<h4>Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 56 – Sword and Soul</h4>


    The towering dark golden head of Yamata no Orochi parted its jaws to reveal enormous fangs. Each fang, extending hundreds of meters, possessed a might that far exceeded that of its forebears.


    Its agility was even more breathtaking!


    The mere force of its movement sent a shockwave that rattled Rei’s footing, akin to single-handedly confronting a meteor.


    Confronted with the menacing array of fangs, Rei was driven by a single determination: to stand as Lily’s shield, ready to sacrifice her own life.


    Her silver hair streamed out wildly behind her, as the spirit of Bishamonten materialized, infusing her with unparalleled strength, resolve, momentum, and emotion.


    Her battle cry was lost amidst Yamata no Orochi’s thunderous roar. With resolve, Rei wielded her ancient de, light and swift as a willow leaf, against the towering fangs.


    Lily’s gaze was wide with shock yet void of hope, utterly drained of strength. How could Rei, with her modest rank of a throned saint, withstand such a formidable assault?


    She was rendered a mere spectator to the unfolding drama.


    The colossal fangs collided with the ancient de, shattering it into myriad fragments that scattered far and wide. A scene of grim devastation loomed imminent…


    Yet, that anticipated tragedy did not unfold. Among the scattered remnants of the ancient de, a slender, unbroken sword emerged.


    The sword unleashed a sonorous cry as it was drawn, its resonance scraping through the hearts of everyone present, echoing a sharp whisper of steel cutting through the air.


    Incredibly, this sword sliced through Yamata no Orochi’s formidable teeth with effortless grace.


    “What!?” A wave of shock and disbelief swept through the onlookers.


    Sensing the ancient de’s destruction and the revtion of the slender sword, Yamata no Orochi’s eyes zed with a mix of fury and dread, unleashing a formidable eldritch aura to oppress Rei, whom it had overlooked until now.


    Rei’s gleaming silver sword, capable of slicing through Yamata no Orochi’s teeth as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter, became ineffectual as the creature’s suppression immobilized her, rendering her unable to wield or withdraw her de.


    With its jaw agape, Yamata no Orochi surged towards the ground aiming for Lily, Rei’s sword ensnared in its tooth, the beast poised to devour them in one fell swoop.


    “B?a?s?t?a?r?d?!” Rei cast aside her wonder at the divine sword concealed within her ancient de, her entire being focused on oveing the beast’s overwhelming force.


    Yet, despite the keen edge of her sword, Rei found herself immobilized, unable to muster even the slightest movement.


    Teeth clenched, Rei braced as she neared the ground, the massive jaws of the Orochi beginning their ominous descent.


    “Lily, run! Hurry, run!” In Rei’s eyes shone a frosty resolve. She was prepared to sacrifice herself to buy Lily even a fleeting moment of escape.


    Yet the disparity in power was insurmountable; the colossal jaws pressed onward, unimpeded.


    Suddenly, the air was filled with a delicate scent, mingled with the warmth and vigor of a young woman’s resolve in battle.


    A graceful and beautiful hand sped Rei’s, channeling a surge of unmatched power straight into her veins!


    The air hummed with the sound of metal on metal, a clear, sharp note that sang of ancient steel meeting its foe.


    The slender silver sword effortlessly sliced through Yamata no Orochi’s formidable teeth, as if they were mere tofu. An icy blue beam emitted from the de tore into the creature’s jaw, effortlessly severing the surrounding teeth, cleaving the jaw open, prating the skull, and revealing a gaping wound. Within this chasm, a crystalline entity radiated a golden glow.


    Within the woundy Yamata no Orochi’s final origin soul, a culmination of the essence from its brethren origin and ster souls. It radiated with a star-like luminosity and formidable power.


    Upon the revtion of its origin soul, Yamata no Orochi sensed the impending brink between life and death. It marshaled every ounce of its might into its maw, where a fearsome golden radiance amassed—a final, desperate attempt to cling to existence. Such power was beyond Lily’s capacity to withstand.


    Lily, utterly drained of all strength, leaned heavily against Rei. Despite clutching a divine sword, her armscked the vitality to wield it any longer.


    On the cusp of Yamata no Orochi’s fatal assault, Lily’s life unfurled before her—a cascade of memories from her arrival in this realm to the present. Allies and adversaries, the myriad faces of valor, and the sacrifices of true warriors, including the venerable Madam Yoruko, shed by.


    Madam Yoruko, the remarkable woman whose life was a testament to the art of the sword. Her existence, brilliant as a meteor’s trail, embodied the noble sacrifices made in pursuit of justice. Such was the core of Madam Yoruko’s swordsmanship…


    Lily’s left hand sped Rei’s, guiding her in the trajectory of theirbined momentum, while her right wielded Oborozuki Muramasa. Despite her waning strength, she maneuvered the de with fluid grace, as if slicing through the very shadows of the abyss.


    The de unleashed a luminescent arc, ephemeral as moonlight and almost invisible to the eye. It surged forward, a ripple on water, piercing Yamata no Orochi’s maw to reach its vulnerable origin soul.


    After herst effort, Lily was too spent to observe the aftermath. Together, she and Rei twirled through the air, descending like a duo-toned blossom, the surroundings blurring as she shut her eyes, lost in reflection.


    “Rebirth.”


    The strike left no physical scar on Yamata no Orochi, yet it eradicated its malevolence instantly. The sword’s power transcended mere mortality, elevating beyond the realm of atonement offered by death.


    Stripped of its malevolence, Yamata no Orochi was rendered void. The de extinguished its essence, leaving nothing but an empty shell.


    The serpent’sst head soared upwards, unleashing a prolonged, piercing cry of agony that slowly ebbed into emptiness as its dark intent faded away.


    A cataclysmic eruption resonated.


    Deprived of its guiding soul, the destructive force Yamata no Orochi harbored detonated within its cranium. A radiant golden brilliance illuminated the nocturnal canvas,pelling all to shield their eyes.


    The serpent’s final head disintegrated under the might of its own unleashed fury. The liberated essence of its origin and ster souls, now untethered, melded with the celestial blood mist that enveloped the heavens


    ¹.


    Gone was the corrupt ichor of before, reced by a golden elixir enriched with the soul’s quintessence of the cosmos. This hallowed blood, radiant and potent, was a manifestation of purified essence.


    A golden deluge descended over a span of a thousand meters, as if the heavens themselves wept in aureate sorrow.


    As the golden rain permeated their bodies, it not only failed to harm them but also brought cleansing and healing. Even the injuries from the burning of their ster souls were mended, enhancing their souls with greater resilience and power than before. Among them were Lily, Rei, Shimizu, Ayaka, and Kimiko, along with Michizane, Masakado, and Mita…


    Golden pirs of light burst through the night sky as they were enveloped in the blood of the serpent, its golden hue shimmering around them.


    “Minamoto no Yoritomo——!”


    They radiated with golden light, their determination stronger than ever as they set their sights on the final castle! <h4>Footnotes:</h4>


    Robinxen: Raid boss defeated!