Chapter

One
 Noble Love 05

Chapter One
It was nearing dusk when the doorbell to the
Nakamura home rang.
Aoi ran for the door, almost tripping along the
smooth floor. He opened the door, surprised
and disappointed to see not his father, but two
samurai officers standing next to each other.
He knew they were samurai, because they wore
the same uniform as his father. Royal blue
hakama held up by white belts, shoulder coats
with metal plates sewn into the fabric, round,
gray helmets with a thin opening for the eyes
and nose, and a golden sash over their shoulders
to symbolize their district of authority. But most
importantly, Aoi noticed the swords the two
officers carried. The right samurai had his sword
strapped over his shoulder, huge and powerful
that required both hands to even move. The left
samurai had his sword hoisted around his waist, a
thin and beautiful piece of steel that could slip out
with a deft hand.
 Noble Love 06

There was a third sword though, held in the left

samurai’s arm much more delicately. It was treated
more like a fragile doll than a lethal weapon.
“Young man,” the one on the left said. “Is this the
Nakamura residence?”
“Y-Yes,” Aoi nodded. He was always taught to be
polite to strangers, especially the likes of samurai
officers.
“Is your mother home?” the one on the right
asked.
Aoi didn’t take his eyes off either of them, and
turned as slightly as he could to call back in the
house. “Mom! Some samurai officers are at the
door!”
A few moments later, Aoi’s mother appeared,
brushing her hands off on her apron from her
pause in cooking dinner. “Yes? How may I help
you?” she asked politely.
“Mrs. Nakamura,” the left samurai spoke. He
paused and sighed, as if steeling himself for what
he was to say next. “It is with a heavy heart that
we must inform you that your husband is dead.”
 Noble Love 07

Aoi and his mother were numb with shock. Their

father… dead? He was one of the best samurai
officers out there. To hear that he would die was
just unthinkable.
“What?” she asked softly, almost afraid to raise an
octave higher. “Say it isn’t true.”
Instead, the samurai handed her the wrapped-up
sword in his arm. It was covered in the sash that
belonged to Aoi’s father’s uniform, and the sword
had the same, elegant design: A four-pointed star
guard and carved spiral grip. All four feet of steel
was carefully crafted and sheathed in its thick blue
scabbard.
Aoi’s mother stared at it for a long moment before
reaching over, hesitant and afraid. Her breath
hitched in a hiccup, as she accepted the sword.
“Say it isn’t true,” she asked again, starting to cry.
“Say it isn’t…”
“We are deeply sorry for your loss,” they said,
bowing, but Aoi’s mother didn’t hear them.
She just kept crying, cradling the sword and
begging for him to come back.
Aoi was crying too. He wanted to hug his mom
and sob loudly until the day was over.
 Noble Love 08

But he steeled himself, quickly wiping away his

tears and runny nose. He loved his father, who
gave his life to make sure he and his mom, and
everyone else, would be safe. It is because of that
pride that he knew what he wanted to do with his
life, even after seeing his father’s sword returned
like some sort of coffin.
Aoi would honor the memory of his father and
wield a sword of his own, someday.
Aoi would become a samurai who could make his
father proud.

<><><>

It had been over ten years since that day, and it

was now a beautiful afternoon at the Tsumi City
University.
It is a prestigious school that specializes in
teaching young students how to become samurai,
and learning many skills associated with the art.
Archery, horse riding, literature, military strategy,
and many forms of martial arts.
 Noble Love 09

“Ha! Yaa! Siaah!”

Aoi was now coming of age, learning
swordsmanship from his uncle Tougou. He was
pleased to hear the high praise of understanding
in various martial arts. His aptitude for learning
and extremely high marks throughout all of his
classes were also worthy of note. But it was never
enough for Aoi.
After all, his father was dead, and Aoi needed to
exceed him if he wanted to protect the city.
“HA!” he swung his practice sword down hard,
but his uncle and teacher deftly parried before
following through. His own sword arched upward
and forward towards Aoi’s face… and stopped just
at the edge of his neck.
“A decisive blow is always a risk, Aoi,” he
explained. “You must commit to it fully and
accept any consequence that may follow.”
In short, if the blow doesn’t stick, he would die for
it. Aoi knew that much, so he bowed and stepped
away. His sparring session was over, and his was
the last one for the class.
 Noble Love 10

