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« Evil spirits and man-eating fiends await. No... Rather, Seven Swordmasters. Let us head to the stage of carnage. » |
| (Miyamoto Musashi) |
The Shimōsa Subcategory Singularity (下総国亜種特異点, Shimōsa-no-kuni ashu tokuiten?), identified as Subcategory Singularity III (亜種特異点 III, Ashu tokuiten III?, localized as "Pseudo-Singularity III") and more correctly identified as a Subcategory Parallel World (亜種並行世界, Ashu heikō sekai?, localized as "Pseudo Parallel World"), is one of five singularities manifested by the remaining Demon Gods after the defeat of Beast I Goetia. Located in 1639 AD (Kan'eiWP 16) Shimōsa provinceWP, its Humanity Foundation Value is "Undetermined" and, rather than a Demon God, its manifestation is caused by Alter Ego Limbo and the Alien God. Later identified as more of a Micro-Lostbelt (小さな異聞帯, chiisa-na ibuntai?),[1] it was the third officially recognized of the five subcategory singularities visited by Chaldea Security Organization in the undertaking of the Remnant Order to deal with the collateral damage caused by the Human Order Incineration Incident.
The events of Chaldea's visit to this Singularity are covered in the third chapter of Epic of Remnant, The Stage of Carnage: Shimousa (屍山血河舞台 下総国, Shizan ketsuga butai Shimōsa-no-kuni?). It has the subtitle Seven Duels of Swordmasters (英霊剣豪七番勝負, Eirei kengō nanaban shōbu?). It received a manga adaptation illustrated by Rei Wataru.
Setting[]
Although initially designated as a Singularity and bearing considerable similarities to one, Shimōsa is not a proper Singularity in the sense of the Human Order. Described as an otherworld (異界, ikai?) and subsequently designated as a Pseudo Parallel World, it is a timeline which exists between dreams and reality, distinct enough that it should be designated for culling but hasn't been. Due to its isolated nature, the Counter Force is apparently somewhat weaker there, though as it is not within the standard Tree of Time (but at the same time, not within another universe), the events within should not be able to threaten the Tree.[2]
The interior is comprised of the Shimōsa province of Japan in the year 1630 during the early part of the Edo period. Unlike the normal world, its capital city is built around the Castle of Toke and the Matsudaira clan resides in the castle.[2]
A parallel version of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, who survived the Shimabara RebellionWP in a culled world, travelled across many worlds after becoming a Mobile Singularity.[3][4] His hatred for the Tokugawa grew, as he saw they repeated their massacre of christians at Shimabara across several worlds.[4] His hatred changed him into something beyond human.[3] He then began searching for a world where Matsudaira's daughter is living near Edo following the Shimabara Rebellion when Satan directs him to Shimōsa.[5] They also grant him a portion of its power to peform a ritual to achieve his goal of mankind's destruction in revenge against the Tokugawa.[4] He met Ashiya Douman at Shimōsa, while the latter was searching for the lost history under the directions of the God of a Distant Star.[6] At Katori Shrine, Amakusa Shirou summoned Tomoe Gozen, Minamoto-no-Raikou, Shuten-douji, Mochizuki Chiyome, and Houzouin Inshun with the Holy Grail. Douman then infused them with the Curse of Annihilation to turn them into Heroic Spirit Swordmasters with unintended expection of Inshun. The curse transforms them into immortal creatures driven by hatred and a intense desire to kill.[7] Yagyuu Munenori joins them despite being human for a chance to duel Miyamoto Musashi again.[4] They are instructed by Amakusa Shirou to kill everyone in Shimōsa.[7] Both their souls and the grieving souls of those they slaughter will serve as the foundation of Onriedo Castle.[8] Once it is constructed, Amakusa Shirou will sacrifice one of Tokugawa blood to it. The sacrifice will serve as the perfect catalyst to cast a far-ranging multilayered curse on the Tokugawa regime. This will destroy any possible world where the Tokugawa exists.[5] Considering Amakusa Shirou a threat, the Counter Force summoned Senji Muramasa to Shimōsa to stop him a month before Musashi and Ritsuka's arrival.[4][9] When Musashi arrived in Shimōsa, her and Amakusa Shirou's natures as Mobile Singularities caused a number of abnormalities and unusual phenomena to occur. These include monsters that Amakusa Shirou and the Swordmasters took control of.[4]
As opposed to entering via rayshifting, Ritsuka Fujimaru was transported inside via dreams.[2]
History[]
Prelude[]
In a cave at Mt. Kinbou, an old man who was once called Miyamoto Musashi, awaits his final moments. He does not regret living his whole life by the sword and prays to whomever to give him more so he may reach his destiny, thinking he cannot reach it in hell. If that is impossible, he wishes for this world were a living hell.[10]
Ritsuka recalls to Mash and Sasaki Kojirou their meeting with a female Musashi in a dream-like experience. Mash deduces this Musashi was from a culled parallel world, and she was travelling between worlds through special means. She correctly assumes Musashi is a living person rather than a Heroic Spirit. Sasaki correctly deduces that unlike the male Musashi of their history, the female Musashi has yet to reach the pinnacle of her swordmanship, she never dueled Sasaki, and she never wrote the Book of Five RingsWP. However, as Sasaki utters Musashi's other name: Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu, Ritsuka sees visions of a countryside and a burning building. They then collapse.[10]
At that moment, Shuten-douji enters the room to see what the commotion is about. Sasaki leaves to go get Martha, telling Mash to remain calm and Shuten to keep an eye on things. Shuten senses some kind of magical energy in the room, but quickly thinks it was her imagination.[10]
Ritsuka has fallen into a coma, yet a thorough examination found nothing wrong with them. Even all the healing-focused Casters in Chaldea working together cannot wake them up. Sherlock Holmes relays all this to Edmond Dantès, knowing he was a factor in causing Ritsuka’s first coma and suspecting he may know something about Ritsuka’s situation. Edmond, however, refuses to hear what Sherlock has to say. Sherlock is disappointed, but says he will respect Edmond’s wishes and continue investigating without his help. He reminds him, though, that this matter is of the utmost importance since it involves Chaldea’s sole Master. Edmon leaves, acting like none of it is his concern, but Sherlock has already tricked him into helping in earnest.[10]
Meanwhile. Ritsuka wakes up in a field, having been caught earlier by Miyamoto Musashi.[10]
Purgatorio (Opening)[]
After hearing what they were doing before, Mushashi assumes Ritsuka is experiencing a rare case of traveling to another world through their dreams. She guesses Ritsuka is likely dreaming while simultaneously the current world truly exists. Thus if they die before waking up, they will die in reality. Musashi, therefore, decides she will protect Ritsuka until they can return to reality. She confesses she only arrived quitely recently, and reveals she can't return to worlds she has previously been to. She also believes their reunion must be fate, especially given that Ritsuka was talking about her beforehand. The two then set out to learn more about this particular version of Japan.[11]
While searching for a village, the pair encounter a young girl carrying a baby: Onui and Tasuke. Onui asks Ritsuka and Musashi if they're heading for Edo or the nearby Toke Castle. Because Toke Castle is nearby, Musashi assumes they're in the Kazusa. But Onui corrects her that they're in Shimōsa. Musashi, however, remembers Toke Castle being in Kazusa and that it was abandoned during the Toyotomi's reign. She also doesn't remember the castle being the size it could have a town built around. Onui then confirms that the current ruler is Iemitsu Tokugawa.[11]
Musashi’s stomach growls, so she asks Onui if there is a teahouse nearby. Onui says her grandpa’s hermitage is very close by and invites Ritsuka and Musashi to come. She prepares to lead the way when the sky suddenly darkens and the group is beset by spirits.[11]
As the group travel to the hermitage, Onui says the spirits don’t appear there or the village, even at night. The sky gets darkens again and more evil spirits than last time appear. Musashi prepares to take them on when someone slays them with a single strike of his spear.[11]
The spear-wielder regrets he doesn’t know why he was summoned or who summoned. He introduces himself as Houzouin Inshun――――warrior monk and famed master of the Houzouin-ryuu spearmanship.
