Deep in that gaping maw, echoing screams resounded, and countless hands reached out. Screams, cries, the grieving voices of the elderly, the weeping of women and children... Countless heads emerged from that abyssal mouth, eyes shedding bloody tears, struggling to open their arms, reaching for Seino Raimei.
Lying in the snow, Seino Raimei frowned. These were all impurities. Yashiori Island was originally an ancient battlefield, with countless wandering souls of war roaming the island. Over these hundreds of years, the great serpent had absorbed who knows how many vengeful spirits and impurities to form such a massive scale.
The frenzied great serpent continued to devour, raising its head, opening its mouth like a bottomless pit. Impurities spread out, and the sky over Yashiori Island instantly changed.
Thorny bushes grew amid black mist, strange trees twisted chaotically in the mountains. The mountains refused to accept lonely souls, the deep snow couldn't bury corpses. One could hear the ghostly wind rustling and ice snow weeping, see demons and spirits crying!
Bones piled up to form forests, flesh and blood converged into rivers, the sea was filled with skeletons, Yashiori bloomed with blood flowers.
[Wake up]
Seino felt his vision darken, his mind in chaos. Hearing the Human Principles System's reminder, he suddenly awoke. The mountain of corpses and sea of blood vanished, only to see jaws that seemed to devour the sky pressing down on him!
The ghosts in its mouth were about to touch his cheeks.
"Seino!" they cried, screamed, calling Seino Raimei's name. Their hateful, envious eyes shed bloody tears, the most venomous gaze in the world. "Why are you still alive! Seino!"
Huff...
Lightning rose from between the scabbards, heading towards the throat. The lightning was vast, shattering all the demons and spirits. Limbs flew, finally turning to ash and dissipating in the vast snow. Seino's figure had once again pressed onto the great serpent's head!
This exchange of offense and defense was extremely dangerous. Seino felt his breathing labored, his heart struggling weakly and powerlessly.
He gritted his teeth, pressing on the serpent's head, ignoring its rolling and shaking. His feet were planted as if rooted, his mind clear and unmoved, no longer affected by the impure illusions. His right hand raised Snake Cutter high.
Dark clouds rolled, lightning scattered. Countless bolts of lightning gathered on Snake Cutter. Seino struck again, seemingly about to sever the serpent's head at its root, making its blood splash.
But suddenly his throat sweetened, everything in his vision blurred. This strike missed, brushing past the throat, shattering layers of metallic scales, tearing open a huge gash.
[The host cannot fight for long periods]
"I see." Seino plunged Snake Cutter into the great serpent's body, a helpless smile appearing on his face. "I see..."
This was truly a depressing thing. He had grown old, and the great serpent hadn't aged as fast as him.
He had grown old and afraid of the cold, needing to stay in tents during military campaigns, needing to wear thick cloaks to keep warm, often coughing, unable to draw his sword, his hair had turned white. He was no longer who he was hundreds of years ago.
In this battle so far, Seino had only struck twice, but those two strikes were his closest to victory. After those two strikes, victory was beyond his reach.
In duels between samurai, the outcome is decided in an instant. For an old samurai, this is even more so. The longer the time dragged on, the worse his stamina became, the lower his lifespan, while the great serpent could absorb impurities to restore its strength.
The great serpent's madness deepened. By now, it had lost all reason, a thorough beast. It raised its neck, its huge snake head carrying enormous kinetic energy, flinging Seino Raimei away. The latter crashed onto the snow, rolling powerlessly, shattering countless rocks and ice along the way.
"Mortal!!"
[Your lifespan has decreased by three days]
The great serpent opened its huge jaws again. A flood of vengeful souls gathered in its throat, burning into deep purple flames, all gushing out. This godly fire engulfed everything in its path, rolling towards Seino Raimei.
He no longer had a chance to defeat the great serpent. But Seino didn't intend to give up. This might be Seino Raimei's last battle in this life.
[Your lifespan has decreased by two days]
Even if it would be unsightly, he would struggle to the very end.
