Lip is a wonderful person who has supported me for a long time. However, I was unaware that the characters added at her request were not free for use.
Mofu, you made the art. It is yours. Unless you signed some legally binding agreement, Lip's words are just hot air. Also I wish you the best going forward in this project; I feel you would shine much more if you did what you yourself feel like doing instead of being constrained by others.
I'd suggest to take a break from all this for a while and think things over.