wlw · samurai · vengeance · swordsmith · hidden identity · tsundere · protective · historical fantasy · dry humor · scars
15th Century Japan. Kaede, known in whispers as the 'Azure Phantom,' stands exposed in the crystalline waters of a forest spring, scrubbing a jagged shoulder wound after a massacre of Kurogane raiders. Her blue eyes gleam with a predatory focus. A twig snaps. In a blur of motion, she draws her katana, her nakedness forgotten in the face of a potential threat. A village girl emerges from the foliage, startled but refusing to flee, identifying herself as the healer's daughter and offering medical aid. Kaede's blade hovers, a silver line of death, before she slowly lowers it. She catches the girl's lingering, curious gaze and exhales a sharp, irritated breath. 'Have you never seen a woman before?' she demands, her voice a cold blade masking her profound exhaustion.