The sun was low on the horizon, and birds returned from around the creek to their nests. Sparrows, blackbirds, and other nesting birds fly home when the light begins to fade. An exception seemed to be a woodpecker perched on a nearby cedar tree, tapping away. A group of mallards floated home on the still waters. Yet, it would be a couple of hours before sunset. The clouds gathered in the afternoon had dissipated, and it was still bright.

Kento sat on the pier’s edge, with his feet dipped in the creek. Tiny fish gathered under his soles underwater and nibbled at dry skin. He giggled, being ticklish.

A boat approached from the mainstream. It was being rowed with the help of oars rather than kitsu. It turned out to be Uzziah’s fishing boat. He docked it at the pier.

Kento remembered that the Wajin tribe used kitsu only for vital operations. The kitsu on the floating houses were decades old.

Uzziah hauled a net full of fish onto the berth. The mixed catch was live- minnows, carps, trouts, and shiners. One of the chief sources of income of the Wajin tribe was fisheries. The young Yamazaki secured the boat and heaved the bulging net onto his shoulders. Since nobody else was around, Kento felt it proper to break the ice.

Kento: “Do you do the fishing all by yourself?”

Uzziah answered without looking at Kento.

Uzziah: “Some of us have to work alone to fill our bellies.”

Kento: “Hey, that was uncalled for!”

Uzziah: “I don’t have time to deal with your fragile mind, little overlord.”

He started walking away on the gangway that led to the floating building.

Kento got to his feet and challenged him from behind.

“Uzziah! Have you really forgotten our friendship? Did it mean nothing to you?”

The young Yamazaki stopped but did not turn around. He looked at Kento from the corner of his eyes.

“You are the Overlord’s heir. That is all I am supposed to know. Besides, there is nothing special to remember about you.”

And he left, leaving the boy dangling.

Kento had never been humiliated like that before. As the Overlord’s heir, he had always been treated with respect. People hung onto every word he said.

Uzziah’s insolence hurt Kento’s pride and brought forth the frustration of being kitsu-blind.

Yuuki-sensei had informed everyone that Kento was to duel Uzziah the following morning.

What if he loses the bout?

The Mikashita honor would be shattered. Citadel training would be demeaned. The Wajin tribe would make sure the news reached the Hyougi.

The preceptors should’ve chosen one of the seniors- Hajime, Yuuta, or Megumin, who already showed promise in kitsu manipulation.

What was he thinking?

Keiji-sensei had offered to train him throughout the evening.

What more could the preceptor bring out of a kitsu-blind child?

Weighing the disgrace brought by Uzziah’s rejection on the one hand and the fear of losing to him on the other, Kento decided to train with Keiji.

Perhaps he could get some more pointers on taekkyon attacks. But of course, he’d have to miss the contest designed by Lord Hakaku for the amusement of his guests.

Kento saw Shigeo approaching. It was time to go to the location where the preceptors were waiting for him.

****

The venue of the gathering summoned by Lord Hakaku was deep in the forest, behind the floating house. A narrow trail took the aspirants to a small clearing. At the center stood a temple-like monument that was in ruins. It was about fifty feet high and about the same in diameter. The monument was in the shape of a pagoda, with three sloping sides. Steps had been cut into the slopes on all three sides to climb the structure. The apex was a small sundeck with a handrail.

Hakaku stood on the deck, leaning on the railings. He had already begun explaining the contest’s rules.

Kento and Shigeo were missing from the party. The preceptors had excused themselves from Hakaku’s contest to help Kento focus on the duel with Uzziah the following day. Shigeo, inseparable from the young Mikashita and overtly curious about the training, had insisted on tagging along with Kento.

Hakaku: “The rules are very clear. You can divide yourselves into groups of three. As I explained earlier, one who touches this railing first wins. You can approach from any direction and in any order. I shall not use even an ounce of kitsu for the offense. Nor shall I make any physical attacks. If I do, all of you will win the contest, and prizes can be distributed amongst yourselves.”

“Yuuki-sensei has communicated that whale tokens for this year’s Shibai Matsuri are highly sought-after. I happen to have some that I can give away. Therefore, you have an incentive besides the fun we are going to have today. Let my attendant know when you are ready, and he will fire the signal.”

The aspirants gathered at the plinth of the ruins and drew up a plan.

Citadel training had drilled them in the ways of the military. Among pre-emptive attack patterns, the most common maneuver was the hasami form- Vanguard (the frontal attack team), Wing attack (from the sides), and Assassin (covert attack).

Depending on the number of warriors or units present on the battlefield, the hasami could have three modifications:

Hasami one: vanguard (one unit) + assassin (one warrior).

Hasami two: vanguard (one unit) + right or left wing attack (one unit) + assassin (one warrior).

Hasami three- vanguard (one unit) + pincer attack (two units) + assassin (one warrior).

In this case, Hasami three was appropriate.

The bulwark-trio, Hajime-Megumin-Yuuta, the most experienced in battle, took the vanguard.

Daigo-Kafu-Chiyo and Nadeko-Illumi-Masaki would make a pincer attack from either side.

Akako would wait for an opening as an assassin.

Everything seemed in order. After being humiliated by Keiji in the demonstration fight, the aspirants had become wary. However, if Lord Hakaku were not to use kitsu or physical attacks, it would be a much simpler feat to win the contest. All they had to do was touch the top railing.

Once the teams were in position, an attendant of Hakaku set off a kitsu flare into the sky to kick off the contest.