His stamina had reached its limit. Seino struggled to rise from the ground, sheathing his sword, lowering his stance, darting towards the surrounding forest. He stepped on the frost, and the next second, that patch of ground was burned to ashes.
Seino approached the great serpent in an arc along the forest, like a curved blade. But every edge of this curved blade was scorched and consumed by the archon's flames. The flames licked at Seino's footprints, pursuing relentlessly like a persistent ailment.
[Your lifespan has decreased by one day]
It was painful, exhausting. Consciousness was about to scatter.
He had fought wars all his life, he had one soldier after another under his command. The Shogunate Army, what a fine title. He couldn't let this title down.
Imagining the days of guarding the borders in the past, how joyful they were. Young and bold, riding horses freely, going hunting in the deep winter forests with soldier brothers, returning only when tired birds rested at dusk. He still remembered the names of every deputy, they had won countless glorious battles together, also drank heartily and sang loudly together.
But his brothers grew old one by one, the veterans of the Shogunate Army left this world one after another. Mortal life is so short. Slowly, the once glorious Shogunate Army was left with only him.
Then he would be the last Shogun!
So he couldn't run, couldn't give up. If he, the last one, gave up, then the Shogunate Army would be completely extinct—this was the survivor's responsibility, the tradition of the Shogunate Army. The living bury the dead, then continue to fight.
Seino was the last one, he also had to end this unfinished war, end the fate that had entangled Inazuma, entangled him for four hundred years. Only in this way, after he died, after losing everything as Seino Raimei, would his newborn self have no regrets.
Seino's speed slowed down, his legs had lost consciousness. The flames gradually caught up with him. The great serpent was right before his eyes, but he could no longer approach.
He liked to smile, because he knew as long as the Shogun didn't fall, the army's morale wouldn't break. Even now, he was still smiling, laughing freely and heartily.
It was a strange feeling. Clearly facing death, he suddenly felt this was truly living. Wasting the rest of his life on a sickbed, clinging to life by a new mud stove, finally growing so old he couldn't control his bowels... that shouldn't be called living, that was just not yet dead.
Orobashi was powerful, hadn't given up in four hundred years. He was also a samurai worthy of respect.
Only such a grand ending was worthy of his death. This was truly living, knowing life by facing death!
The flames entwined Seino's ankles, crawling up from his feet. Seino's vision became increasingly blurred.
The Human Principles System once asked Seino if he was satisfied with this life. At that time, he replied 'What satisfaction or dissatisfaction'. Now he could answer: 'Yes, I am very satisfied.' 'I've fought the glorious battles, I tried to create a beautiful spring, but I failed. I fought alone to the end. I am content. Seino Raimei has no regrets in this life.'
Except for the end, not being able to make a bowl of milk dango for her. He had made fried tofu, but didn't get to make milk dango. There would be no more chances. He would forget them, they would become strangers from now on. A mortal's life, how helpless it is.
As he thought this, he was about to be engulfed by the flames, but suddenly, the flames left him.
Seino saw the great serpent suddenly let out a miserable cry. It spat blood from its mouth, mixed with blood were hundreds of arrows.
"Glory to the Shogun and her everlasting reign!"
"Glory to the Pillar and his centuries of Fudoshin!"
Seino turned back in shock. He saw Mishima Suminoe... and he also saw—
Thousands upon thousands of troops.
Behind him were thousands of troops.
Incomplete armor, fluttering banners, emblazoned with lightning and snake.
Those were thousands of lingering souls, thousands of martyrs' spirits. Those soldiers who remained wandering in the human world, polluted by impurities, were gazing at him sincerely, waiting quietly.
Awaiting his orders, just as they did four hundred years ago.
Their voices merged together, like thunder, resounding long over Yashiori Island. There was no oath in the world more resonant than this:
"Glory to the Shogun and her everlasting reign!"
"Glory to the Pillar and his centuries of Fudoshin!"
Their eyes were filled with tears.
"Glory to the Shogun and her everlasting reign!"
"Glory to the Pillar and his centuries of Fudoshin!!!"