Chapter 83
Tsukahara Bokuden is the oldest founder of any kendo school in the world.
Its school is called Shinmei-ryū Katori Shintō-ryū, and it is also revered as the Shintō-ryū of Tsukahara Bokuden.
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna was a disciple of Tsukahara Bokuden, and he surpassed his master. He founded a swordsmanship school called Shinkage-ryū.
If Tsukahara Bokuden is a divine dragon soaring through the clouds, then Kamiizumi Nobutsuna is a deity walking in the mountains.
It's hard to imagine that one of these two sword saints would ultimately be defeated.
This is the price of the Power Struggle.
But neither Tsukahara Bokuden nor Kamiizumi Nobutsuna cared about the outcome. In the profound sword duel, both sword saints glimpsed traces of history—that there was more than one who had altered history.
"When Sage Saga was meditating, he found the destiny of history and said that Tamamo-no-Mae would return in five hundred years." Kamiizumi Nobutsuna thought to himself, "I thought it was just a myth, but I never thought it was true."
His intentions were conveyed through his sword, making Tsukahara Bokuden aware of them.
"Sage Saga said is certainly true. Whether the Great Deity comes from the past or traces back to the future, he will eventually come to this place," Tsukahara Bokuden replied. "And the Dragon Pearl and Dragon Horn are in our hands, like treasures sealed in a box. In this way, the resurrection of the Dragon God is unstoppable."
Tsukahara Bokuden twisted the wooden sword in his hand, having no time to look around.
"But, teacher," Kamiizumi Nobutsuna asked, "We have no time to observe our surroundings, so Tamamo-no-Mae arrive?"
"There's no need to ask when, for the Great Deity will surely arrive," Tsukahara Bokuden replied. "Until then, let me see how good your swordsmanship is—whether you are worthy of my 'Ichinokata'!"
"Haha, Master—I stopped pursuing the 'Ichinokata' a long time ago," Kamiizumi Nobutsuna smiled. "My sword has already surpassed yours."
Tsukahara Bokuden silent. He simply stepped forward, his withered hand exerting a slight force as he raised the wooden sword above his head.
The general, after all, is walking on the Path of Ascension at dusk, and from any perspective, he is far removed from humanity in the conventional sense.
Therefore, the first true human sword saint should be Tsukahara Bokuden.
According to legend, upon hearing that his adoptive father had died in battle, he was enraged and charged into the battlefield, killing twenty-one people in succession—at that time, Tsukahara Bokuden had not yet mastered the secret sword.
After that, the young Tsukahara Bokuden gave up high office and wealth and chose to seek enlightenment in the mountains.
In the end, he mastered the secret sword, the Ichinokata, and pushed it to the realm of sword intent.
Most of the rumor is true, but there are some differences in the details.
—The place where Tsukahara Bokuden enlightenment is at the Otogiyama.
He witnessed how the Great Tengu Kishibō Hōgen charged into Heian-kyō alone with his sword, and how he displayed the stunning [Tengu's Victory]... At the very end of the battle between the Great Tengu and the Shogun, Tsukahara Bokuden saw the sword light that split the sky in two.
Even after a century, Tsukahara Bokuden still finds it hard to forget that magnificent view.
Great Tengu Kishibō Hōgen never became a true sword saint in her lifetime, but at the moment she died a heroic death, a true sword saint was born.
"Take a good look, this is a sword strike from the Tengu's Lament and the General's Divine Might."
Tsukahara Bokuden his wooden sword.
That was not a sword for killing, but Living Sword —in other words, it only cuts those who deserve to be cut.
The young Tsukahara Bokuden convinced that during the battle between the Tengu and the Shogun, he saw a gate leading to a higher place—a wasteland called Takama-ga-hara.
Yes, Tsukahara Bokuden absolutely certain that when he drew his wooden sword, the gate to the wasteland would open for him.
At that moment, the wooden knife in his hand was the boundary separating the real world from the unreal; it was the Milky Way that separated the farmer and the celestial maiden from the Queen Mother of the West!
Its name is Sword Intent - [Ichinokata].
There are no superfluous honorifics, because the naming format of sword intent in later generations all originated from this.
When the sword, powerful enough to open the gate to the wasteland, falls, any description in words seems inadequate.
This is why, in legends, no one has been able to record or describe "Ichinokata".
Tsukahara Bokuden so desperately wanted someone to spread his teachings so that future swordsmen could use their swords to open the gates to Takama-ga-hara.
"Kamizumi! Kamiizumi!" A roar erupted from Tsukahara Bokuden's withered chest. "You are my most prized disciple—don't die by this sword!!!"
His response was the familiar, heart-wrenching sound of a sword's cry.
The equally white-haired old swordsman laughed loudly, "Teacher, I have long said that my sword has surpassed yours!"
