“Ah!” Hanabira cried as she fell to her knees.

The sun had begun to set and the silhouette of the mountains in the distance loomed above Torakichi and company.

“Are you alright?” Amai asked as she helped an exhausted Hanabira up.

“I’m fine.” Hanabira said weakly.

Torakichi and Keii exchanged glances before looking into the horizon where the edge of a distant forest could be seen.

“Mmm… we could keep going and push through the forest then rest once we reach the base of the mountains or we could rest here and tackle the forest once we get there.” Keii suggested.

“We?”

“Yes. I still plan on teaching you all the art of manipulating Ne.” Keii said.

"Oh. Right." Torakichi said before pointing at a spot just off the path.

“Let’s rest there.”

Upon reaching the spot, everyone placed their things on the ground while Torakichi started a small fire.

Amai prepared some dinner for everyone and after taking some time digest, Keii stood while rubbing his hands together.

“Alright, let’s awaken your awareness of Ne.” He said as he walked towards Hanabira.

He then knelt to face her.

“Your hand, please. He said.

Hanabira looked at Torakichi with a questioning glance.

Torakichi nodded prompting Hanabira to give her hand to Keii, who gently accepted it.

“Torakichi, come hold her for a moment.” Keii said, making Hanabira’s eyes widen.

“Will this be painful?” She asked as Torakichi placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Yes, but worry not. It’ll be over before you know it.” Keii said as Amai watched from the side with a cautious expression.

“Ah!” Hanabira cried while awkwardly convulsing in Torakichi’s arms.

A thin blue mist then formed around her body and it wasn’t long before she stopped moving.

She gasped loudly as she clung to Torakichi, who gently brushed her hair.

Torakichi and Keii then turned their attention to Amai, who immediately raised her hands defensively.

“I don’t think I want to do this anymore!” She cried as Keii knelt before her.

“Calm down. The experience is only half as painful as it looks.” He said with a grin.

“Can’t you just teach Hanabira-“

“Amai. Calm down.” Torakichi said as he approached her, but Amai’s apprehensiveness persisted.

“Allow us a moment.”

Keii nodded before returning to Hanabira’s side as she sat listlessly.

“Listen. Keii is offering a solution to a problem I’ve dreaded since this journey began.” Torakichi said even though Amai wouldn’t meet his eyes.

He then leaned slightly closer towards Amai before lowering his head.

“I am old, my bones brittle and on the verge of breakage. My edge dulls with each passing day and even with the help of Ne, the time will eventually come when I am able to move no longer. In that time, I will need you, both of you to be capable of moving onwards.” He whispered.

“I… I don’t know if-”

“Don’t worry. All you need do is trust me. The rest will follow, be it good or bad.”

Amai's breath became frantic as she, for the first time in a while, looked into Torakichi’s unshaking eyes.

“Alright.” She eventually said.

“Good.” Torakichi said before sitting by her side.

“Keii.”

“Alright.” Keii said before requesting Amai’s hand.

Amai took one last glance at Torakichi before giving her hand to Keii, who placed his index finger on her palm.

“Ah!” Amai cried as a wave of excruciating pain washed over her.

She tightly clung to Torakichi, who held her tightly as the wave of pain slowly subsided, but even long after the pain washed away, she continued to hold Torakichi.

Keii then returned to where he first sat and there he tended the small campfire flame as Hanabira and Amai recovered.

Amai eventually let Torakichi go, allowing him to sit next to Keii, who had taken off his straw hat.

“So, what exactly can we do with Ne?” Torakichi asked.

“Many, many things. Remember, Ne is the essence of the cosmos.” Keii said as he unsheathed his katana.

“If I wanted to make my katana harder, I could.” Keii said as a thin layer of blue mist gathered along the katana.

He then grabbed a nearby rock and violently struck his katana.

Torakichi’s eyes narrowed upon noticing that the katana hadn’t event been scratched by the impact.

“Ne can harden, weaken, give and take. I’m sure you all feel it. Coursing within you. Raise your right hands.”

Everyone did as Keii instructed.

“Now image your body as being a vast network of rivers flowing with water. Imagine that water slowly flowing to your hand.”

“My goodness!” Hanabira gasped as a pale blue mist began flowing out from her hand.

Torakichi glanced at Amai to find that she to had blue mist flowing out from her hand.

“Come on, Torakichi. You’re going to have to really focus on the feeling of the Ne within you.” Keii said as he looked into Torakichi’s empty hands.

“I apologize, but I’m trying as hard as I can. I can feel it, but it’s… it feels as though it’s resisting my every attempt at pushing it out.”

“Alright. I suggest that you stop for a moment. The flow of your Ne is a very delicate thing. We don’t want to cause irreparable damage.” Keii said.

Torakichi nodded.

“As for you two, get some sleep. I’ve got something exciting planned for you both tomorrow and I’ll need you rested and relaxed.” Keii said with a grin.

Hanabira and Amai exchanged concerned glances before laying out some blankets.

Torakichi looked into his empty hands as Keii moved a little closer to him.

“Don’t think about what happened, or more accurately what didn’t happen too much. The range of everyone’s control over Ne differs. I’m sure with a bit of practice, you’ll attain the control needed to outwardly manipulate it.” keii said to which Torakichi nodded.

“I couldn’t help but notice that your katana is housed in black scabbard. That must have been quite challenging to earn.”

