{Sengoku Era}
As our heroes continued to walk through the forest once again in search for the next demon to slay, but this time they were not alone. For they had two new traveling companions along their journey Dororo the young ex-thief and the puppy who is now named Nota. They started to follow Koharu and Hyakkimaru after the fight with the sludge demon. While they were walking through the forest Dororo thought about what Koharu said about Hyakkimaru's sight. He decided to test it out by walking in front of Hyakkimaru and standing in his way. Hyakkimaru simply walked around the boy.
"You can see. I knew it. You can see, right?" Dororo asked the silent teen. "Dororo, I already told you that Hyakkimaru can't see," Koharu said to the little boy as she was walking up to the boy and Nota following behind her. "But if he's blind how else could he fight that monster and understand you, Big Sis?" Dororo asked as he remembered the battle on the bridge. "Like I said Dororo, Hyakkimaru has a sixth sense something a supposed intuitive faculty giving awareness. It's something no one can really explain what it is but there are people who have it." Koharu explained while Dororo was scratching his head in confusion. "I still don't understand but you both were so cool. You shouldn't let it go to waste. You could....." Dororo trailed off until he realized that he was being left behind again. "Hey, are you listening to me, Big Sis?!" Dororo yelled as he and Nota ran up to the two teens who were ahead of them. "Hai, Hai..." Koharu said as she lazily waved her hand towards the boy.
"Do you and this guy always go around slaying monsters?" Dororo asked once he finally caught up with the teens. "Well, yeah if one comes our way. I mostly slay those monsters because they would try and hurt people and this guy might have more of a purpose for the slaying." Koharu pointed out as she remembers the event after they killed the demon from earlier. 'What happened back there...never in human history has anything like that ever happened. Human skin regrowing at a miraculous pace...Then again neither did time-traveling occurred in the past. Not that I know of anyway...' Koharu's mind wanders to what happened after she met Hyakkimaru.
(Flashback)
"So are you into cosplay or something?" Koharu asked as she was dressing her wounds from the fight she had with the beast. The boy across from her didn't answer but merely stared at her or more like her soul. Koharu felt slightly annoyed with the boy's quietness as she continued to put bandages on her cheeks. "Okay, then I guess we'll have to go into town and talk to the forest ranger since we were just attacked by giant snakes. Come on I know the area." Koharu said after she put her medical supplies away and strapped the bag on her back. Koharu turned to see that Hyakkimaru was still sitting on the ground. 'I wonder if he can actually hear me...' Koharu wonders as she strapped the sword on the inside of her belt buckle in order to hold the magnificent sword. 'I still don't understand where that light came from...' Koharu thought about the bright light that saved her from getting killed by the beast. Koharu shivered in fright at the memory. 'That thing was so close I couldn't even block it at that range...' Koharu sighed as she thanked God for the bright light that saved her from being torn to shreds. Koharu walked over to the quiet boy and held her hand out.
"Well, let's go before it gets too dark. If there's more of those things out there then we're in trouble." Koharu said with a smile. Hyakkimaru only looked at the soul in front of him as its beautiful blue color was holding out to him. Hyakkimaru slowly brought his prosthetic up to the girl's hand. Koharu gently grasped at the boy's wooden hand and pulled Hyakkimaru from the ground. The two teens started their way out of the forest but Hyakkimaru didn't pay any attention to where he was going. His attention was his joined hand with the girls'...
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They finally made it out of the woods, but something was wrong there were no streets, no cars, no Mountain Ranger station. It was practically an empty field with only a few houses made out of wood and straw. "What the...Where's the town?" Koharu asked breathlessly as she stared at what anyone could say village. 'This can't be right...' Koharu thought as she started to run into the village.
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Once Koharu and Hyakkimaru traveled through the village many people were giving the two teens dirty looks. "Excuse me sir, but what's going on here?" Koharu asked as she went up to a stranger wearing tattered traditional Japanese attire just like everyone else. The man was shorter than Hyakkimaru and nothing but skin and bones. He had bags under his eyes and he had every little hair on his head. "What are you talking about? Shouldn't you be in the forest doing your job?" The man asked bluntly. "Excuse me?" Koharu asked trying to contain her temper. " You heard me you wench you should be serving customers just like every other woman wearing such lecherous clothing." The man spat as Koharu clenched her hands into tight fists. Then the man had a sinister grin upon his face as he studied Koharu's attire.
"If things are going slow for you I'm willing to spend a few Ryō if you show me what you're worth." The man said shrewdly just before he placed his boney hand on her shoulder. Suddenly in a flash Koharu gripped his forearm and bend it in a painful angle, the man screamed in agony just before he met a mortal kick to the stomach. "Listen here if I ever so much as hear a peep about that again. A fractured arm and a kick to the stomach is nothing compared to the punishment I'll have in store for you." Koharu said in a low tone before she took out her sword and shoved it into his face. "You'll pay for this you wench!!!" the man screamed out before he ran away crying out in pain and cradling his injured arm. Koharu turned around to see that many of the villagers stared at her at awe until a few local teenage girls ran up to Koharu with smiles on her faces.
