The Time to Part Has Come

The Three Sacred Treasures of the three princes who sealed away the Yamata no Orochi: the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi -Susanoo offered to Amaterasu Omikami; the Yata no Kagami, which represents Amaterasu Omikami; Yasakani no Magatama, which represents the soul.

At this point, all those who possessed items similar to these three divine artifacts had gathered together.

The fox dancer Tamamo-no-Mae holds an ancient mirror, Kiyohime holds a piece of turquoise jade, and Shirou has forged a divine sword.

"I have been waiting for a long time," said the fox dancer.

"Is this alright?" Kiyohime said.

A dazzling white light flashed, engulfing everyone's eyes in a blinding white light, including the giant snake. Its enormous body was slowly devouring everything, the powerful suction pulling the snake in bit by bit.

Everything was over, and the sky returned to its azure color.

At this moment, the blue-haired swordsman who had been standing by and watching stepped forward and looked at the pink-haired woman next to Gudako, saying:

"Then, it's time to end our battle. Although the sorcerer harbored ill will towards me, that level of resentment can be resolved with a simple visit to his grave. But since we've come to this, there's only one choice left for us."

"Yes..." Musashi smiled despite her fatigue. She gripped her sword with both hands, stood up with difficulty, and her gaze sharpened as she looked at Kojiro. She was also full of fighting spirit.

"Hey! Kojiro! There's no reason to fight anymore, is there?" Shirou said.

The blue-haired swordsman shook his head and said, "No, no, Shirou, although it defies common sense, I must fight no matter what. If I had to say why, it's because two powerful swordsmen have met."

Musashi then smiled in agreement and chimed in, "That's true, there's no need for a reason."

Shirou remembered. This guy was a complete Martial Arts Enthusiast, challenging strong opponents and then killing them swiftly and decisively in duels. He was someone who constantly challenged and slashed people. Musashi, on the other hand, had his own principles and was usually carefree and unconcerned with details, but when facing powerful opponents, he also showed that he would risk his life for the sake of swordsmanship.

This is the kind of peerless swordsman that can only be born in a cruel and unreasonable era of war. Whether it is a samurai as a mercenary roaming the chaotic world of Japan or the Martial Arts World of the Celestial Empire, the sword is a weapon of killing. The saints and legends of the Martial Arts World, which one of them did not have blood on their hands and fight their way to the death in duels?

"There are only two sword demons here!"

Musashi and Kojiro are both peerless swordsmen who transcend time and space, yet they are completely opposite extremes.

On one side is the Flower of Heaven, a unique flower standing alone in the Void Realm. She pursues a swordsmanship that transcends the single 'zero,' a sword strike that is absolutely fatal. From countless possibilities, she constantly filters and eliminates, reducing existence to the extreme that can no longer be reduced. The 'emptiness' that remains after that is the 'zero' that Musashi pursues, confirmed as the 'ending' sword that even gods and Buddhas cannot defend against or avoid.

On one side is the swordsman who slays swallows, whose swordsmanship can create multiple folds with just a swing, pursuing the swordsmanship of 'more possibilities'. He creates more strikes with a limited single strike.

Within a single, all-time-limited slash, the first, second, third... are created.

He unleashes three slashes simultaneously, each a guaranteed kill move once all three strikes are completed. This is Kojiro's "Swallow Counter," a sword that calculates the "future" so precisely that even gods and Buddhas cannot avoid it.

As long as one strike lands, that's enough to decide the outcome. When he masters this Secret Technique, the strength of the opponent becomes irrelevant; even a high-ranking Dragon species cannot withstand it.

"Musashi!!!"

"Kojiro!!!"

The two swordsmen gazed at their destined rivals, shouting each other's names with imposing force, before unleashing their strikes. This is also known as Ki-A (or Ki-A) in later swordsmanship, where the sword and spirit are fused together to determine victory fairly and squarely with the sword in hand. However, the duel here is far more rigorous and brutal, with the loser often paying with their life.

Bite!

With a clear clang of weapons clashing, time, space, and everything around became blurred; all other sounds fell silent, leaving only the sound of the blade echoing in the air.

In the world of samurai, the outcome of close-quarters combat with melee weapons is often decided in milliseconds. Later, it was even said that if a duel lasted more than thirty seconds, it was a sham. But at this moment, the Zero Sword and the Infinite Sword clashed. It was merely a single strike, yet it felt as if they had clashed countless times in an infinite amount of time, an encounter that would never end.

