Chapter 350: The Downfall of Demon God Toyotomi
The enraged Demon God Toyotomi allowed the black resentment to coil around his injured left hand. Merging with his golden bracer, it dyed his entire left arm pitch black; the wound was repaired, and the limb became even sturdier than before.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi spread his fingers, summoning a second precious blade into his grasp. Tugging the reins, his frenzied dark steed bared its sharp teeth and charged at Shirou. Leveraging the speed of the charge, Toyotomi swung the blade in a horizontal cleave, aiming directly for the back of Shirou's neck just as he landed on the ground.
In the next instant, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, Shirou raised his arms high and swung his Cursed Blade upward! Moving faster than the strike, he parried the Dojigiri Yasutsuna, sending it flying. The blade spun 360 degrees in the air before plunging into the earth, half the length of its blade submerged.
In this life, he was a parallel world counterpart developing toward the God of Forging; his mastery of weaponry had already reached the pinnacle of humanity. While he might not be the strongest swordsman, he was certainly the one who best understood how to exploit the advantages of any weapon.
As an outsider, if he wished to avert the path toward the world's destruction, the monster known as Demon God Toyotomi had to be resolved by a native of this world. Thus, Shirou did not dare use high-powered Noble Phantasms; however, he intended to pave the way for his "disciple."
The red light in Demon God Toyotomi's eyes flickered. The muscles in his right arm bulged high, and a small mound swelled on his body. A moment later, the face of a Demon God Pillar burrowed out from that spot, spitting out tentacles that coiled together like a giant whip to lash out at the girl.
The great spear in his right hand was used like a massive club, smashed directly toward the man's skull.
"Master, watch out!" At that moment, Hachi vibrated her spear tip into a floral pattern again, raising Tonbogiri and thrusting straight upward.
Knowing the girl's strength was not to be underestimated, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was forced to turn, using the precious spear in his right hand to parry in defense.
Catalyzed by the resentment, a black demonic dragon churned atop the tip of Nihongo, baring its fangs and claws.
Yet the girl showed no fear, appearing valiant as if a Martial God had descended to possess her. Her hands gripped Tonbogiri without a single tremor; she thrust steadily, neither rushed nor slow, already beginning to show the bearing of a famous general.
The collision of precious spear against precious spear sounded like a mountain collapsing.
Shirou quickly stepped aside to dodge. At that moment, Toyotomi Hideyoshi summoned a third precious blade, Mikazuki Munechika.
This time, Shirou met it with a head-on clash. The body of his Cursed Blade could not bear the burden and began to crack, but the precious blade in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's hand was still knocked loose and sent flying.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi summoned a fourth precious blade and pressed toward Shirou.
Shirou tossed away the Cursed Blade in his hand, flipped over, and picked up a second Cursed Blade from the ground. Gripping it with both hands, he slashed again. He struck down four more blades. The blade body shattered and was cast aside.
With a third Cursed Blade, he struck away five more.
By the time the fourth Cursed Blade was broken, all the swords Toyotomi Hideyoshi wore had been struck away.
"What gall!!!" Toyotomi Hideyoshi once again drew the ancient and simple sword, Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. It emitted a radiance symbolic of a king, carrying the weight of history. Although it was an ancient object created by man and passed down through generations, the reverence of the people had endowed this ancient sword with supreme power.
It was not a Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm, yet it surpassed the vast majority of them. On this land, it was regarded as the number one divine artifact under heaven.
"This sword! I have already seen it! A sword like this! I can create one too!" Shirou shouted loudly. Instead of retreating, he advanced, meeting the strike directly. A katana burning with flames appeared in his hand—a divine weapon mastered by the Shirou of another world.
Its shape differed from the Chinese ancient sword-style of the Ame-no-Murakumo, yet they shared commonalities. If the Ame-no-Murakumo in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's hand was the strongest "Reality" of history, then the one created in Shirou's hand was the strongest "Fantasy" of myth.
"The name of this blade is—Tsumukari Muramasa!!! Sever the delusions in your heart, sever the destiny of the world! For the humans here, carve out a new future!"
The strongest of Reality and the strongest of Fantasy collided. The sound was that of iron against iron, but what they struck out were sparks of rage and ideals.
The Ame-no-Murakumo, symbol of authority, was struck away. The one holding the sword should have carried its weight by occupying the position, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi's heart was lost in hatred; he used the Sword of the King's Way, meant to protect the people, as a Sword of World Destruction.
In contrast, the Tsumukari Muramasa in Shirou's mind was a Sword of Hope that could open a new future for the people.
