Shimousa: Transformed into a Realm of Demons—
The sky and the earth were wholly consumed by a multitude of specters. The boundary separating the living world from the underworld cracked open, unleashing an endless stream of monstrosities through countlessly manifested gates. Lesser ogres, great djinns, tengu, kappa—an endless, abyssal procession of supernatural beasts surged into the realm of mortals. They trampled mountains, choked the heavens, crossed rivers, and swept down the highways in a frenzy of blinding dust.
Devouring humans, defying every law of the mortal world, this hideous swarm rushed forward. Spells cast across ley lines served as sacrifices to the demonic gates, providing both nourishment to summon the beasts and a beacon to draw every conceivable evil into this world.
There was no need to control this array of horrors. Merely calling them forth was trivial; so long as the gates and the magic to sustain them existed, the rest followed. Sorcery, after all, is the art of manipulating magic. If one has no intention of controlling the horde, one needs only to set the doorway—and the abyssal horrors will vomit themselves forth.
The malicious Caster Limbo had no interest in commanding the march of the hundred demons. He sought only absolute, chaotic destruction. Trampling the pride of proper mages underfoot, he summoned darkness without restraint or remorse.
"Ufu, ufufu, ufufufufu! The sky echoes with the flutter of wings blocking out the moon! The earth thunders with footsteps that violate the ear! Nn, nnn, magnificent! Truly, this is none other than a Scroll of Hell! Though it pales in comparison to the hell of Shimabara witnessed by My Sorcerer, it is a grand enough feast to consume and digest the realm of mortals in a single night! My soul shudders; I am beside myself with ecstasy! This—this is the monstrous banquet of Hell's gates thrown wide open!"
In a secluded place, Caster Limbo cackled like a madman—laughing, mocking, wailing, and dancing in wild euphoria.
"The lost, worst Master of humanity! And the glorious guardian of the Land of the Rising Sun! To be sure, you are formidable, peerless, invincible! There is none in this land to match your strength, nor any living being to equal your terrifying, ominous presence! BUT! BUT! BUT...!"
Spreading his arms wide, his laughter escalated.
"What will you do against this sheer volume?! What will you do against this parade of monstrosities?! Cut down a hundred, slaughter a thousand, and it matters not! Tens of thousands, hundreds of millions cascade down like an avalanche! A single Servant and Master could never overturn this tide! Nn, nnnnnnnnn!! How tragic, guardians of Human History! Tonight, Shimousa shall be drenched in blood! The realm of painful rebirth shall drink its fill of groans, agony, regret, and hatred! Ufufu, ufufufufu!"
Dancing in ecstasy, Caster Limbo mocked all living things, as if validated by the endless horde of beasts born from the void.
Was there any way to reverse this absolute desperation? Any path out of this deadly plight? Any trick to summon salvation?
Naturally—
"Ufufu—!????"
Midway through his shrill laughter and curses, half of Limbo's body shattered into dust. Something launched from an immense distance had impaled his automaton frame.
"...An arrow..."
An arrow—yes, indeed. A heavy bow drawn from afar had loosed a shot that unerringly blew away Limbo's upper body.
"W-What... What is happening?!"
Instantly reconstructing his body, Limbo reeled in confusion and panic. He knew the precise locations of the Master and guardian. He had cast a field of concealment; detection should have been impossible. Why? How?
Then, his eyes widened at an even more shocking development. His mockery melted into utter astonishment.
"Wha—"
He could not believe the sight unfolding before him. He stared, wide-eyed and paralyzed.
From the very heart of the demon horde, amid the boundless malice of the Night Parade... a pillar arose.
"A golden... pillar—?!"
It was a miracle of transcendent power.
And the one bringing it forth was—
"Could it be... Could it be... COULD IT BE—?!"
"A trivial matter such as this hardly merits the name of an abnormality. A mere swarm of specters could never shake the foundation of this realm. Your scheme is naive in the extreme."
Eyes that surveyed the entirety of the land pierced through the pathetic clown. The Ruler snorted softly.
"Earthquakes, eruptions, lightning, fires, wars, famines, plagues. Our land has weathered countless hardships, and the souls of my children who dwell upon it will not be overturned by a mere flock of monsters. Your foresight is utterly lacking. As a strategist, you fail."
The beasts surrounding the hermitage had already been swept away. Through the combined swordsmanship and combat skill of Muramasa and Rikka, the threat was quelled in an instant, restoring silence to the area.
To the Ruler, this was nothing astonishing. Demons had appeared to be banished; that was all. It was simply a matter of meticulously turning back hell itself.
"Still, to leave this untended would be unwise. The night grows late, an ill hour to cause a disturbance. They must be annihilated immediately."
