The Dream Tree

Under the crescent moon, two figures clash in the middle of the river, their battle sending ripples across the water as they move as if on solid ground. One warrior's sword strikes with overwhelming force, each swing generating gusts of wind that churn the river into waves. The other moves with the grace of the wind itself, deflecting every attack at precise angles, preventing his opponent from unleashing his full power. 

On both riverbanks, warriors fight fiercely, bodies collapsing onto the ground or drifting in the current. Hidden among the trees on one side, children and teenagers fire arrows from cover, their silhouettes barely visible in the moonlight. 

Fifteen figures stand atop a cliff, silently observing the battle below.

Kanoru decided that how Master Junzo was able to fight could be figured out later. He looked around at his group. "Let's go help them." The others nodded—there was no choice. If their forces were defeated, they wouldn't survive for long either. 

Just as they were about to descend the cliff, someone in the group shouted, "Look! More ships are coming from the western ocean!" 

They squinted, spotting a black flag with a spider emblem. 

"I know them," a samurai said grimly. "I was guarding the last trade when they attacked our ship. If Master Negi hadn't been with us, we would've been wiped out." 

Ren's expression darkened. "If Master Negi was needed to stop them, then they must also have a higher-rank samurai." 

Kanoru clenched his jaw. "We need to warn them to retreat." 

Without hesitation, he sprinted down the slope, drawing his bow in one swift motion. He fired rapidly as he ran, each arrow finding its mark. By the time he reached the battlefield, ten pirates had already fallen. 

Switching to his sword, he scanned the chaos and spotted the middle-rank samurai pirate he had fought earlier, now locked in a fierce duel with one of their own middle-rank samurai. Without wasting time, Kanoru unleashed a wind blade from his sword. The pirate, too engrossed in battle, failed to notice in time. The blade cut clean through his back, and he collapsed, dead. 

The samurai fighting him turned to Kanoru, recognizing him. "Kanoru! Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine," Kanoru replied. "But we have to go." 

"Why? We're winning," the samurai said, confused. 

"Another pirate ship is approaching." 

The samurai's expression shifted. "Then we have to retreat." 

Kanoru nodded. "I'll call Master Junzo. Sir, you gather the others." 

Without waiting, Kanoru sprinted toward the riverbank, shouting, "Master Junzo! We have to retreat!" 

Deflecting another strike from the pirate captain, Master Junzo asked, "Why?" 

Kanoru raised his sword just in time to block an attack from a pirate. "Another pirate ship is heading this way!" 

The pirate before him was a lower-rank samurai like Kanoru. Deflecting the attack, Kanoru channeled the power of the wind into his sword, eliminating all resistance. His blade moved too swiftly for the pirate to react—a thin red line appeared on the pirate's neck before he collapsed, clutching his throat. 

Kanoru ran toward the forest and spotted Takashi and Takenaka among the children, firing arrows from cover. He joined them, loosing arrows at the enemy. 

A few minutes later, his eyes landed on the pirate captain, who was blocking Master Junzo's retreat. Kanoru took careful aim and fired an arrow. The pirate captain noticed and deflected it with his free hand, but the momentary distraction was enough—Master Junzo seized the opportunity and broke free. 

Like a storm, Master Junzo tore through the pirates still engaging their samurai, cutting a path for retreat. Kanoru watched closely, sensing the wind surrounding Master Junzo's body. *He's in the final stage of the Sword Wind realm.* 

With Master Junzo leading the charge, the samurai on Kanoru's side retreated into the forest, while those on the opposite bank withdrew toward the front line. 

Seeing the pirate captain coming after him, Master Junzo unleashed a ten-meter wind blade. The pirate captain barely managed to defend against it, but in that moment, Master Junzo vanished into the forest. "Let's retreat to the first camp!" he ordered. 

The group immediately turned and fled. 

Two hours later, Kanoru lay on his bed inside the tent where he stayed during his time in the first camp. From morning until now, he had neither rested nor eaten. As exhaustion took over, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. 

The next morning, he woke up and found Takashi meditating on his bed. Sitting up silently so as not to disturb him, Kanoru got out of the tent. 

