Over the course of history, it has been said that loyalty and honor are the two things that any warrior should uphold when fighting for their homeland. Loyalty is what binds the warrior to their home,  honor is what keeps them on their path of justice. Alas, what does one do when you a warrior has neither. Some would call these warriors savages or wild beasts who prey on the weak without hesitation. Aside from those who surround themselves in the light, who else would take up the sword against those who dwell in the dark. Why it would be those who hold no allegiance to neither the dark nor the light. In this world, they are known as the rōnin warriors who seek their own justice, in a world that they deem to be stuck in a perpetual cycle of good and evil. Here, we follow the tale of such a warrior, as he travels the world in search of a new purpose for the life that he once lived is nothing but a distant memory.

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Tonight was a full moon, a common occurrence for the land of Yoshino. It was a place situated within the mountainous regions of Japan, where the most beautiful cherry blossom trees bloom during the springtime.  At the gates of this small town stood a tall muscular man with dark skin that reflected the moonlit sky. He wore a black haori with red lining that went all the way down to his feet. His left arm was hung in some kind of sling and strapped to his side was a long blade that was being held within a black sheath. Over his shoulder was something carried in white wrappings, streaked with red and black stains. His long black hair was braided and reached only the top of his shoulders as a straw hat covered his head and face making it difficult for anyone to make out the man's face. Making his way through the small town, the man finally reaches a local bar. The smell of alcohol and tobacco creeping from the door as he opened it. The customers that resided within gave him their usual stares and glares, as the man strode toward the barkeeper with his face still shrouded in mystery. The barkeep herself was a young woman, who had her hair tied up in a bun, and wore a dark blue kimono that complimented her dark blue hair. She was currently cleaning the shelves that housed the drinks behind her when the dark-skinned man dropped the package he was carrying over his shoulder onto the table between the two of them.

"I believe this, is the yokai you asked for?" The man grunted as he took a seat at the bar in front of him. The barkeep paused for a moment and admired her handiwork before turning around and addressing her customer. She then unwraps the bandages to find the head of a hairy beast with its mouth agape as a long red tongue could be seen hanging out of its mouth. 

"Akashita," the woman says breathlessly.

"Yes, with its death the drought that suffered these lands should come to an end. There is however a matter I would like to discuss."

"If it is about your payment, then I believe you should find this to be applicable."

The woman then hands over a few silver coins, which results in the man's disgust.

"What the hell is this?"

"Your payment, as promised Ankoku."

Gritting his teeth, the man now known as Ankoku balls his fists as a hint of venom can be heard in his voice.

"This is less than half of what we agreed to Nozomi."

"I understand that, but these were all the funds that the village could scrounge up. You saw it yourself, these people have been suffering day by day since that day, and even more so with these recent droughts. The last thing they need now is you shitting up a storm because you didn't get your money on time"

"I struggle to see how that's my problem, and because I'm still owed half of the payment from my previous job you're lucky I even carried this one out."

The hint of anger, that pervaded Ankoku's voice was even more apparent as the customers began to stir with their attention turning toward him.

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"Look, I understand how you feel and we will give you what's promised but it's going to take time, whether you like it or not."

"Then I suggest you get to it."

Ankoku gets up from his seat, clutching his side as the anesthetic he used from earlier, was soon beginning to wear off.

"Hey, is she still awake?"

"No, at least I don't think so. She had a lot of people come to the temple today for Ofudas, when she came here earlier today she looked exhausted. I'd be surprised if that poor girl was still up and kicking this late."

"Is that so," Ankoku says with a slightly concerned expression on his face.

Nozomi then slides a ceramic jug of liquid to her town's savior, as he cautiously looks at her.

"Don't worry there's nothing in it. It's  pure sake, just the way you like it, this should make up for the lack of payment for now at least."

Hesitant at first, Ankoku hovers his hand above the jug before reluctantly taking it and turning his back toward Nozomi.

"I'll be taking this for now, but I'd best receive my payment."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Quickly making strides towards the entrance of the establishment the exhausted warrior finds himself face to face with some of the patrons of the bar, who were previously sitting down.

"And what exactly do you all want? If it's not apparent already, I'm not exactly in the best of moods tonight."

One of the more muscular men in the group then steps forward. Judging by his physique he must be one of the heavy lifters in town as he stood a few inches below Ankoku. His black hair was cut very short and numerous scars had covered his arms, likely coming from the amount of work he did.

"Your attitude is the problem, Gaijin. You walk around here like you own the damn world, and that we should worship the ground that you walk on. Well, as far as we're concerned people like you aren't welcomed here, especially those who desert their posts."

"I'd tread carefully if I were you Muroya because right now you are on some mighty thin ice here. You'd best let this go before I do something we'll both regret."

"Sounds as if you should take your own advice, rōnin. At least I wouldn't desert those who trusted me so easily." 

The tension in the air soon became unbearable, as both men were inches from each other's faces. Everyone in the bar was waiting in anticipation to see what would happen next, save for Nozomi, who simply rolled her eyes and let out a nonchalant sigh.

  "If you two are going to go at it,  do us all a favor and take it outside, I've got customers here."

"Ha! You give him too much credit Nozomi. Who says we need to take this outside?"

"Y-You, bastard!" Muroya shouts as he rushes towards Ankoku brandishing a small knife.

This course of action does not seem to affect Ankoku as he reaches out to Muroya, grabs him by the throat, and swiftly throws him to the floor knocking the wind out of the farmer.

"If anyone else has any grievances with me that they would like to discuss, I believe now would be the time to do so."

The other farmers who had originally come to the aid of Muroya began to back down and make a path for the wandering swordsman.

"I assumed as much, now if you all don't mind."

Ankoku then takes out the jug that he was given earlier and takes a swift drink from it before wiping his mouth.

"I've got some business to attend to."

With his affairs now in order at the bar, Ankoku just had on last stop before he would retire for the night, the local temple. It was a place of worship and reflection for many in Yoshino, but for Ankoku it was nothing but a constant reminder of what happened on that day four summers ago. Now in front of the temple's entrance, Ankoku presses his hand against the frame of the doors that lie in front of him and gently opens them. Once inside, he takes off his shoes and walks towards the innermost layer of the temple walls. The temple itself wasn't very big, as it consisted of the main halls and a room in the back for the lone priestess that lived here. A lone candle was illuminated the main halls, with Ankoku using the light as a guide to get to the back room. Pressing his ear on the door he hears nothing but silence and begins to walk away when a  quiet, softspoken voice calls out to him.

"A-Ankoku is that you?"

Footsteps can then be heard from inside the room as the door opens. A woman wearing a white kosode and a red hakama takes her place in front of the door with her black hair tied in a ponytail with a white and red ribbon. She rubs her eyes and looks up to Ankoku with excitement as a smile appears on her face.

"Emiko, you should be asleep. There is no reason for you to be up at this hour."

"I know, but when you hadn't returned to the temple for purification like you usually do I couldn't help but worry."

"Don't, I can take care of myself."

"That may be, but what happens when you come across a yokai, that you won't be able to handle on your own," Emiko says as she runs her fingers through her hair.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there, but since your awake-"

Ankoku then takes off his hat as his face has an unruly amount of facial hair that was unkempt and a scar that ran down the left side of his face, and over his left eye.

"I could use some of your purification water right about now."