"Don't let her draw you in, Imari," Suanni said. "Even without her pearls, she can draw on the weaknesses of your mind."
"Weakness." Kyuubi chuckled. "You're one to talk about weakness, Suanni. You can't even touch me. After all, I'm only a poor, defenseless little fox, aren't I?"
For the first time, she could remember, Kaede saw a flicker of anger cross Suanni's face. "I might not be able to touch you, but they can. And I can stop the shogun from marching down the mountain."
"Better hurry, little dragon," Kyuubi drawled. "Good luck turning around an entire army."
In a flash, Suanni had vanished back through the double doors, departing without another word. Kaede barely had time to register that they were gone.
"Oh, don't mind them," Kyuubi said. "I like it better this way—just the three of us, like it was back at Hongshan." She brought her clenched fist in front of her, not holding a weapon, but seeming to draw on the air around her. Blue threads of lightning danced at the tips of her fingers, hissing and sparking. "This little game has been amusing, but I think it's time to claim my victory. I have a war to start, empires to destroy. You understand, don't you?"
"People and yokai are dead because of your game," Imari snarled. She held her sword in front of her, pointing the tip at Kyuubi.
Kyuubi laughed. "I didn't kill anyone. People are dead because you slaughtered them. It's a pity history will remember you this way after I kill you, isn't it? The Butcher of Yukimura. Your father would be so proud."
With a shout of rage, Imari threw herself at the fox. Wujian struck like a bolt from the heavens, but before she could connect, Kyuubi unleashed the lightning at her fingertips. Kaede rushed toward them, but there was nothing she could do. The blue sparks collided with Imari's sword, shooting down the blade.
To Kaede's relief, the hilt swallowed them. The lightning vanished without so much as a puff of smoke. Imari stopped and stared in similar amazement, but Kyuubi didn't seem concerned. "Not a bad sword," she drawled, blowing the smoke from her fingertips. "It's one of Wen Ling's better models, I suppose. Too bad your flesh isn't lightning-proof as well."
"She's just toying with us," Kaede said, stopping short at Imari's side. She turned to the fox, drawing Mizu-no-Hamon back in a defensive stance. "Don't let her get to you."
"Me? Toy with someone?" Kyuubi shook her head in mock amazement, her nine tails swishing tauntingly behind her. "I would never. But I can see why you would think that. You've always been a liar, haven't you, Kaede? You're lying even now, pretending like you're going to jump in front of Imari and save her the next time I strike. But you're too much of a coward. When I kill Imari, it's going to be all your fault."
Kaede didn't respond to the taunts. Instead, she caught Imari's eye, and the two of them dove in together, moving as one. More lightning gathered in Kyuubi’s hand, shooting toward them in a blazing column of blue. Kaede ducked left, and through the flash, she caught sight of Imari diving right. They charged from both sides, closing in on the platform.
Kaede swept for Kyuubi's shoulder, but she wasn't quick enough. The fox was gone, moving so fast Kaede could barely keep track of her. She reappeared a few yards away, her own katana bared and pulsing with blue fire. "Meet Rakurai," she laughed, her eyes gleaming almost as bright as her blade.
"Lightning strike?" Imari snorted. "How original."
"It's not the name that matters," Kyuubi said in a singsong voice. "It's the body count attached. But you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?" She launched herself into the air, her sword sparkling over her head.
Kaede leapt to meet her. They clashed above the platform, swords screaming. Kaede could feel the sparks from Kyuubi's blade wash over her forearms, but she ignored the blistering heat. She tightened her grip on Mizu-no-Hamon and pushed with all her strength. Kyuubi's katana slipped off to the side, and the two of them landed back on the ground less than a meter apart.
Kyuubi struck again, but this time, Imari blocked it. She twirled, braid whipping around her head, and struck at Kyuubi's face with the tassels on the hilt of her jian. For a moment, Kyuubi was stunned, and Kaede seized the opportunity. She brought her katana down, aiming for middle of the closest tail.
Her sword sliced straight through it. Kyuubi screamed, jumping out of the way, but it was too late. The white, brushy tip of the fox's first tail fell limp to the ground. There was no blood, and after a moment, it vanished completely, dissolving into the stone.
