Chapter 86
"Fox, you're finally awake! Let's play together!"
Hebe's face was still pale. "Miss A-Long, you should rest first—I, I still have things to do."
"Okay, I'll take a nap first..."
Miss A-Long smiled at Hebe's reply and leaned against her. Before she could even finish her sentence, she sat down on the floor and fell asleep.
"She couldn't have stayed awake all this time, could she—" Hebe twitched her lips and lowered her head.
Shogunate.
The Anti-Shogunate Faction has been quelled, Sakamoto Ryōma, as the magistrate of the shogunate, issued his first order to establish the Metropolitan Police Department of the Higashi, with the Shinsengumi as its core.
He began to Opening the Country according to the established steps, and, as instructed by Hebe, began to make contact with Cathay and Albion.
Everything proceeded smoothly, like gears meshing together, Sakamoto Ryōma felt very satisfied.
However, he still felt a little lonely when he saw the sword he displayed on the shelf.
Although his teacher, Chiba Shūsaku, felt no regret, he instead encouraged Sakamoto Ryōma: "Ryoma-kun, our swords are only capable of defeating one or ten people. Even a sword saint can only defeat a thousand people at most. But your sword can defeat a hundred thousand people, a million people... The lifeline of the Higashi hangs on your sword. Compared to this, swordsmanship is just a heretical path."
Sakamoto Ryōma drew his sword and brandished it in the courtyard.
Under the moonlight, the sword light of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū gleamed.
Metropolitan Police Department.
The Metropolitan Police Department is now a dojo that gathers swordsmanship masters from all over the Higashi. Regardless of school or sect, everyone here pours their sweat and teaches each other their knowledge.
The sword techniques of all kendo schools can be found in this collection, including Hokushin Ittō-ryū, Shintō Munen-ryū Kyoshin Meichi-ryū, Tennen Rishin-ryū, Shingyōtō-ryū, Jigen-ryū, and more.
Chiba Shūsaku is no longer able to wield a sword, and now his two sons are taking his place in passing on the sword.
Saito was sitting beside him, and the burly old man no longer carried a sword at his waist, but rather a newly produced revolver from the United States Federation.
The old swordsman is researching a clever technique that combines spear and sword skills.
The two elderly people were chatting idly when, apparently, one of them started talking about Okita Sōji.
"It's been almost ten years," Chiba Shūsaku said softly. "That sword saint should still be alive, right?"
In the Otogiyama, Okita Sōji, who had been sitting idly, raised his head.
She picked up her sword and slashed behind her.
The sword light, seemingly intent on severing the purgatory of ignorance, flew towards the past along the mysterious connection.
In the inner city of Kyoto, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who maintains a pure white appearance, has a relaxed brow.
He finally received a response from his future juniors.
The old swordsman smiled and unleashed his final strike along the mysterious connection.
Ashiya Dōman gradually approached.
Time flowed slowly, and he was only one step away from his own body.
He was traveling along the path of time, and since Hebe hadn't made a move yet, it meant she was now powerless to resist.
Now, who can stop him? Who can stop him?!
No, no!
With this swordsmanship that can't even reach the wasteland? Utterly laughable!
Ashiya Dōman thinking, but in the silence, he heard an old voice.
" —Takama-ga-hara, open the door!"
Immediately afterwards, a pure white door opened in front of the Onmyoji, and the sword intent called "Ichinokata" struck his heart.
"What... is this?!" Ashiya Dōman only had time to have this thought flash through his mind.
132 My wish is—!!!
"What, what is this?!"
Ashiya Dōman had a large hole ripped into his chest, and defiantly let out another painful groan from his throat.
He quickly got the answer.
The Great Tengu swordsmanship was called Kurama Yanagi-ryū, which was passed down to Minamoto no Raikō through Tamamo-no-Mae. The shogun simplified it and created a middle-level swordsmanship that could be used by people.
The Churyu swordsmanship was passed down from Kanemaki Jisai Tomita Seigen, and was further developed by Ito Ittosai. Itto-ryu was passed down for hundreds of years and became known to the world in the form of Hokushin Ittō-ryū at the end of the Edo period.
Kishibō Hōgen fought a decisive battle with the general and never returned, but her swordsmanship was inherited by Ushiwakamaru, who remained in the mountains.
