Your hand tightens on the grip of the sword. Four men. Bad odds, especially when its four grown men against an 11 year old. But… They don’t look like much. Probably just as likely to starve to death in poverty as they are to die with some shred of honor in a battle. Still, more of your father’s words resound in your mind.

“Don’t ever turn your back on a starving dog, boy. A well fed dog you can turn your back on. A starving dog can’t ever be trusted, not even to die like a dog.”

“We’ve been looking for that headband for a looooong time, boy.” Says the man with the do-maru. “Why don’t ya just… Give it up?” Mocking laughter fills the air as his pals hackle at his words. You cast a look around, with your left hand still holding the 100th headband and your right fiercely gripping your sword, all the sounds in the abandoned village give way to the howling wind, the reedy noise of the crickets and the rattle of your swords lucky coin bouncing in the wind.

>Draw first, and rush down the man in the tattered do-maru.

>Draw the tanegashima pistol tucked in the back of your hakama and surprise them by blowing out the brains of their “leader”.

>There’s a rock at your feet. Kick it straight into the mans eye, and split his throat while he’s recovering.

>Throw the precious headband to the wind, and then cut him down when their eyes inevitably try to follow it.

>>5873541

>Throw the precious headband to the wind, and then cut him down when their eyes inevitably try to follow it.

Based, I wasn’t expecting you to run so soon QM

>>5873540
>Throw the precious headband to the wind, and then cut him down when their eyes inevitably try to follow it.
Such wants are easily exploited.

>>5873547
Thanks anon, since my current quest is on Christmas/New Years break, I've decided to go ahead and run this because I love the concept and the ideas really got me excited. Hope it lives up to your expectations and at the very least, we all have a good time!

>>5873541
>Draw the tanegashima pistol tucked in the back of your hakama and surprise them by blowing out the brains of their “leader”.

>>5873555
>>5873549
>>5873547
2 for letting the headband go, 1 for pulling the piece and blasting. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppLytsnvUGw&list=PLC80P4gsPr-ZsXghoROjNQltUr_PJ7U0u&index=11

A wry grin appears on your face. If they want it so bad…

Your fingers loosen their grip on the headband right as a particularly strong gust of wind blows past you. Fluttering, the tattered 100th flows out of your hand and through the air. “Oh shit!” Shouts the one who came out from behind the Buddha. “You fucking brat!” Screams the leader, although neither him nor the rest of his boys can resist turning their heads to look at the precious 100th, one of only two ways to enter the headband game as it flies in the breeze.

“Listen up Rokutaro. I’m only gonna tell you this one time. A warrior who takes his eyes from his opponent isn’t fit to live, let alone fight. It doesn’t matter if your opponent is a goddamn butterfly or God himself.”

“Never take your eyes off your enemy, boy.”

More of your Father’s words appear unbidden in your mind, and you take them to heart. In one, two, three bounds you are on the man in the cheap do-maru, and then your Father’s blade finds it’s way into his neck, it’s steel biting clean through his throat. This one dies with a look of dumb surprise on his face.

“You bastard!” Screams one of them, the one who came from the bushes, as their collective awareness is brought back into focus with the death of their leader. He rushes towards you, although his two compatriots are too much in shock to follow him and provide back up. His naginata swipes through the air, singing it’s promise of death into your ears as it slices towards your head. You duck in the last moment, your afro losing a goodly sized chunk of curls as your own sword finds it’s way through the man’s belly.

In one move, his guts spill onto the ground, staining the grass and dirt a thick dark red as the smell of freshly opened organs rise up to your nose, making your own stomach do a somersault.

“J-Jinoske!” Shouts both of the remaining men, their attention finally brought fully back to you. These men aren’t fit to even look at a blade, let alone wield them. Still, with the element of surprise lost you decide to switch up your tactics. Gripping your blade, you take a moment to clear your mind before you strike again.

>You still have your Tanegashima pistol tucked into the back of your hakama. Time to use it.

>You’ve always been pretty dexterous. Time to put that talent to use by picking up your last opponents naginata and launching it towards one of them as you rush to cut down the other.

>Let them come to you. These men are half drunk and full fools, it won’t take much effort to dodge and block their attacks and wait for a good enough opening to strike.

>Write in.

>>5873633

>You’ve always been pretty dexterous. Time to put that talent to use by picking up your last opponents naginata and launching it towards one of them as you rush to cut down the other.

Nice writing, TQM

>>5873633
>You still have your Tanegashima pistol tucked into the back of your hakama. Time to use it.
Fighting is a matter of conflict and resolution, the actual methodology is irrelevant to those core concepts. To that end, a firearm is just another tool of the trade of killing.

>>5873633
>You’ve always been pretty dexterous. Time to put that talent to use by picking up your last opponents naginata and launching it towards one of them as you rush to cut down the other.

>>5873633
>You still have your Tanegashima pistol tucked into the back of your hakama. Time to use it.

>>5873635
Thanks man, really nice to hear that!

>>5873635
>>5873640
>>5873644
>>5873647
Need a tiebreaker. I'll roll for it in 30 minutes or so if no tiebreaking vote comes in.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5873668
Alright, rolling for it.

>1 and tanegashima wins
>2 and launching the naginata wins

>>5873687
>>5873647
>>5873644
>>5873640
>>5873635
Okay, writing now.

Oh fuck yeah it's here! Didn't think I'd only have to wait a day for this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGf3XFkK8RQ

You only got a couple of seconds before these fools gather their wits and charge you down.

“Fuck it.”

You mutter, pulling out your secret weapon: The small tanegashima stashed in your hakama. Their eyes go wide a moment when they realize what it is, and as you aim down the barrel at the one on the left you hear him shout “Oh fu-” before the CRACK of your pistol cuts him off. Before the smoke can clear, you burst through it, your sword gripped in one hand in the Falling Swallow Cutting Wind stance your Father showed you all those years ago. The one on the right brings up his rusted sword to try and block your killing edge, but it’s too late.

Your sandals grind through the ground as you spin and deliver the blow, your hips twisting in accord with your spine, your blade now just an extension of yourself, a whirling dervish of death. You slide past him, your spin coming to a halt facing his back. The man turns around… And around, and around as his torso slides neatly from his legs. An old hand me down it may be, but your Fathers sword still holds a lethal edge. You cast a glance towards the one on the left, and you see that your bullet went somewhat off the mark. He’s not dead yet. Just on the ground, holding his gut and screeching something awful.

You make your way to him. The man’s howls grow fiercer as he notices your approach. In between his screams, he manages to sputter “H-how in the hell did you do that?! W-why does a fucking brat want the 100th headband anyway!? W-why’d you kill my brothers, why you gotta kill me?!”

Your blade separates his fools head from his fool body. As you bend down to wipe your Father’s blade on what remains of his shredded haori, you whisper to the air “Nothing personal. Just…”

Just why do you want in the bloody headband game anyway?

>”Honor.”

>”To prove that I’m not the worthless son of a worthless dog.”

>”To face the best. To become the best. To be first among all men in the world. To be number 1.”

>Write in.

>>5873712
>”To face the best. To become the best. To be first among all men in the world. To be number 1.”

Strong is beautiful

>>5873712

>Vengeance

To slay the man who killed our father - no more, no less. You don’t care how many men stand between you and him; it won’t matter, now that you’ve started on the path.

This only ends one way.

>>5873712
>”To prove that I’m not the worthless son of a worthless dog.”
I like the potential conflict this could imply in Rokutaro. He doesn't strike me as the type to go after the Number 1 simply for the sake of it anyways.

>>5873712
>”To prove that I’m not the worthless son of a worthless dog.”

>>5873712
>”To prove that I’m not the worthless son of a worthless dog.”

>>5873712
>”To face the best. To become the best. To be first among all men in the world. To be number 1.”
Seems like you're well known here, qm. what were your other works ? btw I'm liking this premise, although I've never watched afro-samurai.

>>5873750
Thanks for the compliment anon! As for my other works, the one that just went on break yesterday was Warhammer 40k: Christian Cult in The Underhive. I've got a couple others sadly unfinished like The Dead Don't Dream and Starving Creature Quest. I also did an insane oneshot a few months back called Third From The Throne, that unfortunately wasn't archived. Appreciate the interest anon, hope you'll like this one as we progress deeper into it.

>>5873714
>>5873715
>>5873719
>>5873721
>>5873730
>>5873750
2 for wanting to be the best around, 3 for proving that you're not worthless like your father was and 1 for vengeance. Writing now.

>>5873712
>”To face the best. To become the best. To be first among all men in the world. To be number 1.”

Well-written stuff here, but what is the premise of afro-samurai? Obvious Yojimbo inspirations & such, but why is he black, & why did one of our foes speak with a Southern drawl?

>>5873785

I’ve actually never watched it, but it’s an actual anime anon

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Samurai#:~:text=Each%20episode%20of%20the%20anime,debuted%20on%20January%204%2C%202007.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiLLVKE6d20&list=PLD3yMOFQ8fZMOSAW-ziXrNteJCfA8xQ4w&index=1

“To prove that I’m not the worthless son of a worthless dog.”

Your Father was a killer. And a drunk. In between the killing and the drinking, he managed to find a way to knock up a woman, who died giving birth. You suppose you could call her your first kill. You don’t think he’s ever forgiven you for ending her life with the beginning of yours. Still, he took you in. Taught you what he knew, such as it was. How to fight. How to kill. A handful of techniques. How to keep yourself from feeling remorse as you watch the light fade from the eyes of a man who mere moments before was a living being, with family and friends. And most of all…

“Boy, if you want to be a warrior there is one thing you have to keep in mind, always. The will to live. Killing a man isn’t about how strong you are, it ain’t about your technique, the quality of your sword or anything else. It’s about will to live. The only way a man dies is if he loses that will to live.”

Your mother gave you your name, Rokutaro. It was her idea. Although after her death, it seemed that all your Father ever called you in your later years together was “boy” or “dog” or “worthless brat”. Eventually his drinking got worse and his skill with the blade, along with your grudging respect for him, faded away, finally ending with him dying like a dog in a bar. Too drunk to even draw his blade... It doesn’t really matter, you suppose. You want this headband so you can prove to him and yourself that you aren’t the worthless dog he thought you were. The worthless dog that he turned out to be. You’ll face anyone, any challenge to prove that.

You’ll even face a God.

Satisfied that your blade is clean, you stand and release a breath that produces a faint puff of condensation in the cool spring air. You slide the sword into its saya and then throw a glace around, searching for the headband. After a moment, you see it. It’s long length wrapped around a sycamore sapling, both ends fluttering in the gusts of chill wind. Walking over to it, you snatch it from the sapling before wrapping it across your forehead. You consider rifling through their pockets for any cash, but decide that fools dressed in rags are probably not overflowing with wealth. With that done, you decide that your next destination should be to head…

>…To the nearest town, Hikasawa. If there’s a place that Mr. 99 went off to after killing the previous owner of headband number 100, it would most likely be there.

>... Along the eastern road. With a handful of villages scattered along it’s winding path, it is a road seldom traveled except by those heading towards Hikasawa and beyond. If Mr. 99 was looking to avoid trouble, this way would be it.

>... Down the Great Southern Road. No longer so great however, as two major clans have been warring up and down it’s length for the last six months. If Mr. 99 was looking to hone his skills or earn some coin in battle, it would be this way.

Apologies for the wait, had an urgent matter come up that caught me right in the middle of writing.

>>5873785
The premise is pretty simple in the anime: Afro's father, The number 1 headband owner Rokutaro (You), is killed in a duel by a mutant named Justice. Seeking revenge, Afro dons the number 2 headband, allowing him the right to eventually face the number 1 and gain his revenge, but also allowing anyone in the world to attack him at any moment so that they could get the number 2. As for why he is black, ask Takashi Okazaki, the author of the original manga. And for your enemy speaking in a southeastern drawl, the world of Afro Samurai is a anachronism stew with technology and culture both new and old conflicting. There can be a cyborg sitting right next to a noble samurai in a wooden yoroi next to a revolver toting cowboy and nobody would bat an eye. Part of that anachronism will be explained as the quest goes on.

