Soul Calibur - Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Seeds of Evil ❯ A Prelude, Part 2- The Life and Times of Seong Mi-na ( Chapter 2 )

Seong Mi-na. Age sixteen. Born November third, 1568at the base of Jirisan in South Korea. The mountain was considered sacred ground due to its multiple Buddhist temples, and it was the rocky guardian of the Jeolla province. Located within these peaks, on the grounds of an abandoned temple that had been built in the fourth century and had since been reconstructed multiple times, was a martial arts school -- a dojang -- that mirrored those of Ming Dynasty China. It even adopted a similar combat style, taking weapon techniques and combining them with fierce kicks and high-speed footwork.

Headed by Seong Han-myeong, a highly skilled martial artist known around the country for his effective combat tactics, not to mention his military lineage, the dojang had an abundance of students from around the Eight Provinces of the Joseon Dynasty. However, Han-myeong suffered a blow to his psyche when his wife and son died from illness, and he was left with his daughter, whom he worried about almost constantly. Staring at the age of five, he trained her relentlessly in the ways of the Seong Family Long Sword so that she would be able to take care of herself.

The young girl turned out to be a prodigy. In five years' time, she was well-versed in multiple weapons and techniques, toying around with hardwood spears and flexible yet sharp steel swords as if they were her own personal playthings. Even the heavier weapons were no obstacle, and soon she was a rather experienced fighter. The local boys teased her for her looks back then, calling her nothing more than a girl. Unfortunately for them, they received multiple bruises for their folly.

It was during this time of training and advancement that she stumbled upon something that would be imprinted on her mind forever. Within the halls of the temple, there were four treasured swords that the family owned; weapons that were said to house spiritual powers. It was unconfirmed whether these rumors were true or not, but the six-foot-long guan dao, the Scarlet Thunder, seemed to... call to her, even at the age of six. Trying to lift the weapon proved ineffective at first, but when her father saw what she was doing, he smiled.
“You won't be able to lift something that heavy. At least, not yet. If you want, I could show you how to use it.”
The young girl nodded excitedly. She did not yet know why, but just looking at it gave her a sense of excitement. As her training intensified and time passed, she grew more and more attached to the weapon; as if she felt that it belonged to her, somehow. She did not try to explain these strange feelings- she simply went along with them. Perhaps this was why she became such a magician with the weapon. By the time she was 14, she had surpassed her own father in the art of wielding the sacred guan dao.
Her speed with the ninety pound weapon was amazing- due to her training with the Scarlet Thunder for such an extended time, she could carry and use it as if it were a spear, which made her spear, broadsword, and straight sword manipulation even faster.
However, she felt rather overshadowed by another young man within the dojang- Hwang Seong-gyeong, an orphan who had lost both of his parents. She felt sorry for him, and became friends with the boy at a young age, sparring with him regularly. The two became rivals as they each climbed to the top of the school's ranks.
Hwang's natural talent for swordsmanship had earned him private lessons with the master, and under his tutelage, the young man became fierce in his fighting style. For the first time in so long, Han-myeong felt like he had a son. This was probably why he made the decision to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the young man when the time was right. Besides, Mi-na would be probably be happier as a housewife- or so he thought.
However, during Mi-na's years of training, she had developed a strong passion and loyalty towards her country. The military unification of was a marked sign of the change in times, and while 's Confucian society shunned the use of swords and the practice of swordsmanship, the Japanese revered it. Military ideals were not primary on the Koreans’ list of priorities, and perhaps this mentality was an omen of things to come.
However, there was still hope. Admiral Yi Sun-shin, a childhood friend of Han-myeong's, sent out a call to arms. A Coastal Defense Force was formed, and fortresses were set up along major coastal routes. Mi-na wanted desperately to join, but could not because she was a woman. She was furious... but soon found an opportunity to correct this after eavesdropping on a conversation between a pair of warriors who had come to train at the dojang.
It was the first time she heard the term “Soul Edge”... and it would not be the last. Now, at the age of 16, she believed she was prepared for the road ahead, and reckoned that if she could not defend her country in one way, she might be able to do so in another. On top of that, she figured that it might also earn her recognition as more than just a woman. With that in mind, she set out that very night, not knowing that Hwang had been sent out as well on the exact same mission, and with official orders.
It would be the first time she left her home in the mountains, and it would not be the last...
_______________________________________________________________ _________
Venice, Italy.
A city just at the end of the former Silk Road. The nation of , like many other European countries, was experiencing the Renaissance. Ideas that were long since dead and discarded were resurfacing. It was a time of artistic and academic advancement... but also a time of strife and hardship.
Still, to the pair who were undergoing their own hardships, little of that mattered. At least, not at the moment. They were both trying to find enough spacing and positioning in order to outmaneuver the other, and score a hit with the wooden staffs they carried. The first looked to be in his thirties or forties and, to be honest, looked a little scruffy. At least the man wasn't sodden, like he usually was. Yet.
The other was a young woman of age sixteen, wearing mostly red and yellow silk. Normally, she used a long-handled broadsword; a guan dao, specifically. Heavy, unwieldy. However, when she used it, it was like an extension of her body. Still, there was always room for improvement. That said, she was training under the man who was currently trying to knock her to the ground.
He had already done so. Twice.
But who knows? Perhaps the third time's the charm...
WHACK. "Ow! Not so hard!"
...Or not.
The man chuckled and extended a hand towards Mi-na. It had been over a month now, and though she was getting better, she still had a ways to go. However, he had noticed that she had a knack for observation, and possessed eidetic memory -- she saw something once, and never forgot it. With it, she could copy the techniques that he showed her time and time again, intuitively. All he had to do was drill them into her.

