akafyu

Of course I do. You are a senior minister of the Kougon clan and its bravest commander. They fear you, and as such wish you harm.

No, that reason belongs to those who sent them, not to the men themselves.

What is sad is that those who lie at our feet lifeless never found a reason, even unto death.

Akafuyu, you must not be like them.

A long street.

After a lengthy chase, it is already nighttime.

The streets are lined with bright lights, and there is a sea of colorfully illuminated signs and tall buildings. She can hear cheers and laughter from the passersby all around her. Is it perhaps a holiday here in this strange, foreign land?

The swordsman stands alone in the tide of pedestrians, like a reef continuously struck by the waves. The target she was following has long since vanished without a trace.

Did they plan ahead of time to lure me here...?

Assassination in a busy marketplace. Typical of those wretched ninjas... It's their favorite trick.

Back alley brawls are not my forte, but losing the will to fight would only give them an opening.

Where are they...!?

The swordsman grips tightly onto her sword's hilt and concentrates in an attempt to locate that faint hint of danger among the clamor, only to come up short.

Who goes there—?!

Bro! That outfit's so cool! It's just like the real thing!

Akafuyu turns around to find a young man fondling her shoulderguards with twinkling, excited eyes.

The swordsman is about to snap, but the innocent look on his face seems strange and foreign—How could a commoner be so unafraid to approach a fully-armored bushi?

Are you not afraid of me?

Afraid? Why?

Isn't today the day that <i>Nanboku Fuuunden</i> preorders are open? How did you get the outfit's design already? Oh, I get it. You're an official cosplayer, aren't you?

That armor... You're a swordsman of the Kougon clan from the Northern Court, right? I heard the Northern swordsmen have high base stats, and the Southern ninjas have more maneuverability, but I think the swordsmen's gear is way cooler!

What exactly are you talking about...?

Wait, ninja? You saw a ninja?

Yeah. Look over there.

Akafuyu looks in the direction the young man is pointing. The colorful lights are dizzying. With great effort, she manages to focus her gaze on a big screen in the video game store on the side of the road.

The character in the game is equipped with a set of armor and a sword that both look almost exactly like hers, and is unleashing all sorts of moves she is incapable of to mow down exaggerated numbers of enemies.

The enemies on the screen scream as their flesh and blood fly in all directions. Likewise, the audience on the other side of the screen are screaming with joy and excitement.

She notices her reflection on the crystal clear display window, looking like an absurd outsider.

Suddenly, the swordsman laughs.

Hah...

You're a lucky guy, living here.

I hope you'll never have to be scared of this...

But remember. This isn't cool at all.

Akafuyu?

This logo... Rhodes Island?

We ran into some trouble on the way here, and it took us longer than expected to arrive.

Sorry for the wait. How has life been here? Ran into any problems?

It is a strange place, but an interesting one nonetheless.

Wait. Are you from Ursus?

*sigh*... I put on a disguise to avoid trouble. Did my accent give it away? Fine, yes, I'm from Ursus.

They have contact with Higashi, and they hire Ursus...

What sort of place is this 'Rhodes Island'?

A peaceful place.

There, you'll find Ursus, Higashinese, Kazimierzians, and Leithanians.

I'm not saying that we make everyone pretend that all those unpleasant things never happened. It's just that we don't operate on a logic based on hatred and violence.

But I was told that I still had a chance to fight as a swordsman with Rhodes Island.

Oh, you will. There are many excellent warriors like you aboard. We're a pharmaceutical company, but sometimes you need to fight to save lives.

But most of the time, everyone spends their time doing normal things. Eating, drinking tea, and figuring out ways to avoid situations where we have to fight.

Hmph...

Interesting. I will take a good look at this place myself.

Heh, you seem a lot easier to get along with than I expected.

Do you need time to pack your things before we get on our way?

All I need is this blade. Let's go.

Master, I will keep learning.

I will learn what it means to fight, and discover where I should be pointing my blade.