The difference in quality was immediate; Hideyoshi was naturally no match for Shirou.
Shirou watched the Ame-no-Murakumo fly into the sky. He leapt off the ground, catching the divine sword Ame-no-Murakumo with his left hand while holding the Tsumukari Muramasa in his right. Two flashes of light descended upon the giant black demon horse as it opened its mouth of jagged teeth to bite him. The massive horse head, its blood-red eyes gleaming with malice, was severed and fell to the ground.
"Aaaaah!" The massive frame of the demon horse lost its balance, swaying left and right before finally toppling over.
Looking at Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had been thrown from the horse's back and was now slowly crawling up, the Demon God had no other weapons left, save for the final precious spear, Nihongo.
As long as the Demon God Pillar within him was suppressed, he would be a perfect match as an opponent for the girl!
"Hachi! Can you still fight?" Shirou tossed the blades in his hands to the ground, turned his head toward his disciple, and asked with a light smile.
"Of course! Master! Don't look down on me! All these years of hard practice! In terms of stamina, I won't lose to anyone!" the girl answered, full of energy.
"Good! This time I will cover you. I will break his defense, and the final battle will be left for you to resolve!" Shirou said, clenching his fists together.
"Yes! I'm going in!" The girl gripped her spear, flourished it, and answered loudly.
"Die! Brat! Little girl! Don't think you can stop my revenge like this!" On the Demon God Toyotomi, the resentment soared to the sky as his stature expanded again, turning him into a giant over 2.4 meters tall. The face of the Demon God Pillar appeared on his chest, spitting out tentacles that split into two parts to act as two fists.
"Nuisance of a Demon God! Get out of there!!!" As Shirou finished speaking, he stomped the ground. His eyes locked onto the Demon God Pillar attached to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's body. His fist glowed with white light as he struck the Demon God Toyotomi's abdomen, knocking the possessing Demon God Pillar out of him.
The humanoid, gold-and-red-intermingled Demon God Pillar let out a pained scream. Dozens of red pupils on its body opened to their widest before drooping powerlessly, half-open and half-closed, the eyeballs glazed.
"Hateful White God! Trapping us in the Temple of Time, suffering through a humiliating cycle of reincarnation there. Treated like your livestock... even if we risked death to escape, you still chase us down? How I hate it! I wish for all worlds to be destroyed! I would even become a puppet controlled by the Toyotomi clan just to see the screams of you humans! But I have still failed! I hate it so much..."
"I am not that God! But since you dare to come out and harm humans, no matter where you are, I will find you!" Shirou said calmly.
"I hate it so much... revenge..." the Demon God Pillar muttered to itself, its voice growing smaller until it finally stopped breathing.
Watching the Demon God Pillar turn into fluorescent light, Shirou turned back and shouted to the girl: "Hachi! The rest is up to you! I'm going to deal with the magic beasts in the streets!"
"I understand! Master!" Hachi promised. She raised Tonbogiri, the spear blade emitting a cold light so sharp it seemed it would sever everything.
"Wait! How can this be!" "We're just about to win, Mr. Shirou!" "Wait! Mr. Shirou!"
The Lord and ministers in the room shouted one after another.
Shirou ignored them, walking straight toward the hole Hideyoshi had smashed when he broke into the high wall. Right at the exit was a precious blade—the Dojigiri Yasutsuna that had been struck away earlier and was stuck in the ground. Shirou pulled it out.
"I'll leave this place to you, then. I believe in you, Hachi!" Shirou did not look back, simply waving his hand.
"Oh! Leave it to me!" The girl promised with a smile. At that moment, a gust of wind blew, lifting her black ponytail high to flutter in the air. Holding the Tonbogiri her Master had forged for her, she felt no loneliness in her heart.
The girl raised her spear and thrust toward Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the black giant still wreathed in resentment.
It was still the most ordinary thrust, the basic movement every soldier practices, yet in the girl's hands, it blossomed with the radiance of the martial way. This strike was the steadiest, heaviest thrust, as if meant to pierce the darkness and open up a new light.
"Bastard! I haven't killed all those noble-blooded brats yet! My revenge isn't finished! You think I'll let you have your way!!" Toyotomi Hideyoshi wept tears of blood and let out a shrill roar. At this moment, his entire body was covered in black resentment, turning him into a giant nearly three meters tall, no longer recognizable as human. The long spear in his hand also became massive; the black dragon on the shaft seemed to come to life, lunging straight at the girl.