However, the man whom she had come to know as Kong didn’t care as much for technique as he did for spirit. She had a determination and intensity about her that he admired. He never told her such things, though, afraid that it might go to her head and interfere with how hard she was training.

As he helped her up, he nodded in a sagely manner. "Getting better. But try to work on your footwork some more. The rod does not require so many solid stances as your guan dao, nor does it require as much force. You'll have to work your way out of that mindset."
She only nodded. "I understand."
The strong-willed Mi-na was cooperating, for once. Though she was stubborn in all other areas of life, when it came to learning about combat, she was very open to instruction. Perhaps that was why she had mastered the guan dao so quickly. When she was not angered or upset in any way, she could actually be personable. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult to learn a style once one got the basics down. And these were the basics.

She slid into stance again, eager to go another round. Kong raised a hand to stop her though, and said, "Hang on there. We have to do the drill, you know. There are still a few things to learn here..."
Mi-na almost pouted, but she didn't entirely disagree. She dropped the stance and stood at attention with the staff in her right hand. "Good... now then, ready!" She quickly snapped into the combat stance, one hand at the end of the staff and the other at the center. Her thumbs were facing each other -- the first time she had held it like this, it felt odd. But soon, she learned that there was a reason behind this. It made the staff easier to manipulate, and gave her a higher degree of control.
After a few days of holding it in this manner, she had gotten used to it. By the time the month was out, she had gotten the basic drill down. And now, she sparred with Kong daily, though every time she lost she had to do the drill again. It was getting boring, and every time she did it she felt the urge to use one of those practice strikes against him, just to see how he would react. But she never did.
As she performed the stance repeatedly, she wondered if this was all there was to it. Just drill, spar, repeat? What if she won? What then? She felt compelled to stop and ask, and was about to do so when her teacher called the exercise to a halt. "All right, stop. I see you've pretty much got the basic strikes down. Let's see if you can't learn something new."
Mi-na couldn't help grinning eagerly. Kong raised an eyebrow and said, "Hang on, now. This one isn’t an offensive technique. This is more a principle than anything else. I don't want you to bother with it if you're not going to think of this in the right way." Mi-na nodded, the grin still plastered to her face.
Kong sighed and said, "Sit and meditate first. You need to focus for this." She didn't nod this time – she just did what she was told. The thought of learning something new had her excited, however, and she couldn't clear her mind. And because of this... she didn't hear the attack coming. She felt a firm tap on her head from his six-foot staff, and she rubbed her sore head, looking up at Kong with a sour expression.
"You're not focused... otherwise you'd have known that was coming. I've noticed that this is the part you need work on sometimes. Focus is a constant, steady awareness. Keep your mind relaxed, and your senses tuned." Mi-na nodded and closed her eyes again, this time letting her mind drift. For a few moments, nothing happened... After about a minute however, she felt like she was floating in a void of sorts. It happened on and off for a bit, but she got progressively better at clearing her mind, and soon it was much easier to keep it that way.
And speaking of things being easier, it was certainly much less difficult to hear a stick swishing through the air behind her. Right at her left shoulder... and milliseconds before impact, her left hand shot upwards from where it was resting on her knee in order to catch the rod. Still, no thought entered her mind. One would almost think that..."...You don't even realize what you've done, do you?"
She opened her eyes and found that she had stopped his attack just before it had made contact with her. Her eyes widened as she let go of the rod, as if it were a snake about to bite her. "...You mean I did that?"

Kong nodded. "And without a second thought. You don't have to think in order to react to a situation. You don't even have to see. It becomes instinct, which requires little thought at all. Now, do you think you can keep that focus while your eyes are open?"
Mi-na thought about that... and actually thought hard this time. In the space of this particular morning, she had lost most of the duels she had fought against Kong so far. Mostly because she got angry at being knocked around so much. In the end, she shook her head in the negative. "I think that's why I've been losing so much. Right?"
Kong raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. Or maybe it's just because you suck."
Mi-na's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Very funny." Then she sighed, and took a deep breath. Being angry at something he said was not helping her. "But maybe you're right. That's why I'm here, aren't I?"