Musashi is eager to test her skills against his master spearmanship, having never encountered the living Inshun in any of the alternate Japans she has been to. But she knows RItsuka, Onui, and Tasuke come before her interests right now.[11]
She properly introduces herself to Inshun. Inshun is incredulous that she is Mushashi as the Mushashi he is familiar with was indeed a man. Musashi explains she is from a different world.[11]
The sky gets dark once again. Inshun and Musashi make a competition out of slaying the spirits to showcase their techniques to one another. In the end, Inshun accepts Mushashi is who she says she is.[11]
After learning of RItsuka’s situation, Inshun recounts how he materialized as a Lancer about two days ago. He doesn’t know if he has a Master, only knowing he was summoned at Katori Shrine and when and where he is. He left the shrine after having a terrifying premonition, wandering and slaying the spirits that appeared.[11]
Ritsuka presumes there is a Holy Grail in Shimosa. Inshun explains what a Grail is to Musashi and finds it plausible there to be one in Shimosa, given all the wicked creatures running rampant. He assumes someone is using it to summon the spirits. Musashi agrees to help Ritsuka stop this person, as does Inshun.[11]
Purgatorio (Middle)[]
At Katori Shrine, a sorcerer declares the dark Jesuit sorcery he performed there has granted them control of seven Heroic Spirits. He says they're not Heroic Spirits, but Heroic Spirit Swordmasters made to destroy the world. Caster of Limbo concurs, stating how he and other Heroic Spirits were summoned by the Grail and infused with his Curse of Annihilation. He explains the Swordmasters will obey the Sorcerer's commands, declaring they cannot be hurt or killed by any blade. They will kill all in their path until every human is dead. Caster notes they're missing one though, which the Sorcerer is aware of. He then orders Caster to turn day into night.[7]
Meanwhile, with the group, day turns into night occupied by a blood moon. Sensing there will be greater danger than before, they hurry eastward to the hermitage.
They try to cut through a bamboo forest, only to encounter evil spirits. Fortunately, Musashi and Inshun beat them more easily thanks to Ritsuka regaining their ability to summon. Inshun speculates him being a Servant energized Ritsuka’s connection or something was happened when he and Inshun clashed swords.[7]
The heroes are then suddenly met by people who all have a murderous scent to them, according to Musashi. She says such scent shouldn’t exist in the 16th year of the Kan’ei with the Shimabara Rebellion over.[7]
Inshun tries to attack one, only for Archer to deflect him with an arrow. Sensing all of their auras, he finds each one of them is a Servant.[7]
Caster introduces them collectively as the Six Heroic Spirit Swordmasters. He knows who Musashi, Inshun, and Ritsuka are and states the Swordmasters materialized to turn the world into hell.[7]
Musashi slashes away Caster’s sudden fire spell, followed by thwarting Assassin of Parasio’s ambush, only for it to be an afterimage. She then attacks Rider of Kālasūtra Hell aided by her Heavenly Eye, but her attack is blocked. Rider threatens to kill Ritsuka and the children. Ritsuka finds her familiar.[7]
From above the trees, Berserker of Saṃghāta Hell unleashes her Noble Phantasm without revealing its True Name. Inshun deflects it with Hazy Inverted Moon - Eleven Styles, and challenges one of the Swordmasters to face him. Berserker comes down in response. Ritsuka finds both hers and Rider’s voices familiar.
A cloaked swordsman assumed to the leader appears and berates the Swordmasters for “playing”. He demands the heroes hand over Inshun, stating everyone will be massacred afterwards. Inshun fights the swordsman with the aid of his Noble Phantasm while the others escape.[7]
Inshun eventually pierces the swordsman’s heart, but finds he cannot move his spear. The swordsman admits such an attack would kill a human or a regular Heroic Spirit and introduces himself by his Cursed Name: Saber of Empireo.[7]
On Saber’s command, Caster casts the Curse of Annihilation on Inshun. He reveals Inshun was summoned as the seventh Swordmaster, but he was summoned with free will, unlike the others. He begins to transform Inshun into a Swordmaster with the Curse, saying he will serve the Sorcerer and Satan.[7]
Inshun realizes the power of the Swordmasters karma is such that an attack would instantly kill a human or a regular Heroic Spirit is useless against them. He never thought about cutting what cannot be seen, the realm his spear has not reached. His final thought is for Ritsuka, Musashi, and the children to keep running and never get caught.[7]
Purgatorio (Ending)[]
Ritsuka and the others continue their escape when they encounter Inshun. Inshun implores them to not let them get caught by him, for he is now a Swordmaster: Lancer of Purgatorio. Musashi fights him to protect the children from him.[12]
She decapitates him in the end; Ritsuka covered Onui’s eyes so she wouldn't have to see. Inshun gets up, however, and reattaches his head. Ritsuka and the others flee in response.[12]
They escape to a village close to Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa’s hermitage. They contemplate warning the villagers of the danger, but seeing Inshun has caught up, Musashi has everyone hide in the nearby haystack.[12]
Inshun notices the village is protected so monsters cannot enter, though it is useless against a Swordmaster like himself. He then tries to antagonize Musashi by massacring the village. Musashi covers Onui’s ears so she cannot hear it while Ritsuka does their best to bear it. After Inshun finishes, the group leaves the haystack and heads for the hermitage.[12]
At the hermitage, Musashi senses what may be a powerful barrier at work and wonders if the hermitage is what kept monsters kept away from the village. Ritsuka also senses some magical energy. Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa claims only his smithy is here though. Ritsuka and Musashi are surprised to see he is a young man.[12]
After having the children go inside, Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa thanks Ritsuka and Mash for bringing them back safely. He was particularly worried thanks to the blood moon. He invites the pair to come inside on the condition they identify themselves and their clan. Before either of them can though, Musashi notices Inshun has caught up.[12]
Inshun suddenly attacks Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa. The latter dodges it and destroys Inshun’s upper body with a single blow at the cost of his sword. Inshun regenerates and boasts there isn’t any technique nor blade that can reach the Spirit Core of a Swordmaster.[12]
Regenerating from another attack, he reveals he massacred the northern and western villages. He confirms he cannot return to being the old Inshun, for his body is now a puppet controlled by karma. The only way to stop him is his complete destruction.[12]
Musashi takes the sword Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa recently made, feeling a divine aura from it. He considers it a failure, though, saying it can effortlessly cut through anything, but he pushed it into the realm of demons. Regardless, Musashi challenges Inshun to a duel to stop him and bring herself closer to the apex of mastery the void.[12]
Inshun accepts Musashi’s challenge in the name of Satan. He then casts a spell similar to Reality Marble to bring him and Musashi to the blood-soaked frontier, a field of corpses where the loser’s soul will be consumed.[12]
Thanks to the sword she took earlier, Musashi was able to cut through what she thinks was Inshun’s fate along with his Spirit Core. Inshun thanks her and disappears.[12]
Inside the hermitage, Musashi keeps the sword as an exception to her rule of four. Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa allows her to thank her bringing the children back and also because it is a failure for being an evil blade that reached the realm of demons. The ultimate blade he seeks isn’t one that cuts flesh and bone, but one that can sever bonds, certainty, and karma.[12]
Musashi realizes she freed Inshun from his karma thanks to the sword. Onui and Tasuke’s grandpa still considers it failure, though, since it cannot cut bonds or certainty. He then dubs it Myoujingri Muramasa, revealing himself to be Senji Muramasa, a Saber-class Servant.[12]
Inferno (Beginning)[]
At breakfast, Musashi tells Onui that Muramasa is a legendary swordsmith famed for forging cursed katanas that are feared throughout as a threat to the Tokugawa family. She and Ritsuka accompany Muramasa to his smithy after they all finish their meals.[9]
