- Fighting doesn't fill my soul anymore, Edgar. – confessed a samurai to his brother. – I think there is no enemy worthy of my sword. I've been fighting against your pupils for years and none of them have even scratched me.
- Thinking you are the best fighter in the world is not okay, Heishiro, because you aren't. – said Edgar. – The fact that you beat my pupils doesn't mean anything. They are apprentices. Surely there are a lot of warriors more powerful than you.
- I don't need them to exist, I need to find them.
- What about that Ninja girl? – asked Edgar. – The one who always gets in your way during your journeys. You told me she's a great fighter.
- It's always her who finds me. I don't have a clue where she is. I don't even know if she's still alive.
The two siblings were having this conversation on the deck of a Japanese dragon-ship. They were coming back from a naval battle which, again, they had won thanks to Heishiro's swordfighting skills.
Everybody in the area knew Heishiro Mitsurugi, the warrior who boasted of never having lost a swordfight.
As far as it was known, it was true. No warrior, native or stranger, had succeeded in beating him. In fact, most of them didn't even touch him.
Meanwhile Heishiro was thinking where to find powerful warriors, his ship reached port.
Just after landing, the brothers met their old mother, who was waiting for them with a sad face.
- At last you're here. I have something serious to tell you. – mumbled the woman, sobbing.
- What happens, mother? – asked a worried Edgar.
- Your father is dying. – answered his voiceless mother.
Mr. Mitsurugi, like his children, had been a great warrior in his times. He had been in as many battles as grey hairs he had, and he had kept Japan's honor in a lot of wars.
But old war wounds were taking its toll, along with the years, and he had been convalescent for months.
Just as Mitsurugi brothers' mother told them, a doctor had visited their home two nights before and he had said that their father would live at the most for a week. Now, before dying, Mr. Mitsurugi wished to entrust his last will to his sons.
- You'll see… Emperor Ming, in China...- his words were interrupted by some coughing. – Emperor Ming is looking for...the Sword of Heros.
- Sword of Heros? Soul Edge? – exclaimed a shocked Heishiro, who had some knowledge on the subject.
- Yeah, exactly. – answered his dying father calmly. – And if he gets it, he will have enough power to defeat our troops...and to conquer Japan.
- That's terrible. – said Edgar.
- I'd like you to...save the country. You have always proved your courage in the hardest battles, so I'm sure you'll be able to.
- But, father… – whispered Edgar. – We are only two men. Japan has a powerful army.
- Gossips say Emperor Ming has infiltrators everywhere. – he coughed again. – The Japanese army is near splitting. Most warriors are mercenaries who would call "Emperor" to the highest bidder. Japan needs a loyal warrior, a brave one. A warrior willing to die for his country. A warrior like you.
- What do you want us to do? – asked Heishiro, knowing the answer.
- I…I want you to find Soul Edge. Before Ming's men do. He has a lot of generals working on it, and it's a matter of months for them to be successful. You won't be alone. I'm sure there are more warriors who fight with the heart and not for money. But you should look very well to find them. You can't trust anyone.
- Calm down, father, you can trust us. – said a self-confident Heishiro.
- I'm proud of you. Now, go to prepare your journey. It won't be easy. Honor…your country. Honor..the name of Mitsurugi.
And that word, Mitsurugi, was the last one he ever pronounced. After telling his sons what to do, he could die in peace. Mitsurugi brothers knew what they had to do. And Heishiro, despite the tear running down his beard after his father's death, was excited about the new challenge.
...
At the same time, something similar was happening in Ming Empire. Something similar but opposite.
One of the most important generals in the Empire was dying on his young daughter's (Chai Xianghua) arms. She should get her father's role in the East Battle: To find "the Sword of Heros" for the Ming Empire, in order to conquer Japan.