The morning sun crept over the horizon, painting the sky in strokes of gold and orange. The air was cool, the kind that carried the scent of dew and earth. Birds began their morning songs, and the flowers unfurled their bright petals, greeting the dawn. To some, it was the start of an ordinary day. But to others, it marked the beginning of something far greater.
Today was that day — the one Ujiyuki, Shigekatsu, and Sentarō had been preparing for. The day of the police force entrance exams.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the paper windows and landed squarely on Ujiyuki's face. He groaned, trying to turn away, but the light followed him like a stubborn enemy.
"Ujiyuki-nii-san," came a voice from outside his room. "We're ready to leave. You're not planning to sleep through our send-off, are you?"
The older man cracked one eye open and sighed. The shōji door slid open, and there stood Shigekatsu — neat as ever in his red-and-black striped kimono, that same mischievous grin plastered across his face.
"Tch… couldn't even let me wake up properly, could you?" Ujiyuki muttered.
Shigekatsu chuckled. "If I waited, we'd be leaving at sunset."
Ujiyuki sat up slowly, rubbing his head. "Where's the kid?"
"Outside," Shigekatsu replied. "Told him to wait while I fetched you."
Ujiyuki exhaled and stood, stretching his shoulders. "So it's finally here… the brat's big day."
"He's grown a lot, hasn't he?" Shigekatsu said quietly.
Ujiyuki didn't answer right away. But the faint smile tugging at his lips was enough.
They stepped outside together — and there he was. Sentarō stood proudly in his new zoroye: a white top with crimson bottoms, his sword sheathed at his left hip. The morning light glinted off the polished steel of his weapon. He stood tall, but his nervous energy was plain as day.
"Hey, kid," Ujiyuki called out. "Looks like you're ready to go."
"Yes, Master Ujiyuki," Sentarō said, bowing slightly. He tried to hide his excitement, but his eyes betrayed him.
Ujiyuki approached — then, to the surprise of both Shigekatsu and Sentarō, he pulled the boy into a firm embrace. Sentarō froze. He could feel the warmth from Ujiyuki's calloused hands and the steady beat of his heart. For years, Ujiyuki had been strict, even harsh, but never once had he shown affection so openly.
"Come back alive, Sentarō," Ujiyuki said quietly.
The sound of his own name from Ujiyuki's lips stunned him more than the words themselves. For five years, his master had only called him "kid" or "brat." Never "Sentarō."
He swallowed hard. "…Don't worry, Master. I'll come back as a police officer. That's a promise."
Ujiyuki let him go, studying his face for a moment longer before nodding. "See that you do."
Shigekatsu placed a hand on Ujiyuki's shoulder. "Relax, nii-san. The boy's tougher than he looks."
"Oi! Mr. Shigekatsu!" Sentarō called from a few paces down the path, waving eagerly. "Let's go already!"
Shigekatsu laughed. "Look at that. He's more eager than a hungry wolf."
Ujiyuki stayed where he was, arms crossed, watching them walk down the dirt path. The morning breeze picked up, brushing through his hair and kimono. He watched until the two were no longer in sight.
"…Yeah," he muttered to himself. "The kid's grown a lot."
The journey from Ujiyuki's home led them through the forest first. The trees stood tall and proud, their green leaves swaying gently in the wind. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the canopy, painting the ground in shifting gold. The path beneath their feet was lined with wildflowers and damp moss.
Sentarō's eyes darted everywhere, excitement practically bubbling out of him. "Ahh, I can't wait! I feel alive already!"
"You're a strange one, kid," Shigekatsu said, glancing sideways at him. "After hearing all that talk about death and danger, you're still grinning?"
Sentarō smirked. "That's easy. I just know I'm gonna pass."
Shigekatsu sighed. "Overconfidence gets men killed."
"Confidence keeps 'em moving," Sentarō shot back, smiling wide.
The older man chuckled under his breath. "Heh. You sound just like your master when he was your age."
They walked on for a while, the morning growing warmer, the forest thinning. Soon, the trees parted to reveal a familiar dirt road. Sentarō blinked, slowing his steps.
"Wait a minute," he said, squinting at the landscape. "I know this road…"
"What's wrong?" Shigekatsu asked.
"This leads to the market, doesn't it? The one Master Ujiyuki and I used to visit."
"That's right," Shigekatsu said. "We'll be passing through on the way to the district."
Sentarō's grin returned. "It's been ages since I've gone there!"
But when they finally reached the marketplace, that grin vanished.
