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Prologue – Part 01

A katana lay across the surface, a naked blade with no scabbard, hilt, guard, or collar. After a ceremonial bow, the young man carefully grasped the tang—the part where the hilt attaches—and began wiping the blade with soft paper known as nuguigami. He wrapped the paper around the spine, not the edge, and slid it from base to tip, clearing away oil and debris.

Next, he took out some uchiko, a fine powder made from whetstone and wrapped in cotton, and lightly dusted both sides of the blade. Once evenly coated, he wiped the powder off with the nuguigami, sweeping away the last traces of oil along with the powder.

Though the blade appeared clean enough, he inspected it from different angles, then applied fresh oil with oiled paper, spreading it carefully across the edge and spine with precise finger pressure. He wiped off the excess, leaving the blade with a