Reincarnation Sword God

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True Martial Home

Miyamoto Musashi went to Honganji. Specifically, it was Higashi Honganji, the place Fuma Kotaro had pointed out. This was in the eastern part of the divided Honganji, established in opposition to the western Honganji called Nishi Honganji.

The reason it was built was due to the chaos following the destruction of the Honganji forces by Oda Nobunaga, known as the Sixth Thousand Demon King. After the death of the previous head priest, Honganji Kenyo, conflicts arose between his sons, Kyonyo and Juneo. After their quarrel, the largest Buddhist force in Dongyoung was divided.

Tap tap tap

Miyamoto Musashi stood in silence on a hill where he could see Honganji. Then he quietly said, “Where is that bastard Honganji Jounoshin?”

In the darkness, Fuma Kotaro chuckled in reply. “I’ve already sent a letter. Tonight at midnight, go to the small temple behind Higashi Honganji.”

Fuma Kotaro had come along after finishing his scouting mission. While he couldn’t gauge Tokugawa Ieyasu’s true intentions, it was enough for him to confirm that Ieyasu was close with Yododono and Hideyori. Curious about Musashi’s movements, Fuma Kotaro decided to help him.

That night at midnight.

Musashi recovered his strength and headed to the designated meeting spot. There, he saw a monk with his back to the door chanting in front of a small Buddha statue inside the temple.

Oooooo…

Was that chanting?

It sounded less like chanting and more like the cries of a beast.

As Musashi opened the door and stood in silence, the monk slowly rose and spoke.

[Are you the warrior who wanted to see me?]

It felt less like words and more like a resonance.

Swish

“……!!”

In that moment, Musashi instinctively drew his sword.

A monster!!

The monk’s face was not human. It resembled an evil spirit engaged in acts of brutality—something grotesque beyond imagination. Even Musashi, normally unflappable, was startled by the horrific visage, while an average person would surely faint or go insane just by looking at it.

Musashi eventually calmed himself and replied. “So, you are Honganji Jounoshin?”

[I am Jounoshin.]

“My name is Miyamoto Musashi. I have one question.”

[…….]

“Do you know about the Lunar Kill Technique?]

Honganji Jounoshin stood silently for a moment before responding. [I believe I’ve seen that term in ancient texts…]

I found it!

At last, I found a clue to the Lunar Kill Technique!

Honganji Jounoshin gestured for Musashi to follow him. [Come with me, masked warrior!]

“Masked warrior?”

[Those like you are called masked warriors….]

Miyamoto Musashi knew well that in terms of brute strength, Jounoshin couldn’t compare to him. Yet strangely, he didn’t feel the desire to slay this being. It was because he sensed that Jounoshin possessed the key to the Lunar Kill Technique as well as immense knowledge and wisdom.

The two exited the cramped temple and stood in front of Higashi Honganji. This massive temple was among the largest in Dongyoung and was a pride of the Shinshu Otani Sect.

A moment later, as Jounoshin muttered some incantation, the air around them began to ripple like water.

Rippling…

As Jounoshin walked into the undulating space, he mysteriously vanished into the empty air as if being devoured. Even though there was no side door to Higashi Honganji, he disappeared like a ghost! Musashi was taken aback by this bizarre sight but quickly realized it was some sort of sorcery and followed him inside.

As expected, the interior wasn’t a temple at all but part of a huge library. A mountain of enormous books stretched to the horizon as far as his eyes could see! Having never seen so many books before, Musashi was awestruck and looked around, discovering Jounoshin sitting atop the mound of books, resting his chin on his hand.

[Miyamoto Musashi…. I can teach you about the Lunar Kill Technique. But what will you give me in return?]

“Return?”

Kikikiki

As he raised his hand, the words of the secret school began to move as if alive on the monster’s palm. He was a significant sorcerer and demon sorcerer.

[I am the true master of the darkness in the Shinshu Otani Sect. Apart from Abe no Seimei, I am the one who has come closest to the world’s darkness…. So what will you offer me?]

“What about Honganji Kenyo and Kyonyo?”

[…They are merely humans.]

“Then are you not human?”

[Correct. I am of mixed blood with a god.]

In that moment, a light flickered in Honganji Jounoshin’s eyes.

[The previous head priest, Honganji Kenyo, as the war with the Sixth Thousand Demon King Oda Nobunaga began to come to an end, summoned dark beings from another dimension and mixed his blood with them…. Thus, I am a demigod.]