"Takama-ga-hara, open the door!"
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna sheathed his sword and held it in front of his chest, while raising his other hand to meet the sword.
His wrinkled skin was rapidly becoming soft, and the withered wrinkles were quickly smoothing out. A rush of pure white air gushed from his mouth and nose, swirling around Kamiizumi Nobutsuna like clouds. His feet were almost off the ground, as if he were riding the wind.
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna is rejuvenating, even becoming somewhat androgynous.
Her long white hair seemed to float up as if it were weightless, exhibiting a free and leisurely quality in the air.
The old swordsman's pupils shone with brilliant light.
The sword in his hand also lost its form, becoming like a thin crack. But as Kamiizumi Nobutsuna stretched out his hands, as if a thunderclap had exploded, the door suddenly opened.
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna pushed open the Side Gate leading to the wasteland!
Its name is Sword Intent - [Heaven and Man in Harmony - Opening the Gate of Void]!
Based on the prestigious title of the ancient swordsmanship, it is called "Heavenly Man Sword".
The vast cobalt blue starlight shone on Tsukahara Bokuden's face, body, and eyes.
The wooden knife in his hand was rapidly losing its color and turning white.
"You good disciple—even though you've never seen my secret sword once, you've still managed to innovate and reach new heights?!" Tsukahara Bokuden somewhat disappointed, but even more so, he was overjoyed.
Beyond the battleground, Hebe's voice rang out. "The battle is over, the victor Kamiizumi Nobutsuna!"
She seized the opportunity and declared the outcome of the Power Struggle.
If both sides cease hostilities, Hebe is confident that Tsukahara Bokuden survive—although the cost could be extremely high.
But Tsukahara Bokuden didn't care at all; he didn't want to think about anything more at the moment.
Even if my body is shattered within it, even if my mind is assimilated by the light of the wasteland... even if it's just once, at least let me touch that starlight!
This first sword saint in the history of the Higashi, in the spirit of a seeker of the Dao, resolutely rushed into Takama-ga-hara.
He vanished the moment he stepped through the door.
Everything that was once Tsukahara Bokuden no longer exists.
A pair of beautiful Dragon Horn floated silently in mid-air before flying into A-Long's body.
The Tsuchinoko Snake's body began to expand rapidly, stretching freely in the air, growing longer and larger. The Dragon Horn named Shiraki took root and sprouted anew on Miss A-Long's head, becoming even more magnificent and robust.
She has crossed the boundary of the snake and returned to the realm of the dragon, only one step away from transforming into a dragon.
With the death of Tsukahara Bokuden pursuit of the Dao, the atmosphere of struggle that had been lingering in the area suddenly dissipated.
Lightning began to strike the area relentlessly, and the infected creatures began to stir.
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna maintained his pure white human form, his feet not touching the ground as he hovered in the air.
Without a word, he raised his hand, urging Hebe to draw her sword.
128 Ashiya Dōman
Kamiizumi wasn't pretending to be an expert, nor did he have the time or inclination to do so.
He didn't speak because if he did, his spirit would dissipate, and then he would truly die.
Hebe saw it clearly: if Tsukahara Bokuden's "Ichinokata" was like prying open the door to the wasteland, but only with a crack; then Kamiizumi Nobutsuna's Heavenly Man Sword was like completely pushing open the Side Gate to the wasteland, at the cost of turning himself into the door.
This is a stroke of genius that brings forth new ideas and elevates the art to new heights.
If the Great Tengu proved the existence of the Secret Sword, and the General proved that there is a Sword Saint above the Sword Master, then Tsukahara Bokuden and Kamiizumi Nobutsuna proved that even at the level of Sword Intent, one can still continuously optimize and advance.
When Izumi opened that door, he was actually opening himself up.
He became a door for people to pass through.
Hebe suddenly spoke up, "What is your wish?"
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, but his true feelings were conveyed to Hebe: Yes, there is.
—I want future generations of swordsmen to inherit our great cause, I want them to carry on the will of the sword, I want someone to follow the path we have opened up, and I want to prove that there is still a way forward for the sword!
"In that case, please wait a moment," Hebe replied, as countless sword energies burst forth from her body, coiling around Shangquan's body and stabilizing his form.
[Path Excavation], [Gatekeeper], [Path Excavation], [Gatekeeper]... Unfettered Sword Qi repeatedly left these two names on Shang Quan's body. The former was Hebe's identity when she first entered the dream, the honorable name of "the serpent who knows all the paths of the woodland".
The latter is the honorific name of the October Governor; his name was Janus.
Janus was the Roman god of doorways and also their patron god. He had two faces, one in front and one behind, or four faces in all directions. He was in charge of beginnings and entrances, as well as exits and endings. He was also known as the "master of doorways," and he forever symbolized the contradictions of all things in the world.
