She was well and truly on her own now. If only she had been stronger, then none of this would have happened. The door opened and Suzume did not even raise her head as Hisato strode in.
"I see you’re ready." He reached out to cup her cheek. "I must thank you for helping me. By sending the kitsune, you've perfected my trap. He will be wary of you for certain, but the dragon cannot resist rescuing you."
She stood up and followed Hisato out to the courtyard where her escorts were waiting. Several warrior priests were among them—ones she had gone on other missions with. Thankfully Ryuu wasn't there. She wasn't sure what she would have done if she had to face him again. This had been her fault, for even daring to trust him. It was obvious now. He'd been working for Hisato all along. He had led her to Izume, so they could bring her back here where she could continue influencing the emperor.
The journey to Kaito's palace would not take long. They took the same route they had when she had gone to Osaka. Hisato joined them up until they got to the docks.
"I shall join you at sunset with my army," he said.
Before the day was out, one way or another, she and Kaito would fight and this time one of them would die.
Suzume got onto the ferry boat and watched as the countryside rolled by. A few miles downriver the waters became rough. The calm river should not have had tossing waves, but the wind picked up and blew everything around on deck. Suzume stood, clinging to the railing to keep from being tossed overboard. She half expected to see Kaito but though the sky overhead was a bleak gray, and thunder cracked, there was no sign of the dragon.
Instead the crew and priests had all focused their attention to the shore, where two figures stood. The breeze carried with it a familiar power. Hope sparked inside her as she got closer to the edge.
"Spread out. Keep the princess safe," the leader shouted.
Warriors pulled her back from the side of the boat, but not before she caught a glimpse of Souta whose arms were outstretched as he sang to the wind. Ryuu, beside him, glowed with power, his eyes flashing through the storm. Souta's wind was bringing them closer to shore.
Kill Ryuu, but spare Souta, Hisato commanded her. She thought Ryuu was on Hisato's side, but perhaps she'd been wrong. If allies remained to her, then there might still be hope.
Souta's wind knocked back the soldiers as the boat was pulled closer and closer to shore. Suzume raised her hand and a fiery ball appeared there. She could see the pupils of Ryuu's eyes, so she was close enough where her flame would destroy him. But she hesitated, seeing them there had given her hope to continue fighting, hope that this wasn't over yet.
The boat crashed against the shore and still she held her power. The soldiers got back to their feet and rushed over the side of the boat to attack Souta and Ryuu.
"Do it now!" Hisato shouted inside her head.
Suzume let go of the flame, closing her eyes as to not watch her last hope die. Souta shot a torrent of wind toward her fire which combined with it and swirled together to become a flaming tornado. Guided by his song, the flames were doused in the river where they could do no harm.
The soldiers surrounded Ryuu, who fought them all off single-handedly. Souta's song changed melodies, awakening a powerful longing inside her and it ignited a blaze within. The inferno was rekindled, fed by Souta's wind. It gave Suzume freedom, but Hisato wasn't done with her.
You think you can escape? Hisato taunted.
Inside her two sides warred—Kazue stirred deep within her, just as her body fought the compulsion to do as Hisato commanded. She froze in place.
Unfortunately, while Suzume was immobilized, the soldiers had regrouped and were attacking Souta and Ryuu. Ryuu drew his sword and was fighting off three at a time, trying to shield Souta who was still singing and keeping Suzume immobilized. One of them got past him, however, and attacked Souta, breaking his song and with it Suzume's war.
Hisato regained control of her body, to the point where she felt as if she were floating outside it entirely. Kill him. Now.
She leaped forward, her body moving with skill she did not have, heading straight for Ryuu and Souta. As she attempted to attack Souta and stop his song for good, Ryuu blocked her, stopping her staff's strike from hitting him with his blade.
The blade pulsed with yokai energy, and while she was disconnected, she still felt the call of it from both Souta and Ryuu.
"Fight it Suzume. I know you can," Ryuu shouted.
Without warning, Souta's energy slammed into her chest. Not an attack, but him sharing his power with her in the same way she had done with Hikaru in the past. It knocked her backward and she lay sprawled on the ground, clutching her head which felt ready to burst apart. She wasn't sure who was in control anymore—her, Hisato, Kazue. There were a thousand voices chattering away inside her head, all of them overlapping into an unrecognizable hum. But slowly, coming through the noise was a song, one she'd never heard before and yet seemed so familiar. It filled her with that same aching feeling that she couldn't explain.
Suzume blinked and stared up at the blue sky. The only sound was Souta's song. It was the song she'd heard through all the other noise. The notes died away, until the only sound that remained was the rustle of wind through the trees. Suzume held up her hand, once more in her control.
"I've pushed him out, for now," Souta said as he knelt down beside her, offering her a hand. "But it is not a permanent fix. He's not going to give up easily."
She took his hand and stood, gazing at the unconscious soldiers who surrounded them. "How did you know?"
"I knew he was plotting something, but I never thought the darkness would have this kind of power. Had I known, I would have sealed you sooner. He's getting stronger."
She shook her head. "It's my fault. I took his power inside me and it bound us together."
