Randomly Fated Encounter

The fresh salt-air felt amazing.
Even beneath the various noises and smells of Kojin City’s bustling markets, it still filled Sumire with candor. After her conversation with Uncle Nanami in the izakaya, she booked herself a room at a local inn, where she was so excited about her prospective future that she nearly got kicked out for electrifying their onsen. Unable to sleep properly, Sumire left the inn and headed out first thing in the morning for the trade market.

Although it was a little farther inland than Kojin Port, the trade market was still just as bustling and lively. Since most of the products that came in through the port ended up being sold at the market, it almost felt like you'd never left one location while you were in the other.

Sumire loved the energy of it all.

“Let's see…. Amatsumara Trading, right..?”
The aspiring pirate muttered to herself, scanning the many shop and stall signs for the place her uncle had suggested. She saw everything from takoyaki and tempura stalls, to seafood shops, to barter tents. In fact, there was so much to sort through that finding a specific business was a bit harder than anticipated.

“Good morning, miss! Care for a free sample ~?”
A pretty girl in a yukata approached Sumire, presenting her with a tray of steaming, fresh takoyaki samples. They smelled delicious, it was enough to make Sumire's mind go blank.

“Whoa. Can I have, like, three?” The words blurted out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Embarrassed, Sumire was about to apologize when the girl giggled and handed her three samples.

“For an earnest person like you, how could I refuse?” She teased with a smile. Sumire immediately began to devour the generous gift, and the girl continued. “Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you before. Were you looking for Amatsumara Trading? Unfortunately, they're closed today.”

Taken by surprise, Sumire tried to respond — unfortunately, it was with her mouth full. Realizing that all of her words sounded like an audio rat’s nest, she gulped down her food and tried again.

“Ah — You're kidding! But I really needed their help!”

The girl recoiled slightly from Sumire's disappointment with an apologetic look.
“Er… Sorry, miss. If you're curious, their shop is down there. Maybe you can ask what's going on?”

Sumire wasted no time in thanking the girl and rushing off in the direction she was given. Amatsumara Trading was apparently a very old shop in the market, doing business out of a rickety but rather maintained building. Unfortunately, what should have been a thriving storefront was locked up and desolate, just like the girl had said.

“C’mon, what am I gonna do now?”
Sumire groaned in dismay as she read the solemn closed sign. However, just when she was about to turn around and think of a new plan, the door suddenly opened. It was a shopkeeper, carrying out some empty boxes and looking disparaged.

“Oh— Oh! Hey!”
She grabbed the shopkeeper’s attention, not hesitating to approach him with vigor. He looked a bit alarmed.

“S-sorry, miss,” he set the boxes down by the door. “We're closed for business today. No customers.”

“Right. About that,” it actually took great effort for Sumire to curb her sudden enthusiasm. “I actually really, really needed your help today. Is there any way you could allow for… one… customer?”

The shopkeeper smiled and chuckled, but still shook his head. “Believe me, I'd be taking customers if I could. Our business is the best around for imported weapons and trinkets, but that just means we're a big target for bandits. They've stolen almost every shipment this week, so we don't have much stock…”

“Bandits… Where was your last shipment stolen from?”
Sumire's mind started concocting an idea that most people would have thought crazy.

“Well … We lost contact with the caravan on its way here from the Wani Channel.”

“From the Wani Channel… So they're probably traveling southeast now…”

Sumire began to mutter her thoughts under her breath, making the shopkeeper look at her with increasing confusion. “Sorry… Why exactly are you asking?” He finally inquired.

“Because, my good man,” Sumire declared in response, adjusting the oar over her shoulder and standing up a bit straighter. “I'm going to retrieve your stolen goods!”

“Haha, if only, huh?”
The shopkeeper laughed kind-heartedly, but Sumire was already taking off out of the market.

“Wait up for me, will ya? I'll get your stuff back in no time!” As she turned to wave confidently, the realization of what she intended to do set in for the shopkeeper.

“Wait, you're serious? Are you crazy?!”

“Crazy?” Sumire shouted back as she ran farther away. “I'm a pirate!”

The shopkeeper was left alone to ponder whether the strange woman was agreeing with him or correcting him.

The Mako Clan territory was primarily one small island separated from the Yamato mainland, meaning imports to the area only came from either the port in Kojin City on the west, or the Wani Channel in the east. Since the city was the only major urban area on the island, Sumire presumed that any bandits who made off with trade shipments would have likely traveled southward. Into the wilderness of Mako territory.

