When Ai arrived back, she found Musashi training.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

She gets a wooden sword and begins to follow his movements well into the night.

"Remember, to cut the waist you must draw power from the waist. Then with a single finger you move it all in harmony." Musashi said.

"Oh, I see, I usually draw my energy from my the earth."

"Oho. Yes, that would give you a even deadly slice. Unfortunately I am not able to take that fraction of a second to gather the strength and push it through my waist. Seconds matter in a duel. But that does not mean that you shouldn't do it, you have the strength and body to easily overcome that demerit."

"Hm! Hm!"

Ai absorbed Musashi's lessons like a sponge.

 

The next day.

"So that was what happened yesterday," Ai said while eating her breakfast with Tokugawa and Musashi.

"So you met Baki and even Olivia, huh…" Tokugawa said. "I thought I asked you not to cause any trouble?"

"Trouble came to me. I simply sat to get a bowl of ramen when they showed up. The boy named Baki asked for a fight, and he wasn’t up to par, so I threw him 8 stories so the brick house that is Olivia would leave me alone. You can't blame me for having such misfortune, given that I was also spirited away."

"Hmmm... that is true... Fine, I guess you didn’t cause any serious trouble, and there was no collateral damage... but I fear they might come here."

"Why is that? Are you also some information broker?"

"Well, um, no, I’m just really well-informed, and Olivia is a very well-educated man despite how muscular he is."

"Is that so... Well, should they come and ask for me to send them. I don’t want to cause you any problems."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, and if they come,  tell them I am out."

"Looking for a way back home again, huh?"

"Yes, I will see you late at night, Lord Tokugawa." Ai finished her food and left.

"Tell me, Musashi, how strong is she really?"

"Greater than me," he said with no hesitation. "If I am peerless under the heavens, then she is the heavens themselves."

"But you clashed with her blade! Surly you—"

"She is equal to me even when not even barring her fangs or claws. Should she actually show them, I would meet my end again far quicker than I can draw my katana. I would say even before I can draw breath or blink."

"R-really?"

"Yes, when I look at her, I now only see a sleeping nine-tailed fox swatting away pests so it can continue to sleep."

 

Walking around again in the city, Ai had grown tired of the sea of humans. Their clothes were unique, but the various artificial scents annoyed her greatly.

"I wonder where that man with brave eyes went? Hey, Shinobi, do you know?" She turned her head and glared at a stocky man with gray hair and brown eyes.

"I’m sorry for following, but I saw that you are Musashi’s student." He said this, coming up beside her.

"I am learning his swordsmanship, yes. What do you want?"

"Nothing. I simply wish to know who you are since they sent Olivia to get you."

"Maybe I’ll inform you if you can bring me to the man known as Retsu Kaiou?"

He made a smile.

"What for? Are you going to go after him for challenging your master?"

"Why would I? That is his fight, not mine. To try and mess with another opponent before they even fight is a stain on Musashi’s strength."

"I see… very honorable." The man takes a moment to process Ai herself. Looking at her and seeing how he would fare in a fight with her, his blood began to grow cold. "I’ll lead the way, miss…"

"You can call me Ai and your name shinobi?"

"Izou Motobe, but Izou is just fine."

"Then lead on, Izou."

 

Arriving at the dojo, they find Retsu spinning and landing where an old man hugged him.

"With this warm body..." Said the old man, stepping back. "You have master Shaori."

"Such a light skill..." Izou said walking in.

Everyone turned to see him and Ai walking in a few steps behind him.

"You will face Musashi’s blade with that," Izou said glancing at the people in the room.

Everyone in the dojo came to see Izou and Ai.

"Motobe, sir," said a one-armed man. "Who is—"

"I saw you with Musashi at our introductions." Said Retsu. "Why are you here? Ms. Ai."

"I was curious what you were doing to not get cut down by Musashi, and I’m a bit unimpressed," Ai said, having seen the technique for a sliver of an instance.

"You dare say that to 4000 years of Chinese martial arts, girl?" Said the old man.

"They’re just fancy acrobatics." Said Izou. "Do you truly think it will be enough to go up against a master swordsman with a move you barely just learned?"

"Well, it seems we have a ninja and a kenjutsu practitioner here." The old man glanced at the two.

"You have good eyes for a man of such advanced age." Said Ai. "I hope when I reach that age my eyes can be as good as yours."

"Thank you for the compliment, girl... but are you both saying there is a problem with my advice for a ‘complete’ Shaori?" He opened his lightly glazed eyes. "Well??"

"Not at all. We are simply saying that Shaori, in general, is effectively worthless to a man of Musashi’s level. You may be able to use it once, but once that is used, you better have more options, or else your blood will join the countless others that fill that blood-soaked arena."

