Waking up, Lily found herself in Ayaka’s arms, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and yet, safe.
“Lady Ayaka……”
After a near certain death battle, reuniting with Ayaka made Lily’s tense heart weaken in relief. When Lily had thought she would never meet Ayaka again, her heart had clenched in fright.
What had happened? Did she really want to meet again?
Was Ayaka’s scent and warmth that comforting?
If Ayaka insisted on doing something to her at this point, Lily was unsure if she would be able to resist.
However, Ayaka didn’t do anything to her, for some reason she felt a sense of disappointment, it was only a slight sense of loss, or perhaps it was nothing but an illusion.
“Lady Ayaka, I…I avenged Madam Yoruko.”
Seeing Lily weak and tired, clothes all torn and shredded, Ayaka’s eyes moistened and tightly held her.
Ayaka brought Lily to the study.
Lily told Ayaka about her infiltration and her suspicions about Shenzu and the following mortal battle along with the conclusions.
“What? Rokuhara Tandai? Lily, how did you escape from Rokuhara Tandai?” Ayaka looked closely at Lily in concern after hearing the name Rokuhara Tandai.
“Lady Ayaka, in one of my opportunities, I gained a very ancient and powerful reincarnated shikigami, she needs a blood spirit magatama to temporarily regain her ancient powers. That shikigami severely injured Rokuhara Tandai, it is likely that it is a mortal wound.”
“To think something like that happened…you really are fortunate.” Ayaka’s eyes flashed with chill, “Hmph, that Rokuhara Tandai can only blame himself! He’s rarely seen and his whereabouts are usually a mystery, but his methods are really despicable and vile, yet he still shamelessly dares to declare himself one of the top three powerhouses of the Heian dynasty!”
“I never thought that he would be Yoruko’s murderer, that beast!” Ayaka was trembling from fury.
“Lady Ayaka, what should be done? Should this be reported to officials to arrest him and his minions?” Lily asked.
Ayaka shook her head helplessly, “Report to the officials? Lily, aren’t you too naive? In front of you sits the Chief Advisor of Heian-kyo, where are you going to find an official to report to1? Rokuhara Tandai used to be under the control of the generals, but due to some reasons, his forces became stronger and gradually became independent. I can probably guess who the sneaky mastermind is.”
“What? There’s a behind-the-scenes mastermind?” Lily yelped surprised.
“When it comes to people at our level, the only time the Bureau of Justice would dare accept the case, would be if the emperor himself sent the order. But our current emperor has no power, and this case involves the dispute between several major factions, as for evidence and truth, that no longer matters.”
Ayaka looked at Lily with approval, “Lily, you did great! This time, Rokuhara Tandai took a big loss, even if he survives he’s lost much. The murder of Yoruko won’t be enough to take him down, but you’ve injured him greatly, since he was in the wrong he won’t dare speak out. This is the greatest way to punish Rokuhara!”
“I just don’t understand, why would the distinguished Rokuhara Tandai kill Yoruko? On the surface, it looks as if they wanted to cover up the Heavenly Oracle, but the Oracle has nothing to do with their faction. Why would they act out? If anything, it should have been the forces of the Three Great Arch-Demons.” Ayaka wondered.
“Perhaps they wanted to start trouble with Tamamo-no-Mae?”
“It sounds like they knew the Heavenly Oracle in advance? If they didn’t know the oracle, and couldn’t judge the oracle’s contents, there was no need for them to murder such a high ranking individual like Yoruko to force out the oracle. But if they didn’t know the oracle in advance, how could they plan such a conspiracy?”
Lily refuted, “But, Madam Yoruko couldn’t have told anyone else the oracle, I was the first person to hear of it, and then Madam Yoruko was murdered not much later.”
“Perhaps we’re thinking in the wrong direction, or it was just a coincidence that Shenzu had a motive. Maybe Shenzu went to Yoruko that night to inquire about the oracle, and when Yoruko refused a conflict broke out. Shenzu, who had long held a grudge, released Rokuhara Tandai from that remnant jade. With Yoruko dead, they could take control of all Heian-kyo’s Tsunaga sisters. Currently, the Tsunaga Sister forces have become rallying cry to save the heavens, in truth they have a large effect on the views of the people.”
“But what did Shenzu do after gaining control over the Tsunaga Sisters? She used the Heavenly Oracle as an excuse to send a large number of sword mikos, jade maidens and mirror girls on a crusade against the demons. Besides causing a huge number of casualties, they’ve only managed to exacerbate the conflict between humans and demons. What’s the point of this?”
