The waters of the large indoor bath sloshed around as Suzuran nestled her way into it. She let out a long sigh, the lethargy of the day washing away into the steamy waters. Sitting inside, she stretched her arms, her rather modest chest in full view (although there was no one in the vicinity that would admire it). "Leave it to the Origami family! Even their bath is gaudy!"

Honami, on the other hand, couldn't share in her sentiments. She was busy running her hands softly through her hair, massaging shampoo all the way down to their roots. "Hmm... I think it's safe to assume that that girl we met earlier today is indeed one of the four representatives of Heijou Institute. She looks pretty strong... Especially considering that she could be our opponent tomorrow."

Picking up on her unease, Suzuran stood up from the bath and walked over to her partner. "Here, lemme wash your back for you."

"He-Hey!" Honami yelped as she struggled to stop her friend from washing her.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Suzuran said with glee as she tore off the towel covering Honami and began working on her sleek back. Honami could do nothing but squirm in silence as Suzuran gently scrubbed down her back. Honami slapped her when Suzuran tried to sneak her hand to her front with the intention to grope her bountiful chest which was several sizes larger than Suzuran's own.

"Hey, hands off!" Honami grabbed Suzuran by the neck and flipped her over her back, slamming her gently into the wet floor before she grabbed her discarded towel and tied the floundering but laughing Suzuran's hands together. She then grabbed a sponge with the intention of returning the favor but making sure to use a little more pressure than necessary when washing backs. She also alternated from minimal pressure to maximum pressure, torturing Suzuran with random stimuli that came irregularly. She couldn't help but stifle her own giggles as Suzuran struggled against the towel binding her wrists in order to stop Honami from hurting her back.

After the self-cleaning ritual came food.

Suzuran, who was usually a clean eater and able to pace herself, couldn't help but disregard her inhibitions and gorge herself on everything she found on the table. She stuffed her mouth full with fried fish, spicy bulgogi, bowls of imported ramen brought to Kamakura from Shinagawa Prefecture, assorted pieces of vegetable and seafood tempura, and karaage. She softly patted her abdomen which was already full to basically bursting. "Ah, I ate, I ate!"

Honami, admittedly, also ate heavily but not to the point of Suzuran. She sighed, "It's like we're having fun on a hot springs trip."

"Yes and no," Suzuran replied. "The real fun starts tomorrow!"

"You really do like kenjutsu, eh, Suzu?"

"You bet I do!" she replied immediately. "Oh, but I also really love your cookies!"

Honami flashed a smile before her expression fell. "Hmm... I guess I'm still a bit uneasy. After all, tomorrow, we duel using real swords, our okatana."

"Well, why don't we burn off some of our dinner and do a little practice match outside?"

"Eh?" Honami stuttered. "... I mean, okay."

Near their dinner table was a wooden stand where they had put their okatana to rest. They both took their respective okatana before Suzuran went over to the nearby porch, sliding open the door and stepping out into the stone garden. They then followed their muscle memory and stood apart from each other at the same distance where an official duel would begin from. They turned to face each other, holding onto their scabbards.

Suzuran slowly drew her sword, stating its name: "Suijingiri Kanesada."

Honami reflected this, drawing her own sword and imploring its name: "Himezuru Ichinomiya."

Having already had the command drilled into her head at every official duel she participated in, Suzuran parroted, "Both of you, take your stances."

" "Utsushi." "

Utsushi—.

A term with the definition of "duplicate", utsushi is a vital technique that all Toji use when they obtain their okatana. Otherwise known as Mirage, utsushi is a technique that via the user's okatana, transmogrify their body into one made out of energy. This energy body is rumored to be the "body" that the Toji possesses in the First Layer of the Netherworld. While in the state of utsushi, any damage the user receives is reflected onto their "mirage" with only slight feelings of pain and mental fatigue. As such, the damage does not affect their physical body. In the case where a blow is received that removes a body part, such as having one's hand cut off, this damage is done only on the utsushi and when the user reverts back to their original state, their physical body remains untouched.

