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Description
"By the Gods, I hate the rain." The Centurion said as he and the Lord Warden walked up the muddy hill. Their objective was to scout ahead and see if there is any threat on their way to an Old Castle Ruins that was once an Iron Legion garrison. "Are you afraid of a little rain, Centurion?" The Centurion snorted "It's not the rain I'm afraid of. It's who or what hides in the rain I'm wary of." He said as he looked at the trees that surrounds their path "I encountered an elusive foe once, he belonged to The Chosen. He hides in the shadows and uses smoke to evade my attacks or try to strike me from the back. His weapon is deadly both close and a far. He used the heavy rain and fog to hide himself from my sight. Tricky bastard, I had to fall back once another Samurai came out to ambush me after I killed him. The other one was as big as Cross." The Lord Warden listened to what he said and took note of this foe she had never encountered before. Before she could think anymore of it, a small scythe with a long chain attached to it, planted itself on the ground in front of them. They looked around trying to find the source of the weapon before she saw The Centurion get kicked in the chest and roll backwards down the muddy hill, ending face first into the mud. She quickly brought her Longsword up just in time to block a strike from the attacker. She saw her attacker wearing a cloth that concealed the head except for the eyes. She tried to use her shoulder to push back the attacker "Te secabo!" The attacker dropped a smoke bomb and the Lord Warden missed. When the smoke cleared, the attacker kicked her the same way it did to the Centurion before "Osoi!" A young, female voice came from the attacker. The Lord Warden landed a few feet away from the dazed and kneeling Centurion. She saw the attacker get closer to The Centurion, weapon raised to strike down the dazed warrior. Before the weapon could reach him however, his hand shot up and grabbed the wrist of the attacker. The attacker was shocked before The Centurion slowly stood up and came face to face with the attacker "Surgo." He muttered menacingly. He used the pommel of his Gladius to bit the attacker three times, stunning her. Before she could gain her bearings, she was stabbed in the abdomen and was kicked down. She saw The Centurion jump in the air, sword ready to strike. She closed her eyes and awaited the blade to end her. None came and she opened her eyes to see The Centurion standing above her, his sword planted beside her head "You are beaten. Yield, Shinobi." She glared before dropping her Kusarigama. The Lord Warden joined them and took away her weapon. The Centurion retrieved his Gladius before turning his eyes on the Shinobi, who was holding her wound. "Why did you attack us?" The Shinobi kept silent "Empress Ayu said that The Chosen won't bother the Iron Legion if we won't enter their territory. Last I checked, this place belonged to us. So why does a Shinobi of the Chosen came all the way out here to attack us?" The Shinobi kept her gaze but spoke "Look at my weapon. Does it look familiar to you?" The Lord Warden handed the Kusarigama to The Centurion and he examined it. He gave it back and stared at The Shinobi "It was your brother that I killed wasn't it. The one who ambushed me in the forest." The Shinobi suddenly lunged at him but he simply dodged it and kicked her down again "Heh... Infirma. Your brother was more of a challenge than you. He also accepted his loss with honor. He knew when I beat him that I would end his life. He accepted that he would die and I respect that. So I gave him a quick death. Tell me, how is it that I've beaten you, even after you've caught me by surprise and took down my partner. How?" The Shinobi kept a defiant gaze before squeezing her eyes shut. The pain in her abdomen was nothing compared to the pain of not avenging her brother. Tears slowly poured out of her eyes and she took off the cloth covering her head. She put herself into a kneeling position and bowed her head. "I lost. I lost because I let my anger control me. I was too focused on trying to get my vengeance that I left myself open... I gave everything up for my revenge. I disobeyed my Empress's law and attacked you. Because of that, I dishonoured my brother. He obeyed the Empress without question, even when she was still a Daimyou. He taught me to follow the rules but instead I disobeyed them. I have no brother and now, I have no home." She stared at The Centurion with eyes filled with shame and acceptance "Please, end my