Is the Tear's vision over yet? Damn it! I had so many more questions to ask him. Yoichi thought, slowly realizing that he was talking to the spirit of the deceased Dragon King until a few moments before.

As his senses reconnected with the real world, his ever-watchful gaze framed the mat on which he had been meditating moments before. Surprisingly, the first detail he noticed was the incense stick that continued to burn within the crock.

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In the same place where he had left it, that object should not have lasted long, and yet, it was still there, from before he had begun to meditate.

The sun coming through the window was still tepid and dim, shyly hidden behind the clouds. Stretching the muscles in his neck and arms, Yoichi looked outside the Dojo and noticed that the people training in the courtyard were still the same.

"The incense is still lit, the warriors on the tatami are the same as before, the sun doesn't look like noon to me... mh, apparently that's true," he thought out loud. "Time flows differently when my hands are dipped in the Tear."

When Therion explained to Yoichi that each hour spent within the vision corresponded to one minute in his present, the young warrior was so busy thinking back to the story of the Battle of the Last Flame that he hadn't thought about how little time he would spend cultivating his powers with that method.

Incredibly, though it seemed impossible to him, having spent just over forty minutes with his hands dipped in Therion's Tear, Yoichi had stored all of the Dragon King's information in only a matter of seconds.

Around him, the gatekeeper's room was exactly as he had left it: the book had been closed and laid on the bed, the straw mat in front of the door, the key inside the lock, and so on.

Without overthinking about it and losing the time advantage on the schedule, Yoichi got ready, picked up his backpack and leather pouch, and opened the door to the room.

The young warrior in record time traversed the narrow, labrinth-like corridor that led to Ryutaro's private room. The top floor of Goldhaven's sacred Dojo was already filled with people of all ages and social ranks practicing their meditation techniques.

I need to get to Takamori-Sensei, and I really need to start training my body seriously, he thought. Ryutaro, if only you were in front of me during my awakening, I would have told you about my speech with the supreme Therion himself.

Thinking about his injured friend's condition and how to make his muscle growth effective in just three days, Yoichi reached the Dojo's entrance on tiptoe. He donned his boots, the soles of which were now clean from the mud, and walked out of the training arena.

Fortunately, keeping a low profile, no guild leader took notice of him. In the eyes of all the unsuspecting people present, Yoichi looked like just another warrior frequenting the Sacred Dojo.

Once outside the white walls and away from the petals of the peach trees fluttering in the wind, the young tamer walked troughout the Tamer District.

Life seemed to flow normally in what was one of the most populated districts in the city. The guild warriors, merchants, and all who crowded the morning streets were oblivious to the dangers that threatened Tentochu.

What would have happened if everyone had known about the Blackblood and its power to kill entire plantations of Crimson Lotus? How many rebellions would have turned the city upside down, plunging it into a state of chaos?

A series of such questions crossed Yoichi's mind, but he was too focused on himself to put those concepts into practice.

In front of the Nightblades' green-tiled tower, Rinji was sitting on the ground, arms crossed. The gentle giant was watching the passersby as if waiting for someone.

"Riniji!" Yoichi called, waving a hand and sketching a smile towards him.

"There you are, Yoichi! I've been waiting for you!" he said, standing up and showing off his full height. Anyone would have felt short in the presence of the Nightblades giant.

"Has something happened? Where's Enatsu? How's my friend?" Yoichi inquired, peering over Rinji's shoulder and trying to see inside the tower's entrance.

"Enatsu is fine. Don't worry; Yoshiko's care will keep him healthy until we find a cure for his strange wound," he replied. "Takamori-Sensei told me to wait for you here. He and Nobunaga are waiting for us at the east entrance of the city," he added.

Who the hell is Nobunaga? And why is Takamori at the entrance near the Imperial Palace? Weren't we supposed to go to the Arena together? Yoichi thought, listening to that name. What are you planning, Sensei?

"Um, it's fine. Come on, lead the way. What happened to Shioko? Is she coming too?" Yoichi asked again, nowhere seeing the archer's strands of red hair.

"If I'm not mistaken, Shioko went to Neverstorm Gardens, to the city stable. I saw her in a carriage drawn by three horses," Rinji replied, starting to stroll.

Inside, Yoichi knew that his friend Enatsu was in good hands with Yoshiko and avoided checking for his conditions. On the way, he passed through various parts of the city in the company of his taciturn guildmate.

"Hey, Rinji," he said, breaking the silence. The shouts of merchants stopping passersby to sell their wares formed the background noise of that conversation.

"Tell me, Yoichi."

"Why did Takamori-Sensei ask us to leave the city? From the east entrance, you can get to the coastline, right?" he asked. With that seemingly innocuous question, the young tamer wanted to know if they would pass by the Imperial Palace. The promise made to Princess Sui had faded into the background, but it still remained a promise.

"I have no idea, man. Maybe he wants you to fight Nobunaga. He's much stronger than you, and he could get your little lizard into trouble," the giant Rinji replied, mocking Kenji's appearance and totally ignoring the fact that it was the heir of the primordial flame.