There are, however, multiple downsides in this technique. Being distracted enough to ruin one's concentration will sever one's connection to their utsushi and the same goes for when the user loses their grip on their okatana. Falling unconscious will also break the utsushi. To prevent this, Toji train to prolong the duration of the technique as well as increase their mental fortitude so that they will be able to take more attacks to their utsushi without the technique failing on them. In accordance with statistics given by the Special Sword Administration Bureau, the average Toji can activate utsushi once per battle but seasoned Toji are able to redeploy their utsushi once or twice more after having it broken.

Both successfully activated the technique and Suzuran said reassuringly, "You seem completely fine, Honami. While we're at it, how about a short spar before bed?"

"No, I think that's enough for tonight," she said, sheathing Himezuru Ichinomiya and dispelling her utsushi. "After all, the real matches are tomorrow and it wouldn't be good if we both exhausted ourselves the night before with a practice match."

"Well, that's true." Suzuran dispelled her own utsushi and followed Honami inside, returning their swords back to the wooden stand before cleaning up the room. They split the duties with Suzuran cleaning up the dishes and remaining foodstuffs while Honami put away the table. Five minutes later, they opened the closets and pulled out two futon, laying them next to each other. Suzuran also extracted a traditional lantern, lighting it with the box of matches she had packed with her, resulting in a dim warming glow being cast over the dark room. She then crawled under her covers and soon fell fast asleep.

However, Honami couldn't bring herself to fall asleep immediately like her friend did. Her mind was constantly on the next day. The weight of using real swords seems to have already sunk in for Suzuran but Honami couldn't bring herself to accept it that quickly. She voiced her worries as a question, directed at the sleeping face of the girl next to her.

"Suzu... If we were to face each other tomorrow, will you be able to fight me for real?"

Of course, Honami received no reply.

The 25th Day of October.

Deep within the Origami's mountain shrine.

The mountains in the early morning in autumn are always coated with a dense layer of thick fog.

This morning was no different. However, there was one reason why this day stood out compared to other autumn mornings.

Within the shrine on the mountain, a woman dressed in traditional shrine maiden garb with the only difference being a green hakama compared to a normally red one stood praying. At her waist, two okatana were tied to her; they were Onimaru and Ohdenta. She had just finished a ritual kagura, a dance that would calm the raging spirits. Finalizing her prayers, the woman turned around and headed back out. She walked out of the hall and into the cool open air, riddled with visible water vapor. She traversed through it and exited the torii gate, her feet now descending the stairs below her.

At the bottom of those stairs stood another gate, although this one was made of wood and can close completely. Standing in the gateway were four young girls, their ages ranging from sixteen years of age to twelve years of age. The oldest one, a girl with naturally auburn hair, said, "Welcome back from your duty of calming the souls, Nanae-sama." The addressed woman, Nanae Origami, did not flinch and silently proceeded onward, exiting the second gate and further descending the mountain. The auburn girl was undeterred and followed behind her, the other three girls following her. She continued, "In terms of diplomacy, the Secretary of Defense, General Oda, has arrived. Later on in the day, you will be observing the National Swordsmanship Tournament, albeit, only the final match. Suzuka, Yume, and I will provide security at the venue; Yomi will serve as your bodyguard. I swear to perfectly fulfill our duties as the Origami family's Elite Guard."

The Elite Guard of the Origami family consisted of four girls, who had not even completed their education in any one of the five schools, handpicked by Nanae Origami, the head of the Origami family, herself.

The eldest is Maya Shidou, formerly a student of Heijou Institute. The second eldest is Suzuka Konohana, formerly a student of Osafune Girls' Academy. The second youngest is Yomi Satsuki, formerly a student of Renpu Girls' School. The youngest is Yume Tsubakuro, formerly a student of Ayanokouji Martial Arts School.

These four sword maidens are the strongest Toji of the current generation.

Same day in the late morning hours.

The rising sun had already burned away all signs of fog as Suzuran and Honami returned to the Origami family mansion, whose doors had been swung open, revealing the impeccably designed interior. A dueling circle had already been drawn on the grounds and seating areas were also already arranged.

"This is where the final match of today's tournament would be held," Honami said, repeating what she had read earlier that morning.

