The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 267

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 266

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully Episode 266

Nox (9)

A lot happened overnight.

Satori’s hunt.

Miyamoto Musashi’s attack, and even the colorful Oni [demons] joined in.

Due to the Oni’s attacks, many police officers died, and Kasuga Mountain was half destroyed.

“Musashi is dead?”

Miyamoto Musashi.

He was a figure closely watched by the Japan Diver Management Agency stationed in Tokyo.

A successor to the legacy of the great swordsman Miyamoto Musashi from history, a proxy for his achievements.

It wouldn’t be strange to consider him Miyamoto Musashi himself, and he was also registered as an S-class Diver [a powerful monster hunter].

Even though he was hunting swordsmen instead of the monsters he was supposed to be hunting…

He was a symbol of Japan in his very existence.

Occasionally, when a monster wielding a sword appeared, he would fight them himself.

But that Musashi died overnight.

At the hands of a Diver from Korea.

He was a headache to deal with, but this was a different story.

It was a story of Japan’s strongest Diver being mercilessly defeated by a Diver from another country.

“That guy in Kanto [the region around Tokyo] went all the way down to Kyoto…”.

“This crazy bastard, so how are you going to resolve this?”

“Shouldn’t we capture the Korean bastard? The crazy Musashi bastard may have attacked first, but this is an international issue.”

“…We just received a message from Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kansai [the region around Kyoto and Osaka].”

The Fushimi Inari Shrine is the headquarters that oversees all shrines dedicated to Inari throughout the country.

Even as a government agency, they couldn’t be taken lightly, so they quickly checked the message, hoping the shrine would offer some help.

But the message they received was completely different from what they wanted.

“…They say they will handle the affairs of Kansai on their own and not to interfere. It’s also related to the Kudan’s prophecy [a prophecy about Japan facing a great disaster], so even more so if we don’t want Japan to become a sea of fire.”

“…Huh, the Inari shrine maiden isn’t in her right mind. Is she telling us to bow down to a Joseon [Korean dynasty] bastard?”

Even in this world, their imperialism hadn’t disappeared.

No, it had only grown stronger.

They were the ones who preached that in a sense of crisis, they had to drag others down to stand above them in order to survive.

A story that their pride could never allow.

“We need to seize this opportunity to bring order to Kansai. They’re in that state because they keep bowing down like this.”

“A-Are you sure that’s okay? We might end up antagonizing the Inari Shrine and the Yasaka Pagoda.”

“Is Inari the only shrine? It’s a shrine that can’t even be counted among the Three Noble Children [a reference to more important shrines]. And the Yasaka Pagoda’s master is still recuperating, I hear. It’s a good opportunity.”

Kansai and Kanto had subtle regional animosity.

Kansai had those who still claimed that Kyoto was the capital of Japan, calling themselves the traditionalists.

Kanto denigrated them as country bumpkins.

After the Great Disaster, as various deities appeared and regional autonomy arose here and there, leading to near-separation, the rift only deepened.

In Kanto, Kansai was a thorn in their side.

The government agencies were still in Kanto, Tokyo, and Kansai was supposed to follow their orders, but Kansai was calling for autonomy and not following orders.

One of the ministers narrowed his eyes and muttered.

“Let’s take over all of Kansai this time. That’s what the Emperor wants!”

***

Yoosungwoo finished off Musashi and even the Oni, and then took a break.

Enjoying a hot spring bath in a luxury accommodation arranged by the Inari Shrine.

After the hot spring bath, he played table tennis one-on-one with Hong Seohwa, and thanks to Yoosungwoo showing afterimages with the ping pong ball, Hong Seohwa flipped over the table tennis table.

And the next day, Yoosungwoo met with Koyuki, the shrine maiden of the Inari Shrine.

It was only a day after trading with the Inari God.

Yoosungwoo chuckled and said.

“The Inari God must be getting nervous now. I took care of Gyuki and Satori in a day, and even Shuten-doji’s subordinates and Sashimi.”

“Musashi, you mean.”

“Yeah, Sashimi.”

Koyuki realized that Yoosungwoo was calling him that on purpose and laughed in disbelief.

Now, only one is left.

The conditions set by the Inari God were to deal with Gyuki, Satori, and Shuten-doji.

“The guy who was Gyuki’s wife died as well. Sashimi was just a crazy bastard, so I’ll let that slide, but I’ll mark that down as a debt. If you agree, shut up and stay still. Inari God.”

With his words, a gust of wind swept through the inner chamber of the Inari Shrine.

Along with the sound of bells.

But the Inari God didn’t descend directly like before.

Manifesting in that way consumed quite a bit of power.

“I guess you agree.”

Since you didn’t say anything, it’s an agreement.

It seemed like Inari was trying to convey even just a voice, but Yoosungwoo deployed his aura to create a simple barrier.

No voice was heard.

Yoosungwoo maintained that state for a while, then released the barrier and said.

“I have something to ask.”

“Yes, please ask.”

“There were Oni who attacked me. They seemed to be Shuten-doji’s subordinates… They seemed to have passed through the Abyss [a dangerous realm].”

“…That’s never happened before. Oni have never popped out of the Abyss, the Black Gate where Shuten-doji is.”

“Then it seems like the Abyss Break is getting closer. It’ll come out soon. Or maybe it can already come out but is waiting for the right time.”