"Thank you so much!"
"That man has been doing that to us for years."
"How were you able to do that?"
"Oh, that it was nothing," Koharu said as her cheeks started to heat up from the complaints she was receiving. "But can you tell me something?" Koharu asked after she brushed away the embarrassment. "Yes, what is it?" One of the girls inquired. "Where is the nearest inn?" Koharu asked with a smile. "My family runs an inn. You can stay there for the night free of charge. Your lover can also stay of course!" The girl said as her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Woah, Woah, Woah, there we are not lovers! We only just met...I mean we're traveling companions!" Koharu explained while her face was as red as an apple and she was swinging her arms out in distress. "Oh, I'm sorry I just assumed you two were Lovers. My mistake." The girl said as she placed a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "Forget about that, so the room is free? Why?" Koharu asked in disbelief. "As thanks for getting rid of that shameful man." The girl explained.
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Later that night the two teens got settled into the room as promised, but Koharu couldn't sleep. Her mind was filled with so many questions on what's going on however, one thing was certain Koharu was in the past...
And in one of the worst possible eras to be in...
The Sengoku Era!!!
"How is this even possible?" Koharu mumbled as she looked out of the window to stare at the full moon. 'How am I supposed to get back?' Koharu asked in her mind as she continues to stare at the moon. And then almost like the moon listened to girl's dismay a stream of moonlight hit the blade of her sword that was leaning up against the wall next to her backpack. Koharu saw the shine the blade was reflecting and suddenly got an idea. 'That's it!!!' Koharu quickly shot up from her seat and grabbed the sword and her backpack. Just before she opened the sliding door of the room she turned her head around to see Hyakkimaru still sleeping on the floor. Koharu simply gave the boy a sad smile before she silently left the room. What she didn't know was that the boy was awake the whole time. Hyakkimaru slowly sat up and stared at the door Koharu left open...
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Koharu brought out her flashlight once she was outside of the village. Considering that this was the time where everything that people didn't understand would be the work of a demon or a witch. Koharu didn't want to take any more chances than she already has at this point. "If I came here because I pulled the sword out of the stone. Then maybe I can get back by putting the sword back." Koharu mumbled as she ventured into the forest until something hit her. "Ugh! Great, now I feel like I'm stealing from the sword in the stone.." Koharu groaned with a dull look on her face.
"Well, look at what we have here?" A wicked voice ringed out of the forest but Kharu recognized it from earlier today. Koharu quickly turned off her flashlight before another light shined through the darkness. The light came from torches that flared up from behind her. Koharu turned around to see the boney man from earlier today. The arm Koharu twisted was in a white cloth to served as a makeshift sling but this time he wasn't alone. Two able-bodied men were standing beside him with torches in their hands. They were as big as freaken bears, hairy as apes, and they smelled worse than horse manure. "I told you before that you'll pay Little Wench." The boney man said before he signaled his goons. The men grinned before they advanced towards Koharu with the look of lust in their eyes. Once the two men were a mere three feet away from the girl she started to chuckle in a dark tone which made the men freeze in their tracks. It was almost as if there was a dark aura dripping from her figure that sends all three of the men quaking in fear.
"You know this is a sexual assault you guys are doing..." Koharu said in a low voice that sends chills to men's spines. "W-what does that mean?" The boney man asked in a fearful tone while his face was drench in sweat. "It means...I won't feel guilty when I do this!" Koharu shouted at the men as she drew out her sword and slashed the two men in their abdominal. The two men screamed in pain as blood spilled out from their wounds. The boney man looked at the girl in pure terror just before he would make a break for it the boney man slammed into something hard. The man looked up to see Hyakkimaru standing there with his prosthetic arm rested on the sword in his hip. The man shrieked in horror as he ran away with his tail between his legs."I know you're here Hyakkimaru." Koharu said in the distant. Though Hyakkimaru couldn't hear Koharu he knew that the girl was calling out to him. The boy walked through the woods and into the clearing where Koharu was at. Koharu was standing there waiting as she put away her sword in her makeshift holster. The two other men also ran away from the girl with only minor wounds that they won't die from.
The two teens stood there in silence staring into each other's eyes. "Well, care to explain to me why you decided to be a stalker and insisting on following me?" Koharu urged with both of her arms crossed over her chest. Even though Koharu knew that the boy was deaf she had a feeling that Hyakkimaru could still understand what she's saying. Hyakkimaru didn't reply instead he brought his prosthetic arm up and grabbed her wrist. And then started to drag her out of the forest. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Koharu yelled as she tried to escape from the boy's grip, but it was futile. Hyakkimaru had a tight grip on her wrist as he continued to drag the girl out of the forest. Hyakkimaru didn't know why but he had a feeling that if he let the girl go then he'll never see her again. He didn't want that to happen Koharu was the first person other than his adoptive father to show no fear nor haterade towards him. Instead, Koharu had shown him the type of understanding that no one has ever shown him. Not only that but Koharu's soul gave off a warmth he's never felt before like a little flame and when she fights that flame grows brighter than before. With that in mind, Hyakkimaru continued to pull the girl away from the forest and that is how their story began.
