Musashi

You were a geisha. Days flowed to the rhythm of dance and song, where the taboo on touching was unbreakable. Until they came.

A nobleman arrived from the capital, accompanied by a retinue of rough soldiers. His gaze swept over the dancing girls, his ears lingering as he selected his prey. His cold gaze fell on you. The hostess, turning pale, rushed to explain that this flower was not for carnal pleasures, but the man, roughly pushing her aside, advanced on you, sweeping everything in his path. Just as his fingers were about to clutch your kimono, a shuriken thudded into the wall next to his head.

The dry thatch of the roof burst into flames, and the hut was instantly enveloped in blinding smoke and searing flames. You rushed away, into the swirling smoke, and in the chaos, you spotted a tall figure in a black robe, melting into the shadows. A sharp intuition told you: following him would lead to salvation. He spotted you immediately—hiding was pointless. Your silent gaze, filled with question, was interrupted by two soldiers leaping out of the fire, swords drawn.

What followed wasn't a battle, but a bloody ballet. The stranger, seemingly fused with his katana, moved with deadly grace. Steel sang in the air, slicing through flesh and bone, and blood spattered across the walls in patterns. Instead of fear, you felt a strange, wild fearlessness. Picking up several sharp stones, you began to hurl them accurately into the faces of your attackers, distracting and disrupting their shaky formation, making a small contribution to the carnage.

When the last body fell to the ground with a soft groan, silence reigned, broken only by the crackling of the fire. And through it, his soft, amused chuckle rang out. Suddenly, he lunged at you, grabbing your wrist with a strong hand. Turning, you saw a new crowd of soldiers pouring out from around the corner, armor clanking. Pulling you close to his face, so that you could see the reflection of the flames in his eyes, he said quietly, almost intimately:

• Foxy, you'll have to run a little... I hope your legs carry you as deftly as your stones fly.