Hibigami was in the dojo with Hiyama and the others.

　Other faces in the dojo were some of those from Mugen Koshito Ryu who had picked up their lives in the fight with Hibigami.

　After the battle with Hiyama, Hibigami tended to those who still had a chance to survive.
　He rarely tends to treat opponents he has fought, but this one was special.
　This was also an act of respect in Hibigami's own way.

　In the dojo are Hiyama, Kido and Nagare.
　Those who couldn't make it here and were asleep were Kakizaki and Sennami.
　Those who didn't survive were Amano, Hyougo, Kiriya, and Mido.
　The Eight Swords Scrolls will have been reduced to exactly half.

　But after all, they still mourn the death of their comrades, but they have no ill feelings towards Hibigami.
　This is the nature of those who live by the sword, and they understand that.

''I'm surprised that Lord Hibigami had knowledge of medicine men as well,''
That's what you get from your own medicine cabinet.

　I rarely get a chance to use this pharmaceutical knowledge either, but it is useful once in a while.

'Lord Hibigami,'

　Hiyama said.

''From the fact that you showed me how to use some of them yourself, you must have seen all the techniques of your students. But.........really, you could have crushed them before letting them fire their techniques, including my Ssanglong?
........Hmmm, you noticed. As expected of a master of the Muhen Koshihito style, isn't it?

　Just like Hiyama said, you could actually destroy the techniques that Hatto Emaki unleashed if you wanted to.

It's true that I was able to destroy them ahead of time, but I was fascinated. The Mugen Koto-ryu technique, which I have perfected through my studies.

　When I say conceited, I am conceited.
　If you say conceited, you are proud.

　But even with his arrogance, Hibigami thinks it was a technique that was worth seeing.

But my own SsangYong is the only one that I can't reach, even if I were to break the chain of command. I'm sure I've spent a lot of years perfecting my technique. To tell you the truth, I was in love with my Double Dragon.
Then perhaps your forgiveness of your wounds is due to your fascination with my Double Dragon.

　Jokingly, Hiyama said.

　Because the match that Hibigami set up this time was solely a "sword technique" match, it cannot be denied that some percentage of his original strength was cut back.
　This is also conceited and proud if I say so, but it still made me want to set up a "swordsmanship" match.
　They had that much brilliance in them.

''Even so, you'll still win a complete victory over us, Hibigami-dono is a fearsome person.......I never thought the day would come when Hiyama-san would be defeated.''
Haha.........I'm still inexperienced, I guess.

　Speak up, Hibigami thought inwardly.
　If someone said that he lacked training in Hiyama, it would mean that most of the warriors in the world had problems before their lack of training.
　Incidentally, Nagare has been sitting next to Kido the whole time, but with his jawbone shattered, he is unable to speak now.

''On the way, I heard the story of the Children of the Heavenly Blades from the Bladed Cicada School,''

　Hibigami cut him off.

'Are those people worth fighting for, even after fighting you?

　When I asked Hiyama, he gave a complicated smile.

''The Children of the Heavenly Blade? There were some of them who seemed to be able to extend to the front of our Kakizaki and Nagare, but--'
What?

　It was Kido who raised his bare voice.
　Perhaps his wounds hurt from shouting so loudly, he said in anguish, "Ow, tata........

''Hiyama-san, I didn't think you'd be with those Heavenly Blades--''
Yes, I have fought.
'I didn't hear you!　Did you know, Nagare?

　Nagare shook his head loosely.

'Shortly before the order from the new Lord to defeat us, in an unofficial setting,'
Why did you hide it?
I thought you guys would be unnecessarily jealous.
Of course I will!　Geez ... ki, my wound ... so what's the result?
He won it all.
'What the hell is going on...?　But if that's the case, how did the Children of the Heavenly Blades later become so popular when they played the villainous Muhen Koshi Ryu in a play?　Because Mugen Yuefu is an opponent who has been completely defeated, right?

