My mother always told me that everyone has a guardian angel; you just need to find it. I always thought it was just a story…I guess I was wrong…

In the rural mountains was a village. A small village that was, unlike most mountain villages, surrounded in sakura blossom trees. It was believed that the town and its people were protected by an ‘angel’ that the towns people named ‘One who protects’ or ‘Ichigo’. This ‘Ichigo’ was worshiped by everyone on the mountain...Until something happened that changed their lives forever...

“My angel! Why have you forsaken me?” Azmaria cried out before drowning into tears. She was surrounded by the remains of her family and friends. It was to her as if her ‘Ichigo’ had given up on her and her village...

From that day on, Azmaria was a lone traveller, without a family or profession; she was a wandering angel hunter. She had changed a lot in five years... Her hazel brown hair had faded to raven black, her midnight blue eyes became ghostly grey, bright frilly dresses were replaced with a flowing red cape that covered her entire body and the biggest change of all... She grew to hate everyone and everything...

January 25th 1997

The sun was slowly rising on the untamed desert... A small crimson streamed into the cracked earth... An angel lay limp, dying and wingless on the dusty ground, using every millimetre of strength it had to try and escape from Azmaria’s grasp...
“It’s worthless you fool... The more you resist, the quicker I send you to hell where you belong.” He at that moment lay still in fear,
“Now tell me... Where is the one named ‘Ichigo’?” She spat at him disrespectfully,
“I’m not telling you-“Azmaria had lost her patience, her Kanata drew close to the fallen angel’s throat... She couldn’t stand seeing ‘that thing’ alive any longer... His throat was slit... She then faded into the sunrise...

“Damn... None of these fucking angels know where ‘Ichigo’ is!” She complained to herself as she walked away from the angel’s bloody corpse. Her eyes flustered with frustration, but she walked on... Not knowing who or what was behind her...

Night slowly came to life; the cracked mud grew to be a slight blue that was when Azmaria caught it. Her bloodshot eyes fixed on a silhouette of a small feline on a nearby dying tree. Then, she yet again, lost control of her instincts, drew her sword and went for the shadow. Flash. The shadow reformed. No longer a cat... but a human... Azmaria threateningly bared her teeth, trying to intimidate her opponent. There was a sudden pause. She knew who this was...  It was the ‘Ichigo’ she was looking for...