<h4>Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 55 – Desperate Situation</h4>


    Shimizu ventured through the eldritch forests atop Yamata no Orochi’s back, where the flora had absorbed the energies of heaven and earth, exuding an unusual aura. She was drawn to a massive ditch hidden deep within the woods, obscured by moss and vines. Upon closer inspection, she was taken aback to realize that this ditch was actually a de scar, a remnant of an ancient battle. The toughness of the forest and rock that constituted Yamata no Orochi’s back had deterred attacks, leaving this significant scar unnoticed until Shimizu’s discovery.


    The scar, vast and deep, sparked Shimizu’s curiosity as it radiated a peculiar dark power. Venturing carefully into the scar, she descended into a dark mist at its base, a ce other experts might avoid, but to Shimizu, the mist posed no threat. She attempted to absorb the mist, only to find it thin and slightly toxic, offering little benefit to her.


    As she explored deeper, the mist transformed into a crimson blood mist, indicating she had entered the body of Yamata no Orochi. This ancient scar, still unhealed, led Shimizu to wonder about the formidable entity capable of inflicting such damage. Further down, she spotted a partially exposed ster soul, one of the eight central to Yamata no Orochi’s vitality. Without hesitation, Shimizu struck the ster soul with her de, causing the creature to emit a deafening shriek and thrash wildly. The attack not only destroyed one ster soul but also injured two others, inciting a frenzied response from Yamata no Orochi.


    The ensuing chaos forced everyone to keep their distance. In the turmoil, Ayaka found herself in danger as two heads targeted her. Unexpectedly, one head bit another, causing ck blood to spurt out in a disy of confusion that surpassed even Kimiko’s previous attack. A misdirected tail strike intended for Michizane ended up hitting the serpent itself. The once-coordinated attacks of Yamata no Orochi had descended into disarray, with half of its efforts inadvertently harming itself.


    “What?!” Yoritomo watched in disbelief as the serpent attacked itself. Shimizu, unaware of the full impact of her strike, had significantly disrupted Yamata no Orochi’s internal coordination. The creature, with eight origin souls granting it as many consciousnesses, relied on the synergy between each origin soul and its seven ster souls for coordination. Shimizu’s attack not only destroyed one ster soul but also injured two others, throwing the beast’s collective actions into chaos.


    Lily was taken aback to discover that Yamata no Orochi’s renowned regenerative abilities were impaired. Previously, decapitated heads would fully regenerate without fail, but this time, after she severed three heads, only two managed to regenerate—the third did not. This revtion hinted at a weakness: the serpent’s regeneration depended on the seamless cooperation between its ster souls, a synergy now evidently disrupted.


    An observer, unable to contain their astonishment, eximed, “Look! Yamata no Orochi is descending into chaos! It’s attacking itself!” This moment of self-inflicted chaos marked a pivotal turning point, offering a glimmer of hope to the battle-weary fighters.


    Another quickly observed, “That head seems to be unable to regenerate!” highlighting a crucial breach in the serpent’s once imprable defenses and igniting a spark of optimism among the group.


    Despite their injuries and exhaustion, this newfound hope invigorated the group. With renewed energy, they rallied with a unified cry of “Kill!” andunched into another vigorous assault, determined to exploit the serpent’s moment of weakness.


    Yamata no Orochi, despite its descent into chaos and the discord among its heads, retained formidable strength. The group recognized the necessity of continuing to deplete their ster souls to inflict damage on the colossal serpent.


    In a pivotal moment, a huge snake headunched a stream of poison towards Lily. With quick thinking and agility, Lily maneuvered behind another head, causing the poison to backfire and strike Yamata no Orochi itself. Seizing the moment, Lily delivered a precise strike that effectively severed the poisoned head, marking it with a swift cut that rendered it useless and unable to regenerate, significantly diminishing the serpent’sbat effectiveness.


    The collective effort of the group to inflict severe injuries on Yamata no Orochi led to wounds that ominously refused to heal. “We can win!” Lily thought, her heart buoyed by the prospect of victory.


    Encased in hazy moonlight, Lily moved with extraordinary grace, evading the serpent’s attempts to ensnare her. An attempt by arge tail to wrap around her ended in failure as Lily cleverly maneuvered, causing an unintended collision between two tails.


    Understanding that Yamata no Orochi’s origin souls were housed solely in its heads, the group knew that severing all eight would spell the end for the serpent. Energized by this strategy, Lily’s movements through the air shimmered brilliantly as she targeted the remaining heads.


    “Scythe!” she called, unleashing a powerful beam from her de that sliced through another of Yamata no Orochi’s heads. The loss of three heads drove the serpent to desperation, prompting it to attempt an escape.


    “We can’t let it escape into the sea!” the group dered, determined to prevent the serpent from fleeing. The remaining five heads, now in a state of disarray and unable to form a unified strategy, left Yamata no Orochi vulnerable and confused.


    In a daring maneuver, Lily leaped into action, enticing one head to mistakenly attack another part of its body. Landing on the serpent’s body, she ascended one of its necks and decisively brought her de down, severing a fourth head.


    With only four heads remaining and the sky clearing of four cmitous clouds, the group intensified their assault, managing to sever a fifth head.