With all of her might, Suzuran tried to keep her face straight before turning to Honami and excitedly yelling, "Let's go, Honami!" They turned to their right and dashed toward one of the practice halls owned by the Origami family which was where the preliminaries of the National Swordsmanship Tournament will be held in. Eagerly throwing open the doors, Suzuran stepped inside of the hall, followed by Honami. The two then lined up next to each other before bowing. This was proper etiquette in terms of entering important places and this was no different. Once she raised her head, Suzuran scanned the entire arena.

The floor was, of course, made out of perfectly polished wood while the stands were arranged on a mezzanine that circled the the arena with the exception of the doors in which one would enter the building. In those stands stood students holding okatana: the other representatives of the schools. Like yesterday, Suzuran spotted the same students in uniform; first were Ayanokouji, second was Renpu, third was Minoseki, and last was Heijou. As expected, Suzuran saw the Heijou girl, Noa Hiiragi, not even give her a second glance; she was too busy focusing on scanning a certain part of the building. However, before she could check what Noa was looking at, Suzuran and Honami were made to jump out of their shoes when the girls from their school called on them.

"Suzuran! Honami!"

"Whoa!"

"You guys made it!"

Suzuran took off in the direction of the stands with Honami right behind her. She waved up at her friends.

"Do your best!" one of them said.

The leader added, "Are you nervous?"

"Oh, yes, I'm totally nervous!"

"Whaaaaat?" the leader reeled.

However, before she could inquire, another girl in the stands pointed toward the other side. "Look, it's Shidou-san! One of the elite guards."

Suzuran and Honami turned to look and sure enough, the auburn Maya Shidou and the deep red Suzuka Konohana, stood in the stands. A third girl squealed, "She's the winner of last year's tournament! She's also a two-time champion, having won it twice in a row!"

In the Heijou section of the stands, Tomoe Ichihara said, "Look, Hiiragi-san, it's Shidou-senpai! I was lucky enough to have been able to meet her while she still attended our school."

However, Noa wasn't listening. ... So only the elite guard is here? Tch. I see. It seems I will have to advance to the finals to see her.

From their vantage point, Suzuka stated, "Hmm. It seems that this year, there's quite a few students from the junior high division."

"Well, I would say that's a given considering that the okatana does have a preference for younger girls," Maya replied. "This would be the Toji of the next generation."

Scoffing, Suzuka quipped, "So you are implying that you personally brought an end to the previous generation by winning this very tournament twice in a row?"

"Hah." Maya crossed her arms. "I don't think I'm that conceited." Maya turned to look behind her where Yume stood in the shadows, playing with a small ball. "If anything, that's how I feel when I look at Yume..."

Suzuka was about to comment but both she and Maya returned her attention to the front where the referee raised her voice. "We will go ahead and begin the first match. Noa Hiiragi of Heijou Institute and Kaguya Nakamura of Osafune Girls' Academy, step forward."

The two girls did as instructed as they stood behind their designated starting lines.

"Bow."

The two girls did as instructed.

"Now, both sides, take your stances."

The two girls drew their swords; Kaguya entered a seigan stance while Noa entered in-no-kamae.

Maya's eyebrows twitched as she laid her eyes on the okatana in Noa's grip. Kogarasumaru...?

"Heh, it's a duel between your kouhai and my kouhai," Suzuka giggled, removing Maya from her thought train.

" "Utsushi." "

The two girls manifested their duplicates and with the referee's acknowledgement, the match began: "Begin!"

From her vantage point, Suzuran mumbled, leaning forward in her seat in unabated excitement, "A traditional style? I wonder if it's Shinto-ryu!" Noa then immediately accelerated which caught Kaguya off-guard who had no time to defend herself as she was cleanly bisected. "Whoa, jin'i! And she's extremely fast too!"

Jin'i—.

With a definition of "swift movement", jin'i is an offensive technique used by Toji. Via their okatana, they channel a temporary gate to the Netherworld in order to accelerate to high speeds. Essentially, they are momentarily entering a different plane of time as the Netherworld is composed of multiple layers and the deeper one goes, the faster time flows. As such, the deeper one dives, the higher their maximum speed. With training, Toji can delve as deep as the Third Layer. This Third Layer Jin'i is the stage of Jin'i used by Noa Hiiragi which allows her to accelerate to a maximum speed of Mach 24. Most Toji can only achieve speeds of up to the Second Layer which caps off at Mach 12; the First Layer has a cap of Mach 1.

