<h4>Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 38 – The Dark Izumo</h4>


    Yoritomo’s whereabouts remained a mystery, leaving Lily uneasy. She pondered why he had left Heian-kyo, especially considering his ability to summon a powerful sextuple-soul big dipper Yomi demon through just one of his clones. If his main body had been present in the battle, the oue could have been drastically different. What was his strategy?


    Lily suddenly remembered Momiji, who she had inadvertently forgotten about. Momiji was still detained in the sedan parked beside the Heian pce. Entering the sedan, Lily found Momiji imprisoned but surprisingly untroubled.


    “Where is Minamoto no Yoritomo?” Lily asked directly.


    Despite her restrained hands, Momiji responded with a teasing smile, “How’s your body? Better? Do you need my help? After all, I’m more skilled at the method I taught them.”


    “Answer my question!” Lily demanded, pressing the edge of her cursed de against Momiji’s throat.


    “Ahhh, why so ferocious? You know I like you. If you want to kill me, then do it. Dying by your hands would be satisfying for me.”


    Lily knew Momiji’s words were a mix of truth and maniption. Despite Momiji’s cunning nature, her crimes didn’t warrant death. Unable to extract useful information, Lily withdrew her de, preparing to leave.


    Momiji then posed a question, “Miss Lily, if you were Minamoto no Yoritomo’s subordinate, would you know where he went if he disappeared?”


    This made Lily pause, considering the logic in Momiji’s query.


    “So, you really don’t know anything?” Lily pressed further.


    “I don’t know, but I can offer you other assistance,” Momiji suggested.


    “What kind of assistance?”


    “Without me, there are many things you won’t be able to aplish in the current situation.”


    “Momiji, what are you plotting? Do you think I would trust you?” Lily responded skeptically.


    “Why don’t you first listen to what I have to say? You won’t lose anything, will you?”


    “Go on…”


    “Do you think simply upying Heian-kyo will grant you control over the world? You have the support of martial families, but what about the demons? Lady Tamamo has high status but is injured. It’s not suitable for her to handle such matters, but I can. The world has changed, and the demons have grown stronger. You won’t achieve much relying solely on humans. However, I can help stabilize your position in both the human and demon worlds.”


    Lily pondered deeply. She no longer viewed the world’s demons as enemies, considering archdemons like Tamamo-no-Mae, Sugawara no Michizane, Taira no Masakado, and Hashihime as allies. Without their support, or if they had opposed her, her sess at Heian-kyo might not have been possible. In the current world, the demons, born from the world’sws, were tolerable as long as they didn’t harm the world.


    “You would help me so easily?” Lily questioned Momiji.


    “Why wouldn’t I?”


    “What’s your motive? What are you nning?”


    Momiji responded with a hint of frustration, “Why are you so heartless? Don’t you understand why I’m doing this?”


    Lily felt inclined to leave, yet if the demons began causing chaos, building the thirty-six altars would be an impossible task. Trusting Momiji was a gamble she was unsure about.


    “Yes, Momiji, what you said is true, but you may not be the best person for this task. I don’t question your abilities, but I do question your motives,” Lily expressed her skepticism.


    “You don’t believe me? I can take a poison pill and give you the only antidote,” Momiji offered.


    “You… you would do such a thing?” Lily asked, taken aback.


    “Little Lily is really too kind. I hear you draw. How about you untie me, and I’ll pose for some erotic paintings? If I betray you, you can publish them and shame me worldwide,” Momiji suggested, feigning embarrassment.


    “You, you! Take the poison!” Lily eximed in anger before storming out.


    “Tsk… really can’t take a joke. As expected of a virgin, so inexperienced,” Momijiughed charmingly.


    “Who’s a virgin!” Lily retorted, returning to confront Momiji.


    “Ehh, you came back? Could it be that little Lily isn’t one?” Momiji teased.


    “Yes… but… don’t say it like that!” Lily protested, her face turning crimson.


    Lily stared at Momiji, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger. Suddenly, she drew her sword and swiftly shed, cutting the ropes that bound Momiji.


    “You’re letting me go?” Momiji asked in surprise.


    “Since I’m not killing you, keeping you here serves no purpose. Go,” Lily said.


    Despite being freed, Momiji didn’t leave immediately. “For some reason, I don’t feel like leaving. Won’t you let me help you? You’ve freed me, you won’t lose much if you believe me.”


    “It’s up to you, but don’t expect me to trust you,” Lily responded coldly


    ¹.


