SwordMaster Ashanti

It all started when Hanzo got a mission to go to a rural village in Ghana. He had been slaying demons for a long time and always had one rule. Never get attached and kill all threats to the clan. No exceptions. Nothing would prepare him for today. Hanzo was on a crowded bus heading to a neighboring village. He was told to stop by this village first, before he went to confront the demon. So he could get information from the village chief. When he arrived, he headed to the town hall, the location on his instructions. When he walked in, he was surprised to see that the village's town hall had turned into a refugee camp with many families congregating and receiving treatment. When he walked in he was met with stares. Which did not bother him. He was used to it. Hanzo was tall, and his golden skin had many scars, even one across his left eye. He had red hair and wore traditional Japanese attire all the way to his shoes. He stuck out like a sore thumb wherever he went. He was quickly approached by a man. He was dressed in very regal burgundy attire. Hanzo bowed, " I am Hanzo, I am sorry it took so long for me to be assigned. I see you guys are in great need of help." The village chief nodded, " Yes, I just appreciate you coming. I know you guys are spread thin with the increase in attacks. Sorry it is so overwhelming in here. Let us go outside." The village chief walked outside the town hall with Hanzo. He sighed, " Sorry, there is a lot to deal with in there. That is why we just gathered the funds to pay you to take care of the problems in their village. This is not even all their people. They say some are injured or trapped under rubble. The problem is we cannot even get close enough to their village to help anyone and no outside sources will help because it is too dangerous to come anywhere near the village." Hanzo looked serious as he asked, " What is happening?" The village chief heard the urgency in Hanzo's. He said, " A while back a baby was born. She crawled out the door and was abducted by a lightning beast. It looks similar to a panther and travels in a pack. It will not let the girl go and has made a nest inside the village. We are assuming the girls' parents are dead. Ever since then the lightning beast has become super territorial and has let down relentless barrages of lightning upon the village ceaselessly for 4 days now. It also has a pack that guards the village. So I really believe everyone who is not here is dead." Hanzo nodded. He said, " I understand the situation. The village will be ready to be repaired tomorrow. Do you have a motorcycle I can ride in on?" The village chief nodded and a few minutes later the village chief watched as Hanzo blazed off in the direction of the village. As the chief said a prayer for Hanzo, blessing him. As Hanzo drove down the rural dirt road his kimono flapped in the wind. He quickly noticed the change from a bright and shiny day. As a low chilling breeze snuck up the sleeves of his kimono, sending a chill up his spine. A chill that felt paralyzing. Hanzo sighed, " Ugh... another high level demon attack. Why would it attack such a small village though? I need to get back to report. " This was Hanzo's 4th high level demon attack this month. Which is unusual. Mainly, attacks come from mid-level demons wanting to gain more power. Upper level demons rarely stray from their known territories, but it has been happening more and more lately. The closer he approached to the village, the darker the sky got. He was quickly met with lower level lightning demons. Hanzo let out a breath. As he spoke, " Kunjin! let's show these small demons who is more superior. " Hanzo's sword replied, " Yes master." Hanzo slowly pulled a curved sword from his sheath. Hanzo blinked, and his eyes turned snakelike as his eyes darted to which target would attack first. He got off the bike and wove through his targets like a snake. When Hanzo sheathed his sword, all the targets dropped to the ground. He looked at the bike which was still going and on a crash collision with the wall of the village. He sighed, " Shit." Hanzo then leaped off the ground, landing a few meters from the motorcycle, stopping it from crashing. Hanzo sighed, " Whew, I do not want to mess this up. I gotta return it. That seems to be most of the demons in the area. Right Kunjin?" Hanzo's sword spoke back to him, " It appears so master. However, there is a more dangerous force in the village ahead. " At that moment, a ripple of lightning cracked and quickly approached Hanzo. He dove out of the way, the ripple of lightning still catching his left leg. Hanzo gasped. He quickly corrected his breathing to harden the area of the wound. He breathed out slowly, " Kunjin, let's go to work. Merge." Hanzo's body was fully covered in snake scales as the wound to his leg was covered, then healed. He took a running start before turning into a large green snake with yellow eyes and scales that were various shades of green. His body slithered quickly toward the village, snaking around bolts of lightning easily. His snake body makes sharp changes in movements easier. As