Let me know what you guys think. So, I know if I should continue this or not. :) Thanks!

X

Chapter 1

Welcome to the Warring States Era

My classmates and I wondered around the compounds as we followed our tour guide. I was in my final year of high school and as a huge trip to commemorate our graduation, the school had my class tour all of Japan to view all the places that were still intact from the Warring States Era throughout the school year. I had been looking forward to this trip ever since I learned about it when I had first arrived in this country three years ago. Now, I didn't know I would get to take this trip with my school. I thought I would have to wait until I graduated but to my surprise, I was already here. My grandfather had been amused by my excitement. He was the only living relative I had left and we had gotten quite close the last few years. He taught me so much about my father's side of the family. But that isn't very important right now.

I was smiling brightly as we toured around. My classmates were less enthusiastic as they all seemed to just want to go back home. We were so far up north that the air was still chilled even though it was on the beginning of September. We didn't need to wear thick jackets or anything like that though. We were just reminded that winter was fast approaching. This weather still beat what it was like in American and definitely Canada.

"Evanna-chan," I heard my name being called. I turned around to see Hiyori with an amused smile on her lips, "You sure are excited to be here."

I grinned, "Of course I am! This is like a dream come true." I turned to look at my surroundings, taking it all in as we walked together, "I always wanted to explore my father's side of my family's history and culture. Now I finally get to do that."

She giggled, "But your family isn't from the line of the Date or from this region of Japan."

I stuck out my tongue at her, "I know that." I sighed, "But I am still happy I get to see the country my father was born in." My family's line did not come from Date. Far from it. My school did decide to bring us here where the One-Eyed Dragon used to reign because, according to the history books, early September was when he was born.

"Mm," she hummed out, "That is true."

"And we have arrived to the statue that was built in order to immortalize the existence of one of the most influential of the lords of the era, Date Masamune," I heard the tour guide say, my ears perking at the information.

I turned my eyes to look at the statue. I frowned. Why was it that ever statue of the lords of that period looked so… Unattractive? Were there really no handsome men back then? I mean, there were so many attractive guys in Japan. There was a few in my class that were cute. But every picture or statue of the figures in that period were not the least bit attractive. Regardless, I took a quick picture before putting my phone back in the pocket of my skirt.

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Hiyori asked me. I nodded my head as I continued to look at the statue. She chuckled, "I agree. I feel like if these men did exist, they should have been at least a little bit more attractive." Hiyori was a bit boy crazy. I wasn't so much. She sighed, "I feel sorry for their wives and concubines."

I rolled my eyes, "I'll say." Right, polygamy was a thing back then. At least, on the men's side. Being married to a man was one thing but there was no way I would be happy being with someone that wasn't going to be faithful to me.

My eyes squinted at the statue. I could have sworn I saw something shimmer, I though in English. I may know a handful of languages but I still thought in English. It was still my most comfortable of languages.

"Evanna-chan," I heard my friend call, "The group is leaving. Don't get left behind."

Without looking at her, I said, "Yeah. Sure." I could hear the footsteps of my classmates begin to become less loud as they continued on. But there was a small light coming from the statue. Did no one notice? I took a few steps closer to the statue, only for the small light to surround it.

What the shit? I turned around to see more people walking around but no one seemed to pay any attention to what was going on. I wondered why no one seemed to react to the light. It was a beautiful golden color and it was as if it were glowing with sparkling blue lightning. I have to be losing my mind.

As if I were the most intelligent person in the world, I walked even closer toward the light with my hand outstretched towards it. Why had I thought it was a good idea? I haven't a clue. I was lucky if it didn't electrocute me on the spot. But the strangest of things happened at that moment. The warm golden light engulfed me as the blue lightning seemed to wrap around my arm like a snake and then around my body. I was wrapped around in this and it was as if the light was telling me that it finally found me. The light seemed to know exactly who I was and was accepting me. I was so stunned by the wonder of this situation that I did not notice my surroundings change around me.

Just as the light had finally wrapped itself around my body, it was gone away like it never even existed in the first place. Well, that happened. Right? I was still in disbelief that this happened to me. I let out a sigh. I should catch up with the others. I turned to leave but stopped after taking a single step. My eyes widened as all I could see were trees everywhere. I was surrounded by a lush forest. Well, I'm not in Kansas anymore. I scowled. Really? How original, Evanna. Also, I took the time to take in my surroundings, Where in the fuck am I?

