Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 13 – The War That Captured The Whole World’s Attention
In the expansive wilderness, a fair distance from the tumult of battle, were cl.u.s.ters of furtive figures—ninjas, lesser demons, and Shikigami. They were not minions of Minamoto no Yoritomo, nor did they have any ties to Cherry Blossom Valley. These strangers, unacquainted with each other, kept their distance, at times even hindering their counterparts, for their purpose was not to partake in the conflict or to plunder; they simply lacked the strength for such endeavors. Representing various factions, they had all come to clandestinely survey the unfolding war.
Word had spread that Minamoto no Yoritomo was on the march to invade Cherry Blossom Valley, prompting various organizations to dispatch their scouts, albeit cautiously, to avoid drawing near to the fray.
In Tsutsujigasaki Castle, the stronghold of the Takeda Clan situated nearest to Cherry Blossom Valley, Takeda Masatsune, the clan’s youthful and ambitious patriarch, harbored little desire to kowtow to Minamoto no Yoritomo, unlike his predecessors and siblings. Despite his reluctance, he had submitted to Genji’s superior might. Now, with the heavenly path altered and his clan teetering on the brink of annihilation, the Takeda Clan, along with many of its va.s.sals, held Minamoto no Yoritomo’s vision of a new world in contempt.
“My Lord, our tamed Shikigami rabbit near the battlefield has relayed new intelligence. Minamoto no Yoritomo’s forces are approaching the maze formation. The battle has likely commenced,” reported Itagaki n.o.buyoshi, garbed in armor adorned with tiger pelts, to his lord.
“This battle, spearheaded by Lord Kamakura himself, is of grave importance. It may very well determine the fate of the world,” Takeda mused. “Should Kagami Lily and her Cherry Blossom Valley fall, we will have no choice but to succ.u.mb to Minato no Yoritomo’s vision for the new world.”
Itagaki n.o.buyoshi, once revered as one of the Six Swords of the Eastern Land, sighed heavily. The recent decree by Minamoto no Yoritomo, allowing the widespread distribution of spirit power training manuals, had seen secret techniques from the Kanto Region and the Genji Clan itself flow into his hands. Despite his formidable talent, after a year of diligent training, he had only reached the Permanence Stage, rendering him no more useful than a common soldier in black armor in the ongoing conflict.
He admired the rising stars, individuals like Kagami Lily and Uesugi Rei, who had once stood as equals and even friends. But the tides had shifted.
Secretly, Itagaki n.o.buyoshi harbored affections for Uesugi Rei. Yet, as a natural-born warrior aware of his destiny, he had long since relinquished such aspirations. Six months prior, he had taken a n.o.blewoman from the Takeda Clan to wife, founding his own family. Now, his sole ambition was to safeguard his loved ones—his wife and their forthcoming child.
The notion of his offspring being born into a world where everyone consumed demonic essence and became something less than human filled him with dread.
“Kagami Lily, although I can now only look on from afar, hearing of your legendary exploits, I can’t help but wonder about the true extent of your strength. Is it possible for you to withstand the might of the entire Heian Dynasty? It seems beyond belief, yet I find myself hoping against hope that you can prevail.”
In the Mikawa Province, within the walls of the Tokugawa residence:
“My Lord, the first batch of Minamoto no Yoritomo’s medicine from the capital has arrived. The quant.i.ties are limited. Should we distribute it to the soldiers first?” Sakai inquired, addressing a Tokugawa he hadn’t seen for a year, who now appeared more robust.
Tokugawa, having attained the pinnacle of the Permanence Stage, had come to terms with the vast gulf in strength between himself and Lily. No longer did he find any merit in comparison.
“Don’t distribute it yet,” Tokugawa directed with a grave expression. “Our scouts in Kai Province are numerous. If any are lost, replace them immediately. We must wait for the outcome of this battle.”
“This… This is Lord Minamoto no Yoritomo’s vision for the new world…”
“You understand little,” Tokugawa retorted sharply. “Don’t be fooled by the sheer power of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Kagami Lily. Yos.h.i.tsune, in his time, was even mightier! The true powerhouses are those who endure to the end,” he said with a wry smile.
Among Tokugawa’s retainers stood Honda Yahatarou, the mightiest, now a towering figure at the Throne Stage.
His eyes darkened as he contemplated, “Lily…”
His keen insights told him the world was transforming. The so-called new world plan was not truly embraced by the n.o.bility and the various factions; the dissenters and the undecided were in the majority.
Unbeknownst to Lily, her battle in the forests of Kai Province had seized the attention of the entire Heian Dynasty.
Meanwhile, Lily herself was locked in combat with Yoritomo’s clone, Hikomoto, and an array of Big Dipper demons. Fighting fiercely and dodging with an unpredictable rhythm, she managed to gain the upper hand, occasionally leaving a demon severely wounded or dead.