Muramasa reveals he is a Rogue Servant. He materialized about a month ago in a rice field near the hermitage and saw monsters had killed half of the workers, including Onui and Tasuke’s parents. After taking the children in, he took the hermitage from the western village.[9]
Moving onto the subject of the monsters, Muramasa recalls hearing they appeared around the time he materialized. He clarifies they do appear in villages, unlike what Onui thought, though they do avoid places of worship. But that doesn’t apply to the Swordmasters, who are rumored to command the monsters.[9]
Muramasa recalls hearing a man was practicing dark Jesuit sorcery at Katori Shrine. His mysticism instantly turns day into night and he summoned the Swordmasters to destroy humanity. The Swordmasters were also said to have razed the Hitachi Provice to the ground.[9]
Ritsuka and Musashi both agree they need more information on the monsters and the Swordmasters. Muramasa directs them to Toke Castle town as a place to get more info. He too finds it strange that Toke Castle is Shimosa. Ritsuka wonders if someone used the Grail.[9]
Later, taking with them on Muramasa’s request, Ritsuka and Musashi travel to Toke Castle Town.[9]
Inferno (Middle)[]
Ritsuka and Musashi ask around town about the monsters, but no one takes it seriously since they almost never appear nearby, nor have they heard about the village massacres yet. Musashi considers the possibility that the castle is controlling the flow of information or secretly gathering intel on the Swordmasters and their summoner.[8]
The group soon meets Otama, a geisha sharing Tamamo-no-Mae‘s appearance. Seeing Ritsuka’s clothes, Otama thinks they are rich and invites them to her establishment. But then a girl looking like Kiyohime comes up. She thinks Ritsuka is the person of her dreams destined to take her away from the castle and loudly professes her love for Ritsuka. Her guard, by mistake, reveals she is Lady Kiyohime and chastises the others for not recognizing the daughter of the ruler of Shimousa, Matsudaira Shimousa no Kami.[8]
Kiyohime properly introduces and implores Ritsuka to take her away. But Otama refuses to let her poach her customer. The two then get into a violent argument over Ritsuka that Ritsuka has Musashi break up.[8]
Otama and Kiyohime apologize for their behavior and return to their respective abodes. Afterward, Ritsuka’s party encounters a missionary who looks like Edmond Dantès. He directs the group to an alleyway where they’ll find someone they need and leaves. There they find Fuuma Kotarou collapsed, so they take him to Otama’s inn.[8]
Kotarou explains he came to return Ritsuka to reality. However, he was the only Servant who was able to make it; Sherlock and Da Vinci think it’s an issue with fated bonds. He tries to explain to Ritsuka that they’re in a dream they cannot wake from when he passes out again. He wakes up though after hearing Ritsuka has been summoning in battle and speculates that they’re temporarily borrowing the shadows of the Servant’s Spirit Origins. Ritsuka and Onui tell him to rest, with Ritsuka promising to forge a magical energy pathway.[8]
After Kotarou falls asleep, Musashi tells Ritsuka how one can see the faces of those they know on strangers when travelling to other worlds through dreams. Otama then enters the room and allows the group to stay until Kotarou recovers.[8]
At Katori Shrine, Caster reports Inshun is gone, blaming it on his incomplete summoning. Saber considers Inshun a failure because he failed to take even a hundred lives. Despite that, though, the Sorcerer says Inshun still served as an excellent cornerstone for the Onriedo. He calls it similar to the Holy Grail War, as the souls of Swordmasters will reside in the foundations of his Onriedo. The souls of a few Heroic Spirits are insufficient to manifest the Onriedo. Thus, more need to be killed to help it grow with the souls of those drenched in bitterness, envy, and grief. That is why the Swordmasters were granted the Curse of Annihilation made from Caster’s technique and the Sorcerer’s power.[8]
The Sorcerer’s bodyguard then enters the shrine. He is a human that the Sorcerer met in the Hitachi mountains, and brought him back to serve as his bodyguard on a whim. The Sorcerer then commands the Swordmasters to continue killing and leaves to prepare for the arrival of the Onriedo.[8]
Saber and Caster both find the Sorcerer doesn’t consider Musashi to be a threat. Caster has a plan for killing Musashi, but considering she killed Inshun, he is unsure if his new techniques are up to the task. So he orders Katou Danzou to sic Archer of Inferno on Musashi. He also orders her to closely observe a group of samurai from Edo that’ll soon arrive in Toke Castle by pretending to be on a secret mission from the Shogunate. Once Caster determines everything is set, Danzou will bring Archer and Musashi together, and witness what comes next.[8]
At the inn, Ritsuka and Musashi sneak out after the latter sensed a disturbance outside. They arrive outside to find evil spirits and destroy them. Musashi senses the Swordmaster who commanded them is nearby. Archer unveils and introduces herself with her Cursed Name. She declares the Swordmasters’ goal is to kill and burn everything related to Tokugawa society. She then starts unleashing fire, so Musashi fights her to ensure her fire doesn’t spread.[8]
They're unable to best each other since Musashi can't close the distance thanks to Archer's arrows and flames, while Archer's arrows are continuously deflected by Musashi at the last moment. Musashi realizes Archer is holding back, as she has yet to use the spell Inshun used. Archer admits she was told to hold back, and vanishes with the promise of fighting Musashi in full force. Ritsuka and Musashi then return to the inn to rest.[8]
Inferno (Ending)[]
Danzou keeps up with Archer as she runs at top speed, warning her she’ll end up in the ocean if she keeps heading south. Archer stops and apologizes to Danzou for unintentionally and potentially leaving her behind. Danzou tells her to restrain herself, not wanting her to exhaust her Spirit Origin carelessly.[13]
Archer and Danzou notice an elderly couple coming in their direction. Danzou finds it unfortunate that Archer, who detests everything, will kill them. But to her confusion, Archer instead has a friendly conversation with the elderly couple, making Danzou wonder if the Curse of Annihilation is no longer affecting her. After she sees the couple off, though, Archer has Danzou confirm there is a village in the direction that the couple came from.[13]
Archer massacres said village by burning it to the ground. Danzou is confused why she spared the couple from earlier though. Archer answers it was because she had a friendly conversation with them. She then wreathed herself in hellfire spouting nonsense, leading a procession of monsters to continue massacring village after village.[13]
Danzou doesn’t understand why Archer is heading northward. Toke Castle is an invaluable strategic point for both Caster and the Sorcerer, which is why Archer had to cease her duel with Musashi. As Archer is no longer listening, Danzou decides she must use her secret Karakuri Genpou to stop her.[13]
Caster stops her, having received her report on Archer. He shares Danzou’s concerns about Archer’s ceaseless rampage, as it will delay their plans if Archer were to incinerate Onriedo’s foundations again like she did Hitachi. There is, therefore, no choice but to eliminate her, along with Ritsuka and Musashi.[13]
The next day, Kotarou has recovered some thanks to Ritsuka stopping the loss of his magical energy. The group learns a large procession of samurai has recently arrived from Edo and go see.[13]
The leader of the samurai, Yagyuu Munenori, explains they are on a official mission to bring the monsters (who he believes are bandits) slaughtering innocents in southern Shimousa to justice with Matsudaira's cooperation.[13]
He then confronts Musashi, recalling they dueled six months ago. Musashi finds it strange she returned to the same place since it never happened before. Munenori decides to duel her to determine her intentions when monsters fly in from the south.[13]
As another wave comes, Munenori orders Sakon to get the townsfolk out of the vicinity.[13]
After the monsters are slain, Munenori assumes they were a scouting party. He orders Sakon to tell Matsudaira to deploy archers. He also orders to concentrate their forces to the south, believing the castle can have the bare minimum of soldiers.[13]
Once the samurai leave, Ritsuka tells Munenori their assumption that Archer is leading the monsters. Munenori tells the heroes that a hundred of his finest men will confront Archer as a diversion while they ambush her from behind. He advises them to go through the mountain pass to do so. It is not a request, however, rather a command by his authority granted to him by the shogunate.[13]
