I stare down the newcomer for a long time. Rather than meet my challenge, he snorts at me and growls, “Leave or I’ll strike you down right here, right now! Get out!”
I turn without another word and call out, “Shinsuke!”
“Yes, my lord!” he replies quickly as he runs over to me. “Is everything all right?”
I continue toward the eastern steps and gesture for him to follow. “Let’s go,” I say to him before gritting my teeth at having been spoken to so disrespectfully.
“But, Prince Naomasa, aren’t you going to finish the fight? Are you okay? You’re body… it’s-it’s—”
“Shut up.”
As I climb onto the elevated wooden deck surrounding the courtyard, I spit blood onto the railing to my right and say to him, “I underestimated my opponent. That’s all.”
Admitting it makes me clench my fists in outra
