The third stage came easier than expected.
Swordmanship, it turned out, was just an extension of everything they'd already learned. The footwork, the timing, the reading of an opponent's movements—it all translated. The only difference was treating the blade as part of your body rather than a separate tool.
"Your sword doesn't end at the handle," Hinata explained, demonstrating a fluid strike that seemed to flow from his shoulder through his arm and into the blade itself. "It's an extension of your intent. Your will made physical."
Within two weeks, all three of them had passed.
Yuji, predictably, was first. His movements were textbook perfect, every cut precise and economical.
Daichi followed shortly after, his natural power now channeled through steel rather than just his fists.
And Rin... Rin surprised everyone by passing only three days after Daichi. The hand-to-hand training had taught him body awareness. The running had given him endurance. Now, with a sword in hand, everything clicked into place.
For the first time, he didn't feel like he was playing catch-up.
"Good work," Hinata said after Rin's final test. "All three of you have proven you understand the fundamentals of combat."
"So we're done?" Daichi asked, hopeful.
"No." Hinata's expression didn't change. "Now comes the real challenge. Stage four."
---
**Stage Four: Basic Spells**
The three recruits stood in the training yard, their swords sheathed, as Hinata began his explanation.
"Everything you've learned so far has been purely physical," he said. "Strength. Speed. Skill. But a samurai's true power comes from their ability to manipulate life force—to cast spells."
Rin leaned forward, suddenly very interested. This was what he'd been waiting for. Real samurai abilities.
"We'll start with the basics," Hinata continued. "Basic spells are what we call *common spells*—abilities that any samurai can learn regardless of which god they have sealed in their katana. These are the foundation of everything else."
He gestured toward the training yard's pond.
"Walking on water is one of the simplest common spells. Along with walking on vertical surfaces and through the air. These don't require incantations."
"Wait," Rin said, raising his hand. "If you don't have life force... how are you supposed to teach us this?"
The question hung in the air.
Yuji and Daichi both looked at Hinata, suddenly curious.
Hinata's expression didn't change. "A fair question. I can't demonstrate these spells because I have zero life force. But I can teach them because I understand the *theory* better than anyone."
He crouched down, drawing diagrams in the dirt with a stick.
"When you can't do something yourself, you have to study it twice as hard. I've watched thousands of samurai cast spells. I've analyzed the flow of their life force, the mistakes they make, the adjustments needed for success. I may not be able to *show* you, but I can *guide* you more effectively than most who can."
Daichi frowned. "That seems... backward."
"Does it?" Hinata looked up at him. "A blind man can teach you about light if he's studied it his entire life. I know these spells inside and out—not through experience, but through observation and analysis. Now, are you going to keep questioning me, or are you going to learn?"
The three recruits fell silent.
"Good. Let me explain how it works."
---
Hinata drew three circles labeled *liquid*, *solid vertical*, and *gas*.
"Life force is the energy you were born with. It flows through your body constantly, but normally you don't control it consciously. Spells are about directing that flow with precision."
He tapped the first two circles.
"To walk on liquid or vertical surfaces like walls or trees, you concentrate your life force into your legs. This creates adhesion—your feet stick to the surface. It works because the particles in liquids and solids aren't too loose. They have structure."
He tapped the third circle.
"Walking on air—or gases—is different. The particles are too spread out for adhesion. Instead, you use your life force to create a small, transparent solid platform beneath your foot. You're essentially making temporary footholds out of nothing."
"And to stand upside down or horizontally in midair?" Yuji asked.
"You combine both processes," Hinata said. "But there's no practical reason to do that, so don't waste time on it."
Rin stared at the diagrams. "So... we just try until we figure it out?"
"Essentially, yes."
"But how do we know if we're doing it right?" Daichi pressed.
Hinata straightened up. "That's where incantations come in—or rather, where their absence makes things difficult."
---
"Incantations aren't useless," Hinata explained. "In fact, they're teaching tools. When you speak an incantation, it guides your life force—controlling the exact amount needed, the proportion, and the timing. It's like training wheels. Once you understand *how* the spell feels, you can cast it silently, without the incantation."
He paused.
"But basic spells don't *have* incantations. You have to figure them out yourself through trial and error. The reason they're considered 'basic' is because the amount, proportion, and timing don't need to be pinpoint accurate—just within a certain range. Advanced spells require precision down to the smallest detail. Basic spells require understanding and adaptation."
"So we're just... winging it?" Rin said.
"You're *learning,*" Hinata corrected. "I'll observe you, correct your mistakes, and guide you toward the right approach. But ultimately, you need to *feel* the spell work. I can't do that for you."
Yuji crossed his arms, thinking. "You said you've studied thousands of samurai. What are the most common mistakes?"