The sight before him struck like a blade to the chest. The once-lively market, full of laughter, chatter, and the scent of roasted food, now lay in ruin. Empty stalls stood crooked and broken, their roofs half-collapsed. The few that remained upright were filled with rotting goods, dust, and flies. Only a handful of people wandered through — thin, pale, dressed in rags. Their faces were hollow. Hopeless.
Sentarō stopped walking. His throat tightened. "Mr. Shigekatsu… what happened here?"
Shigekatsu's face remained neutral, but there was a shadow behind his eyes. "You wouldn't know. You've been training with Ujiyuki all this time."
"This… this can't be. Last time I came here, the place was alive! Merchants, kids, the smell of food— it was full of life!"
He turned slowly, his gaze sweeping across the ruins of what used to be his favorite spot. "How… How did it end up like this?"
Shigekatsu sighed, his tone calm but heavy. "This is the way of things now. The capital's changed. Taxes went up, trade fell apart. The rich hoard what they can, and the rest… well, this is what's left."
Sentarō clenched his fists. "That's not right. This isn't how it's supposed to be."
"Right or not, it's reality," Shigekatsu said firmly. "And reality doesn't care what you think. Come on. We've got ground to cover. The Fourth Division's exam won't wait."
"But—!"
"Do you want to miss your chance and take it next year?" Shigekatsu asked, his tone cutting through the air like a blade.
Sentarō froze, his breath catching. He looked around one last time — at the broken stalls, the hungry faces, the silence where laughter used to be. He lowered his head, shoulders tense.
"…Alright," he said softly. "But mark my words, Mr. Shigekatsu — when I pass that exam and wear the uniform, I'll come back here. And I'll fix this."
For the first time since leaving home, Shigekatsu smiled. Not his usual teasing grin, but something smaller — proud, even. "Well said, kid. I'll hold you to that."
An hour later, the road curved uphill. The air grew fresher, the scent of soil and grass thick and clean. Birds circled above, and from the top of the hill, the world opened up before them.
"Alright, kid," Shigekatsu said, stopping at the ridge. "Welcome to the Asakusa-machi District — the Flourishing Grasslands."
Sentarō stepped forward, his eyes widening. The sight was breathtaking. Far below stretched an endless sea of green — rice paddies and fields glistening in the morning sun. The homes were neatly arranged, smoke rising from their chimneys. Workers moved in the distance, tending crops, laughing, living.
"This is incredible…" he breathed. "It's so different from the market."
Shigekatsu nodded slowly. "It's a land blessed by both coin and crop. Prosperity lives here."
"Wow, Mr. Shigekatsu, this is ama—"
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A SUITOR!!!"
The sudden roar of a woman's voice sliced through the peaceful air like thunder. Both men froze, turning toward the sound.
Not far ahead — perhaps a hundred or a hundred and twenty paces — a girl stood in the middle of the road, gripping a man by the neck with one hand. Her blonde hair shone under the sun, smooth and bright as silk. Her zoroye was yellow-topped and black-bottomed, her sword sheathed on her right hip. Even from a distance, her face was striking — sharp, fiery, beautiful. The kind of beauty that would make most men lose their breath.
But Sentarō and Shigekatsu didn't have time to admire it — because the girl's expression was that of pure fury.
"Unhand me, young lady—" the man sputtered.
"Shut it!" she barked, shaking him. "My old man sent you, didn't he?! You tell that fool I said this—"
She pulled her fist back.
"—I'M NOT MARRYING ANYONE BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE A SAMURAI!"
Her punch connected with a dull thud. The man doubled over, gasping. She didn't stop there — a quick one-two to his gut, and then a devastating uppercut that launched him straight into the air.
The poor man flew like a paper doll, crashing into the dirt not ten paces behind Shigekatsu and Sentarō.
Both men stood frozen.
"…Did that girl just—" Sentarō began.
"Send a man flying? Yeah," Shigekatsu finished, blinking slowly. "By the gods…"
The girl dusted off her hands and exhaled, glaring down the path as if daring anyone else to try her patience. When her eyes landed on the two men, her brows furrowed.
Sentarō's mouth hung open. "She's… unbelievable."
Shigekatsu smirked, crossing his arms. "Heh. Looks like you've got competition, kid."
Sentarō didn't reply. He was too busy staring — not in awe of her beauty, but the sheer strength behind her punches.
"That kind of power… from someone my age?"he thought, his heart racing. What kind of person is she?