Please note: This article is about the duelist. For other uses of the term, please see Ichizo (disambiguation).

Mirumoto Ichizo
Born:	Unknown
Died:	-
People

Mirumoto Ichizo was a bushi and duelist of the Dragon Clan.

Contents 1 Emerald Championship 2 Toshi Ranbo 3 Under Satsu scrutiny 4 Battle for Sunset Tower 4.1 Fighting Crane and Spider 4.2 Seizing the Covenant 5 Covenant's guardian 5.1 Festival of the Sea Dragon 5.2 Visitors 6 Destroyer War 6.1 Meeting Furumaro 6.2 Weapon against Kali-Ma 7 In Furumaro's group 7.1 A Black Scroll is found 7.2 Ryoko Owari 7.3 Ghul Lord 8 Covenant is lost 9 Rejoining the group 9.1 Black Scroll 9.2 Visiting Daigotsu 9.3 Moving on again 10 The Scroll is opened 10.1 Shahai and the Tao 10.2 Susumu and the Tao 11 End of the War 12 External Links 13 References

Emerald Championship Edit

In 1169 Ichizo was a contender of the Topaz Championship. He nearly crippled one of his opponents, from the Mantis Clan, ^[1] Yoritomo Saburo. ^[2]

Toshi Ranbo Edit

Ichizo was stationed at the Dragon Clan Embassy this year after his father had it arranged. He arrived at the same time as Mirumoto Tsuge, who was attending his wedding to Isawa Ochiai. Ichizo was at the Phoenix Embassy during the wedding, studying a scroll of the Way of the Peaceful Sword by Shiba Rokkujo. Isawa Takesi discovered Ichizo in the library, and attempted to make conversation. After Takesi suggested the two spar in the dojo Ichizo left, apparently offended. ^[3]

Under Satsu scrutiny Edit

Ichizo came back to Dragon lands and trained hard to avoid the same mistake during his gempukku. Ichizo became obsessed with training, not in order to succeed, but in order to not fail. He was approached by the Keeper of Air, Mirumoto Masae, who had been sent by the Dragon Clan Champion Togashi Satsu. Somehow Satsu believed Ichizo would be instrumental for the Dragon's fate, and Masae had to aid him to find focus again. Masae believed Ichizo would be part of the future of Satsu as Emperor, but Ichizo's fate would be related with dark worse things. ^[2]

Battle for Sunset Tower Edit

In 1170 Kitsuki Berii led a Dragon detachment during the Battle for Sunset Tower, including Mirumoto Narumi, Mirumoto Agito, and Mirumoto Ichizo, to retrieve the Dark Covenant of Fire. Upon arrival to the tower Kasuga Eizan told his Tortoise guards had been slaughtered by a ronin group, and shortly after a Crane group had appeared, but they were badly outnumbered. Berii decided to keep the Dragon's purpose secret and was forced to attack both forces, the Crane and Spider disguised as ronin. ^[4]

Fighting Crane and Spider Edit

While the Crane were fighting inside the Tower, the Dragon appeared and asked the Crane to leave the place. Doji Doukohito refused and was confronted by Mirumoto Ichizo, who killed the Crane. ^[4]

Seizing the Covenant Edit

Berii successfully claimed the Dark Covenant. The Dragon denied any explanation to the Crane about their behaviour in the battle. However, Berii could avoid further hostility between the Dragon and the Crane by offering a hostage, and Mirumoto Narumi marched to Crane lands. The Dragon took the Tower under their protection, despite the Tortoise objection. Ichizo offered himself to stay behind safeguarding it against any further attacks. ^[4]

Since that he stayed at the Tower for a maximum of three months. Then he returned to the Dragon lands or travel to the Crane lands for about the same time, to make sure the Covenant did not have a hold on his soul. ^[5]

Covenant's guardian Edit

Festival of the Sea Dragon Edit

Ichizo became the guardian of the covenant, but he spent some time far from the neuranai's influence in a regular basis. ^[5] During the Festival of the Sea Dragon Mirumoto Katsutoshi and Ikoma Asa had been accused by Doji Saori of stealing a handkerchief that once belonged to Lady Doji. Katsutoshi had retorted saying she was a liar, and it was clearly attempting to shame Asa for her own purposes. He was challenged to a duel, in which the insult and Asa's honor would be dealt. Katsutoshi arranged for Mirumoto Ichizo to act as their champion. Ichizo was a young samurai of prodigious talent, but wracked with self-doubt. He stepped in to prove his worthy and defeated Saori in a duel to first blood. Katsutoshi said the outcome proved that Saori attempted to shame Asa, but the duel did not resolve the attempt to shame her. Doji Choshi, Saori's charge, suggested that the Dragon took Saori as its hostage. ^[6]

