Chapter 372: The Appearance of a Heroic Spirit Saber
The next morning, the twittering of birds in the forest awakened the residents of the shack.
Gudako, lying on her mattress, opened her eyes, though for some reason she had shifted during the night; her head was now in the middle of the bed, half her body had slid off the mattress, and her pillow was pinned under her chin, where a few traces of drool could be seen.
The young girl sat up and took a deep breath, feeling her lungs fill with the freshest, unpolluted air. The slight chill of the morning cleared her head instantly. Feeling a hundred percent energized, it was clear she had indeed had a good night's sleep.
Rubbing her eyes, Gudako walked downstairs.
"Good morning, Big Sister Gudako~!"
Atsu was already up, helping Shirou prepare breakfast. She was placing the dishes Shirou finished into trays, scooping bowls of porridge, and setting them on the dining table.
"Good morning, Shirou-senpai. Good morning, Atsu-chan."
"Oh, Musashi and Illya are already up; they're washing their faces right now. Go get cleaned up yourself, then come over to eat," Shirou instructed, keeping his eyes on the pot without turning around.
"Yeees~!" Gudako replied, drawing out the word.
Once everyone gathered, they began eating the nutritious breakfast prepared by Chef Shirou: millet porridge simmered over a low flame until crystal clear, served with farmhouse side dishes like pickles and salted radish. Everyone also had a piece of grilled fish, adjusting their mental and physical states to their peak.
"Alright! Let's get ready to head out—to the city!" Musashi stood up, picking up the Myojingiri.
"Ooh!" Gudako raised a fist high, letting out a Celtic-style cheer.
"The city!!!" "Ya-ya!!"
At that moment, Atsu and Tasuke stood up with eyes sparkling. Atsu asked, "Big Sister Musashi, Big Sister Gudako, are you going to the city?"
"Do Atsu-chan and little Tasuke want to go to the city too?" Musashi asked with a gentle smile.
"Mmh!" Atsu nodded vigorously.
"Grandpa! Is it okay? Atsu and Tasuke both want to go play in the city, please!" Atsu requested.
Shirou pondered for a moment, then looked at Musashi and Gudako. "Then I'll leave them in your care. They won't be noisy, and they can help with light chores; at least they aren't useless
burdens. Once you're in the city, you can take them to some acquaintances, so they won't get in your way."
"Mmhmm! I'll help~! Tasuke will be good too and definitely won't cry~!" Atsu said, nodding repeatedly.
Musashi laughed loudly. "Ahahaha, even I don't plan on making children under ten do work. Anyway, Atsu and Tasuke, come with us to the city."
"Hooray!" Atsu cheered.
"Then thank you," Shirou said. He understood that since he also had to go out, leaving the two children alone in the house—even with the bounded field—didn't feel safe enough. Entrusting Atsu and Tasuke to Musashi and the others was a good solution.
Musashi and Gudako grasped his underlying meaning and readily agreed.
"Shirou-senpai, leave it to us," Gudako said with a salute.
"Traveling alone is fine, but two is more fun, and four is even happier," Musashi said with a smile.
The two children were also delighted to go out with the "Big Sisters" rather than just being cooped up in the village.
"I understand. Once I finish my business here, I'll rush over to regroup with you," Shirou said.
Thus, the people in the shack split into two groups, heading for different destinations.
Musashi shouldered the Myojingiri, leading the way. She carried a large blue bundle on her back; she gave it a little bounce, feeling its weight, and felt entirely satisfied. Happy to the point of being giddy, she wore the smile of a somewhat ditzy older sister.
Inside were meals Shirou had prepared for them. Since Saber-class female Servants seemed to be quite the eaters, Shirou had prepared enough for ten people.
Gudako held the hand of Atsu, who was carrying Tasuke on her back. They walked behind, chatting and laughing, as if they were on a cheerful outing.
"La-la~la! Going to the city~! Going to the city~!" Atsu hummed happily, and Tasuke chimed in with "ya-ya" from the swaddle on her back.
"Atsu, Tasuke, are you looking forward to the city?" Musashi asked with a smile.
Atsu looked up with a big laugh. "Mmh! There are many interesting things in the city, and Princess Kiyohime and the dancer Tamamo are there."
