A loud thud echoed as Izumi crashed to the ground, unconscious, collapsing near the same drunk who had picked a fight with him.

  Standing over the two was a man who appeared to be in his late forties. He had a large, silky black beard that flowed from his chin down to his collarbone.

  Over his dull blue kimono, he wore an apron stained with grease. His face was set in a stern expression as he stared down at the unconscious duo.

  "Izumi!" a voice unfamiliar to him shouted, snapping his attention upward.

  He turned to see an orange-haired girl, cloaked and frantic, rushing toward the boy he had struck down, followed closely by another girl with black hair, about the same age.

  "Wha—" she yelled, only to be cut off by the waitress.

  "What did you do, Father?!" she shouted. "And to our customers, no less!"

  He faced her in silence for a moment before turning his attention to the three below him.

  "There's nothing to fear, Miyuki," he said calmly. "I only knocked them out by sending a small pulse of source energy through their brains."

  His expression hardened once more as he continued, "But I would've expected Ashura Samurai like yourselves to be aware of such a simple incapacitation technique—unless you're impostors."

  The words struck hard.

  Yuriko and Takae froze, shock flashing across their faces as they looked up at him, teeth clenched, unable to respond.

  "What are you talking about?" Miyuki asked, confusion plastered across her face—mirroring Yuriko's and Takae's. "They're just travelers passing by."

  "Do not be deceived, Miyuki," he replied. "The truth is not always within sight."

  She turned back toward them, her voice trembling. "Then that means—"

  She was cut off.

  "Quit standing around helplessly," he said sharply. "Take off those cloaks and explain yourselves—"

  His gaze flicked briefly to the unconscious bodies on the floor.

  "—or you'll end up like them."

  Hearing this, the two slowly rose to their feet and removed their large hooded cloaks, revealing their attire.

  A white kimono paired with a black hakama, and over it a short, sleeveless black robe tied at the waist with a white belt. Identical swords hung at their waists, and on their backs, embroidered into the fabric of the robe, was a single kanji for honor.

  At the sight of them, a childlike glimmer of wonder shone in Miyuki's green eyes as she stared in silence.

  "So," the man said, his voice firm and unyielding, "state your names."

  Yuriko hesitated, then stepped in front of Takae.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "My name is Yuriko Yamada," she said at last. "And these two are my brother and sister—Izumi and Takae Yamada."

  At the sound of the name, the man's stern expression softened—only slightly.

  "Now," he continued, "state the name of your father and your place of origin."

  Yuriko hesitated again, the words catching in her throat.

  "Don't toy with me," he commanded, his tone steady but sharp.

  "We're from Oki Village and—"

  She faltered, her gaze dropping to the floor.

  "Our father's name is… Tsushiro Yamada."

  The man's expression finally softened as he turned to Miyuki.

  "Miyuki, close up the shop quickly and make sure to come back to the house," he said.

  "Sure," she replied—hesitant, but obedient.

  He then turned back toward them and said, "Pick him up, and let's go."

  "What makes you think we would just follow you?" Yuriko shot back. "Especially after you hurt our brother."

  He turned away as if to leave, speaking over his shoulder.

  "You misunderstood me. That wasn't a request."

  He paused just long enough for the weight of his words to sink in.

  "You'll follow me if you know what's good for you."

  He headed out, and the two lifted the unconscious Izumi, draping his arms over their shoulders as they reluctantly followed.

  They passed through the village center, drawing the attention of many villagers. No one dared to speak as they watched the group move past, following the man toward the outskirts of the village. There, a slightly large house stood alone in an uncultivated field overgrown with tall grass.

  The old man slid the door open and stepped inside. They followed.

  He opened another door, revealing a large room with only a thin covering spread across the floor and folded bedding tucked neatly into one corner. Then he slid open a final door that led outside, allowing sunlight to pour into the previously dim space.

  He sat down on the floor and watched quietly as the two carefully lowered Izumi to the ground before sitting down themselves.