Kong raised both eyebrows. 'She's maturing. Interesting...'
_______________________________________________________ _________________
"Tell me why I'm doing this again?"
Mi-na was blindfolded, holding the staff in her right hand. The young woman was still perfectly capable of listening, though. And what she heard him say didn’t make her happy. "Why, we're going to fight, of course. And you will not see anything coming. The point of this exercise will be to increase your awareness outside of the visual range. Because whether you like it or not, the eyes can deceive. Now, ready!"
Without a second thought on the matter, Mi-na prepared to defend herself. To be perfectly honest, she was scared. Fortunately, her expression did not relay this fact, but she was still afraid. She had no idea where he would come from or how she would respond. And for a long while, she heard nothing. Maybe this was a good point to calm down. Fortunately, she didn't have to close her eyes now that she was already blindfolded.
Unfortunately, it was one thing to clear her mind while sitting without any distractions, and another entirely to do it while preparing for combat. Her stomach was in knots. Her grip was to the point where her knuckles were white. Her knees started shaking. Everything within her was ready to explode, and all because of the fear that was steadily building within her. Her mind started considering every angle, every possible method of attack that Kong could take advantage of.
There were too many.
'Oh, shit! I'm going to lose, I'm going to lose, I'm going to...'
"Take the blindfold off."
She did so without hesitating. She found that her breathing had gotten heavy without her knowing it. And as she looked around, she realized that Kong had not moved from his position. At all. Not once. She tried to form a sentence, and could not.
"Do you know why I didn't attack?" She shook her head. He sighed and answered, "You were not only unable to focus, but you were completely and totally out of sorts. You were afraid... which is understandable. But while fear is not entirely a bad thing, you allowed it to control you. That said, had I attacked, you would not have heard me coming -- you would only have felt the blow."
At this point, she collapsed onto the ground. "I... I was afraid. I couldn't move... I couldn't see..."
Kong nodded. "We'll have to work on this. Sit. Meditate. I'll be back soon to check on you." She suspected that she knew where he was going – namely, to the bar so he could get drunk -- but she didn't care. Mi-na sat down in Lotus position, closed her eyes, and tried to stop herself from shaking so much.
By the time she had finally calmed herself completely, it was mid-afternoon. She had found her void again, and buried herself into it for a good portion of the day. Fortunately for her, they trained in an inconspicuous place, so there was no one to bother her. As she opened her eyes and stood slowly, feeling worlds better, she wondered where Kong was. He should have found his way back, even while drunk. That was, if he wasn't more intoxicated than he usually was, which was certainly possible.
And so, she found herself with nothing to do. 'Well then, I'll just have to think of something, won't I?' She smiled to herself and lifted her staff, trying out many of the things she had learned. Spinning, twirling, and striking at invisible targets. She swung her rod in wide arcs, as if clearing entire enemy lines at once. And soon, she found herself slipping into her void again without even knowing it.
Soon, she could see the opponents in her head. They had all sorts of weapons -- some larger than others. She didn't really have anything but the basic attacks, but they would do nicely. As line after imaginary line of foes went down, she didn't realize that she was being watched.
Kong was watching her, and he probably would have interrupted, had he not been so impressed. Mi-na seemed to have worked up quite a sweat over the past few hours. Yes, he had gotten himself something to drink. But surprisingly, he wasn't as inebriated as he usually was. He was still messy, sure enough -- but at least he wasn't completely smashed.
After a bit, she finished her little sparring session... and heard applause behind her. Turning her head to look, she saw her current master walking towards her as he clapped his hands. "Not bad. Good execution, timing, technique, and most importantly, focus. Well done."
She smiled -- a modest smile this time. "Don't tell me you were watching the whole time."

