<h4>Volume 5, Chapter 166 - Prize</h4>


    Trantor: Aoi


    “Y-You want me to kiss the final winner of the one-on-one duels?” Lily’s breasts heaved visibly as she covered her mouth on the tform.


    “No wonder the old fellow didn’t tell me to get down and escaped silently…” Lily felt embarrassed and at aplete loss about what to do next. This was the Yosh*tsune Memorial Grand Ceremony’s celebration, so even Lily didn’t dare to deny the announcement that both the Cloistered Emperor and the Genji elders had approved and ended up ruining the jovial mood. It was also useless to ask whether she could take part in these duels as she’d have to obey the imperials if they said that she couldn’t.


    “Well… What do I do then?” Lily was out of her wits now and looked at Ayaka who sat on the viewing tform behind the tform.


    However, Ayaka just wore a mystic smile and simply ignored her, continuing to look down at the celebrating masses. Lily was utterly clueless about what was going on. From Ayaka’s reaction, it was clear that she knew about this prize. However, she showed no opposition to it.


    “Hellllooooo! Madam Ayaka! They want me to kiss the winner, you know! Do you not mind that? Are you still my master?” Lily grumbled coyly. “What do I do then? Do I escape?”


    The arena in front of the tform was cleared up after that and the kneeling officials returned to the viewing tform, following which they were served delicious food and wine by the maids and attendants. The officials and the samurai then began enjoying the celebration and the delicacies merrily.


    “How could you officials dine and drink so delightfully while I’m parched!” Lily thought gloomily.


    “Attention, please!” Sasaki said suddenly, “The unrestricted duels will now begin formally, and you can take part in it no matter your status or power level. Why hasn’t anyonee up to the arena yet?!”


    Although the people liked Lily and even thought of her as a dream lover, they felt terrified about going to the arena. Although they wouldn’t have to engage in deadly duels, it was still dangerous enough as no one could predict what’d happen in a match.


    Moreover, it wasn’t as simple as just climbing the arena and kissing Lily. They needed to defeat several experts before they could achieve that and that was a tiring feat to do. As such, it was equivalent to throwing their lives away if they went up first.


    “Howe no one’s stepping forward?” Lily felt incredibly nervous right now. She knew there were plenty of people who’d like to win a kiss from her and that they were just scared of participating in the duels.


    “How do I escape from this situation? It’s too soon to escape right now as I still haven’t received my reward for winning the tournament and will lose out on a lot. As for the duels… the judge said that they are unrestricted one-on-one duels if I heard it right. Doesn’t that mean even women can take part in it?”


    “What?” Judge Sasaki looked at the people, “You cheered for Ms. Kagami so fervently until this day, but howe you’ve all gone silent when it’s time for the duels?”


    “Let me be the first then!” A 2m tall burly chap who had a full beard, wore prayer beads and wielded a golden club, pushed the crowd aside and climbed onto the arena valiantly!


    “Speak thy name, brave soul!”


    “I’m Maple Institution’s Kubira and I’m going to win Ms. Kagami’s kiss! I have the strength and looks for it, soe up to confront me only if you wish to be my golden club’s prey!”


    The man from Maple Institution had a burly body and also exuded a powerful aura, so the people underneath the arena cowered momentarily.


    “Hah! I’ve never heard of this Maple Institution of yours! Lily is a samurai woman from the East, so how could we allow you Kansai monks to taint her?!” A wizened yet well-bodied and dark-skinned wandering samurai climbed onto the arena.


    “I’m Sakai Rukawa from Mikawa! Let me show you how fierce we Mikawa men are.”


    Lily would’ve chosen to defy the court if she were forced to kiss one of these two men, but their strength was just at the early-stage swordmaster level. Lily really admired their guts for trying to win over her kiss with such low strength.


    The two men charged towards each other and unfolded an intense battle since they were equally matched. However, the Maple Institution’s monk still won in the end.


    Bam! The monk’s club had badly battered the samurai’s face, causing him toy powerlessly on the floor.


    “Hahahahaha! Is there anyone else who wishes to fight me? If not, I’ll go take my prize then!” The Maple Institution’s monk looked at Lily’s direction lecherously.


    “Hold on!”


    The samurai just didn’t want to be the first to go to the arena, but since someone had already done it, none of them nned to let someone else win Lily’s kiss.


    A ck-robed swordsman climbed onto the arena swiftly, “I’m Daimaku Satoshi from Kazama Dojo! I shall challenge you!”


    “Hahahaha! Your little lord got trashed yet you still have the face to show up, eh, Kazama Dojo?” Kubiraughed maniacally.


    “How dare you insult Master Kazama! Have a taste of my de!”


    “You’re just a b?u?l?l?s?h?i?t? dojo. All those who stand before me shall die!” The monk swung the club forward.


    “Hah! You fool!” The ck-robed swordsman’s strength was at the 7th-stage Awakened level, so the monk was no match for him. He dodged the attack with ease and doubled back behind the monk, shing it with his de!


    Stter! Blood gushed out from the monk’s wound as he copsed and although he wasn’t dead, he still received a severe wound and was taken away by the attendants.


    “Kazama Dojo, huh? I’m North-Star Dojo’s Hokushin Juuhanzai! Fight me!”


    …


    The duelists consisted of masterless samurai and those with masters. Even onmyōji hade forward to take part in the duels since they didn’t restrict usage of magic.


