Sensei Nakai--supporting character; founder of Kagoshima’s best dojo; sensei to The Daimyo’s samurai; sensei to Mitsui; enemy of Sung; friend of Liu Shen

Sensei Nakai’s dojo doesn’t have weapons all over the walls or paintings of fierce warriors engaged in bloody battle.  Sensei Nakai’s dojo walls are mostly blank; the only paintings are of flowers and poetry.  Yet, his is the best dojo in the province and there is a ten-year waiting list to train there.  He has studied and taught martial arts all over the world and has masters teaching at his dojo from every place he's ever studied.  He is simply the best.  When Mitsui came to him to train, she didn’t just come begging; she came with a show of force, skill and cunning that he hadn’t seen for many years.  But he has never allowed a girl into his dojo and was not inclined to change this practice.  At first.  He has trained and defeated samurai warriors; trained and defeated opponents the world over and fought a vampire to a standstill.  Even so, he has never seen anything like the raw, natural talent Mitsui possesses.  He is quickly realizing that she is one of the best students he has ever seen.  But neither of their considerable talents may be enough to save him.