Night of the Dragon

by Julie Kagawa

  “They’re demons, Okame-san,” the shrine maiden snapped, yanking an ofuda from her sleeve. “Some of them can fly.”

  The smoke billowed around us like a black curtain, and as the light dimmed, something flew toward me through the cloud—a spinning wheel wreathed in flame. I twisted aside to avoid it and saw a face, grinning madly as it passed me, in the very center of the spokes.

  “Wanyudo!” cried Reika, just as another flaming wheel came at Yumeko from behind. I lunged forward, managing to push her out of the way, and felt the burning edge of the wheel strike me in the ribs, sending me crashing into a pile of crates. Grimacing, I shoved my way free to find two wanyudo—demons with human faces trapped in the hub of a burning wheel—circling us like grinning sharks. One of them held a dismembered arm in its jaws, and it crunched down and swallowed the limb even as I watched.

  “Tatsumi!” Yumeko rushed to my side. Her eyes flickered yellow in the dancing flames and smoke. “Are you all right?”

  “Get back, Yumeko,” I growled, raising my sword. Wanyudo were not minor demons. They were creatures of pure rage, hate, madness and pain, and were extremely nasty. A few feet away, Chu erupted into his real form with a howl, and Reika flung her ofuda at a circling demon, but the flaming wheel pulsed with a gout of fire, and the paper strip dissolved to cinders on the wind.

  With a maniacal laugh, one wanyudo rose higher, the heat from the hellish flames washing over us. The ronin raised his bow and sent an arrow streaking at its face, but the demon spun like a top, knocking the dart aside, and lunged at him with a shriek. I didn’t have time to respond as the second tilted on its side and flew at me like an enormous shuriken. I stepped forward and slashed at the demon, but Kamigoroshi was knocked aside by the velocity of the wheel’s edge, and the wanyudo slammed into me like a battering ram. Pain erupted through my ribs as I was hurled back again, tumbling to the ground with the stench of blood and burned flesh in my nostrils.

  Kuso! Rage flickered, and I dug my fingers into the dirt to control the surge of bloodlust, feeling claws extend and slice through the hard-packed ground like paper. I could not lose control now. Raising my head, I saw Chu lunge at a demon with a roar, saw the wanyudo veer out of the way, spin around and slam into the komainu’s side. The shrine guardian let out a yelp as it tumbled away while the Taiyo noble drew his sword and sliced at the second demon swooping in. Like Kamigoroshi, his blade clanged off the spinning wood, and the demon slammed into the noble, knocking him into the side of a building. The Taiyo crumpled to the ground, the edge of his sleeve on fire, as both demons swooped around and flew toward him with gaping mouths and twin howls of triumph.

  I pushed myself upright, knowing I would never get there in time, but with a roar, a wall of blue-white fire erupted from the ground in front of the noble. It flared in the darkness, almost blinding in its suddenness, and the wanyudo veered away with snarls of alarm.

  Yumeko and Reika stood in the center of the chaos, the shrine maiden beside the kitsune, their hair and sleeves whipping about in the wind. Yumeko’s eyes were narrowed, her jaw set in anger and determination as she held out a hand wreathed in foxfire. Reika held up an ofuda, the strip of paper beginning to glow with power.

  “Everyone cover your eyes!” the shrine maiden called, as with enraged howls, both wanyudo shot toward the two women, gaping jaws showing jagged teeth. Yumeko and Reika didn’t move, but as the demons came in, a circle of foxfire flared around them, lighting up the darkness once more. The wanyudo flinched but didn’t stop, careening through the flames to slam into the kitsune and miko in the center—

  Only to have them disappear in a puff of smoke. As they winked from existence, I caught a split-second glance of the ofuda, still glowing with power as the demons came in, and quickly turned away as the talisman exploded in a brilliant flare of holy magic. I felt the light even through my closed eyelids, heard the stunned shrieks of the demons and hoped that the rest of my companions had heeded the miko’s warning.

  “Now, everyone!” Yumeko’s voice echoed from somewhere I couldn’t see. I looked back as Chu lunged through the shadows and slammed his clawed forepaws into a dazed wanyudo, crushing it to the earth, while Reika’s voice rose above the cacophony. “Aim for the center!”