Bite!

The clash between two swords that are guaranteed to hit is like the sharpest spears thrusting at each other. Either side could be the victor, and either side could lose, whichever side loses would be perfectly reasonable.

However, in a battle between two supreme beings, there can only be one victor.

Blade against blade sparks flew dangerously. Although their strengths were evenly matched, the deadly and merciless blades, once they struck, would take the other's life. Victory or defeat hung in the balance.

"Musashi!!!" Gudako shouted loudly.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!!!" Musashi heard the girl's shout and his spirits lifted. His tired body was filled with new strength, and his speed increased once again.

Just as the blue-haired swordsman unleashed his third, deadly strike, Musashi also struck with his own deadly sword.

Sasaki Kojiro was already wounded, but she was exhausted. In the past few days, she had been fighting against one monstrous enemy after another with her human body. Although she had won them all, her body was already covered in wounds. Yes... the woman had already reached her limit.

It was merely to exhaust their last strength in this final, fateful battle.

"What a magnificent match! So this is Miyamoto Musashi's Sword of the Sky! You truly are a beautiful flower of the heavens. I have lost this match, but I feel a deep sense of satisfaction. Musashi, Master of Chaldea, I sincerely hope you feel the same way. Now, I shall take my leave."

"Shirou, we shall meet again." Kojiro nodded to Shirou, and despite his injuries, he left with a flourish.

With a joyful and relieved smile, Musashi sat down on the ground. She had won her destiny battle, fighting with all her might against two of the most powerful sword gods and sword saints, and then using the swordsmanship she had achieved throughout her life to win.

The title of Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman in Japan, is truly well-deserved!

Chapter 388 The Time of Parting Arrives

The azure sky was dotted with soaring eagles, and the sun shone brightly on the world, yet it wasn't glaring—perfect weather for gazing at the clouds. A gentle breeze blew by, transforming a few white clouds into shapes, from sheep to chicks, and then to fluffy balls. Everything was so lazy, quiet, and leisurely.

The pink-haired female swordsman felt incredibly relaxed at that moment, as if she were about to float away and fly into the clouds. She seemed so carefree and relaxed that she could lie there idly for the rest of her life.

Just now, she achieved the goal she had strived for her entire life. She finally comprehended the swordsmanship of 'invincible and boundless' in her heart, and with it, defeated two of the world's top swordsmen. She proved herself, and even if she were to die, she could rest in peace.

Her long and busy journey through parallel worlds had kept her on edge, constantly either fighting or running away, but now she could finally relax completely.

The pink-haired woman looked at Shirou, this young man who cooked delicious food and had a cold exterior but a warm heart, and clasped her hands together in front of her, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, Shirou! I will never forget this meal and the lodging. If I could have a meal with you, it would be even better if you made udon or ramen!"

The pink-haired woman smiled adorably and sucked back the drool from her mouth.

Shirou looked at the female swordsman who might be able to compete with Artoria in a competitive eating contest and chuckled, "You rascal, you still want to eat after all! Okay! I also want to thank you for taking care of Afeng and Tsuke. I'll treat you well next time we meet."

"Haha, I'm looking forward to it." Musashi squinted her eyes and laughed as she agreed. At this moment, she was very, very tired and just wanted to lie down on a cloud, or anywhere would do, as long as she could lie down and sleep comfortably for a long time.

But... there's so much more I want to say before that...

Musashi struggled to open her eyes; her eyelids were already very heavy. She turned her head to look at the girl who had fought alongside her all this time.

"Musashi- sama..." Gudako looked at the woman, feeling something warm welling up in her eyes.

Musashi looked at the girl and gave her her signature smile, saying, "Gudako, thank you. Because of you in my body, I was able to carry on as Hero of Justice until the very end. If I were alone, I would have definitely turned and run away as soon as I sensed something was wrong."

"Coming into this world and meeting you all is truly... wonderful! I'm so tired, I need to sleep for a while..." The pink-haired female warrior's voice grew softer and softer until she finally closed her eyes.

Then the female warrior's body gradually became transparent and finally disappeared.

"Musashi!" Gudako shouted, but at this moment, there was no longer any trace of the female swordsman named Musashi in this world.

Shirou patted the girl on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Gudako. She's the greatest swordswoman in Wa Province, we'll definitely meet again!"

"Yes!" Gudako nodded emphatically.

