Peerless Sword: Three-Stage Technique

"Yes, Master!" Yukino gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, raised her head with tears in her eyes, and resolutely agreed.

She could understand what her master meant by those words, but it was precisely because of this kind of person that she respected, admired, and liked him so much... even though her body was already covered in wounds and she was exhausted, and her clothes were tattered and stained with mud and blood.

Anyone can see that he's just putting on a brave face, but he's really, really handsome!

The girl's eyes were fixed on her master, but suddenly they became blurry.

She wiped away her tears with her sleeve, ran inside, and began organizing the women and children to escape.

At this moment, Aichi, one of the village's male members, led the other militiamen, carrying bamboo spears, and ran up, shouting, "Shirou! We'll stay and fight alongside you!"

Shirou roared in an authoritative tone, leaving no room for argument. "Everyone in the village! The bandits have all been killed, your duty is fulfilled! It is the samurai's job to defeat the enemy general! Aichi! Take everyone in the village and leave this place!"

Aichi shouted loudly, "Yes! I know! Everyone! Come with me! Staying here will only be a burden to Shirou! Hurry! As long as we all survive, everything can start anew!"

After Yukino led the villagers out of the village and arrived at a flat area on the back mountain.

Boom!

A burst of flame shot into the sky, erupting with a thunderous roar; even in the back mountains, the earth trembled.

Then came the sound of metal clashing violently, but these sounds were like a hundred birds chirping at the same time, at an astonishing frequency, and they didn't stop for a long time.

Every now and then, a burst of fire would appear, accompanied by thunder and lightning, causing the earth to shake.

The people on the back mountain sat down on the ground in a daze, completely unable to imagine what kind of battle was taking place in the village.

Without needing to say a word, the two, knowing that a battle was inevitable, charged at each other the moment the villagers emerged.

Her long white hair fluttered in the wind, and her footwork was even more refined than that of Soji in his normal state. With a black shadow, she suddenly appeared in front of Shirou.

Both wield Ōdachi, but the girl's swordsmanship differs from Sasaki Kojiro's. She is not an elegant and unfathomable mysterious swordsman, but a more direct, swift, and fierce warrior, her sword flashing.

Despite being a heavy and long Ōdachi, it moved with the agility of a thin sheet in the girl's hands.

However, the sword was the fastest and sharpest, possessing terrifying power. Its dark blade glowed red, unleashing multiple attacks in an instant. Occasionally, the blade would ignite with scorching flames, suddenly exploding in front of the man, filling the surrounding air with a burnt smell.

The purple blade flashed repeatedly, leaving afterimages. Under the relentless onslaught of the Demon God Souji, Shirou's right hand, gripping the demon sword, emitted purple energy that gradually seeped into his arm and spread throughout his body. In order to fight against the powerful Servant, he had no choice but to borrow the energy absorbed by the demon sword.

The serpent's curse, the Holy Grail's magic, the demon's evil aura, and the hatred and resentment from the battle—all of these became the source of his fighting power at this moment.

This is the most powerful force he is now displaying, exerting all his strength. As Muramasa, he has forged a sharp sword and transformed it into a demon sword. A completely new demon sword, unlike the one famous in history.

Shirou couldn't help but follow up with Demon God Souji's slash, still looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

The demon sword seems to be responding to the wishes of its forger, constantly growing stronger.

It grew sharper and sharper with each strike and collision. The demon sword was honed to become increasingly sharper with each strike, and the sword wind it unleashed even managed to cut open Soji's face, leaving a gash.

Several more slashes passed by.

Sweat dripped from the man's body onto the ground; he trembled slightly and gasped for breath.

"Shirou, give up. Your body can't hold on much longer, no, it's already exceeded its limit. It wouldn't be strange if you collapsed now." The white-haired girl's face remained expressionless, but she could see Shirou's condition and spoke up.

"Ah! Unfortunately, this is exactly what I excel at—struggling to survive in this kind of desperate situation. If you don't fight to the end, you never know what the outcome will be." Shirou said with a smile, his right hand holding the sword already numb, his bones cracking all over his body, and feeling the pain of bone spurs piercing his body with the slightest movement. His stiff muscles would also cramp uncontrollably from time to time.

