Koji makes another swing, hitting Arashi's katana, making sparks come out the moment they clash.
Arashi pushed back, making him use all his strengh to press Koji back, but Koji only smiles about Arashi's effort, falling back a little, making Arashi unbalanced to then hit him with a punch to his face.
Arashi falls to the ground, shocked by this honorless attack.
Arashi: "T-that, that wasn't… Where was the honor just now? A samurai should have honor with every attack he does."
He says in frustration and anger, staring at Koji in disbelief.
Koji just stares back in confusion, not understanding where that sudden outbreak came from.
Koji: "I think my punch just made you a lot dumber than you already were, because I never heard anything this stupid just now."
Koji says, laughing a little before continuing to talk,
Koji: "You think there is any honor in this world? Children starve to death, people kill for money, heck, even in the animal world something like honor doesn't exist."
Arashi stares at Koji in disbelief.
Arashi: "I don't believe a single word you are saying."
He says while standing up, grabbing his katana while
Koji: "Yeah? You psychopath killed a whole bunch of people just today and you believe there is honor in this world? Go out there and see for yourself if there is something like honor.
Arashi: "Shut up, I'll kill you."
He says with anger in his voice,
Koji laughs, throwing his katana away while Arashi rushes at him, swinging his sword and slicing Koji across his body, making blood spread everywhere.
Arashi looks at Koji, shocked by Koji's sudden action.
Arashi: "W-what? Why?"
Koji looks at him, laughing while blood flows from his mouth.
Koji: "Go out and see for yourself, kid; there is nothing to live for in this world."
He responds, dropping to the ground, staring with his lifeless eyes into Arashi's soul.
The soldiers around them are shocked; not knowing what to do, they go at Arashi, who is currently in a state of confusion, slicing one soldier after another, leaving a pool of blood and corpses.
Arashi looks down at himself, staring at his hands, which are covered in blood.
???: "There he is."
A voice calls from the woods, bringing Arashi back to his senses. Arashi quickly takes his katana, inserting it back into his scabbard before running away as fast as he can.
Arashi runs and runs, leading to him arriving at the bay.
…
From there on, Arashi decided to travel and see if Koji was right. With the death of the elders and Meyio, Mrs. Mitsunaga got full control over the Mitsunaga family, spending a lot of its money into technology, getting ownership of new companies, those who would later on produce the revolutionary flip phones, steamships and motored carriages, making a name for herself in the marketing world.
Arashi traveled around the world, also making a name for himself as a young mercenary, doing jobs for money.
While doing those jobs, he tried to hold onto his honor, but with each day it only got harder for him, because with each day he was reminded of Koji and his statement that there is no honor in the world, but the moment that broke Arashi was two years after his departure.
Arashi, now considered a monster, had an ego higher than any mountain, so when he was currently on his journey to another country for another job, he made an encounter that he would never forget.
In this world, strength is what really matters. People who possess strength and power are those who will be remembered, so it is uncommon for people with power to gather in a group.
Around that time, something unordinary would happen, something that would silently spread across the world: the making of a group called "the Soul-Reapers.".
A group made from the worst terrorists, mercenaries, and criminals known to man.
One of them was Arthur Morningstar, the abandoned son of the Morningstar family, one of the five great families.
Arthur, a young, blond, and handsome boy with beautiful hair that reaches down to his chin, was named by his famous great-grandfather; Arthur was equipped with his sacred sword "Excalibur" that he had pulled out of a stone and since then passed on in his family bloodline until the current Arthur stole it and ran away.
Normally, when two people with great power and who are known around the world meet, they would start a fight to see who is stronger, but Arthur doesn't care about such nonsense. Strength, power, and fighting are things that Arthur has no interest in; in fact, it is still a mystery why he even became a soul reaper.
Arashi: "You…"
Now older, with longer hair, more muscles than before, and possessing more power, Arashi is ready to take on Arthur.
But Arthur showed no interest, turning his back on Arashi and simply ignoring him.
Arashi is angered; without a second thought, he pulls out his katana and rushes at Arthur.
Arthur continued to ignore Arashi, still walking while behind him. Arashi falls onto the ground with a wound across his upper body, leaving him unable to do anything.
Arashi has never felt such embarrassment before, and the last thing he had seen before passing out was the black, metal bottom attached to Arthur's trousers, with a number engraved on it, the number seven.
After that, Arashi returned to the Mitsunaga property, completely broken; he returned, not only losing his ideals and dreams on his journey but also his humanity.
His sister fought hard for him being pardoned, which Mrs. Mitsunaga did, also making him the new head of the Mitsunaga private security and army.
He never really spoke to anyone after his return, only about what he learned in his journey, that first, there exists no honor in this world, and second, you either are the hunter or the prey, and Arashi would never again want to be the prey; he learned that in this world, monsters like Arthur exist and even worse people, and that the worst of them all gather together, and the most fearsome group of them all are the Soul-Reapers, who slowly made a name for themselves.
Since then, Arashi trained every day on the residency, making it his only purpose to become stronger.