Eichi Musashi | The Mysterious Merchant

One morning, in the small town of Okurimono, the people woke to a strange sight just outside the gates. A white ape of towering size and a peculiar tent, housing only the best swords and various weaponry for sale. Among his many assortments are Katanas, Maces, Axes, Lances, vintage firearms, and most notably, the mythical God-slaying blade, Owari.

Eichi quickly gained traction after the public witnessed the power and sharpness of one of his blades; during a demonstration, he approached an oak tree and under no more than five seconds, cut it down with a SINGLE swipe, and all jaws dropped to the floor with it. The thought of being able to wield this power was alluring. However, there is a catch: NO average swordsperson can unsheathe his blades. It is as if the swords know their owners are not worthy. It leads many to believe that the swords are living entities. Some old magic is involved in their creation, and it is a gimmick that has helped the merchant's business gain popularity. It inspires many all over Jinsei to master their skills. However, this also means that his clientele is severely limited. Those who were skilled did not have enough money, and vice versa. It explains why you rarely see him in the same spot. He is constantly relocating, looking for those qualified to purchase his pieces.

The theory

Now, everybody likes to speculate what magic is cast to lock his blades, but what many people gloss over is that he can unsheathe them himself and use them with no issue. It shows that he has immense strength and skill, but that begs the question: how and where did he attain such skill? Another question is how he acquired these weapons. Some think he was once a legendary swordsman who obtained these blades by dueling their previous owners. I can get behind that. Other people suggest that he casts the magic himself, but there is one weapon that puts a dent in that theory.

Eichi's most powerful blade

So, you remember how I casually brought up the god-slaying sword, Owari? Well, it turns out it is the only blade in Eichi's possession that even he cannot unsheathe. It makes you wonder how he got his hands on this sword. But the truly outstanding thing about Owari is the price tag: a whopping Five BILLION mugen. Oh yeah, that is a whole lot of moolah! When asked about the seemingly ridiculous price, Eichi replied, "For a weapon forged to cut the sky, ground, water, Hell, and Heavens into two, Five billion seems justified." It has been at his shop for over ten years, so I asked the merchant for more details. Although he did not tell me the origin, he did reveal something interesting. 

He claims that in all his years doing business, only ONE customer has been able to unsheathe the sword. Unfortunately, he did not have enough money for it. The customer was unaware of the blade's power. When I asked who the customer was, he just closed his eyes and puffed. You make of that what you will. The man is weird.

I wonder who it could be, though.

Getting to Know Eichi

When it comes to the merchant, he is not much for conversation. He is a big fan of Taro milk tea, probably the only thing that gets him happy enough to show the pupils in his eyes. Maybe one day we will find out more about who he is. If you think you are skilled enough, keep an eye out for him on the road. He might have the perfect piece for you.