The chirping of birds set the tone for another calm morning. The sun was bright, the sky clear, and the air warm.

  Izumi slid open the door to the house and stepped outside, tapping the dirt from his shoes.

  He carried his sword with him as he closed the door and started heading out. But a faint crackling sound from behind the house caught his attention.

  He slowly moved to investigate. When he reached the corner, he carefully leaned forward to look past it, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

  To his surprise, it was only Miyuki, hunched over and facing away from him.

  Relieved, he relaxed slightly and was about to greet her—but then he heard the crackling sound again.

  He stayed still, curiosity taking over as he tried to find the source of the strange noise.

  As he watched more closely, he noticed Miyuki holding her hands out in front of her, though it wasn't clear what she was trying to do.

  He squinted, trying to see if something was wrong with them, but as far as he could tell, they looked perfectly normal.

  That was until he noticed the back of her left hand glowing faintly, forming a pattern he couldn't quite make out from that distance.

  Then it happened.

  A spark flickered from her palms—weak, but undeniable.

  Not knowing what to say, Izumi slowly backed away and turned to leave. But just as he reached the corner, a branch snapped beneath his foot.

  Miyuki immediately turned toward the sound.

  Seeing no one there, she hesitated for a moment before turning back again, dismissing it as nothing more than a passing critter.

  Meanwhile, Izumi stood behind the corner, breathing slowly, his body tense as he pressed his back against the wall.

  Once he was sure she had turned away, he quietly walked off—this time making sure to watch where he stepped.

  "What was that?" he thought to himself as he walked past the village. "Could it be—no… of course not, right?"

  He didn't have much time to dwell on the thought, though, because a mix of childish voices passed by as he continued walking.

  He paid them no mind—until he heard one of the adults say in a low voice, "Get away from that guy."

  For some reason he couldn't quite explain, he slowed his pace, curious to hear what she was saying.

  "But why, Mom?" a childlike voice asked. "I just want to say hi—"

  "Are you crazy?" she said, cutting him off, her tone slightly louder now. "We don't talk to strangers, son. Especially those who walk around with swords in their hands in broad daylight."

  That was it. Nothing else was said.

  Izumi never bothered to look back. He simply kept walking as he had been before—though now his expression was slightly downcast.

  "Where have you been?!" Ichiro's voice called out as Izumi approached the large tree beside the stream at the foot of the waterfall. "You're late!"

  "I'm sorry," Izumi replied. "I slept in, that's all. I swear."

  "But I woke you up, didn't I?" Yuriko asked.

  She sat on the grass beneath the shade near Takae, both of them with their swords beside them.

  "I said I'm sorry, okay? Jeez," Izumi replied.

  Ichiro sighed.

  "Well, better late than never, I guess. Just sit down so we can get started."

  "Sure," Izumi said, sitting down near Takae. "But why did you have us bring our swords today?"

  "It will be the core of today's lesson," Ichiro replied, resting a hand on the sword at his side.

  "So today," he continued, "I will be teaching you about the specifics of being an Ashura samurai."

  The three straightened their posture, looking up at him.

  "First, you should know that the Ashura samurai have three distinct weapons which they use to face the djinn," he said. "Not all of them are physical weapons in the traditional sense, but they are still arms they use."

  He slightly unsheathed his sword, just enough for the blade to be visible.

  "First of all, we have the Ikkion blades."

  He then sheathed the sword and continued.

  "I'll get into them in a moment. Second, we have Vahir. It is the ability of Ashura samurai to cast offensive, defensive, and supportive spells through source energy manipulation."

  "Do you mean what you did when you formed the apple before?" Takae asked.

  "Correct," he replied. "What you saw was the first spell of the Vanguard series: Synthesis. It is also the foundation of all Vahir."

  "So what you're saying is, if we master it, we can easily learn all the other forms of Vahir?" Yuriko asked.

  "That is an abstract way to look at it, but yes, you can," he replied. "But I'm not saying it's easy. In fact, it is one of the hardest spells to master because it requires a complete understanding of what you're trying to synthesize, so it isn't used often."

  "So why is it numbered one then?" Izumi asked.

  "That is because the spells aren't classified by difficulty, but by their conception. This makes Synthesis the first spell ever conceived, which in turn paved the way for the invention of other spells."

  "Finally," he continued, "we have the last arm: the Spirit Arts. This is the most abstract arm among the three because it is constantly evolving."

  "What do you mean by that?" Yuriko asked in confusion. "How can it be evolving if it is a fixed practice?"

  "The Spirit Arts," he replied, "are a collection of martial disciplines meant to augment an Ashura samurai's fighting style. The reason I said they are evolving is because, beyond their basic forms, the Spirit Arts are constantly altered and improved by individual warriors to suit their own methods of combat."

  "Some examples are," he continued, "the Sword of Shifting Wind and the Sword of Crushing Earth, more commonly known as Wind Style and Earth Style, respectively."

  "What form of martial art are they?" Takae asked.