He shook his head. "I wasn't. But I saw enough to know that you're progressing nicely. Now then, shall we try this again?" He produced a blindfold, and held it out towards her. She took it without hesitation this time, knowing perfectly well that she was probably going to get beat down. Still, it was worth a shot.
As she removed herself of the sense of sight, she heard Kong give the signal to get ready. Once again, she assumed the fighting pose and waited. And once again... she heard nothing. For quite some time. 'Will he hurry up?' Now she was getting impatient. And a little nervous. Where was he going to attack from first? She would have no idea until he moved.
This time however, she made an effort to control herself. She didn't slow her breathing – as a matter of fact, she didn't need to. She simply envisioned herself falling into her void. Simply emptying her mind, all at once. It only took a matter of seconds. The knot in the pit of her stomach was gone, for the moment.
And just when she attained her focus... she heard it. Footsteps behind her.
'There you are.'
She didn't make a move until he did. A vertical swing, coming down at her right shoulder. Mi-na lifted the staff over her head in a horizontal position, effectively blocking the attack. He wasn't done, though... He only continued his attack, aiming the next strike for the left side of her head. She blocked that as well, pivoting on her left foot and turning into the attack, her weapon held perpendicular to his. Blocked again. She swung her staff at a low angle, aiming to take out his legs, and he hopped over, swinging down with the staff. She raised her weapon to block; now facing him on an equal plane instead of having to find him on her left side.
Naturally, one foot would be in front of the other, so she aimed to take it out. But unlike her, he wasn't blinded. Sliding the front foot back, Kong defended against the low swing, and the one that came after.
It went like this, on and on, back and forth, for quite a while. She found it easier to detect where he was going now, and didn't even consciously notice the void anymore. Then again, that's what it was supposed to be like; the void was empty of everything -- a state of mind that was free of distracting thoughts. Sooner or later, one would stop noticing its existence.
"Enough. Take the blindfold off."
Mi-na did so. She found that, while Kong seemed a lot less tired then her, she still felt much better about her chances. "Good. You still need some work -- but now you have focus. I'll tell you what -- we'll keep doing this until you can land a proper hit on me.” Mi-na nodded, saying nothing further on the subject. Sooner or later, she would best him. All she had to do was wait.
_________________________________________________________________ _______
A year had passed...
"Shaaaaaa~!"
The sound of two staffs clashing against one another repeatedly pierced the air, though no one was in the vicinity to hear it. Mi-na's hair had grown a bit longer, though she hadn't gotten any taller. However, she was starting to fill out and blossom, and these days she could turn a few heads if she wanted to. But she wasn't worried about how many men she could fetch at the moment.
Lately, Kong was holding nothing back, forcing his Korean student to respond in kind. There was less and less need for a blindfold as well, because a lack of focus didn’t earn her a verbal reprimand anymore; it meant getting a nasty bruise instead. Her attention wavered less and less as she was forced to focus more and more on not getting smacked around.
Today seemed to be the most difficult test of her skills to date. She seemed to have the situation under control however, as she continued to fend off his attacks. She had to move her head out of the way as Kong thrust his staff directly towards her nose, bending backwards in order to get clear of his attack. She could feel the air parting around the weapon as the blow -- barely -- missed its intended target.
'Is he trying to kill me?'
That was a distinct possibility. However, she had no time to think about it. He came at her again as soon as she righted herself. She had to block an attack from her left side that sliced through the air at blinding, eye-searing speed. The impact made her own rattan staff tremble in her hands. Without missing a beat he swung again from the other direction, straight at the side of her head. Blocked again. And still, he came at her. He was incredibly fast, and not playing around.
'I have to do something, or I'm gonna be knocked out!' She was being forced backwards, slowly but surely. Sooner or later, he would find an opening. It was inevitable -- she would get hit if she didn’t do something soon. Though she had been winning more often these days, he was really tightening the screws this time. His strikes were so powerful that she was actually afraid that her staff might break...
And while she was thinking about that, she had to duck underneath another swipe. Finally, she took the opportunity to counterattack. As she swung at his legs, she had to marvel at the way he performed a single butterfly twist over the weapon. 'No way...' She settled into a ready stance again as Kong landed.
'This guy's crazy! I've never seen him do that before...'
As for Kong, he was starting to get a bit worried. She had almost caught him that time... 'She is learning a style that is supposed to be a secret with incredible speed. It's been only one year, and she's already learned more things than most learn in a lifetime...' She took two steps forward, ready to swing at him again, before Kong held up a hand.
"That's enough for now. I need a drink."

Mi-na raised an eyebrow. "What? Now!?"

He nodded. "Yes, now. We'll continue this later, if you don't mind."

She regarded him for a moment, then settled down and bowed to him. "That's fine. Thank you for the match."

He was surprised at her compliance, but did not show it. "Well then, I'll be going now."
As she watched him leave, however, she couldn’t help feeling a bit puzzled. 'What's his deal? I thought we were going to fight until one of us was knocked down.' However, she decided not to question it. She was just glad that he hadn’t knocked the living daylights out of her…
…Until later that afternoon. He hadn't come back yet. Usually, he would have returned by now, and Mi-na was starting to worry. So she headed towards the bar that she knew Kong usually frequented... only to find him gone. Completely and totally gone, without a single clue to where he had gone.

