The torchlight flickers. Several points of flame sway in the belly of the Galdrock Mountain Range. Crawling across the night mountainside, they move slowly, like living creatures. Amagi Retsu stood motionless on the mountain path, watching the sight. They were searching for something. That much was clear. Mountain bandits don't walk the hills at night with torches for plunder. Either their target was already decided, or they were trying to excavate something. Either way, it wasn't the work of mere common thieves. Retsu quietly turned his gaze back toward the foothills. The southwestern foothills of the Galdrock Mountain Range. The early summer mountain air was crisp, and the sweet scent of medicinal herbs mixed with the breeze. Dappled sunlight streamed in at an angle, painting the narrow mountain path white. In the distance, somewhere, the murmur of a stream could be heard. It was a peaceful afternoon. Yet those torches wouldn't leave his mind. Retsu moved his feet. Down the mountain path. The hem of his white gi fluttered in the faint wind. The Rashi—a white gi woven from special fibers worn only by inheritors of the Spiral God Life-Death Fist. While wearing it, the release of inner ki from the body was gradually suppressed, conserving stamina. It was an essential garment during travels. And when he removed it, Retsu as a martial artist would fully reveal himself. By exposing bare skin to the open air, he would draw ki into his entire body, refine it into a spiral, and channel it into his strikes. That was the foundation of the Spiral God Life-Death Fist school. There was no magic on this continent. If there was any supernatural power, it existed only as the ki dwelling within the human body. All humans possessed ki, but only those who trained could consciously refine it. Martial artists—those who mastered the martial arts of ki—were treated as a warrior class above ordinary citizens, exempted from military service in exchange for the obligation to fight in times of crisis. Retsu had rarely been conscious of that status. He simply wanted to perfect his fists. That alone was why he had walked until today. The scent of medicinal herbs grew stronger. A village was near. —In that moment, a voice came from ahead. "Let go!" A woman's voice. Thin, but with a core of strength. Retsu's feet stopped, then accelerated. Turning the corner of the mountain path, three men surrounded a single girl. The girl, clutching a large bundle of medicinal herbs, glared at the men without taking a step back. But it was three against one. By any measure, the odds were against her. The men had burn marks on their chests. A V-shape—the mark of the Volga Gang. A bandit group based in the abandoned mine Volga Cavern on the south wall of the Galdrock Mountain Range. Originally miners who had worked in the mountains, they had turned to plunder after the mine closed ten years ago. Retsu had heard during his descent that they had recently been intensifying their encroachment on the surrounding villages. Retsu didn't reach for his gi. He judged them not to be serious opponents. Not a matter of strength, but rather the absence of genuine killing intent. They were still at the stage of intimidation. "Move." Retsu said only that as he stepped between the three men. The first man threw a punch. Retsu sidestepped half a step, deflecting it, and cut off the opponent's extension with his elbow. He swept the falling body backward, and as the second man stepped in, Retsu entered from the front. It looked like a collision, but the opponent's center of gravity lifted for an instant. In that moment, a palm strike sank into the solar plexus. The man folded without a sound. While the third man hesitated, Retsu was already positioned to the side. The man collapsed to his knees from a strike to the back of his neck, not understanding what had happened. It hadn't even taken three seconds. There was no need to cloak himself in killing intent. That made the intimidation all the more striking. Retsu's expression didn't change even as he moved, and his breathing wasn't disturbed. It was as if he were simply practicing forms. Retsu silently checked the clothing of the three men on the ground. Sure enough, they bore the V burn mark. His expression tightened slightly. "...Um." A voice came from behind. When he turned, the girl was sitting down, still clutching the bundle of medicinal herbs. Her legs had lost their strength. Yet she still hadn't released the herbs in her hands. The girl's appearance caught his eye. Long hair in a pale water-blue color flowed down her back in gentle waves. Eyes of a transparent pale purple gazed straight up at Retsu. Her complexion was still pale from tension, but within those eyes dwelt not only fear, but a clear will. She was young. Seventeen, perhaps eighteen. "Are you alright?" "...Yes. Thank you so much for helping me." The girl adjusted the bundle of herbs against her chest and bowed deeply. As she tried to stand, she noticed her knees were still trembling, so she placed her hand on the ground once more. Retsu extended his hand. Mira's hand, hesitant but determined, grasped Retsu's. As he pulled her up, the scent of medicinal herbs grew stronger. "My name is Mira Narasa. I'm an apprentice herbalist, studying under my teacher Lena, but she's been ill recently, so today I came out alone to gather herbs." She spoke a bit quickly. Whether the tension hadn't fully left her or this was simply her nature was unclear. "Amagi Retsu. A martial artist of the Spiral God Life-Death Fist." Mira's eyes widened slightly. "The Spiral God Life-Death Fist..." She repeated it like a murmur, then bowed. "Please, let me guide you to the village. Allow me to repay you." There was no reason to refuse. Retsu followed Mira down the mountain path. ◆ Harnoki Village was smaller than expected. About thirty-five houses huddled together at the mountain's foot, shoulder to shoulder. Between