Visitors Edit

Ichizo was visited by Kitsuki Hanbei and Togashi Gato during the winter. They walked to the village near the Golden Sun Bay, and he refused to talk about his history to Hanbei. The Kitsuki wished to tell a tale of Ichiro's selfless sacrifice in the winter court, to propel Dragon Clan's political power. Ichizo saw a peasant exposed to the cold day, and gifted him a bowl of ochazuke he had bought shortly before. The man said to Ichizo his simple gesture there had earned his favor, did not take the bowl and gave Ichizo a small trinket of a dragon, made entirely of ice. The man left, and Ichizo did not see him as a simple peasant anymore. ^[5] The man was supposed to be Inari, the Fortune of Rice, giving the Dragon the blessings of the Frost Dragon.

Destroyer War Edit

Meeting Furumaro Edit

In 1171 Ichizo was at Toshi Ranbo and saw Yoritomo Saburo in the distance. He began to ponder their duel during the Topaz Championship. Ichizo talked with the monk Furumaro, who gave him focus. ^[7] Ichizo eventually met Saburo, who told of his meeting with the Empress Iweko I, his journey in the Shadowlands, the encounter with Kali-Ma, the death of several of his companions, the second prophecy of Kitsune Narako, and the presence of a monk who had joined the group. ^[8]

Weapon against Kali-Ma Edit

In 1172 Ichizo was with Saburo and his group. Furumaro told them that the Scorpion had a weapon of great power powerful enough to stop Kali-Ma, current Champion of Jigoku. They took it from the Tomb of the Seven Thunders. The group decided to ask for Empress permission to leave the city, without waiting the return of Utaku Kohana, who had left the capital to join the Destroyer War upon Empress request. ^[9]

In Furumaro's group Edit

Ichizo joined Saburo's group of young samurai in their journey to Soshi lands. Hiruma Akio, Kakita Hideo, Ichizo, Akodo Shunori, Yoritomo Saburo, Isawa Kyoko, Bayushi Kurumi, and Utaku Kohana, formed the group. One of each Great Clan, guided by the monk Furumaro. ^[10]

A Black Scroll is found Edit

Within the Scorpion lands the group saw several Scorpion and Destroyers dead, in a place where no records of the gaijin demons had been reported. One of the attacked samurai, Bayushi Minoru, could draw the attention of the group to a box, behind the corpse of Soshi Natsuo. Kurumi took the box and found a burnt scroll in a false bottom, which she quickly dropped, her hands stained with its contact. ^[10] She had touched the Black Scroll Essence of Destruction. ^[11]

Ryoko Owari Edit

Upon the arrival of the group to Ryoko Owari Kyoko told that the power emanating from the scroll was resonating with something within the city, something similar to the scroll itself, although less powerful. ^[12] It was not clear if it marked the Ebon Daughter, linked to Kali-Ma as the Black Scroll was. ^{[citation needed]} The group were approached by the ronin Gahseng and Setsuko who sought their aid against a threat that lied in the city, in the Leatherworker's Quarter. The ronin told that Gahseng had had visions of the group and waited their arrival. After they left Hideo, Saburo and Shunori followed Kurumi, because they did not trust her. ^[12]

Ghul Lord Edit

The warriors of the group followed the ronin to a building and found a hidden entrance to an underground dungeon. There they met the Ebon Daughter, and the Ghul Lord, an inhuman creature of large size. The samurai fought him, while the Daughter escaped. Ichizo was wounded in the face, and Hideo eventually beheaded the monster. Susprisingly it would not end the creature's life, who began to regenerate and the head joined again to the body. The group departed and Gahseng remained behind to give them time to burn the place. Outside the building they were detained by Bayushi Sihaken, an officer of the city, and his men. Sihaken followed the warning made by Saburo and put the building to the torch. Fires in the City of Lies could not be controlled and all the Quarter burned to the ground. ^[13]