"Then would you care to try it?" Retsu said, coming up to her. "I assume you are under his tutelage and know well enough about the sword to use it properly."

"Hoh, do you really now? I’m more than happy to show you what a master swordsman can do. Give me a wooden sword."

"Hand her a real sword." Retsu corrected.

"No, I said hand me a wooden sword. Using a real sword would defeat the purpose of what I am about to do."

Everyone glanced at her her words were told them it was enough.

"H-here you go miss."

One of the students goes and gets her a wooden sword.

 

Retsu and Ai go to the center of the room, and Retsu gets into a stance.

Ai gets the sword and holds it near her left hip as though it were in a sheath.

"!!!" Everyone in the room could feel the air quickly change.

‘W-what is his feeling!’ they all thought.

"What’s wrong? Where is that resolute look in your eyes?" Ai said staring at Retsu.

They could see Retsu actually shaking a bit from her.

‘Of course, he would be shaken!’ thought Katsumi Orochi, the one-armed man. ‘Even when that dreadful pressure isn’t directed at me, I can vividly see a monster!’

‘This feeling is only comparable to Ogre.’ Thought Kaiou Kaku, who has faced Yujiro before, ‘But... even more overwhelming, this girl—no, she is far above even me; she is a legendary swordswoman of myth!’

‘She… she is really stronger than Ogre! But why is she learning from Musashi, then? She is already on top of the food chain!’ thought Izou.

‘She is a cut above even Musashi and Ogre—a true demon! But if my Shaori works on her, then it will work on Musashi!’ a fire lit in Retsu’s eyes, and he stopped shaking and was filled with bravery once more.

"There are those lovable, bright eyes!" Ai said with a big smile. "Are you ready?"

"I am." Retsu honed his instincts to the very limits of what he could do and waited.

Ai got into a drawing stance and slowly approached him. As soon as she reached his zone, she drew.

Swish!!

Whoosh!

Retsu spun his body in the direction where the blade went and spun viciously. He managed to find his footing again and landed on his feet in a stance.

"I have defeated your blade." Retsu said it with a stiff voice.

Ai stood back normally.

"Well, almost." She held up the wooden sword to find a thin line of brown skin hanging off it.

Retsu looked and touched his stomach to see a red line across his abs.

"You scraped a layer of my skin…" His eyes were wide, and he could feel how clean it was.

"A true swordsman is capable of cutting whatever they want, provided they have the skill, the sharpness of the blade, and the strength to do so. Swish!" Ai swings the skin off. "I used the blunt quality of the sword to simply slice the top layer of your skin and avoid cutting you." She said this as she walked to the wall of the dojo. "To me, even this wall is like water." She smoothly put the wooden sword through it and cut the wall as if it were actually water. There was no resistance at all, and as she did, it waxed and waned from no resistance to a lot. She then simply left it on the wall.

"You did not use your full strength in that slash correct?" Kaku said sweating beads.

"I held back to be a bit more or less around Musashi’s level, Brave Retsu, even the wind can be caught and a bird's wings clipped. For you to face Musashi, you must face death itself and remain calm and focused. A single distraction will be your end."

"I understand that my best will not be close to good enough. I shall continue to master this technique." His eyes still have lingering feelings of bravery.

"I like you, Retsu; I’ll be sure to give you a reward when the match is finished."

"Heh, is he to your fancy!" Kaku said with a smile.

"I am already a wife and mother, so no."

"Eh!?!?" they all shouted.

"B-b-but you look to be 18!" said Katsumi.

"I’m 22, but that’s between us, alright!" She gave a bright smile that everyone accepted.

"S-so why reward him?" asked Izou.

Ai began to walk to the exit.

"Why wouldn’t one reward someone as noble as Retsu when he is dying on the sand with his guts spilled?" She took a step out of the room. "It was nice to have met one as chivalrous and kind as you."

When she left the room, everyone looked at Retsu.

"… Hm." He was smiling from ear to ear. "Master Kaku, I have to apologize. A compliment from someone of her strength... it fills me with energy."

"Hahahahaha!!" Kaku and everyone else laughed as well.

But the first to stop was Izou.

"Retsu," Izou said solemnly.

"…" Everyone went quiet and looked at him. "I came here to try and stop you, but... It seems that would be a fruitless endeavor if she could see you dying. I ask you as a friend. Do not fight Musashi. Even if it stains your honor, you will still be alive."

"…" Retsu’s lips furl down. "I am sorry. I am afraid I cannot do that."

Izou looked at everyone else in the room, but they all shook their heads.

"Then have one round with me. You should at least have a taste of a warrior's fight."

Retsu smiles once more.

"I would very much appreciate that, Izou."

Seeing his expression, Izou couldn’t help but acknowledge Ai’s compliment.

"You really are too noble for this world."