"Good question." Hinata held up three fingers. "First, using too much life force. Most beginners overcompensate and exhaust themselves in seconds. Second, inconsistent focus. The moment your concentration breaks, the spell fails. Third, impatience. You'll want results immediately, but basic spells take time to internalize."
---
"There's another basic spell you need to learn," Hinata continued. "Enhancing your blade."
He gestured to his own katana.
"You pour your life force directly into the katana, enhancing its durability and sharpness. This is fundamental. Without it, your blade will shatter against stronger opponents."
"Can you do that one?" Daichi asked.
"No," Hinata said flatly. "But I've seen it done thousands of times. I know the flow pattern, the common failures, and how to correct them."
He looked at each of them in turn.
"These two spells—movement and enhancement—are your foundation. Master them, and you'll be ready for advanced common spells, which *do* use incantations."
"What about unique spells?" Rin asked. "The ones tied to specific gods?"
"Those come later," Hinata said. "First, you master the basics. Remember: *all* basic spells are common spells, but not all common spells are basic. Advanced spells can be either common or unique. Unique spells can only be used by those who have that specific god sealed in their katana."
He paused.
"Kento Yamato, the greatest samurai in history, never used a god's unique abilities. He fought with only common spells. If he could save the world with just the basics, then you three can at least learn them."
---
**One More Thing**
"Before you start," Hinata added, "you need to understand how life force works as a resource."
He held up two fingers.
"When the sphere measured your life force—999 for Rin, 829 for Yuji, 750 for Daichi—it wasn't measuring your *current* energy. It was measuring your *maximum capacity*."
Rin blinked. "What's the difference?"
"Think of it like a battery," Hinata explained. "Two batteries might be rated 6000mAh and 5000mAh. But if the 6000 is drained to 5%, and the 5000 is at 80%, which one has more power *right now?*"
"The 5000," Yuji said slowly.
"Exactly. Your life force depletes when you use spells. It recovers when you rest. Someone with a reading of 587 might have more usable energy at any given moment than someone with 873, depending on how much they've expended."
He let that sink in.
"Manage your energy carefully. Burn through it recklessly, and you'll be helpless when it matters most."
---
**Training Begins**
The next three months were a blur of frustration and incremental progress.
Walking on water seemed impossible at first. Rin kept sinking, his concentration breaking every time he tried to step forward.
"You're using too much," Hinata called from the shore, arms crossed. "Scale it back. Find the minimum amount that works."
"How do you even know that?" Rin sputtered, waist-deep in water.
"Your posture. The way you're tensing. It's obvious you're overloading." Hinata's eyes were sharp, analytical. "Relax your legs. Let the flow be steady, not forced."
Rin tried again. And again. And again.
---
Yuji figured it out first, of course. Within three weeks, he was walking steadily across the pond's surface, his control precise and measured.
"Excellent," Hinata said, observing. "Your flow is consistent. Now work on maintaining it while moving faster."
Daichi took longer—his life force output was so strong that he kept *overcharging* and either sinking through or stumbling from the instability. But once he learned to dial it back, he mastered it within another month.
"Finally!" Daichi shouted, standing triumphantly in the middle of the pond. "I told you I could do it!"
"Congratulations," Hinata said dryly. "Now do it a thousand more times until it's second nature."
Daichi's grin faded.
---
Rin struggled the longest. His life force control was inconsistent—sometimes too much, sometimes too little, rarely just right.
But Hinata was relentless.
"Again."
"Again."
"Again."
And on the seventy-third day, Rin took three full steps across the water without sinking.
"I did it!" he shouted—and immediately lost focus, plunging into the pond.
Maki, watching from the shore, clapped anyway. "Progress!"
Hinata almost smiled. Almost.
---
Blade enhancement was similar. Yuji mastered it in a month and a half. Daichi in two months. Rin in three.
"You're pouring too much into the hilt," Hinata corrected during one of Rin's attempts. "The flow needs to go *through* the blade, not pool at the base."
"How can you tell?" Rin asked, frustrated.
"The way your grip tightens. The angle of the blade. Small tells." Hinata stepped closer. "Loosen your wrist. Let the energy travel naturally."
Rin adjusted—and his katana suddenly glowed with a faint, steady light.
"There," Hinata said. "Hold that."
---
By the end of three months, all three of them could walk on water, run up walls, create air platforms, and enhance their blades.
They weren't perfect. Their control was still rough. But they had the fundamentals.
---
**The Announcement**
Hinata gathered them in the training yard one morning, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"You've completed the fourth stage," he said. "All three of you have proven you understand the basics."
Rin's heart leaped. "Does that mean—"
"You're ready for a mission," Hinata confirmed.
The three recruits exchanged glances—excitement, nervousness, and determination all mixed together.
"Finally," Daichi said, grinning.
"About time," Yuji agreed quietly.
Rin just clenched his fists, feeling the life force humming beneath his skin.
*This is it. The real beginning.*
---