“Princess, we have to talk. As you should know by now, by failing my mission of assassinating you, Tetsu will surely send more forces after you. Even if all of us were to fight his clan right now, we would still be overpowered and defeated.” Tetsu, leader of the Red Crimson, has set out from the Zero Dimension into our dimension to capture and kill Hanabi Van Astrea, a demon princess of the Zero Dimension. Damn it, what can we do to stop this…shit… “Regardless we have to protect Hanabi! She’s like family to us, right Souta?” Yukina grabs onto my arm and tugs on it profusely. “Nevertheless, if Master Kentaro wants me to fight by his side, I will do so willingly till death.” Kyo falls on one knee and bows down towards me. “You don’t have to do that…” I carry her back up and turn around to Hanabi. “Hey Hana, no matter what we are all by your side, eventually we can solve this problem, trust us.” Her smile melt the walls of my heart and captured it, even in a dire situation like this, Hanabi seemed unafraid as she walked up towards me and embraced me. “With you beside me, there’s nothing in the world that can ever scare me, thank you, all of you for being by my side to help me…I could never ask for more…”

The next day, I attended my regular Kendo Club activity, why am I in this dreadful and boring club? The answer is simple, the Kendo Club has been reducing in population as of late because people felt that the way of Kendo was old-fashioned and boring and also because there are many new clubs out there that are just more popular. One day the captain of the club appeared at my classroom’s entrance when everyone left but me, I remember her stepping in saying, “Souta Kentaro, you are a great man and despite what everyone else says about you, I think you…” I stopped her right there, “There’s no need to sugarcoat things, if you guys lack people, I’ll just join your club besides no popular club would accept me.” It was at that moment, she placed her hand over my shoulder and shook her head, “I’m not sugarcoating things, I just happen to chance upon you now and then, there was the time you helped a stray cat by giving it love and food daily, even if it’s raining, you would still accompany it. There are also small little things you do that catches my attention, for instance remember that 7-11 store you went to two days ago? That girl behind you really wanted that bun but it’s the only one left, you were about to pay for it but said you didn’t have enough cash, if I’m not wrong, you did have the money, just that you were kind enough to let her buy it…anyways my name is Misashi, nice to meet you!” Yes, I remember now, she was the first person in school to ever understand who I really am and she never despised or hated me…

“Ouch…” “Souta! Pay attention, don’t space out!” I fell onto the floor after a strike from Misashi’s bamboo sword, she reached out to offer me her hand, pulling me up. After a while of practice, we both decided to take a break. “Souta, are you alright? Lately you haven’t been able to concentrate much, is something or someone bothering you?” Misashi asks me in a soft and caring voice, she places her left hand over my right hand then scooping it up. Looking into my eyes, she says, “Look Souta, you are really talented at the art of sword fighting and to be completely honest with you, you may even surpass me one day. If there’s anything bothering you please tell me, you know I’m always here for you.” Should I tell her about Hanabi and Kyo? Does she even know anything about the Van Astrea? “Misashi, I’m really fine, it’s just a small matter but thank you for your concern.” However her face looks uncertain as if she could see right through me, “Alright then, practice ends here for today everyone, thank you all for the hardwork!”

After the club was dismissed, I headed my way back home with Misashi’s face in my head. “Should I have told her? It’s too obvious when I lie, she must have known something was amiss, but I can’t get her involved in this.” I was right, Tetsu of the Red Crimson may attack Hanabi at any given moment and that would put everyone in peril, I wouldn’t want to see Misashi hurt or even worse…dead… “Look out Souta!” A loud and sharp high-pitched sound ricocheted in my ears, before me was a warrior seemingly from an era before ours. He had long black hair that covered his face as he was donned in an ancient samurai ropes, in his hands was a katana that seemed to be emitting a dark aura resembling death itself. “What the fuck…is that…” A hand grabbed me from behind and pulled me back. “Misashi? What are you doing here?” Misashi stood before me with a katana in her hands, “Leave, Souta!” There was no way in hell Misashi can defeat such an overwhelming foe…

“Master!” That voice! Kyo rushed towards me and checked to see if I had any wounds, then she turned around facing the evil samurai but instead her eyes diverted to Misashi as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Master Kentaro, do you know this girl?” I nodded, “She’s my close friend, please help her!” She shook her head and smiled, “She will be fine just lay low with me, I would only interfere with her swordplay.” At this point in time, I was confused and could not understand what Kyo was trying to tell me. *clang* *clang* The sound of swords clashing could be heard, a part of me really wanted to help her but even I knew, the caliber of this fight was way above me, Misashi was always skilled in the art of swordplay. However, she would never attend any competitions and tournaments, the school soon caught on and cut a generous amount of fund from our club, people mocked her by saying she was a coward, too afraid to lose…

