Chapter 954: Greatest Swordsmen of the Oni Gate

The crowd continued chanting Vergil's name, while the magical cameras insisted on following his every movement. The Demon King had already given up trying to understand why his presence was causing such a commotion and simply settled back onto the sofa, ignoring the giant screens that were still displaying his face.

"I just wanted to watch a fucking fight..." Vergil grumbled, crossing his arms as he watched Inari calmly sip her tea. "You people can turn anything into a spectacle."

"You just threatened an entire stadium because you were getting impatient," Inari replied with an amused smile, one of her tails swaying behind the sofa. "I don't think you're in any position to complain about spectacles."

Vergil opened his mouth to respond, but an explosion of fireworks interrupted their conversation. The coliseum lights dimmed, and the enormous screens finally stopped displaying his face, turning their attention toward the central arena.

A series of drumbeats began echoing through the stands.

This time, however, the sound was accompanied by a noticeable change in the atmosphere.

"FINALLY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Bob Derrew's voice resonated throughout the coliseum, causing thousands of spectators to immediately rise to their feet. "AFTER CENTURIES OF ANTICIPATION, THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!"

Vergil raised his head.

"Finally," he muttered, making himself more comfortable on the sofa as Stella sat beside him with a plate of sweets.

Susanoo immediately abandoned the glass she was holding and approached the window, displaying a level of excitement Vergil had rarely seen from her.

"Pay attention, kid," Susanoo remarked, placing her hands on her hips. "You came to the Oni Gate looking for a sword master. Now you'll have the opportunity to observe one of the greatest swordsmen who ever lived."

The enormous gates at the eastern end of the arena began to open.

The grinding of the mechanisms was drowned out by the crowd's cheers as a solitary figure emerged from the dark passageway.

"ON THE EASTERN SIDE, WE HAVE A MAN WHOSE NAME HAS ECHOED THROUGH THE CENTURIES!" Bob announced, his enthusiasm steadily increasing. "A WARRIOR WHO DEDICATED HIS EXISTENCE TO THE WAY OF THE SWORD! THE CREATOR OF NITEN ICHI-RYŪ, THE TWO-SWORD STYLE!"

The figure slowly advanced.

He was a tall man with a lean build, though well-defined muscles were visible beneath his traditional clothing. His black hair was tied into a messy topknot, with several strands sticking out toward the back, while a short, uneven beard framed the stern features of his face.

He wore a dark blue kimono, partially open across his chest, with wide sleeves and black hakama pants that swayed gently with each step. Two swords hung from his waist, one long and the other shorter, both resting in simple sheaths.

There was no ornate armor, no jewelry, and no attempt to impress the spectators.

The man didn't even seem interested in the crowd.

He walked calmly, one hand resting near his waist, surveying the arena as though he were arriving for an ordinary training session.

"A MAN WHO TURNED COMBAT INTO A PHILOSOPHY! THE LEGEND WHO CONTINUES TO PERFECT HIS TECHNIQUE EVEN AFTER DEATH!" Bob continued as the cameras zoomed in on the swordsman's face. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME... MUSASHI MIYAMOTO!"

The coliseum erupted into applause.

Musashi didn't wave.

He simply walked to his position and stopped, calmly examining the terrain.

Vergil leaned forward.

For the first time since arriving at the stadium, his expression showed genuine interest.

"So that's Musashi Miyamoto..." Vergil murmured, carefully examining the man's posture. "Interesting."

"Can you see it?" Susanoo asked, watching his face with a satisfied smile.

"Yes," Vergil replied, narrowing his eyes. "The way he walks. His balance, weight distribution, hand positioning... There's practically no unnecessary movement."

Susanoo nodded.

"Musashi doesn't need to display his power to impress someone who understands swords," the goddess explained, watching the swordsman subtly adjust the position of his feet. "He's spent centuries refining every movement. Even the way he breathes is part of his technique."

Vergil continued watching.

Musashi appeared completely relaxed, but there was something unusual about that tranquility. His body was positioned in such a way that he could draw either of his swords without needing to readjust his stance.

It was a level of naturalness that Vergil was still trying to develop during his training with Susanoo.

"Now I understand why Scathach wanted me to meet him," Vergil remarked with a faint smile.

Susanoo seemed pleased.

However, before she could respond, the arena lights changed once again.

This time, a violet glow began illuminating the western end of the coliseum.

"BUT DON'T THINK OUR FIRST COMPETITOR WILL HAVE AN EASY TIME!" Bob announced as enormous bluish flames erupted around the opposite entrance. "BECAUSE HIS OPPONENT ISN'T JUST A WARRIOR! SHE'S A LEGEND EVEN AMONG THE ONI THEMSELVES!"

Vergil raised an eyebrow.

"His opponent is a woman?" he repeated, glancing at Susanoo.

The Goddess of Storms merely smiled.

"You'll understand."

The western gates began to open.

A wave of demonic pressure swept across the arena, accompanied by the scent of sake and a woman's laughter echoing through the passageway.

"AN EXISTENCE THAT TERRORIZED ANCIENT JAPAN! THE SOVEREIGN OF MOUNT ŌE! THE ONE WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH COUNTLESS TALES OF TERROR, FEASTS, AND BATTLES!"

The violet smoke began to dissipate.

And someone emerged from the passageway.

Vergil blinked.

Then blinked again.

It was a very young-looking girl of short stature, with violet hair cut just above her shoulders. Two long, reddish horns emerged from her head, curving slightly backward, while a small golden ornament decorated her bangs.

She wore traditional Japanese attire in shades of purple, red, and gold, with wide, ornate sleeves. Small sake gourds were attached to her clothing, and a red lantern hung from one side.