Following this logic, she made her way into that wilderness as quickly as possible. After all, the bandits already had quite the head start on her. Unfortunately, the farther down the trade routes and pathways Sumire traveled, the more apparent it became that her search-and-capture mission had quite a few holes.

“Huh… I thought there'd be more clues…” she lamented to herself, kicking a pebble. “All there really is around here are a lotta trees, and… sticks… and frogs…”

The frogs certainly were noisy by this time of day. But Sumire rather liked their rhythmic croaking, mixed with the cicadas and the wind rustling the trees. It was calm and relaxing, enough to make her close her eyes and admire it for a few moments.

Shing!
“Raaahh!!”
Clang!
“Guh—!”
Thump…

Sumire's eyes shot open — beneath the sounds of nature was something unmistakable. Swords, groans, fighting.
There was a battle being waged just around the bend.

As quietly as possible, the pirate sped to the clamor, keeping herself hidden amongst the trees. It wasn't long before the battle came into full view; an exhilarating scene that would capture the heart of any young woman or brave lad.
The caravan Sumire had been trying to track was laid down on the side of the path, horses long gone and goods spilling onto the dirt. One man was dead on the ground, another unconscious a few feet away, while two other men fought the most captivating sight.

It was a graceful young man, wearing a haori as blue as the ocean, effortlessly wielding a katana against his dual opponents. His hair was the color of a faded hyacinth, like a weathered flower that'd lost its luster, and haphazardly chopped off where a ponytail would have once been. His skill, his attire, even his complexion — fair, like moonlight, far paler than anyone of the Mako Clan usually was — all these led to the conclusion that Sumire had happened upon a traveling ronin who'd attacked the bandits.

That revelation made her excited. She had considered jumping into the fight, but it hardly seemed like she was needed. The way the ronin countered the bandits’ brutish attacks felt like artwork, crafted while maintaining a calm and focused demeanor. Left… Right… Parry… Strike… The bandits were clearly outmatched, even as the ronin only made shallow cuts or strikes with the back of his blade.

Unfortunately, Sumire wasn't the only one who realized this. While the ronin should have been able to effortlessly dispatch his opponents, something seemed to be holding him back, which gave the aggregated bandits an opportunity to turn their situation around. While one bandit distracted him with a violent clashing of swords, the other pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it.

“Wait… No way, is that..?” Sumire gasped quietly. “It's a Filibuster Ball!”

The object, a magical item known as a lacrima, burst in the air between the bandits and the ronin. It exploded into a myriad of colors and pops, like fireworks, sending sparks and crystal shards flying. Although Sumire was quite familiar with the Filibuster Ball, the ronin seemed to be completely taken by surprise. During his momentary lack of composure, he stumbled from the blast and ended up falling to a sit in the dirt. The bandits took this as the perfect moment to coordinate a strike, and swiftly brought their swords down upon their assailant.

“You cowards!” Before Sumire could make it to his aid, the ronin shouted and a geyser burst forth from the ground and enveloped the bandits. The force knocked them remarkably unconscious, the geyser’s spew now raining down upon the proverbial battlefield.
For a brief moment, Sumire caught a glimpse of the mysterious ronin’s eyes — one, a striking aquamarine, set aglow by the use of his magic; the other, covered by a black leather eye patch.

Sumire was transfixed by the captivating thought that maybe, just maybe, this man was suffering the same fate as her. That she perhaps wasn't alone in the world with her disease. She could feel the electricity crackle through her nerves at the notion, threatening to numb her completely.

But then, something moved out of the corner of her eye. Since their patched eyes were opposite each other, Sumire noticed what the ronin could not, as the bandit who had been unconscious on the ground since she arrived now arose.

He was quiet, attempting to attack the ronin during the brief moment his guard was down. But… the bandit was just between Sumire and him… Now was the perfect opportunity. If she didn't intervene, this ronin, her potential brother in arms, would be…

“Bastard!!”
The bandit announced his blow with a cry of vengeance. He raised his sword above his head, ready to swing it down upon the ronin in a matter of seconds.
Yet, in the fleeting instant that the ronin had turned his head and noticed this, something very large and very hard struck the bandit against the head with a loud thud!

To the ronin’s complete and utter surprise, the bandit dropped like a sack of potatoes, revealing a woman behind him holding a massive oar.

Sumire remembered that her mother said to always smile when making new friends. So, she flashed the ronin as bright and friendly a smile as she could.

The ronin gazed upon her and wondered if he had somehow crossed paths with a demon.