Whistling to myself, I strolled down the verdant path through the lush and mystical forest. It had been a week since I left the village. During my travels, I visited different small villages and stayed there or in nearby forests for the night. One of the villages I had come across boasted of its unique library section devoted to innate energy. Rarely did such collections exist outside of major cities, let alone in small towns.

As I read the book in this section, it spoke of different blockages within a human body which could be unleashed to enhance different abilities. It said that everyone had innate energy within them which allowed them to unlock the first blockage, but further levels required more than meditation alone. As I was thinking about ways to become stronger, I noticed a recent smoke cloud to my right. Activating my energy leap, I leapt into the air and each time I alighted on the ground, I was propelled forward at intense speeds; I had to cover my eyes with an aura due to the force of the wind against them.

From my vantage point above the smoking village, I could see three people dressed in silver and grey garbs had attacked a shack and set it ablaze. They were also trying to scare some kids with swords drawn from their waists. That was enough for me. I used <(Sword Dance 1st Form, Crescent Dash)>, taking advantage of my altitude to send a killing strike towards the head of one of the attackers.

The wind from the enhanced landing blew the nearby fire out. As the dust settled I was standing on the mutilated body, my eyes showing hostility as my blade was dripping blood.

"You! How dare you kill our brother!" shouted one of them, standing mere meters away.

"Don't act like victims," I said firmly. "It was you who started this mess—now leave!"

One of the guys dressed in the same robes unsheathed two small swords and yelled, "Never! Witness the strength of the Steel Samurai's mongrel, <(Steel Sword 1st Form, Simultaneous Steel Slash!)>".

I assumed he must've been the leader of their small group, even so his attacks were easily dodged. I then infused some innate energy into my feet as I kicked his head, his unconscious body folding onto the ground.

"You're gonna die for doing that!" yelled another samurai who had encapsulated himself in a thin layer of steel like energy.

As the samurai ran forward ready to avenge his group leader, I put my fingers into a flicking position using a bit if energy I flicked the air.

With a thunderous roar that shook the very ground I was standing on, the samurai's head exploded in a shower of blood and bone fragments. The technique I the hunter used during the exam came in handy here. As I took a moment to catch my breath, it dawned on me that these attackers were operating with steel and metal-type attacks - just like the hunter. It was clear that an entire legion or faction of skilled samurais had been sent to capture me and bring me before the 8 Emperors.

Suddenly, I heard a small, somber voice behind me.

"Hi, Mister."

When I spun around, my gaze fell on a young boy of about ten years old with black tears were leaking from his eyes.

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"Hello, are you okay?" I inquired gently.

More tears welled up in his eyes as he replied,

"Yes, but I have nowhere to go. My parents are gone."

Puzzled, I asked, "What do you mean?"

He broke into sobs and repeated softly, "They were in the house..."

Darius was the boy's name, his father being an average samurai with no specialized techniques to pass on. His mother was a housewife. Darius had plans of enrolling in the Samurai Academy located nearby in three years' time, but I suggested my training would be of more use. As he collected what remained of his possessions, I took the opportunity to talk with the samurai that I had knocked out. According to him, The 8 Emperors had tasked the shogun's from each main village to look for me and it seemed that news of me had spread to the Shogun of Steel himself who dispatched his second-in-command after me.

After extracting the necessary information by force, I cut off the head of the samurai, having no further use for him. My voice echoed through the distance as I called out to a small figure in the horizon,

"Are you ready, Darius?" Darius approached me and replied, "Yes, sir. I have all of my possessions."

"Very good," I said. "Let's go then."

After a moment of walking, Darius asked me "Where are we headed, sir?"

I answered, "We're off to the Steel Shogun Capital. We want to have a word with the shogun, but first we must practice a little bit."

He was flabbergasted. "The Shogun?! He's supposed to be the strongest around here! Even his First and Second in Command are unbelievably powerful!"

I responded confidently, "It's alright; I managed to take down his right-hand man - it took some help, though."

His eyes widened. "You must be incredibly strong," he exclaimed.

"Something like that," I replied.

...

Darius yawned and asked, "Are we there yet?"

"Not quite," I replied. "We have to find a spot that's hidden and has enough space for us to practice"

"All right," he sighed. "But can you teach me to use innate energy? My dad said I was too young, and never had the time."

"Sure," I nodded. "Learning how to use innate energy would help with your skills."

As we journeyed through the thick woods, searching for a suitable place to train, we stumbled upon a small mountain, its ridges blanketed in all manner of green foliage.

"Is this where we'll stay?" Darius asked with a tired voice.

"Yes, I believe it is." I replied.

The trees’ lush leaves would provide us with camouflage and cover during our stay on the mountain. After five breaks spent hiking up due to Darius's complaining, we decided to camp here temporarily for the night. Setting up camp and eating some meat around a crackling fire, Darius began to stare at the star-filled sky above.

"I used to watch stars with my parents all the time," he said as tears welled in his eyes.

"I see," was all I could reply; I had no experience dealing with emotions like these.

So, rather than try anything that would make matters worse, I left him be. Watching the beautiful moon accompanied by shining stars in the sky.