Full Metal Daemon Muramasa – Tyrant

Part 8

Note: This project is a fairly old work of mine, written and translated back in 2012, when I was still just starting out as a fan translator — as such, it’s not exactly the highest quality work I’ve ever put out, to say the least. I would’ve deleted it long ago, but since people still seem to be interested in it, I decided to keep it, but felt the need to give this quick warning beforehand.

Back to Muramasa’s route, Part 7

Muramasa: Midou, is Chachamaru…

Kageaki: Yes. She’s gone.

Chachamaru dies (sadface), and it turns out the final egg was within her. So now Kageaki has his original nodachi back.

In a few minutes Chief shows up. Kageaki tells him everything about Hikaru, but insists that it must be he who defeats her, because Chief has already discarded her as a father. Akitaka sighs, and apologizes to Kageaki, then leaves.

Suddenly, Muramasa is overcome by the Ginseigou’s influence – as it turns out, every time they defeated an egg receiver, Muramasa took more and more of Hikaru’s powers within her. And now, the result is that an egg is about to hatch within Muramasa herself. Her crimson color starts turning to silver.

Mur: Ah-aaaaahhh…!!

Kageaki: Muramasa!

Mur: N-no! Midou, don’t come any closer! You’ll be corrupted as well!

Kageaki: Have you forgotten? We are a Musha. We are one soul, one steel. You saved me when this happened to me – now it’s my turn.

So Kageaki turns into his Musha self, donning Muramasa. The egg’s influence forces him into a sort of coma, and he sees a dream of his hometown, Subaru, Hikaru, Boss, and so on. He has forgotten who he is and what his goal was, so you walk around town talking to people and trying to remember via a number of dialogue choices.

Eventually Kageaki remembers his name and goal – to defeat Hikaru. He brings Muramasa over to the room the sick Hikaru is in. However, no matter how many times Muramasa tries to strike her down, Kageaki instinctively protects her. So Kageaki chooses the only possible option at this point – his own death. If he himself becomes an obstacle to the destruction of the Ginseigou, then he must die.

Extinguish your own self, and thus defeat the enemy.

Kageaki concludes that the only thing that matters is the strong desire to defeat the Ginseigou, and that such a desire lives on in Muramasa due to their bond, so he himself isn’t needed anymore.

Muramasa agrees and strikes Hikaru (and therefore the “egg”) down, and the two awaken from their coma, healthy and unaffected by the corruption.

Kageaki examines his new nodachi and comments that it seems different somehow, reminding him of Chachamaru. Honoring her memory, he gives the sword a brand new name – Kotetsu.

So apparently “God/Hikaru” is now at the summit of Mt. Fuji, so Kageaki heads there. He is stopped by like a hundred of Hikaru’s silver “children”, and is about to be overwhelmed, when a certain someone’s attacks interrupt him and shoot down some of the silver mechs.

Mur: Th-this shooting…! Midou, it’s Ootori Kanae!

The song Uzuki kicks in once again, just to signify the awesomeness of this scene.

Kag: The Captain…?

Kanae: Long time no see, Kageaki.

Kag: Captain Ootori! So… it really is you.

Kanae: Why, is there anyone else in this world who would match my beauty?

Mur: We can’t see your face, you know.

Kag: I wasn’t aware of the fact that you were a Crusader*… why do you possess a Tsurugi?

*western Musha

Kan: That’s…

Kag: Yes…?

Kan: …a secret~! <3

Kag: I see.

Kan: H-he just let it slide… T_T

Mur: More importantly, why are you here? Surely it’s more than just a coincidence.

Kan: The same could be said about you two… am I right?

Mur: So… we have the same goal, it seems.

Kan: Ever since the appearance of that second sun, the world has begun to gone mad. I would conjecture that there is a connection between the two.

So basically, she’s heading for Mt. Fuji as well.

Kan: I’m fairly certain she thinks the same.

Kageaki: “She”…?

Kan: Her. Right over there – Ichijou Ayane.

Ichijou slashes through a number of silver mechs and joins Kanae and Kageaki.

Ichijou: It’s Ayane Ichijou! Get it right!

Kan: Oh my~ I made a mistake. Can you forgive me, Ayane?*

*(for the first time in the game, she calls her “Ayane-chan”)

Ichi: What’s up with attaching “chan” to my family name?!

(“chan” is an extremely informal, colloquial term, usually used between close friends, and mostly referring to girls. It’s attached to a person’s given name.)

Mur: Have you come here to help us out?

Kan: Hmpf. Don’t be mistaken. I have no such intentions.

Mur: Explain yourself.

Ichi: Fine. I’ll tell you this-

Kanae interrupts mid-sentence:

Kan: “I’ll have to be the one to defeat you!”

Muramasa” Excuse me?

Ichijou: N-no! I mean, yeah… she’s more or less right.

Kag: Ichijou…?

Ichi: Minato… there are a few very important things that I have to ask you. Therefore… I simply cannot allow you to die here.

Kan: “I’ll have to be the one to defeat you!”

Ichijou: Sh-shut your mouth already!

Kageaki: Ichijou…

Ichi: So, please… Once this is all over…

Mur: ……….

