"You learned the strength of the tiger, Kenji," Sato said softly, his voice echoing clearly through the quiet hall. "But you forgot the stillness of the mountain. Power without control is merely destruction waiting to consume itself."
Kenji struggled to lift his head, his teeth grit in humiliation. "Kill me then... Finish it!" he spat out, sweat dripping from his chin onto the tatami.
Instead of striking, Master Sato crouched down and picked up the fallen wooden sword. He ran his thumb over the grip, peeling back a loose strip of leather wrapping to reveal hidden Japanese characters etched into the wood—a covert contract signing away the dojo's land to a commercial real estate syndicate.
"I knew why you came today," Sato murmured, showing the hidden inscription to the stunned crowd. "You didn't challenge me for glory. You sold out your brothers to pay off your debts."