Wind blowing softly, leaves moving along with it.

The wind carrying a scent of nature, was a natural medicine in its own right, capable of calming a broken, tormented mind.

Such an environment can bring peace to anyone, to those who are seeking it and to those who need it.

Kenichii and Takeshi, are both sitting under a tree, with their legs crossed and eyes closed.

They are meditating, as a part of teaching Takeshi to learn to form ki better.

'Hmm, now how do I teach him about ki, my father taught me about it somehow and I figured some of it somehow, all in all it's a mess for me, and I'm the last person who should teach a beginner about one of the core fundamentals.

If only Sensei could teach him this at least...'

Kenichii remembers his conversation from before where he asked Kanroji Sensei to teach him about Ki.

"I'm sorry Kenichii, as the head instructor I can't be seen to show partiality to a student who hasn't officially joined the academy yet. And besides I don't think he would want that either."

"But Sensei. I myself learnt about it somehow through trial and error, how can I teach someone else, what if I mess up?"

"Well that's all on you, you told me that you want to be in charge of him and I accepted your proposal, see this is one other lesson you should know and understand in life."

"Huh? Whass that?"

"DO NOT RUSH INTO THINGS ON IMPULSE!!!"

Kenichii realized what Sensei meant and made a tired face, clueless of what to do.

"Well, Don't worry about it too much, I have trust in you. You'll get through this, think of it as a hurdle you must face.

If I didn't have faith in you, I wouldn't have placed you in charge of him, regardless of your request."

"Sensei..." Kenichii made a hopeless yet smiling face as he said this.

"Hmm?" asked Kanroji as he turned to him looking puzzled at Kenichii

"You telling me that doesn't actually help me you know, rather you are poking at my helplessness."

"Hahaha you brat, its good to have a realization, albeit late.
Don't worry about it too much, You'll figure it out."

Kanroji Sensei laughed, while walking away after he said this.

Kenichii had the scene played out in his mind again as he thought this:

'Well that's what he said, but I feel like he was making fun of me rather than having actual trust in me. Oh well.

I'll give it a try I guess.'

"So well, try to imagine something like this...
A river, it's flowing to different parts of an area.

But instead of it flowing from different parts and finally joining the sea, think of it in a reverse manner, flowing from the sea to different parts of the land.

Now imagine the centre of your body or dantian as a sea, from which the ki is flowing throughout the body through several distributaries or channels.

Now as the water is flowing, it is passing through natural check dams on its way, these are your meridian points."

'Hmm I just made that analogy up just like that, I wonder if it'll be as effective as how it's taught usually.' Kenichii thought to himself.

"Hmm, I think I got it pretty much, but you'll have to repeat it again just in case."

"Ohh yeah sure."

Kenichii somehow managed to teach him the concept of ki within a month, which Takeshi was able to grasp rather easily. This was something that surprised Kenichii.

****

"Huff Huff"

"Alright that's it, one last time.

Right foot forward and forward slash

Step back, land on your left foot. Now anticipate your enemy's attack based on his position and block or slash upon will.

NOW!"

"Hyaah" "Clang" "Clang"

Takeshi screams and lashes forward, thrusting his sword at Kenichii.

Both clash with their swords, with Kenichii being able to keep Takeshi's attacks under control.

Having only trained for a month, Takeshi gained just enough physical prowess to stand in the face of an attack, but didn't learn enough to ward off an attack entirely without taking damage.

Nor was he able to launch a counter or stage an attack properly.

"Screech" "Fwoosh"
Takeshi, after his initial attack was parried, he landed back on his left leg, according to the instructions and prepared himself to launch his attack.

He launches it, seeing Kenichii not rushing towards him for an attack.

"Ack wrong move..."

Kenichii smirks as he says this

Now, the consequence."

Kenichii is able to see through his attack, he lunges forward, blocks the attack, and launches his counter.

"Swoosh"

The attack from the bokken lands right on Takeshi's torso and he falls down to the ground as a result of the force.

"Aargh, ahh man, this is, this is hard."

"What? Did you expect this to be like eating onigiri haha"

Kenichii replies as he smiles at him.

"But you know, you've made very good progress compared to how you started off."

"I never would've been able to train this much in a month.

Even if I had a good teacher."

"Huff Huff, even so, this, this isn't good
enough for the trial right?"

Takeshi says this as he barely manages to breathe.

"Well obviously, you've barely made it to the lowest level of the swordsman, A sword apprentice.

The people coming here for the trial tomorrow would be people who have peaked in that level, or close enough.

Of course there will be people like you before, who come here seeking to learn but has no prior experience.

As you are right now, you are scraping at the bottom, I can guarantee that you'll come out of this alive at best"

Kenichii glanced at him from an angle to see what the expression on Takeshi's face was

"What happened to all the optimistic talk you usually have?" Takeshi, who was already dead tired now made a puzzled face.

"Hahaha, I'm kidding, you will be able to do more than just that, but I won't go further than that and lie to you that you are gonna clear the trial in this try itself.

Not only is that ambitious, that's beyond preposterous."

"Well I'll try to clear it this time itself. I'm not carrying my ambitions alone now am I?"

"Hmm well, let's see. Lets both sit down shall we?

Anyways for now, that'll be all for your last day of training.

You are moderately good at taking physical attacks head on, you have learned to form Ki, so you'll be able to use Omoiashi (heavy steps) and Karuiashi (light foot), but don't overdo it.

Your ki control is very primitive and unstable so.. Also, any ki modified technique you use can be overwhelmed by someone with a better control, so gauge your opponent first, try to sense the ki around you.