Kan: Well, that’s enough excitement for now. Shouldn’t we be focusing on a certain other thing right about now?

They all shift their attentions back to the army of silver Tsurugi. (they’re referred to as duplicates or clones of the Ginseigou) Eight of them in particular are more powerful than the others.

Kan: Oh dear. A certain group of sparkly little girls are ready and raring to go, it seems like… Nonetheless, we must reach Mt. Fuji as soon as possible.

Mur: Do we have a plan?

Kan: There’s only two things to do here, really. One is to launch a joint attack, the other is to split up.

Ichi: So which one would be better?

Kan: The former. We would join forces and defeat the army before us, and then that thing at Mt. Fuji as well.  We would restore peace to the land, become living legends and stand together, gazing forevermore at the setting sun…

Mur: Forevermore…?

Kan: Well, just until we fade to black and the word “fin” appears on the screen.

Ichi: No such thing’s gonna happen, you know…

Kag: Yeah…

Mur: Agreed.

Kan: W-what?! Why?! Our victory depends on whether or not we join forces here! It is the best possible course of action for comrades like us, connected by the inseparable bond of camaraderie!

…

…

Kan: *sigh* All this joking around really tires a girl out.

Ichi: Listening to it isn’t any more enjoyable, you know.

I doubt this comes as a surprise, but Kanae and Ichijou agree to remain and fight the silver Ginseigou clones while Kageaki rushes on towards Fuji.

(I think it’s pretty cool to see these three characters cooperate like this, especially because in the other routes they were hell bent on killing each other.)

Kan: I’m sure you understand the gravity of the situation. So go.

Kag: Captain…?

Kan: It is quite clear to both myself and Miss Ichijou here who the most suitable candidate is for the battle at Mt. Fuji. Isn’t that right?

Ichi: Tch…

Kan: The flock of silver birds here are merely children – and their parent awaits at the summit of Mt. Fuji: a certain someone that you have a very personal, long-standing relationship with…

Kageaki: …………….

Kageaki: Understood. I’ll go.

Ichijou: Good luck.

Kanae: Godspeed.

He flies off towards the mountain.

Kan: Such a complicated man…

Ichijou: That’s just the way he is.

Kan: He really should try to lighten up a bit from time to time.

Ichi: Probably, yeah.

They charge at the eight prominent Ginseigou clones.

Kan: This only just crossed my mind, but… I’m starting to think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew here.

Ichi: I’m especially concerned about that last one. It reminds me of the Ginseigou we met at Enoshima…

Kan: What shall we do?

Ichi: Are you seriously asking that? We’ll kick their asses, obviously!

Kan: Oh my~! You truly are dazzling! A heart that knows no fear in the face of danger is absolutely fabulous!

Ichi: Hmpf. You can go home if you’re afraid.

Kan: Oh, no. Quite the opposite. I actually prefer to do battle like this.

Ichi: You really are messed up in the head, you know.

Fade to black, and we cut to Kageaki.

He has a lengthy fight with “God” (Konjin, the patron deity of blacksmiths and Tsurugi), but decides that the best course of action would be to keep a distance due to the death lasers that it’s shooting (a ray that is similar to the black hole power of the Ginseigou). Muramasa speculates that Hikaru might be dormant within God, who is simply using her power to its own needs, draining her dry.

Mur: Could it be that Konjin’s attack just now was merely an automatic reaction to our presence?

Kag: Are you trying to tell me that we startled God?

Then suddenly, Konjin bends space itself and gets closer to Kageaki in the blink of an eye, throwing him and Muramasa into a sort of space-time vortex. As the screenshot shows, events of the past flash before Kageaki’s eyes. (in the screenshot, it’s the time when he saved Ichijou in Chapter 2, but other images like George in Chapter 4 or Suzukawa in Chapter 1, etc. are also there.)

There was blinding light all around me, coming and going incessantly, showering us like rain.

Or could it be… the other way around? Was *I* the one flying forward inside this endless swarm of light?

Kag: Muramasa… please, evaluate our current situation to the best of your abilities.

Mur: W-well… I’d say we are currently being forced to travel in time. I’m certain of it. We ourselves aren’t changing due to the fact that our inner time remains unchanged. There is a divergence between internal time and external time, and only the latter is moving right now. How should I express this… let’s just say that our current temporal coordinates are being altered.

Kag: So… we’re moving in the fourth dimension?

Mur: I… I think. However, if I’m understanding it correctly, right now we aren’t traversing the time axis in a linear fashion. The past and the future are just coming and going. Additionally, the scope of our movement isn’t especially big – possibly a few hundred years at most.

Kag: In other words, our current coordinates are intensely fluctuating between the temporal location of a few hundred years in the past and a few hundred years in the future above Mt. Fuji?

Muramasa then implies that temporal movement might not be the only thing happening here.

Mur: Movement in time does not completely exclude movement in space. For example, even if our current spatial coordinates are fixed, there is always the possibility of relative movement. The same principle applies to the Earth and its movement.

Kag: I see.

After all, as the Earth is constantly rotating – in addition to that, it is also revolving around the sun.

Kag: Muramasa. I think we’re slowing down.

Mur: You’re right. The temporal movement Konjin forced us into is starting to lose its power and will eventually reach zero. We’re about to come to a halt.

