HIROMI

Chapter 3

Hiromi just closes her eyes and accepted her faith. She heard someone fighting the black ninjas. Hiromi didn't know what was going on. She didn't open her eyes. While closing her eyes, Hiromi could see nothing but darkness around her.

Opening her eyes, she saw that Hanzo was fighting with black ninjas. Hiromi noticed the samurai and archers with him. The samurai and archers that accompanied Hanzo belonged to the Oshiro Palace faction.

The other enemy left and fled because their other comrades had already been killed. Hanzo came closer to Hiromi.

"You alright? You're safe. I'm sorry it took me a while to arrive," Hanzo said.

Hiromi couldn't speak because of the fear earlier. Hanzo helped her up. When she was okay, she said.

"Thanks for saving me," she replied to Hanzo.

They went back to the old house to get Hanzo's white horse. When it was just the two of them, Hiromi asked Hanzo who his companions were.

"They are the samurai and archers of Oshiro Palace. Here is the meeting agreement. We still need to find the diamonds," Hanzo answered.

"Who buried the diamonds?" Hiromi looked confused.

Hanzo explains that these diamonds were stolen by black ninjas. Because they were caught taking the diamonds and escaping, the emperor ordered that they be found and put to death. Everywhere they have put it, buried it, and hidden it.

The sun was rising in the east as they traveled on the horses. Hiromi thinks that it is difficult to track the stolen diamonds because they don't have a tracker. Hiromi forgets that she is not in the modern world.

They brought food on their journey. These are Japanese sweet potatoes, red beans, and yams.

They traveled for approximately ten days. They saw many soldiers blocking the road when they reached a flat area. Hanzo's group came to a halt. Hiromi asks if they are enemies.

"Yes, we will be careful because they know we are the pursuers of the thieves of diamonds," Hanzo answered.

A samurai in Hanzo's group spoke up, "The savage does not blink. But when someone blinks, it shows the group's worthlessness."

Their team was green, while Hanzo's team was blue.

The enemy gave a signal as if something was about to be released.

Hanzo got off his horse, and Hiromi came down as well. Hanzo got his ninjato sword ready. The samurai and archers who were with them had also prepared. Hiromi prepared her bow and arrow as well. Her arrow was now aimed at the opposing samurai who gave the signal.

Hiromi stopped when she saw the old woman in the hands of the enemy. The reaction on Hanzo's face changed when he saw his foster mother. Hanzo had in mind that she was forcibly taken from the house, so she is now in the hands of the enemy.

Hanzo was stopped by a samurai before he could bring himself to attack. That means don't be hasty in attacking because there is a reason why the enemy hasn't killed the old woman yet. The enemy just made Hanzo's foster mother bait to kill him.

Suddenly, the old woman was brought to the center with her hand tied and mouth covered. An archer girl got the old woman.

The other enemy group wanted Hanzo to come into the middle. Hanzo was at the highest level of all the shinobi. So he is one of the trusted ones of Oshiro Palace, but the enemies want to kill him. It is yet to be determined who is the leader of their opponents and who is behind all this.

When Hanzo approached the middle, someone was positioned far away to shoot him, but Hiromi saw it. So she ran to push Hanzo. When the old woman noticed this, she ran to save Hiromi.

Tensions were high between each group. An arrow flew toward them, and Hanzo screamed as it hit the old woman.

Hanzo's scream could be heard throughout the area. Little by little, his foster mother fell after an arrow hit her in the heart. The old woman looked at Hiromi before she closed her eyes and passed out. Flashback to Hiromi that the old woman also died in her game.

Hiromi realized that she could no longer change what was stated in the game. The old woman died because of her. That's why Hiromi is terrified that everyone who will be with her will die.

Flashback to Hiromi when the car they were riding in crashed into a big tree. She woke up bleeding and dizzy. Hiromi saw her mother, father, and boyfriend Haru also covered in blood.

Hiromi closed her eyes, hoping that if she had just told Hanzo that the old woman was going to die, they could have stopped it. But it was too late for Hiromi.

When Hiromi opened her eyes, there was an intense clash between Hanzo's team and the opposing group, team green.