"Tamamo? Kiyohime?" Gudako looked up in shock, thinking: 'It seems I have an unexpectedly high number of acquaintances in this world. But why a dancer and a princess? Is there a connection?'
The girl was utterly perplexed.
Then Atsu gave a sweet smile, clearing up Gudako's confusion: "Dancer Tamamo and Princess Kiyohime both said that if any vixens or 'home-wrecking cats' appear around Grandpa, I have to find a way to report to them. They promised to buy me and Tasuke delicious food and fun toys as a reward."
"Ya-ya~!" The baby Tasuke chimed in.
"But I don't see any foxes in the village. I've seen cats, but they haven't come to steal anything from the house," Atsu said, lowering her head with a bit of regret.
"Ahahaha, so that's how it is," Gudako replied with a forced laugh.
...It took her a moment to process.
She thought, dumbfounded: 'Eh? Doesn't that mean Musashi and I might be in danger?'
Meanwhile, the person responsible for all of this was currently with Illya and the big white bear. Led by a summoned eagle, they were traveling through mountains and rivers, searching for the location of Yamata no Orochi, far away from all worldly complications.
Gudako had no way to talk to the culprit, so she resigned herself to continuing forward with Atsu and Tasuke. The journey toward Toke Castle in Shimousa Province went very smoothly.
However, as they passed a village by a wheat field, they smelled a thick scent of blood. A bald man stepped out from the village, blocking their path. He held a long spear that was still dripping with blood, and prayer beads hung around his neck.
"Who goes there!?" Musashi stepped forward vigilantly, shielding Gudako and the children. Looking closely, it wasn't just the tip of the man's spear that was red; his eyes were entirely crimson, with no whites visible at all.
The bald man raised his spear and walked toward them, his face contorted. He said in a heavy voice, "Two young women and two children... Ahh... I must kill you. I will kill you now. I will liberate you now; only through death can you escape this hellish world and reach the true Pure Land. Do not fear; just let me thrust my spear once."
"So this is the Heroic Spirit Saber... looks like he's not someone you can reason with. Gudako, help Atsu and Tasuke close their eyes. The upcoming battle might not be suitable for children," Musashi said.
"Understood! I'm counting on you for the fight! Musashi-chan! Come here, Atsu, Tasuke—let's play a game of 'close your eyes and cover your ears' to see who can last the longest." Gudako turned around, pulling Atsu and Tasuke into her embrace and covering Tasuke's ears with her hands, using her body as a barrier so they couldn't see the fight.
"Mmh. If we don't see the bandits, we won't be afraid!" Atsu agreed obediently.
"Alright! Now it's my turn! I won't let you have your way!" Musashi mustered her resolve and drew the precious sword she had received from Shirou.
"Musashi? I didn't expect Musashi to be a woman, and such a righteous one at that—beautiful as a flower of the heavens. If I had descended in my normal state, I'm sure we would have become friends. Regrettable, truly regrettable. So now, I want to kill you even more," the warrior monk said, as a sinister, murderous intent erupted from him.
Musashi stood straight, shielding Gudako and the children from the pressure of this killing intent. She was furious; when her anger reached its peak, her mind instead became calm.
The woman spoke calmly: "It seems you are the Hozoin Inshun that Shirou mentioned! As expected, your heart has been completely twisted. But since we are mortal enemies, let me experience the divine spear techniques of the Hozoin style to my heart's content!"
Facing such an enemy, Musashi didn't dare relax for a second. After all, in the world she knew, Hozoin Inshun was a man called the God of the Spear.
"Indeed. We Heroic Spirit Sabers have fallen into demons, with the sole purpose of making Satan's Hell reappear in this realm. Mr. Shirou... it seems the number of people I must kill has increased by one... Haah!" The spearman opposite her narrowed his crimson eyes, appearing to remember something.
He didn't stop his pace; he walked forward, muttering to himself. Then, as he drew close enough to strike Musashi, he let out a furious roar and thrust a life-taking spear without hesitation.
It was a sharp, dangerous strike delivered with the force of a thunderbolt, aimed straight for Musashi's throat. If this thrust landed, Musashi—who was still of flesh and blood—could only die on the spot.
However, at the last second, Musashi tilted her head back, dodging the lethal thrust.