  "They are sword-based augmentative techniques meant to boost the potency of sword attacks," he replied. "But I'll explain them in more detail later. Another well-known example is the Fist of the Rising Sun, which is a hand-to-hand combat discipline often used in case a warrior is disarmed."

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  He paused, giving them time to process the information and waiting to see if anyone had questions. After a long moment of silence, it was clear none were coming.

  "Now, let's get back to the Ikkion Blades," he said, breaking the silence.

  "Before you start," Yuriko said, cutting in, "what does the word Ikkion mean?"

  "It's good that you asked," Ichiro replied. "The word Ikkion comes from the Old Tongue that existed before the First Apocalypse, an event that marked the beginning of the Celestial Calendar. It means a single thread or a singular entity, which correlates to the blade's function."

  "Whoa, slow down," Izumi interrupted. "You can't just drop something like that without explaining it. What do you mean by the First Apocalypse?"

  "Oh, right," Ichiro replied. "Sorry for the confusion. I'm sure you all know about the Celestial Calendar, at least."

  They nodded.

  "But have you ever asked yourselves what it actually dates back to?"

  "Not really," Yuriko admitted, glancing at the other two to see if they felt the same. They did.

  "The Celestial Calendar," he continued, "dates back to a catastrophic cosmic event known as the First Apocalypse."

  "Why did it happen?" Takae asked.

  "Not much is known about what caused it," he replied. "But whatever it was shattered the once-primordial world and divided it into various dimensions—such as the Djinn Realm and the Human Realm we live in now."

  He paused, then shook his head slightly.

  "We're getting off topic," he said, realizing he had begun rambling. "Let's get back to where we were."

  It was then that he noticed Izumi staring past him, lost in thought.

  "Hey," he called out," are you listening?"

  "Hey," he called out. "Are you listening?"

  "Yeah," Izumi replied abruptly, startled. "Of course I'm listening."

  Ichiro raised an eyebrow in doubt but chose not to pursue the matter.

  "An Ikkion blade is a weapon forged from a special alloy that has been molecularly enhanced with source energy," he said as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward them.

  The sword's polished surface reflected the sunlight into their faces, causing them to squint.

  "This property of the blade," he continued, stabbing the tip of the sword into the ground, "allows an Ashura samurai to form a contract with a spirit."

  "What's a spirit?" Yuriko asked.

  "Spirits are souls without physical bodies that exist in a parallel realm to the physical world known as the Spirit Realm," he replied.

  "Wait," Izumi interrupted. "I thought you said Ashura samurai make contracts with spirits. How do they do that if the spirits exist in another realm?"

  Ichiro sighed. "Always with the questions. Don't you get tired of nitpicking every single detail?"

  "Fine, here's your answer," he continued, taking a seat in front of his sword, which remained standing due to its tip being lodged firmly in the ground. "There aren't many ways to make contact with spirits, and one of the few methods is through an Ikkion blade. Because of its molecular enhancement, it emits a unique source energy signature. This signature attracts spirits to the blade from their parallel space, allowing contact through metaphysical means. Do you understand?"

  "I guess," Izumi replied, still trying to process the explanation.

  "If there are no other questions, I'll continue," Ichiro said after giving them a brief moment to think. "Remember how I said Ikkion means a single thread or a singular entity? In the same way, an Ikkion blade allows an Ashura samurai to form a union with a spirit—provided the desires of both parties align."

  "And before you ask," he added, glancing at Izumi, "this also applies to desires at the subconscious level. So you can't fake it."

  "Why do the desires have to coincide?" Takae asked. "Is it because the spirits want to use us to achieve their own objectives?"

  Ichiro fell silent for a moment, considering the question.

  "I suppose you could look at it that way," he finally said. "But the truth is that even now, nobody truly understands what motivates the spirits. Whether they seek to fulfill their own goals or simply find humans interesting enough to observe… no one can say for certain."

  "All we can do is hope that they bear no ill intentions toward us."

  "Now that that is out of the way, let's continue," he said after a brief pause. "Once the union is formed, it may result in the birth of a unique ability that neither party previously possessed. In order to bring out this ability to its fullest extent, one must reach a predetermined threshold of source energy output and maintain a strong connection with the spirit."

  "If both of these conditions are met, the warrior can access their ability by calling out Release along with the name of the spirit, which elicits a reaction from the spirit and activates the ability."

  Though she couldn't say exactly why, Yuriko's mind drifted back to the fight between Asahi and Tsushiro. She remembered how he had also called out his ability by invoking his spirit, though the exact sequence was vague in her memory.

  "In the event of a strengthened connection," Ichiro continued, drawing her attention back, "another level of the ability can be achieved. It is called Axiom, and with it usually comes either an enhanced version of the original ability or an entirely new but related one."

  "Achieving it, however, is no easy feat. Not only does it require an even higher threshold of source energy output than Release, but it also demands a far deeper connection between the warrior and their spirit."

  "Mh… I think I get it," Takae said after a moment of thought. "But is that all there is to the Ikkion blade's ability? What about those who don't meet the requirements?"