Well, there was one clue.
"Hey," the barkeep shouted as she walked in. "Are you the one named Mi-na?" She turned and nodded. After giving her the once-over, he handed her a note. "Your weapon is over there in the corner.” She glanced at the place that the barkeep had indicated, and she was surprised to see Scarlet Thunder resting against the wall. “I would appreciate it if you take it with you when you leave. I’m sick of looking at it already." She nodded, not understanding how anyone could ever get tired of looking at something so beautiful, and went to retrieve the beloved guan dao that she had missed so dearly. She was halfway there when she remembered the note in her hand, and stopped to read it.
'...What is this? I don't understand.'
The note, in its entirety, read:
To my student, Mi-na:
Before I begin, I would like to note that I was entirely sober when writing this letter. The contents within are the complete and absolute truth. You may trust these words, or you may not. Either way, I must let you know that our fight this morning was our last.
Congratulations. You have earned the right to wield your guan dao again. Unfortunately, I have nothing left to teach you. I am not worthy of instructing anyone, especially someone with your talent. In a single year, you have learned all that I can teach you. The only advice I can give you now is to combine what I have taught with what you already know. This way, you can create your own unique style of fighting without having to rely on either alone. Another suggestion -- continue training, no matter what obstacle may come your way. I am confident that you will succeed in any task you undertake, if you just apply your drive to succeed.
Where I am going, I cannot say. To be honest, I do not know. However, what I do know is that it was an honor to teach someone so brilliant.
Forgive me-
Kong Xiuqiang.
________________________________________________________________________
And so, Mi-na returned to China. It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go -- the trail in the West for Soul Edge had gone cold. No traces, no leads, nothing. Just more stories, none of which made sense anymore. Still, she figured that the legendary weapon would pop up again sooner or later, at which point she would resume her quest. Until then, she would spend her time improving her skills. And the only way to do that was to train and fight. Since she no longer had anyone to train her, she would simply train herself. Finding someone to fight was a more difficult problem to solve, though. She couldn't just walk up to people and ask to duel them. Fortunately for her, in times such as these there were plenty of places in conflict all around the world, and there was always someone in need of somebody who was good with a blade. All she needed to do was find one of them.
That said, she was constantly hearing stories about pirate raids all around Japan. Apparently, they were becoming a serious problem, so she decided that was where she would go. 'Besides,’ she thought, ‘it'll be a good way to thin their numbers so they can't attack as effectively. I’ll be killing two birds with one stone.' Yep, that was the way to go. So after a few months of preparation, she was set to take on these brigands, and she sailed to
Unfortunately, when Mi-na finally got there, she found that she was running low on funds. So she started going around to the local teahouses and inns, trying to find out about how she might earn some cash. Eventually, she started hearing stories about some town nearby that needed protection. It seemed that a band of pirates had taken over the place, killing off the guards and pressuring the local businesses. Usually, as far as she could tell, pirates struck, took what they could, and ran. Behavior like this was, by far, quite unusual. They acted like they owned the place. But Mi-na didn't care; she only thought of it as a way to work on her skills and earn some cash at the same time. However, when she actually visited the place, she thought twice about not caring.
The streets were completely deserted, and the entire town was as silent as a tomb. Several buildings were nothing more than black, smoldering ruins -- those that were still standing had been locked up tight. Here and there, she found dead bodies lying in the street, surrounded by a pool of dried blood, completely stripped of any valuables. Normally, she would look for the people in charge to settle a fee, but she realized that they would either be unwilling to come out and talk to her, or dead. It was practically a ghost town, but every now and then she would hear muffled noises and fearful whispers from behind closed window shutters as she passed.

'By the gods… this is horrible…'
Her train of thought was derailed as someone called out to her. "Nice weapon you've got there."
She turned around and came face to face with a roughshod man carrying a four-foot-long katana. He had a cocksure look about him, as if he was used to having things handed to him without much resistance. And sure enough, he said, "I'll take it now, and you can be on your way. That weapon should make a nice addition to our arsenal.” The man’s eyes gleamed maliciously. “You should consider yourself lucky. Normally, I’d love to have some fun with a lady as pretty as you, but I already finished myself up on some little whore not too long ago. You should be grateful for that much.” He extended an open hand towards her, expecting Mi-na to toss the guan-dao to him. “Now, hand it over."
Instead of attacking him outright, she smirked humorlessly and said, "You want it, do you? I suppose I could give it to you... but that wouldn't be any fun. How about you come over here and take it?"
He sneered and said, "Fine, I will." He whistled, which brought out about five more thugs from various alleyways. They were all armed in similar ways, and had matching looks: none of them looked as if they had washed, shaved, or even changed their clothes for days.

"Scratch that... we will." With that, they surrounded her, getting ready to attack. She simply stood there, waiting for them to strike first. As Mi-na waited, she emptied her mind. It was easier to do now -- all of three seconds had passed before a serene smile had spread across her features.

However, the smile held no warmth. Though she had cleared her mind, the images of burned houses and dead bodies were still fresh in her subconscious.
"What the hell's so funny?” the first man said. “Well, whatever the joke is, I’m sure you’ll have the gods laughing it up. Now, will someone please wipe that smile off of her face and replace it with something a bit more appropriate?"
And sure enough, she heard something to her right- an incoming cut that was almost sure to cleave her head off at the neck.

Almost.

She ducked underneath the attack, sweeping her right leg towards his ankles. Simultaneously, she swung her guan dao outwards, the six foot long weapon ramming into her attacker’s side. He was quickly swept off of his feet, and there were muffled popping sounds as several of his ribs were snapped mercilessly. He flew a considerable distance before landing on the ground in a broken pile, and Mi-na straightened up once again, seemingly unbothered by the fact that she had probably sentenced a man to die slowly and horribly from internal bleeding.

Then again, why would she feel anything for any for these thieves, murderers, and rapists? They spared no mercy, and so, they would receive none either…
The men were surprised by such a quick and efficient response, but that didn’t stop them from rushing to attack her, all at once. Someone from behind reached her first, and met the heel of her left foot as she kicked the wind out of him. He wouldn’t be getting up any time soon. At the same time, she thrust the long handled broadsword forward, piercing another assailant's stomach.

This guy wouldn't be getting back up, ever.