The latter became the Tengu after Kishibō Hōgen, passing down the true Kurama Yanagi-ryū, which was passed down from generation to generation in Inari Grand Shrine and Takachiho Eighty-Eight Grand Shrine, and was known as "Shinmei-ryū Katori Shintō-ryū".
This swordsmanship Tsukahara Bokuden and later branched into many schools such as Satsuma Jigen-ryū and Tennen Rishin-ryū.
"Impossible, impossible—I clearly severed all schools of swordsmanship—it couldn't possibly still have a lineage!" Ashiya Dōman were bloodshot with rage. "Didn't I use the metaphysics of Onmyōdō to completely distort swordsmanship?!"
"How could it have no effect at all!"
As if in response to his furious roar, history unfolded before Ashiya Dōman's eyes.
He saw—
The Yin-Yang metaphysics he modified himself was discovered in a cave by an old man named Aisuke Isakusai, and this sword technique was modified by Kamiizumi Nobutsuna into a pure philosophy.
"Yes, this book is all about admonishing us that the ultimate goal of swordsmanship is to abandon the sword as a vessel." The two sword saints realized, "By not killing, we also win by not being killed."
Ashiya Dōman saw the swordsmanship called "Kageryū" change into "Shinkage-ryū", and then from "Shinkage-ryū" into "Yagyū Shinkage-ryū"... but what remained unchanged was the true essence called "Kōnin-ken" (Living Sword).
—We win by not killing, but by not being killed.
A nation born of conflict, a nation destined to be destroyed in power Power Struggle, somehow manages to escape the spiral of war in the end?!
And this idea was actually born out of its own malice?!
"No, this humble monk refuses!" Ashiya Dōman pressed his hand against the widening crack in his chest. "This humble monk refuses to acknowledge this history—"
But it didn't work.
Ashiya Dōman could only watch helplessly as a thousand years of history was woven together by the tradition of swordsmanship.
Before his eyes appeared Kishibō Hōgen, who was pondering in the mountains and forests; Minamoto no Raikō, who was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard; Tsukahara Bokuden Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who had almost suffered cardiac arrest on the cliff but returned from the brink of death by sheer willpower.
He saw Ito Ittosai and his apprentice Kanemaki, who had to fight to the death in order to innovate; he saw Musashi and Kojiro fighting to the death on Ganryū Island; he saw the Yagyū Clan silently passing on the Kageryū sword technique; and he saw Hayashizaki Jinsuke was training hard to avenge his father.
He saw Chiba Shūsaku, who held firm despite the onslaught of cannons and muskets; Saitō Yakurō, who combined gun and sword; Okada Izō, who was willing to stain his hands red; and Kondō Isami, who was sweating profusely at a sword-fighting hall in the countryside.
He saw Minamoto no Raikō sitting in the palace. She knew that by doing so, her consciousness would be corrupted and assimilated, but Minamoto no Raikō still drew his sword.
He saw Tsukahara Bokuden rush towards the wasteland, his body destroyed the instant he entered it, but Tsukahara Bokuden draw his sword.
He saw that Kamiizumi Nobutsuna's body was gradually dissipating like early spring Shirayuki. He would die after forcibly opening the gate to the wasteland, but Kamiizumi Nobutsuna eventually drew his sword.
He saw Miyamoto Musashi and Kojiro, who were already nearing their limit, but they were still charging towards him, still drawing their swords...
He saw Okita Sōji sitting alone in the mountains, raising his sword against him for a promise he might never be able to fulfill...
He also saw Hebe standing right in front of him, spanning a thousand years, and she showed no fear or retreat. She was also drawing her sword at him!
It stretches back to the Heian period and down to the distant future after the end of the Edo period.
Countless swordsmen, countless swordsmen who have been struggling on this path, are all wielding their swords at Ashiya Dōman!
Countless exquisite or clumsy sword moves were reduced to a single, simple strike in the end.
In Cathay's words, it was like splitting Mount Hua in two!
The sword fell down, merging with the wound left by the combined efforts of Kamiizumi Nobutsuna and Tsukahara Bokuden.
Ashiya Dōman was cleaved open from head to chest by this sword!