Crossing his arms, the Ruler stood with calm resolution. Muramasa appeared beside him as Rikka re-established the boundary.
"Tch. The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, huh? Summoning something straight out of an old picture scroll... What an impudent bastard. Picture scrolls belong in books, damn it."
Muramasa muttered bitterly, his gaze fixed on the distant village where Onui and Tasuke lived.
"...It grinds my gears to rely on others at a time like this, but I'm no good for this fight. My single blade can't cut down a horde this big."
Lowering his head deeply, Muramasa made his request.
"I'm asking you. Settle this insane mess, will ya? Protect this place... where Tasuke and Onui live."
"Without hesitation."
"Of course!"
At their spirited, instantaneous response, Muramasa scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment, realizing it had been a foolish question to ask. The Ruler and Rikka exchanged glances.
"Master. Here lies the opportunity to display our true might."
"Yes!"
"Entrust your Command Seals to me. I shall cleave through these anomalies and manifest my authority across the land for all its children to see."
"Please! —"
Breathing out softly, Rikka focused her magical energy and raised her right hand.
Glowing brightly, the Command Seals on her hand channeled a immense surge of magical power directly into the Ruler.
"By my Command Seal, I order you: Ruler, manifest your glorious authority upon this land!"
Magical power surged; spiritual energy soared. His already immense Saint Graph overflowed with newfound strength and commanding aura.
"By my second Command Seal, I order you: Ruler, bring forth a radiant tomorrow for this land!"
Carrying the prayers of future generations, the Ruler absorbed the power with a steadfast stance. His presence rose to that of a true Top Servant, radiating a brilliant light capable of admonishing and destroying all evil.
"And by my final Command Seal, I order you! Ruler, grant absolute victory to this land!!"
Receiving the final Command Seal, divine authority flared within him to its absolute absolute peak. The Ruler prepared to unleash his true strength.
"I have received your wish and your reverence. Now is the hour to unveil my True Name!"
Drawing his blade with a resonant ring, he proclaimed the identity bound to his soul:
"—Gather! Ye valiant souls of ancient and modern times, who have charged across this land and fought its battles! Sever all ties, all obligations, all fate—and gather beneath my banner! All for the sake of the children who live in the future we forged!"
For him, his True Name itself was his Noble Phantasm. Its effect shifted depending on the class and aspect in which he was summoned. As a Berserker, it would recreate his final battlefield, splitting his form into iron-clad legions. As an Avenger, it would weave a tragic curse to saturate and haunt the realm.
And as a Ruler—
"Answer the True Name dwelling within me! My name is Taira no Masakado! The guardian deity of this land, the New Emperor who watches over its people—"
He would become the ultimate force to protect and redeem the realm!
"—T-Taira no Masakado...-sama?!"
The guardian deity of Tokyo. Revered throughout the nation, an immortal soul whose dread and majesty touched every corner of Japan. The hero among heroes who defied the corrupt court of his era, staking his very existence on his rebellion. His true identity was now fully unveiled.
"Holy hell... To think you'd turn out to be a genuine god of Japan... I'd better bow, or divine retribution's gonna hit me for sure..."
"Enough. I am a Servant now. Reverence and worship are unnecessary."
He gently reassured Muramasa not to stand on ceremony. At that moment, the anomaly escalated further.
"!? This... This feeling!"
Across the land of Shimousa, a secondary summoning was taking place. Throughout the eastern reaches, a mass Heroic Spirit Summoning was unfolding.
"Let my presence serve as the anchor. Manifest, ye fierce and proud souls who seek to protect this land!"
Bright souls materialized from the Throne, taking temporary physical forms. Using the land itself as a Reality Marble, a divine chain-summoning was enacted—under the banner of its guardian god.
"It's just like... the Temple of Time...!"
Among the spirits were countless legendary figures: gods in human form, warriors of the Genji and Heike clans, heroes of the Emishi, Shoguns of conquests past, warlords who worried for the future, and ogre-kin who had lived alongside humanity. Spirits who lived fiercely, along with nameless phantoms, answered Masakado's call. Together, they surged forward to annihilate the Night Parade.
The invading monsters, once marching triumphantly, instantly became the hunted. The skies and the earth echoed with the triumphant battle cries of the heroes protecting the realm.
"We heroes shall not fall to mere vengeful spirits. So long as our descendants stand behind us, we are immortal!"
What was a hundred demons to the accumulated resolve, history, and spirit of this land?
"Perish, ye monsters. You shall not block the future of our children—"
An unmeasurable army stood assembled. This was one of Taira no Masakado's Anti-Country Noble Phantasms: Hinomoto Gunzei Emaki: Mujin Shugo Muhen Hajin (Scroll of the Japanese Host: Boundless Protection, Infinite Dominion)—!
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