suffering." He stared back before raising his blade. The Shinobi closed her eyes and bowed her head. She waited for the end but again she never felt it. She raised her head and looked at the Centurion's outstretched hand "You have dishonoured your brother and disobeyed your empress. You have nothing left to go back to. But I see something in you, a potential that would be wasted if I were to kill you now. You can gain back your honor, by training. Training 'til you're strong enough to take me on. Strong enough to fight me head on, without anger clouding your judgement. Strong enough to fight without the consequences of your actions looming over your head. Fight me with the only thing in your mind is clarity. Strong enough that you can finally beat me. And by then, will you regain your honor. Since you can't go back to The Chosen, I will give you a place to stay within The Iron Legion. If the others have a problem with it, they have to go through me. Because if you accept, you will be under my supervision as if you are one of my own men, until you are strong enough to defeat me. So I ask you this, will you accept my offer?" The Centurion finished. The Shinobi stared at the hand with disbelief. Here stands the man she just tried to kill moments ago, offering his aid to regain her honor that she lost. Thinking it through, she grasped his outstretched hand and was helped up. She held her wounded abdomen and said "I accept. But it would be anticlimactic if I were tondie from blood loss after accepting, wouldn't it?" The Shinobi said. The Centurion gave out a hearty laugh "That's the spirit! Now come, we must get that wound treated, fast. I have some things that could help stop the bleeding." He led the way back to camp. The Lord Warden gave the Kusarigama back to The Shinobi before nodding "I trust you." She then left to walk beside The Centurion, leaving The Shinobi staring at her brother's weapon 'I can kill him now. Exact my revenge. But, he offered to regain my honor and a place to stay even after I tried to kill him. Tell me brother, what should I do?' She stared at the weapon before looking at the departing duo. She gave the weapon one last look before sheathing the Kusarigama and tried to catch up to the two. The three didn't even realize the rain had stopped and the sun was now shining bright.

Description
"By the Gods, I hate the rain." The Centurion said as he and the Lord Warden walked up the muddy hill. Their objective was to scout ahead and see if there is any threat on their way to an Old Castle Ruins that was once an Iron Legion garrison. "Are you afraid of a little rain, Centurion?" The Centurion snorted "It's not the rain I'm afraid of. It's who or what hides in the rain I'm wary of." He said as he looked at the trees that surrounds their path "I encountered an elusive foe once, he belonged to The Chosen. He hides in the shadows and uses smoke to evade my attacks or try to strike me from the back. His weapon is deadly both close and a far. He used the heavy rain and fog to hide himself from my sight. Tricky bastard, I had to fall back once another Samurai came out to ambush me after I killed him. The other one was as big as Cross." The Lord Warden listened to what he said and took note of this foe she had never encountered before. Before she could think anymore of it, a small scythe with a long chain attached to it, planted itself on the ground in front of them. They looked around trying to find the source of the weapon before she saw The Centurion get kicked in the chest and roll backwards down the muddy hill, ending face first into the mud. She quickly brought her Longsword up just in time to block a strike from the attacker. She saw her attacker wearing a cloth that concealed the head except for the eyes. She tried to use her shoulder to push back the attacker "Te secabo!" The attacker dropped a smoke bomb and the Lord Warden missed. When the smoke cleared, the attacker kicked her the same way it did to the Centurion before "Osoi!" A young, female voice came from the attacker. The Lord Warden landed a few feet away from the dazed and kneeling Centurion. She saw the attacker get closer to The Centurion, weapon raised to strike down the dazed warrior. Before the weapon could reach him however, his hand shot up and grabbed the wrist of the attacker. The attacker was shocked before The Centurion slowly stood up and came face to face with the attacker "Surgo." He muttered menacingly. He used the pommel of his Gladius to bit the attacker three times, stunning her. Before she could gain her bearings, she was stabbed in the abdomen