(Flashback Ended)
'I still don't understand why Hyakkimaru pulled me away from that forest. I just wanted to go home.' Koharu thought as she put up the tent she had packed in her backpack. 'Oh well, it's not like I'm in a rush or anything...besides I think I understand why I'm here now.' Koharu turned around to see Hyakkimaru stabbing his sword into the stream catching three fish. He was just about to eat the raw fish until Dororo and Nota ran up to stop him from doing such a thing. "Hey, Dororo why don't you cook for us tonight and I'll cook us all breakfast in the morning." Koharu said as she was hammering down the tent's pegs. "Why, me Big Sis?" Dororo asked with a pout. "One, I'm busy setting up the tent, Two I can't trust Hyakkimaru to so much as boil water, and three Nota is a puppy so he can't help much." Koharu said as she pulled up a finger for each reason. "What is a tent and why do we need it anyway?!" Dororo asked as a vein popped out of his head to show his frustration.
"A tent is a portable shelter made of cloth, supported by one or more poles and stretched tight by cords attached to pegs that are in the ground. One, It's better protection, and two it'll keep us warm." Koharu informed as she tied one of the cords to the pegs. "Fine....." Dororo grumbled as he went to get a fire started with Nota following him. Koharu looked at Dororo's slacking form and chuckled. "Kids.." Koharu jeered as she continued to finish the tent.
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It was nightfall and the group was sitting around the fire Dororo made and the fish were on sticks leaning towards the fire to cook. "How about it? Smells good, huh Big Sis, Hyakkimaru? It'd be even better with salt." Dororo said as he daydreams of the taste of salted fish. "Yeah that's true but when you're on the road you'll have to deal with what you have Dororo," Koharu said as she was feeding Nota half of her fish and some baby carrots. "Yeah well, Here ya go," Dororo said as he shoved one of the cooked fish into Hyakkimaru's face. At first, Hyakkimaru was startled at first but Dororo placed the fish in one of his hands. Hyakkimaru felt the fish before he started eating. "Now I'm starting to understand what you mean Big Sis," Dororo said before he sat down next to Koharu. "Hmmm?" Koharu questioned while her mouth was full of fish.
"That thing about the sixth sense, you said earlier. Not only that you carry a sword and wear really unusual clothes. You guys are really strange." Dororo said with a smile. "Says the kid who follows the two strange people," Koharu said after swallowing the fish. Dororo got up into a handstand followed by a leap over the fire and landed with grace. "Impressive Dororo." Koharu praised as she claps her hands at the boy's performance.
"Hey, Big Sis don't you want to make some money?" Dororo asked the older girl who went back to eating. "Leave it, and I'll make you rich both rich. You could even be a millionaire." Dororo said with pride as he pointed a thumb to himself. "Kid, hasn't anyone told you that money isn't everything," Koharu said with a lazied expression. "What? Don't be like that Big Sis...Hyakkimaru must think that way. That's why he hasn't shooed me away." Dororo said with hope but Hyakkimaru didn't do anything to help Dororo.
"Hmmm...." Koharu and Nota looked at the little boy unimpressed. "Don't look at me like that!" Dororo cried out which made Koharu laugh at his beet-red face. Though Koharu didn't realize that Hyakkimaru was staring at the girl's soul the entire time and when she laughed her soul glowed even brighter then she was fighting. Hyakkimaru didn't know why but it made him happy to see her soul glow like that. Which caused a small smile to appear that no one even notices.
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"Stop...." Dororo muttered in his sleep clutching his hand on a soft fabric. His face had beads of sweat and his eyebrows furrowed in discomfort. "Don't.....Mama!" Dororo shouted as he shot up from where he was sleeping. Dororo looked at his surrounding to see that he was in the tent Koharu made earlier and everyone was inside sleeping. Dororo had a warm fluffy blanket wrapped around his form. Never in his life has he ever felt something so soft and warm. Koharu was in a 'Sleeping Bag' as she called it with Nota snuggling against her and Hyakkimaru was sitting up by the entrance of the tent.
"Did I say something in my sleep?" Dororo asked as he gave Hyakkimaru a weak smile. But Hyakkimaru didn't answer his question. "Oh yeah. You can't hear me..." Dororo realized until he heard a soft groan next to him. " Dororo? What are you doing up this late?" Koharu asked tiredly as she rubbed her left eye. "Oh...I thought I heard something." Dororo said meekly. Koharu knew that tone...
It was the same tone she used to give to her grandparents whenever she had a nightmare and didn't want to talk about it. "Come here," Koharu said as she patted down a spot that was right next to her. "Wha...No, I'm fine Big Sis." Dororo declined as he waved his hands around. "Come on Dororo. If you heard something then it's best if we stayed close together. Right? You to Hyakkimaru." Koharu said bringing the mute man's attention. Dororo merely sighs in defeat as he and Hyakkimaru gather around the girl and the puppy. "Goodnight guys..." Koharu muttered as she slowly gave in the tiredness. "Goodnight," Dororo said before he immediately fell asleep. Hyakkimaru just watches as the two souls began to dim down a bit to indicate that they were asleep.