Sweat dripped uncontrollably from his body, and the sweat from exercise was actually cold sweat caused by pain. Through his skin, one could see several bulging, menacing veins on his arm holding the knife, the blood inside of which had turned an eerie purple.

"Peerless Sword - Three Stages of Boundless Heaven--!"

The surrounding space seemed to fall into a deathly silence at this moment. Demon God Souji raised the Purgatory Blade horizontally with his right hand, golden light emanating from the black blade, and then thrust it forward.

This strike tore through space. Her footwork, cultivated to the highest level, had reached the realm of immortals. With each step, she could traverse obstacles and ignore distance. The girl leaped high into the air, her long white hair dancing in the wind, and disappeared into the sky.

"It's not over yet! Don't underestimate my determination!!! If this is destiny ordained by heaven, then I'll shatter even the heavens to show you!"

At this moment, Muramasa was in the Inner World within his body, fully awakened and roared from the depths of his soul at the same time as Shirou.

Indeed, the desire to seek justice, to bring happiness to all, and to change the suffering fate of people in the world are all too far-fetched and too presumptuous.

However, neither Shirou nor Muramasa could stand by and watch the people in distress die before them.

As long as they can still move, they will rush forward, even if it costs them their lives until the very last moment. They will never give up, and that is what makes them Hero of Justice.

The purple demon sword burst into flames, as if in response to its master, making a final cry from the depths of its soul.

Chapter 244 The Absolute Sword - Infinite Three Stages

Ideals and dreams that seem unattainable often end in vain, but sometimes, faith is more important than anything else.

In this desperate situation, it would be impossible to persevere without a strong will.

If we don't persevere until this moment, we cannot achieve a miracle and accomplish what should have been impossible.

The power hidden within Shirou's soul awakened at this moment. His original body in another dimension transmitted the power from that world along the path of his soul. At this moment, the eyes of Muramasa's body shone with iridescent light, and his pupils, radiating a seven-colored brilliance, unleashed his greatest potential.

Purple flames erupted from the purple light on the demon sword, enveloping Shirou's entire body, and his steely heart burned within the purple flames. Enhanced by the Magic Eye, he had paid the ultimate price to find the strongest possibility.

Among the many legends of slaying the great god Yamata no Orochi, there is a war god who is even more powerful than the serpent god and is also tainted with the blood of the serpent god's curse. His name is Susanoo!

Purple flames erupted from the demon sword, rising high into the air and transforming into samurai armor, including the helmet and shoulder guards of the Tengu, which were then attached to Shirou's body.

The first strike of Wuqiong's three-stage technique utilizes the exquisite footwork of the Arctic to rush in front of the enemy.

The girl who vanished from the sky reappeared in front of Shirou the next moment, unleashing hundreds of golden slashes before disappearing again, passing by him.

Shirou raised the Purple Flame Demon Blade in front of him, unleashing purple flames that deflected all the attacks.

The second strike of Wuqiong's third stage landed behind the enemy, and he immediately turned around, ignoring the resistance, and passed behind the unsuspecting enemy, returning to his original standing position in an instantaneous strike.

Purple tengu wings unfurled behind him, and the speed of the storm surpassed that of the Demon God Souji at that moment.

The swords clashed, producing a fierce burst of sparks.

The second attack missed again. Demon God Souji shifted his distance, faced Shirou, and unleashed his strongest attack.

In an instant, the girl unleashed tremendous magical power, enveloping everything in white light. The only different color was the Ōdachi of Purgatory held horizontally in her hand. The black blade magnified infinitely in an instant, transforming into a black circular beam of light that shot straight toward Shirou opposite her.

"The final blow! Let's end this!" Demon God Souji shouted.

Within the white space, golden light enveloped the boundless black light within, continuously expanding, as if nothing in the world could escape this unparalleled strike. This was the light of the boundless sky, limitless, unobstructed, and boundless, an extremely black pillar of light that broke through any boundary.