“Borrowing the forces of the Tsunaga Sisters to hit the Three Great Arch-Demons? That’s nothing more than throwing a chicken egg at a rock…the purpose must be to have the Three Great Arch-Demons kill the Tsunaga Sisters2!”
“But, Shenzu went through so much trouble to become the leader of the Tsunaga Sisters, why would she cripple her subordinates now?”
Ayaka shook her head, “There are too many factors within this, the only thing that we can say is that it’s impossible for Shenzu to want to save the way of the heavens. Those ignorant Tsunaga Sisters may think so, but it’s impossible for Shenzu to be so foolish! It seems like we must first capture Shenzu, only that Rokuhara had taken her with him. That Rokuhara is extremely skilled at hiding, he must have taken her to a location he considered safe and hidden. It will not be easy to find her.”
“Lady Ayaka, what about that old woman?” Lily suddenly asked about Yoruko’s old housekeeper who’s demonic form had been revealed.
“She was put into a prison dedicated to imprisoning monsters, but before the Bureau of Justice could start an interrogation, she died mysteriously.” Ayaka answered.
“How could that…”
“It seems that their people are within the Bureau of Justice.”
With that, it seems that they had entered a deadlock.
“You don’t have to worry too much, at least the real murderer was discovered, and you severely injured him at that! This is your accomplishment!” Ayaka tugged her arm, “You, you aren’t injured? Do you want me to take a look? No one can match my medical skills in Heian-kyo.”
“Ah? No need…I was injured but after a sleep, I seem to be fine.” Lily refused, blushing.
“Your body is really good.” Ayaka gently rubbed Lily’s arm, “Leave the matter of searching for Shenzu and dealing with Rokuhara Tandai’s forces in the court to me. You’ve worked really hard, take a bath and rest, I need to visit the Fujiwara residence.”
Lily nodded, Kagura had said Rokuhara Tandai didn’t have many days left and she trusted Kagura’s judgment.
“Right, Lily, can I meet that shikigami of yours?”
“Mm! Whenever the lady has time.”
After Ayaka left, Lily’s exhaustion overcame her, she took a bath and fell asleep, once asleep she stayed that way for several days completely forgetting about Keiko…
Several ten thousand miles southwest of Heian-kyo, Minamoto no Shimizu dressed in thin white clothes, holding a grade five samurai blade in hand, walked in a hot, green misty forest.
The trees of the forest were gigantic, the thick roots were intertwined and had experienced countless years, they looked like small hills with green moss and vines grown over.
Shimizu had been adventuring here for the past few months, earning by hunting demons and gathering materials. Last time she went adventuring with Shimadzu, the ruins had been looted already, they didn’t gain much.
With the arrival of spring, the area became too hot and suffocating, much hotter than midsummer Kanto. Shimizu switched from Heian-kyo kimonos to summer clothes worn in the region.
The summer clothes here were tailored by the frog artisan according to the female shape for this environment. Simply said, it was a type of close fitting clothes with many gaps for ventilation.
The one Shimizu was wearing was a half transparent white. Through the cloth, the soft jade color of her skin was easily seen. It was a uniquely tailored one piece swimsuit from Lily’s old world, just more primitive.
Even wearing such clothes, Shimizu was covered in sweat3, daytime here was simply too hot.
Shimizu also carried a leather bag she used to store precious materials. Before finding an ancient jade, Shimizu could not return and would have to stay in this region. She had to rely on hunting monsters and gathering materials to earn money in the village.
This day, she was out exploring by herself.
“I had thought this was an opportunity. But to think I’d be stuck here, can’t find an ancient jade, and I’m not allowed to return before finding one…little sister Lily, I wonder how she is now.”
She hadn’t been doing well these past few months, though her strength had improved, it was limited, she couldn’t even afford a decent weapon, Shimizu was a bit depressed.
“What to do? What should I do? Am I going to be stuck here forever, not accomplishing anything and never seeing little sister Lily again?”
Shimizu sat down on a large root, staring helplessly at the vast jungle of trees.
Feeling something beneath her, Shimizu squirmed around, it felt like a small stone was digging into her rear.
Getting up and turning around, she looked at the meter long root. There seemed to be a small stone stuck in a crack on that root, it had a strange shape and was dull and dark.
Shimizu pulled the little stone out to examine.
“Ah?”
Its shape was like half of a magatama4.
