Kanoru watched as the middle-ranked samurai regained consciousness, all fifteen of them bearing bruises in the same spot on the back of their necks. Master Kaomisa had rendered them unconscious with a single strike.
The gap between ranks grew wider at higher levels. A low-ranked samurai could fight a middle-ranked one for several minutes, and if they grasped the power of an element, they could extend the battle further depending on their stage.
However, no middle-ranked samurai could ever match a higher-ranked one, even with superior elemental mastery. The sheer strength of a higher-ranked samurai was overwhelming, rendering any advantage in elemental power meaningless.
After five minutes, all fifteen middle-ranked samurai regained consciousness, their eyes filled with hatred toward Master Kaomisa, yet they remained silent. Master Kaomisa said, "Looks like none of you are willing to talk." She then muttered to herself, "I'll have to arrange for them to be taken to Entori."
Fuma suggested, "Master Kaomisa, why don't we build a prison here and keep them?" Ryohi supported the idea, adding, "It won't take us more than half a day to construct one."
Riko asked, "Master, why did you capture them?" Master Kaomisa replied, "To extract information." Riko pressed further, "Can we know what information you're after?" Master Kaomisa answered, "I want to know if any other families have joined them in invading us."
Kanoru, who had been observing the captured samurai, noticed something peculiar when Master Kaomisa mentioned her reason for capturing them. To confirm, he closed his eyes and recalled the moment she spoke. While the samurai remained stoic and silent, he detected subtle body movements in some of them—so minimal they would have gone unnoticed by the naked eye.
Kanoru asked, "Master Kaomisa, how did you discover that other families allied with the Niwais?"
Master Kaomisa replied, "The man who injured me." Everyone turned to look at her as she continued, "Yesterday, I was ambushed by someone who used the power of lightning to wound me."
Ryohi asked, "Master, why do you believe he was an outsider?"
Master Kaomisa explained, "Because I didn't sense any power of wind from him."
Riko frowned. "Then how was he able to control lightning without wind?"
Master Kaomisa said, "One doesn't need to comprehend wind to grasp lightning."
Kanoru hesitated before saying, "But the sword training method you gave me—"
Master Kaomisa interrupted, "Every force has its own path to reach the realm of masters. Ours requires understanding wind, lightning, and light, but others follow the same path or completely different ones."
Kanoru nodded slowly. "So, some inheritances focus on lightning, light, and then wind?"
Master Kaomisa confirmed, "Yes. And some focus on a single element, like the Niwais, who dedicate themselves solely to wind to ultimately comprehend the power of the world."
Kanoru asked curiously. "Single line?"
Kaomisa explained, "Single-line inheritances focus on mastering only one of the four elemental powers in our land until they sense the power of the world. We, on the other hand, follow a multi-line path, mastering three elements before merging them to reach the same goal."
Many in the team began whispering, their understanding of the world expanding with this newfound knowledge.
Another lower-ranked samurai, Miu, asked, "Master Kaomisa, we mentioned the power of our land—is the power in other lands different?"
Kanoru's eyes were also trained on Master Kaomisa, anticipating her answer.
Master Kaomisa replied, "We know of three other lands discovered so far, but I only have knowledge of the one closest to us—the Five Sacred Beast Land. There, the five elemental powers are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood."
Riku asked. "They have five, while we have four. Does that mean their land is stronger than ours?"
Master Kaomisa shook her head. "Their land is larger than ours, which is why they have one more elemental power." Seeing everyone nod in understanding, she continued, "We can discuss this later. For now, we must prepare to transport them to the prison in Entori."
Kanoru suddenly remembered something he wanted to test and asked, "Master Kaomisa, one last question."
Master Kaomisa, seeing Kanoru's serious expression, softened her gaze and said, "Go ahead and ask."
Kanoru hesitated before asking, "Master Kaomisa, which family in our land starts with the power of lightning?"
Master Kaomisa thought for a moment before answering, "Tachibana." She paused briefly before adding, "No… it can't be the Tachibana. They are known for using hammers as weapons. The man who injured me wielded a spear and used the power of lightning. Then the possible families would be—Taira, Shingen, Kato, Sanada, Watanabe, and…"
As she continued listing names, Kanoru noticed the same subtle reactions among the captive Niwai samurai when she mentioned *Sanada.* He then asked, "Master Kaomisa, what can you tell me about the Sanada family?"
At his question, the captives maintained their stoic expressions, staring straight ahead as if uninterested. However, Kanoru caught the briefest flicker of a glance from them, just for a fraction of a second.
Master Kaomisa said, "Sanada… They live west of our land. Their lord rules over a single town like us, but they are enemies of the powerful Hojo family. That's all I know about them since they are too far away from us."
Kanoru asked, "Master, could the Sanada family be the one the Niwais allied with?"
Master Kaomisa frowned. "Our land is too far from them. What would they gain from attacking us?"
Asuna, deep in thought, said, "To escape from the Hojo?"
Kanoru added, "Our territory is the hardest to invade in this land. They may have allied with the Niwais to claim it for themselves."
At his words, Kanoru noticed some of the captives staring at him in open shock. It was no longer subtle—they were blatantly reacting. Master Kaomisa and the other samurai caught on immediately.
Master Kaomisa turned to the captives and asked coldly, "So, you allied with the Sanada? If we send word to the Hojo, they might help us wipe you out completely."
One of the captives sneered, "You can't send any messages. Your ocean routes are already surrounded by pirates and Sanada warships."
Another captive smirked. "This time, we will completely destroy you, Moris."
Kaomisa's eyes darkened. "Even if we fall, you won't be alive to see it." Then, without hesitation, she gave the order. "Kill them."