Saber of EmpireoWP (セイバー・エンピレオ, Seibā Enpireo?) is one of the seven Heroic Spirit Swordmasters created by Ashiya Douman in the Shimosa Singularity in Fate/Grand Order.
Profile
Identity
Possessing the Cursed Name Saber of Empireo, the True Name of Empireo's vessel is Yagyuu Munenori. Differing from the other Heroic Spirit Swordmasters, Empireo was a living version of Munenori native to the Shimosa Singularity.
A younger "What-If" version of Munenori summoned during the Waxing Moon Ritual makes mention of having met a "Flower at the Apex of Heaven", a title Miyamoto Musashi possesses, whom he fought to his death in another world, reaching out in his desire to fight them even if it lies in hellfire, implying that he is a younger version of Empireo that fought Musashi in the Shimosa Singularity. This is something which Musashi of the Waxing Moon Ritual acknowledges, noting she doesn't have the same blade she used in their last duel, his swordsmanship being just as magnificent she remembered it, and Munenori being different from the person he was "at that time".
Appearance
Personality
Heroic Spirit Munenori appraises his other self as being immature, someone who had not completely mastered himself. Munenori states he in some sense envies Empireo whose fateful encounter with Musashi is what drove him to give into that side of himself.[1]
Role
Fate/Grand Order
Musashi Trial Quest
During Musashi's travels through alternate worlds, she fights Munenori briefly before deciding to run away. As she enters through the portal to the next world, he lands a strike that hits her head, knocks her out, and causes her brief amnesia in the next world. After she disappears, he says he will remember her name.[2]
Subspecies Singularity III: Shimosa
Desiring to duel Musashi again, Munemori joined Amakusa Shirou Tokisada as one of his Heroic Spirit Swordmaster as the only human member. His Cursed Name is Saber of Empireo.[3]
Disguised, he and his fellow Swordmasters first encounter Ritsuka’s party as they tried to cut through a bamboo forest to reach Onui and Tasuke’s hermitage. He reprimands his fellows for not focusing on killing the group as ordered. He then demands the group hand Houzouin Inshun over, stating everyone will be massacred afterwards. Inshun fights him with the aid of his Noble Phantasm while the others escapes. He eventually pierces his heart, but finds he cannot move his spear. Munenori reveals such attacks would kill a human or Heroic Spirit, and introduces himself by his Cursed Name. He then orders Ashiya Douman to cast the Curse of Annihilation to turn Inshun into the final Swordmaster: Lancer of Purgatorio.[4]
At Katori Shrine, Munenori disagrees with Douman that Inshun fulfilled his role as a Swordsmaster, saying he failed to take even a hundred lives. Despite that though, Amakusa Shirou says Inshun still served as an excellent cornerstone for the Onriedo. Douma agrees with him and Munenori, saying the souls of Heroic Spirits are insufficient to manifest the Onriedo. Thus, the grieving souls slaughtered by the Swordmasters are also needed. After Amakusa Shirou leaves to prepare for the Onriedo’s arrival, Douman and Munenori both agree he doesn’t see Musashi as a threat. Munenori questions if Douman is up to the task of killing Musashi, as she was to be to kill Inshun. He dismisses Katou Danzou’s offer to assassinate Ritsuka and Mash, pointing out a mechanical doll like her could never hope to be a match for Musashi. He also dismisses Douman’s orders for her as the latter playing with dolls.[5]
Later as Tajima-no-Kami, he leads a procession of 500 samurai from Edo to Toke Castle town. Introducing himself as chief inspector for the shogunate, he explains he and the samurai are on an official mission to bring those responsible for the massacres in southern Shimousa to justice with Matsudaira’s cooperation. He then confronts Musashi, recalling they dueled six months ago. He decides to duel her to determine her intentions when monsters fly in from the south. As another wave comes, he orders Sakon to get the townsfolk out of the vicinity. After the monsters are slain, he orders Sakon to tell Matsudaira to deploy archers. He also orders to concentrate their forces to the south, believing the castle can have the bare minimum of soldiers. After the samurai leave, Ritsuka tells Munenori their assumption that Tomoe (whom they only know as Archer) is leading the monsters. Munenori tells the group that a hundred of his finest men will confront Tomoe as a diversion while they ambush her from behind. He advises them to go through the mountain pass to do so. He then introduces Danzou as the spy who saw Tomoe leading the monsters. She will also serve as the group’s guide through the mountain pass.[6]
