The autumn breeze gently caressed a nameless hill.
Sue Harukata, the lord-slaying governor of Chikuzen Province, stood atop the hill in the prime of his life, eyes closed, hand resting on his saber, his expression solemn. His lord Ouchi Takayoshi had once called him the "peerless samurai commander of the western provinces." Clad in magnificent scarlet Gusoku armor inlaid with gold, his burly figure stood like a crane among chickens amid Eastern Isles warriors who scarcely reached five feet tall. His gloomy, oppressive presence left every warrior guarding him afraid to look directly at him.
A Ninja concealed entirely beneath black leather armor flashed out of the woods and prostrated himself below the hill in a textbook-perfect dogeza. "My lord," he reported respectfully, "the invading army of demons from the eastern continent has entered the territory where you are stationed. They are now less than ten li away."
Sue Harukata did not open his eyes. He commanded in a low voice, imposing without anger, "Scout again!"
The Ninja bowed his head to the ground. "Yes!"
With that, he rose and retreated swiftly into the woods in short steps, head lowered. His figure flickered and vanished beneath the warriors' gazes.
After the Ninja departed, an extraordinary Sword Hero dressed in hemp, his knotted muscles like stone and his beard like tangled weeds, dropped to one knee, supporting himself on a heavy samurai sword closer to a cleaver. He lowered his head and said in a rumbling voice, "Once again, I beg my lord to withdraw for the moment. I am willing to fight to the death in your stead!"
Sue Harukata opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them. His authority needed no anger. "Does even an esteemed disciple of Shinto-ryu fear battle?"
The imposing Sword Hero replied, "I fear