Book 6: Chapter 57: Lily Is Dead?
Book 6: Chapter 57: Lily Is Dead?
“Haihime?” Lily was shocked. She knew that Haihime borrowed the teleportation formation of the chief advisor’s manor to travel from Heian-kyō to Iga and explore the path of a ninja. Lily didn’t know what happened afterwards and how she fell into the hands of the Fujiwara Clan in Heian-kyō.
Obviously, Ayaka knew that she was one of Lily’s friends, so the instigators behind this incident must be a group of Fujiwaras associated with the chancellor.
“Those so-called people of the Fujiwara Clan colluded with demons, framed Ayaka, gave assistance to Shuten Doji to conspire against me, and now they are even bullying Haihime!”
Lily’s eyes flickered with flames of anger, “Just in time. New hatred and old hatred will all be settled today!”
She lowered her head and asked Yuuta, “Where is Haihime now? Take me there!”
“Sister Lily, the public interrogation is being held in the square in front of Suzaku Avenue. Sister, hurry up, or I’m afraid that Haihime will be injured by them…”
Lily nodded, “Understood!”
She turned around and burst out with her full speed, turning into a white afterimage. After rushing into the middle of the avenue, she disappeared into the crowd of horses and carriages in an instant.
Lily’s figure was so swift that the many passing people, carriages, and horses only felt a strong and fragrant wind sweep by, and they didn’t see what happened at all.
At the northern end of Suzaku Avenue, in the square in front of the Heian Palace. This was the most open square in the entire Heian-kyō, and the Yoshitsune Memorial was also held here.
At this time, a wooden interrogation platform was erected here, and there was a rough wooden pillar on the platform. It was made of extremely strong seventh-grade lumber and had sixth-grade iron chains and iron shackles which restrained a mature woman with aqua-blue hair.
Haihime’s clothes were torn, revealing much of her fair skin and parts of her breasts, and the dark-lacquered heavy chains were wrapped around her neck.
Her hands were also in shackles.
Behind her stood two big burly men.
In addition to the large number of guards in the surroundings, there were also people and warriors watching the fun.
On the other side of the viewing platform, which was a part of the previous viewing platform, sat several senior officials of the Fujiwara clan, including the chancellor and Fujiwara no Arima, who was the current Secretary of Justice.
For some unknown reason, the Bureau of Justice, which was originally under the control of the Genji Clan, was given to Fujiwara no Arima after Minamoto no Yoritomo took the initiative to transfer Kimura to the expeditionary force.
Next to the area where these ministers and warriors sat, there were also a few strong-looking individuals who were obviously not dressed in the mainstream style of the capital.
One of them was a mature woman with a white, red-rimmed feather shawl draped over her light red kimono. She had dark green hair with two braids and a silver headband on her head. Behind the woman sat a young man in red and black armor carrying a red military naginata, but he had a black firearm on his back.
On either side of the woman sat an unusually tall, black-and-white clad monk warrior with a strange beard, and a green-clothed samurai with long gray hair and a gloomy face.
All four of them exuded an extraordinary aura.
This was especially so for the woman in the middle. If an expert with decent strength approached her, they would definitely tremble. She was actually a powerhouse in the middle to late stages of the Throned Sovereign realm!
“Haihime!” Fujiwara no Arima, who had just assumed office, pointed at the woman on the trial platform and scolded, “You are the queen of the Land of the Hundred Demons in Kanto, the woman of Amanojaku! As a human woman, you actually married a demon? You are so wanton and wicked! Now you have infiltrated into our Heian Capital to do harm to humans! Tell me, who ordered you! What exactly are you trying to do?!”
Haihime kept her head down and said nothing.
“Do you think we can’t punish you if you don’t admit it?” Fujiwara no Arima, who was wearing a high hat, pointed at the platform and said arrogantly, “Lord Tokugawa has provided enough testimony. You are the demoness of the Kanto Hundred Demons without a doubt! You can’t deny it!”
At this time, sitting in the corner on the other side of the platform, Tokugawa and several of his retainers were also looking at Haihime with a stern face.
Sakai, the red-nosed official beside Tokugawa, asked in a low voice, “Lord Tokugawa, as far as I know, this Haihime is now a member of Lily’s group. Is it good for us to accuse her people like this?”
“Hmph, how stupid. Kagami Lily has already died in that disaster at Izumo Mountain1. Since we can give the Fujiwara Clan a favor, why not? Besides, this old man has not wronged her. The crimes committed by Haihime are much clearer to me than to others.” Tokugawa said shrewdly.
Before, in Eastern land, Haihime had approached Tokugawa many times and arranged her subordinates to work with him to train demon warriors and practice the demonic path. Although Haihime was helpless at that time, these were indeed facts.
Haihime glanced at Tokugawa with contempt and said in a low voice, “Indeed, I once did many wrong things under the hands of Amanojaku, but I was coerced by him and he threatened the lives of my clan! I have not done any harm to humans since I was rescued by Lily. I came to Kansai only to explore the origin of the female ninjas in Iga, and I have absolutely no intention of harming the imperial court! If you want to judge me for my past, I have nothing to say; I will admit what I have done, but if you accuse me of having intentions to harm humanity and the court, I can only say that is purely a false accusation!”