After Tomoe is slain, Munenori tasks Musashi with checking Shimosa for any remaining monsters.[7] He and Kiyohime later meet with Ritsuka’s party in Toke Castle after learning a letter was sent there, threatening to assassinate her. She tells the group that many were killed when the letter was delivered. Despite having the castle guards and 300 of Munenori’s samurai to protect her, she asks the group to protect her as well. Munenori agrees with Kiyohime’s guard that allowing the group to protect her would threaten the clan, if it were peacetime. If a skilled warrior is ready and willing to fight monsters, then their station in life is irrelevant. Munenori can attest to the group’s skills himself, recounting that his samurai are still singing their praises. He then leaves the room threatening to behead the group if they fail to protect Kiyohime.[8]
At Katori Shrine, he reports the great pentagram being drawn in secret via Jesuit sorcery is nearing completion, adding to Douman’s own report that Chiyome and Danzou have laid the groundwork for the Onriedo by spreading fear. He considers it a hassle though that they have to wait to destroy humanity, wanting to cut them all down at once.[9]
The next night at Toke Castle, Munenori orders his samurai to increase security. He claims his samurai were slow to act against Chiyome last night because of their large numbers while asserting smaller numbers would invite monsters to quickly adapt. He soon senses Chiyome has returned, and leads his samurai against her monsters while the group slays the Orcochi she summoned. Afterwards, he then witnesses them fight Chiyome, and the entranced Kiyohime.[9] During the battle, he ordered Danzou to remain outside the castle.[10]
After Chiyome is slain, Munenori has Ritsuka's party removed from the castle, claiming they'll disrupt his plan to keep Kiyohime safe. He also has Danzou accompany the group to ensure they safely return to the hermitage, while gathering information around Shimosa.[10] He also ordered her to help them slay the remaining Swordmasters.[11]
When Toke Castle became Onriedo Castle, Munenori and his samurai slay the monsters long enough for most of the survivors to escape.[12]
On the Onriedo Castle’s 4th floor, Munenori seemingly slays Douman when he tried to ambush Musashi. He removes his disguise to reveal himself to be Saber of Empireo, the final and only human Swordmaster. Fuuma Kotarou points out not even a Servant can withstand the transformation that comes from having the Curse’s karma implanted in them. Munenori assures him he is still human though. He finds it ironic that he was praised as Shimosa’s protector when his true goal was the opposite. He then confesses his motive for becoming a Swordmaster and readies himself to duel Musashi. After Kotarou and Senji Muramasa leave for the 5th floor, Munemori brings himself and Musashi into the bloody battlefield for their duel. Eventually Musashi awakens her ultimate technique to breakthrough his god-like swordsmanship. She thanks him for enabling her to awaken it. He thanks her for the duel and dies.[3]
Abilities
Saber of Empireo is a master of his art, a person with monstrous abilities much like Lostbelt Miyamoto Musashi.[4] It is said that a person can become a god unto themselves by truly mastering something.[6] In Empireo's case, he can be considered a god of swordfighting,[6] a monster who only exists for cutting down things in the most efficient way possible.[13] During the Shimosa Subcategory Singularity, his swordsmanship was considered by the townspeople to be unparalleled.[6] They claimed that there were none in Edo who could defeat him,[6] regarding him as the greatest swordsmen under the sun.[6][10] On the other hand, while the staff at Oriendo Castle believed he was invincible, they noted that Lords all across Japan enjoyed discussing who would win if Munenori and that Singularity's version of Miyamoto Musashi ever crossed swords.[8] Berserker of Saṃghāta Hell states that she wouldn't dare mess with Empireo with her "weak little" Saint Graph, and she doubts that Rider of Kālasūtra Hell would either. If they had to fight him, Shuten would like to at least have the same bodies and power that they did when they were alive.[13]
Unlike the other Heroic Spirit Swordmasters, Saber of Empireo is a Human. Due to this, he didn't have a Saint Graph that could go berserker when infected by the Curse of Annihilation, which allowed him to retain his ego unlike the others.[3] Despite this, he still benefits from the Curse, allowing him to survive fatal injuries that could kill a normal Servant, like getting his heart destroyed by a Noble Phantasm.[4] He also boasts an immense aura on par with Houzouin Inshun's Magical Energy,[4] although Miyamoto Musashi notes that it's not the same type of aura that servants have.[13] His sword ki is so incredible that he can overwhelm Ritsuka Fujimaru with a single glanze, rendering all the muscles in his body immobile. Even Fuuma Kotarou, a Servant, can't avoid his hair standing on end in his presence. He remarks that he never expected a non-servant, flesh-and-blood human to possess an aura like that.[6]
