That night, after everyone had gone to sleep, I opened Senjuro's book again.
The next section was titled:
The Forms
I immediately started reading.
Breathing is only the fuel for your car.
The forms are what make it move.
Throughout history, many breathing styles have been created—Water, Thunder, Stone, Wind, and countless others.
But among them, Nature and Star were the first.
I paused.
The first?
That sounded important.
I turned the page.
First Form: Growth Bamboo Thrust
A simple thrusting technique.
At least, that's what it looked like.
The instructions were written beneath it.
Hold the katana's handle close to your chest.
Focus entirely on your target.
Draw a deep breath.
Then strike.
"Seems easy enough."
I stood up and drew the black katana.
The moonlight reflected off its dark blade.
I took my stance.
Focused.
Breathed.
Then thrust.
Nothing.
Well, the thrust happened.
But it looked completely normal.
I checked the book again.
Near the bottom of the page was another note.
If performed correctly, a green Nature Breathing trail will follow the blade.
I looked at my sword.
No green trail.
Not even a tiny spark.
"So I failed."
I tried again.
And again.
And again.
The hours passed.
Each thrust felt a little smoother than the last.
But still no green trail.
The next night, I practiced again.
The night after that too.
Every evening, while everyone else slept, I stood beneath the moon with my sword.
Thrust.
Fail.
Thrust.
Fail.
Thrust.
Fail.
Over and over.
Then, on the fifth night—
Something changed.
I focused completely on the target.
My breathing slowed.
The world seemed to quiet around me.
I drew in a deep breath.
Then struck.
WHOOSH!
A ribbon of green energy burst from the katana.
It flowed through the air like a stream of living vines.
My thrust shot forward faster than I had ever moved before.
The bamboo target in front of me exploded apart.
I stared at the blade.
For a moment, I couldn't believe it.
"I did it."
My heart pounded with excitement.
I had finally learned the First Form.
Quickly, I opened the book again.
A new note waited for me.
If you have mastered the First Form, practice on hay.
Then a training dummy.
Then bamboo.
Finally, stone.
I followed the instructions exactly.
Hay was easy.
The dummy took longer.
Bamboo took days.
And stone...
Stone was a nightmare.
But after five nights of nonstop practice, I finally managed it.
The Growth Bamboo Thrust was mine.
And that wasn't the only progress I had made.
Training with Dorna was improving too.
Most recruits could now run five hundred laps.
Marie and Tobisa were among the strongest.
As for me—
I could run six hundred.
Six hundred laps.
Just a few weeks ago, one hundred had seemed impossible.
Now I was closer than ever.
Closer to a thousand laps.
Closer to mastering Nature Breathing.
Closer to becoming strong.
I looked down at the black blade in my hands.
Then toward the moon hanging high above the training grounds.
A smile spread across my face.
"Just a little further."
And for the first time since arriving at the training center...
I truly believed I could do it.