Yet, as the army of hundreds of thousands dispersed within the maze, Lily, despite consistently felling many, could not halt their advance entirely.
Scores of ancient undead and a host of demons poured into the formation. Ahead, through a forest shrouded in thick fog and the sound of hoofbeats, emerged a silver-haired female rider atop a colossal black horse, flanked by dozens of silver puppet riders. They hurtled into the black-armored soldiers with astonishing velocity.
The female warrior wielded a long blade, its blade shimmering sharply. With each gallop, she swung her weapon, its silver gleam marking the severing of limbs, sending armor pieces flying.
A trail of blood mist marked her path, a testimony to the carnage she wrought.
The silver puppet cavalrymen that followed moved with eerie precision. Despite their lifeless appearance, they were remarkably nimble. As they charged alongside Uesugi Rei, their blades sang, cutting swathes through the enemy ranks.
Attacks from the black-armored soldiers fell upon the puppet riders, whose bodies and steeds, forged from superior Tamahagane steel and ancient wood, were animated by spirit power. Their defenses, robust and seemingly impervious, were a match for their formidable offense—ordinary weapons stood no chance.
Before the soldiers could rally a defense, the cavalry had vanished into the maze, only to reappear and flank them from an unexpected quarter.
Amidst the chaos, Rei’s puppet cavalrymen, formidable as they were, found themselves forced to execute strategic retreats through the maze when confronted by the formidable Big Dipper demons, focusing instead on ambushing the enemy. Their number was but fifty, and though they could decimate hundreds in their charges, they were unable to stem the tide of the encroaching army as countless soldiers surged into the foggy woods.
A menacing squad of black-armored soldiers barged into the formation, charging without care for direction. Their leader, wielding a sword adorned with inverted barbs—a rare and ancient weapon—led the reckless advance.
The fog around them erupted in red light as Silent Flames, much hotter than ordinary fire, lanced through the air, melting rock as easily as candy in their path.
Amidst the ensuing inferno and chaos, Ayaka, dressed in white, emerged between the trees. She deftly walked in the air, evading a volley of demonic flaming arrows that blasted the trees to splinters behind her. These arrows were not just powerful but deadly.
From Ayaka’s hands flew several talismans that transformed into oceans of flames upon touching the group of soldiers, exacerbating the havoc.
A powerful Eldritch Energy pierced the fog, unveiling a double-soul Big Dipper demon ninja with a robust physique charging at Ayaka, shouting, “Human Onmyoji!” Although he vaguely sensed Ayaka’s strength, he a.s.sumed an upper hand due to her Onmyoji status and the fact that she was occupied with soldiers.
“I am Maro Itoe, of the earth spider tribe. Die, human female!” he bellowed, hoping to intimidate her as he aimed his earth-attribute imbued weapon at her slender neck.
Unexpectedly for him, Ayaka was exceptionally agile. With a flick of her wrist, she sent royal coins spinning through the air, clashing against his weapon with a resonant clang. The force of her throw deflected his attack, leaving him startled at her unexpected combat skills.
Even with Kamakura’s prior warnings not to underestimate their foes, seeing Ayaka in miko attire wielding mere coins had led Maro to misjudge her.
Seizing the moment his weapon was repelled, Ayaka summoned the Celestial Spirit Blade to her hand, thrusting forward with energy of celestial origin. The blade, believed to be forged by divine hands at Tamamo-no-Mae’s behest, tore through the demon ninja’s shoulder, a mere breath from his Spirit Sea, eliciting a pained cry as he swiftly retreated.
“Why is this woman so strong?” The demon ninja didn’t resume the fight after sustaining an injury. Instead, he quickly fell back towards a formation of black-armored soldiers.
Ayaka, in pursuit, unleashed talismans that burrowed into the earth and morphed into three bolts of lightning, snaking through the terrain to strike the trees behind him. Like sentient beings, the trees’ branches, etched with runes, reached out and entwined the ninja with their countless tendrils.
Caught off guard and ensnared before he could react, he struggled to free himself, hacking at the branches with his weapon. But Ayaka had already closed in on him.
“Oh no!” He had initially planned to fend off her attacks with his weapon. However, his arm was swiftly bound by several vines, their resilience enhanced by Ayaka’s potent spells. They didn’t fully immobilize him, but they did arrest his movements long enough for Ayaka to strike.
That brief delay prevented him from defending against the Celestial Spirit Blade’s ruthless advance. The blade, grim and cold, burst forth from his back, cleaving through his Spirit Sea and Stellar Soul. He perished instantly, another victim to Ayaka’s relentless pursuit.