Mur: This is just another guess of mine, but… I think our situation isn’t as grim as we might think.

Kag: Is that so?

Mur: Yes. Let me explain.

Written in blue, on the left: Past

Written in yellow, on the right: Future

Mur: We were forcefully pushed out of our original temporal coordinates by the power of Konjin. If we were being moved by that power alone, we would no doubt continue the temporal movement for all eternity, always remaining at the same speed.

Mur: However, that is not the case right now. There is another power at work that is gradually slowing down our movement and is returning us to our original coordinates. If I had to put it into words, I’d say it’s a sort of correctional force. Unless Konjin throws us out of order once again with its power, I’d say we’ll eventually be able to return to our own time.

Kag: In other words… there’s no need to panic.

Mur: Yes. If my theory is correct, that is.

We’ll be in trouble if it is not. To us, who are currently at the mercy of Konjin’s temporal movement, it is the one single hope to cling onto.

Mur: It’s just that…

Kag: …?

Mur: At present, we’re still easily traveling through space-time. However, if our temporal movement is going to start slowing down even more, we might end up being caught up in a few other space-time periods.

Kag: What do you mean by being “caught up” in other periods…?

Mur: To put it simply, we’ll temporary appear in other time periods.

In other words… we’ll basically become time travelers.

Mur: If nothing happens during our stay in other worlds, the “correction” force I’ve talked earlier will exceed the binding force of each world and allow us to continue moving back to our original time. *If* nothing happens, that is. If something does happen, we might end up not being able to return.

Kag: So, to avoid that…

Mur: …our best option is to not do anything and merely wait for the correctional force to kick in.

Kag: Understood.

Mur: However, don’t treat my word as absolute. There might be exceptions, so be careful – for example, if we merely wait in one place without doing anything, we might end up being caught up in certain events of that period.

Kag: To put it simply – under normal circumstances, we do nothing. However, we’ll have to be ready to adapt to the situation if the need arises. Is that right?

Mur: Probably~!

So they finally arrive at their first time period. They’re inside an eerie place, and Kageaki notes that it looks nothing like Japanese architecture. He concludes that they might be inside an old, European castle.

Kag: Muramasa – how long will this take?

Mur: Not too long. The correctional power should start up any minute now.

Mur: In any case, it seems like this place is rather deserted. We can just wait here in peac-

????: Is someone there?

Kag: *gasps*

Kageaki recognizes that it’s a female voice, speaking in a foreign, European language. Footsteps are heard, and they’re getting louder.

Mur: Midou… what should we do?

Two options are given here:

1) Stay
2) Flee

For now, we’ll pick “stay”.

?????: Ah, it appears I have a guest. The Vatican’s tenacity is truly admirable: they send yet another knight to eliminate me despite the fact that none of the previous ones returned alive!

?????: Seems like you are of Oriental origin. Interesting. Let us have some fun together, shall we…?

Kageaki realizes that by coming in contact with her, he’s already become involved with this time period. In other words, the correctional force will never arrive and we’re stuck here for good.

I realized my own mistake the very moment I looked into her eyes, glistening with beastly hunger, her gaze thoroughly examining me like a wolf its prey.

A slender body of utmost elegance, as well as graceful features. A devilishly beautiful young woman reeking of blood and licking her lips with a gaze that knows no fear, even in the face of a fully armored Musha.

?????: Well then, my dear knight from the far east – shall we begin? The night is ever-young here at Castle Cachtice – for this place is covered in eternal darkness and knows not the light of dawn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_B%C3%A1thory

BAD END.

Alright, so let’s now go back to the previous choice.

This time, I choose “flee”.

I had to flee.

I was afraid – however, that fear was not caused by this alien world. The only thing I feared was that *thing* in the darkness; something slender and wicked that was slowly but surely approaching me. I had to turn around and run, right this instant.

So I ran – to avoid meeting that which I was not meant to meet.

Space around Kageaki starts to become twisted – it seems like the correctional force is in effect. They are soon spirited away into another location.

Kag: This time we’re in the middle of a storm?!

Mur: H-hey, it’s not like I’m the one choosing these locations!

…..

Mur: Midou! Look! Down there!

He looks down at the raging sea and spots a ship that seems rather unusual to his eyes. It’s nothing like any ship he’s ever seen before .So Kageaki speculates that this might be the future.

If this was indeed the future, that fact in itself was of tremendous importance. It meant that the world of the past -and mankind- was not destroyed by God.

The ship is about to sink. Even though it might be risky, Kageaki considers helping them.

1) Land on the ship
2) Stay here

We’ll take a look at the bad ending first, so I’ll choose “land on the ship”.

Mur: Midou! Look, there’s something written on the outside of the ship…

Kag: You’re right. It’s probably the name of the vessel. Let’s see… “Andrea Gail“…?

The ship then suddenly disappears.

Was it swallowed up by the waves? No, something else happened…

Kag: Muramasa! Can you determine what happened?

Mur: It was a time distortion! The ship was taken instead of us… in other words, we’re stuck here…

I was not sure what to say. Should I curse my own hastiness?

At any rate, now that our connection with our home period had been lost forever, I had plenty of time to reflect…

BAD END.