    Now reduced to just three heads, Yamata no Orochi’s ability to coordinate improved, yet its diminished number made it less formidable. The group divided their focus: some targeted one head, while Lily and her shikigami and puppets took on the others.


    With a decisive motion, Lily severed a sixth head. The remaining heads and tails iled in a frenzy, a testament to the creature’s desperatest stand.


    During a particrly intense moment, Masakado was struck down, sustaining serious injuries in the process.


    The seventh head, weakened from regeneration, fell victim to a concentrated assault by Ayaka, Kimiko, and Shizuka Gozen. Their relentless strikes finally severed it, bringing the group tantalizingly close to victory.


    “Lily! Thest head!” Ayaka’s call focused all attention on the final target. Yamata no Orochi, now reduced to a single head, iled its seven necks wildly, sending arcs of ck blood into the air, a ghastly spectacle that, while harmless, painted a vivid picture of the serpent’s death throes.


    Lily, tapping into her deepest reserves of strength, moved with unparalleled speed. She danced through the air, deftly avoiding the desperate attacks of Yamata no Orochi’sst head, and positioned herself strategically atop it. The hazy moonlight, a symbol of her power, coalesced around her de, Oborozuki Muramasa, ready for the decisive strike.


    In a decisive moment, filled with the tension of impending victory, Lily brought her de down in a sweeping motion aimed to end the serpent’s reign of terror. Everyone’s anticipation of victory hung in the bnce as they watched.


    However, the expected culmination of their efforts was abruptly interrupted. Oborozuki Muramasa met an unexpected resistance: a dark golden bulge on the serpent’s head, proving to be an imprable barrier against her strike. The collision sent a jarring shock through Lily’s hands, causing her intense pain and leaving only a superficial mark on the bulge.


    “What!?” Caught off guard by the serpent’s sudden counterattack, a tail shimmered with a dark gold luster, striking swiftly towards Lily. Despite the pain coursing through her hands, she managed to free her de with a precise motion, yet found herself unable to evade the iing assault. Bracing herself, she raised her de in defense.


    The impact sent Lily flying, a stark testament to the serpent’s enhanced power. Blood trailed from her mouth as she was hurled through the air, the force of the blow far surpassing any she had encountered before. Thisst head, now in sole control of the serpent’s full might, was a formidable adversary.


    Yamata no Orochi underwent a terrifying transformation. Its body glowed with a dark golden sheen as its wounds healed instantaneously, and its scales took on a sharp, menacing glow. The emergence of eight sharp horns from the dark bump on its head signaled a new phase of the battle, with the serpent’s power magnified several-fold.


    The serpent’s final head moved with lethal speed,unching an attack at Shimizu with a vengeance that suggested it had not forgotten her previous affront. Shimizu’s response was immediate but desperate, as she deployed ck ribbons in defense against the swift assault.


    Lily, harnessing the power of her hazy moon soul world, unleashed a myriad of star ribbons, attempting to restrain Yamata no Orochi’s final head. Despite her efforts, the ribbons proved insufficient to contain the beast’s ferocity.


    In a brutal disy of the serpent’s might, Lily was overwhelmed, the force of the encounter causing her to expel blood forcefully. She found herself hurled against the mountain wall, her body wracked with pain as if it were on the verge of shattering.


    Though her actions momentarily impeded the serpent, the massive head, undeterred, charged through the spectral defenses and sent Shimizu reeling with a vicious strike from its horn.


    The serpent, recognizing Lily’s dire state, redirected its wrath towards her, identifying her as the principal threat amidst its adversaries.


    In a united front, Ayaka, Kimiko, Shizuka Gozen, and Tokiwa conjured a golden web in a desperate bid to shield Lily from further harm.


    The web, however, stood no chance against the serpent’s onught, disintegrating instantly under its power. The fierce blow sent the four defenders sprawling, blood marking their sacrifice.


    “Damned monster, you shall noty another w on her!” Michizane roared with defiance, his voice echoing with resolve. Beside him, Mita echoed the sentiment, their spirits united in protection. Together, they channeled every ounce of their power into their des, which crackled and zed with the raw energies of lightning and me. With a cry that blended their fury and determination, they shed downwards, aiming to halt the serpent’s relentless advance with a spectacr disy of theirbined might.


    Despite their formidable disy, their attack scarcely slowed the serpent’s charge. The impact sent them staggering back, nursing injuries, a clear indication of the immense power the beast directed at Lily.


    Amidst the ruins, Lily stood, a figure of resilience though visibly shaken. With her injuries yet to heal, she relied on her de for support, the world around her spinning in a dizzying haze of pain and determination. Sensing the imminent danger, she steeled herself for defense, though doubt clouded her heart about withstanding the impending strike.


    It was then that Uesugi Rei, marked by her distinctive silver hair, made a bold entrance, leaping from her ck steed into the fray. With a defiant stance, she positioned herself between Lily and the looming threat, her ancient de drawn and ready.


    Lily’s surprise was unmistakable as she eximed, “Sister Uesugi!??” The realization that Uesugi Rei,cking the power of a Big Dipper expert, was facing such peril on her behalf was shocking.


    Lily’s despair resonated in her cry, “No——!!!” as the scene unfolded before her.