Chapter 22

**The Strongest Myth Under the Heavens** is the twenty-second chapter of *Tenkaichi Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen* and the third chapter of Volume 6.

## Summary

After opening the **Inner Gate: Doors of Heaven**, Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami rolled along Hino Choko's outstretched arm and ended up behind him, having cut him all across his arm and face. Kamiizumi is happy he has found one worthy of being his foe as Choko laughs at the injuries he just received.

Hozoin Inshun questions what Kamiizumi did and Shinmen Munisai exclaims Choko is covered in blood despite dealing the Harite, leading to him wondering how many times he was cut in the instant they touched. Kamiizumi is pleased at how robust Choko's body is and as he charges back in, he says he loves it. Choko acknowledges that Kamiizumi may actually be the Martial God as he deals another palm strike. As Kamiizumi dodges it by just an inch, he asks Choko to fly with him as Choko keeps trying to strike the Sword Saint with Harite but Kamiizumi keeps dodging and landing slashes.

As Choko's eyes widen, Kamiizumi questions what's wrong as he knows that's not all he has. Hayashizaki Jinsuke feels a chill while Oda Nobutada observes how Choko went on the offense yet has only gotten more wounded. Yagyu Munenori guesses Choko can no longer see how Kamiizumi is moving and that if it wasn't for his armor-like physique, this fight would've been over already. But what is most difficult for Yagyu to believe is that Kamiizumi, age ninety-two, is getting nimbler with every strike. Suddenly, Mori Ranmaru sees something he can't believe: Kamiizumi looks a little younger, and his beard and mustache fall off, leaving his sideburns. As Kamiizumi deals a number of more slashes on Choko, Yagyu inwardly exclaims his life force is increasing.

Kanemaki Jisai thinks that's impossible and Fuma Kotaro calls this a far cry from soaking a dried fish to make it fresh again. Shibata Katsuie is unable to fathom the fact that Kamiizumi is getting younger when Marume Kurando exclaims he mustn't get any further. He sweats over how Kamiizumi is already heading for the deepest gate, prompting Shibata to ask him what he means. Kurando reveals Kamiizumi did not just see one gate.

According to Kamiizumi, in the first opening of the Gate of Celestial Awakening, one can fully draw out the power of the human body. In the second opening, the **Inner Gate**, one can take any forces upon oneself (such as an enemy's attack or even the force of gravity) and the instant they reach their body, convert those forces into the most suitable means of attacking or evading. A state in which one can send any and every sort of attack back to his opponent – nigh-invincibility.

However, Kurando explains the reason why Kamiizumi spends most of his time asleep is because he went even deeper. He got to the third opening and miraculously brought himself back from the dead. As he clenches his fists, Kurando pleads for Kamiizumi to stop here. Spinning forward in the air, Kamiizumi slashes Choko across the face before leaping back. Choko admits he hasn't seen anything like this before as nothing is working on Kamiizumi – not his Harite nor his kicks. Choko compares the Sword Saint to a little fish swimming through the water.

After Kamiizumi dodges Choko's next attack by a hair again, Choko realises this is where he'll die as Kamiizumi lands another slash on the side of his abdomen. As Kamiizumi continues dealing a lot more slashes, Choko guesses he'll die here, with the entire land at stake, in front of tons of people, hacked to bits by the Bushin. Choko thinks that's just the best for an inhuman freak like him. He doesn't mind if Kamiizumi kills him as there's no point in him living anymore.

In the past, the Onigami's mother asked him to pour her another drink. Choko refused because it wasn't good for her health. The mother complained about how Choko was starting to act more like "him" and went on about how "he" left her because of Choko being born. Choko guessed she was talking about his father and the mother revealed that, whenever she drunk like crazy and pass out, she has nice dreams about the time she got along with him, and was happy. The mother blamed Choko for taking her happiness away and Choko realised, at that moment, that he wasn't his mother's happiness. He didn't mind since he knew that already but that got him to start thinking about dreams. Choko wanted to see what a happy dream was like yet after he went to sleep by putting on the mask, the next thing he remembered was waking up after Kamiizumi took the mask off.

When he woke up, Choko guessed he couldn't have happy dreams because he doesn't even know what happiness is. As he gets pushed back, Choko gets an idea of what happiness may be like. He believes it's that warm, fluffy aura he saw. After getting cut even more, Choko falls to his knees and looks like he is about to collapse when Kamiizumi yells out his name. Kamiizumi instructs him to look sharp and keep his eyes on him. He encourages Choko to think about how to kill him and nothing else. As he charges back in, Kamiizumi relays his belief that they were both born to meet here.

After telling Choko to come along with him, Kamiizumi restarts his slashing as Choko put his guard up. Choko inwardly tells Kamiizumi to speak for himself and can't believe Kamiizumi is telling him they were born to meet after cutting him up this much. Pausing, Kamiizumi laughs about how he's aiming for the gaps between Choko's bones but he's guarding them out of instinct. Choko does confirm it's true he doesn't get that prickly feeling from Kamiizumi that he got from everyone else. Running forward, Kamiizumi calls Choko the best before proclaiming he loves him. Kamiizumi then jumps up and slashes but Choko leans back to dodge it. Kamiizumi laughs about how that's great when Choko realises he gets a fluffy feeling from Kamiizumi, causing Choko to begin crying. At this moment, the nameless Onigami's second mask fell away. Though he doesn't know what's clicked inside of him, Kamiizumi realises Choko has gone and knocked on the first opening of the **Gate of Celestial Awakening**.

