For as long as I can remember...I’ve always felt alone...

My mother passed away when I was 4, so I don’t remember much about her.

I don’t know my father, due to the fact that he passed away before my birth, but I can vaguely remember her always saying “he was a man of great courage.”

I don’t recall having any other family so I lived alone in the mountains.

I cried myself to sleep every night, just wishing I was born into a better life.

”Why?” “Why do I feel so empty inside?” I asked myself as I lay on the cold, hard rock I call home.

“Why must I go through these hardships?”

Everyday was a battle. From teaching myself how to hunt for food, to finding shelter when I wandered too far off from my rock.

There were times when I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to wander off looking for a way to rid myself from this world.

It’s in those moments, that I can feel my mother’s spirit, urging me to keep living.

”Nori, you must not give up...keep walking the path your heart chooses to follow, and you’ll see that you’re more than what you think of yourself.” She would say.

Dragging the sword my mother had given to me, I would slowly make my way home.

I remember her saying the sword had belonged to my father, and that I should use it to restore peace.

I have no idea what she meant but for some reason I knew that those words had a lot of pain in them...I could almost feel the sorrow and resentment she had.

I couldn’t lift the sword, nonetheless unsheathe it; but I felt something when she set it on my lap.

I felt the souls of 5 different men...but before I could ask her why, she died.

That’s the last thing I remember about her.

It’s been 10 years since then, now I’m 14 and I still don’t know why I felt the souls of those 5 men on 2 different occasions.

The last time I felt them was when I was 6..

Even then I was left with no clues. I began to feel more empty.

The weight of my mother’s words and being alone was starting to take its toll on me.

I was lost, with no one to guide me.

It was then I decided to head into town...but that didn’t work out too well...so I waited

(Later that day around 6pm)

“It’s cold out tonight” I thought as I walked through the mountain.

I spent the last 3 hours setting down traps and collecting water for my journey.

“Growing up here has its payoffs I guess”

As I’m setting the last trap I made with sticks and some cloth linen from my kimono I start to feel something lurking in the shadows.

“Maybe I’m just tired, I should get some sleep”

(Middle of the night)

Im woken up by the sound of my food being caught in the traps I set around my home.

As I’m going out to see what I caught. Immediately I sense something with the intent to kill.

Without thinking, I grabbed my sword and decided to set out tonight instead of the morning; leaving behind my meal and water.

“It’s a long journey ahead of me” I thought to myself as I carefully treaded down the mountain.

(Flashback begins) Ever since I unsheathed the sword, I’ve been feeling a strange aura.

Besides the 5 souls, I felt something else. An aura so sinister, it sent a chill down my spine. (Flashback ends)

I don’t know what lies ahead but yet, I don’t feel the least bit scared.

No emotion, is it because I don’t have a family?

What is a family? What does it mean to live? I think these things often but I shake them off and keep walking forward.

The nearest town is 40 miles down the SouthEast side of the mountain.

Even after living here all this time, that side remains a complete mystery to me.

I only know there’s a town because I can see the lights from my home...but that was my destination.

I’ve tried to to go down the SouthEast side when I was 6 but I was chased away when I got to the strange pillars that surrounded the Southeast path.

I’m not sure what it was. I couldn’t sense anything. I never bothered to turn around because I only thought about my survival.

I didn’t want to die after I’ve pushed for so long...but it never got me. I didn’t realize it only chased me off for a few meters.

Again I can hear my mother’s spirit talking to me. “Not yet Nori..nows not the time to leave.”

So I turned around and went home...when I got there, I tried to unsheathe the sword once more, and when I did, I felt the souls of those 5 men again..and something else...but it was faint..so I didn’t think nothing of it.

After that I decided to train myself. I would spend all day swinging my sword and striking branches off of trees.

I didn’t know much about being a swordsman but I figured it would help. To train my reflexes I would toss some of the thicker branches I cut off into the air and try to deflect each one.

it wasn’t the best training method. A lot of times I ended up getting beaten up from the branches but after awhile I was able to deflect each one.