  "It's funny you mention that," Ichiro replied. "Because there are pseudo-forms that can be achieved by those who cannot fully attain their Release or Axiom, or by those who wish to limit the output of their ability for whatever reason. They are Saro Sere, the incomplete Release, and Saro Shio, the incomplete Axiom."

  "Well, that's nice and all, but what does that mean for us and our swords?" Izumi asked.

  "What you have now," Ichiro replied, "can be considered a blank page or an empty vessel. Until you form a contract, it will remain just an ordinary sword—with only slightly higher durability."

  "But you haven't specified exactly how to make a contract, or when it will happen," Yuriko added.

  "That's because there is no specific method for forming a contract," Ichiro replied as he pulled his sword from the ground and studied its polished blade. "Contract formation differs depending on the circumstances surrounding the two parties. However, it is rare for it to occur through direct physical confrontation. More often, it happens automatically once the necessary conditions for the contract are already met."

  He stood up and sheathed his sword before continuing.

  "Since this is a process that cannot be forced, we will instead focus on Vahir and the basic forms of Wind Style and Earth Style until you're ready."

  "If it happens automatically," Izumi asked, "then how will you know if it happened at all?"

  "That," Ichiro replied with a small shrug, "is something I don't have an answer to. I suppose you'll find out when it happens."

  He tapped his sheathed sword lightly against the ground.

  "Stand up. For the rest of this week, we'll be focusing on basic sword drills before anything else."

  The three of them obliged and stood.

  "Thank goodness that's over," Yuriko blurted out as she stretched.

  "Now don't get too relaxed," Ichiro said with a smirk. "This is when the real work begins."

  As dusk settled and the rays of the setting sun filtered through the slightly cloudy sky, Miyuki walked alone through the forest. She carried a box of food wrapped in cloth, and her left hand was covered in bandages that were barely visible beneath the loose sleeve of her robe.

  As she approached the waterfall, she noticed a single silhouette standing among three fallen figures.

  She quickened her pace, only to discover it was Ichiro standing calmly while Izumi, Takae, and Yuriko lay sprawled on the ground—exhausted and covered in dirt—while he remained clean and energetic.

  "I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point," she said, catching their attention.

  "Oh, Miyuki—you made it," Takae said, turning her head toward her.

  "And she brought food," Yuriko added, quickly sitting up, her mouth already watering.

  "Are you guys okay?" Miyuki asked.

  "We're fine," Izumi replied as he lay on his back staring up at the sky, not moving a single muscle.

  "Well, I brought you some food," she said. Then she lifted her bandaged hand slightly. "I'm sorry I'm late. I hurt my hand at the restaurant, so I couldn't make it earlier."

  "Are you okay?" Takae asked.

  "I'm fine," Miyuki replied nervously. "This happens all the time… right, Father?"

  "Right," he replied, his tone uncertain, "there's no need to eat here. Let's go back first."

  "Sure," she replied, avoiding his gaze.

  The three forced themselves to stand and dusted off their robes before heading back with Ichiro and Miyuki.

  For most of the walk, there was silence.

  That was until Izumi, finding himself slightly apart from the group, asked, "Why are you going that way? I thought we had to go through the village to get back."

  "Teach showed us a shortcut this morning," Yuriko replied. "Wait… does that mean you walked past the village with your sword this morning?"

  "Well, yeah. It's not like I could hide it," he replied.

  "But the villagers are already suspicious of us," Takae said. "That's why we used the shortcut."

  Ichiro sighed. "He would've known that if he hadn't slept in."

  "It's not my fault!" Izumi exclaimed. "I'm just a deep sleeper."

  "Wait, you slept in today?" Miyuki asked. "How come I didn't notice?"

  "Well," he replied hesitantly, "I slipped out quietly, so I doubt you could've heard me."

  With that, the group fell silent again, until the girls began discussing things among themselves.

  Izumi slipped back to match Ichiro's slower pace. They didn't talk at first, both seemingly lost in thought.

  "You've noticed it too, haven't you?" Izumi said, his voice low.

  "Yeah," Ichiro replied.

  "But how is it possible?" Izumi asked. "I thought you said it could only happen through training and meditation. How is she able to achieve it?"

  "I can't say," Ichiro replied. "It seems she's undergoing a slower, more natural ascension."

  "But what's more concerning," he continued, "is that she's starting to notice it. That bandaged hand is proof of that."

  "What is it?" Izumi asked. "I mean… that mark on her hand."

  Ichiro sighed. "It's too early to tell."

  "So what now?" Izumi asked. "Are you going to let her become an Ashura Samurai like she wants, or are you going to keep ignoring her?"

  "If I'm being honest," Ichiro replied, "I don't know what to do. On one hand, I have no right to deny her what she wants. On the other, I have to make sure she's safe."

  "I know it's not my place to say this," Izumi replied, "but I think you should at least consider the possibility and confront her first with your answer instead of avoiding it."

  "You're right," he replied. "I guess I have no other choice."

  He looked ahead at the three girls, chatting about something inaudible from that distance, but one thing clearly stood out to him.

  She was happy—more than she had ever been when it was just the two of them.

  This observation, however, only troubled his heart even further.