Chapter 1
The Promise

My name is Shiranami Guren. I am in search and in pursue, driven by a single purpose. I will find my wife, Momoka, no matter what fate places in my path.

Three days have passed since Momoka was taken by people I do not know of, reason I do not understand. And I'm a day's walk to the nearest village hoping to find clues about her whereabouts.

My heart is worried, yet I am confident that she's alive. I can feel it.

As I pass through the open rice field before reaching the village, I can feel that there are two figures following me. Their presence is subtle, yet unmistakable. I quicken my pace, my hand instinctively resting on the hilt of my katana.

Tomorrow came and I reached the outskirts of the village, the sun casting long shadows over the streets. I could feel the eyes of the two figures still on me, their presence a constant reminder of the danger that lurked close. There's a nearby inn where I could rest and gather information.

I entered the inn, it was small and cozy, with a warm fire burning in the hearth. The innkeeper greeted me with a nod, and I took a seat by the fire, hoping to gather information about Momoka's whereabouts.

"Excuse me, sir. Have you seen a young woman, about this tall, with black hair and a pink cherry blossom kimono?" I asked, my voice tinged with desperation.

"Hmm...", the innkeeper murmured, scratching his head. "I might have seen someone matching that description, but it's been a few days. You might want to check the market square. People tend to gather there."

At last, my first lead in three days of searching. This is a great relief.

"Thank you, sir," I said, my voice filled with gratitude. "Do you have an available room for tonight for me?"

"Yes, there's one upstairs."

I paid the innkeeper and took the key to my room upstairs. The warmth of the fire and the comfort of the bed provided a brief respite from the worries that weighed heavily on my mind.

I took a peak outside the window, the two figures were still there, watching me from a distance. I have been waiting for an opportunity to confront them, I know they have something to do with Momoka. Sooner or later, I have to deal with them.

My body shut down the moment I laid on the bed, exhaustion finally taking its toll. But I can't rest for long, not with the danger lurking so close. I closed my eyes, but my mind is fully awake. Then darkness came, drowned me to slumber.

From the still darkness, a faint light slowly emerged. Then in seconds, everything around me was on fire. My body bathed in blood, a katana in my hand. I looked around and there was a woman, kneeling, crying. My nightmare has come to me once again.

I approached the woman, my heart pounding in my chest. Is it excitement? Or is it fear this time. I raied my blade to her neck, slowly feeling her flesh.

"No... please... I beg you! I don't want to die!", she cried. "Please... wake up!"

She raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, looking directly at me. It's Momoka! She was covered in blood, her clothes torn and her body trembling.

"No!" I shouted, my body jumped back in shock and horror.

Then I woke up. As I opened my eyes, an axe was hanging above me, held by a man, face covered.

I quickly turned on the side to avoid the axe while picking up my katana in sheath, the blade narrowly missing my head. Then another one, a katana, came swinging towards me from above. It's the other man.

I blocked his attack with my katana's hilt, pushing it aside and creating an opening for me to roll away and stand up.

Putting my guard up, preparing to defend from their next attack. "Who are you?" I asked.

Instead of words, attack was their response. The two came at me simultaneously, their weapons glinting in the dim light. I continued to avoid and dodge their strikes, barely keeping up with their speed and precision. Then suddenly, I saw an opening and hit one of them with the end of my sheath. He fumbled to the other side of the room, while the other lunged at me with his axe. I got the momentum for a counter attack, I easily dodged his next attack and managed to kick him away, hitting him in his torso.

Again, I stand my guard, asking, "Who are you?"

"Draw your katana." the man with the katana replied.

Confused, I hesitated for a moment, thinking why. But nevertheless, I refused to use my katana. "No," I said firmly.

"Then you chose death," the man with the axe replied as he launched his attack.

I blocked his axe using the end of my katana's sheath, the impact reverberating through my arm. The steel plate at the end of the sheath absorbed most of the force, but it still it threw me to the wall. Then a second attack from the other katana came. I was able to block it by moving the sheath to the other direction, but it made me flew through the wall, busting the window and falling from the second floor down to the ground outside the inn.

The two jumped off the second floor, prepared their next attack. The innkeeper, along with the other guests still awake, went outside and checked what's happening.

I have to end this quickly, I don't want anyone else get hurt. But I have to get answers from them.

The two launched their attacks again. I tried to dodge as much as I can. They were fast, but I know am faster. After several misses, I found an opening to strike back. I managed to hit one of them in the back, making him flinch over, giving a fatal blow on his throat. He was down on the ground, grasping for air.

The other guy pulled out small blades and threw at me while he ran towards me, he hit one on my shoulder and followed a strike. My senses heightened by the pain, I dodged his attack, kick his leg did a roundhouse hit on his back neck with my sheath. His neck broke on the floor, killing him instantly.

I walked to the other guy, still catching his breath, still lying on the floor. I raised my sheath and broke his knee, making sure he can't fight anymore.

"This is your last chance. Who are you? And where is Momoka?" I asked.

"You will never see her again," one of them said. Then he took something out from his tooth, a poison, and killed himself.