江戸柳生最強の剣士の一人。
感情を交えず、氷の理性ですべてを見据える合理性の鬼。
術理とは合理であり、すなわち剣きわまれば、自ずと無駄なくすべてが叶う───
情熱を口にせず、逸(はや)らず、焦らない。
目的へ到達するための最善、最短の手段を至極冷静に突き詰める。味方となれば頼もしいが、敵となればあまり に恐ろしい、氷にして鋼鉄の男。
身長/体重:181cm・71kg
出典:史実
地域:日本
属性:秩序・中庸 性別:男性
三代将軍・家光が宗矩を呼ぶ際の愛称は「柳但(りゅうたん)」であったと記録されている。柳生と但馬から一 文字ずつを取っての愛称である。
柳生石舟斎の子にして柳生十兵衛の父として知られる、剣の天才。
大坂夏の陣(1615年)では将軍秀忠を守り、武者七名を瞬時に斬り捨てたという。
将軍家光からは死後「剣術無双」と讃えられた。
兵法家にして政治家。諸大名やその子弟に新陰流を指南し、自らの弟子を有力な大名の剣術師範として送り込む などした。
時代小説や時代劇では稀代の陰謀家とされる。
江戸時代初期、柳生家の地位を一万二千五百石の大名にまで押し上げてみせたからには、清廉潔白なだけでは有 り得ないと考えられたのだろう。
先読みに長け、島原の乱の拡大をいち早く見抜いていたとも語られる。
寛永十四年(1637年)、キリシタン宗徒による反乱の報せが届いてすぐの頃、宗矩は追討使の任を受けた板 倉内膳正重昌を必死に引き留めようとした。何故と問い掛けた将軍家光に、宗矩は「宗教徒のいくさはすべて大 事」「重昌殿は討ち死にするでしょう」と答えたという。
事態は宗矩の読み通りに推移した。一万五千石の大名である重昌では、西国大名を率いるのに不足であり、結果 として苦戦を強いられたのである。状況を重く見た将軍家光は重臣・松平信綱を総大将として送り込んだが、重 昌はそれを知って焦り、信綱が到着するよりも前にと敵陣へ突撃し、あえなく討ち死にを遂げたの だった。
○新陰流:A++
柳生新陰流の奥義を修めている。
幼少から二十四才までの年月、宗矩は父宗厳(石舟斎)から直接剣を学び、育った。
本スキルをAランク以上で有する宗矩は、剣のわざのみならず、精神攻撃への耐性をも有している。参禅を必須 とする新陰流の達人は、惑わず、迷わない。
○無刀取り:A
剣聖・上泉信綱が考案し、柳生石舟斎が解明した奥義。
たとえ刀を持たずとも、新陰流の達人は武装した相手に勝つという。
『剣術無双・剣禅一如』
ランク:A 種別:対人奥義
レンジ:0~10 最大捕捉:1人
けんじゅつむそう・けんぜんいちにょ。
不動の心を持ちながら、同時に、自由に在れ───
沢庵和尚がかつて語った剣の極意は、ついに、柳生宗矩の中で完成を迎えた。
剣は生死の狭間にて大活し、禅は静思黙考のうち大悟へ至る。
無念無想の域から放たれる剣禅一如の一刀は、ただ一撃にて、必殺を為す。
生前、宗矩は武蔵の存在を非難したという逸話がある。宗矩は「武蔵は西軍の者」「徳川の敵」という旨の言葉 を述べた、と。
生前の宗矩は武蔵と激突する事はなかったし、相手をする事もなかったが、実のところ、気には留めていたのだ ───
と本作では定める。故に『英霊剣豪七番勝負』では武蔵との対決にこだわった。彼女が、自らの世界の「宮本武 蔵」とは別人だと知りながら。
英霊としてカルデアに召喚された宗矩は、武蔵の腕と在り方を認めている。自らの世界の「宮本武蔵」について どう思っているかは……今もって不明である。
Yagyuu “Tajima-no-Kami” Munenori
One of the strongest swordsmen of the Edo Yagyuu.
A demon of rationality that gaze at everything with a reasoning of ice, unswayed by emotion.
Methodology equals rationality; in other words, by mastering the sword, everything will naturally be fulfilled without any futility---
Never speaking of his passions, he does not become impetuous or impatient.
