Days passed, and for the villagers of Edo, it seemed as if nothing had changed.
They prayed at the shrine, haggled at the marketplace, tended to their fields—
life, in all its slow, comforting repetition.
But Tessa knew better.
The Watchful Goddess In her cave, surrounded by cool darkness,
Tessa sat casually on the ground, spinning a shimmering blade between her fingers.
Through her spy crystals, she listened to the heartbeat of the village—
every whispered conversation, every laugh, every careful prayer.
Himoto speaking with officials about the harvest.
Miko quietly murmuring a prayer at the shrine.
Merchants arguing over prices.
Tessa heard it all—
as if she floated high above her realm, plucking every little secret from the air.
"I'm getting used to this," she murmured with a satisfied smile.
While Tessa perfected her surveillance,
Mike was working on a different kind of problem—
one that could be even more important for their future.
Training the Body and Mind While she trained—
spinning her blade, striking at an improvised wooden dummy, practicing punches and kicks—
Tessa kept her connection to the crystals open.
One ear tuned to the village’s whispers,
the other focused on the rhythm of battle.
It was hard.
Sometimes a particularly heavy blow made her lose track of a voice.
Sometimes an interesting snippet of conversation made her slip out of form.
But she was getting better.
"If I master this," she thought, sweat trickling down her forehead,
"then I’ll always know what’s happening around me in a fight."
Mike watched her training with half-interest—
his mind gnawing on something else:
Language.
For days, he had been trying to speak fluent Japanese.
And it was going... terribly.
"Damn," he muttered.
"Even though I understand everything, it sounds like I'm chewing wood when I try to speak."
If he was struggling this badly,
what did that mean for Tessa?
A New Communication Strategy Suddenly, a thought hit him.
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"Tessa," he called out,
"Forget sentences. Focus on single words."
Tessa paused mid-motion, her blade still half-raised.
"Single words?"
"Yeah!" Mike urged.
"Imagine you want to say 'food.' Just say the word—then point to your mouth. Or 'walk,' and point at the ground. Simple but still mysterious."
Tessa lowered her blade, considering.
"Hmm... that might actually work."
Mike chuckled, pleased.
"And the best part? You’ll seem even more mysterious. A goddess who only speaks isolated words in an unknown language? They’ll be mesmerized."
Tessa snorted in amusement.
"So, I’ll become a goddess who speaks in riddles?"
"Exactly!" Mike confirmed enthusiastically.
Tessa grinned broadly.
"I like it."
Visitors from the Shadows The sun slowly sank behind the hills, bathing Edo in the warm light of dusk.
Tessa leaned back, closed her eyes briefly—
and reactivated her spy crystals.
What she heard this time made her sit up straight.
Footsteps.
Not the familiar, easy gait of the villagers.
Not the shuffling of farmers or the playful patter of children.
This was different.
Heavy.
Purposeful.
Dangerous.
She focused on one of her outermost crystals—
the one she had hidden at the forest’s edge just in case.
And she saw them.
Men moving cautiously through the underbrush.
Light armor.
Weapons within easy reach.
Their movements honed and predatory—like hunters stalking prey.
Tessa narrowed her eyes.
"Mike," she whispered,
"We have visitors."
Mike immediately snapped to attention.
"Where?"
"At the forest’s edge, moving toward Edo. They're cautious—but armed."
Mike was silent for a moment.
Then he said quietly:
"Those are the daimyo’s men."
Tessa smiled coldly.
"Then it’s time to welcome them."
The Hunt Begins Night settled over Edo.
In the darkness, the daimyo’s men crept closer to the village—
shadowy figures blending into trees and shade.
High above, crouched on a branch,
Tessa watched them,
a dangerous smile playing on her lips.
"Let’s see what you really want," she murmured.
The hunt had begun.
End of Chapter 28
