Arriving at the cell and seeing Lily sitting there unharmed and unmolested shocked the guards.
“Are the criminals in this cell not men?” They wondered.
“Kagami Lily, by the order of Lord Kimura, you shall be taken to interrogation!”
If it was an interrogation, Lily felt that news would definitely reach Lady Ayaka. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t without acquaintances, nor could she conceal that she was one of Lady Ayaka’s subordinates. Over the night, she had considered what she could say and what she should hide. Confidently, she walked to the guards, her long hair fluttering behind her.
“Sister goddess!” The boss of the cell crawled toward her and carefully plucked grass from her kimono skirt, “Your skirt has grass on it, let me remove it for you. Ehehehe.”
“Oh, thanks.” Lily casually and gracefully responded, as if she was the master of the group.
The guards could only stare dumbfounded. They knew that scarface was the tyrant and boss of this cell, but…he was being so servitile towards Lily? It was hard to believe that he was treating her as a queen.
“Sister goddess, have a good trip!!” As Lily was led away, the prisoners all clung to the cell bars as if Lily was being led to an execution. Lily felt a strange sense of affection… These guys were all wicked criminal convicts, but they still had emotions and affections towards their companions.
Perhaps…they had all tacitly agreed that Lily was the boss of this cell…
Heavy shackles were fitted to Lily’s wrists, and she was led to the top of the pit. Breathing the fresh air, she was led to the building above the pit.
This Heavenly Prison was under the management of the Bureau of Justice. At this moment, at the head of the hall sat three men with immensely powerful auras, on both sides stood a government official and more than ten samurai guards.
Lily could only feel that somehow this interrogation was being treated as an important matter.
“Kagami Lily…” Of the three lords sitting there, the right lord was a slightly handsome, curly haired, shy looking man. Though he looked weak of will and like an attendant, he was an important member of the imperial court, Kimura Tsohui, also known as Kimura Saburo.
Saburo had personally led troops in the battle against the Rashomon. Lily’s battle against the Rashomon had left a deep impression on him, though she was far inferior in power, her skillful footwork and evasion had left Ibaraki Doji helpless. Her restraining on Ibaraki Doji had bought enough time for the Bureau of Divination’s arcane artes to repel the archdemon. Today, Lily was being interrogated here as a prisoner. He was reluctant, to him, Lily was a heroine, but once court law was evoked, he could only be impartial, nor was he the preceding judge.
That a dignified fourth ranked minister of justice was only the assisting judge, was an indication of how serious this case was.
The presiding judge sat in the middle, Counselor Minamoto no Hirohikari. Except for Lady Ayaka, this judge is the highest ranked official Lily has seen. From the three judges, Lily could tell that he was not here for regular business, but on behalf of the royal family.
On the left sat the Right Division General, Minamoto no Yoshitada. This was the highest ranked military official, equally ranked with the Left Division General and only below the Major General!
All three top judges were Genji clan members. The other officials were all ministers or military officials of considerable strength or status. There was something wrong about this lineup of officials.
Lily felt that the general on the left, wearing the blue red armor radiated an unusually immense and powerful aura. This man should be the strongest human male she had ever seen in Heian-kyo.
Kimura Saburo spoke up, “Kagami Lily, today we shall be the tribunal. This is Counselor Minamoto no Hirohikari!”
Counselor Hirohikari sat high above, looking down upon her, unmoved by her beauty. He covered his handlebar mustache with a fan, his face was a pasty white and he looked down at Lily with contempt. Though he was a Genji, he was a public servant.
“This lord is the Right Division General, Lord Minamoto no Yoshitada!”
That two meter tall man sat like a divinity, spine straight and long saber strapped to his waist. His face resolute and expressionless, his eyes glowed like torches as he stared aggressively at her.
Lily felt that this man wasn’t here for interrogation, but to subdue and restrain if necessary. It wasn’t too strange, they should have already investigated her origins. They weren’t like those imperial guards yesterday, knowing nothing or she wouldn’t have been thrown in with those ordinary prisoners.