“That is enough for today,” Tougou announced

to everyone else watching. “You are all dismissed
and encouraged to rejuvenate yourselves.”
“Okay,” the students chorused, as they all gathered
their things and left. Many left alone, others in
groups, all of them heading for the main gates of
the university.
“Man, that lesson took forever!”
“That’s because Aoi fought against Sensei the
longest. Watching so many of us get beaten so
easily was starting to get boring.”
“I could have taken him, too!”
Everyone turned and chuckled at the boastful
student. “Yeah, right, Daisuke. You had one of the
quickest losses against Tougou-sensei.”
“I’m getting better!” Tougou insisted. “And when I
do, I’ll finally go and ask Sakura-senpai out!”
The students all murmured around him, “Sakura-
senpai? You’re kidding, right?”
 Noble Love 11

“I’m serious!” Daisuke said. “She’s one of the best

samurai students around, next to Aoi, and if I
want to get her attention, I need to get as strong,
if not stronger than our teacher! Not to mention
she’s a third-year right now, so if I miss this
chance, I’ll never get another one!”
“He at least has his priorities straight, and has a
goal in mind. Girls dig strong men. Even girls like
Sakura-senpai, I bet.”
“Come on man, you’re not good enough for a
flower like her,” the others chuckled. “Even if you
somehow manage to beat Tougou-sensei.”
But Daisuke was persistent, as he turned to his
quiet friend for support. “Say, Aoi, you think I
have a chance with Sakura?”
“I think you should keep such feelings to
yourself,” he said gravely. “Relationships between
samurai are taboo, and punishable by death.”
Samurai were warriors sworn to their lords
and masters. If it was not one person, it was
the government, such as the order that helped
establish the Samurai Officers as a defense force.
Even a high ranking samurai would have their
actions directed and dictated by the government.
 Noble Love 12

A samurai could have a lover, but generally they

would be someone outside of their bushido
laws, and only with rare exceptions would they
be someone of higher status. For two samurai
to fall in love is not just unheard of, but utterly
unthinkable. And furthermore, the privilege to
marry was offered, not taken. A samurai that
made their own choices were no better than
rogues, the Ronin.
“Aoi, my man,” Daisuke frowned. “You’re taking
this samurai thing way too seriously.”
“And you’re not taking it seriously enough,” he
responded, hefting the sword on his shoulder.
“There’s more to a samurai than just fighting.”
“Yeah, like living,” someone scoffed. “I’m not
training to become a monk.”
“Fine, keep hounding after them. I’m going back
to the gym.” Aoi suddenly turned to head further
into the university.
“But your uncle said to relax,” one of his
classmates said. “And you’ve been working harder
than all of us.”
“Evidently, not hard enough,” he replied. “I’ll
catch up with you guys later.”
 Noble Love 13

“Yeah, whatever, metalhead,” Daisuke teased, and

the others laughed even as they left.
Metalhead was Aoi’s nickname, for better or
worse. His focus and skill with a sword led to
others teasing that he was almost like a sword-
fighting nerd, but that didn’t make much sense.
He was also supposedly a stubborn fool, thinking
only of swords, so the name “metalhead” stuck.
Aoi didn’t care though. He’d accept all of the
degrading nicknames in the world if meant that
he could become the best samurai he could be.
Some time later, he arrived at the school gym. A
large, pristine gym with lots of open space and
equipment to train with. Aoi knelt and meditated
first, to try and calm his sense of self before
beginning his combat training. Such a technique
was mastered by veteran samurai and the sooner
he learned it himself, the better.
After a few minutes of controlled breathing, Aoi
stood up and took his training sword to hand.
A wooden sword built with the weight of a real
sword but none of the danger of using one (save
maybe a splinter). He swings it forward, with the
perfect precision of an arc cut.
 Noble Love 14

Minutes passed, and he kept the pattern, even as

his arms ached, before stopping. Not because he
was tired, but because he felt something. Aoi was
being watched… again.
But as soon as he looked up to find the source,
there was no one around. The gym was as quiet as
ever.
Just another day at Tsumi City University, a day
which drew him ever closer to the spring season.