Munenori reveals shogunate spies were placed in Shimosa to verify the rumors about monsters in the area and their reports match what Ritsuka told him. Munenori then introduces Danzou as the spy who saw Archer leading the monsters. She will also serve as the heroes’ guide through the mountain pass. Kotarou finds she strongly resembles someone he knows, but he thinks it’s mere coincidence.[13]
As the heroes walk the mountain pass, Danzou confirms she is an over century old mechanical puppet. Kotarou confirms to Ritsuka that Danzou is indeed a living person from this era.[13]
He lies to Danzou that he is from the Sagami. Danzou finds this coincidental, as some of her installed ninjitsu are from the Sagami clan. Kotarou out loud realizes Danzou doesn’t recognize him, confusing the former.[13]
The heroes reach their destination and see it is now the blood moon night. Sneaking behind enemy lines, they stop Archer from incinerating the samurai. Kotarou orders Danzou to take the injured to safety and give the other samurai new orders since they cannot stand against a Servant.[13]
Archer doesn’t recognize Ritsuka and Musashi, even though they met last night. Musashi tries to understand why Archer is out to destroy everything, but she attacks her when the latter asserted she is nothing but firewood. In response, Archer attacks Musashi in utter rage. Kotarou and Musashi both realize she is an oni.[13]
In her rage, Archer yells out Lord Yoshinaka. Musashi realizes Archer hates Japan because the Tokugawa family is descended from the Seiwa Genji. Yoshinaka had helped Minamoto-no-Yorimoto overthrow the Taira regime, only for Yorimoto to persecute him afterward. Archer was Yoshinaka’s wife, who fought alongside him, Tomoe Gozen.[13]
Musashi readies to fight her with Myoujingri Muramasa in hand. In response, Tomoe takes them both to the blood-soaked frontier for their duel.[13]
Tomoe is defeated and remembers the love she and Yoshinaka had for each other. She disappears, glad she doesn’t have to be firewood anymore. Both Ritsuka and Musashi both wish for her to rest in peace.[13]
With Tomoe’s demise, the monsters are sent into disarray. Musashi and Kotarou help Danzou and the samurai deal with the remaining monsters.[13]
Paraiso (Beginning)[]
Musashi complains to Tasuke about Munenori tasking her with checking all of Shimosa for leftover monsters on horseback. Yet despite her complaints, she sees it all as part of her training to reach the void. The void she reaches for, though, differs from the norm in that she wants to cut the formless. She seeks to achieve a sword of nothingness that surpasses her father, a master of the sword himself. She feels her time in Shimosa will be her last chance to reach the void. But if she can survive against the Swordmasters, she is sure she will meet her end with satisfaction.[14]
Ritsuka returns from town, followed by Onui returning from the lavatory. Musashi gives Tasuke back to Onui. Kotarou returns from giving dried fish soveurnirs like Ritsuka asked him to.[14]
Musashi notices Kotarou is more energized than last night. Kotarou thinks it’s related to his Spirit Origin adjusting to this world. While he isn’t fully recovered, he should be fit enough for combat now. To see how recovered he is, Musashi challenges Kotarou to a duel outside.[14]
After the duel, the heroes learn that a letter was sent to Toke Castle, threatening to assassinate Kiyohime. They head to Toke Castle, hoping Munenori will let them in.[14]
At Katori Shrine, Assassin reports she has delivered the letter regarding Kiyohime’s assassination to Toke Castle. She suspects by now ten of Munenori’s samurai are guarding Kiyohime. Rumors should also be circulating.[14]
The Sorcerer states Tomoe’s actions have instilled unease in the people. He orders Assassin to kill Kiyohime once panic about her assassination spread throughout the populace. Afterwards, the populace will be instilled utterly with fear, thus their souls will be better sacrifices. He tells Assassin she only needs to stay true to “the serpent within” and leaves.[14]
Berserker identifies Assassin as a descendant of Saburou, who the god of Ooe cursed. She tries to tempt her into killing everyone.[14]
Assassin tells her to be silent, but realizes she said that out loud to an illusion. The real Berserker is silently standing next to her, smiling. Just looking at Berserker causes the curse inside Assassin to surface. Assassin decides to kill more than Kiyohime before the night ends.[14]
Paraiso (Middle)[]
Inside Toke Castle, the heroes wait to meet with Kiyohime. While waiting, they recall Muramasa taking the children back to his hermitage.[15]
Kiyohime soon enters the room with Munenori. Kotarou, noting the differences between this Kiyohime and Chaldea’s, realizes they have yet to see history distorted by the Grail. He feels something is fundamentally different about this world. Kiyohime reveals she can talk to snakes, furthering her connection with her Servant counterpart.[15]
After Munenori focuses her back on the subject, Kiyohime promises to reward the heroes for their involvement in stopping the monsters on behalf of her father. She also thanks them as a fellow citizen of Shimosa.[15]
Moving onto the subject of the letter, Kiyohime reveals many were killed when it was delivered. Though she already has the castle guards and Munenori’s 300 samurai, all of whom are veterans of the Shimabara Rebellion, she requests the heroes protect her as well. Munenori approves having seen the heroes’ skills for himself. He warns they will be executed should they fail and leaves the room.[15]
Kiyohime pays Musashi 30 ryou to spar with her to prove the results of her martial arts training. She orders Danzou to fight with her after Musashi warned her not to fight her alone, even though she’ll be going easy on her.[15]
Later that night, following the fight, Musashi stays with Kiyohime and tells her about her travels. Kiyohime recounts how she saved a baby snake in the castle garden. From that point onward, she has had a telepathic bond with snakes. Musashi then tells Kiyohime of when she first met Ritsuka.[15]
Meanwhile, Koatoru guards Ritsuka in their room. He soon senses a Swordmaster has infiltrated the castle. He and Ritsuka arrive outside to see several guards ready to fight Assassin. He convinces the guards to leave Assassin to him and Ritsuka.[15]
Assassin declares the Sorcerer will wield the power of Satan to sacrifice Shimosa to destroy this world created by the Tokugawa. She will kill the one next in line to rule, Kiyohime, so the people’s despair at her death will make Shimosa easier to destroy. She knows Kiyhohime is fond of Ritsuka and wonders how horrified she will be when tossed their head. To demonstrate how easy it will be, Assassin kills ten guards with snakes, bringing her total victims to forty. Kotarou then fights monsters she summoned. Meanwhile, Musashi fends off the monster that suddenly appeared in Kiyohime’s bedroom.[15]
After slaying her monsters, Kotarou asks Assassin if her actions eat away at her soul. Assassin asks Kotarou if he feels the same killing other Heroic Spirits in a Holy Grail War to grant his Master's wish. Kotarou clarifies, however, that he was asking as a fellow ninja. He then fights Assassin after she vehemently refuses to surrender.[15]
Kotarou cuts off her head. He calls immature, for she has forgotten a ninja without a soul is nothing but a hollow blade. Reattaching her head, Assassin decides to stop holding back. Musashi suddenly throws Myoujingri Murasama at her, only for it to miss and be caught by Kotarou.[15]
Assassin throws a kunai at Kiyohime who followed Musashi, but Kotarou deflects it. Musashi slashes at Assassin, only for it to be an illusion while the real one had already escaped.[15]
Danzou appears and reports that Munenori will arrive momentarily with his samurai. Kiyohime faints after learning Assassin killed Assassin killed twenty castle guards. Danzou takes upon herself to tend to the princess.[15]
She offers to treat Kotarou’s wounds as well. But Kotarou declines and nearly reveals he isn’t human. He stops himself, though, upon realizing Munenori said nothing about him to Danzou.[15]
Paraiso (Ending)[]
At Katori Shrine, Caster reports Assassin and Danzou have laid the groundwork for the Onriedo by spreading fear. Saber adds the great pentagram being drawn in secret via Jesuit sorcery is also nearing completion. The Sorcerer orders Assassin to be removed now that she has spread fear amongst the populace.[16]
Meanwhile, in town, Assassin is ashamed of herself for failing to kill Kiyohime or Ritsuka. However, she achieved her true objective of leaving designated patterns all throughout the castle. Thanks to the cursed seals Caster entrusted to her, no one will ever find said patterns.[16]
