Shinji Matou at Your Service

The wind surged.

The water flowed.

The fire danced.

The iron trembled.

Earth, water, fire, wind—these four fundamental elements, as viewed by ancient people, came together in perfect harmony under the hands of the young swordsmith.

It was as if a cycle, or perhaps a world, was being forged, nurturing a one-of-a-kind treasure that gradually took shape with each hammer strike.

In the pauses between hammer blows, Shirou who had inherited the name Senji Muramasa murmured to himself, almost inaudibly.

Sometimes his voice was deep, sometimes loud. Sometimes young, sometimes old.

"Clang!"

"Fire burns the earth, smelting it into iron."

"Clang!"

"After a hundred refinements, it becomes steel."

"Clang!"

"After a thousand strikes, it becomes a renowned blade!"

In a trance-like state, the thin figure of Shirou seemed to overlap with the image of an old man. The elder had white hair and beard, a robust physique, and wore a striking red gauntlet covering his entire left arm.

Though they appeared to be two individuals, their overlapping forms felt harmonious, as if they were one and the same.

"Clang!"

"So, you've been here all along, Master..."

"Only as a spirit residing in the hammer. My spiritual energy has long since burned out, and my Saint Graph has already crumbled. I shouldn't exist in this world. But someone told me that my fate hasn't yet run its course, that I still have a mission to fulfill."

"Clang!"

"What mission?"

"Before I entered this place, I hadn't figured it out. Heroes like Gilgamesh, the King of Conquerors Iskandar, and Scathach, the Queen of the Land of Shadows—there are so many illustrious names in history. Why would it be me, an unknown swordsmith?"

"Clang!"

"Indeed, why?"

"Now, I understand. There are some things only I can do, right here on this land. This is indeed different from the ultimate blade I pursued—a blade that severs karma, fate, and sin. But this, too, is an ultimate path, just like the swordsman's pursuit of nothingness and infinity. Neither is superior to the other. Perhaps this path suits you better."

"Clang!"

This strike was especially powerful, sending sparks flying.

The cycle contracted, the world drew in, and the rhythm of earth, water, fire, and wind became ever more intense.

"A blade is a weapon, designed to cut through flesh, break bones, and sever life itself. Divine swords, demonic swords, cursed swords—all their roots lie in this."

The wind roared, the spring waters surged, the flames raged, and divine energy overflowed.

"Listen closely to the pulse of the blade."

"Reveal the true nature of the blade."

Finally, the cycle ended, the world shattered, and a peerless sword, ten fists in length, broke free from the forge and landed in the boy's hands.

Because it was a freshly forged blade, it had no hilt, guard, or scabbard. But neither the old man nor the boy cared; they grasped the bare blade with their unprotected hands and swung it down heavily toward the distance.

It was the same move they were most familiar with—"the test cut!"

"Watch closely. All things in existence, nothing cannot be severed."

"This is the divine blade: my Ten Grips · Muramasa!"

In that instant, the heavens trembled, and the earth quaked, as a terrifying fissure appeared between heaven and earth.

The crack stretched between two mountain peaks, starting at Ryuudou Temple and ending at the distant altar on the barren mountain.

Everything along its path was cleaved in two!

Medea's pre-set large-scale bounded field.

The temple-class bounded field that Solomon had reinforced after revealing his true form.

...

The residual magical energy from Solomon, one of the highest-tier Guardians and a candidate for Beast, clashes with humanity's champions.

The conceptual entanglement between Arcueid and Altrouge.

The demon summoned by Strout.

Blood's fully unleashed magecraft: Phantom March.

And lastly, the Reality Marble: Beast King's Nest, the very root of Kirei Kotomine's transformation into a Beast II candidate, modeled after Genesis.

Everything was split in half!

Magus was shaken, heroes were in awe, and most shocked of all were the inhuman monsters who had transcended the limits of mortality, especially Kirei Kotomine.

Having deployed his Reality Marble, recreating the Genesis, Kirei had already believed himself to have won. No matter how powerful the opposition, as long as they couldn't break through his manifested world, they would be swallowed by the Sea of Life.

And after careful investigation, he knew that none of the enemies trapped in his Reality Marble possessed that kind of power. Soon, he would devour them all and turn them into his nourishment.

But then, his world—his Genesis—was cut open, from the outside.

"How is this possible? Who was it? Who could have done this?"

Kirei howled in a furious, desperate rage.

In the distance, the old man gently lowered his arm, murmuring, "Because this is the Sword of Ten Grips, though it is but a replica."

Ten Grips · Muramasa—Muramasa was the suffix of the swordsmith; Ten Grips was the true name. It was derived from the legendary sword of the gods in Japanese mythology—the Sword of Ten Grips, also known as the Ten Fist Sword.

This was one of the most legendary swords in Japanese myth. Izanagi, the father of the gods, used it to sever the head of the fire god Kagutsuchi. Izanami, the mother of the gods, used it to drive away the wicked spirit of Yomotsu Hirasaka.

Later, this sword passed into the hands of their son, the sea god Susanoo. Susanoo used it to slay the greatest monster in Japanese mythology, the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi. Thus, the sword became known as Ame-no-Habakiri (the Sword that cuts the heavenly serpent).

These feats showed that this sword had slain gods, exorcised spirits, and killed demons. It was a divine weapon with tremendous power, especially effective against high-level Phantasmal Species, particularly those with immortality, as the serpent itself symbolized immortality.

The inhuman beings gathered at the altar—vampires, phantoms, and Beasts—all fit these criteria perfectly. Especially Roa, whose title was The Serpent of Akasha. It was no wonder the sword had such devastating power.

After unleashing this earth-shattering strike, the old man's form, which had barely manifested, began to fade again, along with the hammer in Shirou's hand, which also became ethereal.

"Master, you...!"

Shirou cried out in panic.

"Do not grieve, Shirou. Using a divine sword with a mortal body comes at the cost of life. I was already a dying man; now my time has come."

The old man's expression remained calm, his face serene and accepting of the world's ways.

"My duties as your master are complete. From here on, the choice is yours. Whether you will inherit my wish and forge a blade that severs karma and fate, or follow another path, it's up to you. I only ask that you remember—whatever path you choose, do not disgrace the name of Senji Muramasa."

"Yes, Master," Shiroun, no, Senji said firmly, his voice resolute.

"Then I can leave in peace."

The old man closed his eyes, his body and hammer fading away, leaving only his final words echoing in the wind.

"With a thousand blades, ten thousand swords, we built a grave of steel."

"Those who reach this point are the culmination of all phenomena."

"What is displayed here is the wish of all phenomena."

"And gathered here is the karma of all phenomena—only through endless refinement can one reach the other shore."