Kyoto is a large city with a lot of people. I squeezed past an older man around the age of fifty or so mumbling an apology over my shoulder. I felt the reassuring weight of my two katana blades sheathed bumping rhythmically against my side. I had just arrived from a long journey as I turned my head I saw that the sun had begun to set. It was an amazing bled of reds that shown passionately in the sky. I couldn't help but think about trying to start a new life from the one I had lead previously. I was being foolish I didn't deserve happiness after every one I had killed. In my mind I tried to justify it but it was still no excuse to kill.

I needed to find an inn where I could spend the night, that was if anybody would let me sleep there. Ronin disturbances had begun to happen more frequently even in my home town of Edo they were more than a slight concern. Well it's not my problem any more. I thought, but who was I kidding? It was my sole duty to protect the innocents of Japan.

While entranced with my own thoughts I looked up to see that the streets had cleared at that it was already past dusk. The stars shone brightly in the sky. Caught up on their beauty I cursed under my breath as I surveyed my surroundings for an inn. Hurrying down the street toward the city's center I heard an unearthly growl behind me.

I turned in a flash I had drawn one of my blades; battle ready. The monsters had white hair and blood red eyes that seemed to entrance anyone that would look into them. "What the hell!?" I cursed through gritted teeth as the first of the monsters slashed downward. The force of the blow sent me skidding backward. The animal advanced with alarming speed towards me. Our swords clashed just as the second monster tried to stab my back. I duck around the blade, but the tip caught my shoulder blade sending ripping waves of pain throughout my body.

I had to ignore it for now and concentrate on the 180 degrees I side swiped with all of my force through one of the beasts chest and continued the thrust downward through the heart. Blood sprayed onto my face. I suddenly felt weaker considerable more than before.

The second one was behind me, I swung my blade onto my backside and thrusted up in time to knock the blade aside. The monster went through a shrieking laughter phase that left me with chills up and down my spine, putting me in a state of shock. I snapped out of it in time to take the opportunity to slash at the beastly man through his howls of hellish laughter.

The devilish creature shrugged off the blow like it was a cat scratch and starts to walk towards me. I'm leaning on my sword blood seeping out of my wound. I find the strength to throw up my sword into a countering position. The next thing I see is the tip of a spear through the cheats of the man-animal.