Who shall lay waste to the sorcerer's power? 
Who shall destroy the Eye? 
The One, He of the bloodline, the Chosen, 
Shall descend into the darkness and cleanse the earth of evil. 
So it shall be, and so it is written. 

-From the Scrolls of the Sage Hsien Shin 
*********************************************************************** 


CHAPTER 1: RUDE AWAKENING 

He was alone again, alone with the rustling reeds, the mournful wail of the birds and the blood- 
streaked sunset sky. Alone... just as he had always been. 
Perhaps, thought Mitsurugi Heishiro, this would all change someday. But a wish was only a wish. 
"Five years..." He paused, realizing that he was talking to himself again. "Has it been that long? 
"Five years, since my master's death. Since my quest for the Sword of Salvation... the Soul 
Edge..." 
He stopped. His first quest for the mystical weapon had ended in failure. His second quest, three 
years later, had led him into the most unexpected circumstances. 
A small smile formed on Mitsurugi's face as he began to reminisce... 

He had done it. He had conquered all who had stood between him and the enchanted blade. He 
had 
bested its unholy wielder. Victory was in his hands. 
Trembling with fatigue and emotion, he reached out to grasp the Soul Edge's handle where it lay 
on 
the ground, still and fallen. His fingers closed around it, quivering with anticipation. 
In a flash, he remembered: The sword was evil! It had corrupted those who had wielded it, and 
now, 
it would prey upon his soul! Too late, he tried to tear himself away from the weapon, but his hand 
would not be pulled free. It clung fast to the handle, seemingly with a will of its own. 
A pillar of flame burst forth and engulfed him. That was the last thing he could remember before 
jolts 
of dark energy surged through his body, rendering him senseless. 
Flame... a blazing ball of hellish fire... When he opened his eyes, the flame had taken shape into 
a 
barely humanoid figure. It took the Soul Edge and raised it above its head, laughing a vile, 
diabolical 
laugh. 
Mitsurugi struggled to move but his limbs felt as heavy as lead. He closed his eyes, praying to 
his 
deity to guard his spirit, knowing that his quest would end here at the hands of this abomination. 
Death would be his final fate... 
That was when _she_ arrived. 
He remembered her from his first quest, a female ninja whom he had caught breaking into his 
employer's armory. There was something about her that pierced him straight down into his very 
heart 
and soul... those fiery eyes, that ebony hair, the sleek, flowing form... 
... Gods, she was _beautiful_. 
Now she had graced him with her presence again. It was her -- there was no mistaking it. He 
looked 
on, stunned, as she drew her shortsword from its sheath and slashed the creature across the 
throat. 
"Demon, begone!" 
The monster let forth a hideous shriek. The flames blazed brighter, nearly blinding him, then 
slowly 
faded to a mass of reddish sparks. Jet-black smoke rose from the embers as the woman's blade 
forever 
extinguished their light. 
The demon was dead. 
He was still trembling, however, when the ninja sheathed her sword... but it was not from fear. 
He 
tried to bring himself to his feet as she approached him and found himself literally quaking in his 
sandals. 
"Are you all right?" the ninja said in a voice like wind rushing through chimes. 
"I... I..." 
At that very instant, Mitsurugi collapsed at the knees. 
She smiled. Though the lower half of her face was obscured by a metal mask, the bemused 
crinkle in 
her eyes clearly showed her emotions. 
"The deed is done," she proclaimed to the air, and before he knew it, she was gone, like a 
creeping 
shadow. 

He never heard from, nor saw that ninja again. All he had left of her was a lingering memory and 
a 
well-hidden desire to be with her just once more, just a little longer. 
"What am I saying?" he said, slapping himself across the right cheek. He was a samurai, a 
warrior -- 
not one to believe in such a foolish notion as love at first sight... 
"Love?!" 
He slapped himself again. 
"There is no time... no room for love. Such is my fate." 
"Do you always talk to yourself?" 
A new voice disrupted the stillness. Mitsurugi's sword was in his hand before his mind could fully 
grasp the situation. He turned before he could recognize the voice, looking straight into the 
intruder's 
eyes. 
Fiery, hazel-brown, almond eyes. 
"You!" he cried, a mix of shock and joy. "You are..." 
"Taki," said the familiar figure. 
"Taki... what a lovely name..." 
Wonder of wonders, this was almost too good to be true. It was _her_. He had been blessed 
with 
meeting her for a third time. There was no way he could let this moment slip past him now... 
never, 
not for the whole world... 
"There is no time to waste!" she said, immediately changing her tone to one of urgency. "I'm glad 
I 
found you..." 
"So am I," Mitsurugi interrupted. 
"Men!" The ninja made a disgusted hissing sound. "For your information, Mitsurugi Heishiro, this 
is 
a matter of..." 
"How did you know my name?" 
She hissed again, obviously annoyed. "You have to understand the magnitude of what I am 
about to 
say. It is a matter of life and death; in fact, the fate of this very universe lies in your hands." 
"Excuse me?" He stared at her, puzzled. She seemed so agitated, and her remarks so sudden. 
Had 
she gone mad? 
Perhaps it would be wise, then, not to pursue her affections... 
He felt a sharp pain cut across his right cheek and realized that he had just slapped himself. 
"Stop striking yourself and listen to me!" 
"I am listening! But tell me this first: How did you know my name? Why have you been following 
me?" 
There was a lengthy pause as Taki attempted to work out an explanation. 
"Our clan of ninjas was once employed by Seijetsu's younger brother," she finally said. 
"Seijetsu? My master?" 
"Yes. He once told my employer -- his brother -- about you. You are the last surviving member 
of the 
Mitsurugi bloodline, are you not?" 
"I am. What does this have to do with the fate of the universe?" 
"You are the only one who can destroy the evil in the Eye of Lau Tseng." 
Mitsurugi frowned grimly. 
"The Eye of Lau Tseng does not exist," he said with a slight air of authority. "It is a fairy tale, 
written 
to frighten little children into obeying their elders. I heard that story on my great-grandfather's 
knee 
when I was a boy. He said that if I was disobedient, the spirits of the Eye would come and steal 
my 
soul. It is nothing more than a myth." 
"If we do not take action now, then your soul is as good as stolen, and the world is as good as 
dead," 
said Taki. 
She received a laugh in reply. 
"Do you find that hard to believe?" she said, growing anxious. "You have seen monsters from a 
mere 
legend come to life." 
"When?" 
"When you searched for the Soul Edge. It was believed to be only a myth, but you have seen the 
truth... the kind of evil that it unleashed, the monster that nearly destroyed you. You cannot deny 
that." 
"So you are saying that the Eye of Lau Tseng exists?" 
"Yes," she said, exasperated. 
He shook his head. "You are mad." 
As he spoke the last word, he heard the furious, rapid flurry of wings. It seemed to be coming 
closer... 
closer... 
... towards his face. 
Mitsurugi and Taki drew their weapons just as a winged creature, about the size of a small hawk, 
swooped down and swung its claws at Mitsurugi's horrified eyes. It let out a piercing squawk, 
unlike 
that of any animal either of them had heard. Its talons were now fractions of an inch away from 
gouging Mitsurugi's eyeballs. 
He froze. 
Then he heard the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air, a sharp thud, and all was silent.