The Regretful Kensei (Private/Training/BK Master)

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Night in the Lands of Wind was a cold and desolate situation. The furious sun was hidden, and all of the heat it granted the creatures during the day quickly dissipated, leaving it below freezing. All of this didn't bother Katsu that much however. The power of a soul was astounding, and Katsu's modest ability to mold his own Spirit Energy let him shrug off temperatures that could kill a normal human. Katsu still knew it was freezing outside, and could feel the cold against his skin, but it simply didn't affect him. It was a cool summer night to him, nothing more.

Traveling through the Land of Wind Katsu had little trouble to that point, wherever his point was. He was traveling West, towards the place that was supposed to house the Masters of Buredono Kenseijin, but the desert was a huge place. Katsu could be off by miles and not even realize it. For the fourth time in the last hour Katsu checked his direction by pulling out a kunai, very gently using his broken right arm to perform some handseals, and then watched the kunai turn to point North.

Good. Katsu was still on course. Placing the kunai away Katsu continued his trudging through the glittering night sands. Another half an hour passed before Katsu noted anything different; spotting a strange sight in the distance just as he topped a sand dune.

The sight was mesmerizing to behold for Katsu. A great Temple rose up out of the sands at the edge of the horizon, drawing attention with its massive size and bulk. Silvery stones formed the base, glittering in the moonlight, while a dark wood formed the walls and roofs of the compound. A tall Pagoda formed the main building, while the rest of the compound was hidden behind a wall, although a well and a living quarters could be glimpsed just atop the wall. It was a beautiful sight to behold with its traditional style of construction and its great size, dominating the landscape for dozens of miles. Yet there was something off about the place. For one thing there was no sense of...weight? Mountains and skyscrapers gave off an aura of heaviness, that they were big and powerful creations. This temple, however massive it was in the distance, had no such feeling. There was also a slight shimmering of light around the entire place.

For a tiny moment the entire building just vanished, then flickered back into existence. “That is certainly otherworldly... and interesting... Guh, I hope this doesn't come back on me.” Katsu mused to himself aloud as he debated in his head whether or not to investigate the strange compound. Katsu was injured, by all rights he shouldn't have been out in the open desert with his arm in a sling, and this was obviously something that could be dangerous. Still, Katsu's curiosity at seeing such a beautiful and otherworldly happening got the better of him, and soon he found himself walking towards the castle, noting that it was directly West of him, right in his original path.

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Within half an hour Katsu found himself at the walls of the temple, looking at a massive Gate etched with hundreds of Oni in traditional Samurai O-Yoroi battling each other. Strangely, each single Oni had a particular looking face, as if the artist had drawn from memory the sight of real Oni. Katsu wouldn't have minded just standing there for a while to examine the artwork, but he wanted to get inside and see what was in there. He didn't trust his own ability to wall-walk on the ethereal construct, which meant he had to go through the Gate. Of course he didn't have the strength to move something that massive.

Another moment as Katsu thought and suddenly the entire building flickered out and then back into existence, and Katsu's keen eyes spotted something interesting. While the entire building had vanished, the silvery stone base had remained. As had a small portion of some of the wood, although what Katsu had spotted was charred and blackened. The information filtering through his mind Katsu realized what this building probably was. It wasn't really there. A normal human wouldn't even notice it at all, it was only Katsu's Soul that had picked up that there was a building here. A ghostly memory, given an ethereal form and shape by someone or something with a strong attachment to this place in life.

Someone in life that was so attached to a place that had burned to the ground that they had recreated it in their death. Katsu wanted to... had to meet them. Looking at the Oni covered Gate, Katsu shrugged and simply walked right through it. The whole place was incorporeal and had no will of its own; its substance meaningless to a solid body.

The courtyard that Katsu stepped into was a little different than he had been expecting. The stylized Gate had seemed to denote the temple as a place of religion and peace, but looking around at the courtyard Katsu knew this was a place for war. The inside of the wall, looking simple from the outside, were actually filled with defense points, platforms for bowman to fire through hidden arrow slits. There was even a few catapults packed away, ready to be assembled and used at any time. The main building of the compound, which had looked like a Pagoda from a distance, now took on it's true appearance, a traditional style Japanese keep. Great Banners filled the main courtyard, displaying a vicious looking Dragon being ridden by an Oni into battle, Kanji that translated to a family name, “Yashamita", marked the owner of the banners and the temple.