(Kageaki stuck in 1991? That would make for an interesting movie, if I do say so myself.)

Let’s pick “stay” now.

This time, Kageaki doesn’t get close enough to be able to read the name of the ship, and therefore he creates no connection with this world. So no incident happens, and we drift onwards to the next world.

This time, the entire land is burning around Kageaki, and he’s surrounded by burned corpses. Muramasa determines that the corpses are Emishi, except they’re slightly different from her… Kageaki, upon noticing his surroundings, speculates that this might be Europe, and that the people who burned to death in immense numbers here are “western”, white-skinned elves. Kagaeki notices movement nearby – a survivor. He wants to rush in to help the person, but Muramasa reminds him that they must not interfere with this world.

Upon closer inspection, Kageaki notices the the survival is a female elf child who looks exactly like the half-machine elf who was always with Wolf, and who eventually became the bomb.

Again, we get two choices, to save the girl, or to leave her to die.

If you choose the first option, Kageaki rushes in and manages to save her. He concludes that he made the right choice, and that he’s glad he was able to save at least one life. Completely out of the blue, we get the following image:

And a game over screen. Another Bad End.

Okay, so let’s pick “I can’t save her” this time. Kageaki steels himself and decides not to help the young girl. Before long, the correctional force kicks in and we move on to the next world.

This time, it’s a quiet and peaceful beach at night.

Mur: This looks like Yamato.

Kageaki looks up at the night sky and falls silent.

Mur: Mmm? What’s wrong?

Kag: The moon…

Mur: The moon?

Kag: It’s shattered…

Mur: H-huh? Stop with the crazy talk! Sure, the moon changes its appearance with each week, but to say that it’s shattered? Come on…

Mur: Ny-nyaaah—!?

(The sound she makes here is difficult to put into words. It’s kinda like a agitated squeak, almost catgirl-ish. It’s pretty hilarious, especially coming from Muramasa.)

Mur: *screaming* Th-th-th-the m-m-moon! Wh-what happened to it?!

Kageaki is reminded of a certain theory regarding the creation of the Moon – the one that states that is was just a bunch of matter drifting in space that was affected by the pull of the Earth and ended up forming the moon.

Kag: Could it be that we’re billions of years in the past…?

Mur: Huh? Wh-what? Oh… I, um, don’t think so… our environment suggests otherwise.

If that’s the case… is this possibly the future? Did mankind’s exploration of space and the moon end in a spectacular failure? Or is it the result of a war with aliens from other planets…?

Mur: ….ah!

Muramasa, and a few seconds later, Kageaki too, notices that there’s a person nearby. It’s a young woman walking away from Kageaki. She then suddenly turns around.

It wasn’t anyone I knew. I swiftly concluded that I had never met this person before.

And yet…

Parts of her stirred certain emotions within me. For example, her eyes.

A gaze that seemed to be fixated on something that happened in the distant past.

Neither of us said a single word.

After halting for what seemed like a few seconds, she turned her back on me and started walking in the exact opposite direction.

(Yes, the phrasing of that sentence was intentional, especially if you consider the epilogue of Ichijou’s route.)

Mur: Who was that just now?

Kag: No idea.

Mur: Are you sure…?

Kag: Why are you doubting me?

Mur: Well, whatever. In any case, heads up. This will probably be our last jump.

We finally return to Mt. Fuji. God immediately begins firing its lasers at Kageaki, who just barely evades.

Eventually God changes tactics, tries to lure Kageaki into a trap and so on. Kageaki and Muramasa are rather baffled and conclude that they way it fights is rather human-like.

“Hmpf. It’s not such a huge mystery, actually.”

Mur: …….

Kag: …….

Mur: Did you just hear that?

Kag: It was more like I… felt it.

It was a thought. A colorless, shapeless thought, that for some reason, was strangely familiar – I had a feeling that I had met the person it belonged to once before… somewhere…

Where was it…?

“Tch. This form makes it really difficult to let my voice be heard. I shall transform.”

Mur: Is that… a person…?

The thing now had arms, legs, armor and a blade. It was the form of a man I had met before.

Kag: Nagasaka Ukyou…!

Nagasaka/God: Tch. So you finally noticed… you dimwitted little runt.

Obviously, Kageaki is speechless, since as we all no doubt remember, Nagasaka died waaaay back at the end of Chapter 2. However, upon his death, there was a very brief scene of him seeing a silvery light. At the time of writing the Chapter 2 summary, I didn’t think it was important (why would I?) so I didn’t include it. But it seems like the result of that was… well, this. That was probably when he merged with the power of God or something like that.

Nagasaka: I have returned to this earth, now holding the power of a god.

He was gargantuan in size, reaching all the way up to the clouds. It had to be a nightmare. And yet – it did not appear like a dream one would have lying in the comfort of his bed.

Kag: Muramasa… is it even possible to revive a person in such a way…?

Mur: Of course not! The dead can never return to life, no matter what!

Mur: B-but… it could probably be faked. One could take a corpse as a base, and create a life form within it…

Kag: So, what we’re seeing right now is the result of something similar to that?

Nagasaka: I can feel her scent… Ichihime is nearby! So, I have come here to claim her. Indeed. She once told me that she will marry only God – in other words, she now belongs only to me!

