Chapter 387: Musashi vs. Kojiro
Taira no Masakado, who was on Yamata no Orochi's side, had his skull shattered by a single arrow from Shirou. The shot went straight through to his Spirit Core, leaving him well and truly dead.
Previously, the Serpent had tried to swallow Illya along with the Holy Grail. Since it had intended to harm his precious family, Shirou held nothing back when he unleashed his next attack.
"Kojiro! My son! Detestable human! Emiya Shirou! Go together! Kill him!" The Serpent opened its golden slit pupils, glaring furiously at the man holding the bow, wishing it could swallow him whole in one gulp and dissolve him into acid.
"Yes! Ancestor!" The silver-haired girl's Ghost Samurai and the red-haired, eye-masked boy ninja leaped out.
When the Sorcerer Amakusa Shirou had unleashed his Reality Marble earlier, she and Musashi had been transported to the other side, becoming separated from Shirou and the others. After the Reality Marble was shattered by the Serpent, they had returned to the attic and come out to reunite with everyone.
Now, they discovered Tomoe Gozen and Fuma Kotaro leaping out, followed by a black-haired Kunoichi.
"Eh? Isn't that the Archer from the Heroic Spirit Swordsmen earlier!" Musashi said, looking at the silver-haired female warrior.
"Kotaro..." Gudako watched the ninja who had bypassed their side and joined the battlefield.
"I am sorry, Master. I have made a pledge now to fight for the Ancestor." The red-haired boy lowered his head in a bow, then leaped high into the air, attacking Shirou alongside the Ghost Samurai.
"How could this be!" Gudako did not know what to do; on one side were her seniors, on the other, her companions from Chaldea. But having arrived in this bizarre world, they were supposed to be allies, yet they had run off to the enemy's side. She truly could not understand what was happening.
"Alright, alright, Gudako-chan. That boy doesn't seem to be listening to you. When we get back to Chaldea, you must give him some 'X' training!"
"BB, did you come over from Chaldea?" Gudako asked, looking suspiciously at the purple-haired girl who had grabbed her.
The purple-haired girl shook her head and replied with a smile: "No, the BB-chan here belongs to Senpai Shirou. The BB-chan who is your junior, Gudako-chan, is still back at Chaldea. Well, even saying that, BB knows she's still a bit of a flirt, but that is the fate of a popular idol, so please forgive me~! Senpai~!"
"Hm? Although I don't really understand, I get the gist!" Gudako nodded in agreement. In short, this was Senpai Shirou's harem, right! For her to live a happy life in the future with her "mom's" meticulous care, the harmony of the harem was very important.
"Tomoe Gozen, Kotaro, and that mechanized ninja who has deep ties to Kotaro in this world." Shirou stared at these opponents, with whom he couldn't say he had no connection at all, and gripped his bow and arrow tightly.
Battles against Heroic Spirits—this kind of combat was something unavoidable.
Regardless of a Heroic Spirit's alignment or stance, even if they were from the good faction, conflict was inevitable if their ideals differed.
Just like the summoning system Chaldea built to save human history, it initially selected those whose goals aligned with the Summoner. If an entity was indifferent to human history, then even an absolute, heroic, and good hero would be excluded from the start. Conversely, even if one were an Anti-Hero or an imaginary Heroic Spirit, if they were willing to protect human history deep down, they could still be summoned by Chaldea.
Shirou held the longbow in his hand, and with the other, he unhurriedly projected a bright red, hooked sword. He modified it into an arrow that glowed as bright and fresh as blood, notched it on the string, and fired it directly.
The arrow transformed into a red meteor, crashing into Tomoe Gozen's flame arrows; the powerful wind it carried blew away the shuriken thrown by Kotaro and Danzo.
The meteor flew out from the fiery explosion, split into three, and pierced through Tomoe Gozen, Kotaro, and Danzo, pinning them to the ground.
"Mother... Lady Danzo!" Kotaro tried to turn over nervously, looking at the black-haired woman to his side.
"Rest assured, I did not destroy her core. You can just lie on the ground and heal your wounds in peace," Shirou said softly.
"I am fine, Lord Kotaro. Does it hurt a lot? We must treat your wounds as soon as possible," Kato Danzo said, looking at the red-haired boy with concern.
