The Eight-Headed Serpent Is Unsealed
It took her a while to realize what was happening.
Staring in disbelief, he thought, 'Huh? Does that mean Musashi and I might be in danger?'
The person who caused all this was now traveling through mountains and rivers with Illya and the Great White Bear, led by a summoned eagle, searching for the location of the Yamata no Orochi, far away from all the complexities of the mundane world.
Unable to confront the culprit, Gudako resigned herself to her fate and continued onward with Afeng and Tsuke. The journey to Tsuchi-ki Castle, the capital of Shimousa, proceeded smoothly.
But as they passed a village in a wheat field, they smelled a strong stench of blood. A bald man emerged from the village and blocked their path, holding a long spear that was still dripping with blood, and wearing prayer beads around his neck.
"Who goes there!?" Musashi forward warily, shielding Gudako and the children behind him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that not only was the tip of the spear red, but the other person's eyes were also completely bloodshot, with no whites visible.
The bald man walked up with a spear, and said in a deep voice with a ferocious face, "Two young women, and two children, ah... they must be killed, and they must be killed now. Now you will be freed. Only by death can you escape from this hellish world and reach the true pure land. No need to be afraid, just let me stab you with a bullet."
"So this is the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster... Looks like he's not someone you can communicate with. Gudako, help Afeng and Tsuke close their eyes. The battle that's about to begin might be a little inappropriate for children," Musashi said.
"I understand! I'll leave the battle to you! Musashi- chan! Come here, Afeng, Tsuke, let's play a game where you close your eyes and plug your ears, and see who can endure it the longest." Gudako turned around, hugged Afeng and Tsuke, and then covered Tsuke's ears with her hands, using her body as a barrier so that they couldn't see the battle over there.
"Yes. If we can't see the bandits, we won't be afraid!" Afeng obediently agreed.
"Alright! Now it's my turn! I won't let you succeed!" Musashi mustered his strength and drew the treasured sword he had obtained from Shirou.
"Musashi? I never expected Musashi to be a woman, and a righteous one at that. She's as beautiful as a flower of heaven. If I had descended in a normal form, I would definitely have become friends with you. What a pity, what a pity. That's why I want to kill you all even more now." As the monk spoke, a fierce killing intent erupted from his body.
Musashi stood ramrod straight, shielding Gudako and the children behind her from the oppressive aura of murderous intent. She was furious, but when her anger reached its peak, her emotions calmed down.
The woman calmly said, "So you're the Hozoin Inshun that Shirou mentioned! Your heart has indeed become completely twisted. But since we're mortal enemies, let me experience the Hozoin's divine spear technique to my heart's content!"
Faced with such an enemy, Musashi dared not relax for a moment. After all, in the world she knew, Hozoin Inshun was a man known as the Spear God.
"That's right, we Heroic Spirit Swordmaster have fallen into demonic ways, our only goal being to make Satan's hell reappear here. Mr. Shirou ... it seems I have another person to kill... Hah!" The lancer opposite him frowned his crimson eyes, as if he had remembered something.
He didn't stop, but continued walking while muttering to himself. Then, when he was close enough to attack Musashi, he roared and thrust out a deadly spear without hesitation.
This was a vicious and extremely dangerous strike, aimed straight at Musashi's throat with lightning speed. If the spear had hit, Musashi, who was still a mortal at the time, would have been killed on the spot.
However, at the last moment, Musashi tilted his head back, thus dodging the fatal shot.
The monk wielded a modified Jumonji spear, which, in addition to thrusting, could also be used for sweeping and smashing. He turned the spearhead, and one of the three-pronged spikes of the Jumonji spear was aimed directly at Musashi's head, smashing down directly.
Musashi drew his second sword, held both swords in front of him, and used his strength to deflect the spear back.
At this moment, Musashi's eyes turned into a blue-white glow, seemingly possessing a magical power to see through the essence of battle.
Swords clashed and spears clashed, sparks flying. Musashi dodged the enemy's spears with exquisite footwork, then seized the opportunity to strike, but all her attacks were blocked by the spearmen. Even her killing moves were blocked by the opponent's superior techniques.
The monk's spear technique had reached the level of a martial arts grandmaster. Even if his mind was controlled and his Spirit Origin altered, it would not affect his spear skills in any way. On the contrary, due to the influence of his mind, he would become even more bloodthirsty and ferocious.
Finding his attack blocked by the woman once again, before it could be fully thrust out, the woman's sword had already landed on the trajectory of the spear, causing the spear, which had not yet fully charged, to be deflected.
"That's enough! I've seen through your marksmanship!" Musashi sheathed his sword, which had been used to deflect the spear tip, and said with an imposing air.
The spearman asked in a deep voice, "You're saying my spear has been seen through?"
