The morning sun cast pale light over the gravel yard through the mist.
Rage swung his katana in impatient downward strikes, the wooden dummies were standing like silent guards as steel rang in uneven rhythm.
Kazumi watched him, and her sleeves trailed as she corrected his stance with a careful look.
On the porch nearby, Suzu, Reina, and Miyu sat with steaming cups of tea as they watched the exchange. They had advised Kazumi to agree to this. The training was not about Rage's special abilities. It was about the art of the katana.
The Empress's voice was calm, strong, and firm. "Lower your shoulder. Let the strike flow, not claw. You strike like Firekeep's warriors, relentless, more beast than blade."
Rage exhaled, reset his grip, and swung again.
"At least it worked," he said. "Helped me save you."
Kazumi's eyes narrowed. Her expression showed nothing.
"Enough talking, continue striking."
Another command, another adjustment. Kazumi stepped closer, her hand brushed his elbow into place.
"Again. Strike with intent, not with anger. Let the cut carry your will."
The practice continued. Every movement showed habits not right for the katana. Each cut worked in a fight but looked awkward to her. They were too heavy, too blunt, too wild.
***
Hours passed. Rage's shoulders burned. His grip ached. His strikes still lacked the skill Kazumi wanted.
At last, she let out a laugh.
"Even a child with a bamboo stick could strike better than this."
Rage exhaled through his nose. He muttered, "Guess I finally found my league, then."
Before he could finish the next heavy swing, four figures darkened the gate. Wide straw hats hid their faces. Long cloaks trailed dust with each step.
From a distance, Rage saw Danzo approached them and exchanged nothing but nods. Then he stepped aside and stayed in place as the four moved toward the training ground.
Suzu, Reina, and Miyu put down their cups. Their hands hovered near their hidden weapons. Their eyes narrowed until Danzo lifted a hand telling them to stay calm.
Rage's gazed toward the figures.
[SYSTEM] Masaharu Lv.85
[SYSTEM] class : Swordsman
[SYSTEM] neutral
[SYSTEM] Fujiwara Lv.88
[SYSTEM] class : Swordsman
[SYSTEM] neutral
He had never heard of them, but Danzo's stillness made the tension lighter. For once, Rage did not speak. He just changed his stance.
Steel whispered as Masaharu drew first. His blade flashed. Fujiwara stayed still at his side. He did not move.
Kazumi stepped forward. She pushed Rage aside lightly to move him back.
He obeyed without a word and slipped aside as the first fight began.
Masaharu's charge ended quickly. Kazumi's defense did not break. Her counter cut through the air. In moments, his guard broke. His steps faltered, and he was pushed back across the gravel.
Fujiwara moved next. His strikes were sharp and strong, pressing Kazumi hard. For a moment, it looked like the Empress could match him. Their blades clashed with sparks. Then, suddenly, Fujiwara stopped.
He lowered his blade and tilted his hat back.
"You are our Empress."
One by one, the four took off their hats and dropped to one knee before her. Their voices joined in a solemn vow. "Our blades are yours to command, Empress Kazumi-sama."
***
Fujiwara's gaze lingered on Rage as the others rose from their vow.
Then Fujiwara spoke.
"My Empress... I bring grave news. But before I speak more, know this. Your company is... unusual." His eyes moved from Rage to Seloria.
Kazumi's reply was calm. "They stand under my banner. Their presence is not for you to question."
"Pardon my ignorance, Empress," Fujiwara said, bowing slightly.
Danzo, approached with hands tucked into his sleeves.
"Best we not spill such words into open air. Come, a room has been prepared. There we may discuss without ears upon the walls."
Together they began the walk from the training ground toward the inner hall. Suzu, Reina, and Miyu shadowed Kazumi closely. Rage followed, while Seloria trailed.
At last they arrived.
Attendants bowed in silence as they entered, then stepped back.
***
Masaharu was the first to break the silence. He sat cross-legged across from Danzo.
"Your spies have been captured by Katsuya."
Danzo sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "That is to be expected from Katsuya. I am remorseful I sent my men on such a task."
Masaharu turned to Kazumi.
"Katsuya is gathering all of his forces. He may march on this village within days, or worse, within hours."
Kazumi folded her hands on her lap, her voice was calm.
"A day or two at least. His force is vast, and many dwell far from the capital. He cannot move an army of that size swiftly."
Rage leaned forward, still stuck from moments ago. His head hadn't caught up with the turn of the conversation, and the pieces refused to line up.
"Wait a second. If she's your Empress, why the hell did you attack her?" He scratched the back of his head.
Fujiwara's reply came steady. "It was a test if she's our empress or an impostor."
"Alright... then how do you even know she's the real deal?"
"I served her father. I trained her when she was a child. I would not mistake her for anyone else."
"Alright, carry on then. Apologies for the segway."
Masaharu's gaze flicked toward Rage.
