A Story In 100 Words

Bird song lilted over the courtyard, from a jōbitaki perched overhead. A stray cat licked the festering wound on its right paw. The scent of porridge drifted from the kitchen.

Seventeen students lined the walls, holding their wooden swords in clenched fists. They would not attack, so long as their master was alive. But should Jiro emerge victorious, they would feel obligated to fight for the Dōjō’s honor. He would regret their deaths.