Villain Rehabilitator

A group of young mortal warriors clad in red samurai armor charged toward a mature woman with a cigarette dangling from her cherry lips.

Whoosh!

An arrow whistled through the air, aiming for her backside. The woman furrowed her brow at the shameless attack, catching the arrow with her hand and breaking it into pieces.

At that moment, a naginata and two katanas hurtled toward her exposed neck and back. Another arrow soared through the air, targeting her head. A smirk formed on her lips as her cigarette transformed into a whip, deflecting the attacks.

Despite her opponents' supernatural powers, Mikino didn't falter. Her naginata sliced through the air, aiming for Tsubaki's stomach.

Clang!

The samurai finally unsheathed her sword, parrying the attack. However, Mikino's naginata swiftly descended, scraping against the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, the blind woman launched herself into the air, propelling toward Tsubaki and kicking her beautiful face. Tsubaki gritted her teeth, rage etched on every vein of her face.

Shinji fired a barrage of arrows at her, moving closer to the center of the training ground for a better view. Tsukino rushed toward Tsubaki, aiming to exploit her predicament.

However, the samurai swiftly chopped Shinji's arrows, deflecting Tsukino's attack and sending her stumbling backward.

A woman with long navy hair attacked Tsubaki's blind spot, her naginata whistling with malice. Tsubaki smiled, moving her palm to catch the naginata's blade. Mikino rotated her naginata, avoiding the counter, and swung it fiercely, striking Tsubaki's face.

Wham!

The samurai felt frustration coursing through her veins, her face contorting in pain. She stumbled backward, only to be met with Tsukino's twin katanas, aiming for her neck.

"Kinhin!" Tsubaki suddenly yelled, as a surge of flames erupting from her body, illuminating the deserted training grounds. The blast threw her three opponents back, giving her space. (1)

Tsubaki's anger dissipated, replaced by a warm smile. "You've all improved significantly over the past month. I'm putting all my hopes on you three for tomorrow's battle."

A hint of disappointment crept into her voice. "If only there was someone in your group, even half as gifted and talented as you three."

She shrugged, her gaze drifting toward the pink moon hanging in the sky. "You may rest now; I have some zazen to attend to." (2)

The trio departed the training grounds, their faces etched with exhaustion. Tsubaki waited until she could no longer hear their breathing before retrieving a drawing from within her chest.

Memories of the day she arrived flooded her mind:

"Tsubaki, I know you slaughtered your family for straying from the true samurai path."

A voice echoed in her memory, "However, if you kill this person for me, I'll have your charges dropped. You'll be a free woman."

Her lips twitched, frustration seeping into her bones.

"Mikino, what's so special about you that a high-ranking official would want you dead?" Tsubaki sighed, knowing there was no one to answer her question.

With a deep breath, she began to tap her foot on the ground, slipping into a meditative state. Her deep, raspy voice whispered a tune, a melody that was more venom than music. But she was alone, and it didn't matter.

The next day arrived, and Tsubaki led the mortals from Kurenai Village up X-You Mountain with a confident look masking her worry. Shinji, walking behind her, helped a mortal sing her favorite tunes, albeit with altered lyrics.

Upon reaching the summit, Tsubaki's group waited for a few minutes before the sound of horse hooves echoed from the other side of the mountain.

Takeshi and his men soon came into view, sporting joyful expressions.

Takeshi dismounted his horse and approached Tsubaki, maintaining his smile, "If it isn't my dear ex-girlfriend. Your chest seems to have gotten bigger over the last month."

Tsubaki clicked her tongue, frustration etched on her face, but she forced a smile to avoid falling for her ex's mind games.

Takeshi shrugged, his gaze fixed on the group behind her, his expression unwavering, "Tell me, how do you propose we handle this three-way fight? The choice is yours, my darling. If we follow the rules, you'll still lose each battle. If we don't, you'll be giving us free points. Trust me, now that Miyamoto Musashi is gone, you're all nothing but a bunch of losers."

Tsubaki's smile remained as she turned to face her group.

"Do you have the guts to battle my three best warriors all at once?"

The bald-headed man didn't seem intimidated; instead, he pitied Tsubaki's trio.

"I thought you'd have realized by now that talent can only take you so far. Didn't you kill your relatives just to prove that point?"

Tsubaki's face contorted in rage, her fist clenched as she punched her ex-boyfriend.

Takeshi shrugged off the pain, casting a glance at Lucy before looking at his subordinate.

"Shoji, make them experience hell. Show this big-breasted woman she's blinded by her past mistakes."

Tsubaki sneered, "You're the one who's blind."

Takeshi nodded in agreement. "You're right. If I wasn't blind, how could I have let such a beautiful woman slip away from me?"

Tsubaki shrugged, focusing on the three individuals standing between the two villages. Tsukino unsheathed her dual swords, pointing them at the smiling Shoji.

"I'll repay you for last time's embarrassment. I'll show you that women aren't tools for you to look down on."

Shoji licked his dry lips. "I thought you wanted to move on to the next stage."

Tsukino roared, "Die!"

Her blades sliced through the air, aiming to decapitate Shoji. He dodged perfectly, but unlike their previous encounter, a naginata flew toward his chest. Shoji didn't dodge; instead, he threw Tsukino aside while taking the attack head-on.

Clang!

A dull metallic clang echoed through the air. Mikino's face paled as she swiftly retrieved her naginata.

She exclaimed, "He's wearing breastplates under his clothes!"

Although shameless, no one commented on Shoji's tactic, as the Kurenai Village group was equally shameless for ganging up on a single opponent.

Tsukino didn't seem discouraged; the gleam in her eyes intensified as her blades cut through the air with swift might.

Shoji parried her attacks with his bare hands, pulling himself closer and creating an opportunity to kiss her again. Tsukino closed her eyes, her body experiencing a flurry of sensations. Forgetting she was mid-fight, her hands pressed against Shoji's chest, struggling to push him away with little strength as possible.

Shoji reciprocated, his hand caressing the curves hidden beneath her armor.

Whoosh!

An arrow whistled through the air, targeting Shoji's exposed neck.

Shinji roared, "Stay away from her, you creep!"

Shoji swiftly turned around, stepping back to avoid the arrow. However, it pierced through Tsukino's shoulder instead. Shoji threw her toward Lucy and Sora, removing her from the battle.

Lucy and Sora left Tsukino, letting her collapse to the ground.

Sora's expression contorted in disgust. "How can she fall for such a guy? Besides his good looks, everything else about him is trash."

Lucy, however, understood that love was a complex emotion, a realm where money and power held no sway.

"She's not the only one responsible for this defeat anyway."

Sora remained silent, comprehending Lucy's implicit message. Her gaze followed his, drifting toward the sky. "What's caught your attention for so long, is it those two blue and red balloons?"

Lucy shrugged, a dark shadow crossing his face.

"A month from now, we're all going to die."

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(1) - Kinhin is a Japanese term that literally means "walking meditation". It's a practice where one walks slowly and deliberately, paying attention to each step, breath, and movement. Kinhin is often used as a way to transition between periods of seated meditation (zazen) and to cultivate mindfulness and awareness in daily activities.

However, in here it's a term to force Rei out of the Primordial space.

(2) - Zazen is a Japanese term that refers to a type of seated meditation practiced in Zen Buddhism. It involves sitting in stillness and silence, focusing on one's breath, and letting go of thoughts and distractions. In here, it is a way to increase Rei.