Chapter 16 : Okita and the Samurai

We landed in Japan with a thud, and I quickly composed myself before Vespera and I stepped out of the portal. We found ourselves in a small alleyway surrounded by traditional Japanese buildings, and the air was filled with the scent of cherry blossoms.

"Where are we?" I asked Vespera.

"We're in Kyoto, one of the most historic and beautiful cities in Japan," she replied. "And we're here to find Okita."

I nodded, and we started to make our way out of the alley and into the busy streets. I could feel the eyes of the people on us, and I knew that my red and blue outfit was not exactly blending in with the traditional Japanese clothing.

We asked around for Okita, and eventually, we found a small temple on the outskirts of the city. As we entered, we were greeted by the sight of a group of samurais training with wooden swords.

A tall, muscular man with a stern face walked towards us. "Who are you?" he asked in Japanese.

"We're here to see Okita," Vespera replied.

The man looked us up and down before nodding and leading us deeper into the temple. We walked through a maze of corridors until we reached a room with sliding doors. The man opened them, and we stepped inside.

Okita was seated at a low table, drinking tea. He was an elderly man with a long, gray beard and piercing eyes. He looked up as we entered and gave us a nod.

"Greetings, Okita," Vespera said in Japanese. "We need your help."

"What kind of help?" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"We're fighting a powerful foe, and we need all the help we can get," I said, also speaking in Japanese.

Okita studied us for a moment before nodding. "I see. And what kind of foe is this?"

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. But in the end, I decided that we needed all the help we could get. "He's a time-traveler who has destroyed entire civilizations and is now after us. We need to stop him before he destroys everything."

Okita raised an eyebrow. "A time-traveler? This is no ordinary foe. But fear not, young ones. I have trained many samurais in my time, and I will gladly lend you my strength."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Okita. We're honored to have your help."

Okita stood up and gestured for us to follow him. "Come, I have something to show you."

We followed him out of the room and into a courtyard. In the center was a large tree with a wooden dummy set up in front of it. Okita picked up a wooden sword and faced the dummy.

"Watch closely," he said, and then he began to move. He moved with such speed and precision that I could hardly follow his movements. He struck the dummy over and over again, and I could hear the wood cracking under his blows.

When he finished, he turned to us. "I have trained in the way of the samurai all my life, and I have learned much. Let me teach you what I know, and together we will defeat this foe."

We spent the next few days training with Okita, learning the ways of the samurai. It was difficult, but I could feel myself improving with each passing day. I felt stronger and more focused than ever before, and I knew that with Okita's help, we could defeat Xaratho.

As the sun began to set on the third day of training.