~Time Skip to the Next Day~

(Her whole attire: h, t, t, p, s : / / data . whic dn . ("com") / images / 197030245 / super thumb . jpg ? t = 1441098591)

'It's 5 in the morning and only a few are up…but I have yet to meet all the Touken Danshi. I haven't consumed anything...'

I stood in the dojo, waiting for them to arrive.

"…I wonder is there's any coffee here? I at least need that in my stomach."

"You should eat properly," a voice behind said.

I turned around, unsheathing my Jian and point it at…Okurikara's throat…then I let it down.

He was holding a slice of a peach.

"Oh..it's just you," I sighed out. "Is that for me?"

He nodded, then stuffed the fruit in my mouth.

I felt my cheeks heat up, "..Ahm mah gah!" I shouted slightly as I chewed the peach, covering my lips with my hands. ''This..is delicious…"

(She yelled "Oh my God!")

"What's your favorite fruit?" he asked me.

"Carambola.."

Okurikara looked away for a few seconds, then looked back at me. "Though that's usually grown in Southeast Asia, I can try."

I smiled, "Thank you; that's so kind."

I turned back around, waiting for the others to arrive.

"So..you're the sword of a woman warrior?"

"…Who told you that?"

"Kogitsunemaru."

A vein popped on my right cheek, "…Does everyone here know?"

"Yes…I'm assuming you didn't want that information to get out."

"No, I did not…" I sighed. "But I have to deal with the now, so oh, well…"

Feeling something tug on my kimono, I looked down to see a child…or Touken Otokonoko.

("Otokonoko" means "boy" in Japanese.)

"Whoooah! I thought they were lying when they said the Sensei is a woman! I guess they weren't," the red head child said excitedly.

I smiled, "I know it's strange for a woman to teach a bunch men to fight—Lord only knows why the Master gave me such a task *sigh*—but I will try my very best...?"

"Aizen Kunitoshi, Sensei!" he introduced, grinning widely.

"It's nice to meet you, Aizen. Please, call m..e Jia. I hope to get along with you, and please, take care of me."

"She's nicer than I thought. I'm unsure why Kashuu was rambling on about her being scary," I heard a familiar voice to which I turned my head to the owner of the voice, then gently smiled.

"Oh..good morning, Kuninaga," I greeted him.

"How are you getting used to the Citadel?" he asked me with a grin.

"Well..I am still adjusting. Everyone seems so lively, it's something I'm not really used to," I told him.

He took a step closer, "Is that so?" He leaned down to me right ear, "I understand it's flustering to be given a sudden position, but I believe you can handle it. You're a very strong woman from what I heard from Jiji," he whispered, then leaned back.

'Jiji? Doesn't that mean "Grandpa" in Japanese, I think…*Sigh* How come I never addressed that with Etsuko?..But she wasn't wrong about the "grand" part…and I believe he's referring to Mikazuki.'

He took a step back, "And you look exquisite!"

I looked at myself. "I suppose so. I's been so long since I wore such traditional clothing..despite festivals and being required to wear certain clothing in different countries. They're all unique in their own way."

Grabbing my cell from withing my kimono's right sleeve, I checked my notifications to see my package was almost here..well, nearby...

"This is her?" a new voice joined us.

"Yep," Kuninaga responded.

I looked up to see a very tall man, smiling down at me.

"Good morning, Miss Jia, it's nice to meet you," he spoke, bowing his head.

I stared up at him in awe, eyes nearly sparkling, "Oh..um..yes, it's nice to meet you, too...?"

"Ishikirimaru, Miss Jia," he introduced.

"...oh..." was my only comment.

I felt an arm sling around to my right shoulder and I looked up to my left, seeing Kiyo with an amused grin.

I narrowed my eyes, "...I dislike you right now," I said in a deep, trembling tone.

"Aww, you know you really love me~," he mused as he pulled me closer to him.

A groan sounded in my throat, "That..was a loooong..time ago..." I mumbled as I rolled my eyes.

"Say what now?" Kuninaga questioned, getting in between us, grinning.

"It's nothing," I said in a normal tone.

"Jia!" I heard my name being called repeatedly from different approaching voices.

Looking ahead, I saw the Toshiro little ones running pass the other Touken Danshi towards me.

Kuninaga intentionally—I could tell with that grin on his lips—pushed me forward by my back, which ended up in the little ones pouncing on me and me falling backwards.

"Good morning!" they all greeted me.

"U-Um..good morning.." I greeted unsteadily.

"What are you gonna teach us?!" Akito chirped.

"I..."

"Oh! Some kind of Chinese martial arts, I bet!" Midare shouted.

"Well..."

"I don't think so. Maybe the kinds of swords the Chinese use," Yagen queried.

"T-To be honest, I..."

"Alright, alright, give the lady some room to stand," I heard a familiar voice say gently.

I looked up to see the young man from before...the same one who walked in on that accidental disaster earlier yesterday.