"We should not involve outsiders in this."
Danzo's reply was calm but firm.
"Rage-sama is no mere outsider," he said. "He is an envoy from Abyssal Tides and the one who aided in rescuing our Empress."
Masaharu nodded. "We appreciate his aid, but this battle is for us to face."
"All women, children, the elderly, the sick. Anyone who cannot fight must leave the village at once. And foreigners too, before Katsuya arrives," He continued.
Rage was about to open his mouth to protest, but Kazumi cut him off, her voice carried finality.
"We cannot risk further chaos within our empire."
Her eyes flicked toward Rage's chest, catching sight of the red, blue, and purple pendants hanging by his neck. For a brief moment, a faint curve touched her lips before her composure returned.
"If outsiders join this war, it may only draw the ire of other kingdoms and empires, pulling yet more blades into the storm," she continued.
Danzo rose, leaning on his staff.
"Then it is decided. I will begin the evacuation at once. Only those with the will to fight will remain."
Masaharu and Fujiwara lowered their heads in unison.
"Then we will summon our men," Fujiwara said. "Our blades will stand with the Empress."
With that, the four samurai rose. Their cloaks whispered as they left the chamber to rally their forces. Danzo followed after them.
***
When the chamber emptied, only Rage, Kazumi, and the four women remained.
Kazumi's gaze lingered on Rage. "You have walked through Ebonwake... and still you breathe. Few can claim such fortune."
Rage leaned back. "How'd you even know?"
Kazumi's lips curved. "She... has not informed me of this."
Rage frowned. "She? Who's she?"
Her only reply was the same quiet smile, the kind that held more secrets than words ever could.
Then, from the folds of her kimono, Kazumi drew something small and gleaming. She laid it on the table between them.
A pendant with a green gemstone.
Rage knew the look, the weight, the pattern. Another pendant. Another link. For a brief moment, it felt like another quest was complete.
But Kazumi's voice pulled him back. "Your training is not yet done."
Rage was stunned. "Why?"
Her gaze softened. "You will need those skills. The war may end in steel, or in peace. It could even end in surrender to spare blood. If the choice falls upon you, only then will your blade matter."
***
The day stretched on beneath a sun that slid higher through the clouds. Rage's blade rose and fell in uneven rhythm, his shoulders ached, sweat trailed down his back. Kazumi stood beside him, her voice was steady while correcting his form, commanding each new strike.
A short distance away, Suzu, Reina, Miyu and now Seloria sat together, porcelain cups in hand, their eyes occasionally moving toward Rage's clumsy swings. Their quiet tea-drinking stood in stark contrast to the harsh clash of steel.
Beyond the training yard, the village moved. Families gathered what little they owned, clothes, tools, and keepsakes into sacks.
Hirotaka strode among them, lending his strength, while Danzo leaned on his staff, guiding with calm words and patient nods.
Among the crowd, the rescued dwarves and other freed prisoners worked alongside the villagers. They were packing, repairing carts, and strapping bundles tight. The air was alive with the rustle of cloth, the thud of crates, and the murmur of voices bracing for departure.
Still, at the heart of it all, Rage swung again and again, each strike pulled forward by Kazumi's unwavering gaze.
***
Night settled, the village hushed except for the distant creak of carts and low voices finishing the day's work. Around the edges of the village, a few families still packed their belongings beneath the watch of dim torchlight.
Lanterns glowed faintly, casting gold across the yard where Kazumi moved alone. Her blade whispered through the dark. Each strike was fluid, a rhythm of grace sharpened into danger. She was less a warrior and more a dancer. Yet every step promised blood if someone crossed her. Rage sat nearby with his legs folded. His eyes were fixed on her movements.
The crunch of footsteps came behind him. Danzo asked, "May I sit?"
Rage nodded. "Sure."
The old man lowered himself beside him with care. For a moment, they both watched Kazumi's dance in silence, then Danzo spoke.
"Tenzan Skyhold was not always so grand. It was but a small fortress clinging to the mountains." His gaze softened as he recalled. "Then came the horde of beasts and demons. We were outmatched, near broken. Until Asarhu, her father, came."
"The hero. He cut down monsters as if heaven itself guided his blade. He turned despair into victory. When the war ended, he took Princess Ashai's hand, uniting bloodline with legend. Thus was he crowned Emperor. His reign stretched far. Other kingdoms bent knee to his strength, his name alone enough to quell uprisings. Yet greatness breeds suspicion. One day, without word or farewell, he vanished."
"Some whisper the divine punished him, cursed for grasping too much. Others say he was banished, driven out by the very heavens that once favored him. Me? I think the truth was stranger still. Power such as his never simply... fades."
He let the words drift into the night, where Kazumi's sword still sang against the air.
[SYSTEM] Empress Kazumi : Loyalty 84%
[SYSTEM] Corruption : 38.4%