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Ronin: Rumour is some Nine Tails were spotted here in Oshima Coast. Searching in the southwest for a lost sword of great power.
Atsu: A lost sword. Might be worth a look.
Ugetsu: Ah, my favourite wanderer.
Atsu: Ugetsu. What brings you here?
Ugetsu: I seek a katana called the Storm Blade. Supposedly, it ended up here in Oshima Coast hundreds of years ago. The sword is said to be so powerful that it contains the strength of an unstoppable storm.
Atsu: Sounds like quite a sword. I’m sure you have a story about it.
Ugetsu: That’s the problem. I’m not sure which story belongs to it. If you find it, I’ll be able to tell you the Storm Blade’s tale once I see it.
Atsu: How would I find this sword?
Ugetsu: The bits and pieces of the tales I’ve heard all say it’s somewhere in these hills, up this path behind me.
Atsu: Might as well look around.
Atsu: No one’s tended to this place in a long time. Some sort of fox shrine. Looks ancient.
Atsu: You don’t look like the other foxes around here. Where are you off to? Where’d you go? Why did you lead me here? There you are. Do you know how hard it was to get up here? What’s this? Someone wrote a haiku. Looks like it was written ages ago.
Atsu: ‘Alone, far from home. Old friends, never forgotten. Cherished sacrifice.’ (Slow exhale) Whoever wrote this was in pain… but proud.
Atsu: Has to be another way through. There you are. What is all this?
Atsu: Someone was storing weapons, supplies. Enough to fight a small war. A rusted iron hook. Too old to be of any use. Never seen a helmet this old before. Looks like it’s been through a lot. A saddle. Looks like it carried its rider through countless battles.
Atsu: Need to find a way to reach that cave.
Atsu: Someone went through a lot of trouble to keep this hidden. Could this be the Storm Blade? How long has this been here?
Atsu: (Coughs) Nine Tails?
Nine Tail: We’ve been following you for some time. But now, the Storm Blade is ours. Slit her throat.
Atsu: (Coughing) I’m coming for that sword! Where did that bastard go? I’m right behind you… Shit!
Atsu: Look who’s back. I’m glad you found me. You wouldn’t happen to know where that Nine Tail ran off to, would you? This place… it’s beautiful.
Atsu: Someone’s house. Good place to hide. The Storm Blade’s owner must have lived here. Looks like an herbalist’s set. Once used to make medicines… and poison. Burned adoption papers for a ‘clan Shimura’? This flute is extremely old. Might be a family heirloom. Who knows how many times it was passed down. An old dagger. Someone etched a name onto the blade. ‘Yuna’.
Atsu: Fresh footprints. Might be the Nine Tail who took the Storm Blade. He must’ve gone through here.
Nine Tail: I was wondering why my men never returned. Your reputation is well-earned, onryō. Face me!
Atsu: Gladly.
Nine Tail: The man who owned this sword was the first shinobi. He was unstoppable. Now I’ll be unstoppable too.
Atsu: We’ll see about that.
Nine Tail: You’ll learn to fear the Storm Blade. This sword will grant me control of the winds! You’ll be one of thousands cut down by this blade.
Atsu: Ugetsu? How’d you get here?
Ugetsu: By boat. I saw this fox on the shore and it seemed to want me to follow it.
Atsu: That fox led me to the Storm Blade. I don’t recognise this crest. Do you?
Ugetsu: Twin mountains in a circle. Of course, it all makes sense now! The Storm Blade is part of a tale outlawed by an old Shogun hundreds of years ago.
Ugetsu: Long ago, the Mongol horde set its eyes upon a small Japanese island. Although greatly outnumbered, a band of brave samurai rode out to face their invaders. The samurai were annihilated. But one fallen warrior rose from the ashes and single-handedly pushed back the Mongols, armed with his katana, the Storm Blade. He cast aside the way of the Samurai, and adopted what we now call the way of the Shinobi. With the Storm Blade in hand and the howling winds at his back, the warrior defeated the Mongols and freed his home. But he also broke the very code that forged him, making him a wanted man by his own people. The samurai who was no longer a samurai had no choice but to flee his home, never to be seen again. No one knows where he went. However, some say he spent his final days here in Ezo.
Atsu: So, this is where the former samurai fled. The man you spoke of sounds like a hero. Why did the old Shogunate outlaw his story?
Ugetsu: Perhaps the Shogun saw him as a threat to his authority. A legendary hero who defied convention — and succeeded where the samurai failed. Empires have fallen over less.
Atsu: Too bad he’s not still alive. I’d buy him a drink, trade stories about foolhardy samurai.
Ugetsu: Something tells me he’d enjoy that. As for the Storm Blade, I believe it has found a new master.
Atsu: I’ll put it to good use… And I will honour his sacrifice.
Atsu: You were a true warrior. Thank you for your Storm Blade. thanks for the help, little friend.