The Great Swordsman Hayato

The shrine perched on the cliff's edge, offering a view into the abyss below, where jagged rocks and powerful currents claimed anything in their path. Hoshiyo peered down, the darkness swallowing the deadly landscape.

Rei stepped to the edge, looking over. "Where did she go?" she asked.

Hoshiyo scanned the area around the shrine, noting a slight stretch of sand just before the lethal rocks. The tide was coming in fast, and she had to think quickly. She spotted an ownerless fishing boat drifting nearby.

Rubbing her face and taking a deep breath, Hoshiyo said, "I'd rather not go against Amaterasu's orders."

Rei smirked. "But...?"

With a broad smile, Hoshiyo turned to her team. "I think some help from our Yokai friends might be just what we need."

Motoko furrowed her brow, deep in thought. "I don't believe we know any Yokai yet strong enough to take us across the ocean," she replied quietly.

Ceres smirked and said, "Remember on our way here, we told her we rode on a Yokai's back to return to the Land of Stars from our adventures in the ocean? She must be referring to our friend."

Motoko smiled, pulling out a small whistle of Yokai bone adorned with a decorative rope. "Hanzaki, my friend," she said quietly. "He was grateful for our help in bringing peace to his kind. Assisting us would be an honor, but I promised not to take advantage of his kindness. So don't get used to this."

Motoko blew the whistle, playing a haunting melody of loss and loneliness. The waves grew larger as she played, and the boat below swayed violently as if caught on something.

The girls peered down the cliff, witnessing the unusual phenomenon. A whirlpool formed, bringing forth a massive orange salamander. The beast's head was enormous and broad, and its tiny eyes made it hard to know where to look.

Hoshiyo's eyes widened. "Get back!" she yelled.

Her warning was in vain as the water surged against the cliff, drenching the girls and tangling their hair. Hoshiyo's hair fell over her face, resembling a seaweed mask. She pulled it away, revealing an intense, red face and a deep frown. They removed the seaweed from their hair one by one, discovering more than just seaweed entangled in their silky locks.

The beast rested his front webbed feet on the cliffs, emitting a strange clicking sound with each heavy bellow. "Motoko, you summoned me. Why have you called me to this place?" he asked.

Ceres frowned, pulling a dead fish from her hair and tossing it back into the ocean. "Be more cautious next time. You could have killed us," she groaned.

Motoko gently rubbed Hanzaki's slick, rubbery skin, smiling as she said, "I don't think he fully understands us. Our worlds are completely different, after all."

Hoshiyo softly patted what she thought might be his eyes and asked, "Could you take us to the land where the smoke is rising?"

Hanzaki let out a deep bellow and replied, "The Land of Swords is dangerous, with Yamato-no-Orochi awakened on its shores. I cannot, in good faith, bring you there."

Motoko frowned and said, "You wouldn't be sending us to our deaths, Hanazaki. The Kami of these islands are defending us there, and we have to help them. Our mother is out there. You understand, right?"

The beast lowered his head and nodded reluctantly. The girls climbed onto his slimy back, holding onto barnacles and anything they could to avoid falling off. Hanzaki fell backward, splashing into the ocean, and spun around, towing the small fishing boat with his rope and anchor tethered to his tail.

With the wind blowing in their hair, Hoshiyo finally smiled. She exclaimed, "Why do I feel so free?"

The cold breeze and salty air gave her an adrenaline rush, and she yelled, pumping her fist. The sisters enjoyed the ride across the water, watching the smoke grow more prominent as they approached the island.

As they neared the island, Hanazaki gradually slowed before coming to a complete stop. "I will go no further than the man-made floatation device," he said.

"Are you joking?" Ceres scoffed.

Motoko waved her sister off. "Don't worry, Hanazaki. Thank you for bringing us this far."

Hoshiyo stood up and moved to the beast's back. "Okay, everyone, let's go. Instead of arguing, we should focus on finding the Kami."

The girls nodded and followed her to the small vessel attached to Hanazaki's back. Hoshiyo waited for everyone to step aboard before cutting it loose with her sword. They sat down and grabbed the oars, rowing away from the Yokai.

Motoko waved to her old friend. "Goodbye, Hanazaki. Hopefully, we can meet again someday."

Hanazaki let out a loud call before swimming away with the current. Motoko watched until he disappeared, a tear nearly escaping her eye.

Hoshiyo rubbed her back. "Once the dust settles, we can call him back to thank him properly."

"I'd love that, thank you," Motoko replied.

The nine sisters approached the small island of the Land of Swords. The beach was bustling with fishermen hauling traps filled with crabs and lobsters. Hoshiyo was the first to leap off the boat, wearing her straw kasa. She glanced up at the path leading to the village, a smile on her face. She thought the smoke rising from the forest would guide them in finding their mother.

Rei approached a fisherman pulling a net out of his boat and asked, "Sir, where are we right now?"

The old fisherman wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm and replied, "This is the Land of Swords. But if I were you, I'd leave. Yamato-no-Orochi has awakened, and he's out for blood. We've been told to stay clear of the forest."

Rei frowned and asked, "Yamato-no-Orochi? Who is that?"

Yoko gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hands. The girls turned to her in confusion as her eyes widened, and her face went pale. She whispered, "Oh no. How is that possible? Only someone with the power of a Kami could awaken such a beast."