Following through from there, she quickly moved out of the way of the other attackers and jumped into a defensive stance, still smiling.
"What are all of you waiting for? Get her!"
They weren't complete idiots, though, and most of them held back as they considered what they should do next. Still, one of them ran forward blindly in an attempt to hack her limbs off. A cut to her head was deflected effortlessly, and he was subsequently knocked backwards by a firm kick to his chest. He stumbled back several feet, but he regained his balance and came at her again, thrusting towards her midsection. Her blade intercepted, but he didn't stop there. He kept on going as she moved back, slicing wildly at Mi-na. She sidestepped a wild downward swing meant to cut through her, and he received a smack on the back of his head from the butt end of her weapon, knocking him flat on his stomach. Without hesitation, she stomped on the side of his skull, splitting it open like a ripe fruit.
The rest of them came at her head on, but they accomplished no more than the man she had just killed. The one in front had the displeasure of having his weapon deflected before being rammed forcefully into the man behind him, knocking them both to the ground. The other two were forced to eat her blade as she turned and swung her guan dao one handed, taking them both out by slicing their skulls in half.
Two remained. One of them had lost the will to fight, and simply sat there, quivering with fear. But the leader, the one who had first demanded that she hand over her weapon, leveled his sword briefly, and just ran straight at her. Mi-na simply pivoted on her left foot and slashed him across his the right side of his stomach before he could reach her. He cried out in pain as he toppled to his left, bleeding profusely from the wound.

As the man lay on the ground, clutching at his wound, Mi-na approached him, and he made a weak, desperate slash at her right leg as she drew closer. She blocked his attack quite easily, and trapped his wrist underneath her right foot, twisting slightly to make him drop the sword. Pressing the edge of her blade against his neck, she spoke to him with a cold, casual tone that convinced the bandit that she was the Angel of Death, come to collect his soul.
That deceptively calm smile hadn’t left her face, not even briefly, during the entire battle.
"I have to say, I’m severely tempted to gut you like a fish for what you’ve done to these poor people. However, I need someone to give your boss, whoever he is, a message: Leave, or die. Now go.”
She stepped away, and the man who was lucky enough to have received only bruises from Mi-na hurried over and helped his injured companion to stand. Together, they hurried away, glancing fearfully over their shoulders at her several times before disappearing around a corner.
"That felt good," she said to herself as she rested the grip of her weapon against her shoulder. “I almost hope some of them are stupid enough to try and jump me again.”
And that’s when the cheering started. All around her, windows and doors flew open to reveal people celebrating her victory. The townsfolk had seen the whole fight. Mi-na smiled and bowed slightly to them. This would be more fun than she thought! Of course, there would likely be more of those measly runts to deal with, but she was confident that she would be able to take care of business. That was what she had come here to do, after all.
__________________________________________________________________ ______
During the next few days, she would realize that the town was much bigger than she had first thought. It would take time in order to get all of this straightened out, so she stayed at a training hall for the duration of her time there. It was a very comfortable place, and they had all sorts of weapons there for her to train with. After all, she was proficient with more than one weapon. The students there had heard of her victory against the small band of pirates, and a few of them wondered how they would fare against her.
Needless to say, they didn't do so well. She didn't kill anyone, but many of them ended up with several bruises to show for their folly.
After engaging in a number of conflicts with several more bandits over the course of the next week, she realized that the problem wasn’t going to be resolved for quite a while at this rate. ‘Damn. I'm not here to play babysitter! If these guys would just do as I asked and leave, it wouldn’t be a problem -- I'd be out of here. Then again, if they didn’t cause any more trouble, I wouldn't get the opportunity to improve my skills. And I wouldn't earn my keep, either.’ So after a couple more days, and a few more small skirmishes, she decided to finish things once and for all.

Like they say… cut off the head, and the body dies.

Knowing perfectly well what to expect once she set foot inside the building where they were holed up (and not caring in the least), she simply marched right up to the entrance of the castle, in broad daylight. She was stopped by two men who stood guard before the front door, demanding that she halt as they raised their swords.

Her response was simple: she swung her guan dao in a wide arc with one hand and cleaved them in two, slicing straight through their midsections. The others bandits inside heard the commotion, and as she walked in she was met by a large group of pirates. Without even slowing down, she continued walking forward as they charged towards her... and she started cleaning house, for lack of a better term.

Wide swings, artful circles, expert twirls. Any blades that managed to get anywhere near her were blocked or avoided as she moved with speed that was surprising for someone holding such a heavy weapon, weaving her way through the crowd, cutting this way and that. Many of the pirates did their best to keep their distance, but one-by-one they fell in the face of her assault.
Soon, their numbers dwindled. Men were knocked this way and that, and drops of blood painted the walls as her blade found its mark time and time again. Armor was sliced like rice paper by her guan dao, and her kicks snapped bones as if they were twigs. Of course, this commotion attracted the attention of their leader... which was exactly what she had been planning.
In the midst of dispatching another combatant, Mi-na heard something from behind her. As she turned to look, she noticed that all the other pirates had backed away, leaving only her and one man standing in the middle of a large circle. Even as she turned, she was forced to lean back as not one, but two blades sliced towards her head, aiming to shear it off like a pair of scissors.

He missed, but barely, and it had been close enough for her to feel the wind on her face. She didn’t even have time to settle into a stance before he struck again. This time both swords came down from above, and she instinctively blocked them with the shaft of her weapon. Immediately, she pushed forward, forcing her opponent to stumble back and give her some breathing room. Mi-na retreated as well to give herself the chance to regroup and assess this new opponent, whirling her guan dao expertly as she did so.
As she settled into a fighting stance, she regarded her attacker. He was taller than her, and looked like he was in his late forties. Unlike his men, he was actually clean and shaven. Mi-na inclined her head and said, “I presume you’re the one who leads this little outfit.” Her opponent nodded once. “Didn't you get my message? I said, ‘leave or die.’”
He nodded again. "I got it. And I ignored it. I don't listen to impudent women who don't know their place.” He looked down his nose at her, as if he were a teacher lecturing a child who had misbehaved. “On top of that, you've injured or killed most of my best men. How am I supposed to run this city effectively if I don't have a staff?”

