Into the Future

And now, for the results of last night's swordsmanship contest at the Satellite Stadium tournament...

In a shocking turn of events, a poor performance has put champion Oboro's winning streak in jeopardy! What surprises will the second half of the match bring? Stick around and find out!

......

And now for the news. The gang leader arrested recently is due to be transported to the prison ship later today...

I don't see Oboro anywhere.

I haven't seen him since that day...

Oboro?

Oboro! There's blood all over you! What happened?

I-I couldn't save her...

You couldn't, wait, that blood. Is it...

Everything I dreamed of... It was all just an illusion. Everything I loved, the samurai, sword-fighting... I was just chasing after a fairy tale.

No, that's not...

I wanted to be the greatest samurai. Ha! The weakest, more like it.

I never realized the reality of the samurai I admired so much. I never thought about all the death...

I thought I understood, but I didn't. I didn't understand a thing. I'm so sorry, Sayo. I'm so, so sorry.

Where could he be?

Hey, is something up, Oboro? You've been acting real strange lately.

Really...?

Yeah, I've never seen you screw up a match before. That really isn't like you.

Like me? And what is "like me"?

Maybe you're just tired. It's gotta be a heavy burden being reigning champion, after all.

Ooh, I know! Why don't we all go on a trip to the Western plates? We didn't have time to see the sights last time we were there, so let's make up for it now!

I'll pass. But you guys have fun.

Yeah, traveling can be tiring. Then how about a Paradream concert? You like Dilmy, right?

......

I guess not then. Still...you've got a match later, right?

Yeah. I'd better get going.

We'll be waiting for you!

You have a match after this?

Aldo? Didn't realize you were here. You shoulda said something.

I heard about your match on the news on the way over.

Yeah, that didn't go so well, did it? I was totally useless.

I tried to attack, but my hands were shaking like mad, and my body felt so heavy I couldn't even move. I used to be so full of myself, so convinced I was gonna be the greatest samurai ever. Well, look at me now. It makes me cringe just thinking about it.

Don't be so hard on yourself! Someone died right before your eyes. That's enough to scare anyone! That must have been the first time you ever saw something like that...

Haha. You're so cool about it, Aldo.

You must've seen people dying before, yet you can still be so considerate of others. You people from the past just aren't like the rest of...

Sorry, that was wrong of me. I shouldn't have said that.

I was just venting, that's all.

No, I'm sorry, Oboro.

It's my fault for bringing you to my time.

It's not your fault at all! I'm the one who asked you to take me there. This is my problem, nobody else's. I just hadn't realized what the reality would actually be like.

The thing is, I DID know that kind of thing happened. I knew samurai and knights had to kill to protect. But to see it actually happen right in front of me...I just couldn't deal with it.

"Never hurt others." "No person deserves to be hurt."

Those are the rules of this era, and words I live my life by.

Oh...

In my head, I get that we have different values, but in my heart, it just doesn't feel right. Whenever I hold my sword now, that terrible scene flashes before my eyes again and I just freeze.

......

Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this. Just forget I said anything. Anyway, I've got that match at Satellite Stadium to get to. I'd best be off...

O-Oboro...

(What would I even say if I'd stopped him? I don't know what he needs to hear right now.)

Maybe I should head to Satellite Stadium. Even if I can't help, I at least don't want him to be alone.

I wonder where Oboro is...

Hey. Aren't you Oboro's friend?

Oh, it's you! From the Elzion tournament, right? The one who kept getting himself into trouble...

You and I remember that day very differently... Anyway, what's up with your guy Oboro? First he bests me, then he loses in the most pathetic manner imaginable. I dunno what to make of it...

About that...

Um actually, do you happen to know where he is right now?

He's probably in the waiting room.

The waiting room? Got it, thanks.

But it's for competitors only. You're not getting in, not without a pass, anyway.

You know what? Can't believe I'm doing this but here, take mine.

Really? Are you sure?

Look, I just hate to see him embarrassing himself like this. Go do something about it.

Oboro sure is lucky to be surrounded by such caring people.

(And I'm sure that's no coincidence. Oboro has lived his life reaching out to those in need.) (Then surely there's nothing wrong with that image of a samurai he held in his head, is there?)

Attention! Satellite Stadium is now under control of the Death Society! If you wanna get outta here alive, do exactly as we say!

This is your waiting room. There are no lockers, so please use the bench over there for any luggage.

I'll leave you to it, then. I'll call you when it's time for your match.

......

Maybe I should get my sword out.

It's okay, you can do this. A match isn't a fight to the death. My weapon isn't a real sword. It can't hurt anybody.

......

Ah...! Huff... Huff...

Thanks, Nyanmaru. But I'm okay.

(I'm okay? In what way am I okay? I can barely even hold my sword...)

(The image won't leave my mind. Of Sayo lying there, drenched in her own blood.) (How can I wield a tool that takes people's lives like that?)

(But then again, sword-fighting isn't something that still exists in our era. Not really anyway.) (These things don't matter anymore. They don't. They just don't.)

(Then why am I still struggling to grip my sword?)

Sigh... Just look at that face. It's the face of someone with nothing, just like when I was younger.

