The Tragic Demon Amakusa

"It's up to you. Gudako can stay if she wants. I can manage on my own up there." Shirou had already stepped onto the stairs and casually agreed. He understood the close relationship between Gudako and Musashi; it was a bond forged with their lives.

Moreover... Shirou has also experienced the feeling of wanting to fight to the very end with the person he trusts most when facing a powerful, almost invincible enemy at the final moment.

He hadn't initially planned to take Gudako away. In the current situation, nowhere is truly safe. Only by eliminating the Gando-Naraku Demon Castle can everyone be safe. If they couldn't stop the Demon Castle from taking root in this world, then no matter where they stayed, they couldn't escape.

"Oh! I knew you'd be fine, Shirou-senpai! You were like a hero, so cool!" Gudako said, giving a thumbs up.

"You're so long-winded! Well, I'll handle things neatly from here on out. You just need to win and then join me." Shirou chuckled and scolded, rubbing his nose as he headed upstairs.

"We know!" Gudako replied energetically, then said to Musashi, "Musashi- chan, I'm all ready!"

"Well then..." Musashi himself, turned to the old samurai who was silently resting with his eyes closed to the side, and said, "I've kept you waiting, Master Yagyu."

Yagyu Dan no Kami opened his closed eyes, revealing a glint in them, and said, "It's alright. What I want is to fight you when you're at your best. Come on, Shinmen Musashi!"

Musashi's fighting spirit ignited, and with a momentum no less than Yagyu Dan no Kami's, he shouted, "Let's settle this once and for all!!!"

The atmosphere inside the attic shifted instantly. The blood moon of the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster rose high, instantly filled with murderous intent and bloodlust. A stage for a decisive battle, built from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of bones, was set up here. The duel between the sword demon Yagyu Dan no Kami Musashi officially begun.

Saber, a sword demon whose ritual name is 'Supreme Heaven', possesses deadly sword techniques. Every time she draws her sword and swings it, the soul that her blade touches will surely perish.

Although his opponent is called the Supreme Heaven, his sword is a demonic sword, cold and ruthless, unaffected by any emotions, devoid of thought or intention. Therefore, every strike he makes is a rational choice, and he will never make a mistake due to tension or excitement.

He possessed an unparalleled understanding of human anatomy, dismembering people with the utmost efficiency. Therefore, every strike he made was fatal; once hit, it was all over.

"Drink!" Yagyu Dan no Kami swung his sword once again, delivering a fatal blow.

"Ugh!" Musashi, wielding his sword, barely managed to block the attack, then leaped backward, creating distance once more.

Musashi stared wide-eyed at his powerful opponent, not daring to relax for a moment. Just holding off Yagyu Dan no Kami's attacks was already his limit.

This isn't a matter of strength or the sharpness of a weapon; it's a matter of suppression based on one's level of cultivation. As long as her swordsmanship isn't perfected, there's no way for her to escape this situation where she's constantly being suppressed.

Her Niten Ichi-ryū is characterized by its free and flexible variations, not limited to a single move. She uses Dual-wielding to create more opportunities to win, while also possessing diverse countermeasures. Facing different opponents, she uses sword techniques that can defeat them.

Before a battle, she would mentally simulate the fight, looking for the slightest chance to win against her opponent, and then seize it firmly.

However, when facing an opponent, merely deducing the initial advantage is not enough to break through their defenses.

Yagyu Danjo Munenori's sword had already reached the realm of the gods; she had already lost simply by being able to see through his moves.

'But it's not entirely without a chance!' Musashi thought to herself. In fact, during the clash of swords, she had already begun to understand some things. The trials she had experienced in dozens of worlds and the experience she had accumulated were being awakened at this moment. Things that had been unclear before were now gradually becoming clear under the pressure.

As she continuously absorbed the sword techniques that led her to the divine realm, she drew nourishment and inspiration from them. The sword path of emptiness, which she had been desperately pursuing but could not attain, was now within her grasp, just a few steps away.

Bite!!

Where the blades clashed, intense sparks flew.

"Miyamoto Musashi!! Is this all you've got? Then die by my blade!" Yagyu Dan no Kami swung his sword and said coldly.