Three years ago…

“Souta, have you found any club to join yet?” My mother asked as she pet my head gently. “Stop it mum, people are watching…I’m in the Kendo Club…” “Ahhh, Misashi-chan, she must be your captain, right? She’s a really great person, if anything were to happen, you can count on her to help you Souta.” How does mum know her? Whatever like I’d care… During Kendo practice, I would always catch her sparring against adults and even some masters of Kendo, soon enough I would always end up peeping at her spares instead of practicing, from her way of fighting, I would stay up late at night to mimic how she fights and before long I was only second to her in the club. After Crisis Zero, I lost interest in Kendo as the matches and spares stopped but one day I walked up to her asking, “Misashi, you are amazing at Kendo, why don’t you go for competitions? You could easily defeat anyone in your path!” Misashi smiled and started to laugh at me, “Souta…Souta, I practice kendo because I enjoy it and I enjoy imparting my knowledge of kendo to my juniors including you. My fighting days are behind me, nevermind you wouldn’t understand what that means but right now, I have a job to do and that is to train you…”

“Tired yet? Can’t even defeat a girl like me? You call yourself a samurai?” Misashi mocks the samurai as he lunged at her with strikes from every direction. The movement of their katanas were so fast my eyes were unable to catch up with them, this was the first time I have ever seen Misashi at her full strength, “Is Misashi even human?” “No, of course not.” Kyo replied. What…what…the hell? “This girl you call Misashi is a spirit guardian. She has been the guardian of the east human dimension for many centuries already, have you heard of Miyamoto Musashi?” “Wait, Musashi is Misashi? Musashi is a girl? What?”

“So the acclaimed most powerful swordsman is a woman? I’ll get rid of you quickly, Crimson Slash!” The samurai dashes towards Misashi at breakneck speed with his katana raised high in the air. “Niten Ichi!” In a split second, Misashi dashed through the samurai and at the end of her dash, her hands were pointed towards the sides and in each hand, she held a katana, one red and one blue. The samurai soon collapsed as his body split into two. “The ancient style of double katana wielding, that is what she specializes at.” Kyo points out as she helped me back up onto my feet. *whoosh* Misashi dashes right beside us with one katana at Kyo’s neck. “What is the infamous assassin Tsukuyomi doing here? Are you with Souta?” Kyo nodded her head profusely fearing for her own life, “YES YES I AM WITH HIM!” Misashi then releases her grip on her katanas and they instantly degraded into dust and was blown away by the passing breeze.

“Souta, she probably told you my true identity already, but let me give you a proper introduction. I am Musashi, legendry swordsman and the spirit guardian of the east to protect humans from evil. However, I am also Misashi, captain of the Sendou Kendo Club, Souta’s close friend…so please don’t view me as Musashi but as Misashi…sorry for hiding this from you, but I have been given the task by your mother to train and to protect you at all costs. I should have told you but…I’m truly sorry.” Misashi bows down towards me with tears in her eyes.

“There’s no need to bow, thank you so much for saving me, if it weren’t for you, I would probably be dead by now. Why would that samurai suddenly attack me though, he said Crimson slash, could he be one of Tetsu’s man?” I turned my head over to Kyo who then nodded her head. “He must have known you are harboring Hanabi…” “Hanabi? The girl from our school? So, you do know she’s a Van Astrea?” Misashi looks at me in surprise. “Yes, she’s currently at my place as a resident I suppose?” Misashi crossed her arms and let out a sigh, “I see no harm or threats in her so I shall not eliminate her even though she is a demon princess, however those after her and you are evil. Souta, take this. It’s a pendant that allows you to call for me if you are ever in danger and need help, it will instantly teleport me over to your location regardless of what I am doing.” She pried open my hand and placed the pendant onto my palm.

“Anyways, see you at school tomorrow, rest well and take care, Tsukuyomi keep an eye on him in case he is ever in trouble again.” Misashi turns around and walks away. “Kyo, she’s hurt…” When she handed me the pendant, I could see the bottom of her sleeve stained red, it must have been a slash from the samurai earlier. Whoever you are Tetsu, I swear on my life, I will make you pay, I will end you…