    A tall man with messy red hair stood on the arena now with a broken tachi in hand and he had already won seven duels!


    He exuded a middle-stage Spirit Jade aura, so no new duelist appeared for a moment.


    “Uko Osamu, a wandering samurai from the Sinless Domain who ims he’s an old friend of Yamato’s Eight Legions, has already won seven duels! Is no one else willing to challenge him? Are you just going to sit by as I announce him the receiver of Ms. Kagami’s kiss?” Sasaki fanned the mes intentionally.


    “Hah! I see that the fools have finished ying. The real duels begin now!” A white-armored Taira n youth got up.


    However, a green-haired kunoichi leaped into the arena from the crowd at this moment.


    “I’m not going to allow a man to steal away a kiss from Sister Lily!” The kunoichi wielded a short and long straight sword in her hands.


    “Kasuga?!” Kasuga’s appearance filled Lily with joy as even though Lily didn’t wish to kiss her, it was much better than kissing a man. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to defy the court as long as she kissed Kasuga.


    “Hah?” The red-haired samurai was taken aback and looked at Judge Sasaki, “Are women allowed to participate too?”


    “Well… Although I’m not that well-versed in the subtle matters between women, the rules don’t bar the participation of women. I believe they can take part in the duels with even just a parasol as long as they’re willing,” Sasaki shrugged.


    “What?! You mean demons can take part too?” The red-haired samurai questioned.


    “I’m just mentioning what’s in the rules. This is the final celebration of the Yosh*tsune Memorial Grand Ceremony of Heian-kyo and there are no restrictions on the participants’ strength or origin. As long as they don’t harm the humans around them, demons are free to participate as well, I suppose. That’s proper for a celebration in Heian-kyo, isn’t it? Hahahaha!” Sasakiughed heartily.


    “All right! Come at me then! I won’t lose to a queer woman like you!” The red-haired samurai raised his broken tachi towards the iing Kasuga.


    However, Kasuga’s strength was on par with an average Spirit Jade powerhouse, so she managed to find a w in the opponent’s defense in just a dozen exchanges and pressed her de against his throat.


    The red-haired man was forced to concede indignantly as a result.


    “Kasuga wins!”


    “Thanks, Kasuga,” Lily expressed her gratitude towards her.


    “All right! The games are over now. Let’s begin the real duels!” The white-armored Taira n samurai got up again.


    However, a single-eyed single-horned parasol leaped onto the arena before he could climb on it and yelled energetically, “I want to participate too!”


    “Stop kidding! How could a parasol take part?” The people cursed at it.


    “Didn’t the human judge say it just now, that even a parasol can take part! That’s why I’vee forward!”


    “Well…” Sasaki was also left speechless by this response, “Fine, but you’re a parasol. How do you n to perform the kiss?”


    The parasol opened its mouth to reveal its 1m wide wet lips, “Anything else?”


    “Ehhh…” Lily experienced a dizzy spell on the tform after seeing this and sent a telepathic message to her familiar, “Prepare to take part, Kagura. You must challenge the final one standing no matter who they are!”


    Since women and demons were allowed to take part, there was no problem with Kagura taking part as well. This allowed Lily to rx and watch the duels with a yful mood.


    “Um, Lily, my girl. How about letting me fend off these delusional chaps?” Yuki-Onna talked to Lily’s mind from the mirror.


    “Haha. Thanks for the offer, Sister Yuki-Onna, but let Kagura have a try first,” Lily smiled wryly. She believed that she would suffer all the same if Yuki-Onna won the right to kiss her as thetter wasn’t so honest to just kiss her and be done with it…


    Fortunately, the parasol demon was just a mid-ranked monster, and got defeated by Kasuga with ease, bing her shikigami familiar in the end.


    “Didn’t the rules mention that you aren’t allowed to overdo it? Don’t bind me… I want Sister Lily, not a green-hairedss like you!”


    The Taira n samurai stood up again after the parasol demon was summoned away, “It’s finally my turn now!”


    However, a samurai jumped onto the arena from the crowd nimbly at this moment. It was a tall, handsome and honest-faced man, Minamoto no Hiromasa.


    “It’s him…” Although Lily believed that Hiromasa was an honest and nice man, she still found it psychologically impossible to kiss a man, “He’s healed very quickly!”


    Hiromasa looked at Lily, “I’m sorry, Ms. Kagami. I’ve thought a lot about it during the days I spent recovering from my injuries. Although I find it shameful to take advantage of the situation you are in, I’m still unable to deceive my heart and havee forward to take part!”


    A sheet of sweat drops formed on Kasuga’s forehead as she knew who Hiromasa was and didn’t believe she could defeat him.


    A man from the crowd barraged at him, “How could you do such a thing when your wife and child are both here, Hiromasa?!”


    Hiromasa just responded honestly, “It’s the culture of Heian-kyo for a real man to have a harem, so tell me why I shouldn’t follow it too?”


    “What about Seimei, Hiromasa? Are you going to just forget him?” A voice questioned him.


    “Shut up!” Hiromasa said furiously.


    “This fool…” Lily resumed the conversation with her familiar, “Climb down the tform by hiding in its shadow and wait below the arena, Kagura. If Hiromasa wins the duels, just go up and beat him up so he’s incapacitated for three days!”


    “Yes, Master.”