The letter's message was simple enough to explain in a few words.
The Master wanted the Pillars to visit Tetsu no Sosuke and have their Nichirin Blades reforged.
Of course, they couldn't expect him to work for nothing. They would give him some "payment," and the Master suggested a form of payment that would make both sides stronger.
A sparring match, for instance.
Or an exchange of secret techniques.
They could also help each other hone their swordsmanship...
That was how Shinobu Kocho had hit upon this rather unusual "payment," leading the Wind Pillar and the Flame Pillar to train Tetsu no Sosuke to fight multiple opponents and handle surprise attacks.
"Forget it, forget it..." Shinobu Kocho sighed. She must have been out of her mind to set this whole thing up. It was too late for regrets; she needed to get out there and stop them.
If they kept fighting, Tetsu no Sosuke really wouldn't hold up. What if they injured him again?
She leaped onto the wall and was about to shout for the three of them to stop.
Suddenly, something clamped around her ankle. A powerful force surged through her body, the wind howled around her, and her head went dizzy. Before she could react, the world was spinning.
"What the hell?"
Shinobu Kocho was utterly bewildered. The Wind Pillar and the Flame Pillar came into view, looking just as bewildered...
Then the two of them swept out of sight.
Was she the only one spinning?
She struggled to look down and saw Tetsu no Sosuke gripping her ankle, swinging her around with a ferocious look on his face!
"You've probably never seen a One-Legged Bronze Man! This one has two legs and is only five feet tall, but swing her hard enough and she still packs