Let's start with a quick introduction.
He was eight years old, full of energy, and completely impossible to reason with.
Kamado Takeo had tried to explain this kindly to young Azukichō—if he truly wanted to learn swordsmanship, the best path would be to find a proper dōjō where he could study in a structured way.
After all, the boy came from a wealthy family. Paying for lessons wouldn't be a problem.
But Azukichō hadn't wanted that.
He had chosen Takeo.
Takeo had been helpless against his determination. In the end, he carved a bamboo sword for the boy and said:
"If you can land a clean strike on me with this, I'll teach you."
Ever since then, the boy had been showing up every day, swinging his bamboo blade and challenging Takeo like clockwork.
So far?
Zero victories.
Azukichō didn't listen to warnings, lectures, or logic. He just kept attacking—proudly, defiantly.
Now, once again, he puffed up his chest, pointing his bamboo sword at Takeo.
"What's wrong? Who's that guy? I've never seen him before."
Takeo had been working as a bodyguard for this merchant for over two weeks now. He knew the staff by sight.
So when he noticed the man in black robes, with a real katana on his hip, he instantly realized—
This samurai was new.
But it wasn't just his presence that bothered Takeo. It was the sense of danger radiating from him.
A real blade. A real warrior.
Even Azukichō seemed thrown off, glancing toward the merchant's quarters with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know either."
"You don't? Didn't your father say anything?"
Given the merchant's wealth and his legal permit to carry weapons, it wasn't unusual that someone like that might appear.
But Takeo wasn't convinced.
Something about this felt… off.
"Spying on people isn't very samurai-like," Takeo said flatly. "If you're hoping to earn lessons by eavesdropping, you're out of luck."
"Tch! You're always so full of excuses…"
"Hm?"
"Whatever, I'm off to train, okay?!"
The boy made a face at Takeo's stern look and darted off like a gust of wind, vanishing behind the crates.
Takeo rolled his eyes and turned back toward the cabin.
Something told him the rest of this journey wouldn't be so peaceful.
Inside the cabin.
The man in black robes stood silently near the table, formally greeted by the merchant Miura Tarō.
"Mr. Mizuno, are you sure you don't know anything about the missing ship?"
"I… I really don't know anything..."
Miura's eyes narrowed slightly.
He lit his pipe and exhaled slowly before speaking again, voice low and deliberate.
"You'd better tell the truth."
Truth was, Miura hadn't heard about any of this until that morning—when the ghost hunter showed up.
That's when he learned the truth.
The ship's captain—Mizuno—had deliberately concealed the disappearances. He didn't want word spreading that people had gone missing during the voyage.
Miura understood the motive. It was winter. River travel during this season was risky.
If word got out, no one would rent ships. And in this line of work, winter voyages meant big money.
Still, he couldn't accept it.
Miura had paid for this journey. If there was real danger aboard the ship, then he—and his crew—were at risk. Captain Mizuno's silence, no matter how he framed it, bordered on manslaughter for profit.
There was no point in arguing now.
The problem was already here.
"I'll cooperate," Miura said at last, taking a drag from his pipe. "But I don't know anything else about Captain Mizuno."
The ghost hunter didn't press.
White smoke curled through the air as the mood in the cabin thickened.
"I… I'll help too," Mizuno said finally. "Yes, we've had passengers disappear. But that doesn't mean it was a ghost!"
"Then tell me," the ghost hunter said calmly, "how exactly did they disappear?"
Mizuno swallowed hard. The hunter's even tone helped calm him.
He nodded, slowly recalling the details.
"They vanished during the night. After falling asleep… they were just gone the next morning. At first, I thought maybe they'd gone home early. But two days ago—while we were still en route—we lost another one."
"They were just… gone."
That was the current situation.
And something told Takeo… it was only going to get worse.
Author's Note:
A blade. A missing person. A whisper in the night. Kamado Takeo's journey is about to take a darker turn—one that not even self-healing can protect him from.