Chapter 1: Hazardous Thoughts

Reo left her house and any other responsibilities she had to deal with in the near future and decided that she'll do traveling instead. With only men clothes in her bag and a few bread and rice with her she had been to a lot of places, but it didn't worked out well for her as soon as she ran out of money, so she did some dirty work for a living, temporarily.

At the age of eight, everything had been very clear to her, from how the world only considers strength per se as the source of living and then on how the weak won't last long. This is why only her sword had kept her from dying on the roads.

It was already 2 hours of traveling on foot and she still doesn't know where she should go or where she is. Her feet was killing her, causing her to fall on the grass, she stared at the bright blue sky with her sword placed on top of her. It didn't take long until she dozed off for a while.

"A person who lives by the sword dies by the sword" is what father told me and I accepted that fact whole-heartedly the moment I lost them; it was the time my life as a kid ended…

The sound of clashing blades woke her up and it's the sign to leave the place immediately, she kept her sword on her side and ran off silently. She reached after a while, the city of Edo. And before she knew it she was in front of a dojo, it was the first dojo she saw and it might have caught her interest.

"Ah! Would you like to join my dojo? I'm Kondou Isami by the way," the man greeted her with a warm smile. She noticed her kind aura which triggered her loss of interest in the dojo.

"No, I'm looking for a place to sharpen my fangs old man," she responded.

"O-Old man?"

"Then we'll need to snap off those fangs of yours," a man with silky long hair appeared behind Kondou.

"Toshi! Looks like we have a new student again. Oh yes, this is Toshizou Hijikata"

"Kondou-san, you really should stop taking anyone in randomly," he sighed and furrowed his brows at Reo.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! Ha ha ha..."

"What are you guys saying? I'm not interested…" she pointed out.

"Kid, how old are you?" Hijikata asked with slight curiosity.

"I'm 8 years old."

"That's how old Souji is!" Kondou added.

"Why are you carrying around a sword?" he seemed to be more intrigued.

"For killing, what else?" she snickered.

"Looks like we really need to snap that fang of yours! Hurry up inside, you need to be thought a lesson," he insisted.

Reo was forced to study under Kondou's dojo from that day and on. "Everyone! This is Reo, our new member. Be nice to him, since you'll be working together for a long time." He brought her to a room filled with other students in it though she didn't really respond to the greetings.

One of the students was interested with her since she carries an actual sword so he asked, "So what kind of style do you use with your sword?"

"It's self-trained."

"Oh? But Reo, you know talent alone isn't enough to master swordsmanship!" Kondou advised.

"Not enough you say? I killed a lot of people with it- ow!"

"This is the reason why you should stay here," Hijikata was the one who gave her a sharp blow on the head. His brows were furrowed the whole time. With that he brought her outside to talk since she needs a few lectures when talking to kids of her age, "Look, don't just mention the word "kill" that easily, they're just kids like you… though you don't seem to think like one with that age."

"I'm not a kid anymore, I know how the world works and the only way to deal with it is to become stronger than anyone else and show no hesitation in killing."

Hijikata was rather surprised on how the kid reacted to his words, "I don't know who you really are or how were you raised, but it seems to me you need be trained here and now. You're only a child and you're supposed act and think like one at least," Reo was spectacled on how he dealt with her way of thinking, "so stop thinking about killing…" he added. She sensed his kindness despite receiving a hit on the head earlier.

They both agreed that till she's on the right age, Hijikata would return her sword. So till then she needs to go back to wooden swords and have fun with other kids.

After that day, Reo had been training with dojo-styled swordsmanship. Geez, even I know dojo-styles have limits in any fights.

"Hey newbie! You seem strong," one of older students commented, "for a girl! Hahaha!"

"You were peaking weren't you?" she glared.

"Well honestly, you looked so girly, so yeah we peaked on you while you changed," he said proudly, but Reo continued to glare as the guys were thinking of a way to tease her more.

"So what if I'm a girl? It doesn't change the fact I'm stronger than any of you squirts," she smirked. One of the guys pushed her down and the others kicked her.

"Aren't you supposed to be a boy? Come on show us your thing!"

"This brat needs to be thought a lesson," he tried to pull up her clothes but out of reflexes she kicked her on the nuts, "You stupid brat!" Reo's eyes were unusual and her mind was thinking of something bad.

"What's with all the commotion here?" Kondou appeared unpleased by the behavior his students showed. The bullies ran away after that, "Reo, why didn't you tell me you were a girl? And you really need to control your temper from now on, don't think of killing okay?"

Because of the situation Reo developed another bad attitude and another way of thinking. More or less a problem for Kondou.

"That's the reason why you guys will always remain at the bottom. You can never kill me. Labeling everyone as boys and girls? What a joke…"

Kondou slapped her hard on the face, "That's enough!"

"W-What are you…? Who do you think you are?"

"Stop it Reo! Stop thinking about this sort of things! You are only a kid, don't forget that. Don't taint your name with blood anymore!" he rose his voice at her; she finds it quite unusual for a stranger to get worried over her. He was serious and it seemed that his words sunk in her mind.

"I'm sorry Kondou-san…" Kondou hugged her tightly, it reminded her when her father used to embrace her same when she gets hurt on her training. Something had changed in her a little. I'm going to look up to this man from now on…

The touching moment had a spectator named Souji who seems to be having ulterior motives from the sight he's seeing. He clenched his fists, "Looks like I have a rival to kill."


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