The arena games were fascinating and Rize was extremely pleased watching the various fighting styles on display. It also was nice to have a day where she could move by the end of it. This made Rize very much excited by it all.

Master Myong Yeo-jung had told her to wait in the public square while she went to buy some items she needed for her courtyard at the academy. Rize didn't mind though it was nice to get away from her for a bit as friendly as she was it was a bit much for her. She couldn't fathom how her master was friends with this woman they were polar opposites. However there were much more odd relationships in this world and Rize was sure she hadn’t seen the last of it.

After waiting for some time the crowd began to build up in the district square. Rize turned around to see something oddly familiar... A platform the stood high above the ground with a hangman's noose a chill went up her spine as she looked at the place that people went to die. It gave her an uncomfortable and odd feeling in the pit of her stomach and her throat tightened up seeing what was on display before her.

On the platform was a young child no older than eight years of age dried tears on his face as he stoically stood in front of the entire crowd. His body dirty from living on the streets and his hair unwashed for a long period of time.

"Citizens of the Soga district!" A man with a wicked looking eye stood on the platform sword drawn "today you will learn that defiance is pointless in this district!"

He pointed at the child "this child sought to harm me and usurp my rule. This cannot be tolerated so you will all watch as his head rolls!"

Several women in the crowd gasped quickly covering their children's eyes.

At that moment when he lifted his sword Rize's mind went blank and she bolted towards the platform dodging and weaving until she jumped on the platform kicking the man in the chest sending him staggering back. Taking out her katana daggers she cut the boys chains.

Turning towards the man "you will not touch him" she glared at the despicable man.

Michinaga was furious "How dare you! I will have your head first!" he yelled loudly.

Rize was ready to defend herself even though she could feel his Ki was much higher than hers he charged her going much faster than her reflexes. At the last moment she was able to parry the mans one-handed long sword to the side. Retracting he did an overhead arc at her which she blocked again barely making it the impact of the blade caused her arms to go numb. Her fingers lost strength and she dropped her daggers.

Michinaga looked down at the girl her eyes were disgusting in his mind "foolish girl you are not nearly powerful enough to stand up to me I've been trained for years by some of the greatest teachers. Die for your insolence" he said cruelly his eyes had a wild look to his face.

As his blade came down Rize closed her eyes. Was this the end? This is how I die?

Rize waited as time seemed to slow down the blade was about to come crashing down on her head, but it never came. Only silence as the crowd held their collective breath.

Several gasps from the crowd came as she peered up to see what had happened. For the sting of death didn’t strike her.

To her shock a man wearing blue robes and wielding a katana had blocked the man's blade. He had long black hair that was held up in a golden metal cusp with a phoenix pin holding it together. The man who stood before her was easily the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her lifetime. He couldn't be much older than her own master based on his looks for his face was extremely handsome with a single scar on his cheek that didn't subtract from his beauty instead gave him a mature look about him. Despite her being saved by him she had a weird feeling that she somehow knew him and ought to stay far away from him, but she couldn't help but feel grateful in that moment ignoring her instinctual reaction to get away from him.

At that moment even her would be executor was stunned he held his blade up in the position that it was parried his eyes wide with both shock and freight. With little hesitation the man who had just saved her grabbed the other man by his throat with his free hand and lifted him out a look of pure hostility on his face.

"Soga Michinaga" he pronounced each syllable distinctly "for what reason do you believe that executing an eight year old and the person who tried to stop you is appropriate of nobility?"

"Lor---d Ryoma" he choked out "please... rel--ease me!" he begged.

"Are you telling me what to do? The crown prince?" his glare intensified.

"Lord Ryoma" one of his guards spoke up at that moment "even you cannot kill someone of the nobility without a trial please consider your actions milord or risk the wrath of your father."

Ryoma's head cooled off he turned to the young women who he had been following since the arena "rise up young child. Tell me your name." he said as he released Michinaga who feel to all fours trying to catch his breath.

"Minako Rize milord" she bowed lowly not looking him in the eye.

Ryoma nodded "you did the appropriate thing today young woman. I will reward you later please return to your master and I will contact you after I deal with this mess."

Rize nodded quickly backing away running towards where her master's friend had left her. Not looking back her only desire was to get away from the whole situation as fast as possible. She still had no idea why she choose to jump in and stop that man, but she couldn't remember even going into act.

…

Rize entered the door to her room letting her body weight carry her down to the floor she had just finished cultivating at the springs and she still wasn't sure what had happened today was even real. When Master Myong Yeo-Jung returned she didn't say a word and walked back as swiftly as possible. Never in all her years of life did she think that the Crown Prince would save her life. She had become so desensitized to people treating her with contempt that she still couldn't really wrap her head around the fact that she was saved by one of the most powerful man in the empire.