"Old man, you're the one who's really gotten used to the force of that blade! Come on!" Musashi gritted his teeth, parrying Yagyu Dan no Kami's incoming blade, muttering to himself, "Just a little bit more! Just a little bit more!"

"Hmph, all you can do is talk the talk, a sword isn't something you can just wield!" Yagyu said coldly, his heart as cold as an iceberg, unmoved by any words. His Yagyu Dan no Kami that of an infallible, tireless machine, relentlessly unleashing the most lethal attacks.

"This is bad!" Musashi was too anxious. She made a mistake; she used too much force in her swing and was a step too slow to pull back.

Although it was just a minor mistake, Yagyu Dan no Kami was not about to let it go. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he aimed a slash at Musashi's neck.

"Don't even think about it!!!" Gudako shouted from behind.

At that moment, a golden sand shield enveloped Musashi, blocking Yagyu Dan no Kami's deadly attack.

Seeing his decisive strike blocked, Yagyu Dan no Kami had no choice but to sheathe his sword. He glanced at Gudako behind him and said, "Hmph, to react in an instant and come to my aid, blocking my attack. He truly lives up to his reputation as the savior of Chaldea."

"Are you alright, Musashi- chan?" Gudako asked.

"Oh! Gudako! I won't let your amazing assist go to waste!" Musashi shouted, adjusting her stance and charging towards Yagyu Dan no Kami with unstoppable momentum.

In that instant, she fully comprehended her supreme swordsmanship, the realm of 'emptiness,' which had touched upon cause and effect.

Whether it's Heroic Spirit Swordmaster or a being possessing healing power or vitality, once struck, they cannot withstand this fatal blow. This time, it's not relying on the power of the demon sword, but rather Musashi himself reaching the realm of the gods.

"Only a sword from the divine realm can defeat a sword from the divine realm! Slash and seize the untouchable Heavenly Origin! Namo, Tenman Daijizaite Tenjin, Niou Kurikara, Soaring Elephant! Here we go, sword roars, sword drawn! ---- Ishana Great Elephant!"

"What!" For the first time, a look of surprise appeared on Yagyu Dan no Kami icy face.

Like a flower blooming in the heavens, the pink-haired female warrior unleashed the ultimate sword strike she had pursued all her life. Like nothingness, like emptiness, all karma, curses, and fate would be severed in two before this sword.

As the sword fell, everything seemed to freeze. Blocking it was pointless; the sword was destined to strike the spot she wanted to hit when it was swung.

The next moment, Yagyu Dan no Kami's hands fell to his sides, and he stopped in his tracks.

Musashi lowered his stance, rested his sword on his shoulder, and looked at his formidable yet respectable opponent, saying, "Yagyu Dan no Kami, thank you for your guidance. I have grasped the essence of swordsmanship; my way of the sword is now complete."

Standing still Yagyu Dan no Kami chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Hmph... I was careless. My sword isn't strong enough."

Musashi shook his head and said sincerely, "No! If it's just me alone, it definitely won't be enough. You truly deserve to be called a sword god who has reached the realm of sword godhood."

"Ah... this is truly exhilarating! So this is what sword duels are like!" The usually stern old man burst into laughter, saying, "Now I can somewhat understand why that guy Sangen (Yagyu Jubei) has improved so rapidly. It's truly enviable... Miyamoto Musashi! Master of Chaldea, this victory was absolutely delightful! Hahahaha!"

With a whoosh.

A large amount of blood splattered up, like a mountain spring gushing forth from a newly dug spring, splashing all over the entire floor. Yagyu Dan no Kami's body lost its support and collapsed to the ground. It turned out that Musashi's previous attack had already cut him in two.

The battle Heroic Spirit Swordmaster is about to begin!

The winner is Fujiwara Genshin, the Shinmen Musashi- no-kami!

At that moment, Shirou climbed up the stairs to the top of the building and his eyes met those of the man who was sitting in the center of the attic.

The castle tower, located at the highest point of the castle, is wide open on all sides, offering a panoramic view. If it were in later times, it would definitely be a fantastic spot popular for climbing. The blood moon in the sky shone through the fence, staining the wooden floor of the tower a crimson color.

