Street-tier Power Level, Teenage Heroes, Mystic Theme

Shinai

“Drop those stolen goods and flee! Or we’ll both regret what comes next.”

For three years, Ai Watanabe was a villain. She’d touched a cursed katana, said to be made by the legendary sword-smith Muramasa, and became possessed by its dark spirit. Since then, she was the vessel of its vengeance, bringing terror and sorrow to the sword’s enemies and anyone else in her path. And then, thanks to a heroic intervention, she was freed of it.

She tried to find peace at an isolated monastery. There, an observant monk helped her make an important discovery. He’d tossed her a wooden training sword and attacked her. To her great surprise, she was able to expertly block his blows. Three years of wielding a sword at a master’s level had given her almost perfect muscle memory in combat. “Will you do more good in here, or out there?"" the monk had asked her. So she had left, with the wooden sword in hand.

Since then, she has fought street-level villains, henchmen working for corrupt corporations, and other similar enemies. She is an expert sword fighter, as long as she doesn’t think about what she’s doing. Without the magical effects of the cursed blade, she is all too mortal. But she won’t give up, because she’s now possessed by a more powerful curse: her own guilty conscience.

Playing Shinai

Shinai was a confident, carefree girl before the curse. Now, her motivation is to atone for being the vessel of a cursed sword. The best thing for her would be to eventually get over that episode of her life. And even now, as she tries to apologize to the world for actions she didn’t intend, she’s not ready or able to let go just yet.

Shinai is inspired by characters like Cassandra Cain who were molded into weapons by powers beyond their control.

Plots

• Defeat a dishonorable enemy
• Make up for a crime you committed while possessed
• Earn a teammate’s trust

Dialogue

“Stillness, emptiness, the void… Stop overthinking… Come on…”

“My therapist doesn’t approve of this, but it’s still really calming somehow.”

“While you fought me as a villain, I studied the blade… Haha, is that meme already dead? Oh god, forget I said anything.”

Comic Book Panels

Shinai walks calmly toward a gang, sword held in one hand. She focuses on details - anything and everything, from individual gang members’ faces to the sound of distant music. Her sword arm moves unconsciously, blocking every incoming attack.

Shinai needs to leap onto a passing truck. She lacks the confidence to do it herself, seeing what’s ahead of her. She closes her eyes, takes a breath, and leaps - trusting in her body’s instincts.

A friend comes up from behind Shinai. Her instincts turn the sword in her hand automatically, and the point ends an inch or so from the suddenly scared friend’s throat. Shinai turns, realizes what happened, and winces in apologetic shame.

Variations

The Cursed Sword’s Vengeance

• Maybe the Muramasa sword is safely stored somewhere - or maybe it’s not. Does it want its old wielder back, or does it choose a new one, leading to a showdown?
• Perhaps something pushes Ai into seeking the power of the blade again. Maybe pride or deceit convinces her she’s ready to wield it safely.

Other Heroes, Other Villains

• Where is Ai on achieving trust from the heroes who knew her as a vessel for the sword’s curse? Do they still suspect her? Do they want to help her? Do they think she should go back to being a civilian?
• Likewise, are there villains who knew Ai while possessed, and now want that villain back? Are there villains who remember the power she once held, and will stop at nothing to destroy her before she holds it again?

Skill and Tools

• Ai can fight by muscle memory - “wax on, wax off”. But when she tries to think about actually doing something with the sword, she stumbles. Need it always be so? Can she train herself without losing the unconscious, automatic reflexes she has now?
• Might Ai decide to augment herself with other weapons, tools, and superhero kit like grappling hooks? How far will she go to make up for what her old self did?