CHAPTER 14 – KIYOKO’S PERSEVERANCE

Kiyoko was anxious, though she understood, as a female, she shouldn’t be so hasty, but the anticipation and expectation was unbearable.

“I should still take a bath…”

Kiyoko went to the back of the shrine master’s residence that now belonged to her, and took a bath, and afterwards entered her room in a yukata to dress up.

“Should I put my hair up or let it down?”

Even if she let her hair down, it wouldn’t be as beautiful as Miss Lily’s hair, she should put her hair up.

Towards Lily, Kiyoko didn’t harbor the feelings of love she had towards Ayaka… She was just too depressed. She had lost to a girl who was both younger and more beautiful than her, but she was not jealous. She had not seen Ayaka for ten something years, she did not have the right to be jealous.

She just wanted, to lose a bit more thoroughly…

Just as she was arranging her hair, “Hm?”

She felt some unusual movement outside.

She pulsed her spirit energy to scan and detected a few people who should not be here outside the door. Amongst them were two who she did not recognize, but they were all experts with strength surpassing her!

“What? The scroll room’s door is open? The lock was opened?” The scroll room had arcane artes cast upon it and her spirit energy could not detect within the room. But this situation was very suspicious.

Someone had entered the scroll room late at night, and she who had just become the shrine master was kept unaware.

“What is going on?”

Quickly changing back into her usual black bodysuit, having no time, she didn’t pull on her mesh underarmor. Grabbing her katana, she stepped out, water vapor still clinging to her form.

Quickly walking out of the main residence she saw the group of people. The former shrine master Shigeyuki, her student Fujiwara no Doji, and two unknown samurai standing in front of the open door of the scroll room.

“Kiyoko?” Shigeyuki was only slightly surprised to see her, “How is it? The feeling of attaining the position of shrine master? How do you feel living in the main house?”

Under the night light, the two strange samurais stared at her with a cold gaze.

“Those two are strong!” Kiyoko’s heart jumped.

In this situation, she did not have the leisure to gossip. Looking at the open door, she asked, “Lord Shigeyuki, what is going on? Who opened the door of the scroll room?”

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“Oh, hehe, you’re asking about this,” Shigeyuki’s voice was normal, “A lord within my Fujiwara clan wants to retrieve his child’s scroll, I’m helping him send it over.”

If the men Shigeyuki had brought over were regular workers, she might have believed it. Afterall, even though she was now the master of this shrine, there were some behind the scene deals to obtain a scroll, though not legal, it was normal. But if this was just a small issue, then why would he bring two permanence-staged samurai, and why would Fujiwara no Doji involve himself?

Fujiwara no Doji was not some random Fujiwara member, he was the Imperial Chancellor Fujiwara no Renbo’s second son.

Kiyoko felt her face go cold and the throbbing anticipation of Lily’s punishment disappear.

Solemnly, she spoke, “Lord Shigeyuki, which Lord Fujiwara wants who’s scroll to be retrieved. As the current master of this shrine, why did you not notify me? And as the retired shrine master, why do you still have a key to this room?”

“Ehehe,” Shigeyuki walked forward saying, “You don’t have to be so nervous Miss Kiyoko. This is only to promote a rookie within the family, I did not tell you because it was an order I received before my abdication. This isn’t a big matter so I didn’t report it. This is my mistake, I hope Miss Kiyoko can forgive this.”

“This…” Even though he was the previous shrine master, Shigeyuki was so polite. If this was really an ordinary process, then after she verified the scrolls, she would not make things difficult for them.

“I see, then please tell me the name of the lord and the candidate for the scroll so I have an idea. Since this is an order from above, then let that be it, but in the future, I hope you can notify me in advance.”

“Of course, of course, this time it was simply for convenience’s sake. Don’t worry, next time this won’t happen.” Shigeyuki reassured, “This is Lord Fujiwara no Arima, we plan on transferring the scroll belonging to the Imperial Chancellor’s son, Fujiwara no Doji.”

Kiyoko nodded, “So it’s like that, I understand.”

That explained Doji’s presence here, but those two unknown samurai were still suspicious.

At that moment, the people within the room came out. To think four people came out, besides the one responsible for the sorting of the scrolls, the other three shocked her.

The first person was around 1.9 meters tall, extremely majestic, his arms seemed to burst with power without losing agility! This man with a narrow face and dark red hair styled into a back thorn had a terrifying gaze.

The other two people, a burly middle aged samurai and an elderly onmyouji all had extraordinary auras, these three people were all much stronger than the samurai Shigeyuki had brought!

Although Kiyoko could not see through their power level, her intuition told her so. For such people to arrive, just transferring one regular court employment scroll was too wasteful.

Kiyoko’s eyes fell onto the scroll in the middle aged samurai’s hand. The scroll looked clean, but old, it did not seem like a scroll used by a student. Though it was the first time seeing that scroll, for some reason she felt it had a familiar and close aura.

