A week passed in the silent mountains.
Each day, Nobu's body changed.
The curse no longer felt like poison—it felt like fire.
A terrifying, overwhelming power surged through his veins, something he had never experienced in his entire life. His muscles screamed, his bones ached, yet his body adapted… slowly accepting the curse's strength.
From a wooden chair nearby, Baku watched in silence.
His sharp eyes missed nothing.
He's growing too fast…
Baku clenched his fist slightly.
Somewhere deep in his heart, he had started to see Nobu not as a student—but as a son.
Yet the warmth in his chest didn't erase the hatred buried inside him.
Nobu's family will pay, he thought coldly. Every single one of them.
Breathing heavily, Nobu straightened his back and looked at Baku.
"I can do fifty now," he said, exhaustion and pride mixing in his voice.
"Fifty push-ups… with the stone."
Baku's eyes widened—just for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Good," Baku said. "Very good."
He stood up slowly and walked toward Nobu.
"Now," he continued, his voice turning sharp, "it's time."
Nobu felt his heart tighten.
"Kagemaru."
The katana rested nearby, silent… yet alive.
"Master it," Baku said. "Not with your body alone—but with the curse's power. If you can't control the blade, the power will devour you."
Nobu nodded.
"I won't lose," he said quietly.
Meanwhile… In the City
A man knelt before Beru.
"I found him," the man said. "Nobu is alive. He's living in the mountains—with a man named Baku."
Beru froze.
Alive.
His chest tightened as emotions crashed into him all at once—relief, joy, fear.
Without wasting another second, Beru packed his belongings and left.
For his brother… no distance was too far.
The journey through the mountains was brutal. Cold winds, steep paths, endless silence.
But finally—he saw it.
A house.
Beru rushed forward—
Only to stop.
It was empty.
His heart sank.
Before he could think, footsteps echoed behind him.
"You," a cold voice said. "What are you doing here?"
Beru turned to see several young men dressed in expensive robes, eyes filled with arrogance.
"This is Hokori Clan property," one of them sneered. "Are you a thief?"
Beru lowered his head slightly.
"I made a mistake," he said calmly. "I apologize."
The young masters laughed.
"Apologies?" one of them said mockingly.
"Touch our feet. Then we'll forgive you."
Beru's eyes hardened.
"I don't kneel," he replied.
Silence.
Then—
One of them attacked.
Beru moved.
A single step. A single punch.
The young master flew backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
The others rushed him together—
But to Beru, they were slow.
Steel flashed.
Screams echoed.
Hands fell to the ground.
The surviving young masters ran—terrified—back to their clan.
Hokori Clan
When the father heard what had happened, his rage shook the hall.
"A nobody dared touch my sons?"
His eyes burned with fury.
"Prepare the men," he commanded.
"This… is war."