He begins taking a few steps forward, which in itself makes the land tremble. Kageaki concludes that he must fight, and therefore prepares to unleash his most powerful technique. As they’ve previously confirmed it, God naturally has healing abilities, being able to cure any wound in the blink of an eye. So basically, the only way to defeat it, Kageak concludes, is to kill it in one blow.

Muramasa: <<Beginning the end. Executing death. Manifesting the void.>>

Kageaki prepares his sword (now a longer two handed blade), and basically cuts God in half.

However, this seemingly isn’t enough to kill Nagasaka, and he begins to regenerate. Kageaki panics, but suddenly, Nagasaka is frozen, and a familiar voice is heard.

Hikaru: Well fought. Thanks to it, I’ve managed to awaken. However… it’s time for you to retire.

So Nagasaka explodes, and Hikaru/Ginseigou emerges from within his body.

Hikaru: Only the victor can remain. Only one has the right to seize the heavens. Such a being is called “God” – achieving all that is forbidden to humans, acquiring the divine right to transcend mere mortal existence.

The time has come for me to do what needs to be done.

Hikaru – my very own sister, drowned in a dream of her own doing.

I had decided that our next meeting would be the last.

Kageaki: Hikaru… is that really you?

Hikaru: What’s with the philosophical questions? Well, it’s not like I can’t understand. I was blown away, then buried deep beneath the earth where I met a rather stranger character, only to appear here once again. A lot happened indeed. I’m sorry if I made you worry. Although I don’t quite fully understand what exactly happened to me, but trust me – I am still me. And in quite good health and a fantastic mood, as you can see.

Kageaki: I see…

No. There is no need to exchange such words any longer.

Kageaki: Do you… truly wish to become God?

Hikaru: Do I wish to become God, huh…? I’ve never really thought of it that way. But it’s something I’ll have to do, no matter what. Otherwise my desire won’t be granted.

Kag: But… aren’t you already God?

Hikaru: Huh?

Kag: That previous “God” that you’ve just destroyed – its power still sleeps within you.

Mur2: Midou, she’s talking about “this”.

Hik” Ah, that!

Kag: Are you not satisfied? You already possess the power to rival a god! What more could you possibly wish for?

Hik: Ahaha. You ask a question to which you already have an answer. You truly are a wonder of a man. But does power alone qualify one to be a god? Are dinosaurs gods? Or tidal waves?

Hik: No. I am not yet worthy to climb the divine throne of God.

Hik: Power is power, nothing more. It is the means, not the end. In the past, countless men called themselves gods. Was that because they possessed power? No. By first conquering countless lands and nations, does a king start to believe in his own divinity. I, too, desire to go down that path. Wielding a terrifying power, I shall spread my way across many a land until I am truly worthy of calling myself a god.

Hik: I shall not make the same mistakes as rulers of past times, content with their power and succumbing to depravity, thus becoming imperfect gods. Such actions were their undoing. I will not end up like them – I will walk my own path without halting, seeing it through to the very end.

Kageaki: Why can’t you discard such foolish ambitions?!

Hikaru: I realize it is foolish! I realize it is completely irrational! And yet to me, it is infinitely important – the very reason of my existence.

She then points up to the sky and summons a huge storm consisting of her corruptive ability. It would basically turn the entire world into beings like the Ginseigou.

Hikaru: Russia! China! Europe! Middle East! America! Africa! Yamato!

Kageaki: Muramasa… how much time until that storm reaches the other continents?

Muramasa: Probably around an hour…

Hikaru: More like 45 minutes.

Kag: How do we stop it?

Mur: We destroy its source.

In other words, the Ginseigou.

Kag: Just what is your wish, Hikaru?! For what purpose are you willing to go this far?!

Hik: No matter how many times you throw that question at me, the answer shall not change: I want to have my father back! I long for the love that brought me into this world! For the sake of that single goal, I destroyed our mother, the world itself: every single element that chains Father down. All for the sake of reclaiming a father whose existence is denied by society and the world of men! Why do I want it? Why do I long for it? Because it was taken from me!

“This child has no father. She is not your daughter. You are not allowed to love her.”

Hik: I remember all too well the words Mother threw at Father. They have been with me ever since, deeply engraved upon my very soul.

She longed for life itself – to reclaim the feelings robbed of her.

Kag: Hikaru, you…

Kag: …you have no father in this world. Not anymore. He cast his identity as a father away… because he was ordered to do so. And he obeyed.

Hik: I know… which is why she gave up. The real Minato Hikaru, I mean. And that is how I came to be born out of her hopes and dreams.

Hik: A father who’s concealed by the world will eventually emerge to the surface if the world itself is turned upside down…

Kag: If he accepts you as his daughter, will you be satisfied? Will you cease to bring the world towards its own demise?

Hik: Yet another question I’ve already answered. What I long for is not the blood of mankind sacrificed on the altar of my quest. What I desire is a heart that knows love. I care not if it is mostly filled with hatred, as long as it would also be home to a small amount of love… if I could gain only that much, only a tiny fragment of true love… I’d be content. Content beyond belief.

Her voice here weakens, and at the end, she lets out a melancholy sigh.

Kag: I see.