and was kicked down. She saw The Centurion jump in the air, sword ready to strike. She closed her eyes and awaited the blade to end her. None came and she opened her eyes to see The Centurion standing above her, his sword planted beside her head "You are beaten. Yield, Shinobi." She glared before dropping her Kusarigama. The Lord Warden joined them and took away her weapon. The Centurion retrieved his Gladius before turning his eyes on the Shinobi, who was holding her wound. "Why did you attack us?" The Shinobi kept silent "Empress Ayu said that The Chosen won't bother the Iron Legion if we won't enter their territory. Last I checked, this place belonged to us. So why does a Shinobi of the Chosen came all the way out here to attack us?" The Shinobi kept her gaze but spoke "Look at my weapon. Does it look familiar to you?" The Lord Warden handed the Kusarigama to The Centurion and he examined it. He gave it back and stared at The Shinobi "It was your brother that I killed wasn't it. The one who ambushed me in the forest." The Shinobi suddenly lunged at him but he simply dodged it and kicked her down again "Heh... Infirma. Your brother was more of a challenge than you. He also accepted his loss with honor. He knew when I beat him that I would end his life. He accepted that he would die and I respect that. So I gave him a quick death. Tell me, how is it that I've beaten you, even after you've caught me by surprise and took down my partner. How?" The Shinobi kept a defiant gaze before squeezing her eyes shut. The pain in her abdomen was nothing compared to the pain of not avenging her brother. Tears slowly poured out of her eyes and she took off the cloth covering her head. She put herself into a kneeling position and bowed her head. "I lost. I lost because I let my anger control me. I was too focused on trying to get my vengeance that I left myself open... I gave everything up for my revenge. I disobeyed my Empress's law and attacked you. Because of that, I dishonoured my brother. He obeyed the Empress without question, even when she was still a Daimyou. He taught me to follow the rules but instead I disobeyed them. I have no brother and now, I have no home." She stared at The Centurion with eyes filled with shame and acceptance "Please, end my suffering." He stared back before raising his blade. The Shinobi closed her eyes and bowed her head. She waited for the end but again she never felt it. She raised her head and looked at the Centurion's outstretched hand "You have dishonoured your brother and disobeyed your empress. You have nothing left to go back to. But I see something in you, a potential that would be wasted if I were to kill you now. You can gain back your honor, by training. Training 'til you're strong enough to take me on. Strong enough to fight me head on, without anger clouding your judgement. Strong enough to fight without the consequences of your actions looming over your head. Fight me with the only thing in your mind is clarity. Strong enough that you can finally beat me. And by then, will you regain your honor. Since you can't go back to The Chosen, I will give you a place to stay within The Iron Legion. If the others have a problem with it, they have to go through me. Because if you accept, you will be under my supervision as if you are one of my own men, until you are strong enough to defeat me. So I ask you this, will you accept my offer?" The Centurion finished. The Shinobi stared at the hand with disbelief. Here stands the man she just tried to kill moments ago, offering his aid to regain her honor that she lost. Thinking it through, she grasped his outstretched hand and was helped up. She held her wounded abdomen and said "I accept. But it would be anticlimactic if I were tondie from blood loss after accepting, wouldn't it?" The Shinobi said. The Centurion gave out a hearty laugh "That's the spirit! Now come, we must get that wound treated, fast. I have some things that could help stop the bleeding." He led the way back to camp. The Lord Warden gave the Kusarigama back to The Shinobi before nodding "I trust you." She then left to walk beside The Centurion, leaving The Shinobi staring at her brother's weapon 'I can kill him now. Exact my revenge. But, he offered to regain my honor and a place to stay even after I tried to kill him. Tell me brother, what should I do?' She stared at the weapon before looking at the departing duo. She gave the weapon one last look before sheathing the Kusarigama and tried to catch up to the two. The three didn't even realize the rain had stopped and the sun was now shining bright.