After parting with Alec and the others, Miko followed the servants of the Tertitus Branch deeper into the desert world.
He past the sea of golden sand and reached a beautiful oasis in the Northern side of the world.
When he reached the oasis, he saw a huge river as well as a waterfall.
“Since when oasis have waterfalls?”
Miko mumbled to himself.
“Hm?”
He soon noticed that the servants had stopped at the edge of the oasis, as if refusing to enter it.
Miko only glimpsed at them, before dwelling deeper.
He walked towards the waterfall with a carefree step.
When he reached the waterfall, he noticed that there was someone sitting under it on a rock, allowing the water to beat their body.
“Wow, how cliché.”
Miko said as he walked closer.
It was then that he could see Kirika clearly.
She was wrapped in a black robe, which stuck to her body and showed her alluring figure, thanks to the water.
“Thanks for the treat.”
Miko clasped his hands in a prayer and said.
It was then that Kirika opened her eyes.
“You’re here.”
She stood up and caused the water falling down on her to splash around.
A drop hit Miko’s skin.
“Hot!”
He shouted.
“Wait, this isn’t water.”
He said as he examined the liquid.
“It’s hot mercury? But it’s transparent. Then it’s a special type of liquid?”
Miko was perplex as he examined the dense liquid.
“You actually allow something so hot and heavy to beat down on your body?”
He asked.
Kirika nodded.
“My sword style requires me to be swift as a bird, while having overbearing momentum like a dragon. I use this waterfall to beat my body into shape, so I can do just that.”
She replied.
She walked on the surface of strange liquid and approached Miko.
“This entire oasis is my personal domain. Everything here was designed to sharpen my body like a blade.”
Miko looked around the oasis again and realized that everything wasnt what it seemed originally.
The trees weren’t made of wood, but some type of elastic material.
He guessed that Kirika strike these trees with her sword to train the amount of damage her blade can produce.
‘If that’s true, then these trees are one hell of a shock absorbent.’
Miko thought.
He soon noticed that everything in this oasis was strange, but other than the trees he failed to comprehend how they were strange.
“Your observation skills are quite good. That’s a plus for swordsmen.”
Kirika spoke to him while she changed out of her robes and into something that restricts less movement.
“I’m used to be on the lookout all the time, so my observation skills naturally are above normal.”
Miko replied while keenly watching her change.
He watched as Kirika stripped down to her bra and panties before putting on a sweat pants and shirt.
“I thought you would use a device to change instantly, considering the technology your branch possesses.”
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“I’m more old fashioned compared to everyone else when it comes to a lot of things.”
She said as she wrapped her hair into a ponytail.
“Let’s go. I’ll show you where we’ll train.”
She said before walking deeper into the oasis.
Miko silently followed behind her.
“How big is this place?”
“About 3000km sq.”
Kirika answered.
“That’s quite the oasis.”
“I need at least that to train my sword art.”
Kirika then looked like she just realized something.
“This is a good time for me to explain to you the sword art that you’ll be learning.”
She looked back at Miko.
“But first, I need to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Have you’ve ever heard of the Wakoku Nation?”
Kirika asked.
“Wakoku?”
Miko repeated the name and entered deep thought.
“It’s sounds familiar….”
He mumbled.
‘Ah. Wakoku is one of the names for ancient Japan.’
He thought to himself.
“Seems like you haven’t heard of it.”
Said Kirika.
“It isn’t surprising though. The Wakoku Nation is a secluded country that doesnt really allow visitors or its people to leave, so it isn’t really famous to the general public.”
She explained.
“But it’s an earth shattering name to those in the swordsman circles.”
She added.
“The Wakoku Nation is located at the southern tip of Demon Continent. It consists of a group of islands actually, as such a lot of them don’t consider themselves apart of the mainland.”
‘Sounds like Japan during the Edo Period.’
Miko thought to himself.
Kirika continued.
“The Wakoku Nation is the birth place of some of history’s greatest martial arts. It’s one of the few countries in the world where Qi is more popular than magic.”
‘Well, that isn’t surprising.’
Miko thought.
“It’s also the birth place of the greatest swordsmen to ever live.”
Kirika voice suddenly became excited.
“Hey, have you’ve ever heard of the Seven Swords Of Lucifer?”
“They’re a group of swordsman that serves under Lucifer’s Proxy, Nine Hells Dante, right?”
Kirika nodded.
“They’re recognized as the greatest swordsmen alive with almost no equals.”