Hikaru: Kageaki…?

Kag: In that case, I shall not let you reclaim your father. You will die here.

Long silence.

Hikaru: So… that is your answer, Kageaki? I should have known that you were on Mother’s side. Which means… that you are my enemy.

Kageaki: Exactly.

Hikaru: Very well. I shall eradicate every last shred of what remains of Mother, and then bring this world to ruin. Once I have accomplished that, I shall use the power slumbering within me to restore my father! All those who wish to stop me are welcome to try!

So they fight, and Kageaki thinks back at the time he killed Douji. He tries to re-create his mental state at that time – to kill the self and cast aside all worldly thoughts. This time, he has to cast away his love of Hikaru in order to defeat her.

Hik: Kageaki. Let me ask this of you. Where do you think people go after they die?

Kag: The dead have no destination. However, if they did… I would say they would be swallowed up by the earth to rest there for eternity.

Hik: Hmm… I have a different view. I think they rise up to the heavens as brilliantly shining stars.

So they fight, and just when Kageaki thinks he’s hit her, he cuts through empty space. Hikaru was using space distortion, a power she inherited from God. She then kicks Kageaki so goddamn hard that he flies all the way out to space. Holy shit.

Kag: Wh-where… are we…?

Mur: *in a cheerful tone* Um, Midou, I think we were launched quite far away…

Kag: How far?

Mur: Well, um, how about you look that way for me?

She points towards Earth.

Mur: We might’ve just made a certain giant leap for mankind…

Muramasa tells him that she’s able to supply him with oxygen, but not for long. Just when they begin to think of a way to return to Earth, Hikaru herself flies out to space.

Kageaki concludes that there is only one way to defeat her.

Kag: Muramasa. I command you to use your Mental Contamination on me. The same way you attempted back at the prison.

Mur: Wh-what?! Why?!

As long as Minato Kageaki exists, Minato Hikaru will not be defeated.

Therefore, what I’ll have to extinguish first… is my own self.

Kag: It’s the only way. Remember the time  I slashed at Hikaru, but missed due to her space distortion… even at that time, I was thinking of her as my sister. If those feelings had not been there, I think I could’ve actually defeated her…

Mur: …………..

Kag: I myself am the very cause of my continued failures. Therefore, my very soul needs to die. My mind has to be shattered.

Mur: It w-won’t work…!

Kag: That might be true for an ordinary Musha. But you are different – you’re a Tsurugi born with a purpose! A purpose that we share. Even if I should disappear, it will live on within you!

Mur: B-but… I…

Kag: Muramasa!

Mur: B-but… I want to preserve your mind…!

Kag: Hurry up!

Mur: N-no! I can’t do it! I…

Kag: Remember, Muramasa! Remember all the lives we trampled upon in order to get here! We cannot allow their sarifices to be wasted! There is no need to hesitate!

Mur: Midou…

Kag: Do it. This is my mission, and yours as well. So do it! Rob me of my self! Muramasa…!!

Muramasa then lets out a desperate scream that perfectly reflects the agony she’s going through.

My heart, composed of blood, flesh and something else, turns to steel of a deep, jet black color. Solid. Hardened. Strong. An unshakable soul of dark steel.

This is how it should be.

Enduring the process that will extinguish his very own soul, Minato Kageaki goes through a transformation…

…to become a true hero.

So they fight, and Muramasa becomes a killing machine, able to repel Hikaru with only one hand.

Hikaru: You fight well, extremely so. Better than ever, I dare say. And yet… our dance is soulless, devoid of energy… What is this feeling? Why does the clash of our blades ring so hollow?

Mur2: Midou. The warrior before you is no longer your brother. His mind has been swallowed up by his own Tsurugi, his body being controlled by it. It’s the effect of Mental Contamination.

Hikaru is shocked.

Hik: K… Kageaki! Can you hear me? Answer me if you’re there! Have you become a mere puppet dancing to the whims of your Tsurugi?

“Strong signal detected. Reply unnecessary.”

Muramasa: …………..

“Returning to combat stance. Commencing attack. “

Mur2: Midou!

Hikaru: I can’t feel him… I’m not sensing any trace of Kageaki’s… Is he really gone…? Did you… did you really take my Kageaki away from me, you accursed spider?!

“Strong signal detected. Reply unnecessary.”

Muramasa: ………….

Mur2: I doubt she carried it out on her own. It must’ve been an order from her master…

Hikaru: I don’t want to hear it!

Mur2: ………

Hikaru: I’ll take him back from you, spider. No matter what!

“Reply unnecessary.”

Muramasa: …………..

Hikaru: The way you’re imitating Kageaki like that is really pissing me off! Very well. I’ll crush you. I’ll grind you to dust and scatter your remains in this vast darkness!

Muramasa2:  <<Beginning the end. Executing death. Manifesting the void.>>

Hikaru: “Black Hole Fairies”!

So Muramasa gets sucked into a black hole, and there’s actually a puzzle here. I’ll be honest, this part sort of confused me, I’m not entirely sure how solving this puzzle helps us escape from the black hole. There were a bit too many technical terms here for my ordinary Japanese skills, so I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. :p

In any case, here’s the solution to the puzzle:

Muramasa tears the black hole apart and once again tries to attack Hikaru, who responds by dive kicking into the Moon so hard it shatters to pieces. Yeah, you read that right. Well, now we know why the Moon is shattered in the future. She also uses the technique she learned from Misao after watching her insane speed at the end of Chapter 3.