  The wanyudo in the air howled. I glanced over and met the eyes of Taiyo Daisuke, on his feet with his sword in hand. He nodded, and we flew at the demon as one, slashing our blades through the snarling face and out the other side. It screamed, a piercing wail of rage and hate, before the burning wheel split in two and vanished into tendrils of smoke. I whirled to see Okame leap onto the komainu’s broad shoulders, raise his bow and send an arrow directly between the eyes of the second demon. It shrieked and disappeared, curling into black smoke and flames that drifted away on the wind.

  Panting, I lowered my sword, gazing around for Yumeko. She appeared from the shadows of a building, stepping into the light with Reika beside her. Relieved, I nodded at her, and she gave me a fierce smile, the remnants of fox magic still flickering between her fingers.

  “Is everyone all right?” the miko asked as Chu impatiently shook the ronin off and trotted back to her. I glanced at the noble, trying to judge his injuries. One sleeve was charred, and he was standing a bit more stiffly than normal, but he didn’t seem seriously hurt. Unless something was broken on the inside. I could feel my own ribs twinge, protesting if I moved too quickly. It would be annoying, but it would not slow me down that much.

  The ronin muttered a curse as he got to his feet. “A little worse for wear, but I think we’re fine,” he gruffed. “Though, if this is the scouting party, I’d hate to see the main force.”

  The noble stepped forward with a decisive nod. “We must get to the gates as quickly as we can,” he said, and I did notice a flash of pain that he did his best to hide. “The people here will not stand a chance if more demons like this break through.”

  We hurried on through the smoking city, now eerily empty of people. Briefly, I wondered where Genno was at this very moment, how close he was to the Summoning site, and how we were doing exactly what he wanted right now. Which was defending a city from demons and not going after the man responsible.

  But leaving an entire people to be slaughtered was not an option, either.

  “Tatsumi,” Yumeko said in a breathless voice, and pointed a finger toward the sky. “Look!”

  I followed her gesture above the trees and the rooftops interspersed between them, past the city walls, to the statue of the Great Dragon towering far overhead.

  A figure stood on the Dragon’s skull, tiny and indistinct, though I could just make out the billow of sleeves and a faint crimson glow surrounding it. On a hunch, I looked at the statue across from it, the majestic Phoenix with outstretched wings, and saw a second figure atop that statue, as well. The line of trees and buildings blocked my view of the other two, but I didn’t need to look at them—the mighty Tiger and sacred Kirin—to guess that they, too, would be occupied.

  “Blood magic,” the shrine maiden said darkly. “Genno must be performing some sort of ritual.”

  “Targeting the entire city?” Yumeko asked, sounding horrified. “He can’t do that, can he? Do you think Kiyomi-sama is in danger?”

  “We don’t know what he’s doing,” I told her. “But we can’t get up there now. The eastern gate is just ahead.”

  As if in answer, a thunderous boom echoed over the rooftops, shaking the tree branches. Another followed, making the air vibrate with the distinct, chilling sound of something big and heavy smashing against wood. We rounded the corner of a building and reached the main road, and the eastern gate loomed tall and elegant before us. The heavy wooden doors were barred from the inside, but they looked dangerously cracked and weakened. Samurai stood atop the walls, firing arrows and hurling spears down on whatever clustered below, and bodies of both human and yokai were scattered over the ground and along the parapets
. Beyond the gate, the shriek and howl of a massive army was deafening.

  And then, I saw an enormous tetsubo—a giant, iron studded club—rise into the air beyond the gate, and I realized what kind of demon was assaulting the wall.

  “Everyone get back!” I roared, knowing it was too late. “The gate won’t hold—”

  With a splintering crash that shook the ground, the gates flew inward. Samurai were flung away, shredded and torn apart with the explosion or knocked into trees or buildings with sickening cracks, as something massive appeared in the destroyed frame. Bigger than Yaburama, his skin was the blue of a drowned infant, and a tangled black mane fell down his back and shoulders. Four huge tusks curled from his jaws, glowing horns crowned his forehead, and his eyes burned with malevolent fire as they peered down at us. He held two giant tetsubo, one in each of his clawed hands, and he dragged the spiked clubs through the earth as he lumbered forward, raking deep gouges behind him. Our gazes met, and a slow smile spread across his brutish face. He recognized me. I knew him, as well.

