After executing the captives, Master Kaomisa called Kanoru aside for a private conversation, and they walked out of the village. She first inquired about his sword practice. When Kanoru mentioned the eighty ways he had discovered to harness the power of the wind, Kaomisa raised an eyebrow and said, "Show me."
Kanoru stepped back, creating some distance, and demonstrated all eighty techniques with his sword. Kaomisa's expression shifted to surprise. "Show me again," she commanded. Kanoru repeated the techniques, and after observing closely, Kaomisa nodded and said, "I sense that only forty-five of your sword moves are smooth. The others are lacking in power."
Kanoru explained, "That's because I'm not proficient in all five sword styles."
Kaomisa asked, "Which ones are you struggling with?"
"Wolf, Eagle, and Mantis," Kanoru replied.
Kaomisa unsheathed her sword. "Attack me using those three styles."
Without hesitation, Kanoru launched into a full-strength assault, though he refrained from opening any of his gates. His attacks came rapidly, yet Master Kaomisa blocked every strike with ease, never taking a step back.
"Good. Now step back," she instructed. Kanoru obeyed, and Kaomisa continued, "Watch carefully. I'll show you where you're making mistakes."
Kanoru nodded. Kaomisa then glanced past him and said, "You can all come closer. No need to watch from a distance."
Turning around, Kanoru saw the lower-ranked samurai observing from atop the wall. Upon hearing her words, they leaped down, crossing the canal effortlessly, and ran toward them. Once they gathered, Kaomisa said, "Since you're all here, I'll demonstrate all five sword styles. Watch carefully—I'll begin with the Wolf style."
As she performed the Wolf sword style, Kanoru felt as if a wolf itself was lunging at him, striking with its claws and fangs. *Master Kaomisa has reached mastery in the Wolf style,* he thought. He observed closely, not only focusing on the movements of her sword but also on the way she moved her body.
Kaomisa executed the Wolf style three times before instructing, "Now, all of you perform it."
The samurai exchanged glances before spacing themselves out along the road, flanked on both sides by paddy fields. They formed six straight lines, but only 56 of the original 100 lower-ranked samurai remained alive.
Kaomisa frowned at the formation. "This space is too narrow. Any mistake could lead to injury. Let's move to the open field."
Kanoru, who was at the back, watched as his teammates walked forward before following them. Upon reaching the open field, they took their positions around Master Kaomisa and began practicing. They continued until Master Kaomisa finally said, "Stop."
She then pointed out the common mistakes each of them made before demonstrating the Wolf style one last time. In the same manner, she proceeded to teach the remaining four styles. By the time they finished, it was noon. Some went hunting, and once lunch was prepared, they all sat down to eat.
Kanoru, seated to the right of Master Kaomisa, asked as he ate, "Master Kaomisa, what is the situation at the frontline?"
Master Kaomisa replied, "It's neither good nor bad for us. The camp has retreated to this side. If nothing changes, we should be able to prevent them from gaining a foothold here."
Asuna, sitting to Kanoru's right, added, "But things will change once the Sanada family invests more in the war."
Takenaka commented, "It may not change. The Sanada family might only have one Higher-ranked Samurai."
Riko disagreed. "That's impossible. The Niwais are proud. If the Sanada family didn't have some strength, they wouldn't have agreed to an alliance."
Ryohi spoke up, "If we want to defeat them and drive them out of our land, we need to seek help from other families."
Master Kaomisa shook her head. "Our territory has the best defensive position, but it's also isolated from the other families in our land."
Kanoru nodded, understanding that with the Eagle Mountains running along the entire northern coast, their family relied on trading with the Five Sacred Beast Continent every spring, as it was more accessible. A week's journey from their territory would take them to the Five Sacred Beast Continent.
Asuna asked, "Then how will we defeat them?"
Kaomisa reassured them, "No need to worry. You are still young. I will discuss this new information with the lord and find a solution."
After finishing their meal in silence, Master Kaomisa and the middle-ranked samurai departed, leaving Kanoru and the remaining lower-ranked samurai to spend the night in the village and leave at dawn. They were tasked with repairing the village so the villagers of Nisi could return and harvest the paddy. In times of war, a shortage of food was not an option.
Kanoru first surveyed the village, assessing the damage. He then sent half of the lower-ranked samurai into the forest to gather wood while the rest tore down buildings that were beyond repair and would be better rebuilt from scratch. With their combined strength, they completed 80% of the work by sunset and decided to finish the rest at dawn before departing.
As the night settled in, Kanoru noticed that everyone sat in silence, deep in thought. He felt the need to change their mood.
With the full moon shining above, he saw an opportunity—training. Practicing their swordsmanship under the moonlight would not only lift their spirits but also exhaust them enough to sleep soundly.
For himself, it was the perfect time to refine his techniques. After Master Kaomisa's teaching, he could feel his proficiency in the three sword styles improving, but he had yet to master them. He wasn't tired, and under the full moon, there was no better time to train.
Kanoru stood up and shouted, "Everyone, let's go outside and practice our sword skills! We don't know when we'll be thrown into battle again, but the stronger we become, the longer we can survive and the more Niwais we can kill!"
Takenaka, the lord's son, scanned the surroundings before rising to his feet. "The defense of our territory is my father's and the higher-ranked samurai's responsibility. Our duty is to grow stronger, kill more of our enemies, and survive longer."
One by one, the others slowly stood and followed Kanoru outside to the open field. They began practicing, but Kanoru, lost in his training, failed to notice that their movements lacked energy and determination. Takenaka called out to him, snapping him out of his focus. Only then did Kanoru realize the others were going through the motions without true intent.
Thinking quickly, he approached one of the lower-ranked samurai. "Ryo, what style are you best at?"
Ryo, caught off guard, stared at him in surprise. It was the first time Kanoru had spoken to him directly, and he had assumed Kanoru didn't even know his name. "Snake style and Eagle style," he finally answered.
Kanoru nodded. "Practicing alone won't help us improve quickly. Let's train against each other."
Ryo agreed, and without hesitation, they began sparring.