Hikaru: I am but a dream. A crystallization of Minato Hikaru’s dearest wish. And dreams… are unshakable!

Muramasa is then swallowed up by Hikaru’s void.

What became of me? What is this place?

Why do I have this immense feeling of lack, as if something was torn from my soul?

Hikaru: Nothing was torn from you. Kageaki… everything you long for is right here. Isn’t that right…? The battle had alerady ended…

But then… why…?

Hikaru: What’s wrong, Kageaki? Is there any lingering anxiety pressing against your heart…?

I feel as if… something precious was robbed of me.

Hikaru: On the contrary. It was you who was robbed from me. But you need not worry, for I returned everything to how it was. So… why do you still feel that way? Are you cold, perhaps?

No… I am embraced by warmth…

Hikaru: You are within* me. I am shielding you from all harm.

*written with the kanji of “womb”

……..

Hikaru: Is it not peaceful? Are you not at ease? If so… continue your slumber. I do not mind.

I… have to defeat you.

Hikaru: Why is that?

You sacrificed countless innocents.

Hikaru: And will you cast me aside because of that?

………

Hikaru: You already know the answer, do you not? Bloodshed is chained by the curse that is the counterbalance of good and evil. Those who wield a sword consider themselves as just, while labeling others as wicked. And thus, their struggle reaches the heights of absurdity. Those who speak ill of the way of the sword amount to nothing more than hypocrites. You are no such man. Therefore, what reason is there to refuse me? Be at ease. Desire only me. Long only for me…

I long… for someone… I reach out, trying to gather up the pieces of my mind.

Hikaru: Why do you desire something like that…? Such cold steel?

Hikaru: Such a thing is not fit for you. You chose me. I shield you, protect you, I soothe your heart, I put you at ease. Look only at me.

……….

Hikaru: Very well. Let us wash away all the doubts that cloud your soul. I ask of you the following:  now that Subaru is gone, your only chance for peace lies with me. Am I correct?

(The game actually makes you pick a choice between yes and no at each choice. I’m following a walkthrough to get the right choices.)

Yes.

Hikaru: Indeed…

Hikaru: The next one: do you condemn my actions?

No. (this is justified by a flashback to the death of Nitta Yuuhi. I suppose Kageaki has no right to criticize her.)

Hikaru: That’s right. Third question: did that steel spider try her best to protect you from all harm?

No.

Hikaru: Indeed. That thing exists only to strike your enemies down, not to protect you. Next question: all things considered, she brought you more pain than peace. Am I correct?

Yes.

Hikaru: Of course. Now, for the final question: the one and only person you long for is…?

Muramasa.

Hikaru: Why…? Why can’t you choose me? Why do you long only for that spider? Why, Kageaki?! Why?!

I reject you.

Hikaru: Wh-why…?

You and I are identical – our souls equally tainted by sin. And yet, we are different, for we live in different worlds.

Hikaru: Why..?!

Because… you are a dream.

Only a dream can declare itself to be perfect. You slaughter millions and press on towards your goal, never once questioning it. You have accepted yourself. That is the fundamental difference between you and I.

Therefore, I reject you, who firmly believes that her own path is unshakably correct. For I am flesh and blood – I cannot be like you, who narrow mindedly looks only at the path ahead.

Even if my gaze rests upon those in front of me, on all those I’ve saved… a mountain of corpses built from those I have sacrificed to get here towers behind me, and all around me.

I will not believe for a second that my path is the right one. Such is the fundamental difference between you and I.

Hikaru: Kageaki…

You are but a dream. I am flesh and blood. The two can never mingle.

The person I choose can only be somone like me – grounded in reality, and not a dream. One who walks this path of carnage together with me.

Kageaki: Therefore… there is only one person I can call out to.

Kageaki: Muramasa!!

Hikaru: Kageaki..!!

Muramasa and Kageaki seemingly escape from Hikaru’s clutches, however, she doesn’t give up so easily.

Hikaru: Muramasa…!! You’ve already taken Mother from me, and then Father… this time, you’re going to rob me of Kageaki as well?!

She is no longer a Musha. Her Tsurugi is in ruins. All that drives her now is pure anger, strength of will, madness, desperation, grief, despair. A violent storm of emotions longing for a sole desire.

Hikaru: Give him back…!! He chose you, you accursed spider! Are you planning to swallow him up, melting him into yourself?! Is that what you want, Muramasa?! Are you planning to take him away from me?! To a place far out of my reach?! If he succumbs to you, he will never be the same again! He will never look at me the same way ever again! I will never allow that…!!

Is Kageaki going to disappear… will I… ?

To me, that is not a problem.

…….

…….

…….

He…

He reached out to me…

…and I accepted him. We became one, and supported each other. I wanted him to be happy.

(this part is a bit tricky. Basically, the pronoun “I” is written with the kanji of watashi, but when it mirrors Kageaki’s thoughts, it’s being read as “ore” (masculine, semi-rude personal pronoun, normally never used by women. Well, except for Hikaru, but she’s special) and as watashi when referring to Muramasa.

