The group was so busy drinking and laughing, none of them noticed him until he was in their midst.
"I return home and I find my palace infested with vermin," he said.
The group jumped to their feet, some half-transformed, curling clawed hands into fists. Others reached for rusty, beaten up swords and blunt objects, as if any of it would stand a chance against him. The only ones who did not react were the woman and the man at the front of the group. The reclining dragon remained with his head in the woman's lap, eyes closed.
"Who are you to enter the great dragon's domain?" the dragon asked without even bothering to turn his head toward Kaito.
Kaito threw his head back and laughed. His laughter echoed through the chamber and sounded like the crack of thunder. "Not only do you steal my palace, you dare to impersonate me?"
The dragon opened one eye as he turned his head to peer at Kaito. "Who’s impersonating who? You come into my throne room uninvited, interrupt our party..."
"You insolent ruffians, Ai shall teach you for speaking that way about one of the first children," Ai piped up, but her childlike voice and small stature did not leave much of an impression and the dragons all laughed uproariously.
"Perhaps you should put your lapdog on a leash," said the dragon nearest to them. He was a towering creature, at least a head taller than Kaito and three times as thick. He would have thought it all an illusion but his spiritual energy matched his outer physique.
"Ai is not a lap dog." Her eyes shifted to all dark pupils and her hair transformed into a myriad of tentacles whipping around behind her.
The dragon only continued to laugh until the moment one of her tentacles reached out, wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. His legs kicked, useless beneath him, while his hands clawed at Ai's tentacle, trying to break her grip.
The other dragons approached and Kaito transformed, bearing his own claws, his arms covered in blue scales.
"I am the Great Dragon, born of the first children, created by the Lord of the Sea, and the ruler of Akatsuki."
The dragon sat up at last, swung his legs around so they were dangling over the edge of the dais, and leaned forward to stare at Kaito.
"It's been a long time since we had a challenger," the dragon said with a devious smile.
He leaped down and strolled over toward Kaito, who stared at him with arms crossed over his chest.
"Have your dog let go of my man and let’s have a real fight."
Kaito nodded slightly toward Ai, who dropped the dangling dragon. He fell to the ground on all fours and gasped for breath. One of his comrades went over toward him and helped the big man to his feet while glaring at Kaito.
The leader held out his hand and another of his men handed him a sword. Unlike the other swords, this had a carved pommel in the shape of a dragon made of jade.
"I'll have you know I've never lost a challenge."
"Neither have I," Kaito said with a smile.
The leader grinned at him. He was cocky and had likely risen to a position of power as a result. Among yokai appearing strong meant almost as much as being strong. But that was only half the battle, and they were all about to see what true power meant. Kaito unfurled his spiritual energy, which until now he'd kept contained. It swept over the room, filling the space, causing the entire hall to vibrate with it.
The leader's smile faltered. They had felt it, all of them had.
"Let's begin," Kaito snarled.
They took their places. It had been a very long time since Kaito had fought a challenger, or would this make him the challenger? No matter. He hadn't been posturing when he said he'd never lost. He'd won the right to rule by being the strongest and he'd kept his position for the very same reason.
It was no surprise when the dragon attacked first. He lunged at Kaito, striking with precision. Kaito could have dodged it easily, but he let the blade graze his side. Bright red blood splattered onto the ground. He knew how to handle a blade, so it wasn't all talk. But when his smile widened, Kaito knew the ego that lay beneath that skill. It would be his undoing.
"First blood," the watchers chanted.
They'd been quiet up until now, perhaps uncertain how their leader would fair against someone with as much spiritual energy as Kaito. But by letting him have the first blood, they grew more confident. They jeered and stomped their feet. And they were not the only ones growing more bold, their leader was as well.
"How do you expect to beat me with just your claws?" the leader taunted.
"A true yokai needs nothing else."
They continued to circle around one another and the dragon struck again. This time Kaito dodged. He'd let him wet his blade, but he would not let him land a blow again. Kaito led him on a chase around the circle, letting him believe he had him on the run.
After a few minutes of back and forth, Kaito had his back against the edge. His opponent was closing in. When the dragon arched his arm backward to land what would have been a killing blow, it left his left side exposed. Kaito made his move, slashing upward, raking his claws from hip to armpit. It tore his kosode and left a ragged gash down his side.
More importantly, it caught the dragon by surprise. Real fear flashed in his eyes, but to his credit he did not even reach to staunch the bleeding. He did leap backward and away from Kaito's dangerous claws.
"You're better than I thought. All the others fell within a few minutes."
"I should say the same for you."
The dragon's smile grew wider. "I've never had to do this before."
His rival's body transformed—his arms growing in size, his height lengthening—as his spiritual power unfurled from within him.
It was enough to shock Kaito. This was not some minor yokai, or a bastardized dragon. He'd only done a cursory check of his opponent’s spiritual energy. But as his true power was revealed, Kaito knew exactly who he was dealing with. He had changed his appearance but he was still the same.