I could hear footsteps coming my way. Oh, thank god. I started to walk towards them, thinking that I could ask them where I am and how to get back to my group. There were several men walking towards me dressed in traditional clothing with prop swords at their waist. They must be actors for a reenactment, I told myself. "Um," I started once I was close enough. The men looked at me, "Can you tell me where I am? I seem to be a little bit lost." The moment that their lips twisted in smirks as their eyes looked at my body up and down was the moment I realized that I was in a situation I should get the hell out of. "Uh. On second thought, I'll find my own way." I turned my body around to get away from there.

"Hold on just a second," one of the men said as he was suddenly grabbing my wrist and pulling me back, "What's the hurry? We could help you if you help us first."

The way he said that and the way the other men seemed to respond made me freeze in my spot. I felt my brain telling me that I was in danger and to get the fuck out of there. I twisted my body around and planted my foot firmly on the ground before grabbing his arm and flinging him over. His back landed on the ground with a grunt coming from him. The next things had gone so fast.

"You wench! You'll pay for that!" one of the other men unsheathed his sword as he decreased the distance between us.

Not fake swords, I thought in a panic as the sword reflected the sun above as it peaked through the trees. I managed to move to the side in time to not get cut into pieces. He swung his sword over his head to strike. I grabbed his wrist with both of my arms and pulled his arm up high enough to kick him hard in the gut. He stumbled back, holding on to his stomach. I heard the other men curse at me. My eyes widened as more of them unsheathed their swords. You know what they say. If you can't fight. RUN! And that was exactly what I did. I ran like there was the last piece of cake on the other side of the world.

I remember thinking how messed up this all was. How in the world did I get myself into so much trouble? I ran as fast as my feet could carry me but the men were not far behind. I finally ran out of the forest and on to a large path. At least, I thought it was a path seeing as there wasn't any grass. A dirt road was enough for me to run in one of two ways. I hoped I would come across someone that could help me. I could already feel myself slowing down as my lungs burned inside of me.

My eyes widened as I barely missed an incoming sword as it swung passed me. They had caught up to me. Well, I have no choice but to fight, I thought as I couldn't keep running anymore.

The man that had swung at me did so again. I quickly turned around to come off of the side away from his swinging arm. I grabbed his arm, bringing my knee to his gut before I twisted his arm enough to hear it pop, his sword dropping to the ground with a clank. I had to twist his body around to shield me from an incoming blade. The man I held spat blood as the sword plunged through his chest, barely missing me as it went straight through. My eyes widened as blood splattered on my black blazer and on my face. I did not have the chance to even think about the man that I had brought to his death.

I had to move his slumped body and threw it towards a man that was about to come to take me down. The body caused the man to fall on his butt and drop his sword. I quickly attempted to grab the sword to even the odds. Or maybe, give me a better odd. I was still vastly outnumbered by six to one.

I had to quickly backflip out of the way, leaving the unwielded sword where it laid on the floor. I was crutched on the ground and the men were now surrounding me in a circle. My teeth clenched as my body tensed. I remember asking myself if this was to be my end.

"I don't know about you men, but I think it's a little overkill to kill one woman," my eyes turned to look at a man wearing blue as he stood several feet away with a few men behind him and one standing on his right.

I turned to the men that were surrounding me and to my shock, they all seemed to be stepping back, fear clear in their eyes. Who are these new men? Should I be afraid too? I had no idea. I slowly stood up from the ground.

One of the men who attacked me looked at me with utter anger, "You little wench!" He gripped his sword as he came towards me. "If I am going down, you are coming down with me!"

By this point, I doubted my sidestepping would work as they already knew my strategy by now. They would just turn it against me. Or at least, if they knew what they were doing. This left me with only one option and it was going to hurt like a bitch. As his sword was flung down my body, I raised my arm and caught the blade in between my thumb and fingers. I felt the sting of the cut on my hand from the blow, blood already dripping to the ground. I winced from the pain but managed to keep my ground. I guess there was a use for adrenaline. I heard some shocked gasps. I took this opportunity of my opponent's shock against him. I balled my right hand into a tight fist and collided it with his jaw. His hands loosened around his weapon and I brought my foot to kick him back as he fell on his ass. The blade was still in my hand. I grabbed the hilt and held the sword at my side with my uninjured hand.

