Honoring his family name was never enough for Kazan Yamaoka. He wanted to surpass his father’s reputation and end what he saw as the thinning of samurai culture with farmers often posing as samurai.
His father tried to turn Kazan’s attention to more noble pursuits, but Kazan refused to heed his advice, and borrowing his father’s katana, he embarked on a dark pilgrimage to prove his worth and rid Japan of imposters.
Ignoring the code that had been taught to him, Kazan killed imposters in the hills and the valleys, on the beaches and in the woodland. He humiliated farmers and warriors alike, yanking off their topknots and stripping them of their armor.
His rage, bloodlust and perverse sense of honor knew no bounds. Monks believed he was possessed by something dark and otherworldly and cursed him while a noble lord began to call him ‘Oni-Yamaoka,’ the rageful Samurai, an insult both to Kazan and his family.
Determined to redeem his family’s nam...
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