Long ago...a deadly conflict between Samurai and Shinobi clans nearly decimated the entire country of Japan.
Powerful warriors from both factions would clash in all out war, destroying forests, mountains, wildlife, and even civilization in their all out pursuit for victory. When the conflict finally hit it's breaking point, a legendary final battle in Tokyo nearly decided the country's fate, only for the final two clashing warriors to be stopped by the Shogun and his Daimyo. With the crisis adverted, a new law was immediately put into place that ended conflict between the clans and the two warring warrior classes that could never seem to not be at each other's throats.
Those who accepted the government's wishes to preserve the country and move into a peaceful future ceased their fighting, but retained the same honorable warrior culture. However, not everyone agreed to this new law, and those who continued to fight one another despite the law being in place were declared rebels, and those who obeyed the law were quickly put to work in stopping them.
This never ending conflict would continue well into the twenty-first century, where the warriors of Japan's past still continue to thrive to this day. Enter, Tokyo Heights.
A private high school academy only young warriors could attend, the instructors of Tokyo Heights are focused on teaching the new generation to fight the rebels and immerse themselves in the culture and pride of being a Samurai or Shinobi. When the time comes to graduate, the former students bring their skills into the real world where fiery battles and intense struggles could occur any time. In order to protect the public and uphold the law, these seemingly ordinary people have learned the skills needed to defuse these situations and preserve the country well into the future.
It is in 2021 that our story begins. A young baseball star is about to begin his high school career. With his honorable samurai father holding high hopes for his son, the date for enrollment at Japan's only warrior academy draws close.
ENTER, IKKEI KAGEMORI!!
BLADE x BLADE PART 1: TOKYO HEIGHTS SAGA
The Tokyo city air was calm today. There was of course it's signature bustling crowds as always, the streets flooded with white collared business workers, school girls going about their gossip, and the average Joe just making his commute to the local café. There was a very familiar and welcoming peace within the crowd, something the boy weaving through it could always appreciate.
A marine blue spiky haired teen bobbed and dodged through the crowd of civilians, seamlessly maneuvering through what seemed like hordes of never-ending people. He did it all with a bright smile and a spring in his step.
He had a thinner, toned athletic build and fair skin, complimented by his marine blue eyes. He had a softer, childish face that reflected the boy's lack of general maturity—something most middle schoolers his age lacked as well.
He wore his signature baseball jersey with the number 17 inscribed in the back, as well as his surname. This was accompanied by a pair of dark blue joggers, sneakers, and his trademark accessories, sweatbands on both wrists. A white backwards sun visor kept his spiky tuft of wild hair somewhat in line.
IKKEI KAGEMORI
AGE: 14
OCCUPATION: SOON TO BE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
BASEBALL STAR OF THE 8TH GRADE
ENJOYS LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH
HAS NOT SHOWERED TODAY
"Sorry! Pardon Me! Excuse me! Hey, nice hat! My bad! Ow!" The boy belted. His journey through the herd of people was short lived, as the crowd began to wildly disperse after a loud thunderous explosion rang out. As the civilians ran for cover, Ikkei, stood perfectly still in the middle of the empty road, looking up at the sky. Above him, two warriors clashed as speeds only he could detect. To everyone around him, the causes of these explosions were small flashes that appeared in a new place with every split second impact. His trained eyes could clearly make out the image of two shinobi going at it at full speed, something he had only seen before maybe once or twice.
"Oh sweet...I actually get to watch a battle! Hold on! Let me get comfy." Ikkei said brightly, sitting with his legs crossed on the pavement. With a smile, he observed the fight happening before him.
"Hey, kid! What the hell do you think you're doing!? Get over here!" A shopkeeper called from the sidewalk. Ikkei turned to him with the same toothy grin he had before.
"Don't worry about me, mister!" The boy responded cheerfully, turning his attention back to the fight. Buildings caught in the blasts began to shoot chunks from each stray strike, sending large clouds of debris and dust all about. After a few more intense clashes, the two warriors finally reappeared in the center of the street, their blades drawn at the ready.
"Government dog..." The yellow-clad shinobi barked.
"Rebel scum..." The black robed ninja hissed.
Like a serpent snapping on it's prey, the yellow fighter pounced at the chance to attack first, swerving behind the black ninja and swiping his blade across the man's back. A powerful shockwave sent the warrior barreling forward into a building, destroying all shop items kept in display out front. The black ninja groaned in pain as he found himself lodged into the wall, struggling to get out. In a blink, the yellow ninja pulled him out of the print he had left in the concrete, then flung him into the air violently.
He swung his sword again with great force as the black ninja hovered above him. Without his blade making any physical contact, a single thin line of pure kinetic energy flung forward and collided with the ninja, creating a massive circular shockwave in the air that was roughly the size of the entire four way intersection.
Ikkei was now biting his nails in the same way one would during a scary movie. Despite the nerves slowly getting to him, he retained his cool, still positive composure as he watched on, interested as ever.
"Ikkei Kagemori...he's gotta be one of the weirdest kids I know. Look at him. The idiot's just sitting there as a shinobi fight tears the entire city block to shreds!" A kid from his school pointed out, taking cover behind a food cart.
"I hear it's because he's gonna be a warrior like his dad. But I don't think he's cut out for that sort of thing. I don't think warriors just sit there during a heated battle. Is he waiting to do something?" Another boy chimed in.
"No way. He's a total wimp. Just look at him! He's just sitting there! A real warrior would have stood up and kicked his ass by now, especially when that rebel guy has the upper hand!"
