Night of the Dragon

by Julie Kagawa

  “We can do that,” Reika said, appearing beside me. Reaching into her haori, she withdrew a handful of ofuda and spun, striding to the top of the steps. Below, in the courtyard, the hoard of demons and yokai were beginning to push through, the samurai falling back as they gave ground.

  “Reika!” I sprinted toward her as the shrine maiden slapped an ofuda onto one of the pillars at the top of the steps. She whirled, thrusting a pair of ofuda into my hands, and then Okame’s as he joined us.

  “Put those on the pillars,” she snapped, pointing to the columns at each corner of the covered veranda where we stood. “Hurry!”

  I did as she asked, jogging to the red pillar and pressing the ofuda strip onto the wood, where it adhered itself to the column like the back was covered with sticky rice.

  As I started for the second pillar, a noise echoed overhead, raising the hair on the back of my neck and making my stomach drop in terror. A booming, screaming wail that seemed to come from the throats of a dozen monsters at once. I looked up as something huge and terrible dropped from the sky, landing with a crash in the center of the courtyard.

  My bones melted into mochi as I stared up at the monstrous form of an enormous serpent dragon, towering over the army of samurai. It had eight terrible, snakelike heads that writhed and coiled about like they had minds of their own. Horns grew from each head, spines bristled down its back, and its tail was split into eight writhing limbs that whipped and thrashed around its scaly body. It raised all its heads and wailed again, making the air tremble and causing a few samurai to clutch at their skulls.

  “The Orochi,” I heard Reika breathe, the horror in her voice palpable. Snapping out of her daze, she glared at me and Okame as Chu roared his defiance to the massive creature looming in the courtyard. “Okame-san, Yumeko-chan, we have to hold this position. We can’t let that monster get close to Kiyomi-sama!”

  She raised two fingers to her face, closed her eyes and whispered a few words in the language of the kami. The ofuda on the columns glowed, then flared to life. A shimmering barrier expanded outward, surrounding us, the majutsushi and the Moon Clan daimyo in the center.

  As I turned back to the dragon creature, two smaller figures leaped off its back and landed in front of its clawed legs. My blood chilled as I recognized the pair of slender bodies and their matching dark braids that nearly touched the ground. The duo stepped forward, identical grins stretching their almost childlike faces. It was the scorpion twins, the yokai sisters who had attacked the Steel Feather temple with Genno. The ones who had killed the daitengu for the temple’s piece of the scroll.

  “Please excuse us!” one called as she and her sister loosened the deadly spiked chains at their waists and began to spin them in glittering circles. “Apologies for dropping in so suddenly.”

  Her sister grinned. “We’re just here to slaughter you all and kill your daimyo. We hope you don’t mind.”

  With a yowl that shook the ground, the Orochi whipped its tails at the samurai rushing to surround them, smashing men aside like sake bottles. Its heads snaked down to seize and crush warriors in its jaws, then hurl them away. The scorpion twins leaped forward, spiked chains swinging in lethal arcs, scything through men and armor like they were made of straw. Demons and yokai swarmed around them, flinging themselves at the rapidly diminishing human ranks, tearing into them with fang and claw and blade. As the samurai fell, the Orochi gave a booming roar and lunged, barreling through the ranks of warriors, coming right for us.

  18

  The Nightmare

  TATSUMI

  I remembered Akumu.

  Akumu the Nightmare. The third demon general of Jigoku. Of the four of us, he wasn’t the strongest, or the most savage, but he was the one oni I had to watch my back around. Akumu was cunning, more intelligent than he let on, and far too ambitious for my liking. In Jigoku, he had followed me because he respected strength, and I was smart enough not to let his schemes get out of hand. Yaburama had always been a savage, mindless brute, strong but easy to control, and my second general, Rasetsu, had been powerful enough to pose a threat, but he’d lacked the ambition to challenge me. Akumu had always been pushing, testing. He’d never challenged openly, but he had always resented the fact that I had been First Oni, and if there had ever come an opportunity to get rid of me, he would’ve taken it in a heartbeat.

  And now there was no question. I would either kill him, here and now, or he would smash me into pulp for all the years he’d wanted to in Jigoku. Only one of us would walk away from these gates tonight.