"Haaaaaah! It's not over yet! Because I said I'd save the people here!!" Shirou charged forward, sword raised, head tilted to the side, body lowered, and charged forward.

The black aurora gradually enlarged, burning away the left half of Shirou's tengu wings on his back, burning away the shoulder armor, and even the skin of his left arm inside was destroyed the moment it touched the aurora. The bare white bones on his shoulder turned to ashes under the aurora.

Shirou gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and charged forward, constantly closing the distance between himself and the Demon God Souji. The difference between the two-meter-long nodachi and the tachi meant that the moment the purple blade in his hand touched the girl, the outcome would be decided.

Demon God Souji sensed that he would be killed if things continued this way, so he quickly put away the Purgatory Blade that was emitting the boundless aurora. He didn't have time to change direction and slashed down directly, using the advantage of the length of the Ōdachi to cut down on the left side of Shirou's body as he charged forward.

At the same time, Shirou rushed to the girl's side, wielding the demon sword tightly in his right hand. The sword flashed with purple light and effortlessly pierced the upper abdomen of the Demon God Souji.

The Holy Grail, hidden within the girl's body, was pierced and pushed out.

Previously, he slew mountain bandits, cut off the demon's horn, and pierced the serpent's body, which was tainted by Black Mud, bathing the blade in the cursed blood of the serpent god.

The Shirou cannot yet be called a divine weapon; it simply gains an additional 'sharpness' when it undergoes transformation, possessing the potential to cut through anything.

By continuously absorbing the Holy Grail's magical power, the demon sword finally gained the ability to pierce the Holy Grail.

With a crash, the golden cup shattered, and the hole that appeared out of nowhere was completely absorbed by the demon sword.

The purple blade absorbed the black mud, began to crack, and finally turned into crystalline fragments that scattered down. The speckled fluorescence was blown up by a gust of wind and floated into the air.

"Why? Why go to this extent?" the Demon God Souji asked, puzzled.

The man lying in a pool of blood, his left arm severed and half his body cut open by the blade, smiled and said, "I told you from the beginning that I'm not good at swordsmanship. But if I want to save everyone, ordinary methods won't work."

"I can't understand, huh..." The expressionless brown-skinned girl remained in the position of being stabbed, looking at the man lying on the ground, tears involuntarily streaming down her face.

"There's nothing we can do if we don't understand now. We're still alive, and one day we'll understand," Shirou said with a smile as he lay on the ground.

"Master!"

"Shirou- sama!"

"This is all I've achieved this time. I'm sorry, I still lost to fate..." Shirou lay on the ground, staring at the fiery clouds painted with gold and orange-red, as if the entire sky were ablaze, and muttered to himself.

I seem to hear the girl running over, her voice trembling with sobs, and the villagers kneeling beside her weeping, some saddened, some joyful.

In the Inner World, there are furnaces, wilderness strewn with weapons, and spaces for forging steel.

The boy stood next to a wiry-looking man.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Muramasa, that you died here." Shirou bowed and apologized.

"It's alright, it's alright. If I were here, I would make the same choice. Besides, my ideals aren't over yet. Even if I die, it can't be the end. Besides, I'm not dead yet, haha!"

"Really? That's wonderful. I've learned a lot from you these past few days, thank you so much." Shirou nodded happily.

"Ah, I see my own future reflected in your eyes too. If these techniques of mine can help you, then I'd be more than happy. Farewell, lad! I hope you find happiness!"

"Yes! I believe in Mr. Muramasa. The future you hope for will definitely come true," Shirou said.

The two transformed into fluorescent lights and departed from this world.

As the night passed, a gentle breeze dispersed the dark clouds in the sky, revealing six graves piled up atop a small hill in the village.

Standing to the side Okita Souji Alter, a tall girl with long white hair, her waist wrapped in white bandages. She stood there silently, arms crossed.

She should have died, but that man spared her life, and she survived. This place should have been a mirage of bubbles, like Ruri in a furnace, beautiful but destined to shatter and be burned to pieces by the flames.

After the Holy Grail left this world, everything should have been repaired and disappeared by the Counter Force, but now everything is still running.