<><><>
Later that day, the doorbell to the Nakamura
home rang.
Aoi answered the door, and memories of his
childhood rushed back after seeing two familiar
samurai officers appear.
The samurai on the left with the hip sword, and
the samurai on the right with an over-the-back
cleaver. Both were partners of Aoi’s late father. It
was only natural that he’d entrust them with his
sword to return it home to his family.
Aoi turned and bowed to them both. “Officer Kai.
Officer Ken.”
 Noble Love 15

“There is news,” Ken explained. “But it is of a

good sort. Something your mother may wish to
hear as well.”
Aoi’s mother quickly arrived at the door,
surprised to see the two officers again. “Oh? What
is this about?”
The two men saluted, and turned to the young
black-haired man. “Aoi Nakamura. You have been
selected to join the Samurai Special Forces.”
Aoi couldn’t believe it. A smile broke across his
face as he tried not to react or make a fool of
himself. “Really?! That’s great!”
“But why so soon?” his mother asked for him. “He
hasn’t graduated yet!”
“Your son represents the best of his class, as a
Valedictorian if I’m correct,” Ken stated. That
made Aoi grin wider. First in the class! “And
although the custom of the academy is to only
allow students who graduate to enter the Special
Forces, we are in dire need of new recruits. Your
son, as he is related to the late Raiden Nakamura,
we feel he is sufficiently prepared for this job. We
are just skipping some of the formalities in light of
this.”
 Noble Love 16

“Thank you for this honor!” Aoi bowed to them in

gratitude. “When can I start?!”
“Tonight, preferably.” Kai said. “We know this is
short notice, so we’ll wait for you outside while
you come up with your answer.”
The two men quickly excused themselves out the
door. Aoi turned to his mother. “Mom, I need to
do this.”
But she shook her head. “I don’t want you to join
the special forces.”
“What? But I’m the best in the university!”
“Yes, and you could do so much with that!
Become a blacksmith, open a dojo, even become a
teacher for that same university. Just please don’t
become a samurai officer.”
“I can’t turn away from my dream to make you
and the rest of the city safe! Dad did the same
thing as a samurai officer too!”
“And now he’s gone.”
“And if he was still here, he’d give up his life again
many times over!”
 Noble Love 17

Mother and son stared at one another, neither

refusing to cave on their beliefs. But Aoi was
always stubborn and driven. He had fought his
mother to learn martial arts. He fought her to be
enrolled at the Tsumi City University. And if he
had to fight her again to join the samurai officers,
he would.
Finally, she sighed. “I always knew this day would
come, even though I wish it hadn’t. Wait here.”
She left the room, and returned a moment later
with something. Aoi instantly recognized that in
her hands was the sword the men brought to their
house years ago.
“If you’re so insistent on following your father’s
footsteps,” she said. “Then it’s only fair you take
his sword. Even if you never use it, maybe he’ll
watch over you and protect you. Maybe.”
Aoi cradled the sword in his hands. He never had
his own sword before, made of steel or iron. He
could have always made one or bought one, but
he felt like he shouldn’t as it wouldn’t be the same.
Now he knew exactly why. He wanted to use his
father’s sword, no one else’s.
 Noble Love 18

“I’ll take good care of it, mom,” he told her.

“And do take care of yourself too, Aoi.”
“I will, mom.”
They hugged one another. The warmth was
something that would stay with them for many
years, Aoi would now see less of his mother and
vice versa. Not to forget the potential threat of
him dying in the near future and never seeing her
again. Knowing this he held her tight.
After his goodbye, Aoi opened the door, seeing
the two men turn to him as they stood by their
car. Aoi strapped his father’s sword to his side,
and smiled confidently.
“I’m ready.”

