant.i.ties of magatama.”

Lily, with a tone of concern, asked, “What could possibly transform ordinary snake demons into such formidable beings?”

Kimiko gazed towards the mountains, her voice heavy with implication, “If Yamata no Orochi is being revived here, it would explain this anomaly.”

At that moment, Lily struggled to maintain her composure, her breath becoming erratic. Noticing this, Ayaka showed concern, “Lily, are you alright?”

Lily, attempting to rea.s.sure her, replied weakly, “It’s nothing, I’m fine…”

Ayaka, understanding the situation, noted, “With the calamity, your treatment’s been delayed. Coincidentally, it’s my and Shimizu’s scheduled day today.”

Kimiko interjected, “During the time I was physically transformed into a little girl, my perspective on many things was quite simplistic. Momiji’s method is valid, but not sufficient for our current needs.”

Lily looked at her, puzzled.

Kimiko handed Ayaka a storage jade, “Inside are tools, medicines, and secret techniques crucial for treating Lily. Study them quickly; we must stabilize Lily’s condition before the battle, or the risks are too high.”

Ayaka accepted it with grat.i.tude, “Thank you, Madam Kimiko.”

Haihime emerged from the shadows, worry evident in her voice, “May I join in the treatment? I’m deeply concerned about Lily.”

Shiu, hesitantly stepping forward, added, “I’d like to help too…”

“This…” Lily hesitated, not wanting to burden others with her condition, but recognizing their sincerity, she acquiesced, “Then, I’ll be in your hands

¹.”

At night, Lily walked into the specially prepared treatment room. Having taken a shower first, she was now attired in a red kimono that featured unique design elements. This kimono exposed her shoulders down to the armpits, with the sleeves connected to the top by two red straps, creating a notable slit from the armpit down to the waist. Additionally, the bottom part of the kimono was tailored with two large oval cutouts on the sides of the skirt, extending up to midthigh, prominently displaying Lily’s white legs.

In the room was a large formation with a central device. “What’s this?” Lily inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Ayaka, Haihime, and Shiu were present. Ayaka, cautious due to Haihime and Shiu’s inexperience, decided to supervise. Haihime, in her blue yukata, remarked on Lily’s attire, “You’ve dressed quite beautifully today, Lily.”

“Master…” Shiu, blushing, was captivated by Lily’s outfit, which was conservative at the front but bold on the sides.

Ayaka gestured towards the device at the center of the formation. “Kimiko provided this ancient device and formation combination to aid blood circulation. Haihime and Shiu, you’re familiar with how it works. It’s your responsibility to guide Lily through the process. I’ll be observing from the sidelines, ready to answer any questions that arise.”

Despite her strength, Lily had been ensnared in Yoritomo’s cunning trap. For now, the a.s.sistance of her sisters was indispensable; she had no other choice.

“Lily, position yourself at the heart of the formation and seize the cloth rope dangling from above with both hands.”

Lily examined the rope closely, noticing several runes etched upon it. Without hesitation, she grasped it firmly.

Haihime manipulated a device on the room’s side, elevating the rope. “Lily, hold on to the rope tightly and don’t let go.”

“Mm.” For someone of Lily’s caliber, maintaining her grip was not an issue.

“Master, it’s crucial that you don’t release the rope or touch the ground until the treatment concludes. Otherwise, our efforts today will be futile,” Shiu advised, clad in her short-skirted kunoichi attire.

“I understand,” Lily responded, nodding in agreement.

Haihime appraised Lily’s outfit once more. “Lily, I must say, your attire today is not only aesthetically pleasing but also remarkably practical.”

“Mm?” Lily responded with a curious hum, her expression inquisitive.

The rope in Lily’s grasp hoisted her upwards, elevating her into the air.

“Master, Lady Kimiko has provided this candy ball. Please hold it in your mouth,” Shiu, standing on her tiptoes, offered a crystal-clear candy ball, about the size of a small apple, to Lily. Perceiving its size as rather large and her hands engaged, Lily resorted to gripping it with her teeth, silently hoping it would diminish in size eventually.

After some difficulty, Lily succeeded in maneuvering the candy ball into her mouth.

