Published at 24th of January 2024 3:19 pm

Volume 11, Chapter 5 – Shizuka Gozen Arrives

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What was Yoritomo trying to do? Lily could not condone such actions, regardless of his intentions. His deeds would not remain confined to her valley; they threatened to cascade across the entire world.

In Heian-kyo, within the ancestral home of the Taira and the grandeur of the Great Hall of Taira no Kiyomori, an urgent assembly was taking place.

“Minamoto no Yoritomo, is this what you call a countermeasure? Instead of salvaging this turbulent world, you commit such a heinous and preposterous act!” Kiyomori bellowed, having appeared personally to quell the turmoil. “Disciples of Taira, I forbid you from partaking in this ludicrous secret concoction!”

To the west of Heian-kyo, amidst a town cradled by undulating fields, voices of dissent rose sharply.

“What!?” exclaimed several patriarchs of the Kansai noble families, among them Kawachi no Mamoru, and the seldom-seen Kusonoki Nanzo of the Kusonoki Family, who typically abstained from conflict. They convened to deliver their stern verdict. “We reject Minamoto no Yoritomo’s so-called ‘new era’ and his atrocious scheme that transforms the populace into monstrous aberrations!”

“But how shall we endure if we resist? With the heavens in turmoil and the world in flux, survival seems bleak,” questioned a nobleman, voicing the underlying fear.

“Minamoto no Yoritomo’s wrath will be inevitable. We lack the might to withstand the Genji forces,” another conceded.

After a contemplative pause, Kusonoki’s eyes sparked with a strategic gleam. “Our strength may be insufficient against Minamoto no Yoritomo, yet there is one who possesses the requisite power.”

Intrigued, the group pressed, “Eh? Who could that be?”

Directing his gaze at a middle-aged man among them, Kusonoki queried, “Lord Ijuin, isn’t your daughter the one who journeyed alongside that renowned hero1? The one who, unaided, stormed into Heian-kyo, breached the execution grounds before Minamoto no Yoritomo, and vanquished the supreme arch-demon, Shuten Doji?”

Further south of Lake Biwa, nestled within a bamboo grove of the Ise region, where the night sky was painted with the crimson strokes of volcanic fires, Ashikaga Makoto, alongside the remnants of her clan, had taken refuge.

Despite her longing, Makoto had refrained from returning to Cherry Blossom Valley, aware that her clan needed her leadership. Her presence outside the valley was strategic, enabling her to impede the court and aid Lily. Yet, if she returned with her current strength, she would be ineffectual.

“My lineage may be of the Genji and our allegiance to the Imperial Court unwavering through generations, but we cannot stand idle as the world succumbs to ruin. Lord Yoshitsune is the epitome of our Genji valor,” Makoto declared to her kin. “I, Ashikaga Makoto, will not endorse Minamoto no Yoritomo’s endeavors2.”

Within Cherry Blossom Valley, Lily was enveloped in solitude, her gaze fixed upon the tranquil cherry blossom forest in her backyard. Such serene vistas were a rarity in these times.

She recognized this tranquility as the precursor to a tempest—the final reprieve.

This moment of clarity deepened Lily’s perception; even as the garden lay serene in the nocturnal quiet, it mirrored the sorrow enveloping the world. There was a poignant beauty in this tranquility, a stark contrast to the looming chaos.

Amidst her contemplation, Lily’s domain advanced, attaining the seventh stage—the zenith of her power and merely one stride away from entering the realm of souls. If she were to establish a soul world, it would be far from mundane.

Despite her progression and dedication to training, healing Ayaka’s wounds, and preparing for the impending conflict, Lily felt incapacitated. She couldn’t venture out, not with the looming menace of Yoritomo’s formidable army and the absence of news regarding Shizuka Gozen’s whereabouts—silence that had stretched on for days.

Lily knew Yoritomo was no fool; the small contingent of troops was not his only gambit. It was the covert schemes that truly unnerved her, their outcomes impossible to anticipate.

Meanwhile, the army’s encampment outside posed a grave risk to any who might cross paths with its experts. Shimizu, absorbed in her cloistered training, grappled with assimilating the formidable dark powers of the Dream Eater Baku, a task that demanded patience and time. And Ayaka, the sole member with adequate strength to confront the outside threats, was bound to her recuperation.

Isolated in the valley, Lily felt the weight of helplessness; those within reach were few, and those beyond, she was powerless to assist. How could she save them? Exterminate all the monsters, only for more formidable ones to emerge? Halt the world’s transformation? She hadn’t the faintest notion where to begin.

Lily’s plight was clear: the world was changing, with multitudes suffering and perishing, yet she stood powerless to enact change. “What to do? What should I do?” The quandary tormented her—empowered yet incapable, her heart a maelstrom of frustration.

Lily’s time on Iyo Island was simpler; the complexities of the world eluded her, leaving her free from worry. Now armed with power, she was still unable to make substantial changes. This reality was a source of great frustration. Her intentions were not saintly, but her kind heart and conscience weighed on her. The death of innocents and the collapse of powers were distant to her life, yet the potential extinction of humanity was a burden too heavy to ignore.