    More than two thousand miles west of Heian-kyo, in Izumo, thend was shrouded in ck miasma and fog, with no trace of its former sanctity. Deep within, eerie lights and phenomena flickered intermittently. A crusade army of twenty thousand, led by Kansai’s Sasaki Marioka and Kusunoki Jioka, was approaching.


    “Lord Kusunoki, we’ve faced little resistance from Minamoto no Yoritomo’s forces, but demon encounters are increasing. Many casualties are due to them,” a soldier reported.


    “Yes, our casualties would be even higher without the inner formation,” Kusunoki acknowledged.


    “I feel there’s something strange about the phenomenon in Izumo,” Sasaki remarked, gazing at the distant mountains.


    “As generals serving the Imperial Court and the Taishogun, we should divert to Izumo Mountain instead of continuing the attack,” Kusunoki proposed.


    “Mm, I agree. Send some ninjas to inform the Taishogun in Heian-kyo of our change in ns,” Sasaki ordered.


    The army changed course, heading towards Izumo mountains, unaware of whaty beneath the dark, eldritch clouds.


    In Heian-kyo, at Kiyoszawa’s hot springs, the area had remained intact during Yoritomo’s rule. Following the recapture of the capital, Kimiko had returned here. After enduring numerous battles, Lily’s group, having been unable to rx fully, decided to visit the Kiyoszawa hot springs for some much-needed rest.


    Lily, not particrly inclined or skilled in governing the capital and unifying the world, had lent only her name to the government. She left the intricate details of administration to Ayaka, Kotoka, Ijuin, and Shizuru.


    “Ahhh… it’s sofortable!” Lily eximed, wrapped in a thin white cloth, stretching her arms out in the water. Her body glowed beneath the water, revealing her beautiful shape.


    “Ahaha, it’s rare to have so many sisters gather,” Ayaka noted, enjoying the hot springs. “Fortunately, this ce has multiple pools with different sceneries, yet they’re interconnected. Despite the exquisite setup, it can amodate many people.” Ayaka was dressed in a purple undergarment, in the style of Iyo Ind.


    “Wouldn’t it be great if Yoritomo remained missing? Then unifying the world could be left to the martial families, and we could return to the Fuyutsuki to y,” Nanako mused. She was wrapped in a thick bath towel, feeling somewhat self-conscious amidst the voluptuous sisters around her.


    Shiu, wearing a green chest wrap, leaned next to Nanako, finding somefort in her presence.


    ²


    ³


    “Lady Ayaka, even with the capital being so busy, you seem to be in a good mood,” Shimizu, d in a ck suspender chest wrap,mented.


    “Miss Shimizu, as the new Rokuhara Tandai, aren’t you quite at ease with all the new cases and demons in Heian-kyo?” Ayaka retorted yfully.


    “That’s not true. Today, I will be treating sister Lily,” Shimizu replied.


    “Hm? Am I not doing the same?” Ayaka asked, surprised.


    “Eh? Isn’t it Miss Rei’s turn?” Shimizu queried.


    “Don’t try to fool me. I might be busy, but I remember everything clearly,” Ayaka said, puffing out her chest proudly in front of Shimizu, as if to disy her advantage.


    However, Shimizu didn’t see femininity as an advantage in their friendly rivalry. Meanwhile, Uesugi Rei, with her hair coiffed up, meditated on a rock.


    “Miss Uesugi…” Shiina watched Rei from a distance in the hot springs, her face flushed.


    After enjoying the hot springs, the sisters donned beautiful yukatas and spent the night at Kiyoszawa, sleeping under the moonlight.


    “Sister Lily, can we sleep together?” Nanako asked quietly.


    “Mm,” Lily nodded, gently hugging Nanako from behind, causing Nanako to blush.


    “Sister Lily, will I disappear one day?” Nanako asked with concern.


    “Hm?” Lily was taken aback. “No, definitely not.”


    Nanako had been less present as Kagura’s personality recently, making it harder for her to see Lily.


    “One day, if Kagura fully recovers, will there be a reason for me to exist?” Nanako questioned, her voice tinged with sadness.


    “Why not?” Lily replied, turning Nanako over and embracing her. Nanako was momentarily distracted from her sadness by the intoxicating feminine fragrance.


    “Nanako is Nanako


    ⁴!” Lily affirmed warmly. <h4>Footnotes:</h4>


    Robinxen: I am not sure what to make of all this honestly, but author has ns.


    Silva: I wonder if this picture belongs in this chapter


    Robinxen: I can’t remember if discord blocked hotlinks or not now, so this may vanish, I’m toozy to find a decent ce to post it though.


    Robinxen: The legal loli is the legal loli!