“What does that mean…”

“In the first place, who told Shuten-doji that I was here?”

There’s no way Shuten-doji, who’s inside the Abyss, would know his location.

He’s not an Onmyoji [a traditional Japanese occultist] who reads the heavens.

But he accurately sent his subordinates to his location.

“There’s an informant, or he can come outside. One of the two. The people who know the details of the deal with the Inari God are…”

Yoosungwoo’s gaze turned to Koyuki.

The only two people who know the details of the deal with the Inari God are himself, who received the deal, and Kamino Koyuki, who was next to him.

Realizing what his gaze meant, she shook her head violently.

Meaning it wasn’t her.

Then, as if realizing something, she hesitated and opened her mouth.

“W-Well, there’s one person I told…”

“Who is it?”

“It’s the Matapju [a magical organization] of Japan. Nagi Seo… You should have met her before.”

“At the Matapju meeting?”

Yoosungwoo recalled a vague memory. The Matapju meeting was a gathering of wizards from various countries.

Among them, there was a wizard from Japan.

“I vaguely remember.”

“Yes, she’s an older sister who grew up in the same neighborhood as me, and I told her.”

“Then you’ve sold out your childhood friend to me.”

“Yes?! Ah, no! That can’t be! That older sister isn’t the type to say anything to anyone.”

Then why did she say it?

It was exactly like reporting a snitch.

When Yoosungwoo looked at her with a ‘what are you talking about’ face, she hurriedly said.

“My sister is someone who has obtained the qualifications of a Great Onmyoji. I thought she might be able to tell if any words leaked out from somewhere using her magic.”

“Is that so? Can’t you do that?”

“No, I can’t seem to…”

Even if they were from the same Onmyoji lineage, it seemed like there were different systems.

Yoosungwoo, who was roughly convinced, felt like meeting Nagi once.

Anyway, Shuten-doji was a monster on a different level than Gyuki or Satori.

If he was preparing something, it would be good to smash it head-on.

If gods were involved there, it would be a bit complicated.

It was a point where he needed information, even if it was minimal.

“Then call her. I’ll see her once.”

“Yes.”

As Koyuki said that and took out her smartphone with keyrings dangling from it, a call came and it buzzed loudly.

“Ah, j-just a moment.”

“Okay.”

The voice that came out from inside after answering the phone was urgent.

-Shrine Maiden! It’s an emergency! The dimensional wave of the Black Gate at Dotonbori Ebisubashi [a famous bridge in Osaka] is rapidly increasing! It feels like it’s about to burst!

“Yes? What did you say? I’ll go there right now. Summon the Awakened!”

She hung up the phone and hurriedly got up from her seat.

“…I think you should come with me.”

“I knew it.”

The Abyss where Shuten-doji was was on the verge of bursting.

Dotonbori, especially the area around Ebisubashi, is a famous attraction in Osaka.

If the boss of a Class 1 Abyss popped out there, there would be a tremendous number of casualties.

Yoosungwoo got up from his seat and said.

“Guide me.”

***

After driving for several hours from Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto to Dotonbori in Osaka, they arrived.

The place where Yoosungwoo arrived with his party was a site where control was in full swing.

The center of Osaka, Dotonbori.

Before the Great Disaster, it was a tourist street so full of foreigners that it was hard to find locals.

That place was now in a state of chaos, a touch-and-go situation.

“Haa…”

Koyuki sighed deeply but did what she had to do.

The rapid increase in dimensional waves was a sign of an impending Abyss Break.

From now on, it wouldn’t be strange for those guys to pop out at any moment.

“Master, what is all this? I heard roughly…”

“The guy we have to catch is trying to come out. Hmm.”

For a monster to pop out of the Abyss meant that the Abyss had become so saturated that it couldn’t withstand the inside.

‘It would be nice for me if the guy I have to catch inside popped out, but…’

That would be problematic in many ways.

If he fought Shuten-doji outside, the area would be completely destroyed.

To minimize the damage, it was right to fight inside the Abyss.

However, the damage to civilians had to be minimized as much as possible.

Yoosungwoo approached Koyuki, who was busy directing, and said.

“Shrine Maiden, tell Inari. That I’m doing her a big favor.”

“Yes? What…?”

“I’m going into the Abyss to catch Shuten-doji. Since he’s a guy I have to kill anyway…”

“But the Abyss is in a very unstable state right now. Shuten-doji is also a boss that no one has ever defeated.”

“That’s why I have to do it. Are you going to wait for him to pop out? The whole area will be smashed to pieces and you won’t even be able to recognize the original form.”

Yoosungwoo’s words were valid.

Not only was there no certainty that they could catch Shuten-doji, but it was clear that this area would disappear if he popped out.

He was the boss monster of a Class 1 Abyss.

A monster of a different ‘class’.

“…I understand. Please take care of it. For the sake of Osaka.”

“Even Admiral Yi Sun-sin [a famous Korean admiral] will look favorably upon me today.”

“Yes? Who?”

“There’s that.”

Yoosungwoo said that and looked at the Abyss.

The Dotonbori Abyss could be seen when looking down towards the river from Ebisubashi.

The Abyss was rapidly increasing in size as the dimensional waves surged.

“How many people will enter?”