Under Leo's lead, Yuuki Asuna once again arrived in the basement, reaching the Magic Circle where the mountain of books had been moved from yesterday.
"Zheng—"
The Magic Circle emitted a red glow, with lines as its starting point, raising barriers of light, from which a figure emerged.
The figure slowly walked out, sighing as she did so.
"The present world, it's been a long time since I've returned."
Her voice was neither pleasant nor soft, even a bit rough, but when Leo and Yuuki Asuna both clearly saw the full appearance of the person who walked out of the Magic Circle, they both froze.
It was simply because, no matter from what angle one looked, she was a woman who made people feel incredibly striking.
The woman wore a trendy blue short-skirted kimono, with a red maple leaf haori tied around her waist, two swords at her side, and slightly reddish white hair tied up; she had a graceful figure and fair skin, appearing both dignified and alluring, making people unconsciously drawn to her.
"You are...?"
Leo was both surprised by her dignified and alluring appearance and felt a sense of familiarity.
The Female Swordswoman immediately cast her gaze towards Leo, then revealed a refreshingly clear smile.
"You must be Young Master Leo Erigid, right?" The Female Swordswoman laughed heartily, then actually wiped the corner of her mouth and mumbled, "What an incredible young man, it seems I haven't come to the wrong place."
"You... you are my sword instructor?" Yuuki Asuna looked at her, asking with some uncertainty.
"Oh, oh, you're the 'Knight' that Sona-sama mentioned, who needs sword instruction, right?" The Female Swordswoman sized up Yuuki Asuna, then smiled, "Hmm, hmm, she's also an incredible young woman; I'm already starting to look forward to the upcoming lessons."
Leo and Yuuki Asuna's eyelids twitched slightly.
Why did this person feel so unreliable?
She was clearly an alluring Female Swordswoman, so why did she give off the vibe of a lecherous old man?
Yuuki Asuna already felt like retreating a thousand paces, while Leo felt the other party becoming increasingly familiar.
"Excuse me, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
Leo asked directly.
"You're right, my apologies, that was rude of me."
The alluring Female Swordswoman scratched her head as if embarrassed, then grinned.
"I am Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara Genshin; Young Master Eligor and Miss Yuuki can just call me Musashi."
Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara Genshin... Hearing this name, Leo and Yuuki Asuna first murmured it, and a few seconds later, both their expressions changed.
"You are Miyamoto Musashi...? !"
Yuuki Asuna exclaimed.
Leo also looked at her with burning eyes, finally understanding why he felt she was familiar.
Miyamoto Musashi, this is a name known in this country by everyone from octogenarians to three-year-olds.
He was a swordsman from the late Sengoku period and early Edo period, born in Sakushu, which is present-day Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture; his childhood name was Bennosuke, and because his father was a martial arts instructor serving the Shinmen family, lords of Takeyama Castle, he was granted the name Shinmen by his lord, thus becoming a martial arts master known as Shinmen Munisai; he once established a Jitte-ryu dojo in Miyamoto Village, Yoshino-go, and considered that place his hometown, so he later took Miyamoto as his surname, becoming the widely known Miyamoto Musashi.
He left behind many legendary stories in history, especially in the decade of his twenties when he clashed with numerous martial arts masters, created his own Niten Ichi-ryū sword style, experienced over sixty duels in his lifetime without a single defeat, and even defeated seventy-six members of the Yoshioka school; his decisive battle with Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryu Island is still considered a classic among classics to this day, becoming one of the popular topics in entertainment programs.
Throughout his life, he participated in various battles, including but not limited to the Battle of Sekigahara, the Osaka Campaign, and the Shimabara Rebellion; in his later years, he served the Hosokawa family and authored military treatises such as "Hyodo Kyojin," "The Book of Five Rings," "Goho no Tachi Michi no Jo," and "Heihō Sanjūgo Kajō," earning him the title of the strongest swordsman in history.
Now, this strongest swordsman, renowned throughout history, actually appeared here?
Moreover, in the form of a woman.
This... was simply astonishing.
"As expected, you don't want to believe it, do you?" Miyamoto Musashi seemed to be accustomed to such reactions from others, saying somewhat helplessly, "Although I can understand, it's still a bit disheartening to always have my identity questioned."
"So?" Leo already had the answer in his heart, but still feigned surprise, "Are you truly Miyamoto Musashi herself?"
