I wanted to leave the main island, Honshu and get to the smallest of japan's main islands, Shikoku, to continue my journey there. I had found an older fisherman who agreed to ship me on the island. When I arrived at the beach where we were supposed to meet, a strong wind lashed through the area, shaking the trees and creating enormous waves. There was also a heavy rain which harmed my sight and the cold of the rain got quickly into my clothes, making the weather even more uncomfortable and stormy. A small ship fought through the storm, trying to get to me, on the shore. After a few minutes, it hit the wet sand of the normally beautiful beach, and someone jumped over the railing of the ship onto the sand. It wasn’t the fisherman. Through the storm I could make out the shape as a thin woman, wearing samurai armour and covering her face with a threatening oni-mask. 

“DON’T YOU REMEMBER ME?” She yelled against the howling of the storm. My thoughts were racing. Did I know her? Not that I remembered. I never met a masked samurai before. Or had I? As I stepped closer I could make out the colours of her armour. Orange, Green and White. Those were the colours of the Minamoto Clan, my clan. But we were all killed in the winter battle, years ago. Did someone stole the armour? The thin woman yelled again. “DID YOU TRULY FORGET ME, YOI?” How did she know my name? Wait, the voice. I know that voice. “Kokoro?” I asked shakingly into the wind. “IF YOU DIDN’T FORGET ME, THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND?” She screamed against the wind, I could hear her crying mixed into her anger. “I LOVED YOU!” With these words she drew her Katana shakingly. 

Slowly she stepped closer, taking her time as if she didn’t want to fight. As she came closer, I saw that the part of Kokoro's face that wasn’t hidden behind a mask had a big and painful looking burn mark. “YOU BETRAYED US!” She cried, tears forming in her face as she made the first strike with her Katana. “YOU LEFT US TO DIE!” “THEY ALL DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!” “IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!” Kokoro yelled, again and again, striking with her blade during every outcry. She was completely in tears, her sight blurred from her own tears. This is what gave me the small opening, which I used to draw blood against her for the first time. As she felt the pain, she stumbled back and fell on her knees.

A moment later Kokoro stood up, supporting herself with her Katana which she pressed in the sand. She wished her tears away and took on a different stance, more confident, more cold. She didn’t yell anymore, she didn’t even speak a single word to me, as she made her attacks. Deadlier than ever, faster than ever. But the longer I duelled with her, the more certain I became that she didn't really want to kill me, everytime she found an opening, she seemed to hesitate for the slightest moment. Not long enough to see from the outside, but giving me enough time to dodge her attacks. This hesitation allowed my second strike to hit. I struck her mask and it broke into dozens of pieces. I finally saw her entire face. It was completely deformed from a deep burn mark which covered the entire right side of her face. It looked really painful, as if someone poured oil on her face and then lit it aflame. The tears which streamed down her face were a stark contrast to this. “Why can’t you just die? Why do you have to make it so hard for me, Yoi?” She asked me. Then she looked me deep in the eyes, and walked slowly towards me, step by step. Even though she was in the range of my weapon and I could easily hit her with a strike, I didn’t. I couldn't. I was just frozen as she walked towards me, as she raised her weapon and when she swung it down. I was completely frozen as she aimed for my neck and as I waited for her Katana to strike me down, I contemplated my life. Did I help the people, did I avenge my family, did I restore my honour?

This is where I will built in my first fork in the story. The original idea was to defeat Kokoro, but the more I wrote, the more I wanted to redeem her, even though this isn't allowed, strictly by the rules. So there will be two version. Version A where she will get defeated and Version B where she will be redeemed.