She got even more excited.
“The Morningstar Empire that Nine Hells Dante rules consists of 9 main countries publicly known as the 9 Hells. Each of the Seven Swords controls the first to the seventh hell (Country) leaving Dante to rule the 8th hell and Lucifer himself to reside in the 9th Hell.”
The Morningstar empire consists of countless countries, but the 9 largest are under Dante’s direct control and are valued the most by him.
“Each of the Seven Swords are said to be able to slay a Higher being on Hercules level if the Class System wasn’t in place.”
Kirika added.
“Hercules? That’s pretty amazing.”
Miko said honestly.
“And what makes them even more amazing is the fact that none of them are Proxies are even Dante’s Apostles. Meaning that they’re that strong on their own.”
“I see. So that’s why they’re considered the best.”
Kirika nodded.
“Of the 7 of them, currently 4 of them are related to the Wakoku Nation in someway. There was once a time when all of them were from the Wakoku Nation.”
“Wait. What do you mean by there was once a time? Are there different generations of the Seven Swords of Lucifer?”
Kirika nodded again.
“The Seven Swords are incredible but they aren’t invincible. A couple have fallen in battle and had their titles stripped from them. For example, one can challenge any of the Seven Swords for their title. If you win, you join their ranks. If you lose you die. Oh, the Seven Swords are forbidden from turning down a challenge, if they do Dante will strip them of their title himself and past it to a more worthy successor.”
She explained.
“However, the current Seven Swords are easily the strongest of all the previous ones, in the 8000 year period that the group existed. Especially the top 3, who are the only survivors of the original Seven Swords who fought with Dante.”
“The top 3?”
“The Gold Swordsman, The Platinum Swordsman, and the Diamond Swordsman.”
“The 7 Swords are named after minerals?”
Kirika nodded.
“Stone, Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond. The Seven Swords have these in their title with stone as the lowest rank and Diamond as the highest. Also their swords are made from the material their names after.”
“You mean the Stone Swordsman has a sword made of stone, and the Diamond Swordsman has a sword made of diamonds?”
Kirika nodded.
‘This shit just got a whole lot weirder.’
Miko thought to himself.
“You singled out the top 3 earlier, are they really that strong?”
Miko asked.
Kirika nodded with a serious expression.
“They’re strong. In fact, they’re so strong that legends states that during the War For Supremacy they defended the Wakoku Nation against god’s like Thor and Indra, as well as forcing Ares/Mars to flee for his life.”
“?!”
This news shocked Miko greatly.
He was so shocked that he immediately entered his soul.
He immediately appeared in front of Augustus, and saw him standing with a serious face.
“I know what you wanna ask, so I’ll get to the point.”
He then said-
“Those three that Kirika mentioned were as equally famous as myself and for a good reason. Meet Devils, Slay Devils. Meet Gods, slay gods. Those were the words that best described them.”
“Have you’ve ever fought them?”
Miko asked.
Augustus nodded.
“The result?”
“I’ve fought all three and drew against all three. But that was when I was a kid, I’m sure I would win now.....Probably."
Augustus said with a laugh.
“………”
Miko was silent when he heard that.
He quickly returned to the real world.
“What are the those three called?”
He calmly asked Kirika.
“The Golden Swordsman is called Kinsuke Kashima, the Platinum Swordsman is called Shiroka Kashima. The Diamond Swordsman is called Daiya Kashima.”
“Kashima….Don’t tell me they’re descendants of Takemikazuchi.”
Takemikazuchi, the Japanese god of swords and thunder as well as military affairs.
“They were his children. Making them even older than our grandfathers.”
Miko remembered way back when he asked who the world strongest were.
He remembered asking who was the strongest mortal, the answer was that there were too many old monsters in hiding to be sure.
Right now he felt like that was indeed true.
Just think about it, Dante had monsters like them as his subordinates and still couldn’t win this war. So that means that they’re bigger monsters out there standing in his way.
“Oh, I should state that Dante is also a Swordsman and he trained in Wakoku under these three when he was exiled from the Diabolus clan for being too weak.”
Kirika added.
“The Wakoku Nation….”
Miko was beginning to understand that this country might be a den of monsters.
“Kirika, you asked me if I knew about the Wakoku Nation before you explained the sword art you practiced. Does that mean that it’s an art that hails from that nation?”
Kirika nodded.
“My sword art, Raging Dragon Style, is one of the five prominent sword styles used in Wakoku.”