The old man patted her head. "The darkness is inside all of us. We cannot be separated from it. All he's done is manipulate the doubt in your heart to his own ends. You can fight it."
"I don't think I'm strong enough."
"You are." Ryuu spoke for the first time. He handed her the stones in which she had sealed Tsuki, Akira, and Noaki.
Suzume's hand closed like a fist around them. "All I've ever done is hurt those around me. I can't control this power. I wasn't meant for it."
"You're right," Ryuu said.
His brutal honesty stung, but at the same time, he was the first person to ever say that to her.
Ryuu grabbed her by both shoulders. She met his blue eyes, which reminded her so much of Kaito that she had to look away. "It's true that the power was not originally intended for you. But despite it all you're still fighting to save your friends. If you're anything, Suzume, it's a fighter."
"Maybe before, but what's the use? I can't get it right. I'm better off living with Kazue sealed."
"Right now you have a choice. I will take you away from here, hide you from Hisato. Or..."
"Or?" Suzume asked.
"You fight."
She looked at the stones in her hand. All she had been doing was running away and it hadn't fixed anything. If anything, it had made things worse. Maybe Ryuu could hide her away for a while, but Hisato would find her in the end. But she realized it wasn't the offer he was making that made the difference. She'd chosen to fight before because she felt like it had been her destiny. He was giving her the option. She could walk away now, no questions asked.
"I need time to think," she said.
"We have until sunset," Ryuu said, pointing to the sky which had just reached its peak.
There wasn't much time to decide on her fate. Noaki, Akira, and Tsuki were freed from the seal by Souta and Ryuu and after explaining the situation, they were surprisingly forgiving. With Souta's seal Suzume was cut off from her power, but it also kept Hisato from controlling her. It could always be like this. She could go back to the way things were.
But walking away meant putting everyone she'd come to care for in danger. And for the first ti
me, she couldn't just think of what was best for her, but those she loved as well. Her father who'd fall prey to her mother's plot, her brother caught up in her ambition, and Kaito who would fight a war because of her.
"I've made my decision," Suzume said.
"I'm ready to fight. I want to end this for good."
46
They journeyed to Osaka, where they were reunited with Rin and Hikaru. There wasn't much time to explain, but Suzume had a plan. The sun was starting to sink on the horizon and Suzume saw Hisato's army approaching. She watched from the far shore. The only relief was Kaito had not come to rescue her. It hurt to think he had given up on her, but in the end it was for the best. She didn't want to put him at risk. Even with Souta's seal, she felt Hisato nearby. He knew that she had found a way around his orders, and he would be coming for her soon. But she planned on going to him first.
Hisato's army lined up along the shore, preparing for their attack. She had to get to Hisato before the yokai were drawn into the battle. As they drew onto the shore, there was a brief moment of silence. The thunder of the ocean rolling echoed the hammering of her heart.
"Are we ready?" Hikaru asked her as he came to stand beside her.
Suzume nodded. Souta and Hikaru had both unleashed their power and it prickled against her skin, making her sick with wanting. The seal Souta had put on her soul pressed against the inside of her chest, making it difficult to breathe. When he'd cut off Hisato, he'd also divorced Suzume from her powers. Part of their plan meant she'd have to rush in relying on her friends’ protection until they got close enough. They couldn't risk Hisato taking control of her again. With Souta and Hikaru's support she could fight it by awakening Kazue.
Suzume took a deep breath.
"Let's go."
They slipped down the shore, using the long shadows cast by the forest and the trees to hide them. Hisato would not be near the frontlines but hidden away from the fighting, and that's where she had to go. They were almost upon the army when a high shriek and a roar filled the air.
The group turned to see hundreds of yokai pouring out of the ocean, bursting up from the floor of the sea. The warriors shot arrows at them. The first line of yokai fell, just as many humans were torn apart by yokai claws.
"No!" Suzume shouted.
The combination of yokai energy and spiritual energy was almost overpowering. Suzume’s stomach churned as she felt Kazue push against the confines of Souta's seal. Their plan would be ruined. With the yokai attacking they were all in danger. Hisato would use them to create more of those hybrid monsters.
She motioned to go join the fighting to try and stop it, but Ryuu grabbed her arm, stopping her. "The only way we're going to stop the fighting is by destroying Hisato."
He was right of course, but it made her sick to think of all the innocents who would die. They resumed their quest, heading toward Hisato. But as the battle raged on, the seal continued to flake away, like old paint.
A group of yokai found them, stopping them in their tracks. They gnashed their dagger-like teeth together trying to intimidate them. Kazue, sensing Suzume in danger, sent sparks flying from Suzume's fingertips.
"I'll handle them. Get her out of here!" Ryuu shouted.
This left Suzume and the others to continue onward without him. And the further into the battle they went, the more dangerous it became. They were attacked by one of Hisato's hybrid monsters, a fierce beast that wore torn clothes and had green, scaly skin and a human face.
"Keep going," Tsuki said, smiling with glee. "Me and my father will take care of this brute."
They lured the monster away, leaving Suzume, Hikaru, and Souta on their own. Everywhere was chaos. They had to fight their way through yokai and soldiers and with each successive battle, they were pulled further apart.