"Ah, my skill in swordsmanship is indeed inferior to your skill in spearmanship, but I will be the victor in this battle!" Musashi said confidently.
The spearman's blood-red eyes widened, and he said ferociously, "You really dare to say that! Then block my Jumonji spear, and the next strike will sever your head."
"Then let's give it a try!" Musashi calmly agreed.
Both men knew that the next move would determine the victor.
If Sasaki Kojiro is to be considered a peerless swordsman who has reached the realm of 'infinity'...
Musashi, on the other hand, went to another extreme, the realm of 'emptiness'. She believed that her father had reached the ultimate swordsmanship of 'one', and in order to surpass him, she began to pursue 'emptiness'. Emptiness is no emptiness, and no emptiness is invincibility.
Musashi's pursuit of 'emptiness' shares similarities with the fundamental Buddhist concept of 'emptiness of the four elements,' yet they are also different. In her ideal swordsmanship, once one reaches the state of 'emptiness,' one becomes invincible, untouchable even by the Infinite Sword. Before the battle even begins, one is already invincible; drawing the sword signifies victory.
With her unique 'heavenly eye', she is always able to win on the battlefield. Her greatest skill is to cleverly perceive the enemy's plans while concealing her own, anticipating the perfect moment to win before the enemy does, and then firmly grasping it in her hands.
Legend has it that after mastering his swordsmanship, the sword saint Miyamoto Musashi traveled throughout the country, challenging 66 renowned swordsmen without ever being defeated. It was precisely because of this ability that any swordsman whose moves she witnessed could not escape the fate of being defeated.
She simulates battles in her mind, searching for the optimal and infallible fighting method among countless possibilities. When she draws her sword and strikes, victory is assured.
Of course, the woman had not yet reached the level of a sword saint, nor was she the original samurai who wrote books in his old age. But no one questioned her potential; she was none other than Miyamoto Musashi, the one and only swordsman.
In this world, the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster she faces force her to unleash the remaining potential within her. If she fails, she will die, and those she wants to protect will also die.
So only winning matters!
"Roar!!!" Miyamoto Musashi assumed the stance of the Niten Ichito-ryu style and unleashed his strongest strike at the attacking demonized monk.
"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" Blood and tears streamed down the demonized spearman's face, his expression more like a sorrowful weeping than anger.
When this sword strikes down, it's as if a wrathful Vajra, a benevolent king, has descended upon the world.
With a loud bang, the Jumonji spear in the spearman's hand shattered into pieces like glass under the slash.
The momentum of that strike hadn't stopped; it sliced through the spear shaft and aimed directly at the spearman's heart.
Using Muramasa's knowledge and Shirou Emiya's accumulated skills, the woman's sword, 'Demon Blade Muramasa - Myojin-giri', was recreated as a bridge. The sword's edge struck the Spirit Origin of the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster hidden in another place, destroying it completely. At this moment, the monk's body also shattered and disintegrated like the weapon.
"Musashi... you've won..." the monk murmured in his final moments before disappearing.
The Seven Matches of Heroic Spirit Swordmaster - Part 1
The outcome is decided!
The winner is Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Nobutsuna!!!
Chapter 373 The Unsealing of Yamata no Orochi
The azure sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds. High above, an eagle darted among the clouds, flapping its wings and moving swiftly forward. Its sharp eyes surveyed the earth, searching for any clues.
On the ground, Shirou and Illya walked through the mountains, followed by a Great White Bear. They had already crossed several mountains, but still could not find any trace of the Serpent God.
Illya asked, "Shirou, are you familiar with the story of the Yamata no Orochi?"
Shirou made an excuse and said, "The legend I know is that Amaterasu Omikami's younger brother Susanoo-no-Mikoto Susanoo, committed a mistake and was banished from Takamagahara. Then, by chance, he heard about a demon in Izumo Province who came every year and ate a young woman."
Susanoo, seeing the beauty of the woman offered as a sacrifice, volunteered to vanquish the demon. He devised a plan: at the spot where the sacrifice was offered, he poured eight portions of fine wine to intoxicate the eight heads of the Yamata no Orochi, then used the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi to slay each of the serpent's heads, obtaining the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, from its body.
Illya said, "Most of this legend is true, but a great demon of that level isn't something you can kill easily."
"Oh, so what exactly happened back then?" Shirou asked.
"The truth that the god within me understands is that although Susanoo defeated Orochi, he could not truly kill him. In order to prevent Orochi from recovering and seeking revenge, Susanoo then sought the help of his two older sisters Amaterasu Omikami and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto."
The three of them used the Yata no Kagami (Yata no Kagami) and the Yasakani no Magatama (Eight- Yasakani no Magatama Jewel) together, along with Susanoo's Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Kusanagi Sword), also known as the Yae- Yae Gaki Sword), to seal away the Yamata no Orochi.
