Interlude: Excerpt from Swordmaster's Guide to The Act Of Killing

  1. Hatred can sustain your body better than food, water, or sleep. Expend no more energy than necessary, in your daily life and in battle. In most situations, one cut is enough.

  2. Your body is afraid of pain. Whatever fear of pain occupies your mind is space that could be used for single-minded, continuous hatred. Stamp this instinct out.

  3. There are many misconceptions on the definitions of hatred, defined by fools who have never held an ounce of hate in their feeble hearts. Hatred is not belligerence. Hatred is not arrogant cocksure boasting. Hatred is not hardheadedness. Hatred is not bullheaded determination.

    Hate is a circular cutting motion.