I know that it's difficult for you right now, but if you manage it and see that you can't get a good read on it, leave it. Don't you use your ki techniques because a very larger ki can't usually be sensed.

You'll only be wasting your innate ki if it's against someone like that.

From what I saw when I taught you some very basic techniques of the Ancient Emperor Style, well... You suck at it big time.

I'm not sure what's exactly wrong when you do it, but you never seem to get the footwork right. That's going to hold you back. Well no time to quibble about that.

For the time being no need to focus on aggressive attacks and go for it head on. Wait for it, have patience and move when you should.

"Okay got it." said Takeshi confidently.

"For some reason, your confidence does not spark confidence in me.

Hmm.. I wonder why..."

"Well damn, it's quite the rumble there in the academy. Lot of people moving around with stuff and equipments."

"Well this is one of the biggest tournaments being held in the shogunate, along with the Takahashi Royal Academy tournament (高橋王立学院の大会) and other prominent academies.

Think the only other tournament with much larger and wider audience than these academy trials is the Imperial Blade Conquest Challenge (剣皇挑戦の大会) or the Sword Emperor Trial which is conducted on a yearly basis, or well biannually, depending on the whim of the Sword Emperor."

"Sword Emperor Trial huh, well that's a challenge for a different day i suppose, once I've gotten strong enough."

Kenichii smirked as Takeshi said this.

"Well yeah, for now lets focus on this.

So yeah, this being such a big event, its only natural that the academy will make use of a lot of resources and people to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate the samurai candidates, warriors and other people who come to watch the trial."

"Where are the candidates gonna stay?"

"There's area south of here where a couple of huge tents are set up, in addition to that there a bit more space to the back of the arena which can be used to set up additional tents if necessary, not to mention, all this are in addition to dorms already in the academy. Since the third years have graduated, there will be a lot of room as well."

Kenichii said this with a smile on his face.

A trait often seen in the academy students is that, after they join the academy, within a few months itself they get accustomed to the academy and its setup, not to mention, they will have a proud face on, lighting up like the sun every time they talk good of their academy.

Of course there will be students who don't get used to the academy and remain unruly, most of them get along well, and as time passes they build up a strong sense of camaraderie.

"Wait, you talk as if they are gonna stay here for quite a while? How long is the trial actually?"

"Hehe, but of course, they are gonna be here for long. The trial lasts for a month and half and may even exceed two months at times, depending on the combatants' strength.

I think the longest period that has taken is about two and a half months, that was 5 years back.
The entire lineup for the trial was so stacked, it also pulled one of the biggest crowds ever."

"Damn, that must have been a great year for the Academy."

"Yep yep, for the spectators as well. I also remember hearing a rumor that a Sword Emperor secretly came to watch the finals in disguise. My favorite fight of that year was the one between Akira and Suzaku. It was so good that it inspired me to come here for my training,"

Takeshi watches Kenichii as he reminisces the spectacle that he saw that year.

"So you were here to watch it, I take?" Takeshi asked.
"Yep yep, Me and my father were here at the time to watch it in action." Kenichii proudly announced.

"Well that's enough about the past haha

So anyways.

This is how the tournament works.

There will be four groups, each containing 16 participants.
In each group, the 16 are again split into two groups of 8 participants.

Take one set of 8 for example, in this 4 of the candidates will be pitted against the other 4.
All Individual battles, and participants are chosen in random.

So like that the other half, consisting of 8, also battle against each other.
By the end, there will be 2 sets of winners and losers, 4 candidates each."

"Okay Okay, hold up, Let me process all that." Takeshi raises both his hands at face level as he says this.

"Haha Okay
You good now?"

"Umm okay I guess, anyways, you proceed."
"So now, these 2 pairs of winners and losers, they duke it out. Winner vs Winner and Loser vs Loser.

So, in the Loser set, the four who loses, are eliminated immediately.
As for the Winners set, the four who win advances to the final stage of the group stage.

The losers from this fight however, have another chance, as they will go against the winners of the losers set.

The winner from these advances to the final stage of the group stage, where they face off against the winners of the winner set.

So Now, we have a set of 4 participants who never lost and a set of 4 who lost once.
Now this is the final battle of the group stage, where 4 winners emerge.

This is the case for one group, like that same process happens in the other three groups as well.

Now we have 16 finalists in total. There will be a few days of break after which the finale will start, Eight 1-on-1 battles take place, following which there will again be 4 1-on-1 battles. After that there will be a Semi final and Final.

The Top 8 participants are given enrollment into the academy.

You know, after some point. In the finals, the trial turns into more of a rivalry rather than a tournament for the enrollment. Sensei made it so, so that warriors can develop a sense of friendly rivalry, which according to him, promotes growth.

I can never understand that part though. All I see is a hassle, and it was very hard for myself to survive among the monsters that were in the same year as me. My luck carried me not gonna lie...

Hey, Hey, Don't die on me just after listening to this!!
You good?"

Takeshi made a face as if he was shocked and kind of freaked out at the same time, with his mouth open halfway, eyebrows lifted upwards.

"Umm.." Takeshi scratches his head as he says this.
"I guess?"

"Well you will get to know better when you see it with your own eyes the day after tomorrow.

You get some rest for today and tomorrow.
Don't train after today, you won't have any energy and will be dead mentally..
You will be having your first match day after tomorrow itself, So.."

"Alright, I'll take rest."

"Good Good, that's the spirit. Now Let's eat!!!
I know I said no more training, but race me, and if you win, you get the bigger portion of the tempura."

"Alright, Lets go.."

"3,2,1, go..."

Both of them started to run back to the academy past the workers and people involved in the set up for the arena for the Trial.

To be continued.