Kaito threw his head back and laughed. "It's good to see you again, brother."
3
His brother smiled at him, baring his canines like a feral dog. "I'm surprised you did not recognize me straight away," he said.
They continued to dance around another in a slow circle, neither attacking as they watched one another warily.
"It was hard to recognize you without your face in the mud," Kaito taunted.
The dragon lunged for him with the sword, and Kaito raised his hand to block it, his palm encrusted in ice to save him from the blow. They stared at one another over the blade.
"I thought you were dead."
"Is that why you decided to take my palace? Since you could never win it from me in a fair fight?"
His brother leaped backward and away from him. The dragons were still cheering and stamping their feet.
"There was no need, since you were defeated by a mere mortal woman."
Kaito felt his hackles rise and he lurched forward, letting his temper get the better of him. An icy spear formed in his hand and he jabbed it at his brother's torso. Before he could embed it in his gut as he would have wished, his brother leaped out of the way.
"It's true then, you were brought down by a woman?" He threw his head back and laughed.
Kaito launched a second attack, attempting to put him off balance. But as he had done before, his brother danced just outside his reach. Kaito wanted nothing more than to claw that smug smile off the bastard’s face. Because he was not thinking clearly, he left himself open to the same trick he'd been trying to drag his opponent into and when he swung too wide, his brother struck him hard across the back, bringing Kaito to his knees.
Ai gasped and attempted to rush forward and help him, but as soon as she did, the dragons around them put out their arms to stop her.
His brother stalked around him with that same smug smile on his face.
"That's her, our master's favorite. You went crawling back to her." He looked scornfully toward Ai, who only glared back
at him. His brother turned to Kaito again. "You were free. You had everything and the moment you lost it you went back to them." He threw his head back and crowed. "I always knew you were a fool, but not this much of one."
"And what about you?" Kaito growled, between gritted teeth. "What have you done besides drink and waste your time in my rotting castoffs?"
Anger flashed in his eyes as he raised his sword, prepared to cut Kaito's head off. But before he could land the blow, Kaito pierced his shoulder with another spear made of ice that came up from beneath him. His brother was propelled forward, and his weapon fell from his grip as blood gushed from the wound.
Pressing his advantage, Kaito stalked toward him, throwing in a couple punches while his opponent was still disoriented. His brother swayed on his feet for a moment. The blood loss and the ice protruding from his shoulder would take a lot of energy to heal, giving him enough time to make his final blow.
As Kaito swung downward, his brother caught him in his grip. He glared into Kaito's eyes. "You left. Someone had to protect them." He seethed.
Kaito headbutted his brother and knocked him square on his rear. His brother laid sprawled on his back, and Kaito pressed his foot against his throat.
"I have returned now."
The dragons that surrounded them all fell silent. The stomping had ceased, and all that remained was the ragged breathing of the two. The odd collection of yokai in the room was not the court he had left behind, but it was a start.
He turned to face the group without taking his weight off his opponent's throat. "I am the true Great Dragon. Follow me now and you shall all have a place in my court. We shall return this place to the glory it had once been."
The group took a moment to process his words before they broke out into uproarious cheers.
"I will spare your life, but if you pretend to be me again, I will destroy you."
He removed his foot from his throat and his brother sat up rubbing his neck.
He scowled at him but Kaito paid him no mind and let the group surround him. Their voices overlapped with numerous questions and congratulations. That was the way of the yokai, they were a fickle bunch. His brother, their former leader, was all but forgotten.
The woman yokai with the long green hair brought Kaito a bottle of sake. He took a deep drink from it, quenching his thirst, before he threw it down onto the ground, shattering the bottle to pieces. The dragons roared their pleasure.
"Please, take a seat of honor," the woman said, pointing to the dais where once he had proceeded above his court.
But he knew his place in their group was tenuous as of yet. They did not trust him and he did not trust them. He had earned a place on his throne in the past, but that was over now. This was in many ways like starting over.
"I would rather drink with you," he said and placed himself in the center of the circle.
The dragons looked around at each other as if they couldn't quite believe what he was doing. But after a few minutes of awkward staring they sat down as well. The bottle of sake was passed around. The only one who remained separate from the group was his brother, who lingered at the edges of the group with a sour expression on his face.
Once the liquor was flowing and the conversation became less stilted, the dragons relaxed, talking and laughing and including Kaito as if he was one of them. Kaito took a swig of sake from the jug. It took a lot to get him drunk but at this pace he just might. His stomach buzzed pleasantly. He passed the jug to Ai who held it away from herself as if it was a disgusting insect.
"Tell me, how did you come to dwell in my palace and pretend to be me?" Kaito asked with a laugh and a nod toward his sulking brother, to make it clear he felt no ill will toward him.