In my mind, all of this draws together to create a wonderful tone, atmosphere and feeling. Hope this quest continues to at least be well written, or failing that, a lot of fun!

>>5873805
>... Down the Great Southern Road. No longer so great however, as two major clans have been warring up and down it’s length for the last six months. If Mr. 99 was looking to hone his skills or earn some coin in battle, it would be this way.

Or for us to refine out skill so we don't end up like the former 100, riddled with arrows and rotting in some ditch by the road

>>5873805
>... Along the eastern road. With a handful of villages scattered along it’s winding path, it is a road seldom traveled except by those heading towards Hikasawa and beyond. If Mr. 99 was looking to avoid trouble, this way would be it.
>>5873806
wait, is that unique to the 2nd headband while the others can only be challenged by the owner of the previous one ? ex:99 by 100, 20 by 21 and etc

>>5873805

>... Down the Great Southern Road. No longer so great however, as two major clans have been warring up and down it’s length for the last six months. If Mr. 99 was looking to hone his skills or earn some coin in battle, it would be this way.

Cool battle scene

>>5873805
>…To the nearest town, Hikasawa. If there’s a place that Mr. 99 went off to after killing the previous owner of headband number 100, it would most likely be there

>>5873818
Yep you got it. Nobody but 2 can challenge number 1, you can't challenge anyone over ten ranks below you EXCEPT 2 can be challenged by anyone in the world whether they own a headband or not. And about the 10 ranks below thing, lets say you're 75, but you don't want to go through the hassle of challenging all nine people below you to get to 65, it is allowed to jump straight from 75 to 65 assuming you can beat him in battle. This concept is mainly so the quest doesn't drag and you all don't have to literally fight 99 people, and also to make it more dynamic with the possibility for team ups, betrayals and all that good stuff.

Also, I'm gonna let voting continue on for another hour or two, then squeeze out the last update of the day. Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you've all got something other than coal this time.

>>5873883
And one more thing: The 100th headband is the only other headband that anyone can challenge who's not in the headband game. Given it's bottom rank, chances are the only ones who are going to try and challenge the owner of the 100th are total weaklings looking to get into the game as a last resort. Everyone else with some talent is either already in the game or trying to go straight to number 2. It's much more likely for the 100th to get killed by the rank above him than it is for him to get killed by those looking to get into the game.

>>5873815
>>5873818
>>5873837
>>5873859
2 for taking the Great Southern Road, 1 for heading to Hikasawa, and 1 for the eastern path. The Great Southern Road it is, writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuKcl8e_7J0

You decide on the Great Southern Road. Number 99 may have gone this way to sharpen his skills on some of the bandits that make their living gathering the leftovers of the dead on old battlefields, in between robbing, raping and murdering any peasant foolish enough to take this road to hawk their wares. Or to earn some coin as a mercenary for one of the two warring clans. And you remember a tale your Father told you years ago, before the drink had fully sunk its claws into him. About how those who wear the headbands are drawn together by the heavens so that the blood spilled from their endless battles would provide amusement to the Gods, and their blood providing sustenance to the thirsty earth. If your Father was right it won’t be long until you and Mr. 99 meet.

You manage a good couple of miles south, your old sandals providing some comfort as you take step after steady step. Morning gives way to noon, and thankfully that high wind dies down some. Unfortunately, a mere thirty minutes later the wind returns with a vengeance, cutting through your thin hakama like a scythe through wheat. A chill rises in the air, and then your ears prick up as they make out the sound of rolling thunder. A few minutes later a light drizzle of spring rain starts coming down. The drizzle quickly becomes rain, which soon turns into a downpour. Thick, cold mud wells up from the dirt, pulling your sandals down into the earth as the mud squishes between your toes.

An inauspicious start to the journey, but one you intend to persevere. Fortunately, it doesn’t take you long to come upon a small collection of houses by the roadside. Three of them, to be exact. One of them is clearly abandoned, one recently burned to cinders and black charcoal, with only one seeming to hold the possibility of possessing living residents. As you approach, a young girl of about 8 or 9 opens the front door, running out and shouting something that is too muffled by the heavy rain and hard wind for you to make out. As you approach, she finally notices you walking down the road.

The world must have been kinder to her so far than it has been to you, as the girl quickly starts to grin and wave at you, before running around in the rain, her arms stretched out like an airplane’s wings. You would never be so quick to trust a strange boy walking in the middle of a downpour, with a sword strapped to his side. What must be her mother soon comes out after her, shouting something that you can only faintly make out as you grow closer.

“Haruka! Get back in here before you catch your death! Come on, Ha-”

And then the woman notices you. Her rosy cheeks soon lose their color as her eyes gaze up at the headband around your forehead, before they drop to your hip and the sword swinging at it’s side.

“-ruka… Haruka! Come on, get back inside NOW!”

The woman runs out and scoops the young girl up in her arms, before quickly making her way back inside her house, the door slamming shut with a resounding thud. Now you’re only about 20 yards away from her house. You can hear muffled shouting, probably from the mother, which is then quickly cut off by the incessant screeching only a very young girl can pull off.

The wind carries something over to you from the house. The scent of frying fish. Your stomach rumbles. It’s been a day and a half since you ate last. As if on cue, the rain starts coming down much harder, each droplet feeling like an ice cold bullet slapping into you.

>Go and knock on their door. The mother is distrustful of you, but you think if you pull off the sad, starving kid act well enough, she’ll share some of their dinner with you.

>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

>Keep walking. You don’t trust her to not try and stab you when you knock on her door, nor do you trust the two rickety old shacks next to her house. Best to keep moving.

>>5873898
>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

Only dogs beg

And that's it for the day! Hope everyone has been enjoying it so far, I'm honestly loving this massive shift to a new feel and pace from my current quest. Next update will be tomorrow EST, probably pretty early in the morning. Have a good one everyone, hope you all are gonna get what you wanted this Christmas!

>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

>>5873898
>Keep walking. You don’t trust her to not try and stab you when you knock on her door, nor do you trust the two rickety old shacks next to her house. Best to keep moving.

>>5873898
>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

>>5873898
>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

>>5873898

>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

Let the family be - we should know that our presence is not a blessing

>>5873898
>>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.

>>5873898
>>Go and huddle in one of the abandoned houses. It won’t be the first time you’ve taken shelter alone from the rain, and it won’t be the last before your journey to number one is over with.
Merry christmas

>>5874154
>>5874023
>>5873971
>>5873953
>>5873949
>>5873931
>>5873920
>>5873900
7 for hiding from the storm in the abandoned house, 1 for just walk away dude. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlN8MPS7KQs

Part of you considers just walking on, a paranoid part of your mind warning that the mother may just go ahead and try and stab you while you’re dozing in that small abandoned house, but then wiser voices win out. You really would catch your death in this cold spring storm. And you don’t wanna face a bandit, let alone number 99 and his arrows with a bad case of cold. And so you trudge your way to the house on the end, trying to ignore the delicious smell of frying fish and the promise of a warm fire inside that woman’s house.

When you enter you see that the house is… So so. No bloodstains, no old corpse smell. No furniture or tatami for that matter, but you’ll make do. Looks like whoever lived here before probably decided to head to greener pastures once the war between those two clans started, and probably wisely at that. As you sit down in the main room, your back against the wall with your front facing the door, a shiver racks it’s way up and down your spine. The rain will pass soon, you tell yourself as you rub your arms to settle down that chill tingling it’s way through you. But that smell of frying fish…

Your stomach grumbles.

You try to remember what your Father told you, that joke he loved about the starving samurai and the wealthy thief but… The words escape you. Using some of that willpower he beat into you over the years, you tell your grumbling stomach to shut up. And while it protests, eventually you can shut your mind to that delicious smell, to the warmth you can almost feel in the next house over. You shut your mind to all of it and wait for the rain to end.

Eventually, you doze off.

CRReeeEAaaAAaKkkk

The sounds of creaking floorboards snaps your mind to attention, and unconsciously your right hand falls to the hilt of your sword. Despite being mid afternoon, it’s almost too dark inside here for you to realize that you’re about to cut down that little girl. She froze as soon as your eyes fluttered open. In her hands is… Something, wrapped in paper. A delicious scent wafts it’s way over to you. Fried… Fish?

“What do you want, kid?”

“Kid?!” She nearly screams, “I’m not a kid! Mom says I’ll be grown enough t-” With her screechy voice seeming halfway ready to render your eardrums deaf, you cut her off, whispering harshly “Shhhh! Fine, you ain’t a kid! Now what are you doing in here?” This seemingly brings her mind back to what she was trying to do by sneaking up on a twitchy boy with a sword and a half feral look in his eyes, as she says “W-well… You looked so sad, walking alone in the rain. Mom said that you were probably the son of a bandit or something, but I thought you had kind eyes. So I… Uh… I brought you some fish!”

“Some… Fish…?” You mutter, half amazed at this kids daring. You wouldn’t have done the same if you were her, kind eyes or not. “Mmhmm! Now take it, I gotta go ‘cuz if Mom found out that I did this, she’d kill me! See you later!” And then she’s thrusting the paper wrapped fish in your hands before she half walks half runs back out the door, presumably back to her house. What a strange girl…

Still, the fish is fresh enough. And that smell… It stirs some kind of deeply hidden sense of nostalgia in you. Unwrapping it, you take a moment just to let that savory smell pour into you. Then instinct wins out over control, and in just a couple bites you’ve wolfed it all down. Licking your fingers, you think on what to do next.

>Keep walking south down the road. The storm seems to have abated for now. No better time to continue your journey, with a full stomach and ready for whatever comes next.

>Go and thank the family. You feel you owe it to them both for feeding you, even if the mother had no idea that some of what she cooked would end up in your belly.

>There’s probably a small river or creek in the woods nearby, as the nearest ocean is over fifty miles to the east. Search for it and set up some of those fish traps that Father showed you how to make so you won’t risk getting half starved again, for a little while at least.

>Write in.

>>5874192

>There’s probably a small river or creek in the woods nearby, as the nearest ocean is over fifty miles to the east. Search for it and set up some of those fish traps that Father showed you how to make so you won’t risk getting half starved again, for a little while at least.

Let’s resupply before heading on. And don’t go back to thank the girl - her mom will beat the shit out of her sight if we reveal her generosity

File: lkcdnue.jpg (130 KB, 1000x645)

130 KB JPG

>>5874192
>>With a full stomach you feel inclined to visit an old Buddhist temple off the road, for which it is said that houses a wrathful divine feminine form. You are walking a wrathful path so it is only suitable to pay your respects to someone like her.
Maybe we can get a trinket from the temple, that imbibes her ferocious energies, with you.

>>5874192
>Go and thank the family. You feel you owe it to them both for feeding you, even if the mother had no idea that some of what she cooked would end up in your belly.

Merry Christmas!

>>5874192
>There’s probably a small river or creek in the woods nearby, as the nearest ocean is over fifty miles to the east. Search for it and set up some of those fish traps that Father showed you how to make so you won’t risk getting half starved again, for a little while at least.
We can meditate and maintain our weapons while we wait. If our traps are successful enough, we can repay the girl's kindness properly with fresh fish.
Also before I forget to ask, are cartridge firearms even available in this era?

>>5874192
>>5874210
+1
MC's craft is cutting heads and he bows down to someone whose head can't be cut lmao. Lets see where this goes

>>5874218
Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Given the setting, tanegashima and similar matchlock type guns are what your average middle income to poor soldier/bandit would be able to get their hands on, but revolvers, automatic machine guns and even RPGs are available to those with the wealth and connections to acquire them. The Fourth World War brought everything back to a feudal Japan type era, but over the last 100 years a lot of the old technology has been rediscovered. The thing is, supreme skill with the blade is almost always superior to fire arms of any kind in this universe. A supreme skill that Rokutaro does not yet possess however.