“It was, but it was worth it because I am not bound to as many rules as other samurai. What about you? Those are quiet unique as well.” Torakichi said while his eyes rested on Hanabira and Amai, who soundly slept.

“Ah... Thanks to my master I was able to learn a version of Hageshī that hadn’t been tainted by the time. I learnt very early what it took not only to be a good samurai, but a good person. That’s a thing that the newer versions of the art neglect to teach. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a good person. But I like to think that whenever someone needs it, I should do my best to lend my aid.” Keii said as the cool winds that roamed the night blew by.

“Admirable.” Torakichi said with a yawn.

“Let’s get some rest.”

“Alright.”

.

..

The next day quickly arrived and Torakichi awoke to find Keii loudly waking Hanabira and Amai.

“Come on! A warrior should be able to work on a full night’s rest or no rest at all.” Keii said while Torakichi grabbed a bow and some arrows from one of their bags.

Hanabira and Amai let out disgruntled groans as they stood up.

Torakichi then made his way east as the grey sky lit the world with its pale light.

He then took a deep breath before beginning his search for prey.

.

..

Torakichi sighed upon finally managing to track and catch a small deer that looked as though it was already close to death.

He quickly killed the animal and made his way back to the camp.

He raised an eyebrow as Hanabira and Amai did various exercises with Keii in the distance.

He faintly smiled as he placed the deer near the dead campfire.

He then skinned the animal while Keii scolded his students.

Torakichi eventually cut the deer into separate pieces and after a long day of cutting and sorting, he roasted some pieces over a new fire.

Keii and his pupils eventually returned to the camp where they instantly sat in exhaustion.

“Whew! That was exhilarating.” Keii said only to receive glares from Hanabira and Amai.

Torakichi offered everyone various roasted cuts of meat.

Everyone ate up and after everyone got enough rest, they resumed their training, this time the focus was Ne and like before, Torakichi couldn’t draw out his Ne.

He took comfort in seeing Hanabira and Amai slowly getting used to their new found powers.

“Now, before we sleep, I’d like us to do basic stance exercises. Mr. Kanemoto, you help Amai and I’ll teach Hanabira.” Keii said, his body lit only by the light of the setting sun and the dim flame.

“But you and I use different stances.”

“Exactly! It would be boring if we taught them the same thing.” Keii said excitedly.

Torakichi nodded before standing along with Amai, who followed him to a spot a few metres away from the camp.

He then withdrew his katana before offering it to her.

Amai hesitated for a moment, but she graciously accepted the weapon.

Torakichi then withdrew his Ōdachi before gesturing that she face north.

“Fudō! Taieki! Arashi! Hageshī Kaihō-sei” Torakichi yelled as he positioned his Ōdachi directly in front of him. He then raised it to a point just above his head before lowering it to his right side then straight in front of him.

Then, after taking a deep breath, he lowered the Ōdachi and held it only with his right hand.

“We will be learning all five, but focusing Kaihō-sei. Are you ready?” Torakichi asked.

“Yes!”

The next few hours were then spent practicing stances, the different codes each stance embodied and the history behind those codes.

.

..

“Hey!” Keii said as Torakichi packed up all of their things.

“Hey! Wake up!”

Hanabira and Amai slowly awoke as the morning sun slowly rose.

After cleaning up what they could, Torakichi and company made their way towards the distant forest.

Hanabira and Amai continuously let out moans and groans of pain as they walked, but they walked regardless while Torakichi and Keii lectured them on various things.

Cool, dry winds blew by and they carried with them furious dried leaves and grasses.

“I’m not sure when it was, but I believe you spoke of spirits. Can you explain their existence further?” Torakichi asked.

“Oh, yes. All spirits come from the spirit world. A plane parallel to ours. They are constructs made entirely or mostly out of Ne. You see, while you and I have physical bodies, spirits do not. The are ethereal, ghostly beings. In order for them to appear in our world, they either project themselves onto a person or object or they enter our world via ponds, lakes and whatnot. Water is actually rich in Ne. Further adding to its life giving nature.” Keii said.

“Are there evil spirits?” Amai asked.

“Well, that’s hard to say. Spirits are like us in the sense that they are all different. They all have different ambitions, dreams and hopes. But yes, there are some spirits who actively harm others like the one I’m hunting.”

“What do you know about the spirit you're hunting?” Torakichi asked.

“Not much. I know that countless people have gone missing in the Forest of Whispers and that a mist has enveloped the dark woods, but that’s as far as my knowledge goes.”

“How does one go about hunting a spirit if they are ethereal beings?” Torakichi asked.

“Ah, that’s the thing. As soon as spirits enter our world, they automatically attain a physical form. If one destroyed a spirits physical form, they’d simply just return to the spirit world. That’s why you need to coat your weapon in Ne.” Keii said.

“I thought you said that all things were made from Ne. Wouldn’t a normal strike still cause some damage?” Torakichi asked.

“Yes, but it’d be negligible as the physical and ethereal parts of existence are at a great remove.” Keii said with a chuckle.

The three continued further southward and it almost seemed as though the wind was pushing then forward as they walked.

“Can you absorb Ne from other things and make it your own?” Torakichi asked.

“Yes. The more Ne you have, the stronger. According to what I learnt, the beings with the most Ne were the Dragons, but it has been eons since a dragon was seen in our realm. Perhaps they never existed to begin with.”