She didn’t consider herself noble, but she couldn’t suppress her inherent human desire to help.

“Lyn-hime!” a kunoichi rushed in to deliver a report, her voice blending with the urgency of her steps. “News from Suno, Madam Shizuka Gozen has arrived there.”

“She came!?” Skepticism had clouded Lily’s mind on the matter, but now, could it be that Shizuka Gozen truly sensed the unfolding events?

As if confirming Ayaka’s earlier words, Shizuka Gozen had indeed arrived, guided by intuition.

“Have Suno guide her to the teleportation array immediately!” Lily commanded with no room for hesitation.

“I obey, Lyn-hime,” the kunoichi responded, already on the move.

In due time, Shizuka Gozen was there.

Escorted by Shiu, she made her way to Lily’s residence. As Lily’s personal attendant, Shiu resided in Lily’s home, not having a place of her own in the valley.

This matter had brought them all together—Ayaka, Rei, Kotoka, and Haihime converged at the house.

Shizuka Gozen took a moment to admire the sakura trees that adorned the landscape. “Miss Kagami, you’ve outdone yourself in creating such a serene space amidst these tumultuous times.”

“Madam Shizuka, you’ve finally arrived!” The anxiety in Lily’s voice was palpable. “There are countless questions plaguing me; your guidance is desperately needed.”

A grave expression crossed Shizuka’s face. “Miss Kagami, everyone, let’s talk inside.”

On the way inside, Lily expressed her gratitude to Shizuka for the lifesaving assistance she had provided during Kimiko’s rescue, the subsequent advice, and the support during their escape from Heian-kyo. When asked about Kimiko’s whereabouts, Lily candidly responded that Kimiko had reverted to childhood, leaving Shizuka in awe of the peculiarities of beastly bloodlines.

Once inside the house, where the safety of the valley was an unspoken guarantee against eavesdroppers, they settled down. Lily had long contemplated the final mission of the mirror girls and had confided in the sisters within Cherry Blossom Valley—a circle in which she placed her utmost trust.

“Lily, are you aware of the purpose behind my visit?” Shizuka posed the question with an air of mystery, hinting at a confusion mirroring Lily’s own. “To be honest, even I am at a loss as to the exact reason for my journey here.”

Lily could only respond with a puzzled “Huh?”

With a contemplative gaze that spoke volumes of her inner turmoil, Shizuka confided, “I was impelled by a vision to seek you out, and the directive it gave me was compelling, almost impossible to disregard. And, of course, since our farewells were exchanged in Heian-kyo, there hasn’t been a day I haven’t thought of you all.”

Lily, though taken aback, found the reason within bounds of possibility. Shizuka, despite her perceptual gifts, was unaware of the mirror girls’ ultimate quest. Yet, it seemed an unseen force was steering her path, shedding light on her direction.

As the discussion deepened, Ayaka revisited the topic of the mirror girls’ endgame—a subject well-known to the assembly, save for Shizuka Gozen herself.

“So it’s like that…” Shizuka’s voice trailed off, her heart a whirlpool of unrest.

“I have yearned for Takamagahara for an eternity, yet I admit, my desires were born from selfishness.” Sorrow filled her gaze as she continued, “Yoshitsune, the paragon of valor, the kindest of souls—why was he condemned to such a tragic end? My prayers to the gods for his resurrection, to see justice reinstated in the world, have been met with silence. This silence has turned my prayers into an obsession; my pleas for Yoshitsune will persist, even to the realms of Takamagahara.”

Ayaka, her curiosity piqued, inquired gently, “Madam Shizuka, if you’ll forgive my boldness, my memories hold you as the matriarch of the mirror girls. Are you privy to this?”

“Certainly,” Shizuka acknowledged with a nod, “the mirror girl clan has always faced persecution. This secret I hold close, not for my own sake. I am the woman of Minamoto no Yoshitsune; the world has never had a place for me—what then, is there for me to fear? My concealment was not for self-preservation but for the safety of those near to me. Those privy to this secret are bound to be imperiled.”

“But isn’t Yoshitsune celebrated across the world as a hero? His name is revered far and wide, so why say the world rejects you?” Lily pondered aloud, recalling the day Shizuka’s hair turned as white as snow in a maelstrom of grief and vengeance. She understood that Yoshitsune’s fall was interwoven with Yoritomo’s story, though the finer details eluded her.

With a deep inhalation, Shizuka’s eyes danced with the ghosts of bygone years, moisture gleaming in them like dew at dawn. “The truth… it’s known to scarcely a soul. Those who claim a sliver of knowledge lack the full tapestry. If I could, I would bury it in silence, but in honor of Yoshitsune, I will unveil the hidden chapters.”

The sisters’ expressions turned grave as they closed in around Shizuka, their spirits bracing for the tale that would unravel the mystery of Yoshitsune’s downfall during the zenith of the Heian Dynasty.

“I must take you back to the beginning, to a tale eighteen years past3…”

　

1. Robinxen: Unexpected allies.

2. Robinxen: Good good, let the battle lines be drawn.

3. Silva: Only 18 years?

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