Samura (
Summary[]
4 years ago, Samura invites Shiba and Chihiro to his home. As Chihiro moves to a stand in the yard to practice his swordsmanship, Samura notices the motion and moves to offer his assistance, but first sits down next to Shiba on the porch, asking for Chihiro's age. Shiba replies he is 14, and Samura nods, remarking that he'd have liked to see his face. Seeing his blindness, Shiba tries and fails to remember why Samura blinded himself in the first place, and Samura explains he did so because he believed worldly passions like anger and desire lead people to hell and misguide their motives, so he attempted to rid himself of them by blinding himself.
Shiba comments on the cigarette in Samura's mouth, which Samura passes off as just a way of distracting himself from actually smoking, explaining he doesn't actually light it. Shiba comments on Samura's obvious desire to smoke it, but Samura counters by saying it doesn't count as giving in to a worldly passion because he didn't actually smoke it. The memory of Samura's dedication now coming to his mind, Shiba recalls the day after making his pledge Samura had immediately tried and failed to look at a dirty magazine, thinking it certain Samura would end up smoking as well. Samura yells back that he wouldn't, having sworn it to the Buddha, and the two descend into arguing.
Chihiro gives them a glance, remembering his father's words praising Samura's swordsmanship as one-of-a-kind, but doubts it possible considering Samura's casual attitude. He turns back to his stand, slicing through most of it but not quite cutting through entirely. Samura then walks over and notes Chihiro is hesitating, offering for Chihiro to give him the blade instead to demonstrate.
In the present, the Datenseki-wielding sorcerers attack Senkutsuji Temple in earnest, several sorcerers dressed like monks emerging from the temple to oppose them. One of the Datenseki-wielders with Datenseki active comments on how appropriate it is for monks to be the guard force at a temple and charges forth, but a quick chant from the monk causes bricks to encase his leg, stopping the attacker in his tracks long enough for a second monk to slam a giant bell into his location.
The first monk leaps back with his staff, observing the situation as he approaches his comrades and noting with displeasure that over twice the number of Datenseki wielders are present compared with at Kokugoku Hot Spring. He muses that the attack on Kokugoku might've been more of a test of how well the fortresses are defended while this time a proper fighting force had been sent.
Three nearby monks then usher their comrade to head inwards, telling him they will be enough outside, but the Datenseki-wielding attackers manage to blast a hole into the room with a Buddha statue which Samura is standing in. The elder monk within, previously occupied with chanting, falls silent, sensing Samura is about to begin fighting and not wanting to disrupt his focus.
A small group of attackers charge into the room with the monk right behind them, and the monk frantically asks Samura to evacuate quickly. Samura replies that he wouldn't let the monks sacrifice their lives for his. In the recovery room, Hakuri asks if Samura fights using his sense of smell, and Sumi explains he only uses smell to detect friends and allies who he is familiar with, not enemies. Moku then enters, reporting the situation before asking about Samura's location. Sumi explains he had gone to fight, to Moku's exasperation.
Samura cuts down an enemy
Hakuri is panicked, aghast at the thought of Samura fighting without the ability to see and thinking of helping him, but Uruha and the Masumi sorcerers assure him the best thing for them to do is nothing. In the statue room, the monk does just that upon seeing Samura's determination and cautiously leaves the area. Samura briefly apologises to the Buddha for his defilement, before lighting a cigarette and inhaling it in one breath, the smell flooding his scent. As an attacker speaks up, Samura throws the cigarette at him before slicing both the cigarette and the attacker twice in a cross-shape, severing his arm and killing him in one fell swoop.
Within the recovery room, Uruha informs Hakuri that Samura fights using his acute sense of hearing, but gauges this will be quickly figured out by the attackers. In the statue room, the attackers have indeed caught on, moving silently into the air and preparing long-range attacks. Samura then sheathes his sword, the click resonating throughout the room, before immediately turning to the nearest attacker. The attacker is surprised, having thought he had been silent.
Back in the recovery room, Uruha explains to Hakuri that Samura is capable of a form of echolocation, using the sound of his sword sheathing to send a ping across his surroundings, detecting the size and direction of any enemies based on the returning echoes of the sound. Uruha comments Samura's echolocation perfectly compliments his Iai techniques, and Hakuri recalls that Uruha has used those same techniques, and was also incredibly fast. Uruha admits Samura is the one who taught him, and believes he is still not quite on Samura's level, who he regards as his master in swordsmanship.
Samura kills the Datenseki wielders
Some of the attackers, defeated but not unbowed, decide to activate their Datenseki and charge in, but Samura simply mutters they would be headed to hell for their massacres, slicing them down with a series of precise cuts. Seeing the enemies have been dealt with, the elder monk resumes his chanting. Samura idly curses that he would undoubtedly be going to hell as well.
In the past, Chihiro sees Samura's ability with the sword and stares in awe at Samura's cut; having easily cleaved through the stand. Samura is then formally introduced: Seiichi Samura, Master of the Iai White Purity Style, Bearer of the Enchanted Blade Tobimune.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- 4 years ago, Samura reveals to Shiba that one reason he blinded himself was to rid himself of worldly passions.
- Shiba notes Samura has struggled to cope even after blinding himself.
- Samura offers assistance to Chihiro after seeing him struggle with swordsmanship.
- In the present, the monks defend Senkutsuji Temple from the Datenseki-wielding attackers.
- While the monks kill some, several attackers still make it to the statue room where Samura is.
- Uruha reveals to Hakuri that though Samura cannot use his smell to detect enemies, he can utilise a form of echolocation using the reverberations caused by the sound of his sword sheathing to detect his enemies.
- Samura utilises this to cut down each of the attackers, even when some of them use Datenseki, with little to no issue.
- Samura idly comments he is likely to be going to hell for his killings.
- In the past, Samura's skill with the sword impresses Chihiro.
- Seiichi Samura is formally introduced as a master of the Iai White Purity Style and the bearer of the Enchanted Blade Tobimune.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author Comment | |
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Takeru Hokazono |
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