If Kamiizumi wants a strong opponent, Choko decides to fly higher and deals out a barrage of palm strikes that Kamiizumi avoids. After getting grazed, Kamiizumi exclaims that's the spirit before instructing Choko to fly even higher. Upside-down in the air, Choko grabs onto his ankles and holds them back before letting go and whipping both his legs. Kamiizumi seemingly dodges it, only to get cut on the arm again, which makes him laugh. As Ranmaru looks on in astonishment, Yagyu guesses Choko has become more adept, using another vacuum blade after a barrage of blows.

Chuckling, Kojiro notes how fearsome that was and questions how high they mean to climb. Choko thinks about how this isn't enough, not nearly enough, and wants to ramp up his speed to go faster than sound, and even faster than light. As Choko tells himself to get faster and stronger, he manages to fully open the first gate and Kamiizumi is excited that Choko is blowing through what took him ten years in one go. Kamiizumi recalls how he went as far as coming back from the dead in search of the realm of the Gods and believes, with Choko, he can truly become unrivaled in a thousand years.

As Kurando displays a worried look, Kamiizumi opens the **Gate of Celestial Awakening – Deepest Gate: Gate of Supreme Descent**, causing the rest of his wrinkles to go away and for his sideburns to fall off. Kamiizumi inwardly invites Choko to come fly with him. Choko attempts to use Harite but Kamiizumi avoids every last one of his blows. After getting his left eye cut, Choko grits his teeth over how this still isn't enough while Kamiizumi expresses his want to play more. Sasaki Kojiro can't stop himself from laughing and Ito Ittosai is visibly shaking over the domain that Kamiizumi has reached. Both of Kamiizumi's attendants cry as Choko has stolen Kamiizumi away from them.

Now that the gate is completely open, Kurando compares Kamiizumi to a God. But knowing what lies beyond this, Kurando resolves to sear every last bit of this into his memory, if this is the path that Kamiizumi chose. Continuing to use Harite, Choko repeats over and over in his mind that this isn't enough and admits he has nowhere near the strength that Kamiizumi wants.

As he tries kicking, Choko confesses to Kamiizumi that he can't beat him, though he'll still try. That is why Choko wants Kamiizumi to hold him in his arms as he dies if he does good enough. Kamiizumi gladly accepts, telling Choko to keep coming higher. Closing his eyes, Kamiizumi thanks Choko as he now understands everything in the universe. He can see the martial boundary just beyond. Kamiizumi finds this moment fun and precious but supposes he should make with a little more haste as he's already died once.

This is essentially his life's overtime.

Kamiizumi considers it fate that he met an opponent as worthy as Choko here and thus, he declares it's time he goes onto the realm of the Gods. At that moment, everyone who was watching could tell that this next blow would decide it. As Choko aimed to punch, Kamiizumi flicks his foot and destroys the ground behind him as he thinks about how this is the greatest clash of his life.

Glad that Choko is the last one he'll fell, Kamiizumi slashes and in the aftermath, Choko leaned his head and caught Kamiizumi's blade with the horn on his head. It was an invisible slash, aimed at Choko's carotid, but what blocked it was Choko's inhuman reflexes and his horn, which was utterly solid, even among his abnormally hard bones. Choko tries to finish landing his punch but Kamiizumi twists his katana around and flips Choko on his back. Unable to breathe, Choko thinks about how amazing Kamiizumi is and confirms he's the Bushin, without a doubt. Choko apologises for not being good enough when Kamiizumi looks down on him and smiles, remarking on how martial arts really is fun.

He thought it was clear but it wasn't. Kamiizumi admits he has yet to reach the deepest depths of the **Gate of Celestial Awakening** and cries about how fascinating yet frustrating it is. Kamiizumi wishes he had just a bit more time and even wishes he met Choko just a second sooner. Kanemaki and Munisai wonder why Kamiizumi hasn't finished it yet and In'ei comes to a realisation. Choko doesn't get why Kamiizumi is crying when he's won and is the incredible Martial God.

All of a sudden, Kamiizumi kneels and holds the katana by the blade, pointing the pommel at Choko. He instructs Choko to hold the katana with his index fingers. Kamiizumi comments on how that was fun but he's sad to say that his time is up. Having reverted to an even older self, Kamiizumi passes on his dream of being unrivaled in a thousand years to Choko and his genius. Kamiizumi says Choko is like a son to him and this is his final wish. Choko tries to take the katana when Kamiizumi lets go of it and starts to fall.

Getting up, Choko tells him not to die and hugs Kamiizumi with so much force, that Kamiizumi spits out blood. After calling him a fool, Kamiizumi hugs Choko back and says his goodbye. As Choko cries about how Kamiizumi is the one who won, Kurando yells out for his sensei.

Wiping his tears, Ranmaru says the winner of Tenkaichi, Round One – Match Four, representing the Hashiba Clan, is Hino Choko.

## Appearing Characters

* ⁶ᵗʰFuma Kotaro
* Hashiba Hideyoshi
* Hayashizaki Jinsuke
* Hino Choko
* Hozoin Inshun
* Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami
* Kanemaki Jisai
* Marume Kurando
* Miyamoto Musashi
* Mori Ranmaru
* Oda Nobutada
* Shibata Katsuie
* Shinmen Munisai
* Yagyu Munenori

## Notes & Trivia

* The chapter was originally released in two parts; Nakamura Yosuke got carried away and drew a story that was too long for a single chapter release.

## Navigation

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/nakamaru\_yo/status/1582761357195194368