>>5874225
>>5874210
Sorry anons, but I'm gonna go ahead and veto this write in. Mainly because I wouldn't know how to write it, and also because I'm not sure if it even fits within the scope of the setting this quest takes place in.

>>5874227
Alright, changing to

>Keep walking south down the road. The storm seems to have abated for now. No better time to continue your journey, with a full stomach and ready for whatever comes next.

I'll let voting continue on for another hour so everyone who's able can get their vote in, then call it and get to work on the next update.

>>5874192
>>Keep walking south down the road. The storm seems to have abated for now. No better time to continue your journey, with a full stomach and ready for whatever comes next.

>>5874228
>>Keep walking south down the road. The storm seems to have abated for now. No better time to continue your journey, with a full stomach and ready for whatever comes next.

>>5874226
I see. I only ask because I was curious as to what our potential upgrade paths are.
It may be a world dominated by swords and swordsmen at the end of the day, but I don't want to completely forsake the idea of having a ranged secondary weapon.
Also the image of a sword in one hand and a sawn off shotgun in the other just sounds too cool to me.

>>5874236
Well, you've already chosen a different path than pure swordsmanship. For one, the tanegashima pistol tucked into your pants. And a tricksy nature from decieving them with letting the headband fly away. Later down the road better firearms will definitely be available, along with a whole host of things.

>>5874194
>>5874216
>>5874218
>>5874228
>>5874230
>>5874232
3 for kicking the can down the road, 2 for trying your hand at fish trapping, 1 for thanking the nice family. Continuing your journey south it is, writing now.

>>5874192
>There’s probably a small river or creek in the woods nearby, as the nearest ocean is over fifty miles to the east. Search for it and set up some of those fish traps that Father showed you how to make so you won’t risk getting half starved again, for a little while at least.
>Leave one or two fish for the family, at their door

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUGEdttx04k

Patting your belly, you stand up and sniff the air. The smell of fresh rain has faded, leaving only a faint smell of fried fish and wet sod. And given that the pitter patter of rain drops hitting the roof has faded, you think you’re safe to keep on walking. Part of you wants to stop and thank the family, or at least the girl but… You’d only be forcing her to face a beating from her mother, revealing her kindness like that. Making sure your sword is in its proper place and that your pistol isn’t wet, you head out. Stepping through the doorway, you cast a final glance at the family’s house. Alls quiet.

And then you start walking.

The scenery hasn’t changed much in the hour or so that you’ve been moving. A forest to your right stretching on and on to the horizon, and rolling plains to your left. No evidence of civilization so far, or for that matter, any old battlefields to pick through. Most of the fighting probably takes place deeper into the south, you reckon, where the two rival cities lie. Okamadomishi to the southwest, and Makidomeki to the southeast. The one to the southwest owned by the Kanojiwa clan, the one to the southeast owned by the Muramusa clan. According to what rumors you’ve managed to pick up, the whole mess started over a border dispute. Some hick farmer on the eastern side brawling with another hick farmer on the western, which for whatever reason both clans sent a small peacekeeping force to settle it for their side.

The dual “peacekeeping” forces ended up clashing, and the rest is three bloody years of history.

As you walk, a small group passes you by. One older man, the symbol of the Kanojiwa printed on his kimono, flanked on both sides by four big and burly soldier types, Kanojiwa symbols printed all over their armor too. The Kanojiwas must be doing well in the war, for these soldiers can afford decent armor and katanas. As you approach each other, you try to maintain a calm air, although your right hand hovers around the grip of your blade. You never know when a soldier would want to start something, even with a boy like you.

But as you pass them by, they don’t try anything. In fact it seems like they don’t even consider sparing you a look, too engulfed in whatever the older man is babbling, an official of some kind from the sound of it.

“That damn bitch and her brat better pay their taxes this time,” You hear the official say, a whole load of venom in his voice, “You try to be kind to the peasants and look what it gets you! Well, no more! If she can’t pay in coin or harvest, then she can certainly find some other way to pay, heh.” You turn around as they pass you by, and you can clearly make out a blush on the old lech’s face. “Both of them can find a way to pay, surely. I might even let you four get in on some of the fun, but ah, I’ll probably keep them all to myself.”

You shouldn’t be surprised that a tax collector would be looking for some “fun” from his charges, but still… Something in your gut tightens. These aren’t just four scumbags like the ones you faced in those crossroads this morning. These are soldiers, well armed and possibly half decently trained. But still… The face of that girl flashes in your mind, her earnest smile when she was sneaking you that meal….

You don’t even realize that your nails are digging small bloody crescents into the palm of your hand when you act.

>Keep walking. It’s no business of yours what happens to that family, nor whatever this perverts got planned for them. They’ll either pay the tax or they won’t. No matter, you must keep pushing forward.

>Draw your pistol and shoot one of the soldiers in the head. With their backs turned, they won’t even notice you squaring up your shot.

>Charge up to them from behind and cut one down, keeping your pistol ready to brain another when he faces you.

>Write in.

>>5874256
>Attempt to follow them stealthily, looking for an opprotunity to ambush them

>>5874256
>>Attempt to follow them stealthily, looking for an opportunity to ambush them
lets brain them infront of the family lol

>>5874257
>>5874259

Ambush is always superior when against a superior foe.

Also looks like I'm somewhat retarded, as I counted one anons vote twice. However he also voted for the same thing twice, which makes me moderately suspicious. In the future I'll keep a better eye out for this sort of thing in future, apologies everyone.

>>5874256
>>Charge up to them from behind and cut one down, keeping your pistol ready to brain another when he faces you.

>>5874256
>Attempt to follow them stealthily, looking for an opportunity to ambush them
Here's hoping he keeps yacking long enough for us to get into position.

>>5874256
>Attempt to follow them stealthily, looking for an opportunity to ambush them

>>5874277
>>5874273
>>5874264
>>5874259
>>5874261
>>5874257
5 for working on an ambush, one for just cutting a motherfucker. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGf3XFkK8RQ

“You wanna be a hero, you brat? You know what happens to hero’s in this world? They end up dead and rotting in a ditch somewhere, just so some drunk asshole can sing their praises in a pisshole like this. Don’t try to be a hero. Try to be lethal, you dumbass dog.”

You let out a deep breath. In this case your Father was right, and so you follow his words. You keep on walking for a minute, before cutting to the right into the forest. With the way this old man was babbling to his dimwitted grunts, they wouldn’t expect a mosquito to smack ‘em in the ass, let alone you. As silently as you can, you follow them, ducking your afro under branches and through tall weeds. The old tax collector yacks all the way, to the point that you want to stop up your ears with something so you won’t have to keep listening to his perverted drivel.

For about 15 minutes you stalk them, when fate smiles upon you. The sun heats up the wet and sodden earth, and about fifteen minutes later a thick fog rolls in. Perfect. The group has even gotten a bit separated, each man either a bit behind or a bit forward to the guy next to him. With the old man still talking incessantly, you make your move.

>Untie your long headband and use it to strangle the one furthest to the back, cutting off his voice while your blade finishes the job. You can deal with the rest after you thin the herd a bit.

>The old man isn’t wearing a helmet. If your aim is true, you can just shoot him from your position in the woods. Saving the family and yourself from having to suffer this dickhead another second longer.

>Toss a rock at the back of one of the soldiers unprotected knees, bringing him down long enough for you to run up and stab one of them while their attention is misdirected.

>Write in.

>>5874293
>>Untie your long headband and use it to strangle the one furthest to the back, cutting off his voice while your blade finishes the job. You can deal with the rest after you thin the herd a bit.

>>5874293

>Untie your long headband and use it to strangle the one furthest to the back, cutting off his voice while your blade finishes the job. You can deal with the rest after you thin the herd a bit.

Strangle attack seems good

>>5874293
>>Untie your long headband and use it to strangle the one furthest to the back, cutting off his voice while your blade finishes the job. You can deal with the rest after you thin the herd a bit.
A free kill is a free kill. All the better if we can fall back into the mist and let the old man panic when he realizes one of his guards is missing.

>>5874293
>>Untie your long headband and use it to strangle the one furthest to the back, cutting off his voice while your blade finishes the job. You can deal with the rest after you thin the herd a bit.
good work 47

>>5874293
>Untie your long headband and use it to strangle the one furthest to the back, cutting off his voice while your blade finishes the job. You can deal with the rest after you thin the herd a bit.

>>5874297
>>5874298
>>5874300
>>5874302
>>5874305
Alright, errybody wants to strangle this dude. Writing now.

>>5874311
Call us Wayne Brady because we're choking bitches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC7-opq4Gik

Taking a moment, you bend down to one knee, your hands reaching up to the headband on your forehead. Tearing it off only takes a couple seconds, and then you spend a minute or so wrapping it’s length around your hands. You give it a tug, and then a wolfish grin appears unbidden on your face. It’ll do.

The old mans babble covers up your approach. You go unnoticed as you cross out of the woods and back onto the road. You slowly walk up to the one furthest in the back, as a small spark of flame lights up his face. The soldier tosses the match and takes a deep drag of his cigarette. Fifteen feet… Ten feet… Five feet… You’re close enough now to smell the scent of this guys sweat intermingling with the heady odor of tobacco. You wait for his hand to raise up back to his mouth. There!

A kick to the back of his knee brings his neck down to eye level, and before he can shout you tightly loop your headband around his throat, turning around and pulling him onto your back and over your shoulder as you do so. Just as Father showed you. With one hand holding the headband, you take your free hand and pull out your sword and then thrust it behind you. Straight into the mans back. You must’ve hit his spine, as he goes totally limp as your sword pierces through him. You swiftly pull the blade back out, and with one hand still holding the headband cutting off his air, you turn around and deliver the killing blow into the back of his head.

That took about ten seconds.

Gently, you lower his still warm corpse to the dirt. You must’ve gone unnoticed, as the old man is still talking incessantly. In fact, the group has kept on walking. They don’t even notice a head is missing until about twenty yards down the road as one of the grunts finally cuts the old man off, saying through the thick fog “Uh… Where is Takeshi?” Then you hear shouting from the old man, “How the hell should I know, you oaf?!” Another, different voice pipes up, “Should we… Search for him, sir?” In your head you get a perfectly clear vision of the old man throwing his hands up as he shouts “Fine, fine, whatever! Don’t take longer than five minutes to find him, I want to be back in town before nightfall!”

Then the footsteps head off with most heading backwards to your position, except one. The tax collector.

>Circle around in the fog and make your way to the old tax collector. You can separate his head from his neck before he even realizes it, and in this fog it’ll be a minute or two before the soldiers even realize their boss is dead.

> Dash through the fog and cut off the unprotected leg of one of the soldiers approaching you, before sprinting off into the foggy woods. You’ll pick them off one by one.

>The time is now. Charge through the fog and cut down the first soldier you see. With the element of surprise on your side, you’ll have a couple of seconds before the others even react.

>Write in.

>>5874320
>>The time is now. Charge through the fog and cut down the first soldier you see. With the element of surprise on your side, you’ll have a couple of seconds before the others even react.

>>5874320
>>Circle around in the fog and make your way to the old tax collector. You can separate his head from his neck before he even realizes it, and in this fog it’ll be a minute or two before the soldiers even realize their boss is dead.

>>5874320

>Circle around in the fog and make your way to the old tax collector. You can separate his head from his neck before he even realizes it, and in this fog it’ll be a minute or two before the soldiers even realize their boss is dead.

The soldiers will bug out once the boss is dead and killed by a fog demon (us).