Saber of Empireo is implied to be weaker than his Proper Human History Servant counterpart, who peered beyond the veil, achieved Enlightenment, and became a Sword Saint beyond compare,[1] While Empireo's skills should more than put him on the level of a Sword Saint,[7][3] Miyamoto Musashi initially believed that he is still one step away from becoming one himself.[7] However, after defeating him, Musashi claimed that Empireo had reached that rank, a level not even Shinmen Munisai could attain.[3]
Combat
Miyamoto Musashi claims that Empireo's sword has reached a godlike level,[2][3] making his swordmanship divine in the truest sense of the word.[3] On the other hand, Munenori claims that he has surpassed even the gods and the Buddha by ascending to true supremacy, the realm of EmpireoWP.[4]
During their first encounter, Miyamoto Musashi survived Yagyuu's ultimate technique not once, but twice. While she couldn't even see him draw or swing his sword, she was able to parry it somehow. Nevertheless, she realized that she had no way to defeat an enemy she couldn't see, so she decided to retreat. As she fled, Empireo delievered the second blow. Although it didn't kill her, it caused her temporary amnesia.[2] After their reunion in the Shimosa Subcategory Singularity, Musashi admited several times that Yagyuu was easily stronger than her.[4][8][3] Even after having reached the Void and defeated all other Heroic Spirit Swordmasters, Musashi was almost certain that she wouldn't be able to beat him on her own, especially since she had just gotten used to fighting with one eye.[3]
During his fight against Houzouin Inshun, the latter was able to adapt to Empireo's fighting style with his Noble Phantasm Hazy Inverted Moon - Eleven Forms. After fighting for a while, Inshun tricked Empireo into blocking his spear instead of dodging it, which gave him the opportunity to pierce the samurai's heart. While Inshun's spear was sharp enough to strike down a god, or a Buddha, Empireo's skill had surpassed that level, allowing him to pin Inshun down and restrain him after healing his own damaged organ with the Curse of Annihilation.[4]
Skills
- Shinkage-ryuu: Yagyuu Munenori is a master of the Shikage-ryuu.[10] He claims that true strength doesn't come from the body alone, but from a state of perfect ZenWP and absolute purity.[2] Empireo has seen things that escape Musashi's understanding.[3]
- Suigetsu: During his final confrontation with Miyamoto Musashi, Yagyuu's suigetsu allowed him to maintain the advantage during most of their fight. The essence of her Niten Ichi-ryuu lies in reading the moves of her opponent by adapting to thousands of possibilities in real time. However, Empireo always stayed one step ahead. To defeat him, Musashi had to enter the realm of gods herself by finding the one right answer that laid beyond every possibility. If she hadn't awakened her ultimate technique: Ishana Daitenshou at the very end, she wouldn't have been able to defeat him.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fate/Grand Order - Interlude: Kenjutsu Musou, Kenzen Ichinyo
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fate/Grand Order - Musashi's Trial Quest: Intruders
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 15: Ultima Cantica: The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Ending)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 2: Prima Cantica: Purgatorio (Middle)
- ↑ Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 5: Seconda Cantica: Inferno (Middle)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 6: Seconda Cantica: Inferno (Ending)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 7: Terza Cantica: Paraiso (Beginning)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 8: Terza Cantica: Paraiso (Middle)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 9: Terza Cantica: Paraiso (Ending)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 10: Quarta Cantica: Kalasutra Hell (Beginning)
- ↑ Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 11: Quarta Cantica: Kalasutra Hell (Middle)
- ↑ Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 14: Ultima Cantica: The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Middle)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Fate/Grand Order: Epic of Remnant - Shimosa: The Stage of Carnage, Section 12: Quarta Cantica: Kalasutra Hell (Ending)