Assassin gets ready to return to the shrine to recover her magical energy when she is confronted by Berserker. Berserker proceeds to connect Assassin’s heart and brain to the power of the god of Mt. Ibuki, Yamata-no-Orochi, that resides in herself to the latter’s protest. She apologizes for her actions, explaining the Sorcerer needs Ritsuka and Musashi eliminated.[16]
At Toke Castle, Munenori orders his samurai to increase security. Kiyohime is sleeping out in the garden to make it easier to guard her and to bait out Assassin. Soon enough, as expected, Assassin returns. She summons Orochi to kill everyone, though it is only an imitation of the original created from the power of but one head.[16]
Musashi and Kotarou slay it, but then Kiyohime suddenly attacks Ritsuka with her fire. Fortunately, Kotarou protected them with his own body.[16]
Kiyohime confesses she unintentionally destroyed a snake nest long ago. Despite her regrets, the snakes still come for her. Orochi then revives even though it was deduced to ash by Kotarou’s Immortal Chaos Brigade thanks to the Saigyou revival technique.[16]
Assassin tells Kiyome she must kill the heroes to gain the snakes’ forgiveness. Afterward, she will kill her to grant her peace. Kotarou realizes the kunai that Chiyome threw was a feint to put Kiyohime under a spell.[16]
After the resurrected Orochi is slain, Kiyohime realizes she’ll never earn the snakes’ forgiveness. She wishes she never went to Mt. Ibuki, even though it was actually her ancestor who did. Tainted by his cursed blood, Kiyohime wants to kill the heroes to earn the gods’ forgiveness.[16]
But Ritsuka and Musashi both realize Kiyohime’s words are not her own. Musashi even recalls how Kiyohime told her yesterday she was friends with snakes and saved one once. She deduces Kiyohime’s words are actually Assassin’s――――Mochizuki Chiyome. Kiyohime promptly faints.[16]
Musashi recounts the legend of how Orochi cursed Koga Saburo for trespassing on his territory of Mt. Ibuki. Chiyome is a descendant of Saburo and had inherited Orochi’s curse.[16]
Chiyome bemoans that nothing, not even becoming a Heroic Spirit Swordmaster, can free her of the curse and that no one will punish her. She then takes herself and Musashi to the blood-soaked frontier for their duel.[16]
Musashi recalls Chiyome said something about Onriedo, a Buddhist word for distancing oneself from this impure world and its earthly desires. She doesn’t like how the Swordmasters putting it into practice, though. It disgusts her how the Sorceror is using Heroic Spirits as empty vessels and trampling on their pride. She doesn’t want to avenge them, but she wants to return the kunai to him painfully. RItsuka and Kotarou are both in agreement.[16]
Kalasutra Hell (Beginning)[]
The heroes are on their way back to the hermitage. Munenori had kicked them out of the castle, claiming they would only impede his plan to keep Kiyohime safe. Though Kotarou is sure Munenori will finally draw his sword to protect Kiyohime, Musashi is less sure as Munenori seems more apathetic to the lives of others than she is.[17]
Danzou is accompanying the heroes. Her new orders from Munenori are to gather information around Shimosa, and to ensure the heroes arrive safely at their destination.[17]
She checks with Kotarou to see if he isn’t injured. She was outside the castle per Munenori’s orders, but Kotarou stayed and fought Chiyome to protect Kiyohime. He even injured himself protecting Ritsuka. So Danzou finds his sprightliness strange, as no ninjutsu in her database could explain his rapid recovery. Kotarou tells her that his recovery isn’t due ninjutsu and assures her he is fine.[17]
Walking ahead of the others, Danzou cannot understand why she is worried about Kotarou, an enemy. She wonders if some part of hers is broken or if she is feeling the effects of last night’s evil aura.[17]
Some time after Chiyome’s demise, Danzou had snuck Berserker into the castle. While collecting Orochi’s remains for her wine, Berserker asked if she’s getting attached to the heroes, knowing Caster sent her to spy on them. She also teased Danzou about her particular interest in Kotarou, even bringing up his “hollow blade” speech. She soon finished up and left for Arakawa with Danzou.[17]
At Arakawa, Danzou witnessed Rider slaughter an entire army of 10,244 men on the east bank of the Arakawa River while they were en route to rendezvous with Munenori. She only spared a young soldier left mentally broken by the slaughter, believing he’d make a poor sacrifice. Afterward, she and Berserker then departed for Sagami to unleash the latter’s Noble Phantasm upon it. Danzou reminded them they weren’t ordered to do so, but they ignored her.[17]
That evening at the hermitage, Muramasa tells the heroes about what transpired near Arakawa River. The soldier who survived the massacre crossed the river and relayed that two beautiful women were responsible before dying. The heroes deduce the two women were Swordmasters.[17]
Muramasa further reveals the women destroyed Sagami. Danzou returns from putting the children to bed. She had overheard everything from the other side of the door and expresses surprise at the news.[17]
Continuing, Muramasa says the women left Sagami and went on a killing spree until high noon. Because they vanished by then, smaller villagers were spared, but larger places like Kamakura and Odawara Castle town were nearly massacred. Everyone then suddenly hears Onui screaming from outside.[17]
They rush out to find her and Tasuke captured by Berserker and Rider. Ritsuka recognizes them as Shuten and Minamoto-no-Raikou respectively, but they aren’t the ones from Chaldea. Raikou summons monsters to attack the heroes.[17]
The heroes slay a few of the monsters. Kotarou contemplates sneaking behind Shuten and Raikou to recapture the children, only for Shuten to keep the children out of reach by handing them off to a monster. Musashi, disgusted by this behavior, attacks Shuten, but Raikou deflects it instantly. The two women and the heroes then fight.[17]
With only a fraction of their power, Shuten and Raikou overwhelm the heroes, thanks in part to their teamwork. The heroes try again to rescue the children, but monsters bar them. Raikou tells the heroes to come to the peak of the nearby mountain before high noon if they wish to save the children. After she and Shuten escape, the heroes prepare to set off for the nearby.[17]
Kalasutra Hell (Middle)[]
Raikou stops Shuten from eating the children. She assures Onui she would never kill a child nor let one die before her. In tears, she apologizes to Onui for how they treated her, not expecting to be forgiven. She blames it on that Swordmasters are broken the moment their Curses were implanted in them. Shuten finds Raikou’s human self was broken long ago.[18]
Meanwhile, as Muramasa forges a new sword, Danzou blames herself for the children getting kidnapped. She agrees to help rescue them, as Munenori ordered her to assist the heroes against the Swordmasters. After Muramasa finishes, the heroes leave for the mountain.[18]
Cutting through the nearby bamboo forest, Danzou asks about the difference between Heroic Spirit Swordmasters and Heroic Spirits, only knowing a few things about Servants from Munenori. Kotarou gives his explanation and confesses he is a Servant, for which he apologizes to Danzou for not telling her sooner. However, in the case of Shuten and Raikou, they were both oni before they became Heroic Spirits, so Kotarou thinks that may be affecting their personalities as Swordmasters.[18]
Musashi finds Heroic Spirits similar to oni. However, these similarities are all superficial, as oni can change their disposition in an instant. By coincidence, the heroes are attacked by oni.[18]
After the oni are slain, Musashi asserts it doesn’t matter what someone is, so long as they act according to how they want to live. Danzou has an existential crisis and recalls Kotarou’s “hollow blade” speech.[18]
The heroes exit the forest on to the mountain trail. As they head up, Danzou learns Muramasa is a Servant. Muramasa confesses he has been saving up money, so that when he dematerializes, Onui and Tasuke can have a future. He refuses to let anything get in his way to ensure the children will live happily in a peaceful world, not even a giant snake.[18]
As if on cue, Orochi appears, even though Chiyome is long gone. Kotarou realizes Shuten is able to summon it because she is a descendant of Orcohi.[18]
The heroes slay it, but with the last of its energy, it knocks Ritsuka down a slope. Kotarou goes to save them when another Orochi appears.[18]
Kalasutra Hell (Ending)[]
Ritsuka finds themselves in a cave, having been knocked unconscious when they tumbled down the mountain slope. Shuten found them and mended their sprained ankle. Raikou had kicked her off the peak for threatening to eat Onui and Tasuke.[19]