Knowledge tickled the back of Katsu's mind, but he banished the thought for the moment, needing to stay alert. The entire compound was obviously the lair of some kind of military figure or warlord, and if they were the one that had conjured up this place after death, they might be a very violent type of ghost. It seemed however that Katsu's presence was either not noticed or being ignored, as nothing came to meet him.

The keep. Katsu knew that the owner of this illusion was in the keep somewhere, and so he walked across the large courtyard, his shoes crunching against a light layer of sand that coated the stone floor. The only other sound was Katsu's breathing, the desert wind having died down when Katsu had entered the courtyard. Crossing the courtyard quickly, his eyes and ears open to anything that might try to surprise him, Katsu headed for the Keep doors. Like the Outer Gate they were huge creations of art and craftsmanship, but where there were many Oni on the first gate, there were two humans on this one. Each was garbed in O-Yoroi, the armor of Samurai, and each held a katana facing one another, dragons wrapped around the blades, spitting fire at their opponent.

Katsu was mesmerized at the image for a while. Yet, eventually he was drawn back to his original purpose in this ghostly castle. The owner. Taking a deep breath, Katsu darted forward, through the Gates and into the Keep.

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To Katsu's surprise the keep was nothing like what he had been expecting. He had been expecting a labyrinthine series of corridors and rooms that would further hinder a potential invading force. Instead he was met with the inside of a large Dojo sparring room. Tatami mats covered the floor and the walls were lined with at least a few dozen weapon racks, each containing all different kinds of swords. From the katana and the Western Longsword to the Southeast Shamshir and even a few Western Rapier, all carefully sheathed and looking in good condition.

Katsu was interrupted in his examination of the room by the sudden realization that there was someone in the room with him. The figure sat in the middle of the room in the Kiza position; back straight with legs folded under the body, toes touching the ground with ankles in the air beneath the rear. The knees were two fist widths apart while the toes were directly next to each other, and the hands rested on the mid-thigh of the legs. Katsu recognized the form as an Archer, it was a stance that was considered alert and combat-ready. Many who took Bushido very seriously could be insulted by one taking that position in a peaceful conversation, for it showed distrust of those around that person by remaining in a combat-ready stance.

Turning to the figure Katsu peered through the dim light of the night, finally being forced to perform a few very slow handseals to awaken his Ryuugan, the area suddenly bright with the light of Air in Katsu's eyes. The figure became crystal clear to Katsu, and he gazed at the man sitting there with a mixture of surprise and fear. He was like a beast waiting for prey, his appearance so fearsome that Katsu took a step back from him unconsciously, desperately wishing his right arm worked so he could properly perform handseals to fight or flee this being.

The first thing Katsu noted about the man was the incredibly long hair, a thick and wild mane of light gray hair that had to be at least four foot long hung from the back of the man's head. It was splayed out behind him in an impressive display, an Oni-faced hair tie as big as Katsu's skull securing the thick mane into one mass. The man had two other Oni-faced adornments on his body, one a Spaulder on his left shoulder, and the other around his waist, bigger than the other two and securing the lower half of an O-Yoroi armor set, dyed in blood and rust colorings. A full-sized Oxen head adorned his right shoulder, the horns each sharpened to a vicious point. Flowing from beneath the Oxen head was a robe-like swath of cloth that wrapped around and around the man's body tightly, it too dyed in blood. The man wore no other visible clothing except for a pair of traditional Samurai forearm guards made of leather-bound wooden slabs overlapping each other.

The man under the clothing looked bestial, feral, almost demonic in nature. If he were to stand he would easily reach six and a half feet, and his build was powerful, muscles straining against his light olive skin even as he held himself in perfect motionless form. In particular was a massive scar across the man's stomach, which in life would have resulted in disembowelment it was so grievous. The man's hands were callused, yet they retained a supple length of the digits, and the nails that extended from his fingers were more like claws, capable of ripping out a human throat bare-handed.

Katsu mustered his courage, shifting his broken right arm gingerly, and stepped forward. The man's head rose as he sensed Katsu's intent, fierce blue eyes suddenly staring back at Katsu. The man's face was truly that of a beast. Two rows of razor sharp teeth filed down to points filled the man's mouth, giving him a shark-like grin every time he opening his mouth, while the calm almost dead look in his eyes hinted at restraint from enacting cruelties.

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The man spoke very calmly, very quietly, yet with a menace in his voice that Katsu took yet another step back from him unconsciously, barely holding his ground there. “What purpose does a living child have in this dead place? Why do you disturb me?”