Hiromi saw Hanzo lose his temper due to the anger of his mother's death. Everyone couldn't believe the bravery and speed Hanzo was showing.

Other opponents fled because the rest of their group was killed. Hanzo's other group was injured, and no one died.

They buried the old woman in a forest. Everyone saw that Hanzo was just standing there mourning. Hiromi was looking at him and knew it wasn't easy for him.

Hiromi feels guilty for what happened because it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't run to Hanzo. But Hiromi also told herself that Hanzo's mother would have done that even if she hadn't run to push him.

Those with them said they should go out of the forest first. Hiromi just bobbed in response. She didn't want to leave because she didn't want to leave Hanzo. When she saw that his companions had left, she slowly approached him.

When Hiromi got close to Hanzo, she was just stunned. Hiromi doesn't know how to talk to him because she knows she is one of the reasons his mother died.

"No matter how many apologies I make, I can't bring your mother's life back. But I sincerely apologize because if I hadn't come to you, this wouldn't have happened," Hiromi's tears flowed as she said this to Hanzo.

"Do not blame yourself. The incident was too fast. No one wanted this to happen, but it was expected. We may not be innocent, but those people are worse because they have no mercy," answered Hanzo.

Hanzo left first, but before he could leave, he said, "Let's go. We have a lot more to do."

Hiromi immediately went to where Hanzo's mother was buried.

"Please forgive me. You were the one who got hit by the arrow instead of me. How can I tell Hanzo that I already know what's going to happen in this world." Hiromi couldn't help but cry.

Hiromi stood up when Hanzo spoke behind her. "What are you talking about? You already know what will happen in the future?"

Their colleagues called them, so Hiromi couldn't answer Hanzo's question. They left the forest and continued their journey. Hiromi stopped when she saw the place where the accident happened. She noticed someone holding her shoulder, so she turned around.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened. Because I don't blame you for my mother's death," said Hanzo.

Hanzo's group continued their journey. Hiromi could only look at the places they would go through. She knows that after their journey, they will go to a market where she can save her game progress.

Only now, Hiromi remembered that she had made her character in the game. The character she placed is a lady. And the name Hiromi put was "Hiromi Gushiken." It turns out that she is that character.

When they arrived at the market, Hiromi was amazed because she did not expect to see such an ancient market that she had never experienced before. Hiromi saw the clothes worn by the people who were in ancient times. She doesn't know what's happening here in the market, whether they're trading or using money.

Hiromi was surprised because people around were looking at them. In Hiromi's mind, maybe the samurai, archer, and Hanzo are being looked at because they are from the palace. But she doesn't know that people are looking at her because she is the daughter of a shogun.

Meanwhile, a young man with his face covered is being chased by his male servant. The young man hid among the goods in the market so that his servant would not see him.

As he was backing away, he bumped into Hiromi from behind. Hiromi fell, and he helped her up. The young man left right away.

His servant just arrived. “I just wanted to ask you something. Have you ever seen a six-foot-tall man with a mask on his face?"

Hiromi thinks that maybe he is being chased because he owes a debt.

"Yes, you go there!" she pointed out.

Hanzo has just arrived, and he approaches Hiromi.

"Who bumped into you? His stance seems familiar to me," he wondered.

"No, someone is being chased by his debtor," Hiromi answered.

"What?" Hanzo wondered.

As they walked through the market, Hiromi saw a variety of goods. She saw native beads, porcelain, antiques, cookware, combs, incense, vases, and pots.

Hiromi forgets that she was in another world because she was entertained by small objects like figurines on display. Ancient plates were inscribed with Chinese characters.

"Come on, Young Mistress!" Hanzo called Hiromi.

Hiromi was surprised at what Hanzo called her. She followed when she noticed that Hanzo had already walked with his group. But Hiromi turned around when she saw the man she had bumped into earlier talking to the servant.

"I'm sorry, but you need to pay what you owe him. Why are you running away from the debt?" Hiromi said to herself before leaving.

With so much happening, Hiromi only noticed the clothes she was wearing. She is wearing ancient garments.