  I glanced at the noble, who walked up calmly beside me, his own blade unsheathed. “Are you certain you want to do this, Taiyo? Akumu is a lot tougher than Yaburama was. One mistake and we’re both dead.”

  The Taiyo gave a half smile. “I have learned much since I last fought an oni lord,” he stated quietly. “And it is not yet my time to die. I have a vow to keep, a promise that I will not break. So, come, Kage-san.” He raised his sword so that the light gleamed down the razor edge. “Let us fell this foul demon and return to those who need us.”

  Akumu chuckled and took one thunderous step forward, raising his twin tetsubo. “That easy, is it?” He smiled.

  And lunged.

  Daisuke and I split, dodging aside, as the oni’s clubs came smashing down in an explosion of dust, shattering rock and stone where they landed. Immediately, I circled around, targeting the thick calves and ankles. Even a monster like Akumu couldn’t fight if he couldn’t walk. But Akumu pivoted with surprising grace, taking his legs out of harm’s way, and brought both tetsubo down like he was playing a drum. I dodged and spun as the clubs beat the earth around me, coming within inches of leaving a bloody smear over the ground.

  “Isn’t this fun, Hakaimono?” Akumu laughed, as we continued our ridiculous dance over the battlefield. Anger and frustration flared; I needed to get close if I was going to stab anything vital, but the oni wasn’t stupid, using his greater reach to his full advantage. Though the tight quarters and narrow streets were slowing him down a bit. The shops and houses lining either side of the road offered some cover from a rampaging oni, provided he didn’t decide to smash right through them.

  “I must admit, Hakaimono,” Akumu went on, “I feel almost bad for you. It’s disgusting being so small and human, isn’t it? I don’t know how Rasetsu agreed to such a thing. Oh, and don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about your little human friend. He can die, too, right about now!”

  Akumu half turned, smashing one club down at the figure darting behind him. Daisuke threw himself aside, and the tetsubo struck deep into the earth, missing the noble by inches. He rolled to his feet and quickly sprang back, and we retreated a few paces as Akumu watched us, grinning.

  “All the oni lords knew about this,” I growled. “Rasetsu, as well. It’s part of whatever bargain Genno made with O-Hakumon. What is he planning, Akumu? Tell me!”

  The oni snorted. “I don’t answer to you any longer, Hakaimono,” he stated, swinging one club to a meaty shoulder. “But since you’re going to die in a moment anyway, here’s something to think about when you’re sucked back into Kamigoroshi. Jigoku is eternal, but it is always hungry, and it never forgets. Long has O-Hakumon wished for Jigoku to grow, for his children, the oni, to walk freely in the mortal realm. When the damned soul known as Genno arrived in Jigoku, O-Hakumon saw an opportunity. The Master of Demons was the most powerful blood mage in the history of the human empire; he could affect the mortal world in a way the ruler of Jigoku could not. So Lord O-Hakumon offered Genno a deal. He would allow the mage’s soul to return to Ningen-kai, if Genno promised to do him a service while he was there.”

  “And what service was that?” I asked, almost dreading the answer. But Akumu only chuckled.

  “Oh, no, Hakaimono,” he crooned. “I won’t give it away so easily. But it is soon. It’s almost here, in fact.” His gaze flickered to somethi
ng in the distance, above the city, and I felt a chill as I remembered the figures on the four guardian statues. “This city will burn, and all its souls will be sacrificed to fuel what’s coming. You can’t stop it.”

  I growled, curling my talons around the hilt of Kamigoroshi as beside me, Taiyo Daisuke straightened and raised his sword.

  “I believe I have heard enough. Shall we show him how wrong he is, Kage-san?”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  We lunged at the oni, who laughed and twirled his clubs as we came in, then smashed them down in vicious arcs. Dirt and rock shards flew as the tetsubo crushed the earth around us, leaving huge craters in the road, but we managed to avoid the deadly pounding clubs. Still, this was a dangerous game. One misstep and we’d be nothing but red smears in the dirt.

  Dammit, I have to get higher. I can’t do anything stabbing at his ankles.

