"Pachi! Get down here, please, son!" Takumi yelled.

"Yes, father, what do you need?" Pachi hopped down the steps and landed on his feet.

"Pachi, you turn 17 today. Tonight, our town will hold a festival for your coming of age, and soon, you will have a wife chosen for you. But, for now, you have chores to do. Grab your sword and a scythe, and go out in the field and start cutting wheat."

"Yes, father." Pachi replied in excitement.

"And son?"

"Yes?" Pachi paused at the door.

"I love you and I'm proud of you. Remember that we have to train as well, today."

"I love you too, father, and I will remember."

Pachi went out into the field and started to sift wheat. His best friend Sizuka came out and provides him with snacks and a drink of water.

"Thank you, Sizuka. I am in your debt, and I am grateful that you are my friend."

She nodded and turned to Pachi.

"Pachi, a wife will be chosen for you soon. I am coming of age, and our fathers are talking of making us become partners. I would very much like that."

"Sizuka, I would be honored to have your companionship. After all, you took care of me when those bandits attacked town and they wounded me for protecting it. Plus, I enjoy spending time with you." Pachi said.

Sizuka reached over and kissed Pachi softly.

"I will see you soon, Pachi. Thank you for all that you do for me."

At that moment, life seemed complete.

Pachi finished his work in the field, and started towards the house. When he got near, he saw a plume of smoke rising from the clear fields.

Father must be burning all of the weeds that I pulled again, he thought to himself.

As Pachi drew near, he saw his father being held with a sword to his throat. His mother was already dead.

"Father!" Pachi cried.

The man who held the sword at Takumi's neck sneered at Pachi.

"Takumi, son of Aruya, your son will witness your death. I want a challenge, so I will let him live. You," he notioned to Pachi, "you will come find me a couple months from now. And there I will kill you, ending your holy line."

Holy line? What is he talking about?

Takumi's neck sprayed a red liquid and he fell over.

"Father!" Pachi yelled, and started crying.

"I'm going to kill him," a familiar voice said.

"Rachin? What are you doing with my father's killers? What is going on?" Pachi asked.

"Pachi Takuka, I have always hated you. You stole Sizuka from me-"

"Sizuka? She loves me, not you, and I didn't steal her. You think you own her? You don't. I love her and she loves me because I treat her like a person and not an object."

"Pachi, I'll kill you where you stand!" Rachin yelled, and charged.

Pachi perried and the attack missed, and he drew his sword.

"Rachin, you will pay for this." Pachi said, and sliced at his arm. It missed, and Rachin charged.

Pachi dodged the attack and slashed Rachin down his back, and swung for his sword arm. The blade connected with his wrist, and Rachin screamed.

The man who killed Takumi grunted.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Rachin. Retreat." he said.

The men ran away, and Pachi didn't bother pursuing them. Instead, he looked towards the town and saw more smoke.

Oh no, Sizuka!

Pachi gathered what feeling he had left and went down the road, enraged.

I will save this town. Not one more person is dying.