  For a moment, silence filled the room.

  Then Yuriko let out an awkward laugh. "This is… quite the place you've got here."

  Her attempt to lighten the tension failed. The man simply stared at them.

  "Where is your father, and why are you here?" he asked, his tone calmer now—but no less firm.

  Yuriko looked away, gritting her teeth.

  The man noticed. "Dodging my questions will get you nowhere."

  "He's gone," Takae said quietly. "He vanished—and we don't know where."

  Yuriko turned sharply toward her and whispered, "Don't just blurt that out."

  "Is that so," he said, drawing their attention back to him. "He vanished—and let me guess, he sent you to find a man in this village."

  Not knowing what to say, they simply nodded in agreement.

  "And what was the description he gave?" he asked.

  Yuriko stayed silent for a moment, trying to recall the contents of the letter, before finally saying, "He didn't exactly give us any description."

  He sighed before continuing, "And what do you plan to do once you find him?"

  "From what we've seen, there's someone who's after us—specifically her," Yuriko said, turning to Takae. "So we have no choice but to find him, so he can give us a way to fight back if they ever come after us again."

  "And what makes you think he'll accept you?" he asked, his gaze locked onto hers.

  "Well, we won't know until we find out, right?" she replied.

  Their attention was drawn to Izumi's body as it stirred slightly before falling still once more.

  "So tell me," he said, leaning forward just a little, "is survival your only goal?"

  Yuriko fell silent. Then she placed her hand gently on Izumi's head and said, "Of course it isn't."

  "Then what is your goal?" he asked.

  "We will find our father," she said, fierce determination burning in her eyes. "And we will learn the truth about who we really are and where we came from. Until then, we'll do everything it takes to survive."

  He smirked. "Congratulations. You've just passed your first test—earning my recognition."

  He straightened slightly. "My name is Ichiro Hibiki, and if it wasn't already obvious, I am the man he spoke of. From this day onward, until I deem you worthy, you will be under my instruction."

  Yuriko and Takae straightened their posture as they listened.

  "If it is the truth of your identity—and the truth of this world—that you seek," he continued, "then be prepared to pay the price in sweat and blood."

  "We are," Takae replied.

  He looked around and found himself in an unfamiliar room, his sword lying beside him. For a moment, he struggled to remember what had happened.

  Then it came back in a series of flashes.

  He jumped to his feet, his head spinning, his body unsteady.

  Footsteps creaked against the wooden floor beyond the door.

  Instinctively, he grabbed his sword and took an awkward stance, ready to unsheathe at any moment.

  As the steps drew closer, his heartbeat quickened. He took a deep breath, steadying his mildly shaking hands.

  The door slid open.

  Contrary to his expectations, instead of a foe, he was met with the same waitress he had stepped in to protect earlier.

  For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he relaxed. There was no hostility in her presence—only confusion.

  "Why are you here?" he asked, stepping forward—only for a sharp pain to flare in his head.

  He winced and lowered himself just as she rushed over.

  "Are you okay?" she asked.

  "I'm fine," he said, gesturing as he sat upright.

  She sat across from him. "Don't worry—you're not in any danger. Your sisters are safe. They just went out to take a bath."

  She hesitated before continuing. "I also wanted to thank you for stepping in when you did," she added, scratching her head. "I've always had no filter when it comes to guys like him."

  "Sure," he replied, then paused. "But what about the other guy—the one who showed up out of nowhere and struck us down?"

  "Oh, him?" she said with an awkward laugh. "That's my father."

  An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

  Then her eyes widened slightly. "Oh—I almost forgot. Your sisters told me to tell you that my father is the man you were looking for, so you don't need to worry."

  Izumi leaned back with a sigh. "Who would've thought we'd meet him like that?" he said. "Honestly, part of me was skeptical since we didn't even have a description—but I'm glad we found him when we did."

  He hesitated, then smiled softly.

  "My old man was never good at giving descriptions anyway."