The attack came, as always, completely unexpected. The small procession was just coming around a bend, exiting a hilly area when a small amount of heavily armed men charged them from the front. However, years of experience and incredible acute senses, to an almost superhuman level, ensured warmaster Takanazai was only surprised for a split second. Immediately he organised his small battalion strategically around his master's palanquin, which they were assigned to guard. Shouting commands and simultaneously drawing his katana he silently cursed as he watched as one of the carriers of the palanquin got shot in the throat by an arrow, dropping the heavy wooden structure to the ground with a groaning noise. The other carries fleed the scene, only to be cut down by the enemies who were all wearing the gray clothes of ronin. Positioning himself with his back to the palanquin he spotted a single foe coming towards him and without hesitating charged forwards to meet him head on.

In the corners of his eyes, the fight quickly became a blur of agitated movements as Takanazai concentrated all his efforts and skills to dispatching the stoically looking figure in front of him. With a high parry followed by a low swing, Takanazai's katana sliced clean through the best part of his enemy's upper thigh. With a high pitched cry he toppled over, bleeding profusely. Takanazai quickly surveyed the scene of battle and saw his battalion was eliminating the last of the attackers. Only one of his samurai although covered in red smears of blood, still recognisable by the green armour, lay motionless on the ground. The rest of his battalion was dishonourably butchering the last of the attackers, forcing them to a lower social status on their next journey across the wheel of life.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end; just as if somewhere nearby an enormous electric charge was building up. On a hill overlooking the road, unnoticed by Takanazai and his soldiers, a figure dressed in a purple robe had appeared. Moving his hands in a circular motion above his head, a small black and blueish orb formed in between. Before Takanazai could interfere the orb was thrown directly at the centre of the palanquin, instantly incinerating the curtains and cushions and setting the shape inside ablaze. With a face contorted in terror, Takanazai watched helplessly as the palanquin and the person inside burned to ashes in a matter of seconds due to the extreme heat of the fireball thrown at it.

Slowly sinking to his knees, his katana falling out of his limp hands, Takanazai saw his future diminish as his master's death would mean a life of dishonour for him as well as for his men. He would be forced to travel the land as a ronin, a masterless samurai. He would spare himself that misery. Contorting his face into a mask of determination he ordered one of his nearby men to stand behind him with a drawn katana. Still kneeling he drew a small knife from his belt and pointed the blade towards his stomach.

"Put down your blade. You will not commit seppuku unless authorised by me to do so." The soldier standing behind Takanazai slowly removed his helmet and looked an astonished Takanazai straight in the eye. "Master...?" "I very much suspected an attack would take place today, Takanazai. We have a spy deep within our household. I only told two people about the route we were taking today, one being yourself, the other being our spiritmaster Yokonura. I specifically instructed Yokonura to other business as I wanted to make sure the enemy thought I would have no magical protection on my journey. The nature of the attack proves that you are still trustworthy old friend." If Takanazai was offended he showed absolutely no sign of it. "Allow me to dishonourably dispose of Yokonura once we get home and after that have the master of the watch commit seppuku for allowing a spy within our household." "You will do neither. Both are far too valuable for me to lose Takanazai. A living spy who has been discovered can be fed wrong information, a dead spy cannot and will alert the person he is working for. No, I think we will let Yokonura live, for now." Takanazai smiled. His master's wit surpassed his own by far, as usual.