"Well that wasss exciting wassn't it?" a familiar voice came from her mirror.

"Lord Naga-Jin?" Rize asked raising her head.

"Of courssse it iss me foolisssh girl!" he said irritated. "Did you really risssk your life for that little eight year old brat?!? Because of you I nearly intervened myssself and that would have been not fun for me here in the heavenss."

"I am sorry Lord" Rize's eyes became downcast as she averted her eyes away from the mirror "I don't know why I did that... My body reacted before I could even think about it."

"Aww Rize it iss fine, but I am your deity and you are my familia. Do try and be ssafer next time." He said as he sighed letting out a puff of air.

"Yes my Lord." Rize let her eyes downcast slightly. In reality she was trying to hold back a tear that had formed in her eyes. Besides her parents no one had ever been this concerned with her life before… in her heart she was truly grateful to Naga-Jin…her deity.

...

Later that same night

"AHHHH!" a blood curdling scream came from a place deep within the mountains.

"Please, I beg you I didn't do any--- AHHHH!"

"Why are you doing this to me?" the young man's voice said pathetically as his head hung down starring at the ground.

"Why? Tehehe" a girlish voice said "you really don't know? Let me remind you."

Blood dripped from a several long needles while several stuck out of the fingertips of a young man whose robes that hung around his waist showing a muscular body. His hair long and disheveled stuck to his face from the fits of sweat from the torture that was inflicted on him.

"You tried to harm our little Minako Rize!" she pouted playfully "and anyone who does that will regret it! You are a very unlucky man."

"I never did anything to anyone named that! You have the wrong man!" he said pathetically.

"Why are you lying? Liars deserve to be punished!" she said gleefully before shoving another needle between his fingernail and bone on his middle finger a thin string of blood shot out of the wound as his whole body tensed up as he tried to pull away, but he wrists were locked in place on the chair.

"AHHHHH!" he screamed loudly filling the room with an ear piercing scream.

The room was lite by a single torch making the light dance off the blood and pale face of the young man.

"You BITCH!" he screamed in a moment of pain filled rage "I will kill you! When I escape I will find you and kill you. I will beat you until your own mother can't recognize you! Then and only then after you are weeping on the ground begging for reprise from the torture will I give you to the beasts to be a whore to them! You will live the rest of your life begging for me to take you away from the beasts only to be made a breeder for criminals so your children will be forced into slavery! I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Oh! Such colorful language. You really shouldn't anger me." the young woman said in a terrifyingly cheery manner.

Soga Michinaga looked up at the woman who had been torturing him for the last hour. The woman was a bit shorter than average wearing a black cloak and a white mask with a red symbol on it. The whole vestige was not very threatening. When he saw her in the alley way she was wearing a traditional prostitute dress that made her look innocent he had thought she was brand new to the profession and he could take his day out on her body for a while, but that was the last thing he remembered only to wake up to who he assumed was the same girl from before.

"Please. Release me. My father will pay any amount just let me go and I promise I will forget all of this!" his voice cracked in desperation.

"Awwwhhh you had to ruin it!" the girl said upset "the others said I could play with you as long as I kept having fun, now that we got to the whole 'I will do anything or pay anything' moment, my fun is gone. Such clichéd reactions are no fun to me." she frowned feeling slightly cheated.

After speaking that she walked over the wooden sandals she had wore prior clicked against the ground. The bottom of them were made of a sharp metal blade. Lifting her leg up high into the air becoming parallel with her face. The robes she wore slide down her thigh revealing a slender feminine leg. If it wasn’t for his current condition Soga Michinaga would have surely thought she was a quite beautiful woman.

Just before she was about to bring her leg down onto Soga Michinaga's head she paused. "Oh I forgot I should let you see my face. Wouldn't want you to forget it in your next life now, would we?" sliding the mask off she revealed a sadistic grin her short brown hair ended in small curls.

"Good-bye!...err....what was your name again?" she thought out loud "oh whatever! BYE BYE!"

The last thing Soga Michinaga saw was the petite woman's foot coming down on the top of his head. Soga Michinaga regretted ever trying to

...

The floor was drenched with blood from the now headless body. Motome looked down at her former play thing sad that it didn't last longer.

*tap*

*tap*

"Come in!" she said in her typically whimsical voice.

"Motome did you make a mess of things again?" a deep rumbling voice came into the room followed by Dukuro.

"Oh DUKURO! I missed you! Let's not separate again!"

"You know that mission comes first Motome quit acting like you didn't just see me yesterday. Boss said for you to get back to your place and also said good job on taking out a potential throne in our side, but to not do anything without discussing it first again."

"Dukuro tell boss he is no fun!" she said walking out of the blood splattered cavern dungeon.

"Hmm" he grunted in response.