A man with long white hair, dressed in an ancient kimono robe, played with a samurai sword in his hand and said with a smile:

"As expected, even that sword demon Yagyu has been defeated. Should I say that the Chaldea Master, whom Lord Satan fears, is very strong, or should I say that the female Musashi, a world drifter like myself, is truly remarkable? But now there's no need for me to do anything more. This castle will be completely transformed into the Gando-Naraku in a few minutes. No one can stop my revenge. This is my victory!"

Chapter 385 The Pathetic Demon Amakusa

"Is that so? It was you. The sorcerer who summoned the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster, bringing this world to the brink of destruction! Amakusa Shirou Tokisada! You wanted to use this demon castle to destroy everything, causing harm to the world. So Alaya sent people to deal with Orochi, and it turns out you were involved too." Shirou understood what was going on when he saw the other's appearance.

Because of the appearance of the giant serpent, the Counter Force sent Illya, a fusion of the goddess, to seal it away. Her mission was to deal with the man who had fallen into demonic ways.

The white-haired man opposite him had demonic eyes; the whites of his eyes were black, and his pupils were an eerie red. He may have once been human, but now he was undoubtedly a demon. This is perhaps what a person looks like when they lose their humanity.

"Hmph, I was originally thinking of sending you to fight that giant serpent and hold off that monster, but I didn't expect you to come knocking on our door anyway. Hmph, if you had just stayed quietly in the village and didn't come out, I could have let you go..." At this moment, the sorcerer's eyes were full of contempt as he looked at Shirou mockingly and said, "... I didn't expect you to personally deliver yourself to your death."

"All you ever talk about is killing and dying," Shirou said, looking at the white-haired man. "You're completely different from that one in Chaldea. You're pathetic, bound by hatred and suffering, a vengeful spirit living like a human, a human with a dead heart like a vengeful spirit. That's why you've fallen to this state, a demonic heretic who will try every means to corrupt the world for revenge as long as you exist. You're really no different from Ashiya Douman before. It makes one really curious, what kind of guy is this 'Satan' that you all revere?"

"Hmph! Lord Satan is the one who helped me wipe out the Tokugawa clan, erasing them from Human History, and then created an ideal world for us. How could he allow someone like you, sent by the Counter Force, to spy on us? And don't compare me to that guy who went through all that and still managed to enter the Throne of Heroes without a care in the world!"

Shirou looked at the man with pity and said, "Is that so? But to me, you're more like a fake. Because you harbor resentment towards the world, you only think about taking revenge with killing, turning people into monsters, and wantonly trampling and toying with other people's lives."

Because he hated his own fate, he trampled on the fates of others, doing the same foolish things that Tokugawa's army did during the Shimabara Rebellion. This is not the kind of thing a leader who wants to protect his followers would do.

Upon hearing Shirou's words, the sorcerer Amakusa Shirou's eyes widened in fury, his red pupils seeming to burn, as he roared, "You bastard, do you even know what you just said?! Absurd! Utterly absurd! Where did I go wrong?! You want revenge?!"

"It seems like saying more is pointless," Shirou said coldly, clenching his fist.

"Oh, so what are you planning to do?" Amakusa Shirou asked with a smile, his demonic eyes wide open.

"Just cut them off, whether it's you or your Demon Castle," Shirou said coldly.

"Hahaha! What can you do all by yourself?" Amakusa Shirou laughed wildly.

Shirou said coldly, "This is the world that Afeng and Tasuke will live in, and no one will be allowed to destroy it!"

Shirou directly Projection Gan Jiang · Mo Ye, which swiftly streaked across the black and white paths, striking the sorcerer Amakusa Shirou.

The sorcerer neither dodged nor evaded, allowing Shirou's twin swords to strike him.

Two wounds were opened on the sorcerer's front, but they healed quickly, and his Spiritron Dress returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Hmm!" Shirou looked at Amakusa Shirou in surprise, and then slashed down with his sword again.

However, it still didn't work. Shirou had enhanced his weapon, which was effective even against Heroic Spirit Swordmaster with altered Spirit Origin, but it had no effect on the sorcerer.