It took Katsu a good ten seconds before he could answer, “I s-saw a compound in the desert, shimmering in the moonlight. I was curious...” Katsu's voice at first was small and scared, but as he spoke he gained courage. What fear had he from the dead? The manipulation of his own Spirit Energy was perhaps his most mastered skill beyond Archery, dealing with Ghosts was his domain. “I am Katsu of the Kazeraikou. What is your name?”

This time it was the man's turn to delay, although Katsu believed his hesitance came from deciding whether he would even speak to him. “... I was known as Oniryu...” the man trailed off, his voice lingering on the night air.

Katsu tilted his head to the side, thinking of the banners outside. Yashamita. Oniryu. Something clicked in Katsu's head, reminding Katsu that the Yashamita family were all practitioners of Buredono Kenseijin. In fact, Kinado Yashamita the Fourth was the second-in-command of the entire school. With that information, and the name on the banners outside, Katsu had a theory... “I've never heard of Oniryu... but you were related to Kinado Yashamita, weren't you?”

The man nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Katsu's face. “You are correct. He was my brother by blood and as a fellow Kensei, but that tie was broken when he betrayed me... That was decades ago. Surely he has died of old age, surely his son has done the same. What interest have you in such matters though, boy?”

Katsu moved to sit down in front of Oniryu, assuming the same stance, or at least as close as he could given his broken arm, and then gave a polite bow. “I came out to this area of the desert to learn of Buredono Kenseijin in order to make myself stronger. Your castle was in my path, and now I'm given an opportunity to listen to an Ancient Kensei. It's a chance to learn of how the style evolved from the beginning; I would be a fool to not seek out anything you might tell me.”

For the first time Oniryu gave a grin, his fierce eyes lighting up in amusement. “You are amusing, boy. The first not to flee from the sight of me in a long time, and the first ever wanting to learn what I know, and for the purpose of seeking strength. Yes, I suppose there are many things I could teach you, boy, but where to start?”

A few moments of remaining quiet as Oniryu thought, then Katsu spoke up, “The very beginning. Tell me your life.”

“As you wish it, then. I shall tell you of my life, and the darker currents of Buredono Kenseijin, the ones my brother wished to let die in the darkness...”

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Oniryu was born Kidomaru Himura, meaning Demon-child of the Scarlet village, named so because he was an Onigo, a child born with teeth. A terrible omen of death and depravity; the parents were horrified of their new child, believing him to eventually be responsible for their deaths. They gave him the name demon-child then abandoned him at an orphanage in the Land of Wind, far from their own home. Ironically their fears came true, for when returning from the orphanage they were waylaid by bandits and murdered for their food and water before they could leave the country.

Kidomaru spent his first few years with the orphanage, albeit it was not quite peaceful. Living up to the myth, Kidomaru was an intensely wild child during infancy. Throwing fits, flailing his arms at his caretakers, taking what he wanted from the other small children and defending what he thought was his from kids two and three years older. It was obvious that at some point they were going to lose control of this child, and the orphanage took greater steps to try and have him be adopted, looking desperately for a family that could handle this fierce child. They were in luck, for Ryu Kazume, the founder of the Buredono Kenseijin style, had heard of an unruly child that was feared and hated, and decided to take him in.

Ryu had taken him out of compassion, but he planned to train Kidomaru. To tame his fierce wildness and bend it towards honor and righteousness. To that end he paired him up with one of his best students; Kinado Yashamita. The choice was apparently the right one, for although they had radically different personalities they took to each other quickly, and were soon to be seen sparring and spending the majority of their time together. Kidomaru's personality and appearance frightened many others, but Kinado was never scared of him, and stood up to him when he was wrong, slowly teaching him the basics of honor and compassion. Kidomaru's was a dark soul even with the tempering of Kinado, but now he could keep himself in check, and he had true family to bond with. After four years with his new family Kidomaru performed a Blood-joining ceremony with Kinado and took his family surname as his own. They claimed each other as Blood-brothers, and went forward as students of Buredono Kenseijin, eventually attaining Kensei status, like that of their master Ryu Kazume. Both were overjoyed, yet there remained a schism between the two.

