Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Munenori

One of the strongest swordsman of the Edo Yagyu.

He is the epitome of rationality. Unmoved by emotion, he views the world through a lens of ice-cold logic.

He believes logic and reason to be the path to mastery, and so mastery of the sword makes anything possible...

He never speaks of his own passions, and is never impulsive or impatient.

His focus is always on the best, most efficient means of achieving his goal. Cool and steely, he makes both a reliable ally, and an utterly terrifying enemy.

Height/Weight: 181cm, 71kg

Origin: History

Region: Japan

Alignment: Lawful-Balanced

Sub-Attribute: Human

Gender: Male

The third shogun, Iemitsu, is recorded as having called Munenori by the nickname "Ryutan." The nickname came from taking one kanji each from "Yagyu" and "Tajima."

A talented swordsman famously known as the son of Yagyu Sekishusai and the father of Yagyu Jubei.

During the Siege of Osaka in 1615, he successfully protected Shogun Hidetada, and it is said that he killed seven warriors in an instant.

After Munenori died, Shogun Iemitsu referred to him as the "Peerless Swordsman."

He was both tactician and politician. He taught Shinkageryu to the nobility and to his disciples, and he sent his disciples out as instructors of swordsmanship to powerful feudal lords.

In period piece shows and novels, he is often depicted as an extraordinary conspirator. This is likely because the Yagyu clan's social position was as high as a daimyou earning 12,500 koku of rice during the early Edo period, and it was highly unlikely that such position was earned through honest and innocent means.

Munenori's foresight bordered on uncanny, and it is said that he was one of the first to recognize the incipient Shimabara Rebellion.

In the fourteenth year of the Kan'ei Era (1637), news of a Christian rebellion reached him. Munenori desperately tried to restrain Itakura Naizen-no-kami Shigemasa, who was ordered to lead a punitive attack. When Shogun Iemitsu asked him to explain his behavior, Munenori had only this to say: "Religious battles are always crucial. Lord Shigemasa is sure to die in battle."

Things unfolded just as Munenori predicted. Shigemasa, as a daimyou earning only 15,000 koku, lacked the power needed to lead the western daimyo, and so he struggled in the attack. After learning of this dire situation, Shogun Iemitsu sent out his chief retainer, Matsudaira Nobutsuna, as commander-in-chief. However, Shigemasa panicked when he found out, and he charged into enemy territory before Nobutsuna arrived, and there met his end.

Shinkageryu: A++

Munenori possesses the secret technique of the Yagyu Shinkageryu.

From his youth until the age of 24, Munenori learned swordsmanship directly from his father, Munetoshi (Sekishusai).

As Munenori possesses this skill higher than A Rank, he has resistance not only to swords, but also to mental attacks. Since zen is essential for the master of Shinkageryu, one must neither doubt nor hesitate.

Swordless Form: A

The secret sword technique that was devised by the master swordsman Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, which was later expanded upon by Yagyu Sekishusai.

The skill is said to lead the master of Shinkageryu to victory against an armed enemy even if he brings no blade into battle.

『Kenjutsu Musou, Kenzen Ichinyo』

Rank: A

NP Type: Anti-Personnel Hidden Technique

Range: 0-10

Maximum Targets: 1

Peerless Swordsmanship, The Sword and Zen Are One.

Be both free and possess an unwavering mind.

The secrets of swordsmanship once spoken by the Buddhist priest Takuan were finally realized by Yagyu Munenori.

A sword shows its true worth on the boundary of life and death, while zen allows one to reach enlightenment through reflective meditation.

Kenzen Ichinyo, the blade swung by one void of worldly thoughts, brings certain death with a single blow.

During his lifetime, it is said that Munenori criticized Musashi's way of life. Munenori commented that "Musashi is from the Western Army," and he is "an enemy of Tokugawa."

Though Munenori would never have crossed paths with or battled Musashi in his lifetime, Musashi was on his mind...

Well, that's the story we're going with. That's why the battle against Musashi was so important to Munenori in "Seven Duels of Swordmasters" even though he knew that she was not the Miyamoto Musashi of his own world.

As a Heroic Spirit summoned in Chaldea, Munenori acknowledges Musashi's skill. However, his opinion on the Miyamoto Musashi from his own world...is still unclear.