With Leo leading the way, Asuna Yuuki returned to the basement. They reached the magic circle where the books that had formed a small mountain yesterday had been moved from.
"Clang—"
The magic circle glowed red. Waves of light rose from its lines like barriers, and a figure began to appear within it.
The figure slowly stepped out, sighing as she did.
"The Human World... It's been so long since I last came back."
Her voice wasn't exactly pleasant or gentle. In fact, it sounded a little rough around the edges. But when Leo and Asuna Yuuki got a clear look at the person emerging from the magic circle, they both froze.
She was a woman who would turn heads no matter how you looked at her.
She wore a fashionable blue kimono with a short skirt, topped with a red maple-leaf haori draped around her waist. Two swords hung at her side, and her reddish-white hair was tied up. She had a lovely figure and fair skin, and looked both dignified and alluring. Before they knew it, their eyes were drawn to her.
"Who are you...?"
Leo was struck by her dignified, alluring appearance, but there was something familiar about her, too.
The female swordswoman looked straight at Leo, then broke into a refreshingly carefree smile.
"You must be Master Leo Eligos, right?" the woman said with a hearty laugh. Then she even wiped the corner of her mouth and muttered, "What an incredible pretty boy. Looks like I came to the right place."
"Y-You're my Sword Instructor?" Asuna Yuuki looked at her and asked uncertainly.
"Oh, oh! You're the 'Knight' Lady Sona mentioned—the one who needs swordsmanship instruction, right?" The woman sized Asuna Yuuki up and grinned. "Mm-hmm, you're an incredible beauty, too. I'm starting to look forward to our lessons."
Leo and Asuna Yuuki both twitched at the corners of their eyes.
Why did she seem so unreliable?
She was such a gorgeous female swordswoman, so why did she give off the impression of a lecherous old man?
Asuna Yuuki already wanted to keep her distance, while Leo found her more and more familiar.
"Sorry, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
Leo asked her directly.
"Right. Sorry, that was rude of me."
The gorgeous swordswoman scratched her head sheepishly, then grinned.
"I'm Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Genshin. Master Eligos and Miss Yuuki can just call me Musashi."
Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Genshin...
Leo and Asuna Yuuki repeated the name under their breath. A few seconds later, their expressions changed.
"You're Miyamoto Musashi...?!"
Asuna Yuuki exclaimed.
Leo stared at her as well, finally understanding why she'd seemed familiar.
Miyamoto Musashi was a name known to everyone in this country, from octogenarians to three-year-old children.
She was a swordswoman from the late Sengoku period and early Edo period, born in Sakushu—which was now Mimasaka City in Okayama Prefecture. Her childhood name was Bennosuke. Since her father was a martial arts instructor serving the Shinmen family, the lords of Takeyama Castle, the family bestowed the name Shinmen upon her. She became a renowned martial arts expert known as Shinmen Munisai, and once established a Juttejutsu dojo in Miyamoto Village in Yoshino-go, which she regarded as her home. She later adopted Miyamoto as her surname, becoming the famous Miyamoto Musashi.
She left behind countless legendary tales. In particular, during the decade when she was in her twenties, she crossed blades with numerous martial arts masters. She founded the Niten Ichi-ryu school of swordsmanship and fought more than sixty duels in her life without a single defeat. She also defeated seventy-six members of the Yoshioka School. Her duel with Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryu Island was still considered a timeless classic, and remained a popular subject for entertainment programs.
She also took part in battles both large and small throughout her life, including the Battle of Sekigahara, the Siege of Osaka, and the Shimabara Rebellion. In her later years, she served the Hosokawa Clan and wrote martial arts texts such as Hyodo Kyo, The Book of Five Rings, Goho no Tachi Michi no Jo, and Hyoho Sanju-go Kajo. She was hailed as the greatest swordswoman in history.
And now, this legendary swordswoman, who had enjoyed such renown throughout history, was standing right here?
And as a woman, no less.
This... was enough to make anyone do a double take.
"Still can't believe it, can you?" Miyamoto Musashi seemed used to this reaction. She sighed ruefully. "I understand, but it's still a little disheartening to have people question who I am every time."
"So?" Leo already knew the answer, but pretended to be surprised. "You're really Miyamoto Musashi herself?"
"The genuine article. Miyamoto Musashi of the Niten Ichi-ryu, at your service." Miyamoto Musashi was still smiling, but her eyes had grown more serious. "As for why my gender differs from what you've heard, the reason is simple. I hid it while I was still human."