Until they reached a wide ground entrance of the palace. Two soldiers were standing at the door. The soldier immediately opened the door upon seeing Hiromi and Hanzo's group. When they entered the door, they were exposed to the vast.

They saw the high stairs to Oshiro palace.

Japanese palace are fortresses built primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and entered their best-known form in the 16th century.

Hiromi can feel the time of the ancient period very well. This is where it sinks into her that this will be her world. In the ancient world, there were no gadgets such as cellphones, laptops, PCs, and the internet.

Hiromi already misses watching tv series and movies and playing games on her cellphone that she will never return. Flashback to Hiromi that her parents and her boyfriend, Haru, are still in the hospital.

Hanzo noticed that Hiromi was just staring into the distance facing the sunlight. Hanzo said, "Young Mistress, we have to go inside the palace."

Hiromi came to her senses and said, "Yeah, okay. I'll follow."

As Hiromi passed, the man she bumped into earlier with a mask on his face passed by. His male servant followed him.

When they entered the palace, the throne of the emperor sitting on its throne appeared to them. Hiromi looked inside the palace. Everyone immediately knelt and bowed to pay respect to the emperor of Oshiro.

Then the emperor made them stand up. The emperor is forty-two years old and rules Oshiro. He is five-eight feet or one thousand, seven hundred and twenty-seven meters tall, and his race and appearance are similar to Japanese. The emperor of Oshiro has a handsome figure even at the age of forty-two. He inherited this from his descendants.

The four shoguns arrived at the castle and paid their respects to the emperor. A shogun was allowed to speak to everyone. The shogun said that many of the outsiders or opponents had entered Oshiro. They have to guard every place because the enemy can attack anytime without them realizing it.

After all, the emperor wanted to know what was happening in Oshiro. He ordered a search for all the enemies, whether dead or alive.

Oshiro's samurai are divided into four parts. Gushiken is in the east, Tadashi is in the west, Tsuyoshi is in the north, and Yamato is in the south.

He divided the four samurai into their respective soldiers: light infantry, heavy infantry, archer, musketeer, cannonade, shrine maid, lady samurai, ninja, kunoichi, and generic officers.

Soldiers wear simple colored headbands, chest plates, gauntlets, and shin guards. Their arms and legs are exposed, and they carry a sword.

Light infantry wears wide-brimmed hats and simple armor to protect themselves and wield a spear.

Infantry wears similar armor and uses the same spears as the Light Infantry but wears stronger helmets.

Heavy Infantry wears heavier armor than the light troops and commands a unit of four infantry. They wield a shield and a spear and usually serve as defense captains.

Archer wears leather armor and a hat and can command a few archers under him or her.

Musketeers wear leather armor and a cap and command a few riflemen. The fire the gun from shoulder level, having a long spirally grooved barrel intended to make a bullet spin and thereby have greater accuracy over a long distance.

Cannonade looks similar to the musketeer but can perform a moving barrage with their rifle.

Shrine Maid are bodyguards wearing a typical priestess attire and wielding a pole weapon called naginata, one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades. The naginata is the iconic weapon of a female warrior.

Lady Samurai is another bodyguard unit. They wield a sword with the same move set as an average officer.

Kunoichi, also called Lady Ninja, are the female counterparts of the ninja and use the same move set. They wear slightly more revealing clothing and also appear as bodyguards.

He is a kind of emperor who does good. A straight-to-the-point type of person. Not self-centered and thoughtful. Many people fell in love with the emperor because of his kindness.

But...

Emperor Guo Osamu is hiding something that no one knows about. Only his right-hand man knows the secrets inside Oshiro Palace.

Hiromi remembers what will happen next in the game. She remembered that someone would attempt the life of the emperor. In her game, she is the one who will save the emperor. But she wondered how she would do this. It's harder to make it in reality than in a game that's just an easy game.

She was upset because she thought that maybe if she could accomplish the game, she would be able to return to her world.

"What should I do to save the emperor?" Hiromi shouted.

Someone spoke, so she turned to the person who spoke.

"Why would you save the emperor? Will something bad happen?" asked the man with a masculine voice.