CHAPTER 73 – MOUNT OOE

“Who are you people? Get out of my way!” Ijuin pointed at those samurai with dark armor angrily.

“By the Lord’s order, all of you must surrender your weapons and treasures immediately. Do not leave this place and wait for further orders.” The leader of the group led a bunch of black-armored samurai with terrifying masks. His voice was guttural and emotionless.

“By whose orders?” Ijuin was enraged.

“You don’t have the privilege to know.” The black-armored samurai leader said.

“What?”

Ijuin, Shiina Airi, and hundreds of female warriors stared at these black-armored samurai that were surrounding them in the middle of the camp. Their strength couldn’t be detected at all.

“Where’s the Chief Commander? Where is Lord Minamoto no Yoshitada? What right do you have to order us? I want to meet Chief Commander Ashikaga Makoto!” Ijuin screamed.

“I am Chief Commander Ashikaga Makoto’s Lieutenant! Are you trying to start a rebellion? Why would the Chief Commander allow you to do so?” Shiina Airi also questioned them.

However, those black-armored samurai only surrounded them and had zero intentions to move away. They also stayed silent.

Ijuin turned back to look at those injured sisters. Most of them were bleeding and desperately needed medical attention.

“Get lost!” Ijuin unsheathed her weapon and pointed at the samurai leader. “Otherwise, you’ll face the consequences!”

However, those black-armored samurai completely ignored her.

“Get lost!”

Ijuin turned around and kicked, slamming her foot onto the side of his black helmet.

Clang! Ijuin instantly felt massive pain on her leg, as if she had just kicked a heavy piece of metal. She could even destroy boulders. Yet, this black-armored samurai was much tougher than any boulder!

The samurai leader didn’t even budge at all.

“What…” Ijuin retracted her leg while trembling. She was an incredibly powerful heir back in Heian-kyo, and was personally granted command of the Tsunaga Sisters by the Cloistered Emperor.

She turned back and glanced at those injured sisters who supported each other and had painstakingly fled back to safety. Lily risked her life in order to allow them to escape. Yet, these black-armored samurai actually treated them this way!

Ijuin was also enraged. She raised her sword and swung at a samurai’s armor.

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Clack! The samurai leader suddenly grabbed Ijuin’s blade with his black metal glove. Then, his armor clad foot shot out at lightning speed and heavily slammed into Ijuin’s waist. She instantly tumbled to the ground since she was already fatigued and injured after the previous battle. Her weapon was also snatched away.

The samurai leader then grabbed her hair and slapped her twice. Those two heavy slaps nearly made her lose consciousness.

“Lady Ijuin!”

All the female warriors were livid. They all rushed forward in an attempt to protect Ijuin.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Those black armored samurai unsheathed their long swords simultaneously and also raised their spears. They surrounded those female warriors on all sides and completely restricted their movement and rendered them immobile.

The samurai leader only spoke emotionlessly, “Ijuin’s army and Shiina Airi’s army are suspected of fleeing the battlefield. They are all under arrest while awaiting further action. Those who resist will be executed!”

“B̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲… You’re lying, lies!” Ijuin laid on the ground and raised her head to shout.

Several black-armored samurai approached. They used their spear handles, scabbards, fists, and legs to brutalize Ijuin, causing her to faint.

“Lady Ijuin!” Airi was flustered!

However, she also couldn’t do a thing since a sword was pointed against her neck.

These black-armored samurai wore incredibly strong armor, had synchronized movements, and were all incredibly strong. Every single one of them was stronger than any Tsunaga Sisters and cavalrywomen when they were at their prime!

Also, their black armor seemed to be able to block any spiritual detection. Based on that confrontation alone, Airi already knew that the leader’s strength greatly surpassed hers.

She couldn’t do anything.

“Why… Would it end up this way?”

Lily risked her life and did everything she could to help them escape. After painstakingly returning to her own camp, such a thing actually happened!

“Madam Makoto, why would you allow these people to do such things in the camp?”

All of the Tsunaga Sisters and cavalrywomen who returned were now confined by these black-armored samurai. Nobody knew what would happen to them in the future.

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Inside the demon’s den in Mount Ooe, Shuten Doji had mixed feelings.

“What exactly has happened? Why hasn’t Ibaraki contacted me yet?”

Meanwhile, Uesugi Rei had been hung up above the demon’s den since long ago. It didn’t seem like she would surrender anytime soon. Since Shuten wasn’t in a good mood, that was most likely a good thing. At the very least, this meant that until this moment, he probably hadn’t captured Lily yet!

At this moment, she was more worried about Lily than she was about herself. And what worried her the most was…

“Lily, If you actually managed to escape, do not ever come back to rescue me. Never! You just can’t compete with Shuten, no matter when it comes to strength or strategy… Lily…”

However, this warning was destined to fall on deaf ears.

At this moment, Lily was marching towards Mount Ooe in determination.

The forests of Tanba were vast and disorienting, especially when they came close to Mount Ooe. That thick fog and Eldritch Energy between the mountain valleys manifested an illusion-like power that concealed its existence.

If she didn’t follow Minamoto no Kenki and searched for it herself, Lily would definitely waste a lot of time.

From Honganji Temple to Mount Ooe, they still spent several days traveling despite Kenki knowing the way.

Kenki ignited a campfire in the woods and said, “Lady Kagami, let’s rest for now.”