I would toss more and more into the air. Adding more when I successfully deflected all of them.

By the time I was 10 years old, I decided to try again and explore beyond the pillars.

I barely walked passed the pillars before it happened again..but this time was different.

(Flashback begins)

“Faster! Faster!” That’s all that was running through my mind.

The farther I ran, the faster I went. It still managed to catch up.

I found myself face down on the floor...gasping for air...the weight of what seemed like a ton; slowly sinking deeper and deeper into my back.

Before; what seemed like my back, would snap. I woke up in a cold sweat in front of the strange pillars.

”Was that a dream?” I thought to myself.

”No! That’s impossible. The pain in my back. The sudden fatigue...it’s all too real...

But what was that? And why did I fall asleep here of all places? What are these pillars here for?”

I continued to ask myself these questions but never found an answer. (Flashback ends)

Since then I haven’t went back. I’m not sure what any of that meant. I don’t know if the time is now, but in order to get to town, it’s imperative that I travel beyond the strange pillars. I’m not sure what was back there but I can’t stay here.

(Somewhere in Soto: Western part of the world)

*Point of View of "Jin; member of The Agami*

"Father, did you feel that?" I said

"Yes my son.." he muttered faintly

"It seems the next successor to Shinjutsu no Ken (sword of truth) has appeared and is about to be attacked..I fear his life will be taken.."

"The time has come Jin...We must gather The Agami..."

(Outskirts of Centerion, 100 miles SouthEast of Pillar Mountain)

*Borei's Point of View*

**Deep in the woods**

***Crackling noises***

"As I stare in the flames, through the rising smoke I see a glimpse of my past..."

(Flashback begins)

"Borei!"

"Borei!!"

"Borei!!!"

Thats all I hear...but who is it? Who's calling my name?

As I wandered around, I couldn't tell who it was that was calling my name..it was so faint... (Flashback ends)

Just as I was about to see who it was it was...a familiar aura blew out the flame. Along that aura. For the first time in 14 years; I felt an aura similar to that of the kings.

Immediately I knew, it was the true heir to the throne; Nori Kiinshuu...but that aura..I must go...

*disappears instantly\, on the way to meet Nori*

*Point of view of Nori*

"Finally! I thought to myself, as I approached the pillars.

"Maybe this time I can see what was chasing me."

As I walked deeper and deeper into the tract.

I couldn't help but get the feeling of De Ja Vu.

*trees rustling*

"What was that?"

T-Theres nothing there...

Before I knew it

*Swords clashing for a brief moment*

"Okay! Someone is definitely here...but where?"

*swords clashing*

All of a sudden I found myself being overwhelmed by a flurry of attacks.

"He's attacking faster than I can deflect."

*Sound of skin being slashed*

"WHERE ARE YOU?!?!" I yelled

No answer..all I could hear was the sound of my blood dripping..

*Skin being slashed*

"Theres no end to his attacks..if I continue to stand here..powerless. I fear my life will come to an end."

"But I still don't see where he's attacking from"

I look around once more but still I see nothing.

I couldn't sense him anymore..he slashed my eye open.

I was blind in my right eye, beginning to lose vision in my left...but before he launched his final attack..he yelled out.

"DIE!"

Following the sound of his voice, I turned around and swung my blade with everything I had.

*A brief sword clash then skin being slashed*

*Point of View of enemy*

"His aura was powerful! So his name lives on...I see why the Bozic family wanted him to be killed..if he’s trained properly, he’ll prove to be a formidable foe. I better end this quickly."

*Point of View of Nori*

"He hid again" I thought to myself.

"No matter, I felt my blade overpower his. If I just follow his blood trail, I should be able to pinpoint hs location."

"Speaking to me was the last mistake you'll ever make." I yelled.

*Spots blood trail*

"I found him, he's behind the tree."

Slowly, I raise my sword; preparing to swing once I step foot from behind the tree, but before I did, I was struck down from behind.

"Nori Kiinshuu, today is the day you'll die!"