Chapter 355: The Sword of Miyamoto Musashi
Hearing the opponent that Sasaki Kojiro sought, Shirou fell into deep thought.
If one spoke of "the strong," the world of Heroic Spirits contained them in countless numbers. However, when it came to swordsmanship alone, the man standing before him was undoubtedly perched at a dizzying height—an existence familiar with the "solitude at the top." Sasaki Kojiro's Secret Sword, Tsubame Gaeshi, was a divine technique that had reached the level of causing a multi-dimensional refraction phenomenon. Much like Rin Tohsaka's Jeweled Sword, it resided within the domain of the Second Magic.
When he unleashed his Secret Sword, he delivered three slashes simultaneously through an impossible method. These three strikes could be aimed at different angles and directions without interfering with one another, as if they existed in separate spaces. There was no obstruction or collision; they simply struck the opponent at once. To be honest, such a technique was more terrifying than a demon with six arms wielding three blades.
If the first strike missed, the technique would effectively return to the moment of the swing to deliver the second. Even if an enemy evaded the first two, all other paths of evasion would be completely sealed off by then. The third strike would be unavoidable and unblockable—a guaranteed hit.
In the face of a Grand Swordmaster like Sasaki Kojiro, being struck once while defenseless was, for all intents and purposes, no different from committing suicide. Even if the target were of the Dragon Kind, the result would remain unchanged.
"Does such a swordsmanship truly exist?" Shirou asked. Having witnessed Kojiro's technique firsthand, he knew its profound mystery. It was truly hard to imagine what kind of swordsmanship in this island nation could possibly surpass his.
Swordsmen who could compare to Kojiro were perhaps limited to those heroes of ancient lands, celebrated in myths and epics for their peerless skill, or those recognized across nations as "Sword Gods" or "Sword Saints" who were unrivaled in their time.
Among the Knights of the Round Table, Lancelot—the first in swordsmanship—might still be slightly inferior to Kojiro if one set aside magical energy and focused purely on the blade.
Then there were figures like the Chinese "Poet Immortal" Li Bai, famed for his mastery of wine, poetry, and the sword. Or Li Bai's teacher, Pei Min, a man of staggering physical strength who reportedly shot thirty-one tigers in a single day and even slew a giant demon spider. Pei Min was a master of "Sword Control," capable of hurling a blade dozens of feet into the clouds and then, without even looking up, holding out an empty scabbard so the falling sword would return to it as if it had eyes.
But these legendary figures would never appear in this island nation.
Kojiro's gaze sharpened like a blade drawn from its sheath as he spoke with firm conviction:
"It exists! A sword that transcends 'Infinity,' transcends 'One,' and becomes 'Zero.' It requires no second or third strike; before the sword is even drawn, victory is already fated. It is the sword of absolute certainty, a blade that has reached the realm of 'Void.' The Sword Saint who authored The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi! He is exactly such a master among masters."
"Miyamoto Musashi!! You've seen Musashi?" Shirou blurted out in surprise. His mind immediately went to the pink-haired young lady he had met before—heroic, yet occasionally unreliable.
Given Kojiro's nature as a combat-obsessed "martial idiot," if he met Musashi, he would surely challenge her to a duel unto death, never stopping until a victor was decided. Could that young lady—who once collapsed on the ground because she was hungry—really withstand a Secret Sword that equaled a portion of the Second Magic's power?
Kojiro spoke with regret, "Ah... however, by the time I found him, he was already a white-bearded old man who couldn't even hold a sword steady, waiting for death. He had no children, had abandoned city life, left his disciples behind, and lived alone in a cave."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense. Right... so it's this world's Musashi. Already an old man, what a pity." Shirou realized, nodding repeatedly. He felt his brain was a bit muddled.
On second thought, it made sense. When speaking of Miyamoto Musashi, one naturally thinks of a bearded, burly man. But the impression that pink-haired lady left on him was so deep that he couldn't help but think of her first.
"Lord Shirou, where are you headed next? If time permits, even if it means a detour, I can help you complete your commission before I head to the city for my appointment," Kojiro said sincerely. As comrades who had faced life and death together, this battle-crazed man rarely showed such a sentimental side.
"No, I plan to investigate the nearby villages. I won't delay your business," Shirou said, waving him off.
"Very well. Then we shall part ways here. If you run into trouble, you can find me at the best sake brewery in Shimousa Province," Kojiro agreed with a light smile, keeping it brief.
"I understand. If I encounter something I can't handle, I will definitely come bother you," Shirou nodded decisively.
However, hearing the name "Shimousa Province" again felt incredibly familiar. He finally started to piece things together. Historically, Shimousa wasn't particularly famous, though the adjacent Awa Province had some renown. In earlier times, this entire region belonged to the ancient "Fusa Province," which was later split into three: Shimousa (Lower Fusa), Kazusa (Upper Fusa), and Awa (Southern Fusa).
This ancient Fusa region was, in modern times, none other than Shirou's hometown in this life: Chiba Prefecture. It bordered Tokyo and Saitama, so there was no way he wouldn't be familiar with it.
Shimousa itself had nothing remarkable, but Awa Province was also known as "Nanso." There was a literary masterpiece centered on this region: Nanso Satomi Hakkenden (The Eight Dog Chronicles). This book's status in Japan is roughly equivalent to the Four Great Classical Novels in China. It had a profound influence on later popular literature and is the longest novel in Japanese history.
Written in the early 19th century, the book spans 106 volumes and took 28 years to complete. It even drew inspiration from Water Margin and Investiture of the Gods.
The story features a magical crystal necklace with 108 beads. Its owner was the beloved daughter of the Satomi Lord, the Princess of Nanso. Cursed by evil, her pet dog "Yatsufusa" became a demon, assaulted her, and carried her off to the deep mountains to live as husband and wife. When the princess realized she was pregnant with the dog's offspring, she committed suicide.
At that moment, the crystal necklace accidentally broke. The eight large beads representing Virtue, Justice, Courtesy, Wisdom, Loyalty, Faith, Filial Piety, and Fraternity were stained by her life force and flew into the sky in all directions. They were reincarnated as eight warriors, each with the character for "Dog" (Inu) in their surname and a peony-shaped birthmark on their bodies. These warriors who protected the Satomi family were known as the "Satomi Eight Dogs."
This is a story every Japanese person knows by heart. Nanso is like Mt. Liang in Water Margin; even if you don't know the exact coordinates, you've at least heard of it.
As for Shimousa, aside from some shrines, temples, and scenic spots, there really wasn't anything special about it.
Except... this was the city where Shirou had lived.
Shirou looked around; it was still very unfamiliar. But this was the city where he grew up. Looking into the distance, some of the land he saw was likely places he had visited in his future life—perhaps his school, the shopping district he frequented, or even his home.
It was just that time had passed and the world had changed. By the time of modern urban development, these hills might be leveled, the streams dried up, and the rivers filled in. Standing here hundreds of years in the past, even knowing this was his home city, he had no way of identifying exactly where he was.
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