The founders of the village had cut Chojo hill into terraces to build the Karasuma plateau.

The highest terrace housed the citadel. Every lower terrace jutted out more than the prior, and the faces plunged steeply. Winding roads hewn into the hill connected them. A sentry stronghold was stationed at the entrance of the citadel terrace.

Now that the morning fog had started dissipating from the hill slopes, the lower terraces were visible from the Mikashita training ground's edge. ...