<h4>Volume 11 - Yamata no Orochi: Chapter 57 – Decisive Battle amongst Lightning and Fire!</h4>


    Golden rain descended upon Lily and Rei, healing their grave injuries as their bodies, stamina, and energy reserves were rejuvenated and fortified by the rain’s blessings.


    Yamata no Orochi was neither an adept nor born of other serpents. This entity was forged by nature itself, assimting the world’s malevolent desires along with the essence of heaven and earth.


    The supreme de, Oborozuki Muramasa, represented Madam Yoruko’s lifelong pursuit. It echoed the essence of her ultimate technique. Employing her adapted version at a pivotal moment, Lily felt Madam Yoruko’s swordsmanship was eternal, transcending even her demise.


    Rebirth eradicated the world’s malignant thoughts, with the essence of heaven and earth purifying the corruption. What remained was a tempest of golden blood rain, embodying Ashihara’s essence umted over millennia. This rare phenomenon, appearing once every thousand years, offered varying degrees of strength enhancement based on an individual’stent potential and the quantity of golden blood rain they absorbed.


    As Rei and Lily supported each other to their feet, an incredible event unfolded. Eight silver rays burst from the tails of the deceased Yamata no Orochi. These rays, brimming with immense power yet devoid of hostility, spiraled in the sky before converging into Rei’s sword.


    With a resonant “Boom,” the sword trembled violently, requiring both Lily and Rei to grasp it tightly to maintain control.


    An inexhaustible stream of energy surged into the sword,pelling the golden blood rain to form a whirlpool drawn toward it. This energy and blood were then channeled into Rei and Lily’s bodies, predominantly benefiting Rei.


    “Ahhh…” Rei eximed, caught between pain and ecstasy, her body enveloped in silver mes that danced with traces of golden light.


    Rei sank to one knee with the force of her descent, her sword sliding into the rock floor to support her.


    Sister Uesugi, what happened!?” Lily asked, fraught with worry.


    Meanwhile, the others had alreadyunched their assault on Yoritomo’s final stronghold.


    “Lily, go,” Rei urged swiftly.


    “Sister Uesugi…”


    Rei’s silver hair was disheveled, and her typically cold expression gave way to a calm smile as she tried to stabilize herself. “Don’t worry, I may need some time to properly absorb this energy.”


    “I might not make it to the final battle, ahaha… such a regrettable thing. Lily, this is your destiny. Please, for this dark world, end the source of the disasters!”


    Lily and Rei sped each other’s hands before parting ways.


    Lily ascended into the sky, wielding Oborozuki Muramasa in one hand, with sakura petals swirling around her at each step. She advanced, her long hair drenched in golden blood, her gaze fixed on the summit of the final castle.


    “Sister Uesugi, my otherpanions, Lord Yoshitsune… for all those wronged and in by Minamoto no Yoritomo, today marks the end!”


    The sky rumbled, as if mourning the demise of the great cmitous monster, with rain and thunder relentlessly descending.


    Amidst the rain and thunder, Lily made her way towards the ultimate battlefield, step by step!


    Her allies, radiating with golden luminescence and bursting with momentum, had already arrived at Yoritomo’s castle. Even those possessing the strength at the level of Michizane and Ayaka had fully recuperated and grown stronger from the golden rain’s influence. Despite the tens of thousands of ck-armored soldiers, myriad demons, and demonic generals defending the castle, they couldn’t halt their advance.


    Herpanionsunched their assault on the castle perched atop the suspended mountain. Like unstoppable forces, they carved a path of destruction through the defending forces, sowing chaos in their wake.


    With the fall of the Yamata no Orochi, the morale of the ck-armored soldiers and the forces of Yomi plummeted, leading their ranks to copse like dominoes.


    The sky was aze with thunderstorms, lightning striking incessantly, igniting the mes of war around the castle walls. mes and water, coldness and blistering light illuminated the respective battlefields.


    Lily touched down on the mountain path leading to the castle’s entrance. Unfazed by the defending troops and fortifications, she was singrly focused.


    A barrage of eldritch arts and arrows targeted Lily, yet they were thwarted by an invisible barrier of lunar force that enveloped her.


    Suddenly, Lily found herself nked by two double-soul Big Dipper demon generals, one wielding a long spear and the other a curved scimitar. She remained unflustered, neither dodging nor moving to intercept them.


    The sound of metal shing rang out as Shimizu and Princess Asuka parried the attacks of the two demon generals.


    “Lily! Go, we’ll take care of this!” Princess Asuka called out.


    “Kagami Lily! Confront me! As one of Yomi’s four kings, Ryu Tanki, I’vee to im your life!” dered arge, entirely ck, horned quadruple-soul Big Dipper archdemon, challenging Lily.


    Lily disregarded the full-powered strike unleashed by the quadruple-soul Big Dipper archdemon.


    Michizane collided with the quadruple-soul Big Dipper archdemon with his thunder de, creating a thunderous impact, while Ayaka intercepted another.


    Kimiko, Tokiwa, Shizuka Gozen, Tomoe Gozen, and the others overpowered the demon generals and surrounding forces, carving a path for Lily that led straight to the castle.


    “Lily! Proceed! We’ve got this covered; your fight awaits above!” Ayaka eximed.