Because this is a very strange world, a world where the fates of drifters from two different worlds collide, a world where the avenger Amakusa Shirou Tokisada finally reaches his end, and a world where the female sword saint Miyamoto Musashi completes her swordsmanship.

However, for Chaldea, this place is like a dream that the girl had, a dream that is connected to the reality of another world. The Spirit Origin of the Servant encountered here cannot be recorded, nor is there any guarantee that they can be met again in the original world.

Musashi may have fulfilled her wish and gone to the Throne of Heroes. Or she may have left this world. After all, her existence was very special. As an outsider who drifted into this world, she was forgotten by the world she originally came from, lost her home and place of belonging, and could only be a visitor who kept wandering between different worlds.

She is a mysterious being who drifts through various worlds, a being that is both human and Servant. Perhaps she will continue her journey of wandering the world. Perhaps one day, she will suddenly reappear, or perhaps one day, she will come to Chaldea.

Who knows?

However! If both the Master and the Servant desire to see each other, then they will definitely be allowed to meet.

"Shirou ~! Thank you for your hard work. We've finished dealing with both the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster and Orochi matters. Our mission is complete." The silver-haired little girl smiled sweetly and leaped high into the air to pounce on him.

"Whoa!" Shirou quickly reached out and caught the girl, smiling as he replied, "Yes, Illya, you'll be coming with me from now on, right?"

Shirou looked into the little girl's eyes and sincerely extended an invitation. To him, Illya was an important family member.

"Shirou, you want me to live with you no matter what? Even in my current state?" Illya raised her head and looked directly into Shirou's eyes as she asked.

Shirou nodded in agreement, saying, "Ah, I want to live with Illya no matter what!"

"What should I do?! I know! Since Shirou has invited me so many times, I'll just say yes. After all, I'm also very interested in the world Shirou lives in now." Illya said with a mischievous smile, her hands behind her back.

"Okay, then it's decided." Shirou smiled happily.

"Yes, yes, what a touching brother and sister... no, siblings? Farewell. Can you look over here now?" the fox dancer said, raising her hand.

A Princess also peeked out from behind, observing the situation.

"Ah, Miss Tamamo, I'm sorry, I got so caught up in talking." Shirou put his hands down and looked at the fox dancer beside Shirou, saying, "Thank you so much for your help, especially in rescuing the injured."

"Well, as a resident of the same town, these are things I should do," the fox dancer replied, blushing slightly.

What are your plans for the future?

"Shirou-kun, would you like to come along? My room is always open for you, you know. Actually, we could elope to a village in the countryside. No! Let's elope now!" Kiyohime said excitedly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Alright! Come here, Your Princess! The people of the city need you." Tamamo-no-Mae the lord's mansion to drag the raging girl back.

After seeing Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime off, Shirou turned around and saw a black-haired female ninja with a straight ponytail still quietly sitting there.

"Thank you for healing my body, Shirou," Kato Danzo said with a slight bow.

"I hurt you and Kotaro, aren't you angry?" Shirou asked.

The black-haired female ninja shook her head and said, "No, Prince Kotaro has already told me about Chaldea. He doesn't truly want to fight you. The reason he serves Orochi is only to protect his Master's girl and to repay his ancestors for giving him life. And the reason I thanked you isn't for that, but to thank you for helping me restore my memories."

Shirou nodded slightly and waved his hand dismissively. For him, who used his Magic Eye, it was nothing. He smiled and agreed, "It's just a small matter. I enjoy fixing things, and when I was repairing your body, I noticed some mistakes and naturally fixed them."

Kato Danzo his heart, a look of immense relief on his face, and said, "But this is something extremely important to me. My original mission was to protect the Fuma clan's mecha ninjas, even if my body's functions were completely destroyed. It's really... really thankful that they weren't used to harm Prince Kotaro."

The girl was a mechanical doll created by Kashin Koji and the first Fuma leader. She gradually accumulated ninja experience and slowly moved closer to being human. When she reached the fifth generation, Kotaro, she raised the demon boy like a mother. If she really hurt Kotaro or the people important to him, she would feel so guilty that she would cut off her own energy source and atone with her death.

"Don't worry, you will definitely meet him again." Shirou made a prophecy. He knew that the girl in front of him was no longer just a doll. Her life was full of legends. When she left this world, she would ascend to the Throne of Heroes and meet everyone again sooner or later.