(Back then, I always wanted something that was mine alone.) (The only thing I had to be proud of was that my parents were famous.) (When I first took up the sword, I finally felt like I was playing on the same field as everyone else.)

(But the innocent wishes of my child- hood don't seem so innocent now.)

(Swords are tools for killing. Samurai take lives for a living. Only now do I truly understand that.) (I can't say I dream of being a samurai, not anymore. Not after the things I've seen.)

Oh, I didn't even realize, but I'm still holding my luggage. Maybe I should put it down...

Huh? What's that in my bag?

Oh. The towel. Sayo thought the fabric was pretty, but look at it now. Dark and stained and bloody.

Hey, Nyanmaru... How bad do you think it hurts to get cut by a real sword? I mean, it hurts so bad just getting whacked by a replica one, but she had to face the real deal...

And yet, despite all she was suffering, she still had a smile on her face. She was so very strong.

But me, I...I wouldn't have cared if she was weak. I just wanted her to live.

Must nearly be time for the fight. I'd better get going...

Hey, this way! We've gotta escape through the back, quick!

What are you talking about? What's going on?

There's a load of armed brutes out at the entrance!

You remember when the leader of some gang with a funny name got arrested? Death Society or something? The ones spouting radical nonsense about going back to the East's glory days, to a time of hunter and prey?

Well, its members are demanding the release of their leader, and they ain't being nice about it.

And they're here? Why...? Oh, wait, I get it. There'll be cameras here today.

Exactly. Everyone's watching the tournament right now. It's a great way to get attention.

Sigh... Picked a bad time to come visit the East, didn't I?

Come to think of it, what are you doing back here? You should be escaping, not helping me escape.

That's rich, coming from you! I thought maybe I'd return the favor from last time.

You can't. You've just gotta get out of here. What if you didn't make it? I...I couldn't live with myself if somebody else...

You've really lost the plot, haven't ya?

Look, go ahead and leave if that's what you wanna do. Just abandon the audience, your friends, everyone, and go save yourself.

Some samurai you are, huh. Your weird cosplayer friend's more of a samurai than you are.

You talking about Aldo? Why? What's he done?

He went up against those brutes all on his own. All to help everyone else get away. He even rescued me. But the cowards've been taking hostages, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up as one of them.

Honestly, I'm so humiliated. All that training, and I didn't stand a chance against 'em. But I still have my pride, you know. I'm still gonna do whatever I can to help.

Whatever you can, huh? But what can I do...

I gotta go.

H-Hey, where are you, ! What an idiot.

This is a formal request to the three heads of Eeza. Release our leader immediately! If you refuse...we will kill everybody in this stadium!

(These must be the guys who attacked the stadium. Just look at those weapons!) (Now, where is Aldo?)

Just to prove to you how serious we are, we're gonna execute this hero- wannabe.

(Aldo!)

Hey, you! Come out from there!

Why, if it isn't the champion of pretend sword fights.

You know who I am? Great, that saves me the hassle of having to introduce myself.

Now, there's a man who's never had to deal with any real problems. And you call yourself a samurai? Pfft, you're practically a pacifist.

And what's wrong with pacifists?

Classic Eeza attitude. So preoccupied with stupid indulgences like sports and music and whatever. You'd never understand what it's like to live on our tiny trash-heap of a plate, forced to steal to survive.

Well, lucky you.

(Okay, looks like I've managed to attract their attention away from Aldo.) (Now I've just gotta buy some time...)

Pretty arrogant for a weakling who's never had to fight for real, ain't ya?

Ngh!

Oboro!

Trying to buy time, were ya? Nice try, but I'm afraid we didn't come here for a chat. If you wanna stop us, come and do it in person, Mr. Champion.

Oboro, no! You're too wounded!

I have to save Aldo... I can't let him die... Not like I let her...

(Darn it, I can't! I'm too scared! I don't wanna kill anybody!)

Gaaahh...

Are you trembling there, Mr. Champion? Ha! Pathetic!

Gahhh!

Are you watching this? If you don't want him to die, then release our leader! The revolution starts now! We will return the East to as it was centuries ago, when the strong weren't exploited by the weak!

(Gaaah... It hurts so much... I feel tears in my eyes...) (I can barely even breathe...)

Do you get it now? Because this is how it really is. Superficial things like law and ethics mean nothing in the face of absolute power.

We will no longer be oppressed by a system created by a bunch of weaklings!

Your logic makes no sense at all.

No, what makes no sense is this era we live in. Humans were born to fight. It's in our nature! Peace and love, and all our other ridiculous modern values protect the weak and suppress the strong.

Why should the weak get to live in peace, never having to fight, never having to make themselves strong? It's unnatural!

(Why would they want this?)

To live for your own happiness... No, that isn't allowed.

Dreams? No, none... There's no point in dreaming. They'd never come true anyway...

(Our world is one those of the past could only dream of. We finally have what they always wanted.) (And they want to destroy those dreams of a happy life, for such an irrelevant reason?) (You have GOT to be kidding me!)

(I can fight!) (And I WILL fight!)

