Hello, people of this fair town! I am sure many of you have heard the tale of Momotaro, the Peach Boy who charged into the Shadowlands and defeated many oni and plundered great riches before traveling home. He was strong and virtuous. Unbeatable and uncorruptable! Well, today I will tell the tale of a boy very much unlike the Momotaro we know and love, and we will call him Momo-kun. This is the tale of "Momo-kun and the Black Blade."

Now, Momo-kun was a hot-headed and competetive child, and this wouldn't be terrible for a young boy if it didn't grow worse as he grew older and stronger. Well, one day Momo-kun met a young lion and befriended it. This wasn't a normal friendship, however, as he would constantly challenge the lion to wrestling matches!

At first, they were evenly matched, and able to compete with one another fairly. It wasn't long, however, until the young lion grew much larger, its mane grown long and its claws sharp.

Feeling desperate, Momo-kun sought out power, a sharp claw of his very own! It was at this time that he wandered into tainted lands and came across a blade of pure darkness embedded in a great lump of obsidian.

"Grasp me and wield power beyond the strength of men," it called out to him.

And so Momo-kun took it in his hands and with surprisingly little effort pulled it right from the stone! It was at this moment that darkness entered him, using the cracks and flaws of his heart as entry. Where before he was merely headstrong and reckless, he was now hateful and vindictive. Even so, Momo-kun was still in control of himself with his sense of reason.

He sought out the lion and challenged it to one final duel, and the lion complied. The battle was fierce, but did not last long, as the lion soon struck a mortal blow upon Momo-kun's head. It was then that his reason was knocked out of his head.

He became a beast without reason and a heart of darkness, ravenous for blood, and more than willing to shed it with his black blade!