Chapter 7

**Kodachi Muso vs The Fuma Empress** is the seventh chapter of *Tenkaichi Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen* and the final chapter of Volume 2.

## Summary

Mori Ranmaru announces Miyamoto Musashi as the winner of the first match. As Chosokabe Motochika laughs about how he's one step closer to supremacy, Shinmen Munisai expresses his worry for his son. Musashi questions if he would have lost if Honda Tadakatsu didn't have something to protect and admits he doesn't get why Honda valued his lord over his strength and even life. Tokugawa Ieyasu understands that Honda only took that risk because of him and if not for that, he wouldn't have lost. Ieyasu calls it a pity that Honda was his retainer. On this day, it was made so that the Edo Period, the most peaceful period in Japan, and the most prosperous time for the culture of the masses, which lasted for 260 years under fifteen generations of the Tokugawa Shogunate would never come to pass. From this day on, Japan's history would be written through carnage and slaughter.

A medic offers to treat Musashi's wounds but Musashi refuses. His fight with Honda put an end to the life he thought was anything but fun. Each one of the wounds he suffered helped awaken him and thanks to that, he was able to defeat the Nio. Musashi begins walking off when the medic tries to warn him that if he leaves his wounds untreated, he might die a horrible death. That's when Musashi says it isn't enough and mentions how there are others here that are strong. Grinning madly, Musashi swears to keep feasting on the lives of more strong people and become the strongest martial artist. As he comes towards them, Chosokabe says Musashi did a good job, asserting he always believed in him. As Musashi walks past him, Munisai questions if this is really his son as his presence feels completely different than it was before the fight. Addressing Munisai, Musashi thanks him for bringing him to Tenkaichi. Munisai realises, through his death match, the tremendous talent for swordsmanship within Musashi, which had been stagnant, is about to awaken and grow into a more massive tree than he had imagined. As Honda's face gets crossed out, Ranmaru cheerily mentions how it's been a while since he's had a good cry and wonders what sort of spectacle awaits them next.

Around the same time the first match came to an end, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga told Konoe Sakihisa it was his representative's turn now. A voice says it's about time and expresses how much he was raring to go since this is his first time in the spotlight in a while but he got so worn out, that his back has started to hurt. Armed with two kodachi and blind, Toda Seigen asks his nephew, Toda Shigemasa, to guide him to the fighting place as he doesn't want to trip over anything. As Toda almost trips over a stone, the retainer questions what Konoe is thinking as making a blind old man fight before Oda is irreverent. Konoe wonders what makes him say that as the retainer guesses Toda can't even fight. When the retainer claims even he could slash him, Toda tells him to shut up, calling him a blockhead. The retainer questions who he's calling a blockhead, only to see Toda has drawn a kodachi. Toda tells him to shut up again and says he ain't so senile that he would take a licking from him. At the same time as he says that, the retainer's left hand is sliced off. The retainer's nose is then cut off as well as Toda mockingly says that he missed the retainer's neck since his eyes aren't so good. He cuts off the retainer's right ear while pretending to look for his neck and as the retainer pleads for him not to do this, Toda claims he can't hear him well. He says that, as a samurai, he should speak more clearly. Opening his left eyelid so that the retainer can look him in the eye, Toda asserts this is why he hates Oda's retainers.

The retainer tries to apologise but is left screaming. Now that the first match has ended, Ranmaru declares the second match is about to begin and questions who will win this battle to face Musashi. Ranmaru yells that he can't contain himself as he gets erect again before telling the representative of the Konoe Clan to enter. As the doors on the east side open, Ranmaru says that he may be an old man whose body is well past its prime but all strong men alike say, "Don't mess with Toda." As the warrior, Shigemasa and Konoe come through, Ranmaru says the blind swordsman's strength will be put to the test. The "Kodachi Muso", Toda Seigen. Silent for a bit, Toda then remarks on how there are less people watching than he thought there'd be. The audience all question if he can really fight and Toda tells them all he can hear them. He says Shigemasa's name and as Shigemasa throws something, Toda warns them to not whine anymore or else, they'll all end up like "him". It's revealed that the thing Shigemasa threw was the retainer's severed head. Toda says it wasn't at all intentional and that he got carried away. One of the audience points out that he's aiming his blade at the Oda Clan but Toda says he's only here because he was offered a fight. If anyone has any complaints, Toda dares them to kill him themself. When Toda asks if Oda is okay with that, Oda laughs and says that's good.