"Oh come on, Iori. Cut the guy some slack...this is probably the first real fight he's seen. He's probably still figuring out how to beat him..."
"Oh that's BS...He's a damn idiot that's gonna get himself killed!"
The black shinobi returned to the ground in a motionless heap, successfully defeated by the rebel warrior.
"The trash has been taken out. Now, I think it's time I head back to base..." The yellow shinobi began, slowly turning to Ikkei sitting behind him.
"Well...what do we have here? Are you lost, boy?" He asked with a low, sinister tone.
"Oh, hey! Nah. I'm just watchin'. I don't get to see real fights like this too often!" Ikkei responded, waving cheerily.
"So you're a spectator, hmm?"
"Kinda. I'm actually gonna train to be a warrior so I can kick guys like you to the curb!"
"Really now...is that so...maybe I should make you reconsider that!"
In another blink of an eye, the shinobi flashed directly in front of Ikkei, throwing his fist at a speed not even Ikkei could properly detect. A violent shockwave shook the entire intersection and a few street blocks in each direction. Dust had been kicked up from the sudden attack, and for a moment, no one could make out what had just happened.
"What did I tell you, Naota? This Ikkei kid is a damn moro--"
"Iori, look!"
When the dust cleared, the yellow shinobi's fist was firmly planted within Ikkei's grasp, holding it tightly with a deadly grip.
"Well would you look at that...looks like I caught your fastball." Ikkei teased, his smile as big as ever.
"What!? How could a runt like you possibly stop an attack like that!? It's already one thing to stop an attack at that speed...but take the full brunt of that shockwave without a single scratch? You must be of warrior blood..."
"Duh. I told you, I'm gonna be a samurai one day. Not just anyone can do that! Luckily for me, I happen to come from one of the strongest clans...and unluckily for you...you're about to find out first hand!" With this declaration, Ikkei quickly threw the duffle bag over his shoulder to the ground, retrieving his metal baseball bat and preparing to swing.
Unlike most baseball players, Ikkei's stance was peculiar and odd, resembling more of a sword style than a proper way to hold and swing a bat. Suddenly, Ikkei's wrists began to rotate quickly, spinning the bat in his hands like a propeller.
"What the hell!? What kind of freak are you!?" The shinobi shouted, slowly backing away.
"Wha-!? How is that even possible?" Iori shouted, dumbfounded.
"I told you...I'm a Kagemori! Here goes..."
After winding up his bat with his rotating wrist, Ikkei then unleashed all the built up momentum in one well placed swing, sending the yellow shinobi up into the sky, twinkling like a star.
"And he's outta here! Man, that sure worked up an appetite. I better get home before mom gets worried. I could really go for some Udon right now. Or maybe some Yakitori...decisions decisions. I'll flip a coin later." Ikkei went on, throwing the duffle bag back over his shoulder as he walked away. The civilians all slowly rose from their cover with their jaws agape.
"Yup. That's Ikkei Kagemori alright. He might be a bit odd, but you definitely can't say he isn't strong." Naota said, peeking out from behind a car.
"Whatever. He's still a freak. I've never seen a human spin their wrists 360 degrees like that. Besides, what about that other guy? Is he gonna be alright?" Iori asked, rubbing his nose snobbishly.
"The black ninja seemed to have gotten up and left when Ikkei hit that guy out of the park. Seems like he'll be alright."
"Right. Whatever. Let's go finish working out." Iori signaled. The two boys began their walk through the city again, this time unbothered until they reached a certain alleyway, in which they were stopped dead in their tracks by a group of shadowy silhouettes. Behind them, rows of motorbikes were parked, all American style choppers with high handlebars.
A single figure stepped forward from the crowd, approaching the two boys slowly. Frozen by fear, the two boys jittered as they awaited for the figure to speak.
"Say...did you guys happen to see that little scuffle down the street a bit ago?" The figure asked with a hiss.
"U-uh...yeah...why? Please don't kill us..." Naota shivered.
"That blue haired kid. He seemed pretty strong, didn't he?" The figure spoke again.
"Um...yeah...he was pretty strong..." Iori admitted, his voice creaking.
"Do you happen to know his name, by any chance? You boys look like you may know him."
"No sir, not at all. He just goes to the same middle school as us, is all! He's just some weirdo that happens to be kinda strong...but to answer your question, his name is Ikkei! Ikkei Kagemori! Can we leave now?
"Sure, but one more thing. School starts back up again very soon, right? Do you know what high school he'll be attending this year?"
"Well, he said he wanted to be a samurai...and samurai only go to Tokyo Heights...so he's probably gonna sign up there! Now, if that's all you need, we'll be leaving..." The two boys began to back away as the figure finally stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself.
It was a boy of decent height, slightly tanned skin and dark brown eyes that nearly appeared black. He had combed yet spiky pompadour do, a slick jet black color that complimented his matching leather biker jacket. His facial features were sharp, from his jawline to the jagged teeth that lined his mouth. He wore tight black jeans and some tall black boots, rounding off the look with a thick metal chain wrapped around his left arm.
"Thanks for the info. By the way, the name's Yozama Hazzard. If you see me again, you'd best run. More than likely, it's because I'm on the way to beat your ass." The boy said, grinning devilishly. Without hesitation, Iori and Naota nodded frantically, then took off back onto the sidewalk.
Yozama turned back to the gang of shadows behind him, yawning as he stretched his arms overhead.
"Well boys, looks like I'm going to Tokyo Heights..." The boy proclaimed, his jagged toothy smile now wide from ear to ear.