"My father wanted a son to inherit everything from him, and the circumstances of that era also forced me to make that choice."
"My era... How should I put it? If a girl showed up with a sword and challenged famous swordsmen, she'd probably be dismissed out of hand—and might even be thrown out before she could meet them."
Though Miyamoto Musashi was history's greatest swordswoman, what people loved to talk about most from her life were the challenges she'd taken on before she earned that title.
She was, at heart, a Ronin. Before establishing her dojo in Miyamoto Village in Yoshino-go, her favorite thing to do was seek out famous swordsmen and challenge them.
So, it wasn't hard to understand why she'd made that choice.
"I thought I'd spend my whole life that way, living as a man until the day I died. But, luckily, I found another world—a stronger, more fascinating world, one more worthy of being challenged."
Miyamoto Musashi beamed.
"So when that great lady offered me a place among her peerage and asked me to become her 'Knight,' I agreed without hesitation."
Only then had Miyamoto Musashi returned to living as a woman, and she had continued to live that way ever since.
He... No, she was a woman now.
Several centuries had passed since her time as a human. If she were still human, she would have long since returned to dust. But now that she had become a Devil, a few hundred years meant little.
For Devils, who could live for thousands upon thousands of years, a few centuries was hardly worth mentioning.
Asuna Yuuki was already dazed by how far this situation strayed from reality. Leo, meanwhile, blamed himself for never bothering to find out who the Devil Kings' peerages consisted of. He'd had no idea that Miyamoto Musashi was still alive in this world, let alone that she was the female Musashi—and that she'd become a servant of the current Devil King, Leviathan. It was all so strange.
Still...
"To have Miyamoto Musashi herself teach you swordsmanship, you'll really have to work hard, Asuna."
Leo turned to Asuna Yuuki beside him and teased her.
"Well, don't put it like that. I used to run a dojo, after all. Teaching students is like returning to my old profession."
Though Miyamoto Musashi was a gorgeous female swordswoman, her every movement still carried the boldness of a male swordsman. The habits she'd formed as a human were ingrained in her instincts. It was just that the way she kept gazing at Leo with shining eyes made him uncomfortable.
Leo vaguely remembered that although she had been male in the history books, she was actually female—and undoubtedly preferred men. In particular, she liked pretty boys who were both delicious-looking and handsome...
Could she have set her sights on him?
Was he lucky, or completely screwed?
"Um... I look forward to learning from you."
Asuna Yuuki had finally accepted the reality before her. She hesitated for a moment, then bowed to Miyamoto Musashi.
"You don't have to be so formal. I don't care much for worldly etiquette. Let's get along as friends." Miyamoto Musashi smiled at Asuna Yuuki. "Like I said, you can just call me Musashi."
"Then I'll take you up on that." While Asuna Yuuki was still hesitating, Leo nodded, then asked, "Since you're a servant of the current Devil King, Leviathan, your rank as a Devil must be pretty high, right, Miss Musashi?"
Miyamoto Musashi shook her head at Leo's question.
"Master Eligos, you think too highly of me. I may be a servant of the Devil King, but I don't have much talent for Demonic Power. Even after several centuries, my rank among Devils is only equivalent to that of a Middle-Class Devil."
As she spoke, Miyamoto Musashi spread her Devil Wings. She had two pairs, four wings in all—just what you'd expect of a Middle-Class Devil.
"My only real specialty is the sword. I have nothing else to speak of. One Blade Three Bows—the end of training is to reach Infinity. My unreachable dream is a single strike that can conquer time and space—"
Miyamoto Musashi rested a hand on one of the swords at her waist. Her face took on a battle-hungry look that would make any warrior shudder on instinct.
In that moment, Asuna Yuuki aside, Leo felt a truly deadly threat.
Though this female swordswoman was a lower-ranked Devil than he was, the strength she could bring to bear with the two swords in her hands was definitely greater than his!
Much greater!
At the very least, without using his Sacred Gear, he stood no chance against her!
She was a swordswoman powerful enough to rival an Ultimate-Class Devil, her strength far beyond her rank as a Devil!
"Following my mistress's orders, I've come to teach you what the sword is."
Miyamoto Musashi said this to Asuna Yuuki.
"Let's not waste any time. We'll begin right away."
Before you continue