Mi-na's eyes narrowed dangerously. That was a bad sign... But all those years learning under Kong had taught her to control her temper, and she remained where she stood instead of attacking him blindly. “You call those men your best? Well, they certainly weren’t very good, and I’d bet you aren't much better.”

He smirked confidently. “Foolish girl. You have no idea what I'm capable of. But you're about to find out!”
No sooner had he finished his sentence when he rushed forward, thrusting his blades alternately at her again and again. She focused on blocking each surprisingly quick attack, and both fighters became a blur of motion. Though it was a challenge for her to deflect each blow, she didn’t mind in the least. She hated being ridiculed for being female as much as she hated being called a child. Unfortunately for the man she was fighting, that anger was controlled now; harnessed to her advantage.
But anger wasn't going to be enough, as evidenced by the way he managed to land a kick on her midsection. She managed to prevent herself from flying through the air by rooting her stance to the ground at the last moment, causing her to slide backwards instead of sail. But a hit was a hit, and he kept on coming. She was forced on to the defensive, since she didn’t have room to counterattack yet. However, after dodging a downwards swing with his right sword, she was finally presented with an opportunity. She struck him with the back end of her guan dao as she evaded the attack, and followed up with a solid roundhouse kick to his head. As he stumbled back, he was almost nailed by her next attack- she hopped into the air, bringing her blade around in a full circle before swinging it down toward his face.
However, despite being dazed by her kick, he was still able to block with one sword, and use the other to cut at her exposed midsection.

Score.

A thin red line appeared on her stomach, but she ignored the sting of the minor wound as she landed and settled into a defensive stance again. He slashed at her once more, but she was ready, and blocked his attack as she retreated quickly. “Well, what do you think of me now?” he bellowed in the midst of another attack. “Do you still think I'm no good!?”
She replied smoothly as she blocked another strike. “What you are is loud and annoying, and if you think giving me one little scratch means something...”

Block, block, sidestep... and just like before, he received another knock on the head, sending him sprawling to the ground several feet away.

“...You've got another thing coming.”

The man picked himself up quickly, took a moment to regroup, and blitzed forward yet again. She had to give him a bit of credit- he had the mindset of constant attack. It was a good strategy, but not a very controlled one. His swords were a blur, constantly stabbing and cutting at her, but he was incapable of landing another hit: every attack was either dodged by her flexible body and skilled footwork, or stopped cold by her sturdy guan dao. Finally, frustrated by his lack of progress, he made the mistake of throwing most of his weight into another thrust. She sidestepped it easily, and he teetered off balance, giving her the chance to smack him around with the flat of her blade. His face felt as if it were on fire as he staggered backwards, watching the spots that danced before his eyes.
This time, he wouldn’t get the chance to recover. Mi-na took a few steps forward and lashed out with her powerful legs, once... twice.... and a third time with a spinning kick to the head. The pirate spiraled to the ground, landing flat on his back. Completely dazed, he could only lay there as she pressed the blade of her guan dao against his neck and looked up to speak to the other pirates that had been watching the battle. Her voice was as cold and smooth as a block of ice.
“Go away and never come back, ‘cause if you do, I will not hesitate to kill each and every one of you.”
They didn't have to be told twice. Every man that could still stand hauled ass out of there, stopping only to help their wounded comrades limp through the door.

Mi-na turned her attention back to the man on the floor, and sighed as she kicked his weapons away from him. “I have to thank you for this fight,” she said, studying his face in the same manner a scientist would study an interesting specimen. “Unlike your boys, you gave me a good idea of how well I’m doing.” She glanced down at the red line across her stomach, which was starting to sting smartly. “Ugh… Apparently, I still have some learning to do.” She returned her gaze to his face… and, suddenly, her expression hardened as she fixed him with a stare that sent a chill down the man’s spine.

“What you did to this town… these people… is unforgivable.”
With that, she raised her right foot, aimed it towards his head, and wiped her face clean of expression.