the houses, ropes were strung with medicinal herbs drying in various colors. Red roots, green leaves, purple flowers. The entire village was enveloped in a gentle fragrance of herbs. In the center of the village stood one massive tree. "This is the Great Oak Plaza." Mira said. A great oak three hundred years old spread its branches toward the heavens. At its roots stood a stone platform where village decisions were made. A few villagers watched from beneath the tree. They seemed curious about the traveler, but bore no hostility. A child approached hesitantly, then ran away at full speed. (So this is what such villages were like, long ago.) Something stirred in the depths of Retsu's chest. He felt as though he had seen a similar scene long, long ago. Not the scent of medicinal herbs, but a more earthy smell, with more modest houses lined up—yet the quality of warmth was the same. The Great Martial Conflict's resentment had consumed that village. The great conflict between schools that had erupted about two hundred years ago lasted fifteen years. Many martial villages burned, and many schools were severed. The Spiral God Life-Death Fist had suffered devastating losses at that time, and afterward became a solitary transmission. The place where Retsu had spent his childhood was swallowed by conflicts that inherited that resentment. It no longer existed. Retsu looked up and returned his expression to normal. Feeling emotion and showing it on one's face were different matters. "Could you introduce yourself to Village Chief Tobias?" Mira turned and spoke. "Traveling martial artists sometimes pass through, but if we don't mention it to the village chief, the villagers will worry." "Understood." Village Chief Tobias Harnoki was waiting for them near the Great Oak Plaza. A man of sixty with a white beard and deep wrinkles around his eyes. His face was gentle, but beneath it lay the weight of one who had protected a village. "Welcome, traveling martial artist." "[serious]My name is Amagi Retsu. Mira required assistance." Tobias looked alternately at Retsu's face and the whiteness of his gi. An expression of recognition crossed his features. But it soon softened. "We'll prepare a room at the Mountain Foot Inn. Would you stay as our guest for the night?" "One night only." "That will suffice." The Mountain Foot Inn was located a short distance from the Great Oak Plaza. The proprietor, Boldo, was a sturdy man of forty-five who had once been a hunter. He handed Retsu the room key and mentioned that tonight there would be a goat meat stew. Mira was waiting at the entrance. "Um, about those Volga Gang members who bothered me... I think I should tell the village chief about it..." She had a hesitant expression. Not so much uncertainty about whether to tell, but rather reluctance to worry the village chief. "Tell him. Information should be shared." "...You're right." Mira nodded slightly. Adjusting the bundle of herbs against her chest, she quickly returned toward the village chief. Retsu watched her departing figure for a moment. She hadn't released the herbs even in that situation. There must have been a thought to carry them for her teacher's sake. It was none of Retsu's concern, yet somehow that single point caught in his mind. ◆ Night deepened. The village was quiet. The sound of insects descended from the mountains, gently enveloping the entire village. The evening meal at the Mountain Foot Inn was not bad. The goat meat stew had a strong salty flavor that seeped into a body stiffened by mountain cold. Retsu left his room and headed toward the rocky outcrop at the village's edge. The rocky outcrop was a group of boulders jutting out at the village's end, which he had noticed while descending earlier. The footing was irregular—perfect for practicing maintaining one's axis while moving. He untied his gi's belt and removed his upper half. The night air touched his skin directly. It was cold. That was pleasant. He could feel the sensation of outside air entering through his skin. Ki enters and leaves the body through skin respiration as well. That's why practitioners of the Spiral God Life-Death Fist fight bare-skinned. It was the school's doctrine and a reason grounded in principle. Retsu closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. He drew ki up from his core and rotated it in a spiral. From the torso to the arms, from the arms to the fingertips. The sensation of the vortex's power traveling through his body's interior. He moved through a form. His center of gravity shifted on the rock, and the night wind caressed his shoulders. It was quiet. The village lights were visible in the distance. The sound of children laughing had ceased; everyone must be asleep by now. Retsu repeated his forms in silence. Footsteps came after a while. "...Um." When he turned, Mira stood at the edge of the rocky outcrop. She held bowls in both hands. Thin wisps of steam rose from them. Mira saw Retsu's bare upper half and took a step back. She stopped. The bowls in her hands trembled slightly. Moonlight streamed down white, and the contours of Retsu's arms floated in the night. From shoulders to biceps, forearms—the lines of muscle continued without unnecessary bulk, yet without a single moment of slack. Mira's cheeks flushed, visible even in the moonlight. "I thought the night wind might chill you... so I brought medicinal tea..." Her voice became thin. Getting through to the end was probably her limit. The hand she extended trembled slightly. Retsu descended from the rocky outcrop and accepted the bowl. "I appreciate it." He brought it to his lips. Beneath the bitterness of the herbs lay a sweet fragrance. It was warm. "It's Teacher Lena's blend. It warms the body and relieves fatigue." Mira's gaze wavered slightly. She looked at Retsu's face, then quickly looked away. Looked again, then looked away once more. Retsu's expression didn't change. He