Nakamura Koji

**Nakamura Koji** was one of the greatest swordsmen that Usagi had ever encountered. Once a high-ranking samurai, Koji abandoned his position and became a ronin in order to refine himself as a swordsman. Since that day, he's wandered the land, entered many duels and challenged many dojos, all to find that one man who defeated him.

## History

Usagi first encountered Koji while attending a contest being hosted by the Surudoi Dojo and witnessed Koji's skill against the school's students. After deftly defeating each student Head Instructor Ishii had sent against him, Koji claimed the right face the Surudoi School's master, Sensei Ueno. Instructor Ishii was outraged that a vagabond swordsman would dare demand such a thing; not only was the sensei at a pilgrimage at the moment, but Koji himself was beneath Master Ueno's notice. However, Koji argued that he had earned the right to face Master Ueno and if the sensei refused his challenge, he would claim the right to declare that he defeated the Surudoi School. Knowing that any refusal would result in a loss of face for their school, Ishii grudgingly accepted and told Koji that the matter would be settled when Sensei Ueno returned, he then canceled the rest of the matches. However, Ishii had no intention of honoring his word and decided to handle this matter before his sensei returned.

After leaving the dojo, Usagi caught up with Koji and congratulated the older swordsman on his victory. Koji formally introduced himself to Usagi who had heard of the man's reputation. He was a great sword master once, a teacher of one of the eight traditional schools of fencing, and even had a chance to become sword instructor to Lord Hikiji himself. Koji waved that off as being a lifetime ago, and before he had a chance to assume that position, he had accepted a match before the Lord of the Dark Sun from some nameless upstart with a new style that defied the conventional schools. Koji was badly beaten, not once but three times. Koji was humiliated, but in his humiliation, he came to understand how arrogant he was and how little he truly knew. Realizing he had no place teaching what he had not even mastered and against the protests of his peers and students, Koji abandoned his position as Hikiji's sword instructor and undertook the Musha Shugyosha, the Warrior's Path to Enlightenment. Since that day, Koji dedicated his life to refining his fencing style by purifying himself in the mountains, training diligently every day, challenging both great dojos and lone swordsman, all for the chance of finding and beating the man who defeated him.

As the two ronin were walking down the street, they sensed an impending ambush and were met by sixteen advanced students from the Surudoi School, and demanded they show themselves. They declared that they were going to kill Koji for shaming their school. Though it wasn't his affair, Usagi chose to fight at Koji's side for his hatred for treachery. Though the two ronin were greatly outnumbered, they managed to kill all sixteen students. They then decided to leave town and let the Surudoi School explain the bloodbath to the authorities.

In the meantime, Master Ueno had returned to the dojo, and was outraged by Ishii's actions, angrily stating that his cowardly behavior had shamed their school worse than Koji ever could. He then left to go catch up with Koji, and Ishii committed seppuku to atone for his disgrace. As Usagi and Koji made their way to a nearby temple, Koji noted that the style Usagi used against the Surudoi students was most unusual, and Usagi said that he learned it from a mountain hermit called Katsuichi. At that moment, Master Ueno had caught up with the two of them and stated that he knew nothing of his students' treachery, and to make up for their disgraceful conduct, he would accept Koji's challenge for a duel.

The two swordsmen faced one another, and while they were both highly skilled, Koji defeated Master Ueno in one move. He then turned his blade towards Usagi and challenged him to a duel, revealing that it was his sensei Katsuichi who was the nameless ronin who had defeated him all those years ago. Usagi accepted the challenge. While their duel was extremely intense, Koji's skill and experience was superior to the younger swordsman, and he managed to disarm and defeat Usagi. He then told Usagi he wanted him to relay a message to Katsuichi: that he wanted a rematch. The duel would take place in autumn at Kitanoji Temple. Koji then left knowing Usagi would send the message. Katsuichi did indeed recieve the message, and left for the duel, bringing his two new disciples with him: Shunji and Jotaro.

Sometime later, as the appointed time approached, Koji met with Usagi again while they were both taking the same road to Kitanoji Temple. At the time, the local dojo had heard that Koji was approaching the area and set up a roadblock to prevent him from entering town. Usagi watched as Koji defeated the students at the roadblock and noticed a peculiar trait in his style; a slight dip in his sword just before he attacked. After the students were beaten and ran off, the two ronin made their way into town as this was on the path to Kitanoji Temple. At first Koji had no intention of challenging the dojo, but he could not ignore their dishonorable conduct. The two barged into the dojo, and Koji challenged the sensei, again declaring that any refusal would give him the right to say that he defeated the dojo. Having no choice, the sensei accepted the duel, but he would use a steel sword against Koji's wooden bokken. As the two were about to begin their duel, Usagi again noticed that slight dip in Koji's sword the very instant he was about to attack, but before the duel could start, the students tried to ambush the two ronin. Usagi was easily able to fend off the subpar students, and Koji quickly bested the sensei, both of them only using wooden swords. With the school in disgrace, the two ronin left and continued their journey to Kitanoji Temple.