“…….”

[You’re not surprised. You must have already encountered the world’s darkness. Is that why you have been searching for the Lunar Kill Technique?]

“What I want to know is whether the Lunar Kill Technique truly has the power to slay gods.”

[You are hasty. What reason do I have to tell you that before I even get my price?]

“What do you want?”

In response to Miyamoto Musashi’s question, Honganji Jounoshin replied. [I want half of your lifespan.]

“…….”

[Ordinary lifespans are useless to me, but you, masked warrior…. You are a being with immeasurable fate and possibility. That’s a sufficient bargaining chip.]

Half of my lifespan?

Miyamoto Musashi pondered for a moment.

‘My lifespan….’

He didn’t have much desire to live long. He didn’t even know the reason for being born into this world. He had only become strong because he could, and he had simply lived as things unfolded. His reckless ambition to charge into Tokugawa Ieyasu’s main camp might also stem from not being overly attached to life. But eventually, Miyamoto Musashi said,

“I won’t give it.”

He simply didn’t want to make a deal with a sorcerer. Once he decided he didn’t like something, he never did it, no matter what.

[Oh…. Then you’ll never know about the Lunar Kill Technique? I’d like to mention this knowledge is hidden deep in the heart of darkness and even Abe no Seimei wouldn’t know it. You’ll regret refusing my offer.]

“Regret…?”

Bloodlight glimmered in Musashi’s eyes. He was filled with thoughts of killing Jounoshin and stealing the information.

“Wouldn’t it be after you die?”

Pukong!!

In that moment, Musashi lunged forward and attempted to behead Honganji Jounoshin. But the moment he thought he had done it, Jounoshin’s entire body transformed into paper, and massive monsters were summoned from either side.

Kugung

[Foolish one…. I had already prepared for this with origami sorcery. Zenki, Goki! Eliminate him.]

Six demon beings, shaped like snakes and giant toads, simultaneously lunged at Musashi. Perched on the serpent called Zenki, Miyamoto Musashi tried to slice its head, but it was too hard to cut through.

Ting

“……!!”

Incredible density!

Faced with summoned creatures for the first time, Musashi was flustered.

‘Is my sword qi ineffective? Then I’ll just need to put more force behind it….’

Whoosh

At that moment, Goki, the giant toad, unleashed a massive fan-shaped flame from its mouth. Musashi barely rolled out of the way just in time, but the power was terrifying. Having not expected sorcerers to be this formidable, Musashi was stunned, but he quickly focused his mind and began to fight calmly.

‘I’m going in!’

Piying

With the momentum of the Unity of Body and Sword, Musashi surged forward and stabbed at the serpent’s throat. He felt intuitively that its weakness lay there.

And from somewhere, Jounoshin, who had been watching, laughed at him.

[Hahaha!! Trying to destroy my summoned beasts with a blade unaffected by sorcery is like throwing an egg at a rock… Gu… not!]

Puhaha

[K-Kenqi.]

When Musashi’s jab burst through the serpent’s head, Jounoshin murmured with a stunned expression. The exploded head quickly turned into a paper wad and scattered into the air. Zenki and Goki were also subject to the origami sorcery.

Kenqi!!

Proof of the Peak Master!

Surely before the might of strong qi, no matter how powerful the summoned beasts, they had no chance and would falter. It could be considered the quintessence of a powerful mind control technique.

However, in Dongyoung, the number of those capable of wielding strong qi barely exceeded ten, and among those, only a few top-tier swordsmen were anything but mediocre. Could that kid have reached a level unattainable by masters who had lived their whole lives wielding swords?

Puhh

As Musashi charged at Goki once more, Goki also crumbled helplessly. Just after Musashi struck down Goki, he seemed to have pinpointed the location of Jounoshin, who was hiding, and glared at him fiercely. Jounoshin sensed his concealment had been seen through, promptly revealing himself and said.

[Okay…. Musashi. Your skill is indeed remarkable. How about this?]

Step by step, Musashi began to advance. Jounoshin spoke desperately. [I’ll give you the ancient text containing the Lunar Kill Technique—half of your lifespan is enough! Just retreat; I don’t want to fight you anymore.]

Musashi couldn’t help but smile. “You expect me to believe that after we were just about to kill each other?”

[It’s true. I’ll give it to you right now.]

