Kiyose

Kiyose grew up in a small, desolate village where the land was barren and life was a relentless struggle against hunger and despair. His family's farm, though meager, was their only source of sustenance. But the soil was poor, and the crops barely grew, leaving them at the mercy of the local baron’s oppressive taxes. The baron’s demands were cruel, and the villagers lived under constant threat of starvation or worse. Kiyose’s father, a stern but loving man, had always insisted that his son learn the art of sword fighting. "Focus on your swordsmanship," he would say as they trained each day. "You'll understand the reason one day." But Kiyose had no love for the sword or for the harsh life they lived. He dreamed of a world beyond their suffering, where he wouldn’t have to fight just to survive. Yet his father’s determination never wavered, and Kiyose continued to train, though he never understood why. As the years passed, the baron’s tyranny grew unbearable. The villagers, taxed beyond their means, began to starve, their meager crops taken to fill the baron’s coffers. Resentment turned to anger, and whispers of rebellion spread like wildfire. When Kiyose turned 15, the village reached its breaking point. The men, led by Kiyose’s father, formed a peasant mob to take back their freedom. But the baron was prepared. His knights and soldiers crushed the rebellion with ruthless efficiency, slaughtering the villagers and burning the village to the ground. Kiyose watched in horror as everything he had ever known was destroyed in an instant. His father’s final words echoed in his mind as he fled into the woods, clutching the sword his father had left him. “You’ll understand the reason one day.” In the aftermath, Kiyose’s hatred for the nobility festered, turning him into a bitter and vengeful young man. With nothing left to lose, he took to the roads as a bandit, targeting the wealthy and noble. He raided caravans, attacked estates, and spared no one who bore the mark of nobility. Kiyose became notorious, feared by the very people who had once ruled over him. For two years, he lived as an outlaw, embracing the darkness within him. But his crimes eventually caught up with him. At the age of 17, he was arrested by the baron’s soldiers and thrown into a cold, damp cell. For a year, he rotted in prison, his hatred only growing stronger. The day of his execution drew near, and he was resigned to meet his end at the gallows. But fate had other plans. Just as he was about to be led to his death, the kingdom was besieged by an invading army. The castle fell into chaos as the attackers breached the walls, and in the confusion, Kiyose managed to escape. He fled into the night, determined to leave his past behind and start anew. To hide his identity, Kiyose adopted a new name and carefully crafted a new persona. He dyed part of his hair, changed his haircut, and shed his old identity like a discarded skin. He vowed to stay hidden, biding his time until he could seek revenge against those who had wronged him. Now, with a new face and a new name, Kiyose walks among the people once more, no longer the boy who dreamed of escape, but a man hardened by hatred and loss. Though he wears a mask of civility, the fire of vengeance still burns within him, and he knows that one day, he will make the nobles pay for what they did to him and his village.