Having her utsushi so roughly dismantled, Kaguya collapsed and rolled twice across the floor. "That's enough!" the referee called. "The winner is Noa Hiiragi!" Dispelling her own utsushi, Noa returned back to her starting line and obeyed the referee's instructions ("Bow."). Noa then turned around and returned back to her position in the stands. Once she had escorted Kaguya back to her section of the stands, the tournament continued as normal until the referee finally announced, "The third match shall be between Suzuran Arisugawa of Osafune Girls' Academy and Sayuki Asahina of Renpu Girls' School."

"Eh!?" Suzuran stammered.

"Do your best, Suzu."

"Come forward!"

"Uh... Right."

Suzuran could do nothing but follow the instruction as she went down to the arena and stood behind the lines.

"Bow."

Both Suzuran and Sayuki bent forward.

"Now, both sides, take your stances."

Both girls drew their swords and entered a seigan stance.

" "Utsushi." "

No sooner had the two girls called upon their mirages did the referee yell, "Begin!"

Sayuki changed her stance which raised a few question marks in Suzuran's mind. Onken? Then this should be Ittou-ryu? However, she was quickly shaken out of her thoughts when Sayuki accelerated straight in her face and deliver a kiri-otoshi and a diagonal return slash which Suzuran shut out. No way, Jin'i already!? Suzuran then employed jin'i herself as she escaped from the area but she was quickly chased by Sayuki.

Watching this exchange, Honami couldn't help but exclaim, "Suzu!" The other girls, meanwhile, voiced various concerns such as "That was close!" and "Sheesh, she makes me so nervous."

Suzuran and Sayuki proceeded to enter a high-speed duel as they kept using jin'i, one used it to get away, the other used it to catch up. Their swords made quick clashing sounds at a tempo rivalling that of Chopin's "Waltz in D♭ Major" as they chased each other around the arena. I'm not hitting her... Why? Sayuki's thoughts were running at equally impossible speeds yet she failed to make a correct judgment following this.

Pay attention...! Suzuran yelled at herself. She continued to counter Sayuki's high-speed attacks as she strained her senses, looking for an opening she could exploit. She found it two seconds later as she made a quick rising cut, the blunt side of her blade impacting Sayuki's hands and forcing her to loosen her grip on her blade. This was exacerbated by Suzuran's rising cut, disarming Sayuki entirely as her blade spiralled off and impaled itself into the wooden floor. Having lost her grip on her okatana, Sayuki's utsushi cancelled itself.

"That's enough!" the referee called. "The winner is Suzuran Arisugawa!"

Honami and the girls all let out a long sigh. "Haah... That was really close..." "Why does she always have to win like that...?" The girls continued to chatter amongst themselves until one of them said, "Oh, hey, Suzu is going up again."

The fifteenth match of the day and the third quarterfinal match was between Suzuran and Reina Nekoyanagi. Having fought their way through the other schools, they eventually turned on each other. Suzuran and her Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu proved victorious over Reina's Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu although Reina did put up quite the rough fight. Suzuran helped her classmate up before the sixteenth match was called.

Honami lined up at her station for the third time that day, following the referee's instructions as she drew her sword, activated utsushi, and stood in her seigan stance. Her opponent, Manaka Ichinose, meanwhile, held her rather oversized sword in tonbo-no-kamae, otherwise, the Dragonfly stance. When the match began, she brought her blade down but due to her small frame combined with the oversized nature of her sword, it came down hilariously slowly. Honami barely needed to dodge before she used jin'i to bisect Manaka.

"Ooh, she did it!" Suzuran cheered, although she wondered if Manaka even took the fight seriously.

Sure enough, back in the stands of Minoseki Academy, Manaka's partner, Alice Sakayanagi, scolded her, "You didn't even try, did you?", when she hunkered back, mumbling, "I lost..."

"I mean, our job as Toji is to eliminate the aradama not fight each other." Manaka then found herself stuck as the excessively long hilt of her sword, a type of blade known as a nagamaki, wouldn't even fit in the doorway.

"I mean, come on, this is important too!"