Half an hour later, he was having breakfast while observing the commotion in the camp. The girls had been moved here, with the boys occupying the western side and the girls the eastern side. Kanoru scanned the area, looking for a senior samurai to ask about the current situation. 

As he searched, he spotted Ren approaching, his right arm wrapped in a bandage. Kanoru hadn't realized Ren had been injured after they had charged down the slope last night. 

"Senior Ren," Kanoru called. 

Ren noticed him and quickened his pace. 

When he reached Kanoru, Kanoru asked, "How were you injured?" 

"A pirate cut my arm," Ren replied. 

Kanoru nodded. "Senior Ren, what's the situation now?" 

"At dawn, the Niwais besieged the frontline camp. Master Negi and Master Junzo, along with their forces, are fighting the pirates." 

Kanoru nodded again. "What about us?" 

"We've been given a rest day. Tomorrow, we'll join Master Junzo in battle." 

Kanoru stood up. "Then I should go train." 

Ren gestured toward his breakfast. "I'm going to finish eating first." 

Kanoru left the camp and walked toward a pond nearby. It was far enough from the camp that few people went there but close enough that wild beasts usually stayed away. Reaching the pond, he climbed a tree and sat down to meditate.

Tomorrow, he would join the war. 

After a brief 30-minute meditation, he began practicing sword techniques from the School of the Eagle. 

There were five sword schools in this land—Cat, Snake, Eagle, Wolf, and Mantis. He was already proficient in the Cat and Snake styles. Mastering them would take time, but with his strong foundation, he could familiarize himself with the other three. 

He focused on the Eagle style, practicing each movement carefully. After every sequence, he recalled his actions, analyzing them for mistakes before repeating the motions. His goal was to make the techniques instinctive to his body. 

Engrossed in training, he didn't notice he was being watched—until the sound of a cough broke his concentration. 

Two girls stood nearby, observing him. He stared at them in silence until one of them spoke. 

"I didn't mean to disturb you, but I saw you practicing the Eagle sword style. I'm proficient in it too, so I wanted to train with you," she said. 

Kanoru asked, "Who are you?" 

"Oh, sorry! I'm Mori Asuna," she replied. 

Kanoru raised an eyebrow. "I'm Matsuda Kanoru. I'd be glad to practice with you." 

Both girls gasped. "You're Matsuda Kanoru?" they exclaimed, staring at him. 

Asuna studied him and said, "You look different from the competition day." 

The other girl added, "Yes, his skin is darker, and there are cuts, but he is definitely Matsuda Kanoru." 

They exchanged whispers before Kanoru interrupted. "Do you want to practice or not?" 

Asuna snapped back. "Yes, yes, I do!" She unsheathed her sword and stepped forward. 

Kanoru said, "No opening gates—we'll only use sword skills." 

Asuna nodded, and they began sparring using Eagle sword techniques. 

Twenty minutes later, Kanoru was defeated. 

Asuna jumped in excitement. "I beat Kanoru! My brother couldn't even do that!" 

While she celebrated, Kanoru closed his eyes, replaying the fight in his mind and reviewing his mistakes. After two minutes, he opened his eyes. "Let's go again." 

"Okay!" Asuna agreed eagerly. 

This time, their duel stretched for an hour with no clear winner. 

Kanoru finally said, "Let's stop and take a break." 

Breathing heavily, Asuna nodded. "How did you improve so quickly?" 

Kanoru shrugged and closed his eyes again, analyzing their fight. He could feel himself nearing proficiency in the Eagle style. 

Opening his eyes, he felt hunger creeping in but didn't want to return to camp. His gaze fell on the fish swimming in the pond. 

Wading into the knee-deep water, he moved swiftly. In five seconds, he caught and killed three fish. 

Stepping out, Asuna asked, "What are you doing?" 

"I'm hungry. I'm going to cook these," Kanoru replied. 

"I want one! And one for Mika," Asuna said. 

Kanoru gathered dry wood. "Why do you think I caught three?" 

After collecting enough, he cleaned the fish, started a fire, and began frying them.