In a twist of fate Kinado had always seemed the stronger fighter between him and Kidomaru. This fact remained true even as they both reached the highest level of skill in Buredono Kenseijin. While their sparring matches could level mountains and uproot entire forests, they inevitably ended in Kidomaru's defeat. Yet Kidomaru was secretly the stronger of the pair, but he did not utilize everything he had when sparring with Kinado. He was too ashamed.

While Ryu and Kinado had always pushed Kidomaru to the way of Righteousness and Honor, his soul swayed while out from under their guidance, returning always to his darker and more wild nature. He took the power and skill that he had been taught and melded it with his own animalistic fighting style. It created something far darker than the original style, but by abandoning honor and relying on vicious instinct it was stronger, more lethal. Kidomaru was ashamed of his creation but could not doubt his power when he utilized it. To remain on the path of Honor and Righteousness only to lose to his Blood-Brother time and again, or to utilize the Darkness in his soul and to crush Kinado. The choice plagued Kidomaru for a great part of his teenage life, until eventually the choice was made for him.

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A spar can get out of hand quickly if there is any malice between the participants. For this reason many spars are watched over by the Sensei to prevent any unnecessary brutality. Kidomaru and Kinado were, however, trusted together and Kensei besides and were left to practice on their own. It was one such spar that took a turn for the worse. Blades flashed, sparks flying as Kidomaru and Kinado swung their weapons at each other. The environment was already changed by their spar, a great sand dune torn up and sent scattering on the wind, and they fought in a cloud of sand. Kidomaru had been giving ground, his face contorted into a mask of frustration as he continued to bat away Kinado's strikes over and over, barely able to throw a few strikes of his own before being put on the defensive again.

Many times before this frustration had cost Kidomaru the spar, him slipping up a technique or missing his timing just enough for a master like Kinado to take advantage and end the spar with his blade at Kidomaru's throat. This time it caused him to misread a motion from Kinado. A feinting-thrust turned low horizontal slash when Kidomaru thought it was to be a high-horizontal slash. His stance was offensive, his upper body forward, a high-slash could take his head off. For the tiniest moment Kidomaru thought Kinado meant to end him for real. Desperation and frustration caused him to abandon his half-mastered skills and to rely on the darker skills he had, and in that tiny moment Kidomaru had slammed his fist against the flat of Kinado's blade, sending it flying out of his hands. A tiny moment later Kidomaru's sword slammed into Kinado's chest, near the heart.

The horror of what he had just done gripped Kidomaru with a paralyzing fear. He'd ended it, horribly. His blade dropped to the ground and he snatched up Kinado's body, but he was already unconscious, Kidomaru's strike forcing him into shock. Weeping, Kidomaru did not realize someone else was there until a blade fell to the sands. Looking up he saw a student of the Dojo standing there, looking horrified. Kidomaru made a move to speak to the man, to ask him to get help, or to find Ryu, but as he raised his hand the poor student yelped in fear and fled, leaving him alone once more.

Kidomaru had thought he had truly killed Kinado, and while he wished to die for his crime, some dark instinct drove him to try and survive. Rather than stay to face the punishment for killing Kinado he ran, taking only his katana as he did. And at the back of his mind, even as he ran for his life, Kidomaru rejoiced. His Instinct had won over Honor. He was indisputably the stronger. He was right.

However something was still amiss with Kidomaru's assessment. Kinado had not died. Yes he was badly wounded, yes he had even lost consciousness, but the wound was not immediately fatal. The Dojo student managed to return with a medic in time to save Kinado's life. Kidomaru was thought to not only have near-fatally wounded Kinado, but to have purposefully abandoned him when he could have taken him to a medic. His name was stricken from the student roster, banished from the school forever, and instructions were given to watch for his reappearance, for surely he had fallen to evil.

On his own Kidomaru quickly reverted to his animalistic tendencies. To hide his identity he took up the name Oniryu; the Demon Dragon, and thus he became one of the most powerful renegades on the planet. He conquered and subjugated dozens of bandit clans, laying waste to whole villages and going head to head with entire armies, always walking away unscathed. The name Oniryu had quickly come to be feared, and eventually word spread back to the Dojo he came out of; where only Kinado understood the true meaning behind the name. Buredono Kenseijin was the Dragon, and Kidomaru was the Demon.

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Oniryu eventually had heard of his Blood-Brother living still. The thought was bittersweet to him. The original sin he had committed was gone, and his brother was alive and well, but his own life was irrevocably tainted. He couldn't go back to being Kidomaru; he was Oniryu forevermore. The pain of such drove him to move his operations from far away back to the Land of Wind; to throw himself against the Dojo to see if Honor or Instinct was the true path of Buredono Kenseijin.