Then we can hunt down the stragglers if we want

>>5874320
>Circle around in the fog and make your way to the old tax collector. You can separate his head from his neck before he even realizes it, and in this fog it’ll be a minute or two before the soldiers even realize their boss is dead.

>>5874320
>Circle around in the fog and make your way to the old tax collector. You can separate his head from his neck before he even realizes it, and in this fog it’ll be a minute or two before the soldiers even realize their boss is dead.

>>5874320
>>The time is now. Charge through the fog and cut down the first soldier you see. With the element of surprise on your side, you’ll have a couple of seconds before the others even react.
We need to end this quick and decisively, otherwise one of the grunts might split and send word back to Kanojiwa.
That's bad news for the misses and the kid.

>>5874330
>>5874328
>>5874326
>>5874324
>>5874322
>>5874321
2 for charging and cutting, 4 for ending the old perv. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhcDRK9XpkM

You go east, deeper into the fog. The heavy footfalls and clinking of armor first moves from in front of you, to your left before finally fading away as you take step after step towards the tax collector. As you circle towards him, after a couple of seconds you can faintly make out the old mans breathing. Before long you can even make out the crimson of his Kanojiwa haori through the thickening fog. It only takes a few steps to move completely out of his sightline, and then silently you approach him. Ten feet. The soldiers suddenly start shouting, and you can just hear one of them say “T-Takeshi! What happened to you?!”

The old man turns around.

Your eyes meet his.

His mouth opens to scream.

Your blade snicks out of it’s saya.

Five feet.

He finds his voice, uttering a great and strangely feminine screech.

Two feet.

Your blade makes acquaintance with his neck.

His head makes friends with the ground.

Even as it lies there, the old man’s mouth moves, his screech cut to just a tortured gurgle. You hear loud footfalls and louder shouting as the soldiers behind you move to protect their boss. You only have a couple of seconds.

>Turn around and give the remaining three a warriors death. It’s more than they deserve, attempting to protect a pathetic leech like this but you’ll give it to them all the same.

>Run off into the fog and find somewhere to hide. Then follow them as they start moving, picking them off one by one.

>Just run. With their boss dead, they’ll leave and head back right quick. You doubt that woman and her kid will even be mentioned in the report, they’ll be too busy shitting themselves over demons in the fog to even remember the original goal.

>Write in.

>>5874349
>>Turn around and give the remaining three a warriors death. It’s more than they deserve, attempting to protect a pathetic leech like this but you’ll give it to them all the same.
Again, if anybody makes this incident known, the woman and her kid are probably fucked.
Besides that, we can probably make a decent chunk of change selling off these guys' gear.

>>5874349
>>Turn around and give the remaining three a warriors death. It’s more than they deserve, attempting to protect a pathetic leech like this but you’ll give it to them all the same.

>>5874349
>Just run. With their boss dead, they’ll leave and head back right quick. You doubt that woman and her kid will even be mentioned in the report, they’ll be too busy shitting themselves over demons in the fog to even remember the original goal.

>>5874349
>>Run off into the fog and find somewhere to hide. Then follow them as they start moving, picking them off one by one.

>>5874349

>Run off into the fog and find somewhere to hide. Then follow them as they start moving, picking them off one by one.

Keep up the fog ambush, it’s worked so far

>>5874373
>>5874361
>>5874359
>>5874358
>>5874356
Alright, votes split between facing the remaining soldiers as a warrior or picking the rest off from the fog. I'll wait an hour or so for a tiebreaker for one or the other.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5874373
>>5874361
>>5874359
>>5874358
>>5874356
OK, I'm rolling for it and then writing whichever wins.
>1 = Turn around and give the remaining three a warriors death.
>2 = Run off into the fog and find somewhere to hide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pLlmPvIZMw&list=PLC80P4gsPr-ZsXghoROjNQltUr_PJ7U0u&index=3

Quickly, you dash off into the fog. “Oh shit! Kirako-sama is dead!” Cries one of them, the other almost screaming as he shouts “W-what in the goddamn?! His fucking head is… is… Oh God, I’m gonna be sick…” Then you can barely make out the sound of this mans lunch hitting the ground over the sound of your own feet. About fifty feet from them, your eyes can only barely make them out. You get snatches of their conversation through the fog, one of them saying “What the fuck do we do now?!” from one, then “First Takeshi now…” A few seconds later you hear shouting, although it’s sound fails to fully reach your ears.

Then they all start moving back the way they came, fast. They must not have expected much resistance on this little tax run, let alone this. Thoughts of what may happen to that little girl and her mother if they manage to report back to their superiors about what happened make your guts twist. You can’t let all this go to waste, let alone have your efforts turn around and fuck over that family. No way are you going to let that happen. So you quickly jog up to them in the fog, keeping careful attention on the ground to make sure you don’t accidentally crack a twig.

It doesn’t take you long to come upon the one in the back, and with your headband still half wrapped around your hand, it isn’t so hard to pull off the disappearing act you did with the first soldier. This one puts up a bit more of a fight, his left hand trying to pull out his katana even as his right reaches over his shoulder for you, but with the headband cutting off his voice all that effort comes to nothing. You pull him to the ground and slice half his head off. Unraveling your headband from around his neck, you sigh as you realize that the 100th headband is already much bloodier than it was when you found it.

No matter. You chose the bloody path the moment you wrapped the thing around your forehead.

The other two haven’t even noticed that another of their fellows has fallen behind, so caught up are they in their panicked escaped that you doubt that they would stop even if they had noticed. Taking your tanegashima pistol in hand, your aim is steady as you place the match and pull the trigger. CRACK and the one on the right has fallen. The other soldier doesn’t even stop, in fact it seems like he speeds up. You pick up the pace and start sprinting, but your arms are steady enough for you to load in the powder, the bullet, replace the match and fire again at the last straggler.

Your aim must have went a little wide, because it almost seems like his screams are louder than the crack of your tanegashima. Approaching him, you shut out his babble and begging and then simply drive your Father’s blade into the mans heart. He dies instantly. Dropping to your knees, you perform the ritual of wiping the blood off with the fallen’s clothes. Satisfied that it’s clean, your gut finally loosens. You’ve paid off your obligation to that girl and her mother. Looking down the road, from what you can make out through the fog it fortunately seems like the coast is clear. You take a deep breath to center yourself, and then release it.

>Loot the fallen? YES/NO

>Keep moving south. You’ve wasted enough time on these dickheads. With the fog starting to clear, you can make out that the sun is starting to disappear into the mountains to the west. You should try to make a little more progress before you have to find somewhere to camp for the night.

>With the clearing fog, you can make out what looks like a rinky dink little inn a mile or so down the road. You’ve got a bit of change jangling in your pockets, you could probably afford room and board for the night. And maybe pick up some rumors about the 99th.

>Head back into the forest to the right of the road and try searching for that creek. There’s still enough light in the day to get some fish trapping done, and the wait will give you some time to meditate and maintain your equipment.

>>5874415
>YES
>With the clearing fog, you can make out what looks like a rinky dink little inn a mile or so down the road. You’ve got a bit of change jangling in your pockets, you could probably afford room and board for the night. And maybe pick up some rumors about the 99th.

And that's it for the day! Hope you've all been enjoying the quest so far, and if you have any thoughts or criticism, I'd love to hear it. Hope you all had a good Christmas today, and I'll see you tomorrow in the morning!

>>5874415
>yes
>>Head back into the forest to the right of the road and try searching for that creek. There’s still enough light in the day to get some fish trapping done, and the wait will give you some time to meditate and maintain your equipment.
its been pretty great, i commend your commitment to the [red]headband[red/] thing

>>5874415
>NO
>Keep moving south. You’ve wasted enough time on these dickheads. With the fog starting to clear, you can make out that the sun is starting to disappear into the mountains to the west. You should try to make a little more progress before you have to find somewhere to camp for the night.

>>5874415
>Yes
>Keep moving south. You’ve wasted enough time on these dickheads. With the fog starting to clear, you can make out that the sun is starting to disappear into the mountains to the west. You should try to make a little more progress before you have to find somewhere to camp for the night.

>>5874415
>YES
>With the clearing fog, you can make out what looks like a rinky dink little inn a mile or so down the road. You’ve got a bit of change jangling in your pockets, you could probably afford room and board for the night. And maybe pick up some rumors about the 99th.

>>5874415
>YES
Take the swords, trash the armor, bury the bodies in a shallow grave.
>Keep moving south. You’ve wasted enough time on these dickheads. With the fog starting to clear, you can make out that the sun is starting to disappear into the mountains to the west. You should try to make a little more progress before you have to find somewhere to camp for the night.
The longer we stay here, the more we risk getting fingered for these murders.

>>5874415
>YES
>With the clearing fog, you can make out what looks like a rinky dink little inn a mile or so down the road. You’ve got a bit of change jangling in your pockets, you could probably afford room and board for the night. And maybe pick up some rumors about the 99th.

>>5874415
>YES
>With the clearing fog, you can make out what looks like a rinky dink little inn a mile or so down the road. You’ve got a bit of change jangling in your pockets, you could probably afford room and board for the night. And maybe pick up some rumors about the 99th.

>>5874499

Supporting, we should loot and hide the bodies to finish the obfuscation

>>5874594
>>5874589
>>5874522
>>5874499
>>5874466
>>5874434
>>5874420
>>5874419
>>5874417
Looks like almost everyone wants to loot, but the vote is split between heading to the inn or keeping on keeping on south. Can I get a tie breaker?

>>5874629
Eh, i'll switch to going south to speed things up

>>5874633
Thanks anon, writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cm0WvEoFKg&list=PLC80P4gsPr-ZsXghoROjNQltUr_PJ7U0u&index=6

You’ve got some work ahead of you. Working your way backwards, you first search every corpse. The soldiers unsurprisingly didn’t have much on ‘em. About 50 NuYen total. Checking the quality of their swords… Ah, most of these are bunk. Barely worth the steel they were printed out of. Although your first kill had a nice tanto on him. Fine make, decent quality steel, a dragon printed into the blade. You decide you’ll keep it, but the other swords will still have a use. When you loot the old pervert is when you find something worth your time. First, the strange: A straw with a large gold disc hanging off it on beads, the kanji for DRAGON printed on both sides. The straw has a gold mouth piece too. Might be worth something if you pawn it, or maybe make a nice memento of today.

Second, the expected: A fat pouch full of golden NuYen off the old man. About 200 NuYen total. Not a bad haul, not bad at all…

“You a bandit now, you dog? That what the brat I raised and spent so much time training want outta this life? Not only to be a mother killing dog of a son, but just a mere fucking bandit at that?”

Your Father’s words strike inside your mind like freak lightning. Your whole body tenses up and goes stiff for a second. Then, with some effort, you force his words out of your mind. What you do with your life and with your skills is of no concern to a dead man, you tell yourself. No concern to dead men whatsoever…

Shivering somewhat from a sudden chill in the air, you start the arduous task of dragging the corpses into the woods. The old man is the easiest, just skin and bones on the bastard. But the soldiers. Each of them is at least double your weight and over half your height. That makes slow going work. But it must be done, so you do it. About an hour and a half later is when you finally manage to pull the last corpse into the forest. Then you craft a shovel as your Father showed you, first carving a thick enough piece of wood into the rough shape of one with one of the soldiers katana, and then using some vine as cordage to make a grip for your hands.

Then you dig a wide but shallow grave, about three and a half feet into the ground. That part is damn near back breaking, but after another hour you get it done. Then all that’s left is kicking the corpses into their grave and covering them back up.

By the time you’re finished, you’re drenched in sweat and the sun is nearly all the way beneath the mountains to the west. Making sure your headband is still fitting right on your forehead, and that your Father’s sword and your new tanto is on your belt in the correct position, you finally set off. Keeping to the road heading south, you pass no one. You manage another three before the sun has finally set all the way, the sound of crickets rising and rising as it dipped deeper into the horizon. You’re well past the inn you saw, but no other inns have shown up to replace it. Looks like you’re sleeping rough again.