"After you were defeated by a human-" his brother began. Kaito glared in his direction but did not stop him. He would resist the urge to be petty, for now. It only made his brother seem like the lesser man.
He looked back at the group and laughed. "Someone is still bitter he lost."
The group joined in on the joke, and another took up the tale. The speaker was a female yokai with purple hair cropped short, just long enough to tuck behind her ears. She had a clever face and a mouth meant for smiling.
"In the years after you disappeared, there was a struggle for control of Akatsuki. Everything was chaos, many died. But when the dust settled four rulers emerged, each taking over different domains in Akatsuki."
"Who rules these domains?"
"They're gone now," his brother said, arms crossed over his chest like a child. His stance reminded him of Suzume when she was being stubborn. The reminder was unwanted and he had to turn away before he let bitter memories sour his victory.
"What happened to them?" he asked.
The dragons all shared a look and Kaito raised his brows in question. "No one knows for sure. Perhaps a hundred years after the wars, the Lord of the North went missing," said a slender yokai with crimson hair that was short and spiky.
"And two hundred years later, the Lady of the East. But everyone says it was her brother who tried to take her rule," said the big yokai who Ai had tried to strangle.
"Until he disappeared without a trace."
"One by one all the strongest yokai have fallen until there were none left," his brother said, turning to face them now. The light from the fire cast his face into deep shadows, making him appear almost skeletal.
Kaito looked across the group. No one would meet his gaze. "And no one took control of the island after that?"
They shook their heads. "There were those who tried," said the purple-haired dragon. "But anyone who came up on top was quickly defeated."
"By who?"
"That's the thing, it was always different. The Lord of the South, for example, they say it was his son who betrayed him. He rules but only over their clan. None of the yokai of the region would trust him or swear allegiance after that," said one dragon.
Another chimed in, "Mhhm. And the spider’s empress was killed by the leader of the neko and they've been warring ever since."
They continued to babble on about the rise and fall of power, but it was all things he'd heard before. When he was sealed his absence of rulership had plunged the world into chaos.
The jar of sake had come back around to Kaito. He held it in his hand for a moment, spinning it around. When he'd first broken free of his seal, he'd gone to visit the swamp guardian. He had said that no one ruled, that clans of yokai kept to themselves. But he had also mentioned rumors of a powerful shape-shifter absorbing yokai. He'd assumed it was Hisato, but according to Suzume he was only recently freed. It didn't explain hundreds of years of power shifts. What if there was something even more powerful out there? Someone had to have broken Hisato free.
Kaito took a long swig of the bottle before passing it on once more to Ai. She took a dainty sip this time, but even as she did, she pulled a face and passed it to the laughing dragon to her right.
"I've heard rumors of a shape-shifter who absorbs yokai."
There was an uncomfortable silence as the dragons around the circle looked everywhere other than him.
"You've heard it as well."
"It's why we've come together," his brother said, glaring at Kaito as if challenging him to argue against such a measure, or to call them cowards for doing so.
The dragon with the purple hair spoke, "All the yokai have splintered into different clans. We have to look out for our own. It only made sense to use the old dragon seat of power as our place." She met his gaze, not so much a challenge, but begging to be understood.
Kaito waved his hand in a gesture that said he forgave them. It was good to see someone had put the place to use.
"What became of my other brothers and sister?" Kaito asked, turning his attention to his brother.
He kept his back to Kaito for a moment, before saying in a very low voice, "They've fallen, all of them. We are all that remains."
He had feared as much. Kaito was quiet for a moment, thinking
of how many of his friends had been lost. How many more remained or were in hiding?
"I am sorry to hear that," Kaito said.
His brother turned only to glare at him. Perhaps he blamed him for disappearing. It was true he would never have let this happen had Kazue not sealed him. Kaito laced his fingers together and leaned forward to look at the rag-tag group of dragons before him. They were lower-level dragons, deities of streams and local bodies of water. It was a sign of the times to see them gathered here away from where they should have been worshiped and adored, as they had in the old times.
"I can understand banding together, but why leave your posts?"
"The humans no longer respect us as they once did. The shrines are disappearing. And any whose power is too great come under suspicion and are hunted."
"Are you such cowards that you cannot stand against humans?"
No one would meet his eyes.
Kaito sighed. It was the woman dragon with the long blue-green hair who spoke for the first time. "We cannot fight against them. The yokai have grown weak. Without our powerful yokai to protect us, the lesser are left at the mercy of the humans who grow stronger every day. We need a strong leader to protect us, to guide us."
She batted her long lashes in his direction, and he took a moment to assess her. She was beautiful, he could see why his brother had taken her as a lover. It had been a long time since he'd taken another dragon to his bed, but he remembered his last one well, and he could see the lust in her eyes.
Ai stood up, placing herself between the two of them. "She is right," Ai said, glaring at the woman for daring to look upon him. "It is time we gathered your kingdom back together, brought back the rule of the yokai."
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 75