"It's me, Miyamoto Musashi of Niten Ichi-ryū, no doubt about it." Miyamoto Musashi was still smiling, but her eyes had become much more serious, saying, "As for the matter of my gender being different from what you all know, the reason is actually very simple: I merely concealed that fact when I was human."
"There was my father's wish for a son to inherit everything from him, and also the circumstances of that era that forced one to make such a choice."
"In my era, how should I put it, if a girl carried a sword and went to challenge those famous swordsmen, she would probably not only be looked down upon but also be swept out the door without even meeting anyone, right?"
Although Miyamoto Musashi was the strongest swordsman in history, what was most talked about during her lifetime were the countless challenges she undertook before achieving the title of the strongest.
She was essentially a ronin, and before establishing a dojo in Miyamoto Village, Yoshino-go, her favorite thing to do was to seek out famous swordsmen everywhere and challenge them.
Therefore, her making such a choice doesn't seem incomprehensible, does it?
"I had thought I would live my entire life as a man, until death, but fortunately, I encountered another world, a stronger, more fascinating world, one more worthy of challenge."
Miyamoto Musashi smiled very happily.
"So, when that esteemed individual extended an olive branch to me, hoping I could become her Retainer, her 'Knight,' I accepted without hesitation."
Since then, Miyamoto Musashi regained her female form and has lived until now.
He... no, it should be she now.
Centuries have passed since her time as a human; if she were still human, she would have long since returned to dust, but since she has become a Demon, these centuries are nothing.
Hundreds of years are truly insignificant compared to the tens of thousands of years that Demons can live.
Yuuki Asuna was already feeling dizzy from such a surreal situation, while Leo was somewhat blaming himself for not paying attention to who the Demon Lord's Retainers were, to the extent that he had no idea that this world's Miyamoto Musashi was still alive, and was even that female Musashi, and that she had become a Retainer of the current Demon Lord Leviathan; it was truly quite peculiar.
However... "To have Miyamoto Musashi herself guide your swordsmanship, it seems you really need to work hard, Asuna."
Leo turned to Yuuki Asuna beside him, speaking with a teasing tone.
"Well, don't say that; I was already running a dojo, so teaching apprentices is just getting back to my old profession."
Although Miyamoto Musashi was an alluring Female Swordswoman, her every move still showed the forthrightness of a male swordsman; her habits from her human life were deeply ingrained in her instincts, though the way she looked at him with shining eyes made Leo feel a bit uncomfortable.
Leo vaguely remembered that this historical figure, though male in gender, was actually female, and without a doubt, her preference was still for men, and she especially liked delicious and handsome young men... He wouldn't have been taken a liking to, would he?
Was this a gain, or a huge loss?
"Um... please take care of me."
Yuuki Asuna finally accepted the reality before her, hesitated for a while, and eventually bowed to Miyamoto Musashi.
"You don't have to be so polite; I don't care much for worldly etiquette; let's just get along as friends." Miyamoto Musashi smiled at Yuuki Asuna, "Again, you can just call me Musashi."
"Then I won't be polite." Leo nodded while Yuuki Asuna was still hesitating, then asked, "Since Miss Musashi is a Retainer of the current Demon Lord Leviathan, her rank as a Demon should be quite high, right?"
In response to Leo's question, Miyamoto Musashi shook her head.
"Young Master Eligor thinks too highly of me; although I am a Demon Lord's Retainer, my talent in magic power is not particularly high; even after hundreds of years, my rank among Demons is only equivalent to that of a Mid-level Demon."
Saying this, Miyamoto Musashi spread her Demon wings; there were two pairs, four wings in total, which indeed only corresponded to the rank of a Mid-level Demon.
"This body's only truly commendable skill is the sword, with no superfluous movements; one slash, three bows, the culmination of training is to reach infinity, a distant dream that is a single slash capable of subduing time and space—"
Miyamoto Musashi placed her hand on the sword at her waist, and an expression filled with fighting spirit, enough to make any warrior instinctively tremble, appeared on her face.
At this moment, regardless of Yuuki Asuna, Leo genuinely felt a deadly threat.
This Female Swordswoman before him, although her Demon rank was lower than his, with the two swords in her hands, the power she could unleash was definitely stronger than his!
And by a great deal!
At the very least, he, without using a Sacred Gear, would absolutely not be her opponent!
This was a swordswoman capable of contending with a Highest-level Demon, whose strength far exceeded her rank as a Demon!
"Following my master's instructions, I've come here to teach you what the sword is."
Miyamoto Musashi said to Yuuki Asuna.
"Without further ado, let's begin immediately."