Although, in the distance you can make out a roadside campfire, with about… You walk closer, and then you can make out the people camped around it. Looks like a small family, refugees maybe. Peasants, certainly. Three women and two men. The men are both old, the women are somewhat young. An older one and two girls. Maybe a grandfather, a husband and wife, and two daughters? Maybe. As you walk closer, the smell of frying rice and some kind of meat wafts over to you, and your stomach growls again.

>Try and see if they’ll let you camp with them. They seem pretty harmless, no swords or weapons that you can make out and no tell-tale bulges signifying hidden weapons. If they ask for pay you can certainly afford to give them some, and that smell of food makes the thought all the more tantalizing.

>Camp by yourself, keeping your distance from them. Call it paranoia, but you’ve never liked sleeping in the presence of other people. Another talent your Father beat into you.

Whoops, I forgot to include it in the writing but you did in fact destroy the armor as best you could using the fallens shitty swords, which you then buried with them. Apologies, I got morning brain at the moment.

>>5874648
>Try and see if they’ll let you camp with them. They seem pretty harmless, no swords or weapons that you can make out and no tell-tale bulges signifying hidden weapons. If they ask for pay you can certainly afford to give them some, and that smell of food makes the thought all the more tantalizing.
Like it or not, we need food. I'd rather not have to try hunting game in the dark.

>>5874648

>Try and see if they’ll let you camp with them. They seem pretty harmless, no swords or weapons that you can make out and no tell-tale bulges signifying hidden weapons. If they ask for pay you can certainly afford to give them some, and that smell of food makes the thought all the more tantalizing.


But hide the 100 headband by wrapping it somewhere under our clothes, where it can't be seen. Call it paranoia, but anyone could be aiming to join the headband game, and killing a kid in their sleep is an easy way to do it

>>5874648

>Try and see if they’ll let you camp with them. They seem pretty harmless, no swords or weapons that you can make out and no tell-tale bulges signifying hidden weapons. If they ask for pay you can certainly afford to give them some, and that smell of food makes the thought all the more tantalizing.

Be generous, passing some of the old man’s money to a traveling family seems like a kind thing to do

>>5874648
>Camp by yourself, keeping your distance from them. Call it paranoia, but you’ve never liked sleeping in the presence of other people. Another talent your Father beat into you.

>>5874418
I'm really liking it. Especially the prompts of Afro's father talking to him, which would be a good precursor if/when he summons his ninja buddy.

>>5874664
Nah dog, we're playing afro's daddy at eleven years old, not afro himself. But I wouldn't be against getting a ninja-ninja equivalent of our own, maybe more samurai esc. But we'd have to acquire a mental illness first, unless TQM is going by the Manga for what Ninja-Ninja was

File: maxresdefault.jpg (58 KB, 1280x720)

58 KB JPG

>>5874664
Thanks for the compliments anon, much appreciated. And yeah, as the other anon said, we're playing as Rokutaro, Afro's father, starting in his childhood and following his journey to number 1. Ninja-Ninja type equivalent is not off the table, certainly, but it all depends on your actions going forward.

>>5874665
This is stupid, but I like to imagine Rokutaro's father sounds like Charlie Murphy.

>>5874676
I can dig it. Personally I've been reading his lines in Stinkmeaner's voice, cause he's such a fucking hater

>>5874676
Kek, that's great. I'm not saying that's canon but I'm not not saying it.

>>5874665
Isn't he sort of implied to be Afro's suppressed anxieties and desires, manifested by the headband into a mostly-invisible tulpa?

>>5874684
Yeah in the anime and game, he's basically a hallucination of Afro's thoughts and emotions that aren't "Kill that motherfucker justice". A tulpa, more or less

In the manga he's one of two guardians of the world, and the one who guards the holder of the number 2 headband

>>5874648
>>Try and see if they’ll let you camp with them. They seem pretty harmless, no swords or weapons that you can make out and no tell-tale bulges signifying hidden weapons. If they ask for pay you can certainly afford to give them some, and that smell of food makes the thought all the more tantalizing.

>>5874695
>>5874664
>>5874658
>>5874655
>>5874651
4 for making camp with the family, 1 for camping on your lonesome. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agl1TgVfls0

They seem harmless enough, you think to yourself. And not half bad at cooking at that, judging from the pungent smell wafting over to you. You walk up to them, your feet stolidly pounding step after step into the dirt road. When you’re about 50 yards or so away from them, you call out so you don’t spook them, shouting “Hey! Mind if I stop by the fire for a minute?” The figures around the campfire shuffle for a moment, before one of them calls back out “Hey yourself! Why not! A campfire is better shared, ain’t it?”

Figuring that that’s all the OK that you need, you make your way to the light of their fire. As you approach, you pull your headband off and stuff it down your hakama. Better safe than sorry. You never know who’s wanting in the headband game, and what better way than to rip it off the corpse of a sleeping eleven year old? Finally you step out of the shadows and into the light of their campfire. They’re all too busy stuffing their faces with the now frankly delicious smelling food to pay you much mind, except for the old man who’s sitting cross legged and puffing away at his pipe. “Ah, there you are kid. Gotta say… I expected somebody taller, based on your voice. No matter, no matter, have a seat and warm up. Saori, give the young man a bowl of rice.” He says as he gestures at the oldest woman, his daughter you suppose. The woman sighs a moment before she scoops out of the pan a couple helpings of rice into a small wooden bowl, before turning finally turning around and making eye contact with you.

There must not be that much blood on your clothes, because she doesn’t scream or run away, just wordlessly passing the bowl to you with a pair of chopsticks laid over it. “Enjoy, kid.” She says before she turns back to her own bowl, eating with a vigor you’ve never quite seen on a woman before. The old man takes a big puff of his pipe before popping one eye brow up and saying to you “Now the rice is free, young man, but for the meat you’ll have to kick in a little something.” That’s fair enough, you suppose. You take out your coinpurse and pull out three five NuYen coins, showing it to him. “Just give me ten NuYen and we’ll call it even, kid.” says the old man, and he deftly catches the two fivers with his free hand when you throw it to him, while his other continues to hold his pipe to his mouth.

You bow your head a bit to him before walking up to the pan full of frying meat and picking out the choicest bits with your chopsticks, adding them to your rice bowl. Smells like pork, probably harvested from one of the boars in the forest nearby. The youngest girl, probably only a little older than you are now, eyes you with something approaching wonder. She’s quickly smacked on the head by the other girl, who must be her sister, before she’s told to stop staring and start eating. It’s almost enough to make you wanna giggle, but out of respect for this family, you don’t and instead just start stuffing your face.

The food is just as delicious as it smells. The pork succulent and juicy, the rice fluffy and moist. It’s been a while since you’ve had eating this good. By the time you finish your seconds, the pans are mostly empty and the small family of campers have stopped eating. Now the questions will come. But for the next ten minutes, they don’t. The family pays you no mind at all, except for the youngest girl who keeps stealing glances at you and the blades at your hip. The old man just keeps puffing away at his pipe.

Finally the easy silence is broken, when the old man speaks up. He asks “So my boy… Where are ya headed? Where do ya come from? What's a kindhearted kid such as yourself doing walking into the warzone down south?”

>Write in how to respond.

>>5874714

Tell the man a half-truth.

“I am the son of a vagabond and I’m making my way south so I can fight for pay.”

“Fight for pay” can mean anything, really. P.S. are we really 11 years old or did I misread? If so, we’re hard AF

>>5874714
>"I'm tailing somebody who owes me something. Lost their trail, thought I might pick it back up down South."
Not the whole truth, but not a total lie either.

File: Spoiler Image (730 KB, 680x752)

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>>5874717
Yep, you're 11 years old as stated in the OP post. Rokutaro's had a... Hard life.

>>5874714
"In search of my destiny I suppose, ain't got nothing better to do"

In answer to the first question

"From a bad past and worse home"

For the second

And finally for the third

"And I think I might find my destiny southward, is all"

And make sure to thank them for the food and warm welcome, we ain't a dog after all

>>5874717
Yeah, and it isn't the first time its been mentioned, during the first fight when we claimed the hundredth headband, it was mentioned.

Specifically "Bad odds, especially when its four grown men against an 11 year old". So yeah, We hard as hell.

>>5874721
>>5874718
>>5874717
Alright, calling it here. I'll go ahead and combine all the write ins. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgjA9EuxIlY

Under your breath, you mutter “In search of my destiny, I suppose.” The old man quirks an eyebrow at that, saying through a big cloud of tobacco smoke “Destiny, eh kid? That’s always a toughie. Where ya from? You got a daddy, or a momma?” You cast a look into the old mans inquisitive eyes, his face wrinkly as it sports a wry, knowing grin. “I’m the son of a vagabond. And my mother died when I was born.” “Ah…” Says the old man, “So it was always the road for you, eh? I suppose that all men, young or old, follow the path laid out by their father. Not a good man, was he?”

“No.” Is all you say.

“And what are you looking for on this Great Southern Road?” asks the old man as he meditatively strokes his long gray beard. “There’s a man who owes me something.” You start, “Lost his trail a ways back. Figured he may have headed this way.” The old man nods, puffs on his pipe a few times and blows a couple smoke rings. “And your destiny, do you think you’ll find it when you find this man?”

“I hope so.” You say thoughtfully. You hope so…

Then the girl who had been eyeing you speaks up, asking somewhat crassly “Are… Are you a warrior, sai?”

“You could call me that.” You say, wondering at the point of her question. “And you’ve fought? In real battles?” Her eyes glisten in the light of the campfire. Such insistent questions from her almost make you blush, but you’re not sure why.

“I…” You stutter, not sure what to say.

>”I try to avoid battles. Best way to keep your head above your neck I think.”

>”Sure, I’ve fought in a few. Why so curious, anyway?”

>”It’s not so much that I fight in battles, as it is that they come to me.”

>Write-in.

>>5874839
>>”Sure, I’ve fought in a few. Why so curious, anyway?”

>>5874839
>”Sure, I’ve fought in a few. Why so curious, anyway?”
&
>I wouldn't recommend it, not good for one's health or heart.

>>5874839
>>”Sure, I’ve fought in a few. Why so curious, anyway?”

>>5874861
Supporting.

>>5874839

>>5874879
>>5874869
>>5874861
>>5874847
Alright calling it here, looks like everyone's voted. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_n6asLDNjw&list=OLAK5uy_nuuqfxTx6ieZ8bpAxvzYv4dSgWJHXTu58&index=12

“Sure.” You say “I’ve fought in a few. Wouldn’t recommend it really. Not good for one’s health.” Or his heart, you think to yourself. “Why so curious, anyway?” The girls fists clench even as the shine in her eyes grows brighter. “Because… Because….” She takes a deep breath, before shouting “Because it’s so cool! You’re so cool! Can you show me some moves, warrior-sai?” “Hinato!” Shouts the mother, seemingly embarrassed by her daughters forwardness. Now the blush has fully risen in your cheeks, something that the old man apparently finds funny as he starts laughing, a deep rumbling sound issuing from his lungs.

“Forgive my granddaughter, kid. Back in our village, her favorite day of the month was when the wandering puppeteer would show up. He would do these-” Hinato cuts him off, shouting “He’d do these amazing puppet shows, with samurai and warriors and princesses in towers! When the riflemen puppets fired their tanegashima, there’d be real whizbangs and real smoke! It was… It was… Awesome!”

Her older sister shakes her head, holding a palm to her face. “Sorry about her, kid. She’s a real handful sometimes.” The mother, Saori, silently fumes and glares daggers into the side of her youngest’s head. The outburst from Hinato, the reaction from her family… It somehow draws laughter out of you. A rolling thing that builds and builds in your lungs, and before long the whole family joins in. Even the angry mother and the usually silent father.