"About damn time," I cursed under my breath. The man regained his composure and looked at me with hatred in his eyes. "That stings, you know?" I said as I brought my injured hand up to make him look at it.

He spat on the ground as if to insult me, "You're not human. There's no way you could fight like that unarmed. You're a woman!" His eyes widened as his sword was now stuck on the ground right between his legs.

"I'd be careful. Unless you want to become one yourself," I threatened him.

I heard a whistle from someone. I turned to see that the man in blue was looking at me with amusement in his eyes with his arms crossed. I had almost forgotten there were more men. I straightened up, taking the sword with me. I had to be ready if I was going to fight again. There was no way I would stay unarmed this time.

Thank you, Grandfather, I thanked him in mind for teaching me how to fight and use a sword. He may be old but he was not in any way out of shape.

I watched as the remainder of the men that had attacked me scrambled to their feet and fled away like a pack of dogs with their tails between their legs. Even the man that I had threatened ran away. The man that was standing beside the man in blue ordered some of the men to go chase them down because they had to answer for their crimes.

"That was some show," the man in blue said to me as he took a few steps towards. My body tensed, ready for him to strike me at a moments notice. He smirked, "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you." My body did relax the moment an English word left his lips. His eyes looked down my body but it wasn't in the same way as the men from earlier, "I've got to ask. What are you wearing?"

I frowned at him as his eye was now on mine again, "My school uniform." My white shirt was covered by a black blazer and a blue tie. My skirt was just as black and I wore blue tights underneath. My outdoor shoes consisted of black combat boots. I understood why he asked me that question after I looked over what the men from earlier wore and now the man in blue and his own men behind him. They looked like samurai.

He quirked a brow at me, "A school uniform? You're a foreigner, ain'tcha?"

I shrugged, "Partially. I'm half Japanese on my father's side." Why in the world had I answered his questions? I didn't even know the man. I turned my gaze to the other man that stood not too far away, watching our conversation with patience. While I was momentarily distracted, the man in blue was in front of me, grabbing my wrist and brought my hand up to inspect it with a frown. He was oddly gentle. I had twitched to use the sword at my side but stopped myself.

"Kojuurou," the man in blue said.

"Yes, Lord Masamune?" the man that had been beside him walked to us.

Hold up. Did they just say Kojuurou and Masamune? I've got to be dreaming. There was no way that these handsome men were those historical figures. I mean, they looked like the pictures and statues. Right? Yeah, they must be men with the same names.

"We should get her wound taken care of before it gets infected," he smirked at me, "Unless you plan on using that sword on me."

I glared at him, "My grandfather taught me to only use violence when there's no other solution." It's true. My grandfather only taught me what he knew in order for me to use it for protection or to protect others. Not for unnecessary violence. "Don't give me a reason and we'll be cool." I took a step back from him, pulling my wrist out of his grasp.

"Here," the man named Kojuurou said to me as he offered me his hand, "Let me look at your injury." I was hesitant to do that. He smiled at me in reassurance, "I will not harm you in any way. I promise you. Then we will escort you back home."

I frowned at that idea. It was painfully obvious to me that I was so far away from home. Men with swords, samurai, and no one was batting an eye at the man that laid dead a few feet away from us. My stomach churned at the thought of that. Oh my god. I killed someone. I had turned into a killer and no one seemed to care. The man's blood was literally splattered on my body. This was all suddenly hitting me all at once. The adrenaline that had kept me from losing my mind and from letting those men from killing me was fading away.

"Are you alright?" Kojuurou asked me, sounding concerned.

I shook my head, body shaking, "No. No, I am not. I killed someone. I killed someone." I repeated those words, sword falling to the ground.

"I take it that you've never taken a life before," he said as he looked at me with a saddened expression. I meekly shook my head. I hadn't even seen anyone die before. Not in real life. He looked to his lord as the man in blue was looking at me with an expression I could not read. Kojuurou looked back at me, "First, let us tend to your wound." He took a hesitant step towards me as he started to guide me towards the rest of the men and the horses.

Why didn't I hear the sound of horses before? I let the man guide me away from the dead body.