Back when I was training on my own in Colorado to become the most powerful fighter in the world, I met a mysterious Black American man named Luke. Even though he was an American, Luke was fluent in Japanese and an expert at katana and shuriken. That’s right: Luke was a ninja.
I was only twelve at the time, and didn’t know much about this world. At first, I was convinced that there could be no ninjas in America. Of course, that was just my ignorance talking. There are many ninjas hidden in America, too. I discovered this through fighting them and witnessing their true strength.
I had moved into Luke’s house (a cave somewhere in the Rockies) and dedicated myself to my training, day in and day out. Since Luke was a modern-day ninja master, his training was brutal. I remember numerous occasions when I had nearly given up. Every time I was close to giving up, he would gently tap me on the shoulder and cheer me up by free stylin’ to some sick beats. That’s right: Luke was also a gangsta rapper.
Three years later, having learned the true meaning of fighting and how to drop sick rhymes from Luke, I returned to Japan. Before I left, this is what Luke said to me: “Shimocchi, you’re a good writer. Why don’t you write a novel about fightin’ one day? I’m sure you’ll win an award for it.” I took it as a joke at the time... but it turned out to be true. I’m thinking about flying to Colorado soon to thank Luke, my mentor, in person.
That reminds me. I can’t forget about Isekai Tensei Publishing. Throughout my writing process for WATARU, I have referenced some publications by this company in order to nail the realism of combat. I couldn’t have done this without them. I have listed these references at the end of each chapter. They’ll make for interesting reads, I’m sure of it.
There are plenty of other people I need to thank. My editor, who patiently read through and annotated my completely bonkers manuscript. RELUCY, who drew my off-the-walls characters. And, of course, my Dear Readers who are reading this postscript right now. Look forward to more adventures of Wataru and company.
—Simotti