You all laugh and talk for a while longer, and you learn that they are from a village steadily emptying out about ten miles to the south, before one by one, you each doze off.

You wake up first, before the crack of dawn. Another thing Father beat into you that you’ve yet to break. All of them are still dozing. Standing up and stretching a bit, you think on what to do next, the whole day ahead of you.

>Leave and head south before they wake up, but leave thirty NuYen in their empty bowl that they fed you with. It’s the least you could do, you figure, for feeding you and brightening your spirits a bit.

>Leave and head south before they wake up. A nice family, it was good to meet them. But you don’t want to trouble them any longer. Best to get moving.

>Stay and wait for them to wake up so you can say your goodbyes. You’re not a dog, not gonna stalk away without at least thanking them for their kindness. You feel you owe them that much at least.

>>5874935
>Leave and head south before they wake up, but leave thirty NuYen in their empty bowl that they fed you with. It’s the least you could do, you figure, for feeding you and brightening your spirits a bit.

>>5874935
>Leave and head south before they wake up, but leave thirty NuYen in their empty bowl that they fed you with. It’s the least you could do, you figure, for feeding you and brightening your spirits a bit.
My kokoro is warm now

>>5874935
>>Stay and wait for them to wake up so you can say your goodbyes. You’re not a dog, not gonna stalk away without at least thanking them for their kindness. You feel you owe them that much at least.

>>5874935
>Leave and head south before they wake up, but leave thirty NuYen in their empty bowl that they fed you with. It’s the least you could do, you figure, for feeding you and brightening your spirits a bit.

>>5874935
>Leave and head south before they wake up, but leave thirty NuYen in their empty bowl that they fed you with. It’s the least you could do, you figure, for feeding you and brightening your spirits a bit.

And a note, thanking the little girl

>>5875004
She's a bit older than you actually.

>The youngest girl, probably only a little older than you are now

She just acts like a twelve year old girl would. Anyways, I'm gonna let voting continue for another hour or so, and then call it.

>>5874946

Support - we’re not really trying to hoard money anyways

>>5875048
>>5875004
>>5874971
>>5874965
>>5874961
>>5874946
All but one wants to walk away and leave some cash for the family. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-BWXT3UBns

As silently as you can, you take out your coinpurse and dig out about 30 NuYen in assorted coins. Then you dip down and gently let them slip out of your hand to clink into the wooden bowl. This was… Good. A good family. Hopefully that bit of cash will help them out a little. You then walk off, tying your headband around your forehead as you go. Then once you’re clear by a dozen yards or so, you start whistling. You feel good, refreshed. And finally with a full stomach.

Of course, fate would have it that your good mood would be soiled not long after.

It seems that the further south you go, the more desolate the landscape becomes. More abandoned or burned out houses. And a couple miles deeper into the south, more refugees. These ones are but skin and bone. Dressed in rags, they carry achingly small tote bags tied to sticks. Men. Women. A few children, but not many. All shuffling along in ones and twos. That family you spent last night with must have either gotten away early, or got very lucky.

And past the refugees is the first checkpoint. Soldiers, clad in crimson Kanojiwa karuta. A circular encampment smack in the middle of the road. The stout logs that make up the walls seem to grow in oppressiveness as you approach, and you can make out spikes jammed in the small pit dug around the encampment, the woods to the right of the encampment bearing a good section of cut down stumps, another sacrifice made to fuel the war effort.

You start thinking on how you can get around this checkpoint when your thoughts are cut short by a booming “HAAAAAALT!” coming from a tower built inside the encampment.

You stop. Little point in running now. A fat soldier then marches out from the gap in the walls where you suppose a gate would have been had this place been a little more established. You can make out several shiny gold medals pinned to his do-maru, as well as his long mustache that extends past the sides of his kabuto. It’s a sight that would almost be funny if you weren’t trained to always be wary in front of those of authority.

Finally the soldier reaches you, his naginata pounding into the earth as he comes to stop a couple yards in front of you. “You want to cross this checkpoint,” He begins “Then you gotta pay the toll. Its-” Then something cuts his rehearsed speech off, as his free hand moves to his kabuto to lift it a bit as he stares down at you, studying your features for a moment. “What the hell is a kid doing walking into the south? Shouldn’t you be going that way,” His naginata’s blade tips forward, pointing behind you, “With all the other cowards, women and children? Wait a second…” He leans forward a bit, the dullard finally noticing the headband wrapped around your forehead.

“The number 100…” He says in a tone not quite short of amazement, “On a kid… Well, no matter. Who owns what headband is no matter to me. You can either turn around or pay the 100 NuYen crossing toll.”

You frown. What a dickhead.

>Pay the toll. It’ll leave you with 110 NuYen, which’ll be more than enough to buy dinner tonight at whatever inn you end up at. Assuming there are any inns left to buy dinner at.

>Try to get past him. If you dash into the woods, that should give you enough tree cover to avoid whatever arrows they end up shooting at you, as well as make it harder for the foot soldiers in their heavy kabuto to catch up. You worked hard for that money, you’re not just gonna give it up for nothing.

>Make a counteroffer. Offer to work for ‘em for the day in exchange for free passage. It might be hard going to convince, considering you’re still just a kid, but if it works it should be better than running or paying.

>Write in.

>>5875121

>Pay the toll. It’ll leave you with 110 NuYen, which’ll be more than enough to buy dinner tonight at whatever inn you end up at. Assuming there are any inns left to buy dinner at.

Easy come, easy go. I say we pay him and move on

>>5875121
>>Pay the toll. It’ll leave you with 110 NuYen, which’ll be more than enough to buy dinner tonight at whatever inn you end up at. Assuming there are any inns left to buy dinner at.

>>5875121
>Pay the toll. It’ll leave you with 110 NuYen, which’ll be more than enough to buy dinner tonight at whatever inn you end up at. Assuming there are any inns left to buy dinner at

>>5875121
>Pay the toll.

>>5874665
>>5874675
Aw, shit. My b. I misread it.

>>5874684
>>5874686
No, he's real, because both Jinnosuke and Justice mention him.

>>5875121
>Write in.
You gotta pay the troll toll, if you wanna get into that boy's hole.

>>5875161
I remember Justice mentioning him, but he also has vague magic powers in the movie and is a ghost/hallucination himself in the game. Does Jinno actually mention him or address him directly, apart from "killing" him?

>>5875121
>Make a counteroffer. Offer to work for ‘em for the day in exchange for free passage. It might be hard going to convince, considering you’re still just a kid, but if it works it should be better than running or paying.

>>5875168
>>5875161
>>5875131
>>5875130
>>5875127
>>5875126
5 for paying the troll toll to get into this boys soul hole, 1 for making a counter offer. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCsh6gUSW-k

Damn. Fucking money grubbers. You wonder if this toll is even official or just something these soldiers cooked up to line their pockets as your hand digs out your coinpurse. Counting it, you give the man what he asks for. Two shiny fifty NuYen coins drops into the soldiers hand. He whistles and he gives one a bite, before saying “Stick up money if I ever saw it. Whatever, move on along kid. You’re free to go.” You sigh and then start walking, moving around the encampment. What you see shouldn’t surprise you, but it still does.

A long disorderly line of wretched refugees, huddled in clumps in some places, a few sitting down while others stand or yell at the soldiers guarding the way out of the South. You guess the toll goes both ways. As you walk by them, a bit of your heart twists at their sorrow. Can’t stay home but they can’t leave either. You try not to think of what’ll become of them as your fathers words ring unbidden in your mind.

“You feeling a weakness of the heart, boy? I thought I burned that shit out of you. Go on, turn weak. Join this pathetic bunch and take up a life of begging, or better yet, show some weakness and get your fool throat slit. I knew I raised a dog, but I didn’t ever think you’d turn out to be soft hearted pussy.”

You take a deep breath and push him out of your mind. But some small, vicious part of you feels that he’s right. In this world there’s only the hard and the dead, and you don’t intend on dying any time soon. So you shut your mind to the wailing and the crying and the begging resonating from the sheer mass of human misery to your right. It takes an hour before your clear of the last stragglers of the huge line, and unconsciously, you breathe a sigh of relief.

In the distance, the road slopes gently downward, before splitting three ways. To the south west, you see a massive Temple, a frankly giant Buddha statue jutting up from the middle of it’s courtyard. To the southeast, you see a medium sized town. Not Okamadomishi nor Makidomeki, it’s too small for that and you think those cities lie deeper south, but still a decently sized town. And further to the south, you see the remains of a battlefield, the earth turned to sodden mud. Old weaponry, discarded equipment and what looks like a great many fallen warriors bearing the colors of both the Kanojiwa and the Muramasa.

>Head down the road that leads to the Temple. Perhaps number 99 is a praying man? And if not, you can still ask the monks there if they’ve seen any headband owners passing through.

>Head down the road that leads to the town. It’s got a sign, but you’re too far away to make it out. Seems like that Mr. 99 would be staying here, either hunting for his own target or taking some time to rest and resupply.

>Head deeper south, towards the old battlefield. Might be some decent pickings there, and if not, possibly a good place to get deeper south without getting harassed or noticed.

>>5875187
>>Head down the road that leads to the Temple. Perhaps number 99 is a praying man? And if not, you can still ask the monks there if they’ve seen any headband owners passing through.

I'm getting a bad case of Nerd Neck lads, so I'm gonna call it for the day here. Thanks for playing so far everyone, it's been a ton of fun to write this. Next update will be tomorrow in the morning, EST. Good night and I'll see you all a little later on! And as always, if you have any thoughts or criticism, feel free to share.

>>5875193

Good work, QM - I’ll be waiting!

>>5875171
lmao

>>5875187
>Head down the road that leads to the town. It’s got a sign, but you’re too far away to make it out. Seems like that Mr. 99 would be staying here, either hunting for his own target or taking some time to rest and resupply.

>>5875193
You take it easy now.

>>5875187
>Head down the road that leads to the town. It’s got a sign, but you’re too far away to make it out. Seems like that Mr. 99 would be staying here, either hunting for his own target or taking some time to rest and resupply.

>>5875187
>Head down the road that leads to the Temple. Perhaps number 99 is a praying man? And if not, you can still ask the monks there if they’ve seen any headband owners passing through.

>>5875187

>Head down the road that leads to the town. It’s got a sign, but you’re too far away to make it out. Seems like that Mr. 99 would be staying here, either hunting for his own target or taking some time to rest and resupply.

This seems best.

>>5875187
>Head down the road that leads to the Temple. Perhaps number 99 is a praying man? And if not, you can still ask the monks there if they’ve seen any headband owners passing through.

>>5875186
>>Head down the road that leads to the Temple. Perhaps number 99 is a praying man? And if not, you can still ask the monks there if they’ve seen any headband owners passing through.

>>5875394
>>5875267
>>5875246
>>5875243
>>5875226
>>5875223
>>5875190
3 votes for heading to the town, 4 votes for heading to the Temple. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYDaNWFlK2w&list=RDM-BWXT3UBns&index=15

For some reason, you get the feeling the number 99 will be at the Temple. Call it a hounds intuition. So you keep moving along the road and down the slope for another thirty minutes. The sun is at it’s apex by the time you reach the bottom of the road and the middle of the crossroads. All hint of spring chill or the freak storm that hit the other day is gone. If it wasn’t for your afro blocking a good bit of the sun’s rays, you’d be getting a sunburn before the day was out. You still expect that you’ll be getting sunburns before all this is done. But by the time you reach the number 1 headband, you’ll be able to do away with the concept of sunburns entirely.

You’ll be able to, right?