“It’s time to initiate the formation,” declared Haihime as she activated it, causing ancient runes to glow and ascend into the air from beneath Lily’s feet.

Haihime and Shiu approached with two clay pots, each br.i.m.m.i.n.g with a thick, translucent ointment. They used cork sticks to stir the ointment thoroughly, ensuring it was well mixed.

“Apply the ointment to the areas illuminated by the shining runes. Ensure that your application is both gentle and firm, covering the lit sections completely and evenly.” Ayaka instructed.

“Mm,” both Haihime and Shiu acknowledged, nodding in understanding.

The runes emitted a glow, casting light upon both of Lily’s lower arms.

Haihime and Shiu each applied the ointment to one of Lily’s arms. Initially cool upon application, the ointment soon transformed, emitting a sensation of warmth.

Lily perceived the heat, yet found it surprisingly effective in alleviating the inner warmth of her body.

The runes next cast their glow upon Lily’s shoulders, prompting Haihime and Shiu to swiftly apply the ointment. The luminous trail then journeyed across her shoulders, eventually arriving at her chest.

Shiu showed a moment of hesitation. However, Haihime, without delay, immersed the cork stick in the ointment and followed the guidance of the rune light in her application. Unexpectedly, the light began to shine upon the valley between Lily’s plump b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

“Ah…” Lily groaned, the candy ball still in her mouth. It lacked sweetness and showed no signs of melting easily.

“Lily, don’t hold this against your sister; it’s all part of the treatment,” Haihime rea.s.sured, as she coated the cork stick with ointment and gently maneuvered it between Lily’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s, rotating it back and forth to ensure even application.

Lily’s cheeks flushed red with embarra.s.sment, yet she recognized that the treatment was mitigating some of the fluctuations within her body.

On Lily’s other side, Shiu suddenly exclaimed, “Ah, the runes have moved there.”

A beam of light targeted Lily’s armpit, prompting Shiu to swiftly dip the cork stick in the ointment and apply it, ma.s.saging the area gently.

In the midst of these proceedings, Lily found maintaining her grip on the cloth rope increasingly challenging.

The runes continued their journey, this time illuminating the exposed sides of Lily’s skirt. Haihime and Shiu, guided by the light, maneuvered the cork sticks, applying the ointment as the light encircled Lily’s rear.

“Uh…” Shiu hesitated, uncertain.

“Lily, how should we proceed?” Haihime inquired, seeking guidance.

Lily involuntarily glanced at Ayaka. Ayaka, a bit fl.u.s.tered, met Lily’s gaze; her face flushed and her breathing quickened from witnessing the treatment. “Why look at me? This is your treatment. What do you think we should do?”

Lily lowered her head, feeling a wave of embarra.s.sment. “Just… follow the movement of the runes,” she murmured softly.

Both Haihime and Shiu, each holding a cork stick coated with ointment, cautiously slid it beneath Lily’s skirt. They carefully used the sticks like a rolling pin, pressing gently upon Lily’s plump rear.

Once the treatment concluded, Haihime and Shiu gently escorted Lily back to her room. Regardless of what she had just endured, Lily now felt significantly more comfortable, the internal fluctuations temporarily quelled.

As for the root cause of her ailment, there was no direct cure. It was likely that each subsequent flare-up of her condition would intensify.

Yet, Lily remained undeterred. At the first sign of trouble, she would immediately seek her sisters’ aid. The implications of her condition flaring up during a battle were too grave to ignore.

However, Lily had set firm boundaries for herself: as long as the treatment was confined to applying medicine and ma.s.saging, it was acceptable. Anything beyond that was strictly off-limits.

Unless…

Lily blushed, her hair cascading loosely beneath her, her posture both languid and suggestive, though she was alone and unseen.

“Sister Rinne… when will you awaken? This body belongs to you, and I will return it, but please don’t hold its current state against me… if only you had another body

²…”

After all, the possibility wasn’t entirely out of the question. Lily’s soul could remain within Rinne’s body, while Rinne’s soul might inhabit another

³.

Footnotes:

1. 
   

   Robinxen: The harem a.s.sembles.

2. 
   

   Robinxen: Foreshadowing?

3. 
   

   Robinxen: Uhm… I feel like there are still problems with this though.