Chapter 10

## Target Acquired

**Chapter 10** is titled "Target Acquired".

## Short Summary

Hachimaru and Ann return to the training grounds, but Hachimaru's father arrives to take him back home. The two argue, exposing his dishonesty to his Princess. Meanwhile, Ata arrives planetside after tearing through the planet's top defenders and beelines for his prey. Upon his arrival, a connection between Hachimaru's father and Ata is revealed.

## Long Summary

While flying back to the training ground, Hachimaru is feeling guilty about lying to Ann about his past. She notices something is bothering him, but he claims nothing wrong. Above him, Ata is breaking his way through Muun. Since his initial crash only pushed him partway through the satellite, he uses **Kongo-Yasha Style: Silent Slash** to break the rest of the way through. Once he emerges on the other side, he is hailed by a massive Holder that he figures belongs to the planet's protector.

Inside the Holder, one of Mujin's subordinates resolves to face Ata. Sa recognizes that their opponent is an incarnate copy, meaning they aren't an ordinary Samurai. Mujin decides to face the enemy personally, surprising and impressing his subordinate. He goes outside and calls for his Holder, Karuraten, which wraps around him and forms a massive armored warrior. Ata recognizes that he is facing the *Immortal Mujin the Garuda*, but he remains undeterred. Summoning his Samurai Soul, he flies straight at Mujin, and the elder Samurai is confused that he would rush someone of his fame.

On the planet's surface, Daruma senses a disturbance. Hagamichi asks about his discomfort, so he tells him he sensed a gravitational pull that's both very powerful and familiar. Hagamichi notes that Mujin has the strongest gravity of the Samurai on the planet. Daruma recognizes the name, and tells Hagamichi that he once fought against him in a ceremonial duel. Hagamichi tells him that Mujin is the planet's top protector and holds the rank *Stellar Commander*. Daruma isn't surprised by this, and resolves to talk to him, both for old time's sake and to ask a particular question.

In space, Ata has torn through Mujin's Samurai unit, killed Sa, and is finishing Mujin off. The Garuda Samurai begs Fudo Myo-o not to abandon him, and Ata demands that he die. After his foe becomes a Locker Ball, Ata hacks the crystal apart, amused that someone so weak was a planet's guardian. He then prepares to continue his journey to the planet. On the surface, Hachimaru's dad begins feeling uneasy. He inspects a strange machine built into his chest, then activates a tracking beacon he hid in Hachimaru's cane arm. Determine to quash Hachimaru's stubbornness, he takes his hover bike and leaves to retrieve him. Meanwhile, Ata makes it planetside, crashing atop a mountain. Molding his arm into a satellite, he tracks Hachimaru's gravity, finding him and the Dojikiri Takatsuna.

Hachimaru and Ann make it back to the training ground, and he helps her down. Hagamichi notices that they are getting along better, and that they found the Locker Ball. Hachimaru gives them some of the snacks they bought, unaware that both Ata and his dad are speeding toward them. Hagamichi senses someone approaches, and Hachimaru is caught off guard to see his dad. He accuses Daruma kidnapping his son, but he tells him he came of his own accord. His father still refuses to acknowledge that he doesn't need protecting, and demands he come home with him. Hachimaru argues that he's no longer the sick weakling he was before, but Ann hears him and catches that he lied to her.

His father prepares to forcibly take him, but before he can, Daruma senses an incoming threat, drawing his Samurai Soul and dashing past Hachimaru and his father at full speed. He intercepts a slash from an arriving Ata, and the clash of makes a shockwave that blows the two onlookers away. The two recover, and Hachimaru's father looks in horror as he recognizes Ata. Ata greets Hachimaru's father as *Dr. Furuta*, and demands the location of Hachikaku.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Hachimaru
* Ann
* Hayataro
* Ata
* Princess Sa
* Mujin
* Karuraten
* Daruma
* Hagamichi
* Furuta