Your feet cross to the left, heading up the winding path to the Temple. Before long, you are standing in front of it’s red main gate, two massive white walls flanking it on both sides. And rising behind it is that statue of the Buddha. It looms overhead, the Buddha’s normally kind and curious face turned ominous and foreboding, somehow. And on the giant red gate you can make out a small electronic doorbell. As you approach the gate, you can just barely make out the sounds of many men grunting in unison, as another one shouts… Something.

You press the doorbell, but instead of the customary ring that you’d expect, you hear a massive and heavy gong go off. The deep bass of it reverberates through your ears and down your body, kicking up a bit of dust at your sandals as the booming sound travels into the ground. The grunts and the shouting stops, and a small slat opens to reveal a man with bushy eyebrows, staring through the small opening down at you.

“What d’ya want, kid?”

>”I’m just looking to spend some time praying and meditating in your Temple, if that’s alright.”

>”What were those sounds behind the gate? Are you a martial Temple? If so then can I observe some of your training?”

>”I have a feeling that the number 99 headband is here. I’ve come to duel him.”

>Write in.

>>5875506

>”What were those sounds behind the gate? Are you a martial Temple? If so then can I observe some of your training?”

We can tell him that we’re in the headband game without revealing that we already 100 if that helps our negotiation here

>>5875506
>>”What were those sounds behind the gate? Are you a martial Temple? If so then can I observe some of your training?”

>>5875528
>>5875510
Two votes for asking to observe the monks at work, writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4HWvsGs0rY

“What were those sounds coming from behind the gate?” The monk’s frown deepens even as his eyebrows somehow become even more bushy. “What’s it to you, kid?” Your hand finds its way to the back of your head, tussling with the curls of your afro as you say “Well… Are you martial monks or something? Can I observe your training?” Surprisingly, the monk chuckles at that. “Well well well, two visitors in the same week, both asking for the same thing. Hold on a sec, kid, I’ll open the gate.”

A grinding sound issues from the massive gate, as it is slowly pulled open. But you barely pay it any mind, your pulse quickening even as your blood chills. Two visitors in one week… Could the 99th headband owner be here? Unconsciously, your hands curl into tight fists. This may be it. Do or die.

A painful flick to your forehead shocks you back from your thoughts. The damn bushy eyebrow monk did it! “I didn’t notice your headband through the slat, kid. You need to trim that afro or something. You’re not here to observe us train, are ya?” This time you’re the one who frowns, as you stare up into the eyes of the giant and bulky monk, bald headed but with a bushy beard and even bushier eyebrows.

>”So what if I’m not? Just let me through, bushy brow.”

>”Sorry for lying, sai monk, but I have to face Mr. 99. Tell me, is he here?”

>Write in.

>>5875573
>>”Sorry for lying, sai monk, but I have to face Mr. 99. Tell me, is he here?”

>>5875573

“Well, I was really hoping to see the monks at work, but yes, I am also hunting Mr. 99. Have you seen him?”

>>5875573
>”Sorry for lying, sai monk, but I have to face Mr. 99. Tell me, is he here?”

I'm really digging the music choice.

>>5875583
Thanks anon. I'm still trying to figure out what music and feel would best fit this quest, so for the most part I've just been posting thing's I've been listening to while writing. Glad you enjoy it, hope it's been enhancing your reading so far.

I'll let voting carry on for 30 minutes or so and then call it and get to writing.

>>5875573
>Show some etiquette and bow your head while addressing the monk.
>”Sorry for lying, sai monk, but I have to face Mr. 99. Tell me, is he here?”

>>5875587
+1 Let's show a little respect

>>5875601
>>5875587
>>5875583
>>5875579
>>5875578
Except for one the votes are mostly unanimous. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orZdl3KqgzU

You bow your head a bit, hoping that a show of some respect will ameliorate the musclebound giant as you say “Sorry for lying, sai monk. I have to face Mr. 99. Tell me, is he here?” Instead of yelling or speaking, the monk does something that surprises you. The giant man dips down to one knee as his gnarled and calloused hand falls on your shoulder. He looks you in the eye as he says “Are you sure about that, kid? It’s not too late to turn back, call it quits on this headband business and find something better to do with your life.”

“No. I have to face him. I must face him.”

Something in your eyes takes the monk aback, the large man jolting for a moment before he takes his hand off your shoulder and stands up. “Fine then, run straight into your death if you’re so set on this bloody path.” He turns around and starts walking, before stopping a couple yards into the Temple and saying “Come on then, I’ll take you to ‘em.” You heart starts beating more and more as you follow him into the Temple, even as a coldness falls over your body. As it always does before you have to fight for your life.

When you step through the gate, your eyes are dazzled by the serene beauty of the place. Sakura trees flank the path leading to the main building of the Temple, a giant structure with an almost as large Buddha statue standing sentry in front of it, a tunnel carved in it’s belly that presumably leads straight into the Temple. Off to the side there is a lot filled with sand. There are dozens of monks on the training ground, their rhythmic “HA!” and “AH!” resounds through the courtyard as they follow the moves of the instructor in unison. But despite the beauty and peace of this place, your heart thumps faster and faster as you step up the stairs carved in the Buddha’s lap and into the tunnel through his gut.

“In the end,” Your Father’s words boom in your mind “No amount of skill or training can defeat your opponent if you don’t have strength of will. That’s all a battle is, boy. A contest of wills.”

The tunnel starts curving upwards halfway through as all the sounds in the world around you start to fade away. The only noise you can hear is the sound of your sandals clacking on the stone floor, and the heavy footfalls of the bushy eyebrow’d monk as he leads you to either your death, or your victory. Finally you can make out the exit to the tunnel, and after a few more seconds of walking, you’re through. “He’s there, in the main hall. Meditating with the rest of the older sect. Go on, kid, have a word with him. May fortune and the Heavens favor you.”

Then the monk goes back the way you came, leaving you alone in the rather spartan and simple main hall. The thick odor of burning incense fills your nostrils. Compared to the beauty of the courtyard, something about this place almost feels grim. You walk forward, past meditating old monks who pay you no mind, not even opening their eyes to see who the new visitor is. At the very end of the hall, you finally find your target, his back facing you. A tall, slim man kneeling in the traditional seiza position in front of a smallish gold statue of the Buddha. His bow is to the right of him, while a large quiver sits upon his back. The 99th headband trails elegantly from the back of his head and down his back. He doesn’t stir as you approach him. A crazy thought goes through your mind. What if you just drew your blade and struck him down, here and now? His back is turned, after all.

>”Mr. 99… I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to duel.”

>”Do you mind if I join you, sai? I need to clear my mind.”

>Draw your blade and strike him down while his back is still turned. He isn’t even looking at you.

>Write in.

>>5875624
>”Mr. 99… I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to duel.”

>>5875624
>>”Mr. 99… I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to duel.”

>>5875624
>”Mr. 99… I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to duel.”

I've got some stuff to take care of so I'll let voting run on for another hour or two and then call it and start writing.

>>5875624
>”Mr. 99… I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to duel.”

>>5875624

>Draw your blade and strike him down while his back is still turned. He isn’t even looking at you.

Trickster murder attack has been our style so far

>>5875667
that's a terrible habit to fall into, this shit will never work against number 1 so if we can't even beat 99 fair we might as well quit

>>5875669

Well, from a meta perspective, there hasn’t been any rolling at all, and I’m not sure that we have a charsheet.

So tricky behavior doesn’t seem to be “costing” us anything so far?

>>5875673
there's more to quests than numbers y'know, and i'm talking IC too

>>5875674

I don’t disagree, but we’re 11 and I don’t like our odds in a standup fight against a full-grown archer, lol

>>5875681
>I don’t disagree, but we’re 11 and I don’t like our odds in a standup fight against a full-grown archer, lol
Well, good thing we brought a gun.

>>5875667
>>5875665
>>5875628
>>5875627
Alright, I'm calling it. 4 for challenging the man to a duel, 1 for just stabbing a mothafucka.

Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO4NbCwT0P4&list=PLC80P4gsPr-ZsXghoROjNQltUr_PJ7U0u&index=13

“Mr. 99. I’ve come for you. It’s time for us to duel.” To your surprise, the kneeling man doesn’t so much as stir at your words, although you hear him release a dry chuckle. “Where’d you get that line from, kid? Hear it in a movie or something?” That gets your blood up, and unconsciously your hand falls to the grip of your sword. “Get up.”

“And what if I don’t want to? You gonna cut me down without even seeing my face?”

“GET UP!” You shout, shattering the peaceful silence of the Temple. “Fine then.” He says as he slowly stands up, grabbing his bow as he rises. You step back a step, your thumb pushing your blade out of it’s saya an inch with an almost inaudible snick. When he turns around you finally get to see his face. 99’s hair is tied in back in a pony tail, the 99th headband on his forehead, with a pair of spectacles on his mostly unremarkable face. He’s a man you’d see a thousand of in any city in the world. And he’s your first step to the number 1. “I’d rather not have to kill a kid, but you seem pretty set on killing me, so…” He says before his free hand flashes behind his back, before reappearing with an arrow that is quickly tucked into the bowstring. He’s fast.

“Last chance to back off, kid.”

“Try me.” you say, the battle chill fully suffused into your body. With your hairs standing on end, you make your move just as he draws the bowstring taut.

>Draw your sword in the Iaijustu stance, dashing forward at the same time your blade slashes out of it’s saya.

>Focus, and wait for him to shoot. Father showed you how to deflect arrows years ago, and while you’ve only had to resort to the trick a handful of times, it should work fine enough to give you an opening to strike.

>Draw your tanegashima pistol and shoot first. A dirty move, sure, but it’s a dirty game.

>Write in.

>>5875692
>>Focus, and wait for him to shoot. Father showed you how to deflect arrows years ago, and while you’ve only had to resort to the trick a handful of times, it should work fine enough to give you an opening to strike.
Something tells me our quickdraw isn't quite as fast as his. Let's let him waste some arrows while we gauge his abilities.

>>5875692

>Draw your tanegashima pistol and shoot first. A dirty move, sure, but it’s a dirty game.

I’m making my position clear - I dgaf how we kill our way to top, only that we do

>>5875692
>Draw your sword in the Iaijustu stance, dashing forward at the same time your blade slashes out of it’s saya.
We do not want to stay at range with this guy

>>5875694
>>5875692
>Draw your sword in the Iaijustu stance, dashing forward at the same time your blade slashes out of it’s saya.
Changing to this.
>>5875697 is right, we need to play at our range, not his.

>>5875697

Actually this is good logic, switching to this

>>5875692
>>Draw your sword in the Iaijustu stance, dashing forward at the same time your blade slashes out of it’s saya.

>>5875692
>Draw your sword in the Iaijustu stance, dashing forward at the same time your blade slashes out of it’s saya.

>>5875697
>>5875698
>>5875699
>>5875710
>>5875720
Five for rushing the man down. Apologies for the wait, writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h12qE9DBJkg&list=OLAK5uy_m2ck-kD_87fe3WUuuZZ2DQB5A-uO_G01A&index=5

Time seems to slow down as you get into the iaijutsu stance, your feet rushing forward of their own accord. In two bounds, you are just five feet away from number 99. His arrow flies just as your sword bursts out of it’s saya. You fall to your knees and slide as you feel the arrow go straight through your afro. Your blade slides through the air, and you can just make out the mans eyes widening, his body leaning back in time to save his belly from getting slit, although the very tip of your blade slices a long but thin cut into his chin. Quickly, you rise to your feet, readying an overhead strike. Then the man does something that surprises you.

He ducks to the left, knocking over candles as he goes, before he pull out another arrow. This time not trying to shoot you with it, but stab you with the thing. At this range and with the position you’re in, you only have a few seconds left before he drives that arrow through your temple.

>Swipe to the left with your blade. It’ll be awkward to change stances in the middle of preparing a strike, but you should be able to pull it off.

>Drop your Father’s sword, draw your tanto and tackle him. He’s taller than you, but he’s also slim. You should be able to pull him to the ground and get a couple stabs in.