(I won't fight to kill, but I will fight to protect the things I wanna protect!) (Even if the samurai I dreamed of aren't what I thought they'd be...) (That's the kind of person I always wanted to be! And that's who I will be!)

You're not being oppressed, you idiot.

What the... We shot you in the stomach! How are you still moving?

With great difficulty, that's how. I can barely stand to be honest with you. As you say, I'm just an ordinary guy who's never had to fight for real...

Hey, stop! Aren't you scared of dying?

Of course I am. I'm scared of dying, I'm scared of killing, and I'm scared of others getting hurt... But...But...a samurai doesn't flee!

Get him, guys! Shoot him dead!

Do your worst. I am Oboro, Fugen Itto-Ryu practitioner...and the greatest samurai of this era!

Looks like I win.

Grrr!

According to your own logic, the weak are here to be subjugated by the strong. In other words, if I wanted to kill you, I could do so, right?

Ghh!

Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you. We live in a time where everyone has the right to live. It's not okay to kill anyone. Not the weak, and not even the guilty.

Now, you may ridicule these modern values of ours, but me, I like 'em.

Ugh, how can you be so naive? Nobody cares about deadbeats like us.

You shouldn't have resorted to violence. You should have just used your words to ask for help. Then, maybe I would have been inclined to lend you a hand.

Oboro! Are you okay?

I think that went pretty well, don't you?

Yeah, it was certainly a sight I won't forget.

But now that you've saved the day, I really think you should rest.

Yeah, maybe you're right...

Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you. Once I'm all healed up...

Will you take me back to the East of your time, to the place where I first met Sayo?

You have my word. But you just focus on getting better for now.

You got it! But don't you worry, I'm gonna be fine. I am the greatest samurai of the East after all.

Ow ow ow... My wound may have closed up now but man does it still hurt!

Then don't push yourself so hard! Technology in the future may be pretty impressive, but it's not like it can just erase your wounds.

Actually, can it? I wouldn't put it past your time.

Ha, you give us WAY too much credit! That's still the stuff of science fiction, I'm afraid. Man, our time must seem totally mind-blowing to you.

Yeah, considering your era has Riica and Synth Hydra, sometimes I assume there's nothing you guys can't do.

Yeah, well I can kind of see where you're coming from with those two.

Still, even if you know a lot about another era, you can never really understand it. Even just talking like this, it's clear there's so much we don't get about each other's times.

Oboro, are you sure that traveling with us won't just cause you more pain?

Hmm. I...

Oh, hey you two!

Shigure!

Oboro! Have you been looking after yourself?

It's so good to see you again. I have to admit, I never thought I'd see you back in my time.

Ah. I take it you know about Sayo?

I do. You know, I've been thinking about her a lot lately. I actually came here to lay some flowers on her grave.

...... Would you mind if I tagged along?

You'd be more than welcome. Besides, I'm sure she'd love to see her crush again.

......

I'm sorry it took me so long to come here, Sayo. I just didn't know how to do it, or what to say.

But I do now. So...thank you for protecting us, Sayo. You were super cool. But the thing is, I...I wouldn't have cared if you were weak or uncool or whatever. I just wanted you to live. You see, I...

No, forget it. It wouldn't be fair to say it now. But I'm really glad I met you, Sayo. I just wanted to tell you that.

You're done?

Yeah, I've said what I wanted to say.

You know, I've decided something. I DO still wanna be a samurai. I may not be prepared to die or to kill anyone else, but still... I'm gonna be the kind of samurai who wields his sword to protect, not to hurt.

That sounds great to me!

Like the turning of the seasons, everything changes. It's only right that the way of the samurai changes, too.

Just like how sword-fighting changed with the times from a way of killing to a sport... I wanna be a good, kind-hearted samurai, one suited to the era I live in.

A sword-loving samurai of the future, huh?

If I ever get the opportunity, I'd love to visit you in your time, Oboro.

Aldo, would you ever consider letting me travel with you? Your adventures sound like so much fun!

Oboro, you should come by and train with me sometime. I'd love to see how the futuristic samurai thing goes. My friend in arms and his sist, Forget it, things always get complicated when she's around.

But as members of the same clan, we should hang out and clash swords every once in a while!

Yes, I'd love that!

Okay, I'd better get going. It was nice talking to you.

You know what, Aldo? I'm actually really glad I opened that mysterious door. I'm really glad I met you.

Even after all that happened?

Of course! A miracle like this would never have happened otherwise. You broadened my horizons. You showed me reality and made me realize what my dreams should be. And besides all that, I made a new friend in you. And who doesn't like making new friends?

True. I'm really glad I met you too, Oboro.

I guess it's about time I headed back to my own era. I wasn't able to train while I was recovering in the hospital, so I've got a lot to catch up on.

Okay, let's ask Synth Hydra to take us back to Eeza.

I'll come see you again, Sayo...

Welcome everyone to Gladiatorfest, the competition to find the strongest fighter in all the East! We'll be starting things off strong with our previous champion and modern samurai himself, OBORO! How will he fare? Has he recovered from his previous injuries? Let's see, and let the games BEGIN!

I am Oboro, Fugen Itto-Ryu swordsman! Bring it on!