“Lily greets the three lords, but taking such a posture against me is really frightening. Might I know what crime I have commited to have three high ranked lords come and put me on trial?” Lily was very respectful, though she had Lady Ayaka as a backer, the imperial court was not something she could face.
“Kagami Lily!” Hirohikari smashed a floor tile into pieces with his fan and roared, “You committed such a heinous crime and you dare pretend? Such a sly and vicious woman, if you don’t taste some pain you’ll still protest! Men! Give her 50 strikes of the spirit breaker rod then we’ll talk!”
Lily couldn’t help but be shocked at the reaction, what spirit breaker rod? She had never heard of the Bureau of Justice’s methods of punishing adepts.
“Lord!” Kimura protested, waving his hand to prevent the shirtless executioners from moving, “To punish before the interrogation? This isn’t appropriate…Why don’t we interrogate first, if she doesn’t confess, it won’t be too late to punish.”
“Then trial!” Hirohikari scolded.
Kimura did not dare delay, turning to Lily, “Lily, do you confess?”
Lily couldn’t help but feel something was wrong, “Lord, if you want me to confess, at least let me know, what am I confessing to?”
“Kagami Lily!” Hirohikari pointed his fan at her rebuking, “You dare still play the fool? Yesterday you murdered the distinguished Madam Fayumi no Yoruko whom the emperor personally bestowed, and after you fled from pursuit, you snuck into the imperial palace and tried to take royal members as hostages and were captured by our imperial guards! The evidence is conclusive! You dare not confess!??”
“What……” Hearing this list of crimes, Lily couldn’t think straight.
To keep Lady Ayaka’s mission a secret, she had already thought up a fitting explanation, but this list of crimes they were putting on her head?
“You, you’re saying…Madam Yoruko…she…she was killed!?” Lily’s eyes were dazed.
“Acting! You dare act! Let’s see if you’ll be honest after a beating!” Hirohikari fumed.
“Kagami Lily…confess. We know of your strength, our methods aren’t something a female adept can endure.” Kimura persuaded. “No matter what, you were a hero during the Rashomon incident and received the Chief Advisor’s reward. For your dignity, I really do not want to use severe torture on you in public. You should confess.”
“You want me to confess…confess to what?” Lily’s eyes were misted over with tears, “Is Madam Yoruko… truly gone?”
Lily couldn’t help but recall last night. Madam Yoruko had entrusted her with the heavenly oracle regardless of risk, had shown her the essence of her swordsmanship, and had trusted Lily with her lifelong dream as a sword miko.
Madam Yoruko, gentle and elegant, with overwhelming strength, yet still so concerned about the world…
She’s really gone… just one night and she’s gone…
The three lords were imperial officials of the imperial court, there was no need for them to lie to her. Lily recalled Madam Yoruko’s last words and expressions, it was as if she was speaking her last wishes… could it be that she knew she would die after trusting the heavenly oracle to Lily?
“Who……” Lily’s pale fingers clutched her clothes, her black hair fluttered as an intense aura of resentment emanated from her. The entire courtroom trembled from the aura.
“Who…who killed Madam Yoruko!?? Who!??”
Minamoto no Yoshitada looked at Lily in confusion. This reaction was not of a hidden assassin, it was the grief and indignation of a samurai losing a trusted companion.
Clink! The shackles on her hands shattered.
“You, what are you doing!??” Hirohikari panicked, he pointed his fan at Lily, “Guards! Take her down and tie her up!”
“Kagami Lily! Don’t act presumptuously!” Kimura warned.
Several large men rushed towards her with ropes.
“If you don’t want to die, get back!” Lily warned.
That aura and resoluteness impacted their souls and immobilized them, they dared not get closer.
Lily looked at them, her eyes filled with tears, “Don’t force me! Madam Yoruko was murdered, and you bunch of wastrel high ranked officials don’t go capture the real murderer! Instead you come here to frame me! I, Lily, swear to the heavens, I have never harmed Madam Yoruko!”
With the news of Madam Yoruko’s death, Lily had lost all composure. Minamoto no Yoshitada was strong? So what, if they dared frame her, she was willing to use a blood spirit magatama anytime!
