(Chapter unfolds:6" balance duty")
After the trial, Jinso returned to his comrades, still struggling to comprehend the fortune of his own success.
"Jinso... you defied all expectation," Sai marveled.
"Well done, Jinso," Haru managed, though a knot of quiet frustration tightened in his chest. A student weaker than himself had succeeded, while his own strength had failed.
Haru, consumed by vexation, hammered the ground with his wooden sword. Sai, due to his afflicted leg, remained seated.
The Master, in his wisdom, decreed that the disciples would have another chance to stand before the test. Jinso, Sai, Haru, andIzuma prepared themselves once more.
It was now Izuma's turn to stand before the pillar. Unlike the others, there was neither fear nor haste on his countenance. His mind was deep in contemplation, relying on the memory of the historical laws of the Sapahan.
When the Master gave the sign, Izuma focused, attempting to perceive the movement of the shadow (Nobaya) through pure analysis. But his excessive knowledge and intellectual analysis shattered his focus. Before he could calculate the correct response, Nobaya's hand found its mark.
Sai watched, astonished by the outcome. Even Izuma was momentarily shocked.
"Izuma," the Master said, "your knowledge is a shield, but it became too heavy a paralyzing burden. Excessive knowledge rendered you motionless. The truth of the sword lies not in the law, but in the balanced spirit the confluence of Fear, Courage, and Duty."
The victor of the day remained Jinso.
"But how did he manage it?" Sai muttered, still musing.
"I cannot believe it! This shivering weakling, winning... how?"
"Is it forbidden for me to win?" Jinso retorted hotly.
"You may win," Sai teased, "but still..."
Haru continued to strike the ground with his wooden sword. He could not comprehend why he had failed to repel the illusion as easily as Jinso.
Izuma approached him.
"Ah, look," Sai said scornfully. "The next failure has found his comrade."
Izuma sat beside Haru without a word. "Do not view this as a complete defeat, Haru," he advised quietly. "This is merely the beginning. Find what was lacking in you that Jinso possessed and return to conquer the trial. Sitting here in this frustration serves no purpose." Haru remained silent, pondering Izuma's counsel.
As the setting sun painted the Kalari red, Master Daisho and Nobaya spoke in low tones.
"The farmer's soul was devoured," Daisho's voice was heavy.
"The blue hue on his body was the Zek's poison."
"Then Master, this means..."
"Yes. It is proof that he was here. This death is a warning. A Zek is active nearby."
The Master then saw the disciples departing the grounds, and a thought seemed to illuminate his mind.
"Haru, Sai, Izuma, Jinso, you must watch these four closely, Nobaya. Focus their training."
"But why them, Master?"
"I sense something lost to us long ago is returning through them, Nobaya. Continue these trials tomorrow. The true blades must reach their hands soon. They must find their balance before the shadows seek them out."
That night, Haru lay restless, tormented by the fear that had paralyzed him. Izuma, too, lay awake, perplexed by how his own supreme knowledge had led to his failure. They were both unaware that the coming dawn would mark the beginning of their greatest test.