*Smack* *Smack *Smack* I breathed in and out as I raised and smacked the bamboo sword down on the faceless man's bamboo sword, I couldn't see his face but that wasn't a concern. *Smack* *Smack* *Smack* He had his sword out horizontally as I continued to smack his sword. Soon we switched roles as I held my bamboo sword horizontally and he was smacking his sword on my sword. "That's enough" The voice called out. "Next" Without any word I moved my sword to stand vertical and the faceless man begun to swing his sword from side to side. Left, right, left, right. Smacking the sword to the left and right of my sword in rhythm as I held firmly. 

Sudden a black screening covered my eyes, like a filter. I looked at my opponent who wore a Bogu. (Kendo armor) I watched him through my helmet it was a little difficult to see through the 'men' (Face mask) but I kept my eyes on him. He raised his sword as suddenly another filter crossed my eyes.

I was standing in front of a man wearing an Aikidogi (A uniform worn by martial artists training for aikido). 

He stuck a palm out at me and with my forearm I deflected it and grabbed it with both hands, raising his elbow above his head for a second before jerking it down it making the man fall. 

I stood before him again and struck out with a palm strike of my own, he grabbed it, lifting it with one hand then grabbing my Aikidogi with the other and tossed me on the mat.

I stood before... a man. He had an Aikidogi but also wore a man face mask of a bogu. I approached him and he slowly took off his man to reveal his face, it was... THE MAN I KILLED! His eyes were missing and he still had the hole in his throat, he opened his mouth and let out a bone chilling gurgling sound.

My eyes flashed open and I shot up to let out a terrified cry, my gaze shot in all directions looking for him. 

My heart was pounding in my chest, sweat made my clothes stick to me and I was hyperventilating. 

'Where... where is HE!?' I frantically searched. soon my heart calmed a bit as I came to grips with my panic.

'R-right. a dream. Just a dream.' I thought letting out a relieved sigh.

My mind quickly flashed as I recalled all that happened. Reading that book, waking up in the well, the attempted rape and getting my gear, leaving the town and getting stopped by highwayman, killing them... including the man at camp.

My eyes widen as I slowly turn to looked behind me, the man I stabbed in the back of the throat. He laid dead near me.

" Just a dream..."  I reassured myself.

I paused and thought about what I just said. 'No, not just a dream. More like memories.' My days training in Aikido and Kendo. They were memories I was quite fond of. The discipline, making friends and receiving my black belt in Aikido and achieving a Dan rank in Kendo. (Similar to black belt in Kendo)

I breathed out, I had mostly calmed down. I never really had a dream that intense before so I shook me pretty badly. I slowly got up and grabbed my sword and noticed the discoloured spot on the ground where I vomited. 'I must have passed out after I puked. I looked up and noted that the sky had an orange and crimson paint to it. 'It must be nearly sunset' I thought.

I moved near the body which emitted a really pungent smell, I nervously poked it with my sword, expecting... what? To jump up and grab me? I slowly grabbed his coat and started to drag him away. I came up on a peculiar sight. There were 9 graves in a small open patch. They were shallow with no gravestones, 'Must be the people they killed' I thought.

Expectantly (and conveniently) there was a grave already dug. 'Probably expected to fill it soon' I dragged the body into the grave then used the spade that was stuck into the ground to bury the body. I finished and dropped the spade and turned around to leave, leaving behind any guilt I had too.

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......

I was sitting in front of the fire I made, it took a few tries but I managed to ignite the embers the sat under the charred logs. I threw a new set of logs and slowly stirred them with a stick. I sat, leaning against a rock. 

'I'm finally alone' I thought. Ever since I woke up in this world I wanted to sit down and think.Asking questions but the when I tried problems arose. From my lack of clothes which lead people to stare, making me uncomfortable. Attempted rape, which showed me I needed to get away, far away from there or more problems would arise.

I admittedly left out there a bit to hastily but, it was best. 'Now...' Why? That was the big question. I only remembered reading that book the old woman recommended and passing out find myself hoisted up in a bucket from a well. The three that saved me said something about me... no, this body, stumbling in the street before falling in the well. So who was I now? Who was this body I inhabited now? The lack of clothes certainly said that whoever this woman was she wasn't rich or anyone of noteworthy. So who? I had searched the clothes while changing and came up empty. 

Was I a run-away? "Hmmm..' 'I guess there's no point asking myself.' I remember spotting a castle and city in the distance from Alton so I figured it was probably best to ask questions there or maybe even walk around and someone who knew me would spot me. Well, either way, I wasn't moving today it was almost sundown so I guess I was sleeping here. I was still tired. Both mentally and physically. There was one thing I wanted to check before heading the bed. 

I started to search their loot, which they kept in one chest. There was quite a few valuables in it. From silver water goblets, to gem necklaces and even some scrolls. I unraveled the scrolls to look at them. "What the..." All the scrolls were written in a strange language I couldn't decipher. 

"Well... Whatever." 

I looked through the scrolls hoping to find- "Ah! There!" 

A map. I looked at it, I could read which struck me as odd. 'I could read this world's language?'  

I probably shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I examined it and found Alton immediately, I traced a line, which represented the road toward the city.The city's name was Longris. 'Longris?' Well, now I had a map so there was only one thing left to do today. Go to bed. I peeked in the tent and found a large animal skin wrapping some hay and a large fur messily laid off to the side. 'Well, that looks... comfy' I laid in it and covered myself.A sudden wave of fatigue hit me and before I knew it, I was asleep.

INTRODUCTORY COMPLETE.

.......

Author's note: So the introductory phase is over, I hope you enjoyed. I'd like to address some concerns you guys expressed. First many were confused as to where the protagonist learned to fight as he/she does, well I showed you. I do apologize but the reasoning was trying to add a small level mystery to the protagonist as well as move pass his past. 1. I admit, the mystery could have been handled better. 2. I want to move pass his past so I don't have to inject a huge bio for him/her. Sounds like I'm being lazy but there's another reason. I simply want an acknowledgment of the MC being male but nothing else.This is a story dealing with sexism so if I wrote a bio for him, what good would that do for him now? I want him to be male turning into female to provoke some thought, not TOO heavy but astray away from the things you commonly see in reincarnation stories you usually see. 

These are my reasons so I hope you understand. Thank you and take it easy.