Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [391] (Patreon)

Beneath the blood-red night sky, the ominous, otherworldly Castle of Aversion and Defilement stood in silence, as if trying to curse the world. Yet at its farthest edge, a pure, immaculate dream of the stars quietly bloomed, tearing through the night.

It was a beauty enjoyed by none, and at this moment, the world had only this one place.

Ding!

A crisp sword ring, like a droplet falling onto a lake, sent ripples through the heavy atmosphere.

But these were not ripples of air—rather, the patterns formed by the interweaving of swords.

Swords crossing swords.

This was not a dazzling, overwhelming clash of force, but a collision of skill and principle.

For a swordsman, all truths could be expressed through the sword.

At this moment, the passage of time seemed to lose all meaning—only the sword’s radiance was eternal.

The flickering swordlight was silent and tranquil, as ephemeral as a mirage.

The elder weaving between Alaric and Musashi could be described as having his sword in motion, but his heart unmoved.

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was a school of the sword that sought enlightenment through meditation, and Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami, who had reached the pinnacle of this path, had mastered the inviolable domain known as Water Moon.

Foreseeing the enemy’s moves, he struck with blows beyond comprehension to kill his opponent.

It was a peak of skill unseen the night before.

Knowing this well, Alaric held nothing back in his swordsmanship.

His opponent had reached the realm of the divine, his skill supreme, not someone he could show mercy to.

So he never held back. From the very start, he fought with all his might, squeezing every ounce of potential from himself, pushing his swordsmanship to keep growing until it could match his.

Miyamoto Musashi, too, held to this principle, constantly pushing her limits, forcing herself to keep up with the old man’s speed and technique.

Even though she was surprised to see Alaric also using the Niten Ichi-ryu style, now was not the time to worry about copyright issues.

Not a single thought could be spared; she had to pour a hundred billion times her will into thinking, analyzing, and learning from every moment.

‘No, this won’t do—even at the prediction stage, I already can’t keep up.’

This was the conclusion Musashi reached after countless exchanges. No matter how she tried to attack, even with Alaric's cooperation, they could not break through the opponent’s Water Moon.

The changes wrought by that unmoving heart were beyond her understanding.

Freedom to adapt to hundreds or thousands of changes was the essence of Niten Ichi-ryu, but Musashi could not predict the other’s defensive and counterattacking transitions.

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu is the sword of Zen. With an unmoving heart, one’s sword stands unrivaled.

‘If I want to break through his Water Moon, there is no way but to step into the divine realm—’

A drop of sweat ran into her eye, unnoticed. Musashi’s mind stirred: ‘Seize the initiative by seeing through all—find that one and only [decisive strike].’

Her heart surged; her soul cried out.

Before she was the beginning of the ultimate path she had pursued all her life.

Her very body seemed to scream, elated and excited at the threshold she was about to reach.

Wordless sword aura filled the air. Alaric and Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami, sensing this change, both understood.

Musashi had finally stepped into that ultimate realm.

Crack!

Her body seemed to relax at that moment. Assuming the Niten Ichi-ryu stance with perfect composure, the girl faced the immovable old man.

Alaric suddenly withdrew to the side, leaving the battlefield to the two of them, choosing instead to witness a battle of the divine realm.

Sweat soaked through Musashi’s hair, but for the beauty-loving Musashi, her appearance was the last thing on her mind—or perhaps she simply didn’t notice.

Her mind sank into her body, or perhaps was liberated from it.

Her sweat-soaked gaze now saw a realm that had previously been inaccessible—a realm that might just be the “Void” Musashi sought.

In her sweat-blurred vision, those heavenly eyes saw [infinite possibilities], but under her will, all of them were gathered into a single point. That was “Void.”

An ethereal sword aura arose; behind her, the image of a wrathful king took form—blue-faced, fanged, four-armed, holding the four swords of earth, water, fire, and wind.

—This is the Heavenly Origin that can never be shattered, its name: Sword Impact Draw—Ishana Great Celestial Phenomenon.

“Namu, Tenman Daizaiten—Niou Gyorikaryu, Little Heavenly Thrust.”

Opposite her stood Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori, assuming a sword-meditation stance, his expression tranquil. He said, “Attack. Though my heart is unmoving, I must uphold freedom. Thus, this is the state of no-thought and no-mind.”

His swordsmanship was that of seeking enlightenment through meditation—his true nature was to seek Zen.

At this moment, Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori finally found his only sword.

To have an unmoving heart, yet also possess freedom—

The sword secret that Zen monk Takuan once spoke of was, at last, realized in Munenori’s heart.

A sword seeks life and death in the space between; Zen finds great enlightenment in contemplation and stillness.

From the domain of no thought and no mind, the sword meditation became a single blade—one strike, a certain kill.

He rose and drew his sword.

“[Peerless Swordsmanship·Sword Zen as One (Kenjutsumusou Kenzenichinyo)]”

“[Sword Impact Draw! Ishana, Great Celestial Phenomenon—! (Rikudougorin Kurikaratenshou)]”

The elder’s strike, launched from the domain of no thought and no mind, was a killing blow.

A sword technique that had reached the divine realm—a pinnacle of the mortal world.

But the sword Musashi swung was an ultimate slash, unleashed by the wrathful king behind her—the concept of [Void], the Sword of [Zero], a technique even Musashi herself had not yet mastered.

It was the Buddha’s sword, capable of severing all karma, fate, curses, and sorrow with a single strike.

[It is to reduce existence to the ultimate point, and when there is nothing left to cut away, that which remains—the ‘something’ that endures.]

This was called the ultimate, the one and only.

A “Zero” concept, one step beyond.

With this, it seemed there was no suspense as to the victor.

“My deepest gratitude, Tajima-no-Kami.”

Sheathing both swords, Musashi’s expression was calm. “My secret technique has awakened here.”

She had already reached the place of emptiness, the realm of infinity—now she needed only to break through infinity to the point of zero.

Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori, who accepted defeat with composure, said, “Regretfully, did my blade not touch you?”

“No, I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

Musashi shook her head, replying, “Truly, you are a sword god who has reached the very summit.”

Even having reached the void, Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami remained for Musashi a mighty foe, a worthy samurai to respect.

“Ooh, my heart is at ease—hm, hahaha—”

His only wish fulfilled, the sword god at last breathed a sigh of relief and laughed softly. “Though this may sound repulsive to you, I’m sorry, but I must say it.

Shinmen Musashi, Sir Alaric—this was truly… an immensely enjoyable duel—”

As Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami Munenori finished his last words, Musashi swung her decapitating blade—a fountain of blood and a head rolled to the ground.

“Saber Empireo, execution.”