Covenant is lost Edit

Ichizo returned to the Sunset Tower to see it assaulted. He aided one of the Tortoise guardsmen, Kasuga Keiko, to recover, but the rest had been killed and the Covenant seized by an unknown assailant. ^[14] They advised the Dragon Clan and traveled to the rebuilt Northern Towers of Flame. ^[15]

Rejoining the group Edit

Kyoko had fallen ill, and the group remained in the city clearing it of the Ghul Lord's creations, uncovering zombies hideouts. After the battle where the God Beast of Kali-Ma died, Furumaro pressed to move on, even if Kyoko was not fully recovered, but Ichizo disagreed. ^[16]

Black Scroll Edit

In 1173 the group realized the scroll they were hidden should be a Black Scroll, and it was beeing sought by the Scorpion and the forces of Kali-Ma. They returned to Toshi Ranbo and Doji Ayano went with them to the Imperial Palace upon Empress request. Furumaro alleged he had to purify himself and did not join the visit. Iweko bid to continue their guardianship for a time, and gave them a letter which should be delivered to Daigotsu, in his lair in the Fingers of Bone. ^[17]

Visiting Daigotsu Edit

There were doubts in the group about the opportunity of the Empress' commands, but they alongside with the courtier Ayano reached the border of the Fingers. They were met and escorted by Daigotsu Hotako, the Obsidian Champion. There were present Shahai, Daigotsu Usharo, the Onyx Champion Takasho, and the Dark Lord. After Daigotsu read the message he gave the Tao of Fu Leng to Ayano as requested by the Empress. The group returned to the Imperial City. ^[17]

Moving on again Edit

They eventually moved on again. When they crossed paths with the remnants of a battle maiden patrol near the City of Masks, Kohana had felt compelled to join her kinsmen and left the group for a time. ^[18] They reached a Scorpion temple which was being evacuated because the near presence of the Destroyers. ^[19] The temple could be Shinden Gyokei, currently the point were Kali-Ma was marching. ^[20]

The Scroll is opened Edit

The group somehow knew that the Empress was traveling in the region, exposing her to be killed by the forces of Kali-Ma. They believed the group quest had been the motivation and bearing of the Empress journey, and several decided to act, making anything that could protect Iweko. Ichizo suggested to open the Black Scroll, because the safety of the Empress was worthy of the group damnation. Akio was the only one who openly disagreed, but Saburo retrieved the scroll and opened it. ^[19] At that time, Fu Leng, formerly known as the monk Furumaro, recovered his divinity and exposed his true identity to Akio, while the rest of the group were unconscious. ^[21]

Shahai and the Tao Edit

Shahai appeared before the group of young samurai who held the Tao of Fu Leng, told Daigotsu had died, and enacted a ritual to steal power from the gaijin goddess. Shunori and Saburo decided to condemn their souls to save the Empire and were beside the Lady of Blood. As a vessel for divine power, the Tao contained what was stolen, draining Kali-Ma of her divinity, but not all. When Shahai sacrificed the samurai who had helped her, Shunori and Saburo, Akio killed the Dark Daughter and stopped the ritual. Nearby the dying Fu Leng had given his divine power to Daigotsu, who emerged from Jigoku as his Master and slew the weakened Kali-Ma. ^[22]

Susumu and the Tao Edit

From another temple where other events had happened arrived the Voice of the Emperor Togashi Satsu, who questioned the group survivors. During the explanation appeared the corpse of who was the Imperial Advisor Susumu. He requested the Tao and Satsu attacked him without result, Susumu seemed beyond injury. Somehow he channelled the power cointained inside the book and departed with Satsu to parlay with the Empress. ^[22]

End of the War Edit

The Empress informed to the Great Clans of the new condition of the Spider Clan. Those free of taint could remain in the Empire, and the tainted were put under guard of the Dragon Clan, to extend the Empire in the Ivory Kingdoms, in the Spider's exodus. For first time since Iweko was ascended as the Child of Heavens, she spoke, proclaiming the Iweko's Conquerors. As a side effect Shahai and Susumu had been eleveated by Daigotsu as Dark Fortunes. ^[22]

No one censured the survivors of the group for what had happened, as they were acting on Empress authority. They were simply overlooked and let them lapse into obscurity. ^[23]

External Links Edit

• Mirumoto Ichizo (Samurai)
• Mirumoto Ichizo Exp (The Harbinger)

References

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