"This humble monk... this humble monk will not die—" the Onmyoji roared, pressing his head down and forcibly piecing the two severed halves back together. "This humble monk has been killed by the general with the [Eternal Emptiness - Sword of No Thought, No Mind], therefore this humble monk has become one with the intent of this sword... Yes, this humble monk's body is the Kyoto City in the heavens!"
"As long as I can return to my body at this moment—I will be able to be reborn immediately."
"Yes, but you can't go back." Hebe's voice came from afar.
Ashiya Dōman an instant that she was not in the past, but in the future.
It turns out... it's not just that they planted the seeds in the past, but they're also launching an attack from the future to strangle "me"?!
Ashiya Dōman even had a momentary illusion: he was like a helpless moth, and Hebe's hands were coming from both directions to slap him to death!
Ironically, it should have been Hebe was in this isolated and helpless situation, not Hebe who had outside help!
"Can't go back? No, the tradition of swordsmanship has lasted for thousands of years, but swordsmanship alone cannot prove anything!"
Ashiya Dōman both hands and suddenly tore his body in two.
He stopped trying to stop his sword wound and instead used his lower body to move forward.
But a faint chanting sound rang out from beside Ashiya Dōman's legs.
"Devotion to the True Teacher Tamamo-no-Mae!"
The more than two hundred nine-tailed golden statues throughout the Higashi are silent witnesses to history.
Saga has been implementing this plan for 500 years.
Ashiya Dōman didn't care about her, partly because Saga was a dog demon, and the shogun's two purges of the Higashi's mysteries would shorten the lifespan of all non-human species.
Under such circumstances, Saga would not have lived to this point.
On the other hand, Hebe never gave Saga the amulet.
Under such circumstances, how could Ashiya Dōman possibly value a dog demon whose bloodline was not noble?
What struck Ashiya Dōman like a thunderbolt was that another thread, spanning a thousand years of history, emerged from the scheme of this dog demon.
Those were all the temples, shrines, and shrines, large and small, throughout the entire Higashi... They were all linked together by the "Tamamo-no-Mae faith," and right under Ashiya Dōman's nose, they bore witness to a thousand years of history.
The image of the monk in gray robes appeared before his eyes.
Ashiya Dōman rage, wishing he could torture her to death in the most cruel way possible.
However, Saga only cast a calm and compassionate look at her, clasped his hands together, and bowed his head.
"Devotion to the True Teacher Tamamo-no-Mae."
At the Inari Grand Shrine, young Lisa holds a gohei (imperial offering) and presents red fried tofu, new rice, and water before the shrine.
She had a slight smile on her face and clapped her hands lightly.
"Uka-no-Mitama, Inari Daimyōjin, please descend upon this divine throne, we revere your divine might."
"Eternal Spirit be forever enshrined here. May this prayer pass through Thousand Torii Gates and finally reach the ears of the gods."
In front of the Inari Grand Shrine, Riki, who was sweeping the ground, stopped what she was doing and stared at the golden statue with its nine tails outstretched, shrouded in mist.
She had adapted to a life without seeing the fox demon, but she still habitually used the fox demon's gestures to pray.
May the foxfire sweep away evil and guide all spirits on their way.
Amidst chanting and prayers, a second path called faith emerged from history, and Ashiya Dōman's actions were completely locked down.
But he hasn't given up yet.
His two halves of his upper body, which had been deliberately torn off, were still crawling forward with all their might using their palms, their movements ugly and like those of an insect.
"This humble monk will absolutely not give up—"
"Neither Dragon of Takachiho nor the Shogun witnessed the complete millennium; they were both trapped in the Singularity created by the Ritual of the Full Moon. Although Tamamo-no-Mae made plans for the future, she also did not experience the complete millennium... So it will take her a little longer to return!"
Ashiya Dōman was still struggling. As long as he could reach his own body... he could borrow Eris's power and use the entire Heavenly Kyoto as his reincarnation body, so he wouldn't die!
He can still live!
"No human in the entire Higashi has ascended to Twilight, and non-human races, after being cleansed of their mystique, cannot live for a thousand years!" Ashiya Dōman elation. "In other words, no one can stop this humble monk during this timeframe—"
Ashiya Dōman raised his head and lunged at his own body like a venomous snake.