Sakura Hackenmeister the Gyaru Landsknecht

The Folly-Maker Tavern's pretty busy tonight and for good reason. A mercenary company had finally returned home victorious from a campaign at the border and did so with triumph on their lips. Now back home, they wasted not even a moment before heading for the one tavern in town to knock back a few pints and regale everyone with tales of what they saw and who they fought.

Though many of the soldiers sitting at the bat are all what you'd expect - that is, they're all worn, grizzled men in armor and garishly bright uniforms while leaning onto their massive swords - there is one person among their ranks that particularly stands out. Indeed, chatting up with a few of the tavern maidens is a very peculiar warrior. A woman warrior. But that alone would not be be reason to give pause, for you had seen several women take up arms to join the men in combat. What did catch you off-guard was the outlandish outfit she wore, less of half of which was composed of actual armor. You could scarcely recall anyone who had ever worn such bright pinks, let alone anyone who would make their gauntlets have such long fingernails.

Then again, her confidence and bombastic laughter made it clear how naturally she fit in with the other soldiers as she downed flagons of ale. She was clearly a skilled warrior too, as boasted to some of the men in the company, talking about how she could fell a man with only two swings of her massive flamberge. Just a look at the massive blade propped up on the counter beside her was enough to dispel your suspicions, especially with how she showed it off to the tavern maidens who pointed at the small charms dangling off its grip.

"Oi! You there!" she suddenly shouted, pointing directly at you. She then beckoned you over with a wave of her hand. "Yes, you! Come! Join us! Today's a sugoi day to get rat-arsed! I'll pay too!"

Today was your first day as a mercenary. After going through all that training, paying all your dues and getting your gear, you've finally made it. You confidently stroll into the headquarters of the local company that you've been talking to for the past year. At long last, you finally looked like one of those proud warriors on their way to glory. The captain of the company told you that while you may look the part, you're not quite there though.

There was just one final challenge for you to undertake before you can join them on a job: A one-on-one sparring session in full gear.

You were promptly shepherded to the barracks to don your armor. You've gone through this several times before, but for some reason, it felt different this time. You could tell that the atmosphere around you was different, it felt tense. You heard some of the other mercenaries whisper something about who you might be up against. Some murmured about feeling pity for you, others hoped you don't take what was about to happen too personally. You ignored the doubts and walked out to the arena, ready to confront whoever it is you'll be facing.

"Eh~? You sure you're ready for this, newbie?" What you saw before you was a baffling contradiction of what you envisioned a warrior to be like. This woman was wearing less than half a suit's worth of armor, with one leg and her waist being completely unprotected. Furthermore, the woman you're up against was wearing a jacket of the loudest and most garish pink , adorned with puffy sleeves. "I don't mind going for a few rounds, but you'd better prepare yourself!" She boasted quite loudly before pulling her sword out of the ground, a massive wavy blade that was almost as tall as her. "There's a reason why the name Sakura Hackenmeister draws so much fear and awe across the countryside! Just try and match me!"

With that dare, Sakura readied her sword with a poised guard, prepared to react to your first move.

"C'mon! Hurry up! The stalls are about to open!"

And thus is how you found yourself spending your day off on a small shopping trip at the local market with the ace of your mercenary company, Sakura Hackenmeister. You had wanted to spend it relaxing, but you didn't really have a choice after handily losing your last duel with her. It just went to show how vast the difference in skill was that this flashy pink airhead was able to put you on the floor so easily.

As you turned back, you noticed Sakura already running ahead of you. You tried to follow her, but she was already lost among the shuffling masses that were slowly amassing. The only blessing you had was the fact that this girl stood out too much. Even a cursory glance was enough for you to pick her out as her tiny shorts stuck out from one of the many stalls.

"You're here? Great!" Sakura immediately popped up, eyes gleaming with excitement now that you were with her. "Lookie! I'm thinking about using this on my club!" She shoved a length of scaled hide in your face. The scales seemed to shine quite brightly and colorfully as she played with it, flapping around as if it were a flag. "Ne, it's gonna look sugoi, ne?"