Uzen Province was roughly the size of two Shinanōs or four or five Kazusa Provinces. It could be called quite "vast," and the ancestors of the Mogami clan, the rulers of Uzen Province, had once unified all of Uzen.
Back then, the Mogami clan had been full of vigor, ranking among the notable feudal lords throughout the Sengoku period. However... that glory had not lasted long. After the previous daimyo died and his eldest son inherited the title, several neighboring lords joined forces against him, costing him nearly half his territory.
Even so... the Mogami daimyo was still someone of consequence in Uzen Province.
At that moment, the Mogami daimyo was in his residence, making love to a newly taken concubine...
Just as he reached the height of passion, a figure resembling a ninja suddenly appeared behind him.
With his back to the figure, the daimyo failed to notice him, but the concubine before him saw him immediately.
Before the terrified concubine could cry out, the figure thrust the katana in his hand through the daimyo's back as though skewering meat, piercing both the man and woman at once...
"Ah..."
"Ah! Guards... an assassin!"
Those were their final words...
However, the voices of the Mogami daimyo and his concubine had alerted the people outside, especially the samurai guarding the daimyo's door.
Yet the man did not care in the slightest. With an arrogant air, he pulled out his blade and wiped it on the corpses.
"Mission complete! What daimyo? Nothing special."
As he turned to watch the samurai outside rush toward him, the man remained completely unconcerned. He met them head-on, cutting down one with every slash. He never struck twice, even if the first blow did not completely kill his target.
Because he believed they were doomed to