The monk held a modified Juumonji-yari; in addition to thrusting, it could sweep and smash. He pivoted the spearhead, aiming the side prong of the cross-spear at Musashi's head and slamming it down.
Musashi drew her second sword, crossing the dual blades in front of her and using her strength to parry the spear back.
At this moment, Musashi's eyes turned a shade that emitted a blue-white glow, appearing to possess a magic power that could see through the essence of battle.
Sword light and spear tips clashed, sending sparks flying. Relying on exquisite footwork, Musashi dodged the enemy's spear and took opportunities to slash, but the spearman blocked them all one by one. Even her finishing moves were parried by his transcendent techniques.
The monk's spear-path had reached the level of a martial grandmaster. Even though his mind was currently controlled and his Saint Graph modified, it had no impact on his spear techniques. On the contrary, due to the influence of his altered temperament, he had become even more bloodthirsty and cruel.
He found his attacks blocked by the woman once again. Before he could fully thrust, her blade had already landed on the spear's trajectory, knocking the spear away before it could gather its momentum.
"That's enough! I have already seen through your spear style!" Musashi said majestically, sheathing the sword she used to parry the spear tip.
The spearman asked in a heavy voice, "You say you have seen through my spear?"
"Yeah. In terms of martial level, my swordsmanship might not yet equal your spear-path, but in this battle, the victor will be me!" Musashi said confidently.
The spearman's blood-red pupils widened, and he said hideously, "Quite the boast! Then, staking my cross-spear, I shall take your head with the next strike."
"Try it, then," Musashi replied calmly.
Both understood that the next move would decide the outcome.
If Sasaki Kojiro was a peerless swordsman who achieved the realm of "Infinity," then Musashi went to the other extreme: the realm of "Void." She believed her father had reached the ultimate "One" in swordsmanship; to surpass him, she sought the "Void." Void is No-Void, and No-Void is Invincibility.
The "Void" Musashi pursued shared common ground with the Buddhist concept of the "Void" where all four elements are empty, yet it was also different. In her ideal path of the sword, once "No-Void" is achieved, one is invincible—even an infinite sword cannot touch it. Before the battle even begins, one stands on undefeated ground; drawing the sword represents victory.
Relying on her unique "Heavenly Eye," she was always able to achieve victory on the battlefield. Her specialty was cleverly perceiving the enemy's intentions while being able to hide her own, seeing the perfect moment for victory one step ahead of the enemy and grasping it firmly.
Legend has it that after Miyamoto Musashi mastered his swordsmanship, he traveled the country and challenged 66 famous swordsmen without a single loss. It was precisely because of this ability; any master whose moves had been seen by her could not escape the fate of defeat.
She conducted simulated battles in her mind, finding the certain and optimal battle path among countless possibilities. When she drew her sword to strike, she was destined for victory.
Of course, the woman had not yet reached the realm of the Sword Saint, nor was she the original warrior who wrote books in his old age. But no one questioned her potential; she was Miyamoto Musashi, the one and only swordsman.
In this world, each Heroic Spirit Saber she faced forced her to unleash all the remaining potential in her body. If she couldn't do it, she would die, and the people she wanted to protect would die too.
Therefore, only winning would do!
"HRAAAAAAA!!!" Miyamoto Musashi took the stance of the Niten Ichi-ryu and delivered her strongest strike, slashing at the incoming corrupted monk.
"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!!!" The corrupted spearman had tears of blood flowing down his face, wearing an expression that looked more like sorrowful weeping than anger.
When this slash fell, it was like the descent of a wrathful Nioh guardian.
With a bang, the cross-spear in the spearman's hands shattered into pieces under the slash like glass.
The momentum of that strike didn't stop; it swept past the spear shaft and sliced directly into the spearman's chest.
Using the knowledge of Muramasa combined with techniques forged through Emiya Shirou's cumulative years of hard training, and using the recreated "Cursed Blade Muramasa: Myojingiri" as a bridge, the woman's blade struck directly at the Heroic Spirit Saber's Saint Graph hidden in a separate space, destroying it completely. The monk's body also shattered and dissolved like a weapon.
"Musashi... you win..." the monk whispered in the final moment before disappearing.
Seven Heroic Spirit Saber Duels—The First Match.
The battle is decided!
Winner: Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu!!!
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