    “End this! I’ve grown weary of this dark, treacherous world!” Michizane urged.


    “Lily, avenge my husband, your teacher!” Shizuka Gozen implored, tears in her eyes, as her sword whirled, slicing through countless foes.


    “Lily, how I wish to be the one to end Minamoto no Yoritomo myself, but only you can achieve this! Allow me to witness his downfall with my own eyes!” Tomoe Gozen proimed as she soared through the sky, dispersing scores of ck-armored soldiers, her voice trailing behind her.


    Lily progressed along the stone path, elerating with each step until she dashed through mes and rain


    ¹.


    Lily’s crimson kimono and ck hair streamed behind her as she raced towards the castle.


    Atop the castle stood Yoritomo’s original form, a ten-meter-tall figure d in the hunting wear of a general and the tall ck hat of an official, signifying his high rank. He gazed down at Lily, a de aze with ck mes in his grasp.


    “Lily, you’ve finally arrived!” boomed Yoritomo’s voice, “Impressive!”


    The flickering mes illuminated his visage. Yoritomo peered down at Lily, his expression one of arrogance and resolve.


    “Minamoto no Yoritomo!” Lily leaped into the air, with Oborozuki Muramasa slicing through the air like a moon descending, targeting Yoritomo.


    The sh resonated with a mighty “ng,” shaking mountains and oceans alike, as a tremendous shockwave jolted the suspended mountain and stirred the ocean into turmoil.


    Aglow with a hazy golden light and drenched in the great snake’s blood, Lily’s strength now exceeded that of a sextuple-soul Big Dipper expert.


    Her sh, fueled by a monstrous battle spirit and the mightiest sword under heaven, rivaled the ferocity of Yoshitsune’s most powerful attack.


    The collision of their des sent shockwaves through Yoritomo’s ten-meter-tall frame, his feet dragging across the rocky terrain, etching long trails behind.


    Lily’s strike unbnced him, propelling him into the castle tower, where stone walls crumbled and eaves shattered.


    “Lily! Such a potent strike! Your prowess is formidable, indeed, despite being a woman


    ²!” gasped Yoritomo, pushing Lily back tounch a vigorous counterattack.


    A shockwave reverberated across the ground, echoing with a mighty “boom.”


    Lily evaded the strike by vaulting into the air.


    “Kagami Lily! With your formidable strength, why resist the current? Join me, and together we can forge a new era for mankind!” Yoritomo entreated.


    “In your dreams.” Lily descended from her leap, slicing downward.


    Yoritomo braced for the impact, causing a resounding sh. His massive arm trembled as muscles and skin fissured, with ck blood seeping out, and even the de showed cracks from the force of the collision.


    “Lily! You possess great talent, yet youck foresight. Are you aware that your actions could lead to the world’s destruction and humanity’s extinction?”


    Yoritomo angled his de, deflecting Lily’s de aside as he lowered his stance, his de arcing back in a swift sh aimed at Lily’s waist!


    Sakura blossoms materialized beneath Lily’s feet as she executed a graceful leap,nding deftly on Yoritomo’s de mid-swing and sprinting along its length. Sensing the unexpected weight, Yoritomo forcefully elevated his de, disrupting Lily’s charge and unsettling her bnce. In her unsteady state, Lily managed tond a kick squarely on Yoritomo’s imposing visage.


    Despite his towering stature, the force of the kick propelled him outward, sending him crashing into a tower with such force that it shattered and crumbled. This impact initiated a cascade of destruction, with additional sections of the castle beginning to copse and ignite.


    Lily hovered in the air, a picture of pride, as she gazed down upon Yoritomo’s defeated form amidst the ruins, hundreds of meters distant. “It appears to me that your ambition poses the greatest threat to the world!”


    “Ahahahahaha! Ambition, you say? Howughable! You fail to grasp my essence, the true nature of the world! My actions are driven by justice, not ambition! Your so-called kindness and misguided sense of justice will only lead to the downfall of this world and all that you hold dear!” Yoritomo rose, dusting off the rubble before springing into the air, his massive de arcing towards Lily in a wide sweep.


    “And that is precisely why you must be defeated! To safeguard those dear to me!” Lily surged forward towards Yoritomo, her de descending in a decisive sh.


    The meeting of their two des unleashed a shockwave, radiating hazy moonlight in all directions.


    Yoritomo’s strength was no match for Lily’s. His body was hurled back to the ground, creating a crater upon impact.


    As Yoritomo steadied himself, his de pierced the earth. “Perhaps the tide turned the moment I, a general, chose to engage in battle personally. Lily, it may be futile to say now, but I do hold admiration for you. Today, one of us must fall here.”


    Yoritomo ignited his ster souls, causing his powers to surge dramatically. Despite possessing innumerable treasures, he recognized their limited utility against a formidable opponent like Lily. The deep-seated animosity between them demanded resolution through a direct and fundamental sword duel. In this moment, a life-and-death sh unfolded between them, determining who would wield ultimate power over the world with the sword. <h4>Footnotes:</h4>


    Robinxen: What’s with this JRPG like ending sequence… I just joked about Orochi being a raid boss but now you’re going full Endwalker on me.


    Robinxen: This author… what is it with you and women?