Shuten offers Ritsuka anything they want if they join her. Ritsuka wants Onui and Tasuke returned. But Shuten refuses and begins tearing into Ritsuka’s stomach to “play” with their Magic Circuits. Ritsuka soon falls unconscious from the pain.[19]
On the peak, Raikou sings a lullaby for Onui, who cried herself to sleep. Onui joins in and accidentally calls Raikou mom, prompting her to wake up and apologize. Raikou doesn’t blame Onui for her mistake.[19]
She warns Onui not to lower her guard around her, for she and Shuten are two of the most evil oni. Even so, Tasuke likes Raikou because she reminds him of his and Onui’s mother. Raikou’s motherly instincts kick in and she tells Onui not to move as she readies her katana.[19]
Ritsuka is eventually found by the others. Kotarou used his clan’s secret ointment to close their wound. After getting some rest, Ritsuka continues onward to the peak with the others.[19]
On the mountaintop, Ritsuka and Mushashi demand Shuten and Raikou return Onui and Tasuke. Shuten claims she ate them, but the heroes doubt her. Shuten then summons Orochi to attack the heroes.[19]
Orochi is slain. Raikou and Shuten then bring Musashi to the blood-soaked frontier for their battle.[19]
Musashi defeats Shuten and Raikou. After Shuten disappears, Raikou tells Ritsuka that Onui and Tasuke are in a small shrine up ahead. She confirms Shuten had lied and assures the children were never harmed. She couldn’t bring herself to kill them and considers herself broken as a Swordmaster for it.[19]
Happy she couldn’t kill the children, she asks Muramasa to tell Onui that she’s sorry for tying her up and being rough cutting her ropes. She implores the heroes to defeat the Swordmasters, stop the arrival of Onriedo, and save the children of Shimosa. She disappears, condemning herself as a disgrace as a mother.[19]
Kotarou finds the children where Raikou said they would be and unharme. Reunited with Onui and Tasuke, Muramasa gives Raikou’s message to Onui. Onui and Tasuke both cry about how much Raikou reminded them of their mother.[19]
The heroes descend the mountain. As they do, Kotarou realizes this world’s divergence from the original history didn’t begin in Shimosa nor Toke because his “mother” is still operational.[19]
At Katori Shrine, the Sorcerer orders Caster and Saber, the only ones who retained their sanity, to finish the ritual for the Onriedo.[19]
The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Beginning)[]
Babysiting Tasuke for Onui again, Musashi laments she’ll lose her life’s purpose once her Niten Ichiryu is complete.[3]
Outside Toke Castle town, the Sorcerer prepares to materialize the Onriedo. On his order, Caster turns day into the blood moon night. The Sorcerer then uses the souls of five Swordmasters and their victims to transform Toke Castle into Onriedo Castle.[3]
Townsfolk are randomly turned into monsters and kill those who weren’t turned due to Caster’s sorcery. Those without magical resistance are essentially turned into cannibals. Among those killed is Sakon, who was killed by a child turned monster. The Sorcerer mocks the dead samurai for having been horrified by the carnage unfolding as he was responsible for such scenes a year ago in Shimabara.[3]
The Sorcerer is revealed to be Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, but not the Heroic Spirit Amakusa Shirou. He is human, the sole survivor of the Shimabara Rebellion in a now pruned parallel world. Travelling across many worlds, his grudge toward the Tokugawa grew until he became the living embodiment of hate, something beyond human. He then followed the calling of something that reached out to him and arrived in this particular version of Shimōsa.[3]
Meanwhile, at the hermitage, the heroes see the blood moon and thus assume it is another Swordmaster has arrived. Danzou sends up a flying observational device to see that Toke Castle has been transformed. Muashi recalls Tomoe implied the castle was important as she wasn’t allowed to get all out near it.[3]
As it is half a day’s walk to town, Muramasa tells the heroes to take the horses from the stables. He and the children are coming along as well. But before they can all depart, they must first slay the monsters before them.[3]
After the monsters are slain, the heroes get the horses all saddled up.[3]
Kotarou finds Danzou alone in the smithy. He asks her if she is concerned about the situation as an agent of shogunate, a lone ninja, or if something else is bothering her. He wants her to stay behind as it will likely become dangerous the closer they are to the castle, especially since she is a living person of the era.[3]
Danzou reminds him she is a mechanical puppet and that she already has orders from Munenori to assist against the Swordmasters. Kotarou finds that to be too dangerous, especially since ninjas aren't meant for one-on-one combat. Danzou appreciates Kotarou’s concern, but ultimately decides to accompany the heroes.[3]
The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Middle)[]
Danzou recalls how Caster repaired her after many years of being broken, unsure if the consciousness she gained was from before or a new one. Regardless, she became his loyal servant, serving him without a doubt. Yet she feels like she knows Kotarou, even though she should have no records save the ones for ninjitsu. She wonders if she ever met Kotarou before she was broken.[5]
Arriving in town, Kotarou and Danzou scout on ahead. Kotarou confirms the castle is turning people into monsters. Danzou confirms the eastern area has been completely wiped out. Since that is where the castle is, the heroes assume people are more likely to become monsters the closer they are to it. Kotarou suspects Ritsuka will be fine, though, thanks to their Mystic Codes. He thinks it’s the same for Musashi as well, having noticed her innate resistance to magic.[5]
The heroes notice Otama helping people evacuate. She confirms most of the survivors have already escaped an hour from when the carnage began. Munenori and his samurai fought the monsters long enough for the survivors to escape. The heroes leave the children with Otama and heads for the castle.[5]
On the way, however, they encounter two Orochis. After slaying them, they meet the missionary who was fighting an Orochi as well. He denies Ritsuka’s suspicions that he is indeed Edmond and Kotarou’s suspicions that he is from Chaldea.[5]
He informs the heroes that a sorcerer is preparing to use Onriedo Castle for a ritual, and Kiyohime is being held captive there. The Sorcerer plans to cast a far-ranging multilayered curse on the Tokugawa regime, one so powerful it will threaten the stability of many parallel worlds.[5]
As his aim is to curse every possibility of the Tokugawa regime, the Sorcerer plans to use Kiyohime as the perfect catalyst due to her Tokugawa heritage. Though she lacks blood from the immediate family, it will be sufficient for his plan, especially given that Iemitsu is only the third shogun; the missionary realizes the Sorcerer was searching for a parallel world where Matsudaira’s daughter was living near Edo following the Shimabara Rebellion. Once Kiyohime is sacrificed to the castle, it will be complete, and this world, along with many others, will be destroyed. The heroes then rush towards the castle to save Kiyohime and stop the Sorcerer.[5]
Danzou guides the heroes to the castle courtyard. There she tries to confess she is an enemy spy, but Musashi reveals it before she can. Everyone suspected her at different times; Musashi and Muramasa from the beginning; Kotarou after Chiyome’s demise; Ritsuka after Onui and Tasuke were abducted. None of them did or said anything, though, because they believed she would do the right thing.[5]
Danzou confesses she was planning to kill them all, although Saber ordered her to aid them against the Swordmasters. Caster, meanwhile, ordered her to kill them if the chance presented itself. Danzou confesses, though, that after Shuten and Raikou abducted Onui and Tasuke, she became guilt-ridden about what she allowed to occur and lost about what she should do. But now she believes she has gained a soul, and guided the others to the castle of her own volition to stop its activation. She warns once it is activated, it will destroy many worlds, including Ritsukas’s.[5]
Caster appears and mocks Danzou for thinking she gained free will. He then gleefully admits that while he did repaired broken and abandoned body, which had shutdown from a lack of magical energy, he also altered her mental records. He claims to be Abe-no-Semei, though the heroes doubt it.[5]
Musashi attacks him, but a barrier stops her. Danzou tries to attack her from behind, but Kotarou stops her. Danzou realizes Caster has been controlling her actions the whole time.[5]