Thoroughly carries out the optimal, shortest measures in order to achieve an objective with the utmost coolness. A man of ice and steel who is reliable as an ally, but extremely terrifying once he becomes an enemy.
A genius of the sword known as the child of
Yagyuu Sekishuusai and the father of
Yagyuu Jubei.
It has been said that, during the siege of Osaka (1615 AD), he protected the
Shogun Hidetada by cutting down seven warriors in an instant.
After his death, Shogun Iemitsu extolled him as “peerless in swordsmanship”.
A strategist and politician. Not only he instructed many daimyou and their younger relatives in the Shinkage-ryuu, but also sent his disciples to serve influential daimyou as swordsmanship intructors.
In historical novels and historical plays, he is often regarded as an extraordinary plotter.
This is probably out of the notion that, in the early Edo period, it would be impossible to raise the Yagyuu clan up to a social position of a daimyou with 12,500
koku just by being honest and upright.
With excellent foresight, it has been said that he quickly saw through the expansion of the Shimabara Rebellion.
In the 14th year of the Kan'ei era (1637 AD), right after news of a rebellion by Christian believers arrived, Munenori frantically tried to hold back
Itakura “Naizen-no-Kami” Shigemasa, who was tasked with leading a punitive expedition. It has been said that, when asked why by Shogun Iemitsu, Munenori answered “
religious wars are always a serious matter” and “
Mr. Shigemasa will likely die in battle”.
The situation progressed as Munenori predicted. Shigemasa - a daimyou of 15,000 koku - was lacking in strength despite leading all the western daimyou and found himself forced into a hard fight as a result. As he saw the situation turn grimmer, Shogun Iemitsu dispatched his chief vassal,
Matsudaira Nobutsuna, to act as supreme commander, but Shigemasa became impatient upon learning that and attempted an assault on the enemy camp before Nobutsuna arrived, dying tragically in the process.
There are anecdotes of Munenori having criticized Musashi’s existence during his lifetime. He said things such as “
Musashi is a member of the Western Army” and “
an enemy of Tokugawa”.
In his lifetime, Munenori never clashed with nor even met Musashi, but was in fact mindful about him---
or so has been established in this work. Thus, he was fixated with showdown with Musashi during the “Seven Contests of Master Swordsmen Heroic Spirits”. Despite knowing that she was a different person than the “Miyamoto Musashi” from his own world.
The Munenori who was summoned to Chaldea as a Heroic Spirit has recognized Musashi’s skills and way of being. As for what he thinks of the “Miyamoto Musashi” of his own world... that remains unknown for now.
Height/Weight: 181cm・71kg
Source: Historical fact
Region: Japan
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Gender: Male
It has been recorded that the
Third Shogun・Iemitsu would call Munenori by the nickname “Ryutan”. A nickname formed by taking one kanji character each from “Yagyuu” and “Munenori”.
Shinkage-ryuu: A++
Has completely studied the secrets of the
Yagyuu Shinkageryuu.
From infancy until he was 24 years old, Munenori was raised while learning about the sword directly from his father, Munetoshi (Sekishuusai).
Being endowed with over
A Rank in this skill, Munenori possesses not only sword techniques, but also resistance to mental attacks. An expert of the Shinkage-ryuu - which views zen meditation as indispensable - has no doubts nor hesitates.
Mutou-dori: A
A secret elucidated by Yagyuu Sekishuusai, first deviced by the master swordsman Kamiizumi Nobutsuna.
It is said that, even without holding a blade, an expert of the Shinkage-ryuu wins over an armed opponent.(1)
NOBLE PHANTASM
Kenjutsu Musou・Kenzen Ichinyo(2)
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 0~10
Maximum Targets: 1 person
Be free while possessing an unshakable heart---
The deepest level of the sword that
Takuan Souhou once spoke of have, finally, achieved perfection within Yagyuu Menenori.
A sword shows its true worth in the threshold of life and death, while Zen reaches enlightenment during meditation.
The single sword brandish of kenzen ichinyo, released from a state of being free from worldly thoughts, accomplishes sure-kill while being just a single attack.
(1) in simple terms, this is a more advanced version of that trick of “catching” a swinging sword barehanded
(2) roughly, “peerless in swordsmanship・the ultimate mental state of the sword and the mental state free of worldly thoughts from zen meditation are one and the same”