To shorten the many years that came after; Oniryu and the Dojo clashed again and again, Oniryu purposefully targeting villages and travelers close to the Dojo so as to rouse them into fighting him. Oniryu and his brother Kinado met on the field of battle multiple times, often deciding the entire battle. Scars both mental and physical were inflicted, but for many years there was a stalemate of sorts. Neither could definitely end the conflict with the other.

The end came when it was revealed that his conflict was a ruse. In the time that he had been assaulting the Dojo he had secretly conscripted the building of a great fortress. It had taken the builders years to complete it, but once it was finished Oniryu took residence there and demanded one final battle with the Dojo. No quarter was to be given, it was going to decide once and for all whether Honor or Instinct won over.

Oniryu paused in his lengthy tale, looking up to the sky. The night had nearly past, the sun was beginning to lighten the horizon. Katsu's body ached from maintaining his position, but he refused to give in to the pain. He had a feeling that Oniryu would respect him more for ignoring such weakness in himself. For a long moment Oniryu continued in his silence, until eventually Katsu spoke up.

“Then what happened, Sensei? It sounds like that battle was the end, but what happened?”

Returning his gaze back to Katsu Oniryu grinned as before, placing a hand against the scar on his stomach. “This happened, boy. I lost that battle, but I won the war. Kinado and I met on the field of battle in this very building, our duel deciding the argument. We were evenly matched until the end, when Kinado had to throw away his Honor and use his Instinct to deal me this wound...

“Kinado had defeated me, but Instinct had defeated Honor. I watched in this form as they buried my corpse with great ceremony, fearing my spirit coming to bring my wrath upon them... They need not have bothered. Instinct is not about anger or rage. I accepted my defeat at the hands of my brother, and I know that my way was the stronger, in the end. I don't have any ill-will towards my former family for my death.” Oniryu finished simply, falling into silence once more.

Katsu thought long on what he had been listening to. Of the story of Oniryu's life, and of the moral dilemma that he had to have faced in his life. Honor was revered by his family while Instinct was shunned, yet for him at least the path to victory had lain with Instinct. It was unfortunate that he had come to fight with his family, but it was not his own choice. The world simply chose against unity in that instance. It was staggering to think how tiny a moment could irreversibly change someone's life, indeed thousands of people's lives.

It took Katsu many minutes before he could speak again, while Oniryu stared at the brightening horizon, the light masking his form, his spirit barely visible to Katsu. “I would still learn from you, Oniryu Sensei. I don't know if you've ever had any interest in taking a pupil, but if you ever did I'm willing to be such.”

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Oniryu looked at Katsu, that vicious grin on his face, “I have known you would say something to that effect. You, as I did, have a great potential to use your Instinct.”

Katsu shook his head, thinking back to his family and friends in Kumogakure, “I just want the power to protect my family and friends, and no disrespect meant, but I would wish to be able to avoid the situation that caused your life to turn the direction it had. Being turned against my own family would break me. I need strength to prevent that from happening. Honor or Instinct isn't in it for me, just... Need. I need to be as strong as I can, and I'll do what it takes to get that strong.”

A howling laugh escaped from Oniryu, his head thrown back in mirth as he listened to what Katsu had to say, “..And there it is, boy. Your Instinct, plain as day. Yes, I think you just might be the pupil I have longed for. Yet I wish to take no weaklings under my belt. I will give you a test.

“It will be simple. Infiltrate the Dojo to the West, currently lead by Kyo Kazume, descendant of my own Sensei. Once there, write your name in the disciple book with Oniryu as your Sensei. Without detection the entire time. This will prove your worth to me as a disciple, and at the same time it will fulfill a desire of my own. For while I hold no ill-will against them for my death, they hid the fact that ultimately Instinct won. When they next open the disciple book and see the name Oniryu, old stories and legends will be brought up. The conflict between me and the Dojo will be spoken of, and Kazume and Yashamita will know what it means for “Oniryu” to take a student. With luck, in a dozen years or so Instinct will be common knowledge amongst the Dojo once more.”