Caster calls the monsters that he’s been keeping at bay, which is why the herpes never encountered any. He also has Danzou fight the heroes, revealing he imbued her with a sorcery that recreates the Curse of Annihilation’s karma through machinery.[5]
The heroes slay the monsters, but Danzou is too fast for them. Danzou self-destructs herself, thanking the others for treating her like an actual person. The explosion takes out Musashi’s eye. Danzou implores the others to stop the Sorcerer, wishing to make amends for what Onui and Tasuke went through. She then remembers she does indeed know Kotarou somewhere and dies. Kotarou runs to her, screaming “Mother!”[5]
While Muramasa keeps an eye on Caster, Ritsuka uses their Mystic Code to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, they could not close the wound. Sporting an eyepatch, Musashi and Ritsuka rejoin with Muramasa.[5]
Hearing Mushashi’s eye cannot be healed, Muramasa surmises that it’s because Caster had imbued Danzou with a powerful curse. Caster confirms it and insults Musashi for now wearing an eyepatch. Musashi responds with a slash that would have beheaded Caster if he didn’t stop it. Caster then summons more monsters.[5]
As the others fight Caster’s innumerable monsters, Kotarou speaks to Danzou about his regret of never calling her mother and his desire to help RItsuka save the world, understanding now why Danzou fought to do the same. Suddenly, he feels magical energy coursing through him and realizes Danzou has imparted him with her magical energy, the very same that the first Kotarou embedded in her. He then joins the others to fight Caster’s monsters.[5]
Caster calls the heroes’ efforts meaningless, even though they have slain 90% of the monsters protecting him. Desiring to end their prolonged battle, he casts the Curse of Annihilation on Mushashi to turn her into a Swordmaster like he did with all the others. Ritsuka, however, uses the Mystic Code Rain of Isis to remove the curse. Musashi uses this opportunity to slash through Caster’s multi-layered barrier. Furious that Musashi wounded him, Caster brings her and Ritsuka into the blood-soak frontier and summons the great spirit of the Souma clan to fight on his behalf.[5]
Musashi slays the spirit, and Kotarou wounds Caster. While Myoujingri Muramasa should be the only blade capable of harming Caster, Kotarou claims he could thanks to Danzou passing her will onto him. He then seemingly finishes Caster off.[5]
The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Ending)[]
Amakusa Shirou recounts to a bound and gagged Kiyohime of his twenty-year journey across different parallel worlds before Satan called to him. Like him, Satan also had their brethren slaughtered. In every world he saw, Amakusa Shirou saw the Tokugawa always massacre the Christians at Shimabara. Thus, he will kill every Tokugawa mercilessly, despite knowing this world is cut off from history.[4]
He tells the guard that Musashi is in the castle. He declares he will kill her, believing it is the sole reason for his existence. Musashi has yet to reach the pinnacle of her swordsmanship, while the guard has already reached his. The guard is concerned he may not get the chance to duel, though, for she will be facing Saber first.[4]
Chaldea finally makes contact with Ritsuka. Da Vinci reveals something intervened with Ritsuka’s dream and brought their consciousness somewhere else. Since Chaldea already had data of a similar situation, they were able to surmise what happened, but they couldn’t reach Ritsuka. The only thing that eventually worked was rayshifting Kotarou thanks to his strong connection to the still living Danzou. Kotarou realizes the spell meant to restore Ritsuka’s comms he brought with him was activated when he absorbed Danzou’s magical energy. Da Vinci is concerned it will not last long, though, since Shimosa is outside Proper Human History.[4]
Sherlock explains Ritsuka’s mind attained something similar to a physical body after being transported. Their current body is a temporary construct, however, while their real body still remains sleeping in Chaldea. Also, if their current body didn’t adjust to Shimosa, Ritsuka’s magic circuits wouldn’t function properly to restore their comms. Ritsuka realizes Shuten restored their circuits when she punctured them, suspecting she shared memories with herself in Chaldea.[4]
Sherlock reveals Ritsuka was brought into the rift between dreams and reality. Shimosa isn’t a Singularity, instead it is akin to a Reality Marble; an alternate world that poses no threat to humanity.[4]
Relating to that, Sherlock hypothesizes, based on what Mash told him of her world-crossing exploits, that Musashi is a Mobile Singularity. However, she alone isn’t responsible for what happened to Ritsuka. When multiple Mobile Singularities are in the same world, a number of abnormalities and unusual phenomena will occur.[4]
Ritsuka realizes the Sorcerer is the other Mobile Singularity. Kotarou realizes monsters manifested in Shimosa when Amakusa Shirou and the Swordmasters arrived, with more appearing when Onriedo Castle manifested. Sherlock originally hypothesized that Musashi would be able to control the monsters like the Sorcerer can. She couldn’t though, so he suspects the Sorcerer has a stronger Mobile Singularity temperament than her.[4]
Ritsuka informs Da Vinci of the threat Onriedo Castle poses. Da Vinci, however, doubts it will have any effect since Shimosa is essentially inside a dream. Ignoring that, she informs Ritsuka that they have verified their coordinates, so they’re making preparations to bring them and Kotarou back home. Sherlock reminds Ritsuka that they will die in reality if they die in Shimosa and implores them to return to Chaldea alive.[4]
The heroes make their way up the castle keep, cutting down any monsters in their way. They soon reach the 4th floor where the still-living Caster tries to ambush Musashi. However, before either can do anything, Saber kills Caster.[4]
Saber reveals himself to be Munenori, the only human among the Swordmasters. He confesses to Musashi that following their duel six months ago, everything he was before was replaced with an obsession with dueling her again. He eventually met the Sorcerer, who told him a woman calling herself Musashi would arrive in Shimosa again, so Munenori joined the Swordmasters for a chance to duel Musashi again. Now his chance has come, and he challenges Musashi to see whose sword is strongest.[4]
Musashi readily accepts his challenge and tells the others to go on without her. But while Muramasa and Kotarou go on ahead, Ritsuka stays with Musashi. Munenori brings Ritsuka and Musashi to the blood-soaked frontier for their duel.[4]
Eventually Musashi awakens her ultimate techinque to breakthrough Munenori’s god-like swordsmanship. Munenori dies, thanking her for the duel.[4]
On the fifth floor, Amakusa Shirou declares that in a few minutes Toke Castle will become a Castle of Edo, a manifestation of the impure land ready to curse everything the Tokugawa hold dear. He boasts even Ritsuka, who even Satan feared, wasn’t a threat. He then prepares to sacrifice Kiyohime when Muramasa and Kotarou rescue the princess.[4]
Muramasa realizes the Counter Force summoned him to stop Amakusa Shirou, who had become a threat to the world. Amakusa Shirou commends Muramasa for realizing his role and confirms the Counter Force can reach into a world that isn’t Singularity. He mocks Muramasa for coming to die, revealing his body has long since become equal to that of a Swordmaster. He even boasts Myoujingri Muramasa can do nothing to him.[4]
As he is a threat to both Shimosa and many other worlds, Muramasa and Kotarou try to kill Amakusa Shirou, but their attacks are useless. Fortunately, Ritsuka and Musashi arrive to help. Amakusa Shirou immediately understands Munenori is dead.[4]
Amakusa Shirou tells Musashi that they are the same, claiming they both lost their humanity even as they remained human on their journey across different worlds. He knows Musashi longs to return to her own world, but says that will never happen. He explains when drifters like them fall into another world, that world’s innate restorative power sends them back to their original world. In Musash’s case, however, she falls into another world because hers no longer exists. But Musashi says that doesn’t matter to her right now, even if it does pains her to know she can never return home. She and the others then fight Amakusa Shirou.[4]
Reaching the limits of his patience, Amakusa Shirou traps Ritsuka’s party in his Reality Marble: Shimabara Hell. It is a recreation of Amakusa Shirou’s original world engraved into his soul, where the very air is poisonous. It doesn’t suffer any living person to survive, and there is no escape from its waves of suffering and resentment.[4]