<><><>

A long, tense car ride later, Aoi was led to the

military base of the special forces. Kai and Ken
quickly and rather effectively guided him out of
the car and through the facilities, barely sparing
him the time to look around and see anything.
But what little he did see was everything he had
hoped for, and more.
 Noble Love 19

Light blue banners were hung aloft to invoke

spirit. Divisions split as everyone moved in their
units, be it jogging or swinging a sword. Several
buildings seemed to be armories for swords which
were carefully held up on racks.
Aoi was very glad to be here.
“Ma’am!” Kai suddenly said, stopping and saluting
ahead. Ken did the same, prompting a startled Aoi
to mimic them. “We have brought the recruit.”
“Dismissed,” a voice told them, and the two
officers quickly left. Standing before him was an
adult woman with a samurai uniform, a blue cap
instead of a helmet, and purple hair braided out
in thick strands behind her back.
“So, you’re the Valedictorian Tougou-san told me
about.”
“You know uncle Tougou?”
“You could say he and his brother taught me
everything I know about the way of the sword,”
she said. “But that’s enough small talk. I’m
Captain Noriko, and I’m in charge of the Samurai
Special Forces, or the SSF as everyone likes to call
it.”
 Noble Love 20

“So, you know about my father, too?”

“Raiden Nakamura was one of our best. A shame
what happened to him.”
“Can you tell me how he died?” For as long as
Aoi could remember, no one explained how his
father died. Just that he did. Was it an explosion?
Poison? Was he slain by an enemy Ronin or a
terrorist? If he knew exactly what happened and
why, he could better prepare to avoid that same
fate, but it never came up. Even when he asked.
Noriko’s expression did not change, but Aoi liked
to think her gaze softened for a moment… even
though it really didn’t. “Someday, but not today.
You may be a part of the SSF now, but you’re a
rookie just joining up. Not even nepotism is going
to change the fact that you’re the bottom of the
barrel.”
“But that’s beside the point,” Noriko continued.
“Currently, we’re facing a dangerous terrorist
outbreak. It’s relatively contained for now, and the
government is doing everything it can to keep it
that way. It won’t be long before shit starts hitting
the fan, and we need to get everyone prepared.
 Noble Love 21

That includes standard training for our new

recruits, briefing them on the situation, and
teaching them our more advanced techniques
while we’re at it.”
“Are you going to train me, then?” Aoi asked.
He realized his blunder when she looked at him
expectantly. “Erm, I mean... Captain?”
“Not personally,” she answered, shrugging off
Aoi’s absence of formality. “I’m overlooking
everyone in the SSF but I don’t have time to
babysit everyone. I do, however, have a solution.”
Captain Noriko turned out to the training field
where many other samurai were, and cupped
her hand to her mouth. “Hey, Shiranui! Get over
here!”
Shiranui? Why did that sound familiar?
From the crowd of samurai, one girl stopped and
immediately ran towards her. Aoi was taken aback
by how beautiful the girl looked.
 Noble Love 22

Long black hair held down by a floral headband

and reaching as far down as her rear, a lithe body
toned from a lifetime of training, slender pale legs
hiking up her black skirt, and yellow-green eyes
shining into view. Her entire presence seemed
to glow as bright as the sun, even as she politely
bowed to them.
There was no doubt. This was Aoi’s senpai
from the university, a senior in the art of
swordsmanship, and one of the prettiest girls
there (at least according to Daisuke and the guys).
Noriko walked over to Sakura and patted her
shoulder with a proud smile.
“This is Sakura Shiranui, a graduate from
the Tsumi City University just like you,” she
explained. “She’s like a daughter to me with one
of the fastest blades and sharpest minds ever seen
this generation. She could probably give you a run
for your money in some areas.”
Aoi was floored. He had spent years training
and sword swinging, but that apparently never
mattered compared to his senior.
 Noble Love 23

He never saw her fight, but he had heard

rumors and talk from his fellow classmates. She
was considered the best student in the whole
university, and something of an idol to even Aoi.
But he still didn’t like the idea of being second-
best…
“With all due respect, Captain Noriko,” he said.
“Was I not the class Valedictorian of the Tsumi
City University this year?”
“Yes, and Sakura was the Valedictorian of her
year, too.” That tidbit of info gave Aoi a sense
of unease and awe all at once. “You may be her
equal in the practical, physical aspects of being a
samurai, such as your skill with a sword, but she
is vastly your superior in the mental aspects, like
meditation and discipline of mind.”
“One of the benefits of not being a metalhead,”
Sakura quipped, a melodic voice almost teasing.
Aoi’s ears flushed. He didn’t like that another
student was better than him, even if it was
Sakura-senpai.
 Noble Love 24