  Akumu, Nightmare of Jigoku, the third oni general of O-Hakumon himself.

  Behind Akumu, the flood of demons, yokai and tainted kami let out deafening roars of bloodlust and surged into the city.

  17

  Protecting the Daimyo

  Yumeko

  I stared at the massive oni in fear and horror. It was huge, about twenty feet tall, with fiery obsidian horns, a tangled black mane and an enormous spiked club held in each of its claws. With the exception of Hakaimono in his true form, it was the biggest demon I’d ever seen. Worse, behind him came Genno’s army, swarming through the splintered gates and setting upon the warriors who had been defending it. They would wreak havoc throughout the city, and a lot of people were going to die, but that oni was the biggest problem now.

  The oni stepped through the gates, ignoring the smaller demons and yokai that swarmed around its feet, and casually smashed its club into a group of archers firing at it from atop the wall. Its cruel red gaze fell on Tatsumi, standing in the center of the road, and its brutish mouth curved in a smile.

  “Hakaimono.” The oni’s voice made the air tremble, and another swipe of its club sent a pair of charging samurai flying into a wall. “So, the rumors are true. The great general has been reduced to sharing a body with a weakling mortal.”

  Tatsumi drew Kamigoroshi in a flash of purple light. “When did Genno summon you, Akumu?” The words sent chills up my back; it was Tatsumi’s voice, low and controlled, but it was also Hakaimono’s, an eager bloodlust pulsing just below the surface. “Yaburama I could understand—of the four of us, he was the weakest and stupidest. What did Genno promise to get you to help him and not laugh in his arrogant mortal face the second you arrived in Ningen-kai?”

  The huge oni, Akumu, snorted. “I follow Lord O-Hakumon’s commands,” he stated. “The mortal is a tool to carry out the ruler of Jigoku’s will. Lord O-Hakumon agreed to allow Genno’s soul to return to Ningen-kai, if the blood mage would do him a service in return.”

  “What?” Tatsumi actually took a step back, sounding stunned and furious. “The Lord of Jigoku knows better than to bargain with the souls of the damned,” he snarled. “He knows the consequences could unravel the stability of all the realms, from Jigoku to Ningen-kai to Meido. What kind of game is O-Hakumon playing?”

  Akumu chuckled. “You would know, if you hadn’t been stuck in Kamigoroshi all these centuries, Hakaimono. The Lord of Jigoku is eternally patient, but even he could not wait for you any longer.” He bared his fangs in a sneer and raised his twin clubs. “Perhaps when you die with the rest of these mortals, your soul will be reborn in Jigoku this time and not sucked back into Kamigoroshi. Then you can ask O-Hakumon what you’ve been missing.”

  He lifted a club skyward, raised his head and let out a roar that shook the ground and made the air shiver. “Demons!” he boomed. “Yokai! Take the city! Tear it apart! Reach the heart of this sanctuary and leave no one alive.”

  “No!” I whispered, but my voice was lost in the howl of the army as they swarmed into the streets, scaling roofs and swooping overhead. The oni took two enormous strides forward, momentarily blocking out the sun, and brought one tetsubo sweeping down with a snarl.

  Tatsumi leaped back, the tetsubo crushing a massive hole in the center of the road. With his other arm, Akumu lashed out and swept the second club into a trio of samurai, smearing them across the stones.

  “Tatsumi!” I cried as the oni threw back his head with a triumphant bellow. “The army is heading for the palace!”

  He shot me a split-second glance, concern flashing in his eyes for just a moment. “Go!” he told me, sweeping his hand out. “All of you! Get to the palace, protect the daimyo and the people. I’ll deal with the oni.”

  “Tatsumi...” I wavered a moment, my heart twisting around my ribs before I made my decision. “I trust you,” I whispered, backing away, though the ache in my heart made it difficult to breathe. “Be careful.”

  He couldn’t have heard me, but his gaze flicked to mine all the same, solemn and grim, and he nodded. He’ll be all right, I told myself. No demon will ever beat him. I have to trust he’ll come back.

  “Reika!” I cried, whirling to find the shrine maiden. “Let’s go! We have to get to the palace before the demons do!”