The sharp demonic blade miraculously avoided vital organs such as blood vessels, bones, and internal organs, and did not kill her; it only pierced her body from the front and back, leaving two holes.

Because it was so sharp, it didn't affect other parts of her body, and the injury wasn't too serious. For her constitution, it was nothing at all, and she would be fully healed in a couple of days.

Perhaps because this world is inherently peculiar, without the constraints of the Holy Grail, although the magical power within her gradually disappeared and could no longer be generated or increased, she could still continue to move freely as long as she had a physical body.

Without any specific goal in mind, she plans to accompany this young samurai girl on her journey.

Yukino stood in front of the village gate, looking at the small hill and then at the busy villagers. After the harvest, they were diverting the water stored there, and a new round of farming was about to begin.

The village, now free of bandits, was filled with laughter and joy. Farmers sang folk songs as they planted rice seedlings in the fields. The seedlings were lush and green, and birds flew overhead from time to time. Everything was so vibrant and full of life.

Yukino turned and walked to the village exit, gazing into the distance at the four samurai swords and the Jumonji Kama Yari that stood atop the tallest grave in the village.

At her master's grave, where the blade was shattered, Yukino left behind the map she had drawn, along with paper and pen. But she kept the broken sword, sheathing it and carrying it on her back with a rope.

"I think I understand what my master said before. I really did lose this war. This time, it wasn't us or justice that won, but the surviving farmers."

"However, I will not give up. I will carry on my master's will and continue to seek the answer to the truth."

The samurai girl, sword in hand, took a step and left the village.

Okita Souji Alter silently followed behind.

This is a peculiar world that exists between reality and dreams, overlapping with the concept of samurai. It is a dream world formed by the convergence of multiple worlds, ultimately creating a strange reality.

Whether they are outsiders or Servant summoned by possession, or people living in this world, as long as they do not die, they will continue to exist.

How long this can last is anyone's guess unless the world comes to an end.

Those who are drawn from a dream into another world and die there may have simply been having a nightmare in their original world.

In a house in Chiba Prefecture Tokyo, a boy who was fast asleep on the sofa opened his eyes and saw that it was still dark outside the window.

Feeling drowsy, I thought I'd sleep a little longer, and so I drifted off to sleep once more.

"There was a time in this world when, for some special reason, seven samurai accepted the employment of peasants from the lower class and led the villagers to fight against mountain bandits who came to rob the village of its food."

All the samurai fought to the very end; none of them fled, fighting to the last man until they perished. Of the seven samurai, only one remained.

An elderly man, partially blind and with almost all his teeth missing, knelt on a table that had been moved in, telling stories and performing for money in the teahouse.

"Hahaha! A samurai helping a farmer? What a ridiculous story! But old man, your storytelling skills are truly amazing, it's almost like the real thing. Here's a reward for you!" A customer burst into laughter, taking out some change from his pocket to give to the old storyteller.

Guests who were pleased with this fresh story also contributed their spare change.

"Thank you, sir. Your generosity will surely bring you great wealth." The storyteller bowed repeatedly, while the child beside him busied himself picking up the money from the ground.

"Has Sasaki Kojiro appeared yet? What about Miyamoto Musashi? Musashi!" someone else asked.

"Musashi, that's a story for another time," the old man said with a bow and a smile.

"Make way! Make way! Whether you're a ronin or a commoner, don't stand in the middle of the road blocking the way!" Just then, the shouts of officials driving away tourists and telling them to make way came from outside the small teahouse.

In the streets of the small town, Security Force of more than ten men, carrying wooden sticks and pitchforks, paraded through the streets. Every so often, they would make pedestrians make way for them, displaying the power and authority of their Security Force.

They specifically targeted those poor, down-on-their-luck ronin samurai, wanting to see them bow their heads and admit defeat, or else make them look like complete fools.

"Honestly! It's all these ronin samurai's fault, always causing trouble for us! If they want to duel, why don't they go outside the city to fight?" the fat man complained.

"That's right!" The dozen or so constables' mood soured at this thought, and they glared fiercely at the warriors carrying weapons walking by, seemingly looking for someone to leave.