He lent a hand to me and I grabbed it with my right one, he pulled me up..a little too fast...and into his grasp, resulting in me letting out a quiet "oomph".

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks warm up, and gave a tiny smile, "You're..so strong..."

Feeling myself be pulled back by my right arm, I glanced back to see Kiyo to which I internally sighed at his...over-protection of me.

I frowned at Kiyo, "Hmph."

"So what we hear is true? There really is a woman here, Nagasone," a new voice spoke, a man with light purple hair and faint green eyes approached me. "My name is Hachisuka Kotetsu."

"Nagasone Kotetsu," another one with black and orange hair in a wild style introduced as well.

I smiled, "Jia Hua. Nice to meet you both."

Hachisuka leaned down to my height, "And you're really cute."

"Cute? Me? Wish my age said the same," I mumbled, looking away from two newcomers.

"Your age does say the same, but cute may not be the word, more like..gorgeous. The ancient artifacts are gorgeous in the past, present, and future," a young man with long green hair tied in a ponytail complimented.

"What a nice way to put it, Nikkari," Ishikirimaru spoke.

"Woah, no one's..ever said that something like that to me before. Thank you," I said with a shy smile.

He grasped my right hand, leaning down to kiss it, "A beautiful woman should know she's always cherished. Aoe Nikkari, ma'am."

I lightly blushed, "A-A gentleman, too..."

"Don't be fooled, young woman. As soon as he befriends you, he'll lean on your back for self-comfort. My name is Kanesada Kasen by the way, hon."

Ni..kkari leaned up, looking back with an offended face, "I would never do such a thing, Kanesada. I don't think she can handle my weight anyway, and don't try to give her a bad impression of me."

"I know your inten-!"

I lifted this Nikkari over my right shoulder, hand resting on his waist.

"Please, don't underestimate my strength."

"A strong woman indeed. You were right, Yamabushi."

Am abrupt flash went off, which blinded me for a moment, making me nearly drop Nikkari, but I kept a firm grip on him.

"Wow! So majestic! Hm..? Oh! Sorry about that!" spoke a young man with a..camera? in his hands.

I let Nikkari, who seemed dizzy, slide down to his feet. "N-No, it's fine," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"The others are on a mission and taking care of morning chores, so you'll meet them later. Try to not panic if they act differently around you," Kiyo whispered in my left ear and I gave a slight nod. "Jia won't train us until we're used to her being here. since she is a woman."

I bowed my head, "Well, it is nice to meet most of you. As you know, I am Jia Hua, and the Master assigned me as your teacher to train you better to fight the Retrograde Army. I hope to work well with you all, and please take care of me."

~Tiny Time Skip~

[Arriving in 5 minutes...]

Running out of my room, I curved the halls like a race car, passing by startled faces, then ran out the shrine, up the hill to the "cherry blossom" tree and down a dirt road.

I ran to the nearest home―that's abandoned―where I told where I live.

Coming up to a small wooden hut on a green-brown grass hill, I saw an approaching truck.

I let out a loud huff, glad to know I made it in time.

"Miss Hua, ma'am?" the deliverer asked after shutting down the engine.

I nodded with a smile, "Yes."

He got out with a box under his arm and a clipboard in the other.

"Here you go, ma'am," he spoke with a smile, handing me the clipboard first.

I signed my name...

"If I may say, ma'am, you're too beautiful to be living in a place like this."

I gave the clipboard to the young man with a smile, taking the box into my arms.

"You assumin' I'm broke, son?" I asked in a country accent.

The reason why I did that is because I learned that a common dialect in Kyoto is kansai. Also, the Citadel is basically in the middle of nowhere.

"Ah, no, no! I was complimenting your beauty...and I know we just met, but I would to ask to you-"

"Ah-ah-ah~," I mused. "I know that trick, boy, no need to sweet talk me or embarrass yo'self," I said casually before chuckling. "First of all, thank ya for the compliment. Second of all, no thank ya to the "date". Third of all, I'm twice yo age, boy," I calmly pushed him away.

He stood there, shocked as I made my way back to the Citadel, content.

I shook the box a little to hear if what I bought was worth my time staying up a little later after eating dinner late at night. That was useless because of the weight, which wasn't too heavy to me, the deliverer's a different story on the other hand.

The things I ordered were just bedroom decoration and feminine products: cocoa butter body wash, peach shampoo and conditioner, ocean water deodorant, deep red lipstick, mascara, palette of eye shadows, Arabian lamp, 4 books about Japanese culture and language, a kimono and qui-pao for daily an nightly wear-the one I'm wearing now was made by Kuninaga, porcelain Chinese teacups, oracle bone scrolls, 80cm x 65cm mural of the Forbidden City―what it used to look like during Empress Ru-Yi's time.

I stepped up on the wooden outlet, trying to balance myself...but eventually found myself falling back.

