Chapter 6

## Samurai of Fate

**Chapter 6** is titled "Samurai of Fate".

## Short Summary

Daruma begins Hachimaru's training with a lecture, and has to deal with his student's aversion to listening. Meanwhile, the Samurai guardian of the planet is made aware that a Locker Ball from one of his Princesses in training has been used without permission.

## Long Summary

Rejuvenated by the fight with the guards, Daruma is ready to start teaching Hachimaru, the gets annoyed when Hachimaru start kissing up to him. Moving on, he starts by explaining the Trinity, exposing his key to create a screen for visual aid. He explains that Samurai are not meant to be strong on their own. To harness a Samurai's full power, they must have a Key Holder and a Princess. He continues explaining, but Hachimaru ignores him and begins exposing his Key for fun. Daruma gets upset at his ignorance and begin hissing at him, a side effect of his cat body he finds embarrassing as a dog-themed Samurai. Despite his flimsy attention span, Hachimaru understands Daruma's explanation.

Daruma continues his lecture, explaining that a Key Holder recognizes whoever is wielding its Handle Bone as their partner and master: the Bone represents their connection. Before Daruma can move on, Hachimaru gets distracted again, but Daruma does not get upset this time. Getting back on topic, Hachimaru asks how he will find his Princess, and Daruma tells him that their paths will cross one day. His next question is why he needs a Princess to get strong, and Daruma explains that he doesn't *get* stronger through his Princess: the desire to protect someone a Princess provides makes a Samurai **try** to get stronger. That drive is known as a Samurai's "heroism."

Daruma ends his lecture and moves on to training with the Handle Bone, which gets Hachimaru excited. First, he has Hachimaru pull out his Samurai Soul, and explains that ordinary sword mean nothing compared to it. Hachimaru is confused when it doesn't become a blade automatically, so Daruma clarifies: the Handle Bone is what turns the Samurai into a blade. By bringing the two together and giving a command, it will change shape. He follows the instructions, but his Soul forms a limp, bent shape. Daruma tells him that everyone fails on the first try, but his student is still too impatient.

Daruma warns that just being a Samurai does not mean everything will come easily, then asks why he wants to train at all. He says that he wants his dad to admit that he is strong, so he can travel without fear. Daruma easily reads between the lines: he is worried about his father and wants to protect him. Daruma asks what his plan is after that happens, and he tells him he wants to one day be like Fudo Myo-o. Daruma tries to explain that Samurai are bound by tradition to protect Princesses, but Hachimaru cuts him off, upsetting his master again. He then asks if he knows *why* they protect Princesses. Hachimaru gives a half-baked answer, and Daruma simply tells him he'll understand one day. Hachimaru asks about his Princess, but his master refuses to talk about it. Daruma asks Hachimaru who his strength meant to serve. He responds that he can protect his father, but has no interest in protecting a Princess unless she proves to be attractive and perfect. Daruma tries explaining the foolishness of his beliefs, but he gets cut off again.

Meanwhile, aboard a massive Garuda Holder orbiting the planet, an elderly Princess named Sa begins laughing, drawing the attention of her Samurai. She tells him that she is remembering when they first met. He asks why she is remembering that all of a sudden, and she explains that a new Samurai has been born from the bottom of the barrel, like he was. Realizing she was using her *Farsight* ability, he asks whose Locker Ball was used, and Sa tells him that one of their young trainees lost theirs. Upset that it wasn't reported, he demands the girl's name.

At Akagi Castle, Ann, a young Princess in training, is being scolded by her friend Yoko for losing her Locker Ball. When asked where she saw it last, Ann says that she used it a a weight for a pickling jar. Yoko is confounded that she would be so careless with what is basically her "future boyfriend." Ann has always been single, so the gravity is still lost on her. Yoko warns her that the ritual to activate the Ball could happen without her present. Her Samurai could turn out to be a villain, an old man, or even a nerd with glasses. Ann believes that because she has a wide strike zone, things will still be alright. See her friend's optimism, she concedes, telling her she has been warned things could go badly. However, the only thing that matters to Ann is that her Samurai be able to handle her talkative side.

Back at the training ground, Daruma is explaining a Princess' role: they have the power to sense Locker Balls - also called *Planet Crystals* - buried within a planet. Since a Princess finds Locker Ball, which create Samurai, Princesses are the source of the power that protects planets. He stops to make sure Hachimaru is still listening, the continues. A unique power binds a Princess to one Samurai, and only this pairing can create a true hero.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Hachimaru
* Hayataro
* Daruma
* Karuraten
* Princess Sa
* Mujin
* Ann
* Yoku