Shirou's arrow had bypassed their vital points. However, since they lacked strong killing intent to begin with, they would not struggle or resist any further at this moment.
"It seems I have won this round. Serpent, will you choose to obediently return to your original mountain, or will you be sealed here?" Shirou turned his head to look at the Serpent and asked.
"Human! You have provoked me time and again. I took back what was my territory through my own power, and other humans have even voluntarily offered incense at my shrine to pay tribute. By what right do you stop me! I have an undying body! Whether this life or the next, once I revive, I will fight you and your descendants until one of us is destroyed!" The Serpent
knew its end had come. It roared in anger, making a vicious curse, shaking its long dragon whiskers on its ninth, massive head, and shouted.
Wa-no-kuni is a land that believes in spirits. Perhaps because they reside in an environment where earthquakes and tsunamis occur frequently, they hold a more reverent attitude toward nature than other countries.
When years of disasters, diseases, and plagues occurred, even the successive Emperors were not spared. Thus, the status of vengeful spirits and monsters who caused such havoc was infinitely elevated.
Of the four great vengeful spirits of Wa-no-kuni, which one did not become famous for all time by claiming the lives of Emperors or ministers?
Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty had Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong as gate gods, so he could suppress the grievances of the brothers and nephews he had killed.
Wu Zetian was afraid of cats, but she still lived to the ripe old age of eighty.
However, the Emperors of Wa-no-kuni were driven to despair by one vengeful spirit after another, ultimately losing their lives.
Stories of Emperors being killed directly by monsters are things that only frequently appear under the pens of the people of Wa-no-kuni.
"Unfortunately! While those who do not understand reason cannot help but drift with the tide and worship harmful evil objects, since I have seen you, I naturally cannot leave it be. Besides! I have already found the method to seal you," Shirou said.
"Eat you! Curse you to have no peace for all eternity!" The Serpent glared viciously at Shirou, wishing it could swallow him in one bite.
"Yamata no Orochi! You stubborn beast, I have no interest in gods at all, but if you refuse to let go of the concepts of the old era and still think of occupying land and devouring humans, then accept being suppressed!" Shirou shouted.
The three Sacred Treasures of the Three Miyako that seal Yamata no Orochi represent the Kusanagi Sword presented by Susanoo to Amaterasu; the Yata Mirror representing Amaterasu; and the Yasakani no Magatama representing the soul.
At this moment, the existences holding items similar to these three sacred treasures had all gathered together.
The fox dancing girl Tamamo-no-Mae held an antique mirror in her hand; Kiyohime held an ancient jade of deep green in hers; and added to that, Shirou had forged the divine sword.
"I have waited a long time for this," the fox dancing girl said.
"This should be enough, right!" Kiyohime said.
A dazzling white light flashed, and everyone's eyes were covered by a vast expanse of blinding light. The Serpent was the same; its massive body was being devoured bit by bit, and a powerful suction force dragged the Serpent in little by little.
Everything was over, and the sky returned to its azure blue color.
At this moment, the blue-haired swordsman, who had been standing on the side watching, stepped out and looked at the pink-haired woman beside Gudako:
"In that case, our battle should also be brought to an end. Although the Sorcerer had a favor to me, paying respects at his grave is enough. However, since you and I have met, there is only one choice, is there not?"
"That is true..." A smile appeared on Musashi's tired face. She stood up with difficulty, leaning on her swords. Her gaze became sharp as she looked at Kojiro; she was also full of fighting spirit.
"Hey! Kojiro! There is no reason to fight now, is there?" Shirou said.
The blue-haired swordsman shook his head and said: "No, no, Lord Shirou. Although it does not conform to common sense, I must fight regardless. If you ask why, it is simply because two powerful swordsmen have met."
Musashi also smiled in agreement: "That is true, it does not need a reason."
Shirou remembered—this guy was a total martial arts fanatic. He would challenge the strong and then kill them in a duel without any hesitation. This was the kind of person who constantly challenged others and constantly killed. And while Musashi had her own principles and was usually happy-go-lucky and informal, when facing a powerful opponent, she would show the side of herself that would disregard her own life for the sake of the way of the sword.