“Hahahahaha!” The fat chancellor laughed and said in a sinister manner, “The reason why you admitted your previous crimes is because Tokugawa is here and the evidence is so overwhelming that you can’t deny it. As for your current crimes, how would you confess so easily? In my opinion, we should use torture! Isn’t that right, Secretary of Justice?”
Arima smiled slyly, “What the chancellor said is very true. For such a stubborn female devil, we have to use heavy punishment in broad daylight! Only then will she confess and show the law and majesty of the court!”
When they heard how Haihime was going to be punished, most of the officials revealed lustful eyes of anticipation. Although, there were a few who couldn’t bear it.
At this time, the woman sitting on the side, who was draped in a white and red feather shawl said, “My lords, this Haihime is a female devil in Eastern land and I’m afraid that ordinary criminal punishments are not enough to make her confess. She was caught by us and I have some skills in dealing with these kinds of women. I wonder if I can take the place of your executioner and torture her?”
The chancellor looked at the woman and nodded with pleasure, “Well, if Miss Igarashi, one of the Jinmu Legion of Eight, is willing to take up the trouble and do it herself, that would be for the best! I would be grateful to Miss Igarashi!”
The other Fujiwara Clan members, such as the Secretary of Justice, also nodded in approval and anticipation.
The chained Haihime shuddered when she heard that Igarashi was going to torture her personally. She gritted her teeth and felt helpless and angry in her heart..
This Igarashi and her subordinates were all too strong, especially Igarashi herself. It was really too terrible. Haihime used magatamas to train, and so far, she had barely reached the initial level of the Permanence Stage. She simply wasn’t the opponent of one of the Legion of Eight!
She went on an adventure in Iga, and because of some trivial matters, she had a conflict with Igarashi and her party. She didn’t expect to get defeated in one move and even her true identity was found out.
Igarashi casually got up and walked slowly towards Haihime.
She walked up to the trial platform and a naginata appeared in her hand. The handle of the blade was inserted into the wood, and she grabbed the chain attached to Haihime’s neck and pulled it.
“Ah—!” Haihime cried out as she was pulled to the floor.
Igarashi walked over and stepped on Haihime’s head with her foot covered in white socks, “Hmph, look at your appearance. If you had known this would happen, would you have come in the first place?”
Haihime was also a proud woman at heart and kept silent, unwilling to give in to Igarashi.
“Tell me! What did you want to do when you came to Kansai?!” Igarashi asked with a mild touch of sterness in her gentle voice.
“As I said…ever since my clan and I were rescued by Kagami Lily, I have never done anything wrong to humans or the court! I came here this time just to travel to Iga.”
“Hmph, continue making up stories. I, Igarashi Kaede, have seen many cunning and insidious women in my more than 20 years of experience in the Heian Dynasty, but I have never seen a woman who refuses to confess. I don’t expect you to confess right now,” Igarashi laughed, “You keep saying that you were persecuted by demons in the past, but what about Kagami Lily who saved you? Can she prove your words?”
“Of course Lily can prove it!” Upon hearing Lily’s name, Haihime seemed to surge with strength again, “She is the champion of your Yoshitsune Memorial Competition as well as a military official of the imperial court. You don’t have to believe my words, but as long as you ask Kagami Lily to come, she can definitely prove everything!”
“Hahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!”
Unexpectedly, Haihime’s words sparked a roar of laughter from the viewing platform.
“Haihime, Haihime, you really know how to talk. You said that Kagami Lily can prove your innocence? She— she’s dead2!” Fujiwara no Arima said with secret delight in his heart.
Kagami Lily had repeatedly destroyed their plans and was such a terrifying genius. Who would imagine that this genius would suddenly fall? The Fujiwara Clan couldn’t be happier.
“What??!” Haihime’s eyes froze, “No, that’s impossible. It’s absolutely impossible for Lily to die! Don’t talk nonsense! Anyone present, help me inform Kagami Lily! Go and find her for me! Go and find her!”
“It’s futile! Don’t waste your energy!” The chancellor stood up straight with his fat belly and pointed his fan at Haihime, saying proudly, “It’s okay to tell you so you can give up. Kagami Lily went to Izumo Mountain just over a month ago and died in a natural disaster there!”
“Everyone in Heian-kyō knows about this matter, so don’t think we are lying to you. Isn’t that true, everyone?” Arima looked at everyone on the platform with glee.
“That’s right! Haihime, is this the intelligence of the queen of the Land of Hundred Demons? Why don’t you use your head to think? We are interrogating you so openly in Suzaku Avenue, who in this city doesn’t know about it? If she is alive, why hasn’t she come to save you?” Kujo Nishimoto, the Onmyo no Taizoku from the Fujiwara Clan, said.
“What? This… No, that’s impossible. What kind of natural disaster did Lily die in? This kind of thing is absolutely impossible! Don’t talk nonsense3!” Haihime looked angry and all her Permanence Stage spiritual energy erupted, causing the trial platform to tremble.
The Fujiwara Clan members started to panic.
Igarashi stepped on Haihime’s back with one foot, forcing her to lie on the floor. A long and thick wooden plank appeared in her hand and heavily whacked Haihime’s plump buttocks with a ‘slap’ sound!
“Female devil, you dare to be so rampant in front of me? Today, I will let you know what righteous punishment is!”
- Robinxen: And this will be your undoing.
- Robinxen: That’s a lie.
- Robinxen: This woman gets it!