"Shut up! I don't care about any of that! I don't understand 'righteousness' or 'lineage'! What I can't forgive is you destroying the city where I grew up! Get out of this city! Demon King! Hahhhhh!!!" The girl roared and met the attack.
Spear tip collided with spear tip once more. The black Nihongo and silver Tonbogiri slammed into each other simultaneously; neither overwhelmed the other. Where the tips met, a thunderous sound like the sky cracking and the earth splitting erupted. The ribbon on the girl's head snapped, and her long black hair billowed up, flying high behind her.
Amidst the roar, the girl remembered her past experiences: practicing persistently every day, yet the family swordsmanship never improved, leaving her to bury herself in physical training. Swallowing the pain and bitterness, yet receiving no one's recognition. Because she was taller than the boys and had great strength, she suffered their ridicule.
Only her Master had affirmed her, so... so! She absolutely could not lose! She absolutely would not let the person important to her be disappointed!
The image of the man gently patting her head surfaced in the girl's mind. Her heart warmed, and a new surge of strength was born in her hands.
The girl suddenly pushed the spear tip forward again, shouting loudly: "Hahhhhh!"
The two seemed frozen, remaining there motionless.
The girl's face was smeared with dust and smoke, making her look messy, but her eyes were startlingly bright. Her body maintained the posture of having thrust Tonbogiri. She had overdrawn her body's potential, exerting an unprecedented force; now her body was drained of strength. Finally unable to stand any longer, she lost her balance and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
As for the other frame, the black resentment had now dissipated. Demon God Toyotomi Hideyoshi had become a wizened old man less than 1.6 meters tall. A hole had been blasted through his chest, exiting through his back; he was no longer breathing.
The battle was decided.
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.
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Outside the Lord's residence, Shirou now held the Dojigiri Yasutsuna, standing atop the roof of a tall wooden building. Throughout the city streets and houses, monsters and demons were rampaging, slaughtering indiscriminately. The streets were covered in blood, accompanied by the continuous, rising and falling wails of the people.
Some people's homes were destroyed, some were killed, and some were separated from their loved ones...
Shirou closed his eyes, recalling in his heart the secret technique of the Valkyrie he had seen before. Holding the white-hilted Dojigiri Yasutsuna, blue-white lightning flickered along the blade.
The next moment, Shirou opened his eyes. Lightning flashed within them, and he instantaneously split into dozens of figures shimmering with a faint white light. Every figure was composed of white light and looked identical to the young Shirou. In unison, they placed their hands on the white hilt, drew the blade, and swung simultaneously.
Blade-light flashed, and every arc of light transformed into a curtain of lightning, rushing into the streets and illuminating every corner. For a moment, the entire city was turned a pure, snowy white.
The people's eyes were shielded by the bright light; for a time, they could see nothing at all.
Every monster and demon on the streets was swallowed by the lightning and turned to ash. The white clones also turned into arcs of white fluorescence and vanished. The white fluorescence drifted with the wind, landing on the injured people. Bitten wounds and open gashes healed bit by bit under the light, restoring them to how they were before.
A child who had been kneeling on the ground, wailing at his parents who had fallen together to protect him, stopped crying. He found himself pulled into a double embrace by the two of them, feeling their warm body temperature—it was exceptionally peaceful.
Shirou looked around and smiled. He sheathed the Dojigiri Yasutsuna and hung it on a corner of the tall building's roof. Then, with a light leap, he landed on the ground, muttering to himself: "Since the matter is settled, it's time for me to leave."
He lightly flicked his white cloak, looked at the people weeping with joy by the roadside, smiled, and quietly walked toward the city gates.
Meanwhile, back at the Lord's residence, the people inside remained agape.
"We won... we won, right?" They looked at the corpse of Toyotomi Hideyoshi lying on the ground, still appearing unable to believe it.
After a long while, they finally snapped out of it.
"Eh?... Yes! We won! We won!"
"That Demon God Toyotomi Hideyoshi was defeated by us!"
At that moment, the Matsudaira patriarch pushed through the crowd and walked out from the corner. With a wave of his hand, he said spiritedly: "Good! Everyone present is rewarded with a hundred kan and five rolls of cloth! All those who contributed are promoted by one rank in nobility! Those with great merit will receive further rewards later! Now, bring a sword and behead Toyotomi for me. This is the trophy of our Matsudaira family. The world! We must announce it to the world—it was I, Matsudaira, who defeated the Demon God!"
"Ooh!!!" For a time, the survivors in the Lord's residence fell into a frenzy of celebration, completely forgetting their previous terror and the surrounding mess.
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