Koichi caught the blow—barely—with the tip of his staff. Ryuichi’s wooden kendo hovered less than an inch from the boy’s face.

With a curl to his lip, Ryuichi glared at him. “How could you?”

Koichi was flabbergasted. “Me? I’m not the one bashing the kid’s brains out. What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m teaching him what he needs to know. His enemies won’t take mercy on him. This world won’t take mercy on him, and I’m not doing him any favors if I take mercy on him!”

Those words rang in Koichi’s ears. What had happened to the kid? He was furious as he reminded Ryuichi of the main principles. “Honor. Respect. Courage. And most of all, mercy.”

“Mercy is for the weak.”

Koichi flipped the wooden sword from Ryuichi’s grasp, and the other boy ran from the clearing as fast as he could manage. “Mercy isn’t weakness, and strength isn’t beating a weaker opponent. It only comes from defeating a stronger or equal challenger. That and that alone is how you obtain honor.”

Ryuichi actually growled at him. “What do you know of honor, ronin?”

Those words stung to the depth of his soul and invoked an anger in him that would rival Masaru’s. For a moment, he almost retaliated with his own strike. It took everything he had not to take his fury out on the kid. But . . .

Anger is your enemy.

His old teacher’s words were the only thing that saved Ryuichi’s hide.

That, and the fact that Koichi realized something that made his blood run cold. Something about his student that he should have realized before.

Eyes wide, he glanced at Keiko. “We need to get our charge out of here.”

“Agreed.”

That was much easier said than done. The little brat had picked up a few tricks. When Koichi went to grab him, Ryuichi twisted free, then swung at him with a stick he had found on the ground.

“All right, kid. Enough.” He disarmed the boy, then quickly picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.

“Release me!” Ryuichi struggled and kicked.

Frustrated, he glared at Keiko. “A little help?”

“You seem to have him well in hand.”

He ground his teeth.

With a smirk, she touched Ryuichi’s hand. Instantly, the boy stopped moving.

That stunned him. “Did you kill him?”

She rolled her eyes at the question. “He’s asleep. Why would I kill him?”

There were so many reasons he could name, but Koichi knew she wouldn’t see the humor, or even his side. So, he quickly carried the boy to the tent he’d been given.

With a tenderness he didn’t currently feel, Koichi set the boy on his futon and resisted the urge to kick his unconscious body.

“Are you all right?”