Chapter 21

**Realm of the Gods** is the twenty-first chapter of *Tenkaichi Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen* and the second chapter of Volume 6.

## Summary

As the sheath of Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami's katana gets split open, the audience question what Hino Choko just did.

Oda Nobutada questions if Choko destroyed Kamiizumi's sheath by using the force of the air but Yagyu Munenori inwardly asserts it wasn't something as simple as that: it was a blade of vacuum. Choko wielded his body like a whip and maximised the velocity of his right leg, sending the vacuum it created forward. As Miyamoto Musashi sweats, Shinmen Munisai calls this unbelievable while Sasaki Kojiro says that Choko is more capable than he expected.

Hozoin In'ei sighs about how Choko has gone completely beyond the realm of humans. Choko tells Kamiizumi to think of that attack as his own katana before deciding to have a real swordfight since Kamiizumi's katana has been drawn too. Choko wants a fight to the death since anything less would bore him. Laughing, Kamiizumi admits he has never fought anyone like Choko before. As Hayashizaki Jinsuke and Togo Shigekata look on, Kamiizumi points his katana forward and says that he's gotten fired up.

Marume Kurando can't believe that Kamiizumi is fighting with his katana drawn while Mori Ranmaru gets excited over how the clash between godly physique and godly technique is heading straight for the climax. Muttering "Hakkeyoi", Choko begins lifting his right leg up. Choko's motions were completely fluid, not even faltering once. And thus, his form had exhibited an almost artistic beauty, and a murderous impulse to crush the whole world beneath his feet. Choko promises to make everything this world's got his. Otherwise, it won't be nearly enough.

As Kamiizumi realises what he is about to do, Choko inwardly tells the Gods of the Earth to awaken before performing **Sleeping Savage Spirit**, slamming his right foot down into the ground and breaking it apart. Having not expected Choko to knock him off-balance from below, Kamiizumi jumps up, only for his right eye to suddenly shut, forcibly. Realising his attack caused a wall of air pressure to appear, Kamiizumi exclaims that Choko literally is an oni.

Choko rushes in and Jinsuke goes over how Choko wanted to get Kamiizumi off-balance and midair so he could close the distance between them. Sweating, Kurando thinks about how, whether he kicks up winds or splits the earth, ultimately, Choko resorts to using his physique to fight. However, Kamiizumi has opened the **Gate of Celestial Awakening**, meaning he has no openings now. Much to Choko's surprise, Kamiizumi raises his katana while moving in the air before slashing as Choko punches with his right fist.

Kamiizumi cuts into Choko's fingers but is surprised that the Onigami's fist is stopping his blade from cutting any deeper. Exerting his strength, Choko pushes the katana back up against Kamiizumi's face, forcing Kamiizumi to spin in the air and skid back across the ground. Kamiizumi questions what's wrong with Choko's body while Choko is impressed that Kamiizumi cleanly dodged again. Lifting both his arms up, Choko decides on a different plan of attack and launches **Kamaitachi: Twin Blades**, firing two vacuum blades in a cross shape. Because of how huge and fast they are, Kamiizumi can just barely find the correct timing to dodge, only for his left arm to be cut, much to the surprise of his attendants.

Even though he's dodged every single attack so far by a hair, Kamiizumi has had his blood drawn for the first time in this match. Cheering, Hashiba Hideyoshi confesses he was a little worried for a second there but he thinks Choko's killing it now. As Shibata Katsuie curses Hideyoshi, Ito Ittosai fixes his glasses and recounts how, after an overwhelming combo-attack of moves beyond human knowledge, Choko followed it up with invisible vacuum blades, which has even left the Sword Saint showing some cracks.

But what's caught Ittosai's interest even more are Choko's bones, which even Kamiizumi's katana couldn't cut through. Choko has a super-skeleton, like no other in existence, that can withstand the abnormal amount of muscular power needed to split the ground or cut through the air. Ittosai labels Choko's skeleton as the **Oni Armor Skeleton**.

With both muscles as strong as cannon fire and bones as strong as armor, Ittosai believes Choko is truly a man loved by the God of War. Hozoin Inshun believes the only way to kill a monster like Choko would be to jab him through his vitals. Looking at his right fist, Choko says even the Bushin's blade can't cut him and makes a note on how the Gods love giving him all this stuff, even when they won't give him the thing that he really wants. Chuckling, Kamiizumi says it's nice to know that there's still so much in this world that he doesn't know about. Choko claims he feels the same way when Kamiizumi says to be the strongest in the hundred years he'll be alive and unbeaten for another thousand, he's stubbornly clung to life.

Choko insists you can't always get what you want but Kamiizumi swears to make it a reality now, telling Choko that he'll become a sacrifice for his legend. Choko questions what this chill he's getting is. Kurando suddenly yells at Kamiizumi that he can't open the gate any further. Liking this, Choko admits he's never felt a chill like this, even when Oda Nobunaga pulled his guns on him and even in the he ight of battle out on the field. Wondering if the Bushin could give him what he's lacking, Choko uses **Kamaitachi: Wild Dance**, firing a combo of vacuum blades. Opening the inner gate, Kamiizumi goes forward while dodging every single vacuum blade. Choko is impressed he's dodging all of them.

Kamiizumi thinks about how it's all so clear. He can now sense the countless substances, great and small, and the flows of power that make up this universe. Therefore, Kamiizumi can see how he should maneuver now. Choko attempts to palm strike Kamiizumi with his right hand but Kamiizumi rolls along Choko's arm and jumps off of it, ending up behind him, having opened the **Gate of Celestial Awakening – Inner Gate: Doors of Heaven**. As Ranmaru, Musashi, Munisai and Ittosai look on, cuts appear all along Choko's right arm and the right side of his face.

As Choko turns to confront Kamiizumi, the Sword Saint thinks about how he's waited nearly a hundred years to meet Choko – the monster worthy of being his foe.

## Appearing Characters

* ⁶ᵗʰFuma Kotaro
* Hashiba Hideyoshi
* Hayashizaki Jinsuke
* Hino Choko
* Hozoin In'ei
* Hozoin Inshun
* Ito Ittosai
* Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami
* Marume Kurando
* Miyamoto Musashi
* Mori Ranmaru
* Sasaki Kojiro
* Shibata Katsuie
* Shinmen Munisai
* Togo Shigekata
* Yagyu Munenori