"Yes! I think so too." Kato Danzo said with a rare chuckle.

"So, what are you planning to do next?" Shirou asked.

"I will stay in Shimousa to help the people here, and also to atone for what I did to help the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster, until the end of my life," Kato Danzo said.

"Is that so? Well, good luck then. We'll meet again in the future." Shirou chuckled as he bid farewell to the female ninja.

Now only a few girls remained, gathered together, glancing over from time to time. Shirou walked towards them.

"Oh dear, it seems that the long-haired black-haired female ninja didn't become a harem member. BB-chan feels deeply sorry for her senior. But you already have a cute junior like me, so you're lucky enough! So please don't be discouraged." The purple-haired girl blinked and said in a sweet, starry voice.

"I should stand on Shirou-senpai's side, but I can't let Kotaro down, right? That's it!!! Then I'll just take both mother and son! Mother and son donburi and stuff!" Gudako suddenly realized, becoming excited and blushing, but then a fist suddenly landed on her forehead, and she cried out, "Ouch!"

"Shut up! I didn't have any such thoughts!" Shirou lightly tapped his two juniors on the head and said irritably.

"Then let's go back to the village now."

"Yes, Afeng and Tanabuto are still waiting for us!" Gudako replied immediately.

"BB, please. Use the coordinates I remember to locate the position," Shirou said to the purple-haired girl.

"Yes, yes, leave it to the adorable BB-chan ~!" The purple-haired girl made a cute V-sign and agreed.

After that, everyone used BB's teleportation to arrive at the thatched hut in Shirou's village.

"Hey, Musashi- neechan has left, and big sister is leaving too?" Afeng asked in surprise.

"There's nothing we can do about it. My sister has important things to do, Afeng, Tasso," Gudako said softly as she crouched down.

"Actually, I'm leaving too. From now on, you'll be living with Tasuke," Shirou said.

"What! Even Grandpa is leaving here! No! Don't go!" Afeng rushed up and hugged Shirou tightly, shouting.

"Yay!" From behind, Tasuke stretched out his little hand and grabbed Shirou's cloak.

"We agreed on this from the beginning, didn't we? I could leave at any time."

"But... but... Taza and I will be lonely. What will we do when we're afraid to go to the toilet at night... Grandpa, don't go, don't go!" Afeng and Taza lowered their heads, watching Shirou's tears well up in their eyes.

Shirou looked at the two children, patted their heads, and said with a gentle smile, "Don't cry. You've learned everything I taught you, so you'll definitely be fine. Afeng, you've already promised your parents that you'd take good care of Tsuke as he grows up. As his older sister, you can't afford not to be strong."

The girl nodded, wiped away her tears, and cupped Tianzhu behind her back with her hands, smiling as she said, "Hmm... Afeng! Afeng! You must be patient!"

Shirou carried two jars out of the hut, filled with gold and silver coins of Oban Koban.

"Afeng, Tian Zhu, this is the money I saved for you. As long as you don't spend it recklessly, it's enough for the two of you to live on for the rest of your lives. If you go to a private school or learn a trade, you'll definitely be set for life."

From now on, what you want to do next is up to you. If you stay in the village, you won't have any problems making a living. If anything happens, everyone will take care of you. The cattle farmers will be happy to treat you like their own children.

"Go back to Tamamo; she'll teach you how to survive. You can also ask Princess Kiyohime for help arranging accommodations; living in the city is also an option."

"Afeng has made up her mind! When she grows up, she wants to become a samurai! Just like Musashi- neechan! A beautiful, handsome, strong, gentle, and interesting samurai! And then she'll travel the world and eat all kinds of delicious food!"

"Yay!" Tasuke laughed heartily, seemingly in agreement.

"Ah! Hahaha! Traveling around like Musashi and tasting delicious food wouldn't be bad!" Shirou agreed with a hearty laugh.

"Okay!" Afeng and Tian-Zhu replied with smiles.

Everything ended, but this world continued in a very peculiar way. It did not exist as Singularity, distinct from normal Human History, nor was it destroyed like Shinjuku.

It is said that everyone in the city disappeared that night, except for those who escaped. However, with the return of those who escaped, it is believed that things will recover soon.

The ancient Chiba Prefecture, lost over a million people due to the massacre by the Heroic Spirit Swordmaster, becoming completely different from its original history. Shirou couldn't imagine what this place would become in the 21st century.