"These are the Three Sacred Treasures, which have been very famous even in later generations, and they are also the Emperor's tokens," Shirou said.
"Well, this is the sealing artifact used back then, but later people just made far-fetched connections to it. It's not uncommon for ancient things and stories to be used differently in modern times."
The Yamata no Orochi the girl was searching for was not dead, but sealed somewhere. As a great demon of the same level as the Nine-Tailed Fox, or even above it, it was like the Metsuke Stone of Tamamo-no-Mae. Even though it was killed, its fame spread throughout the entire country and its influence continues to this day.
The Yamata no Orochi, which was suppressed under the mountains back then, will naturally continue to affect the land and water where it is buried. The serpent monster sealed underground is, in a sense, like the Dragon Vein in Chinese feng shui.
Although the impact is significant, it is invisible to ordinary people, and even if they do see it, they don't understand why.
Such existences are all about fate; they are something you can only encounter by chance, not something you can seek out.
For example, regarding the true Holy Grail, King Arthur sent hundreds of knights to search for it throughout the world, but only three people actually saw the Grail, and Galahad was the only one who actually touched it.
Galahad, through the Holy Grail, gained the opportunity to speak with God. Faced with a truly Almighty Wish Machine that could grant any wish, he, being without desire or want, made no demands, only desiring to hear the Lord's teachings. Thus, he was admitted to Heaven and became a saint, something that ordinary people could not achieve.
Fortunately, the eagle was no ordinary creature; it was an animal spirit summoned by Illya using the power of the goddess, and it had its own methods for searching.
After flying for several hours, the eagle's eyes lit up, as if it had locked onto something. Then it swooped down to a height of tens of meters above the ground, where it circled back and forth, emitting sharp cries.
"Did you find anything?" Shirou asked.
"Okay! Let's hurry over there and let it lead the way. Run! Shirou!" Illya pulled Shirou, the girl in front and the boy behind, and together they sat on the back of the Great White Bear.
"Awooo!" The Great White Bear roared, its four legs straining to unleash a speed that rivaled that of modern sports cars, as it raced after the eagle ahead, kicking up a cloud of dust behind it.
The eagles in the sky would stop and circle in the air after flying a certain distance, and the Great White Bear, being very fast, quickly caught up with them.
The Great White Bear, relying on its thick fur and massive, sturdy body, used the dense grass as a shortcut, charging through the undergrowth. Wherever it went, small animals scattered in panic, and birds flew out of the woods.
Following the mountain path downhill, we came to a fork in the road. Following the eagles overhead, we ran to the left and came to a stream with clear water where fish could be seen leaping from the surface. On the bank lay a pile of pebbles washed ashore during a flood.
"Could this be...?" Shirou frowned.
"What? Shirou?" Illya looked up at the man she was leaning against and asked.
"No, it's nothing." Shirou shook his head, seemingly lost in thought.
They ran along the path by the stream, the eagles continuing to fly overhead, leading Shirou others to the foot of a mountain. This mountain was very large, and the trees on it were much taller and larger than those on the previous mountains. The lush foliage completely blocked out the sunlight, making it dark and gloomy. The surrounding area was covered with tall wild grass, making it impossible to see any path leading up the mountain.
The feeling here is completely different from the previous places; it's quiet and somewhat eerie.
Shirou felt that the surrounding environment was very familiar. When the Great White Bear carried them up to a mountaintop with lush vegetation but no surroundings and no life, he was 100% certain of his thoughts. It turned out that the place the hawk had found was the very place where Shirou had been teleported to by Alaya at the beginning.
"I didn't expect to be back again. So this is what Alaya meant by teleporting me here." Shirou said, looking around at the desolate mountain without any trace of animals. Thinking about it carefully, this place was indeed very unusual. The vegetation was lush, but there was no sign of human habitation, not even animals.
"But where could the Yamata no Orochi be hiding?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"Now it's our turn." Illya raised an arm, and just then, an eagle that had been circling overhead swooped down, flapped its wings a few times, and nimbly landed on it.
Illya reached out her other hand to stroke the eagle, and said softly, "Good child, good child, thank you, you should go and rest now."
With a cry, the eagle took flight from the girl's arm, soaring upwards and quickly disappearing from sight.
"That child's job is just to lead us to where it sensed something was wrong; we'll have to find the specifics ourselves," the girl said, turning to look at Shirou.
"Any clues?" Shirou asked.
"It's probably related to the Three Sacred Treasures or the Three Great Gods. But it's all grass here, we can't see anything." Illya said, sitting on the back of the Great White Bear and looking around. Because the wild grass on the mountain is so tall, if a girl were to come down, she might be completely submerged by the overgrown grass and her head would be completely hidden.