As they moved together, fighting their way through the crowd, one of the monsters leaped in front of Suzume. It had the height of an oni and one single bloodshot eye bulging in its socket, but the arm on one side was underdeveloped. As she approached it, she used her staff to hit its underdeveloped arm. Souta and Hikaru were on the other side, fighting their own battles.
She reeled backward, trying to escape. As she turned to run away, another monster cornered her. This one was of average size and height, but when he grinned a snake-like tongue came out. He exuded immense energy, and when he sang it froze her in place. Suzume wriggled against his control to no avail.
There was no one to help her. She would either have to use Kazue's power now or die before she had the chance. As she reached down to break the already weakened seal, one of the monsters gave a pained grunt before slumping over. She spun her head toward the creature that had frozen her in place to find it was glaring at Kaito. Joy and terror warred within her. The last person she wanted to find on this battlefield was him.
Kaito took out the snake-hybrid with ease before coming toward her. She stepped back and away from him. Even now she felt Hisato's orders burning at the back of her mind.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, backing away from him.
"I think you should be saying, ‘thank you.’"
It was as if nothing had happened between them. It was just like old times.
"Thanks." She shook her head.
"Don't mention it." He grinned.
There wasn't time for much else, because another monster attacked. Kaito handled it and she returned to her search for Hisato. She spotted Souta across the battlefield, his wind knocking aside the warriors, while in another direction Hikaru was using his vines to capture more of the soldiers. They were all slowly making their way toward the front. She had to get away from Kaito. After the battle there would be more time to explain. Even being near him was making the seal fall apart piece by piece, but Hisato hadn't taken control of her again. Not yet.
Then she spotted Hisato a few feet away, his arms raised as he threw his head back in laughter, delighting in the carnage. Where yokai fell he sang, and they and the humans near them rose up as grotesque monsters. She had to stop him. She started to make her way toward him when an icy projectile nearly cut off her arm. She leaped back and away, and looked up to see who had shot her. At first she thought it was Kaito who had shot at her, but he was busy fighting three hybrids, so whoever had shot her was another dragon, likely thinking she was the enemy.
She swerved away from the line of fire, taking cover beneath the trees, hoping he'd go for easier targets. But even as she moved out of sight, the dragon seemed intent on targeting her. When she could not be attacked from the sky, the dragon came down to her. She ran as fast as she could, using the forest as cover.
Fear and the surrounding energy made the impulse to lose herself to Kazue that much stronger. She had to resist if she was going to defeat Hisato. She used the tools Souta had given her to try and visualize her power, tame and control it. But then the dragon came crashing down in front of her. He resumed a more human form with bright colored hair and a dangerous look in his eyes.
"I'm not your enemy. I'm fighting on the same side as you," she said, holding up her hands in surrender.
He circled her like a predator. "You're no ally of mine. You're the priestess who killed Kenta."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He moved closer to her, and the fire was just beneath the surface. The seal would soon be broken entirely. But if she didn't protect herself she'd die.
"Do you think I'm going to believe that? You're going to pay for your crimes."
He launched himself toward her, claws extended. She used her staff to defend herself, blocking his attack and swinging it upward to strike him hard in the gut. It didn't slow him down much but it gave her a chance to run. He was much faster than her and he blocked off her escape before she could get very far.
"It's over," he said as he drew a blade.
She swung wildly, trying to buy herself more time, but he knocked her staff from her hand. Suzume backed away, her shoulder blades colliding with a nearby tree
. He stalked toward her and pressed his blade to her chest, just over her heart. There was no other choice. She reached for the flame deep within her, preparing to break the seal. But before she could take hold of the power, the blade was knocked away and Kaito collided with the other dragon.
The pair of them rolled around on the ground together, clawing, punching, and wrestling to get on top.
Suzume rushed over to help, but was almost kicked for her trouble. She stood by helplessly as they fought.
Blood trickled down the dragon's chin, and he bared his teeth at Kaito who'd managed to get on top. "Are you going to choose a human over your own kind? She killed one of ours!"
"It's not your place to pass judgment," Kaito said.
"You've gone soft. You can save her now, but you cannot protect her forever. I will have my revenge."
"It doesn't have to be this way."
The other dragon headbutted Kaito, knocking him aside. Kaito rolled over as the dragon launched himself at her. She held up her staff in an attempt to defend herself, but before he could strike her, he slowed and stumbled. Blood came to his lips, and he slowly turned around, revealing the bleeding wound on his back.
"So that is your choice?"
The other dragon slumped over onto the ground. His knees buckled at a weird angle and one of his arms got pinned under his body, while the other one was splayed, reaching out for Kaito.
Kaito stood over him, his hair tangled around his shoulders and his hand curled into a claw. It was drenched in blood and the gore dripped onto the ground beside him. She didn't know what to do or say. She'd seen him kill before. She knew he was capable. But there was a haunted look in his eyes that she could not tear herself away from.
Suzume walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned to her and the pain in his gaze was more than she'd ever seen from him before. Kaito collapsed to his knees, burying his face into her stomach, his hands bunching into the fabric on her back. For a moment she did not know what to do and held her hands up in the air.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 105