With a swift motion, Jounoshin used telekinesis to toss five volumes of books toward Musashi. Musashi elegantly maneuvered his sword, placing the five volumes atop the blade, causing Jounoshin to inadvertently gasp in admiration of that divine skill. Despite looking young, he had clearly surpassed the level of a master.

[Those five ancient texts are interconnected. They originate from Goryeo, written by a man named Byuryu, who was the half-brother of Onjo.]

Jounoshin knew he was now within Musashi’s attack range, so he desperately began to spill information to divert his attention.

“Goryeo? What’s that?”

[It was an ancient kingdom located on the peninsula where present-day Goryeo exists, thousands of years ago. At that time, the peninsula was divided among three powers during the Three Kingdoms Period: Goguryeo, Goryeo, and Silla. Byuryu was the founder of Goryeo.]

“…….”

[Byuryu was said to be a divine being who descended from the heavens. He temporarily crossed into Dongyoung and exchanged knowledge with the divine beings known as Koto Amatsukami before bestowing these five volumes upon them.]

“How did you come by such books?”

[Do you know the name Godaigo Tenno? When he proclaimed the Kenmu Restoration, chaos engulfed the realm, culminating in the destruction of the Imperial Palace, scattering the dark knowledge and treasures contained within to various places. Most of these ended up here, in the Shinshu Otani Sect’s repository of darkness.]

“…….”

The Kenmu Restoration.

The moment Musashi heard that phrase, he was flooded with memories of a scene he had witnessed in the past.

The day he offered sake and offerings to the divine tree— the day his father died.

On that day, the shrine behind the divine tree had certainly been inscribed with the characters for Kenmu Restoration.

No, it was not just that time.

All three shrines where his father had performed human sacrifices had the words Kenmu Restoration inscribed on them. Musashi was filled with curiosity and asked, “What kind of being was Godaigo Tenno?”

[He was the emperor who fought the final battle against Ashikaga Takauji, the founder of the Muromachi Shogunate, to safeguard the imperial authority in ancient times. When he fought his last battle, he possessed the powerful treasure known as the Three Divine Tools, giving a fake set to Ashikaga Takauji while retaining the real ones to split the realm into the Northern and Southern Dynasties.]

Once he said this, Jounoshin paused to catch his breath before continuing.

[The true Three Divine Tools of Godaigo Tenno supposedly reside in the current emperor’s residence. But in reality, they have crossed over to Goryeo, as Godaigo Tenno had them stolen.]

“The Three Divine Tools are in Goryeo?”

[Indeed. One day, a divine being from Goryeo invaded Godaigo Tenno’s imperial palace and seized all the Three Divine Tools. The Tenno, who barely managed to maintain power by relying on them, became greatly flustered and, unfortunately, made a choice he shouldn’t have…. He decided to utilize the sealed powers of Amatsukami.]

“…….”

[Once Amatsukami awakened and the world fell into chaos, darkness began to imprint itself everywhere, creating a pathway for ancient beings and dark deities to easily descend into this world. Dimension gates also emerged…. Somehow, it seems that chaos was temporarily calmed during that time, but the world sank deeper into chaos.]

“Jounoshin. Do you happen to know what’s happening here?”

Musashi recounted the past human sacrifice rituals he had gone through to Honganji Jounoshin, who after hearing it all said.

[There’s no doubt about it. That shrine serves as a conduit for the Amatsukami that Godaigo Tenno established. Your father obtained knowledge to open that gate and performed the rituals.]

“Why did they inscribe Kenmu Restoration in that shrine?”

[If the Amatsukami were to receive human sacrifices, it would be a sign of alliance to completely aid Godaigo Tenno’s authority.]

“…….”

[Have you satisfied your curiosity now?]

“I’m still not done. Is there really a technique to slay gods written within these five volumes?]

[I don’t think so at all….]

Jounoshin answered hesitantly.

[That book is known as the Five Wheels Heavenly Text. Within it are recorded the conversations between Byuryu of Goryeo and the Koto Amatsukami. The term Lunar Kill Technique is only mentioned among those discussions….]

“Can I read it?”

[It was originally written in archaic language, but I’ve translated it out of interest.]

“If I don’t understand something while reading, I’ll come back and ask again.”

Swaat!

[……!!]

At that moment, as Musashi swung his sword, the space split open, and he stepped through it as if it were nothing.

Musashi emerged outside and pondered.

‘Why were the gods discussing the Lunar Kill Technique?’

Everything must be written in this Five Wheels Heavenly Text.

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