Amakusa Shirou declares Onriedo Castle is ready to receive its sacrifice. Upon hearing this, Muramasa forges Tsumukari Muramasa. Amakusa Shirou recognizes Tsumukari as the same sword that emerged from Orochi’s tail in the Age of Gods. He recalls Shuten and Chiyome’s connection to Orochi and realizes his sorcery was always fated to end by Tsumukari. His Reality Marble and Onriedo Castle are then both bisected by Tsumukari Muramasa, setting the castle on fire.[4]
As the castle burns, Muramasa explains to a baffled Amakusa Shirou that his sword could reach outside the Reality Marble because Onriedo Castle shares part of its name with Edo Castle. The name Muramasa is synonymous with the Tokugawa’s downfall, so Amakusa Shirou would have succeeded if he didn’t rhyme the name of his castle with the Tokugawa’s own. Amakusa Shirou laughs at this revelation when, to his shock, he feels Chiyome’s kunai thrown by Kotarou pierce his heart. Kotarou then kills the vengeful Christian.[4]
Muramasa deduces Ritsuka and Mushashi on the other side of the keep, so they’ll have to escape on their own. He tells Kotarou to escape with Kiyohime, advising him to jump down to street level since she will only suffocate from the smoke if he takes stairs. He then disappears since he used Tsumukari without the body of a god.[4]
Meanwhile, Ritsuka and Musashi try to escape from the burning castle when Amakusa Shirou’s guard, Sasaki Kojirou, confronts them to kill Musashi. Though they never met, Musashi knows his name, and senses he is her fated rival. It doesn’t matter when or where, Musashi and Sasaki are destined to fight. Though the duel itself is void of meaning or purpose, it doesn’t matter to them. Musashi and Sasaki then begin the ultimate duel.[4]
Their sword techniques are evenly matched while surpassing time, space, existence, and essence. Musashi’s zero is a skill that arrives at a single correct answer amongst many possibilities. Sasaski’s infinity is a skill that creates and accepts many possibilities.[4]
They eventually reach the Realm of Infinity, or the Realm of Nothingness. There is no time, no space, no fate, no good, and no evil within this realm. It is devoid of thought or feeling; a place only true masters of the sword can reach. It is not a world, neither Proper Human History nor pruned history. Beyond even the rift of reality and dreams, it is an impossible domain where zero and infinity clash endlessly. Musashi and Sasaki would have dueled forever if not for Ritsuka determining Musashi as the winner.[4]
Sasaki leaves satisfied with their duel. Regaining consciousness, Musashi recognizes she is too weak now to escape. She then throws Ritsuka out of the keep to show her thanks for them staying with her throughout her journey. They’re caught just in time by Kotarou. Musashi dies amidst the flames, satisfied that she reached the Void.[4]
See You Again Someday, Flower at the Apex of Heaven[]
In a cave somewhere, Sasaki meets with the Musashi native to this Shimōsa, an old man who is on the brink of death. He apologizes to Sasaki for being too sick to fight what should have been their final duel, only for the latter to assure him that the other Musashi had won their duel and reached the Void. Satisfied with this, the Musashi of this world dies peacefully.[6]
At Toke Castle town, Kiyohime thanks Ritsuka for saving everyone. She says the castle will be rebuilt after the town is taken care of. Otama says she can help since she dealt with town fires. But she worries where she can ply her trade with her establishment now ruined, so Kiyohime suggests an emergency meal station for the laborers and builders.[6]
In the Inn, Ritsuka asks Kotarou if Murasama’s Spirit Origin will be registered in Chaldea. Kotarou doubts it since this Shimōsa exists in the rift between reality and dreams. Nothing that happens in this Shimōsa can ever affect the proper history. Ritsuka realizes they can never return this particular Shimōsa ever again.
Onui and Tasuke overhear that Ritsuka and Kotarou are leaving, having thought they were coming back to Muramasa’s hermitage with them. Ritsuka apologetically confirms that they are leaving. Kotarou tells Onui that she and her brother can now choose where they want to go. They can either stay in town and ask Kiyohime or Otama for help when they need it, or they can return to the hermitage. Kotarou recommends the former first. Onui resolves to grow into a samurai like Musashi.[6]
With less than an hour before Rayshift, Ritsuka digs through the wreckage of Toke Castle and finds the tsuba Musashi used as an eyepatch.[6]
Caster is revealed to be still be alive, frustrated his plan to destroy Shimōsa was thwarted. His True Name is to Ashiya Douman. While he failed to invade Chaldea, Douman is relieved to have gotten some useful data. Most of all, though, he found the lost history: a Missing Belt.[6]
He reveals this Shimōsa is similar to a Parallel World, a part of human history without being part of it. It is a world observed by the God of a Distant Star and a world resembling a Singularity yet isn’t one.[6]
Douman apologizes to “Satan”, saying it was a temporary name meant only as a joke. He stuck with it, though, since Amakusa Shirou took a liking to it. He again apologizes for the joke, imploring ■■■■■■■■■ to forgive it. The name of Douman’s god isn’t revealed, for it is a great curse upon the entire world.[6]
Ritsuka recovers from their coma. Mash informs them Kotarou arrived first and gave the full details about what happened. Da Vinci says Chaldea’s library doesn’t have any records of what occurred, so she will make it herself. They’ll also need to find the true identity of Satan. Da Vinci also tells Ritsuka she’ll debrief them on their experience later. Ritsuka heads off to their room to rest.[6]
They run into Edmond on the way. He denies being the missionary they met in Shimōsa. He tells them to check their desk before sleeping.[6]
There they find a prerecorded video message from Musashi. Edmond told her to record it before she continues her journey. Musashi reveals she died, but she later woke up. From there she crossed many worlds until she arrived outside of Chaldea, where she encountered Edmond. Sherlock told her she is a now Heroic Spirit who materialized thanks to a Chaldea summoning spell. Thanks to her connection with Ritsuka, her Spirit Origin was recorded as a Heroic Spirit after she died. She is now a Servant who automatically forged a contract with Ritsuka. Sherlock found it strange though that a "what if" Heroic Spirit who shouldn't exist could be summoned. Musashi ends the recording hoping to see Ritsuka again someday, addressing them as Master.[6]
Much later, Ritsuka would discover that Douman intended to turn the Singularity into a Lostbelt; Onreido Castle was where its Fantasy Tree would have appeared, but it was destroyed before it could begin to take root.
Participants[]
Servants
Non-Servants
| Designation | Identity | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Otama | N/A |
| Human | Matsudiara-no-Kiyohime | Tokugawa Shogunate |
| Human | Onui and Tasuke | Senji Muramasa |
References[]
- ↑ Fate/Grand Order: Cosmos in the Lostbelt - Yuga Kshetra: Genesis Destruction Cycle, Section 19: Final Dark God
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 About Shimousa, Information translations by Fallacies
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 13: The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Beginning)
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 15: The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Ending)
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 14: The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Middle)
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 16: See You Again Someday, Flower at the Apex of Heaven
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 2: Purgatorio (Middle)
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 5: Inferno (Middle)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 4: Inferno (Beginning)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Prologue
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 1: Purgatorio (Opening)
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 3: Purgatorio (Ending)
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 13.18 13.19 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 6: Inferno (Ending)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 7: Paraiso (Beginning)
- ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 8: Paraiso (Middle)
- ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 9: Paraiso (Ending)
- ↑ 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 10: Kalasutra Hell (Beginning)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 11: Kalasutra Hell (Middle)
- ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, Section 12: Kalasutra Hell (Ending)