Muramasa: Therefore…

Muramasa: I cannot possibly allow him to disappear…!

Hikaru: Give him back to me…!!

So Kageaki finally regains his senses and returns to his normal self, and he lands back on Earth, crashing into the ocean.

Muramasa: Forgive me, Midou… this happened because I simply… couldn’t let you go…

Kageaki: I have no regrets…

Mur: ………

Kageaki: The rest… is up to you…

Muramasa made no answer. My body was broken. She, too, was dying. We will not be able to do battle any longer.

And yet…

I have no regrets.

The counterbalance of good and evil. Those who murder to protect something are fated to lose the very thing they wanted to protect.

The hero who topples the tyrant eventually becomes a tyrant himself.

From the very beginning, there existed only one path for me.

Not the path of a hero.

Nor the path of renouncing the self.

I have to kill Minato Hikaru as myself. As Minato Kageaki. As her brother – her only remaining family.

Hikaru: Why…?! Why did he choose Muramasa? Why do I always lose everything dear to me? Why does everything I wish for always end up slipping through my fingers?! Why? Why…?!

Kageaki remembers the final words of Chachamaru, how Kageaki’s love for Hikaru is his curse.

Beyond the golden sky, she screamed in agony, in sorrow, in pity.

She is the very being who plotted to destroy this entire world.

And yet, I want to save her.

I want to embrace her.

That one, trembling young girl, utterly crushed by the weight of her loneliness.

I want to protect her, even if that act will make the entire world my enemy. Even if I have to sacrifice everything else.

I cannot bring myself to kill her.

Nonetheless, I’ll have to.

By overcoming this fundamental contradiction, Minato Kageaki has to kill Minato Hikaru.

Akitaka: I received this wound while I was protecting a female nurse from an aerial bombardment during my time on the battlefield. She was saved, but I wasn’t so lucky.

Akitaka: The elder’s anger is understandable. Now that I’ve become like this due to that injury, I cannot carry out my duty to the family any longer.

Akitaka: It truly pains me to have to force this duty on someone of your age, Kageaki. However…

Elder: You have no right to disobey. Hold him down and take him away!

Elder: Hmm… you are of no use to me like this. I suppose we have no choice but to drug you.

We then see Kageaki slashing the helmet.

Back to the real world and Hikaru.

Hikaru: Will you never become mine? Will you never long only for me?! If not… at the very least, I cannot allow anyone else to have you!

She unleashes a powerful attack that shakes the earth and the sea.

I have to stop her.

Kageaki: This… isn’t her fault…

Those were the thoughts that crossed my mind during the final moments of my life. For she is nothing but a dream.

If so, who is to blame?

Who alone must bear responsibility for what started on that day?

The Elder?

Minato Akitaka?

Minato Subaru?

No.

He takes out his blade.

Hikaru: Oh? Are you ready to face me, Kageaki? If so, prepare yourself! For we are bound by the law of Muramasa! If you kill me with hatred in your heart, the next person to die will be that spider of yours!

[ Ending song: "Deciduous" by Itou Kanako ]

Let us consider what a “cursed blade” entails.

It is created through strict theory; its power exercised based on principles of logic.

I have been told that I am not fit to wield a cursed blade, for it will bring nothing but sorrow to men.

I agreed. I was aware of my own foolishness, as well as my helplessness. That thought depressed me; made me yield. And thus, I made the decisions I made, did what I did.

However, one has to wonder if I was mistaken.

Precisely because I was not fit, should I not have struggled to change that?

Knowing that my actions would result in sorrow, should I not have struggled to bring happiness to this world?

Why could I not realize that?

Have I lost sight of my duty as family?

“You are not this child’s father. You will never be. You are not allowed to love her.”

“Please, look after her, not as her father…”

“…but as her brother.”

“Please… promise me that you will.”

The person who succumbed to a path leading to a wicked fate… is right here.

The one who should be judged… is me.

I alone should be struck down as an enemy…

I alone should be despised…

Minato Kageaki, with deep loathing aimed at himself…

…thus ended his own life.

With that action, the absolute law that bound him sprang into motion.

The counterbalance of good and evil.

Upon slaying one you detest from the bottom of your heart…

…you shall slay one you love with every fiber of your being.

My soul is overflowing with genuine love. Genuine affection.

The curse that binds these two young people now sends them flying towards each other.

Hikaru: Ah, that blade of his… I see… I see it all clearly now.

Hikaru: “The counterbalance of good and evil”. That law in itself is proof that love did exist!

She begins gently laughing to herself.

Hikaru: I’ve finally found love… It was right here… all along…

Hikaru: At long last, my wish has been granted. I have no more regrets…

Hikaru: This truly has been the sweetest of dreams…

Kageaki: Hikaru… HIKARU…!!

____________________________________________________________________

Credits roll, while the song “Muramasa” by Masatoshi Ono is playing. Also, I decided not to censor Hikaru’s final picture above because honestly, I think it would’ve ruined the scene. I think the image itself is fairly harmless, plus it’s not even pornographic.

After all is done… the game isn’t over yet!

To be continued in the Epilogue!