I spent that night on the beach on Endo-sans island, unable to go in and face her. The house was silent when I entered at dawn. I called out hers name but she had already left in hers own boat. I felt a keen sense of loss but I pushed it aside. I rolled up my futon mattress which had not been slept on and placed it back in the cupboard. I looked around the house after packing all my clothes. The Nagamitsu sword Endo-san had given me was missing, but hers own sword resting on its stand halted me. I looked at it, wondering how a work of such beauty could also bring about death so efficiently.