No, the opponent was indeed injured, but the healing speed was too fast. This level of injury was nothing at all. Even if Amakusa Shirou stood there and took a Noble Phantasm, he probably wouldn't be able to kill him now.

"Muda muda muda!!! Hahahaha! As long as I'm in this demon city, my vitality surpasses that of all the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster!"

Just then, a purple figure broke through the void and rushed over!

"BB~Channel!!! I heard your heart's call, the adorable, super adorable BB-chan is here~!" Purple-haired girl in a nurse's uniform flashed a V-sign and called out cutely.

"So slow!" Shirou complained. He had contacted the girl a long time ago, but she only came out now.

"Hey~! After all, BB-chan isn't the female lead this time. To avoid stealing the spotlight, BB-chan has been holding back, acting as a helpful teammate, and finally arriving at the crucial moment."

"You were just hiding in the shadows, spying, waiting for the right moment to come out, weren't you!" Shirou said irritably.

The sorcerer roared with a ferocious laugh, "Another random Servant has arrived, but they're all just cannon fodder, utterly useless! Hahahaha! This body is no longer human, so what if I'm Servant! No one can stop my revenge! The world will pay for the slaughter of my thirty thousand comrades today!!"

"How can you talk like that? BB is the most popular anchor on the moon, the leading lady of Destiny. If your eyes are red, your skin is dark, and you're talking nonsense, you're definitely sick!"

Oh no! This is bad! He's probably gone mad! He needs treatment! But don't worry, leave everything to me, Nurse-san! Anyone who's sick will be fine after just one injection!" As she spoke, BB pulled out a huge syringe that she could barely hold with both arms and aimed it at the sorcerer Amakusa Shirou.

Shirou's eyes flashed white light as he unleashed his divine power, slashing at Amakusa Shirou. Even with the immense life force granted by the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster Technique, it still caused him tremendous damage.

Under the combined attack of the two, the sorcerer, seeing that he was no match for them, opened his bloodshot eyes, unleashed his Noble Phantasm, and roared loudly.

"You're all too late! Open your eyes and see... the place of my weeping, my raging sorrow— the Shimabara Hell Scroll!!"

Then darkness fell, and the world was covered in red. Looking out from the castle tower, the entire area within a hundred miles was enveloped in flames.

The forests on the mountain and the houses on the plains were all ablaze, with red flames shooting into the sky. The sky was stained red by billowing smoke, and everything looked like hell. No... this place was already hell.

Everything here is filled with death, gloom, and resentment; even the air is poisonous. When you breathe it in, your lungs feel like they're on fire.

"This is Inherent Domain! Fuyuki City... no, this is a scene from the world where the sorcerer originally lived..." Shirou looked at the changes in the surrounding space. Because he had something similar, he understood.

This place has been burned; flames are still rising from the mountain, but the patches of red, like lava, on the grassland, besides the fire, are all human blood...

"No living being is allowed to exist once you step into this place. Only by annihilating all the sinners related to Tokugawa in all parallel worlds can this barrier never disappear, and there will never be an exit. Accept the torment! Repent in pain! But I will not forgive anyone! Let all humanity face the end of the world!"

"Even if we don't capture Princess Matsudaira, a blood relative of Tokugawa, this blood is enough. Even if it's not as effective as a live sacrifice, it's just a matter of time. No matter how long it takes, I will find her and kill them all while they still exist! Hahahaha!!!"

The Demon City has become fully active, and its roots have begun to spread to the towns surrounding the Tsuchi-ki Castle, covering everything in its path with a thick, ominous black aura.

"Hahaha! My endless wanderings through countless worlds have finally paid off! The Gando-Naraku Demon Castle is complete, and no one can stop me now! No one!!!"

At this moment, the demon city outside was complete! The enormous dark city, with its black thorny tentacles dancing, seemed to have come alive. It was about to transform the entire world into the form seen within the Inherent Domain.

"The Demon Castle is finished... I shouldn't have been so talkative, sorcerer... In that case..." Shirou placed his hand on the hilt of the divine weapon he had forged, his fingers gently stroking the blade. This was the only way Shirou could create a divine Noble Phantasm without relying on divine power.