"All right," Kyuubi snarled, truly angry for the first time. Her eyes gleamed wickedly and her lips peeled back to show sharpened teeth. "Playtime is over. It will take me another hundred years to grow that back!"
"You're assuming you'll live that long," Imari said.
Kyuubi shifted the handle of her sword to one hand, gathering another ball of blue lightning in the other, but a sound from the other end of the hall startled all three of them. The door burst open, and Rin and Kaze barreled into the room, with Hayate, Takeshi, Kenta, and Gin hot on their heels. Two dangerous growls rumbled through the room.
"Ah, I see the cavalry's arrived," Kyuubi said with a sarcastic toss of her head. Her remaining eight tails swished angrily along the ground, like a cat's just before it pounced. "All the better. You two lovebirds can watch all your friends die before I kill you."
"Hey, I'm not one of their friends," Gin said, taking a step back. She took in the scorched stones of the floor and the glowing lightning in Kyuubi's hand. "I'm the hired help, and—Sun and Moon, is that lightning? Nobody told me the fox had lightning!"
"Nobody told us either," Kenta said. "Come on, be brave. There's a war on the line here!"
"Oh, fine," Gin huffed. "But if the rest of you rush in and die, I'm out of here."
"Enough!" Kyuubi yelled, raising her sword over her head with both hands. "At this point, all of you are just a nuisance." She brought it sweeping down in a straight line, and a wall of blue fire shot out with it, heading straight for the ragtag group in the doorway.
Takeshi and Gin dove one way, Hayate and Kenta the other, but Rin and Kaze didn't flinch. They leapt straight over the flames, running for Kyuubi. The three of them crashed together, fox and wolves, sword and fangs. Kaede’s heart lurched with fear. She circled around them, trying to find an opening, but they were locked together. She could barely see what was happening through the blur of white, black, and orange.
At last, the fray erupted with a brilliant surge of blue and an ear-splitting howl. Kaze stumbled back, bleeding from several crimson slices along his pelt, and Rin staggered the other way, the edges of her fur singed black. But as Kaze panted and heaved in pain, Kaede saw that he was holding something orange and white in his mouth. Another of Kyuubi's tails and it vanished from his dripping jaws just as the first had.
With fresh courage, everyone else charged. Gin and Takeshi went low, while Hayate and Kenta went high. Kyuubi struggled to fend them all off together. She twisted and swiveled to avoid each blade that sailed her way, always remaining out of reach.
Kaede ran back in as well with Imari at her side. She swept for Kyuubi's back, hoping to catch another of the seven tails whisking through the air, but they waved tauntingly out of the way. "Circle her!" she heard Imari call out. "At least one of us will get a chance."
Hearing this, Kyuubi broke free of the brawl, summoning more lightning. Kaede prepared to dodge, but the fox never aimed it at her. Instead, there was a thunderous boom, the nearby wall blasted open in a shower of stone and dust. Kaede shielded her eyes with her hand to avoid the spray.
When the dust settled, Kyuubi was already disappearing over the rubble. Kaede ran after her, tapping into her ki and sprinting as fast as she could. She ran as the wolf runs, eyes locked onto her prey, never flagging despite the cold stabs of ice in her lungs as she burst out into the snowy courtyard. As Kyuubi scaled the wall surrounding the castle, she did as well, running up and over without a second thought. She sailed down with outstretched arms, landing mere moments after Kyuubi did.
"You're fast," Kyuubi said, whirling on her again, "but not fast enough."
They circled each other, swords darting out. When Kaede struck, Kyuubi slid sideways at the last moment. When Kyuubi lashed out at her with another channeled bolt of lightning, Kaede sidestepped. It hurtled past her, blasting into one of the garden doors.
The flare illuminated another figure jumping down from atop the wall. Hayate had followed her over, and he landed, heading straight for Kyuubi with his sword outstretched. Kaede's heart swelled with pride. Finally, she and her cousin were fighting on the same side. Together, the two of them forced Kyuubi back, trading off blows. While Kaede kept Kyuubi's attention on her, meeting Rakurai strike for strike, Hayate danced around behind her. He brought his sword down, and once more, Kyuubi yowled in anger and pain. A third tail fluttered to the ground, bright orange against the pale white snow.
Kyuubi responded with rage. She whirled around and struck at Hayate. Her blade connected with his arm and sent him staggering backward. Hayate’s shrill scream chilled her bones and the smell of burning flesh hit Kaede's nose. She pushed through her fear, hurrying to help him.