>Let him stab you, but shift so he only gets your shoulder. A painful move, but possibly effective enough to let you get an opening to cut him down.

>Write in.

File: Spoiler Image (3.92 MB, 520x293)

3.92 MB GIF

Did an IQ test with some of my writing. Bros it said I had an IQ of 92.

>>5875797
>>Drop your Father’s sword, draw your tanto and tackle him. He’s taller than you, but he’s also slim. You should be able to pull him to the ground and get a couple stabs in.
>>5875798
lol. its okay, IQ is bullshit anyways

>>5875797
>>Drop your Father’s sword, draw your tanto and tackle him. He’s taller than you, but he’s also slim. You should be able to pull him to the ground and get a couple stabs in.

>>5875797
>Drop your Father’s sword, draw your tanto and tackle him. He’s taller than you, but he’s also slim. You should be able to pull him to the ground and get a couple stabs in.

>>5875797
>Throw your father's sword at him, the draw your tanto and tackle him. You should be able to get a few good stabs in.
Basically the same as option 2, but with an important caveat.

>>5875797
>Throw your father's sword at him, the draw your tanto and tackle him. You should be able to get a few good stabs in.

>>5875826

Support

>>5875797
>>Swipe to the left with your blade. It’ll be awkward to change stances in the middle of preparing a strike, but you should be able to pull it off.

>>5875870
>>5875867
>>5875826
>>5875811
>>5875806
>>5875799
Everyone wants to pull the tanto out, with the caveat of first throwing your sword. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBxxyRoa2Lk

You drop the sword as your other hand goes to your tanto. Your foot catches it, flipping it a bit and then sending it rocketing to the crotch of number 99. He first drops his bow and then catches the sword by the blade, gripping it tightly as blood pours from his hand, down the blade and onto the wooden floor even as the arrow in his other hand goes straight for your face. You just barely manage to slice the arrow in half by the haft, rendering it useless before you dive into him. In the awkward stance you forced him into, it doesn’t take much to bring the man to the ground, your sword flying out of his hand and clattering to the ground, as you both tumble to the floor..

You then take your tanto and drive it into his side, eliciting a scream from the man. Then his bloody fist drives into your cheek, then your temple, then to your jaw. You try to power through the pain to stab him again, but his foot finds purchase on your chest, and with a yell he kicks you off of him. You fall backwards and roll a bit, knocking over incense stands and scattering offerings left by the small gold Buddha. When you roll to your feet, the man is diving in the air to his bow laying a few feet to the right.

>Throw your tanto at him. If your aim is true, he’ll catch the blade in his side again. The first stab has already weakened him a good deal, another one may be enough to open him up for you to finish the job.

>Go for the tanegashima pistol tucked in the back of your hakama. No time for anything fancy, just enough to shoot him and hope that it’s enough to bring him down.

>Go for your sword. It’s a little closer to you than his bow is to him, if you’re nimble enough you’ll be able to grab it and deflect the arrow he’ll try to shoot you with.

>Write in.

That's all for tonight lads, thanks for playing so far. Next update will be in the morning tomorrow, EST. See you all then!

>>5875900
>Go for the tanegashima pistol tucked in the back of your hakama. No time for anything fancy, just enough to shoot him and hope that it’s enough to bring him down.

>>5875900

>Go for your sword. It’s a little closer to you than his bow is to him, if you’re nimble enough you’ll be able to grab it and deflect the arrow he’ll try to shoot you with.

See, this is why I wanted to just shoot him first

>>5875900
>>Go for the tanegashima pistol tucked in the back of your hakama. No time for anything fancy, just enough to shoot him and hope that it’s enough to bring him down.

>>5875900
>Go for the tanegashima pistol tucked in the back of your hakama. No time for anything fancy, just enough to shoot him and hope that it’s enough to bring him down.

>>5875900
>>Go for your sword. It’s a little closer to you than his bow is to him, if you’re nimble enough you’ll be able to grab it and deflect the arrow he’ll try to shoot you with.
With his hand all fucked up from catching a sword like that, I bet his aim is dogshit right now. Couple that with a hole in his side he probably can't draw it as hard either. Frankly, he got the raw fucking end of that deal.

>>5875798
Get tight, money.

>>5875900
>Go for your sword. It’s a little closer to you than his bow is to him, if you’re nimble enough you’ll be able to grab it and deflect the arrow he’ll try to shoot you with.

>>5875906
Thanks for running!

>>5874210
Based Kali Adorer

>>5874413
Based Benny Enjoyer

>>5876015
>>5875970
>>5875961
>>5875939
>>5875919
>>5875917
Two way split between grabbing the gat or grabbing the blade. Need a tie breaker, I'll roll for it in an hour or so if nobody comes in with it before then.

>>5876354
AS THE APPOINTED TIE BREAKER ANON WHO OTHERWISE DOES LURKS
GET THE GAT

>>5876362
Thank you tiebreaker anon, writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnYinISaQ7o

In the split second before he reaches his bow, you grab your tanegashima pistol. You pull it out and point it straight at him just as he hits the ground, your thumb pulling the striker back as he slides across the ground, one hand on his bow and the other reaching for an arrow. You fire just as he does.

CRACK!

You feel the arrow slice into your cheek as it just barely misses the killing blow, and you can just make out the twang as it slams into the wall behind you. Mr. 99 didn’t get so lucky. Your bullet managed to find it’s way into the man’s guts. And you know from experience that getting shot in the gut is both extremely painful, and rarely survived. As evidenced by the man’s agonized screams, his bow fallen to the ground beside him as his hands clench the bullet hole in his belly.

You walk up to your sword and pick it up. The fight is over. All that’s left is to claim your victory.

>Kill him and rip the headband off of his corpse. You’ve done it. You’ve taken the first step on the path to godhood.

>Rip the headband off of him and walk away. You may live to regret it, but the man fought with honor and his efforts to avoid the battle for your sake didn’t go unnoticed. Spare him to either survive or succumb to his wounds, and walk away.

>>5876388
>>Kill him and rip the headband off of his corpse. You’ve done it. You’ve taken the first step on the path to godhood.
kill or be killed, its the name of the game

>>5876388
>Kill him and rip the headband off of his corpse. You’ve done it. You’ve taken the first step on the path to godhood.
You don't get to get to be the Number 1 by taking half measures. We both know how this has to end.

>>5876388
>Rip the headband off of him and walk away. You may live to regret it, but the man fought with honor and his efforts to avoid the battle for your sake didn’t go unnoticed. Spare him to either survive or succumb to his wounds, and walk away.

>>5876388
>Rip the headband off of him and walk away. You may live to regret it, but the man fought with honor and his efforts to avoid the battle for your sake didn’t go unnoticed. Spare him to either survive or succumb to his wounds, and walk away.
even if it bites us in the ass, he's worthy

>>5876388
>Rip the headband off of him and walk away. You may live to regret it, but the man fought with honor and his efforts to avoid the battle for your sake didn’t go unnoticed. Spare him to either survive or succumb to his wounds, and walk away.

>>5876388

>Kill him and rip the headband off of his corpse. You’ve done it. You’ve taken the first step on the path to godhood.

Put him out of his misery

>>5876388
>>Rip the headband off of him and walk away. You may live to regret it, but the man fought with honor and his efforts to avoid the battle for your sake didn’t go unnoticed. Spare him to either survive or succumb to his wounds, and walk away.
Make sure we leave the 100 headband. He deserves it a lot more than those bandits we killed for it.

>>5876388
>Kill him and rip the headband off of his corpse. You’ve done it. You’ve taken the first step on the path to godhood.
申し訳ありません

We are gonna need another tiebreaker.

>>5876407
>>5876411
>>5876417
>>5876430

I invite you guys to join the “ruthless GAWD” club and reconsider your vote. We aren’t going to get the #1 headband with merciful conduct

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5876437
>>5876430
>>5876419
>>5876417
>>5876411
>>5876407
>>5876400
>>5876395
Hoo boy, another tie. I'm gonna go ahead and roll for it and then get to writing.

>1 = KILL HIM
>2 = SPARE HIM

>>5876550

The dice gods are bloodthirsty indeed

>>5876550
thats destiny right there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMI7OQuO0y4&list=PLPUls20f-u9n9-FGOQpOlhdnCS_SPZW1c&index=8

Gasping for breath, you walk over to your Father’s sword. The man’s screams die down, and then the only noise in the once peaceful Temple is the sound of both of your breaths. “Heheheh…” He groans out as you approach, “L-looks like you got me g-good, kid.”

“Yeah.” You say “I did.”

“Ah… Not bad… Just… Just promise me one thing.” Now you’re standing over him, blood dripping off of your sword in an audible pitter patter onto the floor. “What?” You don’t know why you’re hesitating, but something in you wants to hear the man’s last words. “P-promise me… That you’ll reach the number 1. That you’ll kill that bastard Faith. Promise me, kid.”

“I promise.”

And then your sword flashes in the candlelight. The man gasps for the final time as your blade pierces his heart, and then falls still. All is silent in the hall of the Temple. You bend down, first to close the dead mans eyes, and then to wipe the blood off your Father’s katana on his hakama. Finally, you pull the headband off of him. Undoing the number 100 headband from your forehead, you replace it with the number 99. As you gaze down at the 100th, some part of you feels an urge.

>Hold onto the 100th headband. It’ll make you a target to anyone looking to get into the headband game, but something about the idea… Calls to you.

>Let the 100th headband go. You’ve got what you came here for, now it’s time to move on to the next challenge.

>>5876575
>>Hold onto the 100th headband. It’ll make you a target to anyone looking to get into the headband game, but something about the idea… Calls to you.
Let them come.

>>5876575
>Hold onto the 100th headband. It’ll make you a target to anyone looking to get into the headband game, but something about the idea… Calls to you.

>>5876575
>Hold onto the 100th headband. It’ll make you a target to anyone looking to get into the headband game, but something about the idea… Calls to you.

>>5876575
>Let the 100th headband go. You’ve got what you came here for, now it’s time to move on to the next challenge.

>>5876575
>>Hold onto the 100th headband. It’ll make you a target to anyone looking to get into the headband game, but something about the idea… Calls to you.

>>5876575
>>Hold onto the 100th headband. It’ll make you a target to anyone looking to get into the headband game, but something about the idea… Calls to you.

>>5876618
>>5876610
>>5876605
>>5876593
>>5876586
>>5876577
PATH CHOSEN. THE SIXTH GATE UNSEALS. BLOOD WILL SPILL FROM THE MOUTHS OF THE INNOCENT. THERE IS NO GOING BACK.

Alright, looks like you're gonna hold onto the 100th headband. Writing now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHVpnKpAcnM&list=RDEM6mP505XPi7kWwygTUHGIJQ&index=4

Instead of letting it fall to the ground, your hand tightens it’s grip on the 100th headband. You tie it to your arm, and feel something… Twist, inside of you. And then the feeling is gone, and you’re left in the shadowy main hall with the body of the former 99th. As you turn around and start walking out, the last request of the dead man rings in your mind.

“Promise me. That you’ll reach the number 1. That you’ll kill that bastard Faith. Promise me, kid.”

At the end of the hall, you can see the bushy eyebrows monk standing at the entrance with his arms folded, a sour expression on his face. “Well, are ya happy now kid? You really want to walk this bloody path? Is there anything in this world that would make all the pain and suffering you’ll cause worth it?” You brush past him, your shoulder actually nudging his massive bulk out of the way. “A promise.” Is all you say as you descend into the tunnel through the belly of the Buddha. You’ll reach that peak. For yourself, and for the promise you made.

And may the Gods show mercy on anyone who stands in your way.

>CHOOSE THE INTERLUDE

FAITH: BROKEN

MEMORIES OF A SAMURAI

THE TALE OF THE HEADBAND KID