"Although I could choose to use my Inherent Domain to consume the Inherent Domain, since the Demon Castle is already complete, there's no time to dawdle. I have to draw my sword, BB! I'll finish off all the battles here, but if there are any problems afterward, I'll leave them to you." Shirou said, looking at the girl.

"Huh? We just met, and we're already saying goodbye! Wait! What are you doing, senior?" the purple-haired girl asked, puzzled.

"Wait a moment, kid!" A deep and resounding voice echoed in his heart. At that moment, the woman with golden vertical pupils appeared, stopped Shirou, and said in a deep voice:

"Kid! Don't be in such a hurry to draw that knife! If you act recklessly and attract that white guy, I'll be in trouble too. Leave this demon city and the barrier to me!"

Shirou sheathed his sword, looked at the newcomer, and said in a low voice, "Mochizuki Chiyome... no, Orochi."

"Huh? What's going on?" BB looked at Shirou on one side in confusion, then at the slender, thin girl on the other side, whose golden vertical pupils were full of majesty.

Previously, Shirou, Musashi, and Gudako split up into two groups. Musashi went first into the Tsuchi-ki Castle covered by black mist, while Shirou went to rescue the people in the town. On the way, he encountered Orochi, who had also come here with a group. He made a deal with Orochi.

Then...

The Yamata no Orochi, now possessing the female ninja's body, looked at Shirou and said, "Before, my fighting you was merely a physical act, a mindless wretch. But now, I see right through you. (Monthly membership group 694936135)"

Shirou stared directly at the giant serpent and said, "So what? If you want to destroy this place, then I'll execute you and all these monsters together! Even if it costs me my life!"

"Boy, your goal is to defeat that reckless white god, isn't it? So is mine! He wants to turn all myths and epic tales into books for ordinary people, erasing the existence of all gods. I won't allow that!" the giant serpent said fiercely.

Although she was using Mochizuki Chiyome's body at this moment, she could still feel the terrifying aura of a primordial beast in a fit of rage emanating from her.

"How about you Counter Force with me! As long as it's for the sake of all humanity, the Counter Force can do anything without any scruples, so it can't be trusted at all."

In comparison, my situation is much simpler. I only need to deal with the gods who have violated me and defend the land I own! If you join forces with me, I can now conceal the aura of Divine Power for you, allowing you to unleash your full strength without worrying about being detected by the enemy." The serpent's golden vertical pupils were fixed on Shirou, its tongue flicking as if waiting for its prey to approach its hunting range.

Shirou looked at the serpent god in surprise and asked, "Yamata no Orochi, can you even do something like this?"

"Are you still underestimating me? In my lifetime, I witnessed Izanagi and Izanami unite to create a god, a deity with the power to create the world. And that white fellow wasn't the only one," Yamata no Orochi said in a deep voice.

"I am the Beast God representing the origin of civilization in this country; like the giant turtle and black dragon that Nuwa used to mend the sky in Chinese civilization; like Humbaba, the guardian of the world's treasure in Sumerian mythology; like the Kui Niu that the Yellow Emperor killed when he made the war drum; like the white dragon that Emperor Gaozu of Han slew."

"It was through our sacrifice that gods and men gained divine power, and it was through our sacrifice that the human king established a unified and great kingdom. It was because of my death that humanity truly began to build nations and form a unique system. To this day, the sword born from my tail remains the divine weapon symbolizing the royal power of this kingdom."

Because of the circumstances, monsters kept respawning and reappearing, causing people to flee in panic, only to be attacked along the way. Shirou, after a moment's thought, said to Orochi, "Then help me deal with the sorcerer first! As for whether we form an alliance, we'll talk about that later!"

The giant serpent's vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and it continued, "Very well, I also dislike that sorcerer. How dare he use my power and command my descendant without permission."

After that, the giant serpent directly manipulated and used the snake monsters and giant demons born from her power.

Because of the shielding provided by the power of the Great Serpent, Shirou was able to use divine powers for a short period of time. So Shirou tried to contact all his allies and reunite with Illya, Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, and others. The girls escorted the town's residents to escape this hellish area, Shirou rushed to the Tsuchi-ki Castle to help Gudako and Musashi.