Seiko whispered, "Could it be possible she awakened him?"

Ceres pinched Seiko's shoulder, making her flinch. "Don't speak ill of the one who gave us life."

Seiko pouted, rubbing her shoulder. "Sorry."

Hoshiyo sighed and faced her siblings. "The only way we're going to find the truth is to go to the forest and see for ourselves."

The old fisherman chuckled. "I'll be honest, I doubt anyone would leave that forest alive. If you did, our island would worship you as Kami; I promise you that much. But an old man like me can't stop you if you choose to march to your deaths."

Rei bowed politely. "We appreciate your help, but our mother is out there. Together, we'll get through the forest in one piece."

"If you say so," the fisherman said. He whistled and walked back to his little boat by the shore.

Hoshiyo glared at Yoko. "Tell me what you know, Yoko."

"My Sensei taught me about the beast that slumbered beneath his village," Yoko said. "The only way to slay it is with a particular sword, the Great Sword Kusanagi. But I don't remember where it's located. We need to find my Sensei and ask him for more information."

"Lead the way," Hoshiyo replied.

Yoko nodded and guided them across the scorching hot sand to a dirt path leading to a small village of about a hundred citizens. Most villagers had fled to their homes, hiding from the beast to avoid being devoured.

Hoshiyo felt the villagers were hiding from them since no monster was in sight. The thick, dark smoke obscured everything beyond the forest.

Yoko pointed to a house shrouded in smoke near the forest entrance. "He's over there. Come on, let's go."

The sisters covered their faces with Yukata sleeves as they coughed to the house. Yoko pounded on the door until it swung open. A swordsman covered his face and waved them inside.

The family room was small, with a hollow hearth stove fueled by charcoal at the center. The girls quickly gathered around the warmth of the fire.

With short black hair and a scar across his face, the swordsman stared at the girls in confusion as they rubbed their hands together, shivering. In a deep voice, he asked, "Did you travel from the Land of Stars?"

Yoko stood and bowed to her Sensei. "After you left, I remembered you mentioning a beast on your island that was destroying everything in its path. Why did you come back?"

He sat comfortably in front of a raised section of his home where two wooden urns rested, one smaller than the other, beside a custom-built shrine. With his back turned to them, he said, "I wanted to die with my wife and daughter."

The room fell into a heavy silence, with no one able to find the words to express their deepest condolences to the swordsman. He bowed his head, a single tear falling from his left eye.

Yoko sat beside him and asked, "May I ask what happened?"

"One evening, they were walking back to the house holding hands. I remember my daughter's beautiful smile as she waved back to me. A Yokai, under the cover of darkness, snatched my baby girl, and my wife refused to let go. The villagers found their bodies mauled in the forest."

Hoshiyo sighed, stood up, and said, "I'm sorry for your loss, but we're not here to hunt some small Yokai. We're running out of time and need to find the sword."

Hayato, the swordsman, slowly stood from his position and clasped his hands together in prayer. "My name is Hayato, the greatest swordsman on these small islands. For generations, my family has protected the Great Sword Kusanagi, which resides above the mountain's shrine."

Hoshiyo rubbed her face and said, "So, you're saying the shrine on the mountain, where Orochi is currently making his stand, contains the sword we need."

Hayato pulled out a wakizashi hidden in his robes and pointed the blade towards his abdomen. In a low voice, he said, "I never claimed to be an intelligent man. I failed to protect my family, so I am unworthy to protect the sword. My family bloodline ends here."

Yoko acted swiftly, drawing her sword from under her robes and placing it gently against Hayato's neck, just enough to nick his skin. "If you do this, I won't be here to second you," she said firmly. "I will walk out of here, and if you die, that is your choice. But I came here hoping you'd teach me to become a great swordsman. You're the only one who can do that. If you can't, nobody can."

She sheathed her sword and backed away, her mind racing with more questions than answers. Determined, Yoko stormed out of the house, heading towards the forest. Though she coughed from the smoke, she refused to let it stop her.

Hoshiyo and the others quickly followed, leaving the swordsman to sob in the darkness of his home.

Yoko screamed until she could no longer breathe, her voice raw with frustration. "We only just met, and he started my training, and now he wants to throw it all away because he feels like he failed everyone!"

Hoshiyo noticed her rage and gently approached, taking Yoko's hand. "I can't imagine how you must feel," she said softly, "but he's going through something right now. You can't make it about you."

Ceres joined in, her voice steady. "Without that sword, we most likely won't be able to subdue that massive beast."

Seiko stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Yoko to comfort her. "Please, give us a moment," she said, waving the others away. "I'll talk to her."

Ceres frowned and said, "Don't take too long, or it will be your fault if he dies."

Motoko gently punched Ceres in the chest. "Be careful what you say. Don't be rude."

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Hayato stumbled out, looking disheveled. He threw his wakizashi to the ground and wiped away his tears. "There's still a chance for me to turn everything around," he said. "I will help you, and this time I will not fail you, Yoko."

A single tear rolled down Yoko's cheek as she turned to face him, smiling and nodding. She bowed deeply, showing her gratitude.

Another roar echoed in the distance, drawing everyone's attention to the darkness. The sisters knew the fight they had been avoiding was imminent, and Hoshiyo was ready to lead them into battle.