“Is it necessary? I’m not tired.”

“Hehe, Lady Kagami, you’re exceptionally powerful and vigorous. However, I’ve been stuck in Tanba and fought horrible battles here for half a year. I’m also injured. I really can’t handle it anymore. Just let me take a rest.”

“Well, sure.” Lily spoke while sitting on top of a large rock, resting her eyes.

“I’ll take a leak in the woods.” Kenki said after starting the fire.

“Please help yourself, my lord.”

Kenki left Lily and pretended to find a place to take a leak while moving deeper into the woods. Since they were members of the opposite sex, it was reasonable for him to travel further to relieve himself.

However, Kenki somehow traveled too far away.

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He practically traveled through another mountain before taking out a talisman and carving a formation on the ground. After making sure that he wasn’t being surveilled by Lily using her spiritual energy or Domain, he secretly took out his voice transmission orb.

This voice transmission orb was created in Mount Ooe and personally granted to him by Shuten. In Tanba, this trinket was far more useful than any other voice transmission orbs.

Kenki whispered, “Lord Shuten… Lord Shuten…”

Little did he know, there was a squirrel chewing on an acorn on a branch nearby, coincidentally. Its black eyes glittered as it occasionally glanced at him.

The squirrel waited for Kenki to leave before climbing down the tree. It then morphed into a small raccoon before dissipating.

Lily naturally saw everything Kenki did, but she still pretended like she knew nothing. Kenki returned and maintained some distance away from Lily as he rested.

The next day, the weather was gloomy, which was rare.

The Empire’s transport vessels and ironclad battleships were now loaded with all its soldiers. They departed from the river and headed towards Port Ayabe.

By now, Ashikaga Makoto no longer had any command over the army.

The Tange River was enveloped in fog. On a pitch-black ironclad ship, Minamoto no Yoshitada rushed into the cabin. He confronted Minamoto no Hirohikari, who was enjoying his meal of locally caught fish.

“You should at least release those cavalrywomen and Sword Mikos! They all staked their lives by protecting the retreating army. They are meritorious! Many of these women are even injured, how could you do this!” Yoshitada shouted in anger!

Hirohikari was dressed up like a court official while eating a piece of sashimi in the light. He wiped the grease off his lips and said, “Lord Yoshitada, please calm down. We lost this battle all because of Ashikaga Makoto’s incompetence. The chief commander is still impressed by your performance, Lord Yoshitada.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about! Release all the injured girls! Hurry up and assign medics to them!”

“Heheh, fine, fine. Since you said so, I suppose it’s possible to provide medical treatment to those female soldiers who fled the battle. However, it’s impossible to release them. as for their fate, it will only be decided after we return to Heian-kyo.” Hirohikari said.

“What? How can you do such a reckless thing?” Yoshitada was enraged. He rushed into the cabin and grabbed Hirohikari’s collar.

“Lord Yoshitada! Why are you mad at me? This is his Lordship, the Chief Commander’s orders!”

“What?” Yoshitada was shocked.

“Are you actually questioning the decision of the leader of our Minamoto Clan, the Chief Commander?”

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Yoshitada let go of Hirohikari, took a few steps back and knelt down before prostrating. “This one wouldn’t dare.”

A few days later.

Lily followed Kenki as they traversed the senseless fog.

“The fog here is really incredible…” Lily was also amazed. The fog was incredibly thick and would even occasionally emit oppressive Eldritch Energy. Her detection range using her spiritual energy and Domain was pitiful. Her voice transmission abilities also failed to pierce the fog.

Lily and Kenki ascended a tall mountain, only to see that the fog was connected to the sky itself. It was virtually glued together with the rolling clouds above.

“Looks like if I didn’t care about being discovered, it would be impossible to locate the place even if I scouted around while riding my bird demon…”

Lily could sense that the Eldritch Energy within the fog had some sort of similar properties. If she could completely understand this phenomenon, perhaps the Eldritch Energy would enhance her detection skills, instead of hindering it.

“This isn’t right!” Lily soon gave up on that thought. This so-called phenomenon was impossible to grasp. The fog itself seemed to be vaguely controlled by a formless but immense power!

Lily couldn’t help but be shocked. “These clouds and fog that contain Eldritch Energy aren’t formed naturally! This vast expanse of wilderness is completely smothered by Eldritch Energy! It must be an ability of some powerful Archdemon!”

Fortunately, she wasn’t reckless enough to scout the location of Mount Ooe by riding on her demon bird. It would be fine if she failed; But if she accidentally entered into the range of Eldritch Energy, she would be digging herself a grave.

The Eldritch Energy that was hundreds of miles in diameter with Mount Ooe as its center would never dissipate. It completely concealed the entire mountain range. Who else could it be?

Shuten Doji!

The first reason why Mount Ooe could never be found was because Shuten Doji had used an unimaginable ability to conceal Mount Ooe and its surrounding areas!

The second reason was that if someone were to accidentally enter this radius, they would never escape alive.

In front, the pungent fog was slowly scattered by an ominous gust of wind that seemed to have come from the depths of Yomi, gradually thinning it.

Lily instantly halted her steps in front of a mountain cliff. Several small rocks then rolled off beside her feet and into an abyss. Lily raised her head, only to see an incredibly majestic but gloomy mountain.

Mount Ooe!