Lily gazed into the moonless night, then scanned the surrounding ash-gray wasteland. The dark shadows of the uneven mountain range could be seen in the far distance, and dark clouds with a tint of red loomed over the mountains.
Overgrown weeds grew on the bones of the dead that were scattered everywhere along the road. The dried corpses of the mummy Foot Soldiers who were shot dead by iron cannon earlier made Lily’s heart beat faster…
“They… Are they dead soldiers or some sort of demon?” Lily asked with a frown.
Kotoka explained, “They are the Demonized Foot Soldiers. They are soldiers who died on the battlefield but couldn’t ascend to heaven, becoming demonized. Throughout recent years, Suruga Province, Mikawa Province, Owari Province and some other lands have been in war and chaos for several continuous years. More and more corpses accumulated on the battlefield and turned into Demonized Foot Soldiers, or Samurais… Miss Kagami, we should hurry.”
During the trip, Lily and Nanako sat on the back of the ox-pulled cart and saw the entire picture of Suruga Province; the burned down villages, the long-abandoned paddy fields, and skeletons of those who either died in battle or starved to death…
Although this was the first time Lily came here, she felt a heartache. How did such a rich and fertile land turn into this state?
Nanako didn’t want to see such scenes anymore. Moreover, her spirit and physique weren’t as strong as Lily. So, she leaned against Lily’s shoulder and dozed off. Lily was happy to leave her be.
At the same time, the Chaotic Night shrouded Takeshita Town, which was several hundred miles away from Suruga Province. Nobody knew how long the Chaotic Night would last, or when would the sun rise again.
Yagyuu Shiu silently stayed in her room, abiding Lily’s order.1
After one day, as Lily hadn’t come back, Shiu stood up and entered the dojo to look for Sakiko.
Illuminated by dim oil lamps, Sakiko was reading books in her room while waiting for the Chaotic Night to pass. During times like this, she also wouldn’t rashly go out to work.
“You’re Lily’s ninja, right? Is there anything I could help you with?” Sakiko asked without lifting her head.
While in the female ninja’s customary kneeling position, Shiu suddenly blushed and covered her mouth in a coy manner, embarrassed, “Lady Sakiko, d- did you just said that I… I am Master Lily’s toy?”
“What?” Sakiko put her book down and looked weirdly at the female ninja, who was restless as if she was really aroused, “You… What did you find me for?”
“Lady Sakiko! My Master… she went towards Suruga Province last night to find my senior, Saionji Nanako. But until now, she hasn’t come back yet!” Shiu reported.
“What!?” Sakiko frowned, “In such a Chaotic Night… and she stayed out there for so long. Tell me the whole story.”
When she learned about the whole story, Sakiko asked her servant to bring her brush and paper. She wrote a letter and handed it to Shiu. “You’re a qualified2 female ninja, aren’t you?”
“As long as it’s for my Master, Shiu3 can tread on fire without hesitation!” Shiu made a pledge by bowing her head to Sakiko.
Sakiko nodded, “Deliver this letter to Kamakura City. You’ll find a sign in front of a roadside inn in the North-East section of the city. It’s a circle with two horizontal strokes inside. Give this letter to the inn’s owner. If Lily really went to Suruga Province, that person will help her for sure.”
“Th- thank you, Lady Sakiko! Shiu will definitely deliver this letter!” Shiu tried to suppress her excitement as she received the important letter with a flushed face. After storing it carefully inside her shirt4, she made her salutations and swiftly hopped up to the horizontal beam before disappearing from Sakiko’s room.
Shiu stood on the rooftop and the moon reappeared with perfect timing. She covered her face with a mask, her eyes filled with a resolution never before seen.
“Master…” Shiu glided through the roofs and trees, disappearing into the darkness.
Lily and Nanako had traveled with Kotoka’s group for around half a day. They had encountered two more Foot Soldiers and even some demonized villagers. However, they weren’t really strong. All of them were weaker than a Normal Low Ranked monster, it wasn’t necessary for Lily to take action. The Saionji House’s samurais and the guards with firearms didn’t spend much effort to destroy them.
These firearms were very effective in dealing with low ranked monsters. No wonder the Hojo Clan wanted some. However, Lily knew those firearms were ineffective against her. Leaving aside how they couldn’t break through her Spirit Armor, she didn’t even need to waste her spirit power as she could easily dodge the bullets with her speed.5
Ahead of them, an ancient town with dim flickering lights slowly revealed itself from amidst the dense fog.
That small town was none other than Suruga.