　Hibigami felt that he could understand the thoughts of the Children of the Heavenly Blade.

　They genuinely yearned for it.

　They crossed blades with Hiyama of the Mugen Koshi-Do style and were defeated, and were fascinated by his sword.
　And since they were playing the "person of their dreams" in a theatrical play, they would have to put in a lot of effort.
　That's why the audience was also attracted to the villain.
　Hibigami guessed that it was something like that.

'Then I can't expect to find a better sword wielder than myself in the east. Well, if you live in a village like this, you're probably not going to have a lot of information about it, but do you know of anyone who has some skill, even if it's just a rumor?

　Kido looked at Hiyama.
　Hiyama had a difficult look on his face, but he nodded one yes.

'There was a girl named Setsuna,'
Setsuna?
'Yes. She's a Gamur girl and we found her wandering around with no relatives when she first came to this continent.
"Hmm.
I heard that he had been kicked out of the house where he had been placed as a maid. He was bullied a lot by the older sub-humans who worked in the same house.

　Hiyama makes a nostalgic face about the past.

'It was so awful that I felt sorry for her, and I felt sorry for her to be left unattended, so I made her come with us on our journey... Well, it was a dangerous journey, and I refused to guarantee her safety, but she said she would come with us. But she said she would follow us.

　Setsuna had taken the initiative to take care of Hiyama and the others along the way.
　Kido takes back the story once.

'We've never seen any sub-human race until we came across this continent, so, well, there's no way of knowing if they have different hair colors. The color of white hair is said to be an unlucky color among the Gamur tribe. But it's not important to those of us who only have an eye for swords from the East.

　The narrator is brought back to Hiyama.

'And so, shaking off the pursuers, we ended up in this village. And then one day Setsuna wanted to learn the sword.

　Hibigami read the end of the story.

'I see. So the girl had a natural talent for it.
Ha, you see what I'm saying? Yes, sir, I think so.
So where is this girl now?
He's not here.
'I sensed that from the things you just said. Where is it now?
They left the village and headed west.
West.
That was a girl with a terrible gift. But she was too kind. Setsuna practiced diligently, but she never wanted to engage in a serious fight. She only practiced with bamboo and wooden swords, which are not lethal.
Mostly because you can't really fight a guy who saved your life.
'You guessed it. That's right. Setsuna would not fight with us Mugen Yue-tou-ryu people... no, he couldn't. Only from time to time, on the way to the nearby mountains to pick wild vegetables and tree branches, did Setsuna draw her sword when a trivial boast of her skill put up a fight with her.
It's hard to believe that it's an earthly sword, but it's also beautiful. That's what I call genius, isn't it?

　Kido added.

'As Setsuna grew stronger and stronger by the minute, she always wanted a partner in her heart. As she progressed in the path of the sword, her heart became stronger as well. But... her kindness was the only thing that never changed.
So he left the village and set out to find the strong...?
Yes, sir.

　He certainly seems to have a personality that is somewhat inappropriate for the Mugen Koshi School.
　Perhaps he did not take the death of his companion as well as other students.

'But he had a heavenly talent for swords.
Yes. Setsuna was a genius. Lord Hibigami recreated the Mugen Koshi-Touryu technique in his battle with us, but Setsuna could also use four of the Eight Swords Emaki techniques in those days.
Although, as I suspected, we weren't able to recreate the Double Dragon.

　Kido added.

''But that Setsuna has a special technique that only she can use. The name is 《Prohibited theory, Oboro Moonlight Night》. I'm the one who gave it to her, but I'm not sure if it's right to call it a "technique" or not...

　From the look of it, I could tell that the technique used by the girl named Setsuna was extraordinary.

''When it comes to the west, if it's not the Empire.......then it's [there].

　Doomsday Township.

'Well let's see if we can't take a trip west next time.

　In any case, we were going to the west.
　There's the matter of the information about Noyes, and the forbidden spellbook.