There wasn't much she could do. Hayate had fallen to his knees, clutching at his shoulder as blood poured out from between his fingers. "Go," he hissed through gritted teeth, his breath exhaling like steam. "I'll come after you."
"No," Kaede protested, but there wasn't time. Kyuubi was vanishing into the night. The rest of her friends came running through the door Kyuubi's lightning strike had burned. Kaze was with them, although he was limping rather badly. Blood dotted the snow in a trail behind him as he stumbled.
"Hayate!" he barked, picking up his pace, but he almost stumbled with the effort. Rin tucked her head beneath his, helping him stay steady until he reached them. He collapsed against Hayate's chest, flicking his pink tongue out to caress his friend's wounded shoulder.
"Leave us," Hayate said again. "We'll look out for each other. You've only got six more tails to go."
"Good," Rin growled. "One left for each of us." Satisfied that her brother was safe for the moment, she lifted her nose to the nighttime wind. It blew fiercely, stinging Kaede's cheeks and spraying her face with cold flecks of snow from the ground. "She went this way," Rin said, "behind the castle."
"But there's nothing that way," Kenta said. He didn't look happy about the idea of leaving Hayate, and his lower lip trembled. "No road, and no more buildings. It's an empty cliff. I saw it when Suanni was flying us in."
"That's where she's headed," Rin insisted. "Let's go."
With one last apologetic look at Hayate and Kaze, Kaede headed in the direction Rin had indicated. There was a faint set of footprints in the snow, although they were rapidly disappearing. She followed them through the dark, stumbling over jagged rocks until she heard Rin let out a howl. There in front of them, she could just see the tips of Kyuubi's remaining six tails disappearing around the distant edge of the wall.
She picked up her pace, skirting around the corner in time to see Kyuubi heading toward the cliff. With a final burst of speed, she planted herself squarely in the fox's path. Kyuubi split the air with Rakurai, but Kaede had Mizu-no-Hamon ready. They danced through their forms, spinning to avoid each other's swords.
"Do you want to know how much your deception hurt Imari? With her heart broken, it was so easy enter her mind." Suddenly, Kyuubi squalled in surprise and agony, hopping through the snow almost comically.
Kaede looked behind the fox in surprise, expecting to see Imari, but instead it was Gin who met her gaze. She waved the tail she had lopped off teasingly through the air, giving Kyuubi her most impudent grin. "Caught you monologuing. You've got no one but yourself to blame for this one."
"You rotten thief!" With a growl, Kyuubi rounded on Gin, her sword a dazzling streak of blue against the night sky. Gin managed to deflect her first few blows, but she couldn't keep up. The next time they clashed, Kyuubi's blade glided past hers, slicing along her side. Gin groaned, swaying dangerously, but Kyuubi didn't have time to follow up on the wounding strike. Takeshi’s blade blocked Kyuubi's, and Gin could scramble away on her hands and knees, bleeding through her kimono.
With a roar, Kyuubi engaged Takeshi, only to find he wasn't alone. Imari and Kenta were there too, meeting her at every turn. Kaede hurried to join them, and together, the four of them backed Kyuubi further and further toward the cliff. Several times, the fox attempted to dart past one of them, but they closed ranks, refusing to let her through.
"What about you?" she said, sneering at Kenta. He stood closest to her, with two steaming craters on either side of him where Kyuubi's lightning had melted the snow. "Do you want this to be your big, shining moment? Do you think it will make your friends finally respect you? Do you think they'll laugh with you as you tell the tale instead of at you for a change?"
For once, Kenta wasn't smiling. Kyuubi's glowing blue sword brought out the shadows in his face, making his round face look more angular. "There's only one tail I'm interested in." He charged, but instead of meeting Kyuubi head on as she expected, he feinted, weaving to the left. His sword came down, severing Kyuubi's fifth tail.
In doing so, he opened himself up. Kyuubi sent him flying with a spinning kick. He sailed backwards, colliding with one of the large boulders near the edge of the cliff.
Kaede felt the jolt herself. "Kenta!" she yelled, only to realize someone else was shouting his name too. Takeshi had turned with her, and the wide eyes read fear.