Katsu listened quietly to all that his new Sensei was telling him, thinking of what he was truly being asked to do. He was being made to carry the flag that Oniryu had carried in his own life; to essentially start a revolution within the Buredono Kenseijin Dojo... Thinking a moment Katsu said as such, “So, essentially, in return for teaching me Buredono Kenseijin, you want me to challenge the entire school on my own, to spit on their idea of Honor and show them the power of Instinct, and then survive the ordeal. So really you want me to become the strongest practitioner of Buredono Kenseijin alive. Do I have that right, Sensei?”

Oniryu stood up there, looking down at Katsu in approval and... excitement. The wolfish grin on his face couldn't be more noticeable, and his hands twitched towards his beltline, as if wishing to draw a sword, “You are sharp-eyed and deep-thinking for one so young, boy. This is good. You have the potential to go far, I feel. Go now. Prove me correct, complete my test. Else I've nothing else to share with you, boy.”

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It had taken nearly a week for Katsu to gain the information and supplies he needed in order to infiltrate the Buredono Kenseijin Dojo in Western Kaze. Learning the routines of the patrols, the supply caravans, even managing to acquire a student uniform. It was much harder to learn the routines of those inside the Dojo itself. The schedule of lessons, meals, free time, lights out, and even when chores were to be done were tightly regulated, and any student caught out of their schedule was punished. Katsu began to realize that Oniryu had told him not to be noticed simply because it would decrease his chances of reaching the book and writing his name to almost nothing.

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Lessons were held often, and the Student book was used to take roll call. It was obvious that it was going to be a night-time excursion to get to the book. Worse yet it seemed that Katsu would be unable to use any chakra to do so, as there appeared to be a Sensor within the Dojo. They didn't seem to be able to tell Katsu was an intruder, but if he used a jutsu they surely would be able to find him immediately. So, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were out, Katsu's own Taijutsu would be of no use to keep himself hidden, and Katsu didn't know enough of herbalism to do such either. That left his Soulcaster powers and his general training in stealth. Not much to go with when trying to evade the notice of potential Masters.

While the events of that night were important to Katsu, the author has no real way to make them interesting to any of his potential readers, and decided to skip over it, simply noting that Katsu was indeed successful in his endeavor, barely, and he left behind a very confused student who had been getting up to use the bathroom but suddenly remembered waking up the next morning without remembering how they got back to their bed.

Just as Oniryu had claimed; there was a great amount of talk and confusion about Katsu's entry as soon as roll was called the next morning. When the matter was brought to Kyo Kazume and Kinado Yashamita, they closeted themselves alone for an hour, and when they came out they were silent of the matter, saying for the names to not be erased but to be otherwise ignored until such a student could be found. Exactly what Oniryu wanted. The Dojo would watch out for his pupil to re-appear, and when he did Oniryu was going to have him ready to take on the entire Dojo to prove the worth of Instinct...

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“I have returned Sensei. I have done as you requested.” Katsu stood in the main room of Oniryu's compound once more, night once again having fallen over the land. Oniryu stood in the center, his arms crossed in waiting.

“You have done as I requested child. I went there to check myself. They are moving just as I expected they would. Test complete. Now, you should return to your home, and heal your arm. I cannot teach you anything until you can hold a sword properly again... Oh, before I forget. There is one thing I must do yet. Step forward, boy.” Beckoning to him with a hand, Oniryu ordered Katsu to stand directly in front of him.

Confused, Katsu stepped forward, “What I'm going to do is awaken your Instinct a little. Enough to let you begin to follow and be guided for it. For although your Instinct is strong, I can tell you suppress it. Whether by your family or otherwise, you keep away from that darkness in yourself. Don't bother trying to back out now, boy. You've made the choice, after all..”

A sudden searing pain assaulted Katsu's senses, Oniryu's hand having reached out and faster than Katsu could see thrust itself into his forehead. The pain was immense, driving out every single thought Katsu had. Yet although the pain was great, Katsu managed to hold onto consciousness long enough to retaliate, his Soul bursting forth in a powerful blast that sent Oniryu flying backwards.

“Yes! You will certainly go far child. I couldn't even scratch the surface of your potential. You will surpass, and Instinct will be respected! I am well pleased boy, now rest. You deserve it this night...”

Katsu slumped to the ground, his mind already falling into blackness, and yet a tiny voice at the back of his mind coalesced into being, whispering words to Katsu, “I awaken as you sleep. Rest. I will guide you as you need...”

Unconscious, Katsu fell the rest of the way to the ground, laying unmoving for the remainder of the night, plagued by nightmares of war and death, waking the next day with a resolution not to let himself fall victim again...

[EXIT]