“Lady Ayaka!”

Over ten years of sentimental love, she had thought of her day and night, and every little item Ayaka had used in that wooden house, she considered a treasure. After all these years, Ayaka’s imprint had been seared into Kiyoko’s soul. Though there was no basis, she felt that scroll had something to do with Ayaka.

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If it was someone else, even if it was a conspiracy, Kiyoko might not resist in front of such terrifying people, but if it was about Ayaka, then it was different!

“Lord Shigeyuki, these people are…”
“Oh, they were sent here by Lord Arima to transfer the scroll.”
“Is that so? If they’re really here to transfer Doji’s scroll, that’s fine, but that scroll, please let me verify it first.”

Shigeyuki’s face fell, “This is a scroll the imperial court has sent for, why is verification necessary?”
“In case, what if they took the wrong one?”
“Impossible!”
“I have never entered the archives, so I am not clear on the rules within. But if that is Doji’s scroll, why is there a miko’s seal on it?”

Kiyoko’s eyes were locked onto the seal imprinted onto the ribbon of the scroll. That was clearly the seal of Izumo Shrine’s priestess! Kiyoko coldly reiterated, “Why would the priestess’s seal be marked on a male onmyouji’s scroll?”

“This…how could I know, it was probably sealed mistakenly. This is by the order of Lord Arima, don’t involve yourself!”

Walking in front of the group, she gripped her katana tighter, “I Otome Kiyoko am the master of this shrine. Even if the Imperial Chancellor has personally ordered for this scroll, then there should be the procedure documents! Hand them to me, without my personal verification, do not think about leaving this shrine with that scroll1!”

Shigeyuki’s eyes turned cold, “Kiyoko, no matter what, I watched you grow up, I advise you to not get involved! This is not something someone of your level can interfere with! Even if you sell your life here, it won’t be enough! Now get out of the way!”

“Lord Shigeyuki, are you threatening me? Whether by the laws of the imperial court or by the laws of the Fujiwara clan, it is a felony to steal scrolls from this Izumo shrine!”

“Kiyoko…are you really unwilling to let go?” Shigeyuki’s eyes turned gloomy.

“Lord Shigeyuki, hand the scroll to me and I shall move aside immediately and treat this as if it never happened.” Kiyoko’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat, she knew she was not a match for these people, but she would not allow Lady Ayaka’s scroll to be taken away. These people’s actions were strange and fierce, if it was really Ayaka’s scroll, then they would definitely use it against her!

“Shigeyuki, where did this crazy woman come from? Such recklessness! To dare stop us! Kill her!” The elder onmyouji ruthlessly said.

Shigeyuki was hesitant, but things had already reached this point. It was impossible to stop now. His face turned ruthless, “Attack!”

Powerful suppression burst out from the two samurai and they drew their blades and charged at Kiyoko.

“So fast!” Though she could not see their movements, she had long prepared. With a quick retreat, she drew her katana.

Clang! The first samurai reached Kiyoko and their blades clashed. His permanence staged strike sent Kiyoko flying uncontrollably and smashing through an ancient tree before bouncing and skidding on the ground.

Just a single clash had removed her ability to stand for a while.

At this moment…

In the small cliff cabin several thousand miles away from the shrine at the peak of the mountain. Lily was training with her eyes closed.

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“Hm?” She suddenly felt the powerful reverberations of a clash between spirit powers.

“It’s the direction of the shrine…Kiyoko!??”

Without hesitation, she got up and dashed to the window before jumping out, her eyes firmly locked onto the shrine at the top of the mountain.

Fwoosh! Her domain activated and she immediately sensed the situation up top. A group of powerful unfamiliar samurai, Shigeyuki, and…Kiyoko, her aura was extremely weak!

“Kiyoko!!!”

She turned into a crimson flash, speeding toward the peak of the mountain.

Swish! The crimson flash bypassed the trees and cliffs at an incredible speed as it traveled towards the shrine.

That single blow had made her feel like she was going to shatter, but she still had her spirit power. Tightly grabbing her blade she tried to stand up.

“You cannot take that scroll…that…that…that’s her belonging, you will not leave with it!”

Thud!
Thump!

The two permanence staged samurai each stepped on one of her hands, immobilizing her.

“Kill her!” Shigeyuki ordered.

Chilling smiles emerged on their faces as they raised their blades and aimed at Kiyoko’s back! Suddenly an incomparable tyrannical suppression crashed down! The entire sky turned dark red.

“Who dares!?” A young female voice echoed out!

That crimson flash had crossed the walls of the shrine before the shout2!

“What?” The two samurais turned their heads to look, Lily had already landed besides Kiyoko, her Yasutsuna finishing drawing a beautiful arc!

Pfft!!!

The two permanence staged samurais didn’t know what had happened before their spirit jades were pulverized by Lily’s Yasutsuna. Two permanence staged samurais, dead!

References

Robinxen: She has a good head on her.Robinxen: Quite the entrance.