"Yes." Shirou looked at the vast green sea and fell into a state of distress. He wished his eyes could still function; in this situation...
"It's okay! Leave it to me~!" Illya patted her little chest and raised her hand to summon her new animal companion.
A little rabbit, a squirrel, and various other small animals obeyed the girl's commands, summoning a group of their kind to conduct a thorough search of the grass on the mountain.
A short while later, a little squirrel ran back, climbed onto the girl's shoulder, and whispered something.
"Found it!" the girl exclaimed in surprise.
The little squirrel perched on the girl's shoulder, directing the way forward, while the Great White Bear led the way.
Shirou quickly followed and arrived at a corner of the mountaintop. To his surprise, there was an open space there, surrounded by a pile of huge stones forming a circle. Inside, it was as if plants were forbidden to grow; there were only stone structures.
Inside is a shrine-like enclosure, and inside that is a white paper house with two tightly closed doors. At the very top of the roof is a totem of an eight-headed serpent monster. The door to the white paper house has a sun reflected in a mirror on one side and a crescent moon shaped like a magatama on the other, suggesting a hidden secret within.
These two objects are inlaid on it, a golden sun and a pale blue moon. At first glance, they just look like ordinary handles, but they are actually some kind of mechanism that can be rotated.
However, to turn them, one hand must hold down the basilisk on the roof of the shrine; it cannot be activated unless two people work together.
"Shirou, it seems we've found the right place," Illya said, looking at the octopus totem on the shrine.
"Well, what should we do now?" Shirou asked.
Illya said, "The serpent's resurrection is a fact. It hasn't shown itself because there's still something wrong with its body. So it's absorbing energy to repair itself through resentment. The seal here is actually protecting it; it wants to absorb enough energy before breaking through. Only by opening the shrine and breaking the seal inside will the serpent have no choice but to appear!"
"But is it really a good idea for us to break the seal so rashly?" Shirou asked worriedly.
"Don't worry! This world is no longer the world of the demon era. Back then, Susanoo cut off Orochi's body. Now, even if Yamata no Orochi breaks the seal, he's only a spirit. For him to manifest here, he must have been weakened several times over. We must seize this opportunity and defeat him now," Illya said.
Shirou and Illya exchanged a glance and nodded. One of them walked to one side of the shrine. Shirou moved the sun aside, while Illya moved the moon aside. The eight earth spirit dolls trembled and fell to the ground, all of them cracked. Some were half-cracked, some had broken arms, and one even had its head broken off and rolled to Illya's feet.
Startled, the girl quickly retracted her leg and took several steps back, breaking the seal on the Yamata no Orochi.
The opened shrine emitted an overflowing cloud of black smoke. It was as if a sandstorm had struck, with black smoke sweeping across the entire mountain, even changing the color of the sky. The surroundings turned gray and gloomy, as if one had been sucked into a black and white film from the last century.
The entire mountain was stained gray-black, with long, billowing black smoke everywhere. Upon closer inspection, these twisted plumes of smoke turned out to be black snakes.
Everything on the mountain—plants, rocks, every blade of grass and tree—has turned into snakes. Some are as thin as chopsticks, transformed from flowers and grasses. Others are enormous pythons, some coiled around ancient trees, others circling giant rocks.
The serpent monster that took shape from the black smoke was initially confused, but gradually it gained consciousness. Its azure eyes were directed at Shirou and Illya, and it flicked its long tongue.
"Waaah! How can there be so many snakes? This is completely different from what we predicted. What's going on with this terrifying amount of magic power?" Illya cried out in alarm, hiding behind Shirou and clinging to Shirou tightly before daring to peek out.
"We're completely surrounded. This is bad." Shirou Projection a red sword, flames burning on it, burning away the surrounding grass and preventing the snakes formed from the black mist from getting close.
"Damn humans! And that little brat of the bastard god! How dare you ruin my plans! I was just a hair's breadth away from my full resurrection in three days, but you ruined it!" At this moment, a deep, angry, and malevolent voice came from underground.
Shirou and Illya felt the ground beneath their feet become incredibly soft, warm, and springy, and it suddenly began to shake, feeling as if they were standing on a trampoline.
'Could even the land be a snake? No! Perhaps this Yamamoto a giant snake in disguise,' Shirou thought warily.
"Whoa!" Illya screamed.
Shirou scooped her up in his arms, jumped onto the Great White Bear's back, and shouted, "Run! Run!"
"Roar!" The Great White Bear, driven by its wild instincts, clearly sensed the danger and charged straight down the mountain without hesitation.
Where they had just stood, a deafening roar, like thunder or gunpowder exploding, sent countless tiny black serpents, along with the ancient tree they had planted, flying into the air.