  “Chu!” called the miko, and the komainu bounded to her side in a blur of red and gold. Reika threw herself onto his back and turned to me, holding out a hand. Heart pounding, I grabbed her arm, and she hauled me up behind her. The komainu’s coat was smooth, his mane silky and light, and he radiated heat, as if a fire pulsed just below muscles and fur.

  “Hang on!” Okame jogged forward and threw himself onto the shrine guardian’s back behind me. “I can’t do much against that big bastard,” he muttered as we stared back at him. “But I can pick off a whole lot of ankle-biters before they can reach the palace. Taiyo-san!” he called, and pointed a finger at the noble a few yards away. “It is not time for that glorious death, peacock,” he warned as, with a jolt, I realized Daisuke was staying to fight the oni lord with Tatsumi. “I can’t stop you,” the ronin went on, his voice shaking a little, “but you’re not allowed to die without me. Cut this thing down and then find me again. I expect one final drink before we meet on the other side.”

  Daisuke met Okame’s gaze and gave a solemn bow. Then with a sharp word from the miko, Chu sprang into the air, powerful muscles carrying him onto the roof of a building. With another leap, he soared over a burning fallen tree, landed on the roof beyond and bounded in the direction of the palace.

  Demons and yokai swarmed below us, a shrieking, chaotic mass. They skittered down the roads, setting things on fire, attacking any living creature they came across. I saw kami fleeing in terror from the approaching demons, kodama scurrying through the tree branches and leaping onto roofs, frantically trying to escape. My heart twisted as I saw a trio of amanjaku chasing a girl with fox ears and a tail through the streets, the light gleaming off their curved blades and spears as they drew closer.

  “Reika!” I cried as the ronin raised his bow and put an arrow through the skull of the nearest demon, sending it crashing to the road with a shriek. The remaining two glanced up with angry snarls and drew their spears back to hurl them at us.

  “Banish!” the miko cried, and flung an ofuda at the remaining amanjaku. The holy talisman streaked toward the demons and exploded in a flash of brilliant light, causing the amanjaku to scream and flinch away, before writhing into clouds of reddish-black smoke and fading on the wind.

  I looked up, but the kitsune girl was gone, vanished into the chaos and confusion. I hoped she was all right, that she possessed her own bit of fox trickery to keep her safe, but there was no time to look for her. Something swooped by us—the head of an old woman wreathed in flame, heading for the palace—and Chu lunged at it with a snarl. One clawed forepaw swat
ted the yokai from the air, causing it to crash headfirst into a stone wall and crumple lifelessly to the ground. With a triumphant snort, the komainu spun and bounded for the palace again.

  The fighting was thick as we approached the center of the city. Soldiers and samurai clashed with demons, bakemono and monstrous yokai, desperately trying to hold them back. Smaller fires had started, orange flames flickering across rooftops and catching trees alight. Winged demons and yokai swooped overhead, breathing fire or snatching warriors from the ground, and arrows and spears flew through the air, trying to bring them down. Chu bowled his way through a group of yokai in the road, crushing several or knocking them aside. Okame shot another pair charging at us, and Reika hurled an ofuda into the road with a cry of “Light!” In the brilliant flash that followed, we raced through the gap in the mob of demons, leaped over the line of samurai holding the courtyard and galloped up the steps to the palace.

  “Kiyomi-sama!” I cried, as Chu skidded to a halt at the top of the steps. A covered veranda stretched away to either side, surrounding the front of the palace, with thick red pillars holding up the roof. Archers and samurai clustered at the railings, protecting the palace entrance, and glared at us as we bounded past. “Kiyomi-sama, where are you?”

  I spotted the Moon Clan daimyo near the palace wall, surrounded by a ring of female majutsushi, their hands glowing with light and their voices rising in a unified chant. Kiyomi-sama knelt in the center of the circle, palms raised and eyes closed, as power pulsed and flickered around her.

  “Kiyomi-sama.” I halted outside the circle of mages, who eyed me warily but did not stop chanting. “The demons have broken through and are coming for the palace. You should escape, hide—”

  “No.” The daimyo’s voice was calm. “This is my city and my people. It is my duty to protect them. I will call on the Kami for aid. Hopefully they will hear my plea and respond.” Her eyes opened, dark and determined, gazing up at me. “You must keep the demons away from the palace, Yumeko-san. Give me the time I need to call for help. Do not let them through.”