Koyo Kuro gripped his twin swords and sliced through the training dummy. The mint-chocolate swirl of his ice cream cone head dripped in the afternoon heat. He lived for one thing—to master the Scoopsu Gari style's final technique, the move no warrior had performed in fifty years. His master had promised him a new tool today. Something different from the basic dummies he'd been destroying for months. Koyo wiped chocolate syrup from his scarf and waited. The sun climbed higher. His master finally arrived, dragging a wooden stand behind him. Candy cane stripes spiraled around its arms. Dark stains marked where other students had struck it. "This is the Ninjutsu Wing Chub Training Stand," his master said. "It moves when you hit it wrong. It punishes bad form." Koyo drew his left sword and stepped forward. The stand's arms jutted out at odd angles. He swung. The blade connected, but the arm spun and cracked against his shoulder. Pain shot through his cone. His master nodded. "Good. Now you learn." Koyo reset his stance and struck again. This time he aimed for the center pole. The impact rang clean. The arm stayed still. He smiled and raised both swords. This training stand would teach him what the dummies never could—precision under pressure. The final technique demanded nothing less. For three hours, Koyo struck the training stand until his arms burned. His master watched without speaking. Finally, the old warrior raised his hand. "Enough for today. You need to understand the history." He walked to the far wall of the training yard and pushed aside a wooden panel. Behind it, stone steps led down into darkness. The smell of sugar and honey drifted up. "Follow me." Koyo sheathed his swords and descended. The tunnel opened into a cave lined with old scrolls and thick books. Shelves carved into the rock held hundreds of them. His master lit a lantern. The light showed writing in the ancient Scoopsu Gari language. "This is the Grand Sweets Cave. Every master who came before us studied here." Koyo reached for the nearest scroll. His fingers trembled. The final technique was written somewhere in these texts. His master placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will train your body above. You will train your mind below. Only then will you be ready." The lantern light flickered across a map carved into the cave wall. His master traced a path with one finger. "When you master both body and mind, you will go there. The Jawbreaker Dojo." Koyo stared at the marking on the map. The dojo sat at the edge of Fungara, past the valleys and forests. Dark candy formed its walls. Ice cream cones twisted into its roof and doorways. "That is where you will perform the final technique for the first time," his master said. "That is where you will become complete." Koyo pressed his palm against the cold stone. The path was clear now. Train with the stand. Study in the cave. Travel to the Jawbreaker Dojo. He would master the Scoopsu Gari style's final technique, no matter how long it took.