Kanoru's sword, enveloped in wind, sliced cleanly through a tree trunk. The tree remained upright until he walked to the other side and gave it a push—only then did it fall.
Behind him, Ryohi asked, "Do we need to cut more?"
Kanoru replied, "I don't know. Until the construction is finished, I can't say." then added, "But for today, this will do."
A loud crash interrupted them as another tree fell nearby.
Ryohi turned and shouted, "Akozo, stop! No more trees for today!"
Kanoru gazed toward the forest, waiting for the lower-ranked samurai to return. When they first arrived to cut trees, they realized no one had brought axes. After a quick discussion, he, Ryohi, and Akozo—who could wield the power of wind—decided to fell the trees with their swords, ensuring the blades wouldn't be damaged. Meanwhile, he had sent the lower-ranked samurai into the forest to hunt.
Kanoru glanced at the pile of dead beasts—rabbits, boars, and birds already gathered. They had agreed not to rely solely on the village's food supply. One of the samurai had come across a herd of deer, and upon hearing this, the others had followed him deeper into the forest to hunt.
"Looks like we have to wait for them," Kanoru said.
Akozo, sitting down on a tree trunk, replied, "I'll gladly wait if they bring back deer."
Following his lead, Kanoru and Ryohi also sat down.
Ryohi then spoke, "Kanoru, I should congratulate you. Any day now, you'll reach the second stage of the Sword Wind Realm."
Kanoru asked, "Both of you have already reached the second stage. Can you give me any advice on how to advance?"
Akozo said, "Anyone who understands the power of wind and enters the first stage will eventually reach the second. The only difference is how long it takes."
Ryohi nodded in agreement. "Yes. Understanding the wind is the hardest part, but once you do, advancing to the second stage happens naturally."
Kanoru, surprised, asked, "How?"
Ryohi answered, "Master one sword style or become proficient in all five."
Kanoru now understood why he felt that if he applied the 80 different ways to use the power of wind to a sword move, he would advance to the second stage. Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, he thought he should ask them how to reach the third and fourth stages.
Kanoru asked, "Can you tell me about the third and fourth stages?"
Akozo answered, "To enter the third stage, one must understand the nature of the power of wind."
Ryohi added, "But it's difficult to comprehend."
Akozo sighed. "Five years have passed, and I still haven't grasped it."
Ryohi scoffed. "Only five years? For me, it's been seven."
Kanoru said, "So many years have passed—have you both stopped trying to comprehend it?"
Akozo shook his head. "No, every day, I spend two hours trying."
Ryohi added, "I spend three."
Kanoru didn't understand why they dedicated so much time to this. From his limited knowledge, the power of the wind only enhanced a samurai's combat ability. If they had spent so many years without success, wouldn't it be better to focus on opening the gates inside their bodies instead? There had to be a reason.
So Kanoru asked, "Wouldn't it be better to use that time to train your body and open the gates?"
Ryohi replied, "We do this because we know our limits. We will likely never advance beyond Middle-ranked Samurai—our chances of reaching Higher-rank are less than 10%."
Akozo nodded in agreement.
Kanoru asked, "Does the power of wind help one become a Higher-ranked Samurai?"
Akozo answered, "Not directly, but indirectly."
Ryohi continued, "To advance to the fourth stage of the Sword Wind Realm, one must deeply comprehend the nature of the power of wind—enough to sense the spirit of wind. Then, through willpower, they must subdue and merge with these spirits. When that happens, their body is baptized by the power of wind, healing internal injuries, removing accumulated impurities, improving talent, and increasing vitality."
Akozo added, "It also extends the age at which your strength stops advancing—from 30 years to 45."
Before Kanoru could ask another question, he heard footsteps coming from the deep jungle. Looking up, he saw the lower-rank samurai returning, half of them carrying deer carcasses.
Kanoru thought, "Looks like it's time to head back."
----
That night, after dinner, Kanoru sat on the roof of a house, staring south. His face was tense with worry. If their plan had succeeded, then Sir Shikichi, his team, and the villagers of Nisi Village would have already been destroyed by the Niwais. But now, the Niwais should be trapped inside Nisi Village, pinned down by Fuma and his group.
Yesterday, when he made the plan and assigned the teams, every middle-ranked samurai present understood the true purpose behind it. Yet, no one spoke of it aloud, ensuring the lower-ranked samurai remained unaware.
He felt someone climbing onto the roof and turned to see Asuna approaching under the moonlight.
"Why are you looking south with such worry?" she asked.
Kanoru didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Can you ask your father to take care of the families of Sir Shikichi and his team?"
Asuna frowned. "Why?"
Kanoru remained silent. Just then, he spotted a woman riding toward the village on horseback. Seeing this, he stood up and shouted, "Sir Akozo! Sir Ryohi!"
In the next moment, Akozo and Ryohi leaped onto the roof, looking at him questioningly.
Kanoru pointed to the approaching rider. "The news we've been waiting for has arrived."
Akozo and Ryohi immediately jumped down and ran toward the woman. Kanoru followed, and behind him, Asuna called out, "Wait for me!" before rushing after them.
When Kanoru reached the rider, the woman spoke, "Lady Riko sent me. The plan succeeded."
Akozo and Ryohi froze, their expressions turning to stone.
Kanoru asked, "Did Lady Riko leave for Nisi Village?"
The woman nodded. "Yes."
Kanoru turned to the others. "Sir Akozo, Sir Ryohi, now is not the time to mourn. We must leave for Nisi Village immediately. We cannot let the sacrifice of Sir Shikichi, his samurai, and the villagers be in vain."
Ryohi clenched his fists and then turned toward the village. "You're right. We can't let their sacrifice be wasted."
Akozo let out a heavy breath. "The plan succeeded, but why don't I feel happy?" Shaking his head, he turned back to prepare for the journey.
Asuna, now even more confused, demanded, "What plan succeeded? And why are you talking about Sir Shikichi, his group, and the villagers as if they are dead?"
Kanoru said, "Now isn't the time. I'll explain on the way to Nisi Village."
With that, he headed toward the village to get ready. Asuna and the woman followed close behind.