“I’ll make this brief. I need strong fighters, but

they need to be smart too. Instead of just using
two of my men to train you separately, I’m going
to have you learn from each other. You’ll iron out
your flaws and continue to improve your skills as
samurai. You are to be respectful to one another
and to assist the other with anything they may be
struggling with. I expect results by the end of the
month. Is that understood?”
“Understood, captain,” both students chorused.
“All right,” Noriko nodded. “First order of
business is to get you adjusted to the place.
Sakura, you know your way around here. Give
Aoi a grand tour, and get him properly equipped
while you’re at it.
Sakura nodded to Noriko, and then to Aoi.
“Follow me, please,” she said.
Aoi was led further back into the SSF base, his
mind reeling. He could barely keep track of
everything around him as he had to accept the
fact that he had to be trained by another student,
and a female one at that.
 Noble Love 25

It wasn’t that he didn’t think women could

be great warriors like Captain Noriko, but he
expected someone less eye-catching or seemingly
attractive than she was. Sakura just didn’t seem to
fit the mold of being a samurai.
Still, the way she walked so gracefully, and how
her long hair swayed to give brief glances of her
back, and her soft voice as she explained every
part of the base… Maybe Daisuke was onto
something.
“We’re here,” said Sakura. Aoi was startled at
how quick the tour ended. He was led inside an
armory building, and stared at the walls covered
in swords and armor. Sakura took a quick glance,
plucked one sword from a small stand, and
handed it to him.
“Your sword,” she said. Aoi looked it over,
noticing how… plain, it looked. Simple scabbard,
standard blade length, everything about it felt like
a military grade katana.
“But I have my father’s sword,” he insisted. Sakura
took one look at it strapped to his side and shook
her head.
 Noble Love 26

“That’s too advanced for you. We only ever

used wooden swords at the university and these
standard issue blades are the closest to that.”
“What’s the difference? A sword is a sword.”
“A sword is everything to a samurai, and if you
want a special one, or want to honor your father’s
sword, then you have to earn it like every other
samurai before you.”
Aoi still didn’t like it, but he couldn’t say no to
Sakura, who was passionate and dead set on
giving him the sword in front of him. Finally, he
reached out and took the blade, pleasing her.
Ah well, more swords mean more practice.
“There’s a special feature with these swords
too,” she added, pointing to a section of the
katana where the guard and sheath meet. It
looked almost like a trigger. “Pulling this at the
right moment can make the sword eject faster
out of the sheath. It’s a favorite for Iai-style
practitioners.”
Huh, neat. I’ll have to try that out next time, Aoi
thought.
 Noble Love 27

“That’s all for now,” she said. “Return home and

get some rest. You’ll have an escort to direct
you here from now on until acquire a proper
permanent residence. We will start training
together tomorrow.”
That’s right. From now on Aoi will be an adult, or
close to it. He’ll have to become strong enough to
defend against the supposed terrorist activity at
the end of the month, and he was already making
plans for that.
The dark-haired samurai took a single step back
before turning to him with an afterthought. “Oh,
and when someone tells you to rest, you best
honor that wish and not swing a sword a hundred
times.”
Aoi blinked, but couldn’t think of a response
before Sakura walked away. How did she know
that?

<><><>
To his mother’s surprise, Aoi returned in time for
dinner. From here on out, the new set-up as a SSF
trainee would have him getting home in time for
dinner every day.
 Noble Love 28

Aoi told her all about the base. The captain he

met, the tour of the base, and only one passing
comment about Sakura Shiranui. He hoped his
mother wouldn’t notice, but she did.
“Oh? Sakura was there too? Are you two going to
work together?”
“Sort of. I’m supposed to train her to fight, but it
doesn’t seem like she should be there at all.”
“Ah, my young Aoi is in love,” his mother sighed
happily. “Already so protective of a young girl.”
“Mom, samurai don’t fall in love,” Aoi argued.
“But your father was a samurai and we fell in
love.”
“Then samurai don’t fall in love with other
samurai. It’s just not supposed to happen.”
He quickly excused himself after that, not in the
mood for his mother’s teasing. Because honestly,
him, worried about Sakura? That was silly. He
barely even knew her!
Not that he wouldn’t mind learning how his third-
year senpai got to the Samurai Special Forces like
him. And so, as Aoi put himself to bed, his mind
wandered to Sakura and what he could learn from
her tomorrow...