About to brace myself, I was caught in firm arms, and I looked up and back to see..an even taller man?!

"Are you al—!"

He seemed alarmed and nearly dropped me again to which I held pushed myself forward, lightly landing myself on the box that was kinda hard to mess up.

"S-Sorry, ma'am!"

I turned my head back to see the tall young man bowing. "It's alright, sir. I think it's understandable why a woman is not seen around here."

He leaned up...Damn, his head almost touched the ceiling...

"True...and there was another reason..why I almost..dropped you. May I ask who you are?"

I turned around, getting back up on my feet, making a small smirk at his quiet embarrassed reaction—avoiding eye contact with me with red cheeks—and coming to the conclusion that this was the other reason.

'Cleavage, huh?'

"My name is Jia Hua. I believe you are most likely one of the Touken Danshi that went on a mission late last night, that's why you weren't here this morning at this morning's greetings and introductions. Basically, I am your sensei, combat training the Touken Danshi."

He seemed shocked, then tilted his head to the right a little with a hand on his chin.

"But you're a woman...?"

"Tarou! You should know that appearances can be deceiving! Maybe this woman can teach a thing or two!" a man, who popped out from behind the taller man, shouted.

"Like the art of-" I whipped my fan out from my right sleeve and raised it to my nose, squinting my eyes, "-seduction~?"

The two's faces turned red and I held back a chuckle. "It's nice meeting you, Jiroutachi~, Taroutachi~."

~Tiny Time Skip~

I scrolled through my the trending news and topics...

"*Gasp* They finally...yes... Yes. YES, YES! FREAKING KISS!"

Unfortunately, another character walked in the main character's bedroom...

I hyped down and kept scrolling with a disappointed look...

"Why am I alive again...?" I wondered monotonously.

"Because Master summoned you," a voice behind me spoke.

Turning my head, I saw a boy..with a sheet over his head cascading down his body...? and another one with a mask over his mouth..as well as a small fox on his shoulder.

"Hi," I gave my greetings casually.

"..."

"..."

I blinked, 'Two silent ones, huh. Speak only when it's necessary.'

Standing up, I put my phone in my left sleeve, then turned around to smile and bow my head.

"You must already know who I am so I don't think there's any need for introductions on my behalf." I leaned my head up, "What are your names?"

"Naki..." the one with a mask quietly mumbled.

'So me getting Tokyo Ghoul vibes from you were right...?'

"Nakigitsune."

'Oh...should've let him finished.'

"And I'm...Yamanbagiri Kunihiro."

"It's nice to meet you both. I hope we can get alo-"

The fox on Nakigitsune's shoulder jumped off and ran towards me to which I looked down at it in confusion.

Somehow, someway, it crawled up my clothing quickly and perched itself on my right shoulder.

"...um, did I do something?"

Nakigitsune shook his head, "He likes you."

'What qi was I giving off in order for him to like me? Usually, an animal has to sniff you to choose whether it likes you or not.'

I smiled, "Adorable," I mumbled, petting its head. "From what I understand, foxes, whether good or evil, are sly in Japanese legends."

"And dragons mean promise in Chinese culture," ... spoke.

I glanced up from the fox to him, smirking, "Correct."

Feeling a presence sneak up behind me, I set the small fox down before doing a back flip and wrapping my arms around his neck and hooked my legs around his waist.

"Kiyo~," I whined. "Don't sneak up on me. If you were trying to hurt me, you would've been dead."

"Because I know who you are, I won't underestimate that...Miss Ninja~," he teased.

"What do you want?" I huffed, letting go of him in which he turned around to face me.

"The Master requests your presence."

I put on a pout, "What did I do wrong now...?" I groaned as I stepped back up on the wooden outlet.

~Tiny Time Skip~

While on my way to the Master's quarters, I happen to run into Yamatonokami.

"Oh, s-sorry, Miss Jia."

I waved him off, "No need for an apology. I was the one who should've been looking where I was going."

"Where to?"

"Master's quarters. I figured they're only calling me because I did something else wrong, lecture me, and put me on another punishment."

He lightly laughed, "Master isn't that cruel."

"I'd beg to differ," I chuckled out. "Wanna come with me?"

He nodded, "Sure."

~Small Time Skip~

Yasusada and I sat across from each other, staring at the chabudai where my box of bedroom appliances are in.

"...It's almost evening. Maybe we..we should..sleep on this tonight..and think about it tomorrow...?" Yamatonokami suggested.

"Ye-..yeah, you're ri-ght..." I spoke in a cracked tone, then attempted a smile..an uneasy one, but it's a smile. "To get our minds off of it, do you want to help me decorate my room?"

He made a small smile, "Sure."

When we both got up, I grabbed my short sword off the small table, I decided to ask him the question as I cut the box open.

"Promise me. Promise me you won't tell anybody about this..Yasusada."

"I promise...Jia."

And through this small conversation, we gained some kind of trustworthy respect and friendship.