“Good night.”
WHAM.
_______________________________________________ _ ________________________
Another two years had passed. Now nineteen years old, Mi-na had fought so many battles she had lost count. The rod style she had learned under Kong’s tutelage was a solid part of her now, and she had made a name for herself across The Korean woman would do any job for a decent price -- well, almost any job, as long as it held to her code of ethics. By this time she had developed a strong sense of right and wrong, and it was one of the things that made her so different from most other mercenaries. Though this occasionally deprived her of opportunities to make money, she more than made up for it with her skill and reputation. Many people were willing to pay a high price for someone like her.
But now she had caught the attention of the Emperor... which had the potential to be a very good thing or a very bad thing. On one hand, she would be set for a good, long while if she did well. On the other, if she failed, not only would her reputation be ruined, but there was also the possibility that she might be executed. But the payoff was greater than the risks -- because the mission was the retrieval Soul Edge.
Fortunately, she wouldn't be working alone this time -- she would be part of a group that would disguise itself as an opera troupe as they searched for it. This group consisted of Emperor’s own personal guards, the leader of which was one Chai Xianghua, their Captain. Of course, Mi-na had heard of the Chai family by now -- her travels had taken her to quite a few places, and their names had come up more than once. Xianghua, on the other hand, had heard little about Mi-na, having heard only a few rumors that Korean woman was supposed to be a fierce fighter.
'I suppose I should find out more about her... we're going to be traveling together for quite some time, after all.'
So one night, Xianghua decided to speak with her new subordinate. Try to reach a common ground of sorts. But Mi-na wasn't in her room in the summer palace, so the young Captain went scouting around the palace grounds for her. While walking around, she heard something in the flower garden. She went to investigate, and there, on the stage just before the Emperor's empty throne, was a woman garbed in red and gold, practicing with her guan dao all by herself.
'That must be her...'
But instead of the wild, crazy fighting style that Xianghua had heard about, the woman’s movements were slow; graceful. For a while, Xianghua simply stood there and watched as the older woman practiced. Mi-na only sped up whenever the technique she was using required it. She was almost completely silent – the only noise she made was the barely-audible humming of that long, heavy weapon as it traveled through the air, which was, in itself, quite an impressive sight.
'How heavy is that damn thing? It must weigh a hundred pounds, maybe more. How can she do that? And what is that style? I’ve never seen anything like it...'
The sixteen-year-old didn't even realize that the woman was finished until she heard her clearing her throat. "Do you need something? I don't mind you watching, but if you just sit there staring like that, I'll start thinking that something's wrong."
Xianghua blinked a few times and shook her head. Had she really been staring? A little embarrassed, she walked across the bridge that led to the center of the garden and made her way over to the stage. To Mi-na's pleasant surprise (though she didn’t let her astonishment show), she spoke in Korean. "I just wanted to talk for a bit. Get to know you before our mission. My name is..."

Mi-na held up a hand to stop her and smiled. Her brown eyes seemed to fix the younger woman's own in place. "...Chai Xianghua. I know. I've heard about you and your family. You know your Korean, sure enough -- I'm impressed. I'd like to know where you learned it, though," Mi-na said in fluent Mandarin.
Xianghua was surprised by the other woman’s grasp of her native language as well, but continued talking without missing a beat. "I guess I should ask what your name is – but I don’t think I have to, since I bet you're going to give it to me anyway."

The Korean’s smile chuckled softly, and she nodded as she said, "My name is Seong Mi-na. Nice to -"

Xianghua cut her off in mid-sentence. "You're a Seong? As in, the famous family of martial arts masters from

Mi-na raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you know your history as well.

Xianghua’s head bobbed up and down eagerly. "I know all about you guys. Most of the men from your school have gone on to join the military, right?"

Mi-na’s smile faded considerably, and she nodded again. "Yeah. Most of the men, none of the women. To tell you the truth, I kinda envy you."
The cheery young Captain stopped there. "Ah... I see. Well, don’t worry. is a place where a woman who’s good with a weapon is appreciated. And don't be envious -- I want us to be friends!"

Mi-na smiled again, her mood significantly improved. "All right."
Xianghua glanced at the stage behind Mi-na, and a thought occurred to her. Her hand dropped to her sword belt (which she wore even at this time of night) as she said, "Well then, since we're friends now, how about a friendly spar? Naturally, I have to test your abilities to see if you're fit to travel with us. Rumors and stories aren't enough."

Mi-na shrugged and said, "I dunno. Can it wait until tomorrow? I'm kind of tired."

The younger woman was insistent. "Nonsense! I've always wanted to see what your family is all about! Besides, it shouldn't matter if you're tired or not. We'll be on the move at night too -- so let's get to it!"
Mi-na sighed and said, "Alright. But don't say that you didn't ask for it when I win."
Xianghua smirked. "If you win."
Mi-na chuckled. "Fine, you're on!"
__________________________________________________________________ ______
A Prelude, Part 2- The Life and Times of Seong Mi-na
Author's Note: Frankly, this chapter should have been longer. Much longer. But since a flashback wasn't worth all that jazz, I decided to leave it as is. I dunno -- perhaps your reviews will provide a change in the flow of this chapter. This brings me to my next section -- REVIEW THIS STORY. It will help quite a bit in the development of further chapters. Tell me what's good, tell me what's bad, and tell me without flames.
Or perish.
Just kidding. But seriously, constructive critique, please and thank you. If you have any further comments that belong outside of a review, please e-mail me.
way2krunk03@yahoo.com
nyethurmond@aol.com
Once again, thanks for reading. I'm going to sleep now. Oyasumi.

Beta’s Note: Hello people! Master Nemesis here, Kanto’s good friend and beta. It took me hours to give this chapter a good polish, and I hope you like the final product. Be sure to stop by my profile sometime and read one of my stories. That is all. Thank you, and good night!