Yagyu Munenori is looking forward to see how the master of the kodachi fights. Scoffing, Toda expresses his disdain for Oda while Ranmaru is impressed. Neck bones are pretty sturdy so decapitation is a tough job. If the blade doesn't cut through the tiny gap between the bones, it'll come to a stop. There aren't many who could behead a criminal in one slice, even if they were motionless, which makes Ranmaru think of Toda in a different light. As Toda wonders when the fight will start, Ranmaru thinks about how things are getting interesting and believes this old man could even match up to "that" legendary clan. Ranmaru then orders the representative of the Hojo Clan to enter. As the doors on the west side open, Ranmaru questions what the strongest armed force of the Sengoku Period is. He posits it could be the fierce cavalry of Takeda but insists there is a force in the world that makes even Takeda's cavalry tremble in fear: the ninja force known as the Fuma. Among their leaders, among those who inherited the name of "Kotaro", there was one who was called the strongest. The cloak and dagger of the Hojo Clan, Fuma Kotaro the Fifth. Fuma walks in from the west entrance along with Hojo Ujimasa. Hojo claims they've come from Kanto to take over the entire country as the audience are awed by the fact that Fuma is even bigger than Musashi. Cooling down, Ranmaru reveals the one to appear in Tenkaichi will not be the fifth. As a person appears on the roof of the building on the west side, Ranmaru says there is one who inherited the name "Kotaro" from the fifth.

The person on the roof jumps down and sits down on the Fifth's back as he gets on his hands and knees. The one who descended on Tenkaichi's stage was none other than the Fuma Empress – Fuma Kotaro the Sixth. As she smokes from a pipe, the audience can't believe it's a woman while others stare at her huge breasts. As some express their doubt that a woman is going to fight, Kotaro releases a lot of smoke from her mouth that makes Hojo cough. Getting off of the Fifth's back, Kotaro walks forward and looks at Toda carefully. She says he's bland and admits, if given a choice, she would have liked an opponent with a little bit more fat on them. Kotaro calls him a dried monkey for an opponent, much to Toda's anger. As she prepares to take another smoke from her pipe, Kotaro says she's not one to shy away from a meal as sometimes, the stranger the food is, the better it tastes. Laughing to himself, Hojo comments on how everyone is surprised that the Sixth is a woman. He then reveals that girl has surpassed the Fifth's martial arts ability and guesses everyone will be surprised by the power of the Empress.

After smoking again, Kotaro addresses the Fifth as "Doggy" and the Fifth woofs, much to the audience's confusion. The Fifth then throws a shuriken with a long chain at Kotaro and she catches it with one hand. As Ranmaru's eyes sparkle, Kotaro reveals that this is the heirloom of the Fuma Ninja Corps: the Fuma Shuriken. Yagyu compliments how amazing that shuriken is before saying it's hard to believe Kotaro stopped that mass of metal mid-flight with one hand. Toda notes how hefty the shuriken sounded and asks if shinobi are cut out to carry that thing around. Kotaro calls him impatient and tells him he has to wait until they fight to get a taste of this thing. Kotaro asserts she won't let up, even if Toda cries halfway through. Toda mockingly replies he's so scared that he might piss himself. Round One – Match Two: Fuma Kotaro vs. Toda Seigen.

## Appearing Characters

* Chosokabe Motochika
* ***⁵ᵗʰFuma Kotaro***
* ⁶ᵗʰFuma Kotaro
* Hattori Hanzo
* ***Hojo Ujimasa***
* ***Konoe Sakihisa***
* Miyamoto Musashi
* Mori Ranmaru
* Oda Nobunaga
* Shinmen Munisai
* Toda Seigen
* ***Toda Shigemasa***
* Tokugawa Ieyasu
* Yagyu Munenori