Hanzo looked into the sky, his reptilian eyes spotted a hole in the clouds in the sky over a house. He darted towards it quickly. He could feel his body starting to max out on the time he could stay in his current form. At the doorstep of the home. Hanzo shifted back to his human form, his curved blade back in his hand and the burn on his leg had healed. When he walked in the home, he stopped in his tracks. In the middle of the living room was a panther whose fur was ombré from black to blue. There were lightning charges around its eyes and it growled fiercely as Hanzo approached. It was guarding something. When it saw his appearance, it laid back down. Hanzo could see battle scars all over the panther. He said, " What is happening here?" The panther growled again before realizing. It really could not hold out much longer. The panther said, " I have co-existed with the humans here for quite some time. I do not kill from their farmlands. I learned to sustain myself off the predatory creatures of these lands. It has been peaceful. Till about a year ago, when she was born." The panther moved out of the way, revealing a baby. She was sleeping peacefully even with the lightening and noise. She had a button nose and her hair was braided into two poof balls. She had a leaf of berries next to her. She appeared well-fed and just a bit dirty. Hanzo knew if she was a variant he would have to kill her. That is what he was trained to do. The panther continued, " She has had a vessel placed inside her. The parents must have consorted with a demon. What a terrible thing to do to a baby. It appears she has an affinity for lightning, so she is unaffected by my power. However, she is draining me instead. Her vessel in her body devours essence from like affinity demons and spirits. I have never encountered that before. She has no control over it, so she has been sapping me dry. I will not make it any longer. I have been fighting till someone could take over for me." At that moment, the baby cooked snuggling into the panther. The panther brought her snout down to snuggle the baby. The panther said, " I had originally come to kill her as she is attracting high level demons here. However, I could not she is too precious. However, she is draining me quickly, and I cannot fight the demons coming for her and stay in contact with her. I have done a lot of terrible things in my time. The last thing I can do besides watch this village is be this child's protector. We will watch her together. Tell her Raijuku is her shield and her balance." Hanzo watched as the panther sighed. She steadily went transparent till she was no longer visible, and a white streak appeared in the baby's hair. Hanzo hesitated. He had never seen a demon selflessly let their soul be consumed. If she is a vessel, there is a powerful demon who has reincarnated back into a yokai that needs a host. Only a powerful demon could create a vessel this powerful that she sucks in like affinities spirits. Hanzo knew he had to kill the baby girl. Hanzo felt conflicted, but then the baby opened her eyes. He was ensnared by her big purple eyes and little nose. She was different, but so was he. She started crying immediately, reaching for Hanzo. Hanzo could not help but to pick her up. She put her little chubby arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulders. The minute she laid her head on his shoulders. Hanzo was immediately attached. Hanzo thought, " If a demon came for her, then great. I will just kill it. Maybe it is better to just take her and raise her. How could she be responsible for her parents' mistakes? I have killed a ton of demons. If I asked to keep her, the counsel would not deny me." With that, Hanzo raced back to the neighboring town to advise them it was safe for them to go back, but first he placed four seals around the village. Without the panther demon protecting it, the village was vulnerable. The seal will protect it from demons that still come looking for the baby. Till they forget. He drove down the rural road with the baby curled up on his chest. Hanzo got to the village and the village chief came out to greet him even now that it was night. He was so excited, " They can go back?" Hanzo nodded, " They can go back. The baby will have to come with me to be studied. Is that going to be an issue?" The chief shook his head, " No, they will more than likely exile her. They will assume she was a witch, so you will be doing her a favor. We will get you a baby care package." Hanzo chuckled, how could anyone think a baby so adorable would be a witch. Hanzo thought. What do I call her? She should be named something from her culture. He scratched his head and asked the chief, " What is a good name for a baby girl? Can a lady come show me how to bathe her and change her diaper?" The chief laughed, " You are going to have your work cut out for you. I will send my wife to help." The chief reached down and played with the baby. He said, " She is thankful to have you. Why don't you name her Ashanti?" Hanzo smiled while looking down at his surprise bundle of joy. He said, " That is a beautiful name, Ashanti."