These were the unparalleled master swordsmen born only from a cruel and unreasonable era of war. Whether it was the chaotic times when samurai roamed Wa-no-kuni as mercenaries, or the martial arts world of the Celestial Empire, the sword was a lethal weapon for killing. Which of the saints within, the myths of the martial world, was not someone who had killed their way through life-and-death duels, their hands stained with blood?
"There are only two sword-demons in this place!"
Musashi and Kojiro, both unparalleled swordsmen who transcended time and space to stand atop this concept, were at the same time two completely opposite poles.
One was the Flower of Ten-yen, the only bizarre blossom standing in the realm of Emptiness. She pursued a way of the sword that transcended the unique "Zero"—the absolute, certain-kill strike. Among infinite possibilities, she constantly filtered and eliminated, reducing existence to an extreme that could no longer be reduced. The "Emptiness" that remained after that was the "Zero" Musashi pursued—a sword of "End" confirmed to be impossible for even gods and Buddhas to defend against or avoid.
The other was the Swallow-Slicing Swordsman, a sword of clones caused by nothing but the phenomenon of multiple folding through the mere act of swinging. He pursued a way of the sword of "more possibilities." Within a single limited slash, he created multiple slashes.
In a single slash that could only be used once at the same time, he created the first, second, third...
He unleashed three slashes in the same instant; as long as the three blades were completed, it was a certain-kill move. This was Kojiro's "Tsubame Gaeshi" (Swallow Reversal), a sword that "compiled the future" and could not be avoided by even gods and Buddhas through calculation.
As long as one blade could strike, it was enough to decide the outcome. When he mastered this secret technique, the strength of the opponent he was striking no longer had any meaning; even a high-ranking Dragon species could not resist it.
"MUSASHI!!!"
"KOJIRO!!!"
The two swordsmen stared at their fated opponent, shouted the other's name with great intensity, and unleashed their slashes. This was the kiai of later martial arts, merging the sword and spirit together, deciding the outcome with the sword in their hands in a straightforward manner. It was just that this duel was more rigorous and cruel; the price the loser paid was often their own life.
Clang!
With a clear sound of weapons clashing, time, space, and everything around them became blurred. All other sounds ceased completely, and only the sound of the blade ringing echoed in the air.
The outcome between samurai, the clash of cold weapons at close range, is often decided in a millisecond. There is even a saying in later generations that if a duel lasts longer than thirty seconds, it is just a show. But at this very moment, the Sword of Zero and the Sword of Infinity collided. It was only a single strike, yet it was as if they had clashed countless times in infinite time, never to end.
Clang!
The certain-kill sword and the certain-kill sword clashed, just like the sharpest spear striking the sharpest spear. Either side could be the winner, and either side losing would be within the realm of reason.
But in a battle between the strongest and the strongest, there is only one winner.
Blades and blades sparked dangerously. Although their strength was evenly matched, the lethal and merciless edge would take the opponent's life the moment it landed. The victory or defeat rested in a fleeting moment.
"MUSASHI!!!" Gudako shouted loudly.
"Oooooh!!!" Hearing the young girl's shout, Musashi's spirit was shaken. Fresh strength surged into her tired body, and her speed increased once again.
As the blue-haired swordsman unleashed his certain-kill third strike, Musashi had already slashed out her certain-kill sword a step earlier.
A wound was left on Sasaki Kojiro's body a moment earlier. But she was exhausted. These days, with a human body, she had been fighting one unprecedented monster after another, and although she had won them all, her body was already covered in wounds. Yes... the woman had already reached her limit.
She had only used her last bit of strength for this final fated battle.
"What a spectacular victory. So this is Miyamoto Musashi's Sword of Emptiness. You truly are a beautiful Flower of Ten-yen. I have lost this battle, and I truly feel refreshed. Musashi, Master of Chaldea, I sincerely hope you feel the same. Then, I shall take my leave."
"Lord Shirou, may we meet again if fate allows." Kojiro nodded at Shirou. Although he was injured, he still departed with great grace.
Musashi sat on the ground with a joyful and relieved smile. She had won the fated battle, fought with all her might against two top-tier sword gods and sword saints, and achieved victory with the way of the sword she had spent her life perfecting.
The name of the number one sword saint of Wa-no-kuni, Miyamoto Musashi, was truly deserved!
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