Yori. The person she had walked alongside. Inside her… Rikka had seen the 'karma' embedded by someone else. Binding her, forcing her to move. She had measured it in that instant of parting—measured it through her final words.
That person was… Mother. A mother driven mad, transformed by an extraordinary dark art.
She had told Rikka: 'Please stop me.' Stop her before things became irreversible, land the fatal blow—she had asked Rikka, of all people. She had held back that 'intent to slaughter all life' just to say those words.
In that case, Rikka had to stop her. She had to stop and free her mother, who had fallen into someone else's hands.
The karma binding her mother—the karma far off in the distance, detected by the mud carrying the world's evil, humanity's evil—Rikka had to sever it. She couldn't do it as she was now. Her mother's own sword could do nothing more than harm her mother's physical body. That wouldn't do.
She didn't want to kill her mother. She wanted to sever the karma binding her mother.
If this sword wanted to cancel out both good and evil, if it hated both—then it could obey her 'will' and her 'resolve.' To save the world, hand over its logic, its concept, and every ounce of its power to her!
"Gah, aaaaaah, AAAAAH—!!"
Overpowering the agony and malice pouring through her body, she shouted with all her might, continuing to pull!
The logic of good-and-evil cancellation—she would overcome it with her resolve. Accumulated malice, woven rancor—what of it? She would not cut people out of enmity or ill will; she would crush her enemies with determination and mission!
Committing evil for the sake of the world, even laying hands upon her own mother—for that logic, for that purpose—!
"Lend me your power! —To sever the karma carved into my mother, into the person I treasure most!"
Embracing the darkness, becoming the light—to save the person precious to me, to free her, acknowledge me as your master and let me wield your power with my own hands!
"If no one else can swing you, I will! Call it a demon blade all you want—you'd better…"
Now, with all her resolve and spirit…
"…follow me, the Evil of Humanity—!!"
With a single movement, she overpowered the mass of malice and rancor, unsheathing the black blade—!
The cursed sword settled firmly in Rikka's hands. Upon its pitch-black body lay a straight, crimson temper line. Pitch-black mud soaked into the hilt, forcibly bringing it under her control.
Rather than accepting her willingly, it had been persuaded by force (physical force). Crimson ripples carved into her left hand, encroaching upon her flesh. Yet, without a doubt… it was held firmly in her grip.
"…Does this one have a name?"
At the question asked as she picked up the scabbard, Muramasa answered with a mix of awe and exasperation.
"I didn't think anyone could hold it, so I never even considered one. …If you're givin' it a name, call it whatever you want."
A sword borne of good, evil, and karma, wielded at last. After a moment's thought, she raised it high and declared:
"Then its name… from now on is Ryūkō Enjūzan Muramasa—the Dragon-Roaring Beast-Slaying Muramasa! My favorite blade, the only one of its kind in the world! Grandpa, I'll take good care of it!"
Rikka firmly held her second tachi—glinting sinisterly in the night hermitage, digging into her left hand.
(With this sword… I'll definitely stop Mother!)
Staring at the lacquer-black metal and dripping crimson pattern, Rikka swore a solemn oath:
To act as her mother's executioner.
To wield the power needed to sever the karma binding the mother she loved.
To lay hands upon her beloved mother—that was the very blade meant to bear that burden…!
"…Jeez. That thing is an unmitigated demon blade. Don't you dare throw it away by mistake."
"Yeah, thank you, Grandpa! I'll treasure it! …Ah, what about Myōjin-giri…?"
"You don't need three tachi. You're not Miyamoto Musashi—how are you even gonna use 'em all?"
"In my mouth."
"What kind of street performance is that?!"
"Like a pirate…"
"A pirate… what kind of pirate uses a tachi?…"
"Hey, Grandpa. Could you keep Myōjin-giri safely stored for me?"
"? It's a failure, so I don't mind, but…"
"I know someone who can handle it way better than me! Their name is—"
In that instant—
"—!?"
A sudden chill and a sinister magical aura swept over the entire area, causing both of them to snap their eyes toward the outside.
"—What is this presence…?"
"…I can tell they're strange spirit manifestations. But… what kind of joke is this body count?"
'—…'
Ruler gazed up at the sky.
—A night sky completely covered by monsters, hiding the blue beneath.
Then, calmly looking toward the barrier—
Countless monsters clung tightly to the barrier, leaving not a single gap.
…Shimousa was completely, utterly engulfed by strange entities.
"Nnn-nnn, NNNN-NNNN!! Beautiful! Hideous! Beautiful! Hideous! This is the army of monsters and demons besieging Japan! The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons! Monsters filling the sky! Monsters filling the earth! This is truly the end of Shimousa!!"
Sneering in delight was Caster Limbo. This turmoil was undeniably his doing.
"Now, now, now! What will you do, what will you do, what will you do, Master of Humanity's Worst Evil! And you, Protector of Shimousa! Facing this sheer volume, this overwhelming threat—how, oh how, oh how will you ever break through!?"
Across the monster-ridden night sky, the outer beast's laughter echoed high and cruel—
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