Kenta didn't move, slumped at the base of the rock.
Takeshi started toward him, and Kyuubi took the opening. She struck at Takeshi's exposed back, and only Imari's swiftness managed to save his life. She inserted herself between them, sending Kyuubi's blade off-target with a block from her kote. She brought her jian in from the other side, striking at the side of Kyuubi's leg, but it didn't land. Kyuubi jumped backwards, and Kaede took over, dodging another flash of lightning and meeting the fox's crackling katana with her own.
"That's four of your friends gone," Kyuubi said.
"And five of your tails," Imari shot back, charging in again. "Who's winning?"
"Wonderful. You can count." Kyuubi's upper lip peeled back. "Since we're discussing missing body parts, how's that hand of yours holding up?" She aimed her next strike at Imari's left elbow.
Once more, Imari swept Kyuubi's sword aside. "One hand is more than enough to beat you."
"Then why do you make him fight for you?" Kyuubi aimed another lightning strike at Takeshi, and he barely ducked in time. "You're cruel, letting him follow you around like a loyal dog, using his feelings for you to get what you want. You're as manipulative as I am."
"That's a lie," Takeshi shouted. He rushed back in, flashing through his forms, forcing Kyuubi to retreat.
"Well, she did leave you for the first lying coward that came into her life after she cast you aside. Good luck finding anyone else to care for you."
Takeshi’s response was a swift, perfectly executed spiral that took him around to Kyuubi's other side. When he emerged, the fox's sixth tail went fluttering away.
"Then enjoy dying alone," Kyuubi shrieked, striking at Takeshi. Kaede tried to get between them, but she couldn't move fast enough. Takeshi cried out, collapsing into the snow.
While Imari hurried to help him, Kaede launched herself at Kyuubi again. She grunted, lashing at Kyuubi with a backhanded strike, putting all her strength behind the blow. Her anger made her sloppy. The edge of Kyuubi's katana sank into the side of her arm, slicing through her skin. It was a shallow cut, but it burned like cold fire and brought tears to her eyes. Her grip on her sword loosened, and by the time she caught herself, Kyuubi was already holding another bright ball of lightning.
She braced herself, waiting for the pain, but it never came. Instead of blue, she saw white as Rin dashed in front of her. The lightning hit Rin, and Kaede screamed as the wolf's body jolted and shook with the impact. When Rin fell, it was on top of Kyuubi, still biting and clawing
even as her muscles spasmed and blue fire raced along her fur.
There was a scream, and then Kyuubi squirmed out from under Rin's bulky frame, dashing away and leaving the wolf limp on the ground. The snow hissed, still dancing with sparks, and when Kaede crouched down, she saw Rin's eyes were closed. Tiny little puffs of silver air trailed from her black nose. But she had Kyuubi’s seventh tail trapped within her teeth, pulled out by the root.
Tears welled in Kaede's eyes. She stroked Rin's head, waiting for her friend's eyes to open, but they didn't. The only thing that kept her from sinking into despair was the subtle rise and fall of Rin's side.
"Rin," she whispered, sniffing back the river that ran from her eyes and nose. "Please, wake up."
A firm hand grasped her shoulder, and she looked up to see Imari standing over her. "Takeshi's alive and Kenta's unconscious. What about Rin?"
Kaede couldn't answer. She wasn't sure what would happen, and she didn't want to leave Rin. But Imari was pulling her up by the elbow, forcing her to stand, and she didn't have the strength to protest. "We have to go, Kaede. Kyuubi's getting away."
Even though she knew Imari was right, she hesitated. All their friends were injured or worse. But what would they want you to do? She stared down at Rin, who was laying deathly still. What would Rin want you to do?
She squared her shoulders and stood apart from Imari, finding her own footing without support. "Let's finish this." She swallowed hard. "I don't want it to be for nothing."
Imari nodded. They ran off into the night, following Kyuubi's tracks through the softly falling snow. It didn't take them long to catch sight of her. Kaede felt as though it had taken her an eternity to leave Rin's side, but it had been a few moments. Kyuubi had only gotten as far as the other side of the cliff. As Kaede watched, she came to a stop, searching for something within the folds of her kimono. When she withdrew her hand, she was clutching a milky white pearl.
"Look who's the coward now," Kaede shouted, full of rage. "You're the one running away!"
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