Chapter 1

## The First Key

**Chapter 1** is titled "The First Key".

## Short Summary

Daruma, the first disciple of Yasha and second-generation head of the Kongo-Yasha Style, is a Samurai on the mission to find the seven keys to open Pandora's Box in order to save the galaxy. He meets a feeble and disabled boy named Hachimaru who wishes to be a Samurai but has to remain tethered to a huge life support machine at all times. However, the two run into a criminal Samurai, and the ensuing fight, causes the young Hachimaru's life to change forever.

## Long Summary

Somewhere in the galaxy, Yasha entrusts Daruma, the second generation head of the Kongo-Yasha Style and her student, with a mission. He is tasked with seeking out Pandora's Box - a powerful object once owned by the war god Fudo Myo-o - and the seven Keys which will open it. He is to use the power of the Box to save the galaxy.

During a clash between an unknown samurai and Daruma, who is known across the stars as the Wandering Lone Wolf who travels with his Komainu holder, the unknown samurai praises Daruma for destroying his Komusubi-rank holder with such ease. Both samurai summon their armor from their holders and prepare to attack with their true weapons. The head-on battle between the two samurai ends as Daruma uses a reckless attack to defeat the unknown samurai, who turns out to be one of the seven keys needed to open Pandora's Box.

The battle is revealed to be a VR game being played by Hachimaru, who almost breaks his arm celebrating his win. He is a feeble and sickly boy who has spent his life tethered to a huge life support system, and would not survive long if disconnected from it. He has to feed on a liquid diet and has to get a regular IV therapy. Because of this, Hachimaru has never been outside of his home and spends his time playing video games on Galaxynet. He has an AI pet holder dog (which was originally a cat) named Hayataro. Hachimaru's father has always taken care of him and presents him an arm with a retractable cane inside it to assist in walking. Now he is working on a mobile life support system for Hachimaru, so he can go outside his house, and just needs one single remaining part before it's completion.

To get that part known as a Locker Ball - small stars created and left behind by Fudo-myo-o - Hachimaru's father cuts a deal with a Ronin. He takes 200 million yen to his mark to purchase the Locker Ball. During their meeting, the Ronin notices that Hachimaru's father possesses a key that seals the Samurai Soul of Dojikiri Takatsuna, a legendary katana known as Bloodsucker. Since a Samurai Soul is the true weapon of a samurai, the Ronin decides it is valuable enough to renege on the deal. Using his cybernetics, he accesses Hachimaru's father's memories to locate the Bloodsucker Soul, which according to him is worth more than 2 billion yen. It turns out that Hachimaru's heart is being powered by the energy of the katana, so the Ronin sets out to find Hachimaru.

Meanwhile, Hachimaru is trying to play fetch with Hayataro. The Holder accidentally fetches a large daruma doll instead of the ball he threw. Since daruma dolls are considered a lucky charm, Hachimaru draws an eyeball on it and wishes for his father's safety, to become strong. It turns out that the daruma doll is actually the samurai Daruma himself, currently blind and trapped in a robot cat body. During the conversation, Daruma shows his interest in Hachimaru but also declares that it is impossible for Hachimaru to become a samurai with such weak physique. Suddenly, the Ronin attacks, but Daruma expertly counterattacks. Daruma reveals to Hachimaru that the fight between him and the unknown samurai was in fact part of a game he uploaded on Galaxynet to inspire youngsters to become samurai and then seek them out. Hachimaru is the eighth who Daruma has met in person who has played the game. Realizing the situation he is in, the Ronin threatens both Daruma and Hachimaru with Hachimaru's father's life and cowardly attacks Daruma with a projectile weapon installed in his holder.

To remove the samurai soul Dojikiri Takatsuna, Hachimaru's heart needs to be stopped, so the Ronin agrees to free Hachimaru's father if the boy commits seppuku. Without a second thought, Hachimaru bids his father a brief farewell and stabs himself with a blade. The Ronin claims the legendary katana, but Hachimaru then receives the blessing of Fudo Myo-o and gains Sanrinshin, the threefold body of a samurai. Everyone is confounded by the development, and Daruma uses the distraction to guide Hachimaru in turning a damaged Hayataro into a Holder. Hachimaru then challenges the Ronin, and Daruma destroys the Ronin's Samurai Armor to allow him to damage his opponent. Hachimaru then uses the technique he learned from Daruma's game and defeats the Ronin, turning him back into a Locker Ball in the process. Finally, Hachimaru's wish came true as he successfully protected his father and became a samurai. That evening, Daruma looks to the stars, silently telling his master he has finally found one of the Keys, with only six remaining to find.

## Fights and Events

* Daruma Vs Hanaichi (Video Game)
* Ronin Vs Daruma (Ronin's Win)
* Hachimaru Vs Ronin (Hachimaru's Win)

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Fudo Myo-o (portrayal)
* Yasha
* Daruma
* Hanaichi
* Hachimaru
* Hayataro
* Hachimaru's Father
* Ronin

## Terms

* Samurai Calling
* Pandora's Box
* Warrior God Fudo Myo-o
* Seven Keys
* Mind's Eye
* Unnamed Samurai
* Unnamed Samurai Holder
* Komusubi Rank Holder
* Great Yasha
* Second Generation Head of the Kongo-Yasha Style
* The Wandering Lone Wolf
* Lion-Dog Holder
* Bushido
* Samurai Honor
* Samurai Courage
* Hachimaru
* Hachimaru's Father
* Hayataro
* Pet Holder
* Bushi
* Bushi Legion
* Locker Ball
* Unnamed Ronin
* Unnamed Holder Horse
* Lawless Bushi
* Seppuku
* Samurai
* Fudo Myo-o, The Shooting Star
* Sleep Mode
* Key
* Soul
* Daruma
* Samurai Soul
* Dojikiri Takatsuna
* Kongo-Yasha Style: Pack Whirlwind
* Initiate of the Kongo-Yasha Style
* Galactic Net
* Hachimaru is the eight person that Daruma found
* Takatsuna
* Blood Sucker
* Threefold Body
* Samurai Armor