Samurai no kikai
At just 15 years old, Yuuki Morimoto's life was shattered when the Empire descended upon her hometown.
Villages burned. Families were slaughtered. Survivors were dragged away in chains.
Among those captured was Yuuki's mother.
Forced to flee with nothing but her sword and the hope that her mother was still alive, Yuuki sets out on a journey across a nation where samurai clans have been hunted to extinction and resistance has become little more than legend.
After being cared for by an elderly couple on the outskirts of Seki-juku for nearly two years, Yuuki finally found something she thought she had lost forever: a home.
The old man, once a wandering swordsman, taught her discipline, patience, and how to wield a blade. His wife cared for her like a daughter, offering warmth and kindness during the darkest years of her life. Together, they gave Yuuki shelter after the Empire tore her world apart and captured her mother.
Though they were not related by blood, they became the closest thing Yuuki had to a family. Their small home on the edge of Seki-juku became a place of peace in a nation consumed by fear and war.
But as the years passed, Yuuki realized she could not remain there forever. The unanswered questions about her mother and the secrets surrounding the Shinoda Clan, The Morimoto clan or others continued to call to her.
With their blessing and a promise to return someday, Yuuki left the only home she had known since the fall of her village and began her journey into the wider world.
Her search leads her to Hakata, Kyushu. A lawless city filled with thieves, mercenaries, merchants, and fugitives. There, while searching for clues about her mother's whereabouts and the mysterious Shinoda Clan from which her mother came, Yuuki encounters Kurogetsu Hoshizora, a 19-year-old swordsman and the last known son of the fallen Hoshizora Clan.
As the two form an uneasy alliance, they uncover signs that the samurai clans may not be as extinct as the Empire claims. Hidden symbols, mysterious figures, and long-buried secrets begin to emerge from the shadows.
Now pursued by the ghosts of the past and the growing reach of the Empire, Yuuki and Kurogetsu must navigate a dangerous world where trust is rare, enemies hide in plain sight, and every answer only leads to greater mysteries.
The age of the samurai is over.
But some blades refuse to be sheathed.