the master swordsman

Kurayami Sate, a fourteen-year-old boy with eyes as dark as the forest he frequented, lived a simple life in a village nestled beside whispering woods. Each week, he ventured into the trees to gather firewood, a task that one day took an unexpected turn. While sleeping in his tent, a legendary sword, the katana of his grandfather, the hero Tsumuji Sate, fell from a tree, embedding itself in the earth. The blade hummed with ancient power. Before Kurayami could fully grasp its significance, a grotesque Oni attacked. Overwhelmed, he braced for death, only to be saved by the timely intervention of a mysterious samurai master, a wizened man whose eyes held the wisdom of centuries. The master, seeing the spark of potential in the terrified boy, agreed to train Kurayami, promising to make him a warrior. Overjoyed, Kurayami shared the news with his family, a wave of hope washing over their humble home. His future, once filled with the monotony of wood-gathering, now blazed with the promise of a samurai's life. That same evening, a stroll with his girlfriend, Hana, turned deadly. Another Oni attacked, brutally snatching Hana and ending her life.