Therefore, his portrait was painted with two faces, hence the saying "Janus the Two-Headed".
The purpose of inviting the October Governor, the gatekeeper, was to solidify the concept of Kamiizumi Nobutsuna as a "gate"; while the use of "Path Excavation" was to fill the void of Kamiizumi Nobutsuna's ever-losing self.
If one views a person as a vessel, then when Kamiizumi Nobutsuna opens himself up, he will inevitably lose his own identity.
"I know you still have a sword to draw." Hebe beckoned and retrieved the thumb-sized, amber-like dragon Dragon Pearl. "But you shouldn't draw your sword against me. Kamiizumi, just a few more minutes—your wish will be granted."
The dragon with two claws on its chest and abdomen let out a low growl and swallowed the Dragon Pearl from Hebe's hand.
She transformed back into human form, holding Hebe tightly in her arms and sniffing around like a puppy.
Hebe pushed her away with a mixture of helplessness and determination, his deep green pupils staring directly into the dragon's eyes.
"Miss A-Long, from now on, don't believe anyone except me—understand?"
Long nodded vigorously. "Are you going to fight now? With that general and that monk?"
"There are some things that only I can solve."
Hebe whispered a few more words to him, and then A-Long vanished into the mist.
The fox Kamiizumi Nobutsuna and walked deeper into the Flower Palace.
Ashiya Dōman stood on the imperial Imperial Road of the Flower Palace.
The tall Onmyoji's chest was exposed to the air, and a cruel smile was on his face, like a beautiful beast sculpted from obsidian.
He still considers himself to be the same Onmyoji, but after receiving divine revelation from the gods, Ashiya Dōman should set his sights on a greater goal.
Yes, everything will be alright, everything will be in order—but the one who governs this order, the one who made this promise, should be [Eris], not [Tamamo-no-Mae] or [Imhotep].
"Hmm..." The Onmyoji's sharp fingernails rubbed against his chin. "Perhaps she's not just a fox spirit and High Priest —she should have another identity. But 'I' didn't have any contact with her before that."
The lack of contact means that Eris could not pinpoint Hebe's earlier existence. Based on this, further speculation is merely a pointless and troublesome exercise.
Ashiya Dōman stood in front of the Imperial Road, gazing at Hebe as she gradually approached him.
"Oh, right. It's you." Ashiya Dōman smiled cruelly. "Should I call you Tamamo-no-Mae, or Imhotep?"
To Ashiya Dōman's surprise, the girl in front of him did not show any surprise at all, and was not shaken at all when her pretense was exposed.
"How come you're not dead?" Hebe asked. "The general should have killed you."
"Worried about your rebellious disciple? Heh heh." Ashiya Dōman, wearing a tall eboshi hat, smiled, feeling he had found the girl's vulnerable spot. "Since this humble monk is standing here, then our shogun must also be—"
"No, I'd better not say it. If you fail to defeat me, you will inevitably become one with 'me'... But if you can defeat me—though that's impossible—wouldn't it be better for you to see for yourself?"
Ashiya Dōman laughed maniacally, "Before this, I'll tell you without hesitation that I've died more than once, yet 'I' have still managed to pull me up time and time again. In other words, 'I' can ascend to the wasteland, 'I' can achieve eternity, 'I' am a true immortal god!"
"I, 'I', [I]—" The Onmyoji stretched out his finger, pointing straight to the sky, and said stubbornly.
"My victory is inevitable. No one. No god can kill me! And you, the enemy who ruined my plans, are no exception."
Ashiya Dōman stretched out his hand; it was large, with well-defined bones, and without a single scar.
He no longer used honorifics when referring to Hebe.
"I know you've made many arrangements in history." Ashiya Dōman face. "You've used amulets to tightly connect yokai, humans, and the times; and what about swordsmanship... Heh, I'm not interested in swordsmanship. In the end, any skill that can't reach the wilderness is just a mortal waving a small stick."
"As for the former, I am certain that I have destroyed most of your plans. But since you have come to see me, you must have a backup plan... Ha."
"You are confident that you can kill me with these backup plans, and so am I." Ashiya Dōman stared cruelly at Hebe. "Tamamo-no-Mae, why don't you reach out? As soon as our bodies touch, as fellow controllers of the 'Secret History' rules, our bodies, wills, and destinies will be annihilated until the stronger one survives."
Ashiya Dōman provocatively stretched out his hand. "Come on, kill this humble monk—don't even think about killing me cleanly... After the shogun killed me once, I became deeply rooted in the shogun's mind, thus I am reborn whenever the shogun is destroyed."
He was greeted by a buzzing sound emanating from all parts of Hebe's body.
Modern science has proven that the human body contains bones, muscles, blood vessels, and countless tiny, dense neurons.