But the most impressive detail was her sword.

The weapon was absurdly large compared to its wielder. It had a long silver blade, an elaborate golden guard, and an ornate blue structure near the hilt.

The girl carried the enormous thing with one hand, casually resting it on her shoulder as she walked.

"PLEASE WELCOME THE GREATEST ONI IN HISTORY!" Bob shouted, practically rising from his chair. "THE SOVEREIGN OF THE MOUNTAIN DEMONS! SHUTEN-DŌJI!"

The entire coliseum seemed to tremble.

The Oni in the stands began roaring and stomping their feet, while thousands of violet flags were raised by the spectators.

Shuten flashed a carefree smile, revealing small, sharp fangs, and raised her free hand to greet the crowd.

Vergil remained motionless.

He looked at the girl.

Then at the sword.

Then back at the girl.

Finally, he turned toward Susanoo.

"Hold on a second..." Vergil began, slowly pointing toward the arena. "Why the hell is there a loli carrying a gigantic sword?"

Susanoo burst out laughing.

"That's Shuten-dōji," the goddess replied, crossing her arms, apparently pleased by his surprise.

"I heard the name!" Vergil replied, looking back at the small figure walking across the arena. "But I thought Shuten-dōji was supposed to be some gigantic brute! A five-meter-tall Oni, covered in muscles, four arms, a hideous face... something like that!"

Tsukuyomi began chuckling softly.

"Are you a little disappointed?" the Goddess of the Moon asked, observing Vergil's genuinely confused expression.

"Disappointed? I'm trying to understand how this girl can be the greatest Oni in history!" Vergil replied as Shuten raised her sword to salute the audience. "Look at the size of that weapon! It's practically bigger than she is!"

Stella leaned forward to get a better look.

"She really is small," Stella remarked while chewing on a sweet, examining the enormous sword with curiosity. "But the amount of energy she's hiding is considerable."

Nivara nodded.

"Don't judge by appearances," the Dragon Empress remarked, watching Shuten with slightly greater interest. "That Oni is compressing an absurd amount of energy inside her body. At least she's not an embarrassment like that flying centipede from earlier."

Crymsaria, who had finally finished her bowl of ramen, looked toward the arena.

"I like the sword," she commented, examining the gigantic blade. "And the gourds. I wonder if she shares her sake?"

Vergil ignored the question.

"But why that appearance?" Vergil insisted, turning back toward Susanoo. "Couldn't she take on a more intimidating form?"

"She can assume other forms," Susanoo replied, watching Shuten stop in front of Musashi. "But she prefers this one. Shuten has always enjoyed defying other people's expectations."

"She's succeeding," Vergil muttered, crossing his arms.

That was when Inari let out a little giggle behind him.

"What's the matter, darling?" the Fox Goddess asked, resting her cheek against one hand as she watched Vergil with obvious amusement. "You're so curious about her... Why don't you go find out whether Shuten is as easy to seduce as I am?"

Vergil slowly turned his head.

He looked at Inari.

Then at her nine tails, which had begun subtly swaying.

"I asked why she looks like a child, not because I wanted to hit on her," Vergil replied, raising an eyebrow. "You're desperate to bring the conversation back to seduction, aren't you?"

Susanoo burst into laughter.

Tsukuyomi hid her smile behind her hand.

Stella began laughing as Inari narrowed her eyes, realizing that her attempt at teasing him had backfired.

"You're truly unbearable," Inari grumbled, crossing her arms as she tried to keep her tails still.

"And you still can't stop wagging those things," Vergil replied with a satisfied smile, subtly pointing behind her.

"They're tails, you idiot!" Inari retorted as one of them involuntarily struck the side of the sofa, sending Susanoo into another fit of laughter.

However, the excitement in the VIP room subsided when Musashi finally raised his head to observe his opponent.

Shuten had stopped a few meters away from him.

The Oni rested her enormous sword on her shoulder and tilted her head slightly, displaying a confident smile.

"It's been quite a while, Musashi," Shuten remarked, her violet eyes examining the swordsman. "I hope you've improved since last time. I don't want to get bored."

Musashi let out a small sigh.

"You still talk too much," the swordsman replied, subtly adjusting the position of the two swords at his waist. "I hope you've learned to control that weapon a little better."

Shuten's smile widened.

"Ah, don't you worry! I'm going to have plenty of fun this time!" she replied, removing the sword from her shoulder and resting its tip against the ground, producing a small crack in the stone.

Vergil watched the movement.

His smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a focused expression.

"Susanoo..." Vergil called, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "That sword is much heavier than it looks, isn't it?"

"Much heavier," Susanoo replied, approaching the window. "And Shuten can swing it at an absurd speed. Don't let her appearance fool you."

Vergil nodded.

In the arena, Musashi finally placed his hand on the hilt of his katana.

It was a small movement.

Almost imperceptible.

However, Shuten immediately stopped smiling and adjusted her own stance.

The change was so sudden that Vergil noticed it before either of them had even drawn a weapon.

"Ah..." Vergil murmured, an interested smile appearing on his face. "Now we're talking."

The enormous screens displayed the faces of both competitors.

Bob Derrew took a deep breath in front of the microphone.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE TWO GREATEST NAMES IN THE HISTORY OF THE ONI GATE ARE FINALLY FACE-TO-FACE!" the announcer declared as the final protective barriers were activated around the arena. "PREPARE YOURSELVES, BECAUSE THIS CLASH WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR GENERATIONS!"

Vergil said nothing.

His eyes were fixed on Musashi.

For the first time since arriving at the Oni Gate, he had the opportunity to observe a swordsman who might be able to teach him something that not even his absurd strength could replace.

And he had no intention of missing a single movement of that battle.