As the two of them made their journey, they happened upon a village that was being besieged by bandits, and were shocked to see that Katsuichi, Shunji and Jotaro were also there. Koji decided to put aside his upcoming duel with Katsuichi to help the villagers against the bandits. After learning where the bandits were encamped, Koji decided to scout them to find out their strength and was followed by Usagi. Unknown to either of them, they were both followed by Jotaro, and Koji was impressed with the boy, noting that he reminded him a lot of Usagi. Thanks to Jotaro, they were able to determine the true strength of the bandits and they made their way back to the village where Katsuichi came up with a plan that they should launch a sneak attack on the bandits now, while they weren't expecting it, with the villagers using looted arms and armor to pose as samurai.

The sneak attack was mostly successful, but the bandit leader was able to get on a horse, and without him dead, he could still rally other bandits to plague the villagers. The bandit leader would have gotten away if it wasn't for Jotaro, who managed to knock the bandit right off his horse with a bo staff. When the bandit leader tried taking Jotaro hostage, Jotaro bit the bandit's hand as hard as he could, giving Koji the chance he needed to slay the man. Later, when Jotaro woke up from the whole ordeal, Koji praised the boy's courage, that if it weren't for Jotaro, the bandit chief would have escaped to continue plaguing the villagers, and stated that Jotaro had the heart of a true samurai. The village headman thanked the warriors for their aid and graciously said the village would always welcome them, but Koji declined and turned to Katsuichi: they still had an appointment at Kitanoji Temple.

As Katsuichi and Koji both prepared for their duel, Usagi spoke with his sensei and admitted that he knew a flaw in Koji's technique, but Katsuichi refused to hear it. He had never met a man so clearly devoted to Bushido nor had he ever encountered a finer swordsman and would not enter their duel with an unfair advantage because it would defeat the purpose of their duel. Usagi then sought out Koji as he was purifying himself at a nearby waterfall and beseeched him to cancel the duel. The two of them had helped defend the villagers from bandits and they clearly had great respect for each other, and that there could be no winner to this duel because it would result in the death of one or both of them. Koji stated that the duel was not about winning or losing. As devotees of Bushido, both Katsuichi and Koji have trained for this moment, to see how far their skill had come. He reminded Usagi that the way of the warrior is found in death, and that any true warrior is always prepared for it. But before he left for his duel with Katsuichi, he made a request of Usagi.

The long-awaited rematch at Kitanoji Temple finally commenced. There were no words said between the two sword masters. Usagi couldn't tell which of them would win, they were so evenly matched. For a brief instant, Usagi envisioned the duel ending with both men dying. In a flash, Koji and Katsuichi made their strike at each other, but there was no way to tell who won. After what seemed like forever, Koji fell down dead. Katsuichi showed great respect to Koji, declaring that he died a true samurai, and that there would be no other like him.

Katsuichi, Usagi, Jotaro and Shunji gave Koji a warrior's funeral pyre, lamenting the loss of a man so devoted to Bushido. Jotaro hoped that he would become as great a samurai as Koji was. Usagi then revealed what Koji's earlier request was: that if he did not survive his duel with Katsuichi, he wanted to bequeath his swords to Jotaro. When Jotaro asked why Koji would want that, Usagi answered that it was probably because he saw a kindred spirit in Jotaro, someone who would strive to be a true samurai.

## Fighting Style

Koji was a magnificent swordsman, one of the best that Usagi had ever encountered and one of the few who ever beat him. Before he went on the warrior's pilgrimage, Koji was already recognized as a sword master of one of the eight traditional styles, but it wasn't until he left that behind was his skill truly realized. What set Koji apart from most other swordsman, even Usagi, was that he was always training, always seeking to improve his style and hone his skill by challenging many opponents with live steel. His skill was at such a high level, that in his match with Usagi, the long-eared ronin managed to initially disarm Koji, but the more experienced swordsman was able to clasp Usagi's blade between his hand and throw him to ground, thus leaving him unarmed and defeated. Koji's style exemplified speed, skill and experience against other techniques, which gave him a reputation that was respected and feared by many swordsmen and dojos.

Koji's style did have one flaw, one that he was probably not even aware of: he unconsciously dips his sword slightly whenever he was about to attack. Usagi was the only person to notice this tell, and Katsuichi admitted that foreknowledge of that would have given him a major advantage against Koji.