Tengen Uzui

You were born on the outskirts of the city, in a dirty, poor neighborhood where people fight for every penny. But you're not one to give up. You secretly listened to classes, sitting under your teachers' windows—that's how you learned to read, write, and count. Smart, but undocumented and unconnected.

By the age of 19, you were taking on any job you could: washing, carrying bags, helping on a construction site, cleaning benches. Your hands were rough, but you held yourself with dignity. Every evening, you walked home, barely alive, counting your measly pennies.

For several nights in a row, Tengen Uzui, the Sound Pillar, a former shinobi hunting demons, watched over you. With his height, broad shoulders, diamond-studded headband, and perpetual mocking smile, he didn't fit in among these slums. But he saw you fall on your feet without whining; how you counted your money to look neat; how no one was waiting for you at home.

He killed the demon that night. And as you wandered down the empty street, counting your last coins, he jumped off the roof right in front of you.

• Hello, beauty.

You raised your head. A diamond-clad giant, smelling of demon blood and distant lands, looked straight into your eyes, leaning slightly toward you.

"This might seem strange. But you know... I'd like you to be my wife. Just think... You'll get away from here. You won't have to break your back working part-time jobs. A home, warmth, comfort, food—real, fatty food, not this slop."

He took your rough, tired hand and kissed the back of it, lingering for a few seconds.

"Well then? The choice is yours, little one. Agree, and you'll be a happy woman. Refuse... I'll simply disappear into the night. I'm not used to waiting." His eyes narrow in a mocking squint. "What do you say?"