'If Lord Hibigami should ever meet Setsuna in his travels--'
I know. I'm not going to kill you, am I?
''No it can't be helped but to die in a conflict. That boy is also a member of the Mugen Koshito style. As long as it's a fist fight, I'll accept the death of my opponent and my own death.
So what do you need from me?
Take it easy on him and fight him.

　'Nii,' laughs Hibigami.

'All right. If they're worth it, I'll take it easy on them.

　It was.
　That's the nature of these people.

"And Mister Hibigami.
Hmm?
Thank you for your time. Would you like to bring a sword of some kind?
What?
Besides that "no-kill", you could have at least one more sword.
"Hmm.

　Hiyama called the other pupils, who had temporarily moved to another house, and had them bring some swords to him.
　The swords were lined up on the floor of the dojo.

'My "Seiryu" and the others are from the Eight Swords Scrolls.
I have Kidd's sword.
No, no, I'm sure the sword will be happier if Hibigami-dono uses it.

　Kidd seemed to mean it.

I don't know what that feeling is, either.

　--I'm not sure if this is the right thing to say for me to say after giving Sagara the Demon Eater.

　The swords in the Scrolls of the Eightfold Path...

　Bad luck to you!
　Unlucky Sword 《Suicide by Color》.
　The evil sword 《The Crumbling of the Country》.
　Murderous Sword《Naked neck crying at night》.
　Akuto 《Bloodstained Night》.
　The Knife for Punishment (Jizo).
　The Warrior's Knife (Mimi-eating Sabor).
　The Punishment Knife (Miko-saji-saiko).

　All of these swords are known to have a reputation for being sharp.

They don't seem to have any swords.
This is the no-illusion, cross over to the other side. That's why we don't use demon swords and witchcraft - what we call jutsu on this continent.
I see.
''Oh, by the way we don't use demon swords, but I believe the storehouse gave them to us from the previous lord of the country...''

　Calling his pupils again, Hiyama had them bring one of the swords to him.

''This is the sword given to us as one of our rewards by the Lord of the Land who gave us our first secret orders. The name is "Unmarked Skull". It's a demon sword made of crushed skulls of unnamed demons mixed with powder.

　Hibigami pulled out the Unmarked Skull, the

　A black-purple blade.
　It has a spectral air.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it.

I'm not going to be able to get it right.
Hmm. Sounds like you're drawn to it.
I don't know if I can control it or not, but I like demonic swords.



　The next morning.

　Hiyama, Kido and Nagare came to see me off at the entrance of the village.

'Then good luck, Mister Hibigami.
You too.

　Kidd asks.

'Speaking of which, is everything okay on the road?'　
'Oh, I'm fine. I remember.

　Hiyama chuckles.

'But we're in trouble,'
Hmm?
''I was prepared to distance myself from useless murderers and die quietly training my skills as I went along, but now that I've done it with Lord Hibigami, I'm looking forward to another trip to test my skills.
So, Mr. Hiyama, how about you heal your wounds?
'Well I'll have to think about it.

　It seems that the influence of fighting Hibigami has rekindled the fire of war in them.

''If you want to go toe to toe with the best of the best you can visit the Renousled in the south.
"Renowthread?
Ah. There's a man named Sogut Sigismos, the Black Sacred Juggernaut. There's also a female swordsman named Currier Versteen and a forbidding curse user named Sagara Kurohiko.
A curse, huh?
'I hope you'll try to fight Sagara Kurohiko, especially once. If you fight yourself, that man can certainly move up a notch.
'All right. If you ever go to Renowthred to meet with him, we'll visit him.

　Thus, Hibigami left the hiding place of the Mugen Koshi Sword Style.

　We had a good death match.
　Besides--

"The more I see the masters of the path, the more I realize just how far I've come.

　As I walked alone along the mountain path, I looked at the thick clouds in the blue sky.


'It's Sagara Kurohiko,'


　The journey of the god of destruction will continue in the future.