  “Distract him!” I snapped at the noble, and ducked away, putting the corner of a burning house between us. Akumu casually swiped his club through the building, sending the roof and parts of the wall flying, and rubble rained down around me. Dodging wood and falling stones, I sprang to what was left of the roof, ran along a burning beam and launched myself at the oni with a snarl. Kamigoroshi flashed, cutting deep into his chest, slicing through his ribs in a spray of dark blood, and Akumu howled. As I fell, I saw the noble dart under the reeling oni, leap up and slash through the back of the monster’s knee.

  With a bellow of pain, Akumu staggered back and fell, crashing into a storefront and splintering the building under his weight. As clouds of dust rose into the air, Daisuke joined me, watching wood and roof tiles settle over the body of the oni.

  “I don’t suppose that’s the end of it,” he remarked calmly. I shook my head.

  “No, it’s just made him mad. Now the real fun begins.”

  With a roar and an explosion of roof tiles, Akumu surged upright. Eyes blazing red, he turned on us, raising both tetsubo, and lunged. Daisuke and I scrambled back, dodging and ducking behind walls to avoid the pounding clubs, knowing the oni’s size wouldn’t let him follow.

  Snarling, Akumu swept his tetsubo through the buildings themselves, smashing walls and crushing roofs with furious abandon. I slipped through an alley to escape and found the buildings crumbling around me. Immediately, I lunged for the open street, wood, thatch and stone raining down, but something hit the back of my skull and I stumbled as the wall collapsed on me with a roar.

  Gritting my teeth, I pushed splintered wood and stones off my chest, feeling the ground shake as Akumu rounded a corner, his crimson gaze sweeping the ground. Spotting me half-buried in the rubble pile, he gave a slow grin and raised his clubs.

  Something tiny flew through the air and exploded with a burst of fire in the oni’s face. Roaring, Akumu staggered back, wincing and shaking his head as if blinded, and I stared in amazement.

  “Get up, demonslayer. I taught you better than this.”

  Stunned, I looked up as a figure dropped onto the rocks out of nowhere, glowering down at me. A man dressed all in black, with graying hair and an easily forgettable face. But I recognized him immediately and had to stifle a surge of rage toward this human, for he was the one who taught the Kage demonslayers to control the oni inside them.

  “Ichiro-sensei.” I shoved off the last of the rocks and rose, glaring at the master shinobi. I knew my horns, claws and tattoos were fully visible, but the older human didn’t appear distressed or surprised by them. “What are you doing here?”

  “That is not what you should be worried about now.”

  Akumu stepped forward with an enraged bellow, baring his fangs. And then, from the roofs of the buildings surrounding us, dozens of figures in black appeared. Silent and swift, they loosed arrows, flung kunai and hurled smoke bombs at the hulking oni before darting away again. Akumu howled in fury, smashing his clubs into the roofs and buildings, and I saw several shinobi fall or be crushed under rock, but most had already disappeared.

  I looked back at Ichiro in amazement. “Is the whole school here?”

  “Not all of us,” the master shinobi replied. “Only those who agreed to walk the Path. But we’re wasting time. Go, demonslayer.” He pointed a crooked finger at the oni overhead. “Do your job. There’ll be time for answers later.”

  A part of me sneered, tempted to tell the old human he wasn’t my master any longer. But I gripped Kamigoroshi, turned and sprinted toward the raging oni and the dozens of humans swarming in and out of cover, striking and harrying where they could.

  “Kill the monster!”

  Footsteps echoed down a street, and a squad of Moon Clan samurai appeared, huge greatbows in hand as they came to a halt at the edge of the road and prepared to fire. Akumu turned and struck a rubble pile with a club, sending several large rocks flying toward the archers. They stood their ground, though several would be killed by the oncoming projectiles, and drew their bows back to fire.

  And then, the shadows around them came to life. Dark tendrils erupted from the ground, writhing and thrashing like some huge sea creature. They struck the boulders from the air, batting them aside or smashing them to pebbles. At the same time, the bowmen loosed their strings, and two dozen arrows arced through the air to pepper the oni.

  Beset from all sides, Akumu flew into a rage. Roaring, he turned and smashed his tetsubo into everything around him, crushing buildings, snapping trees and sending rubble flying. As I raced toward the oni, I caught sight of Daisuke, huddled beneath an overhang as debris fell around him. Our eyes met across the road, and he gave a single nod.

  Darting from cover, the Taiyo sprinted behind the raging oni. His blade flashed twice, cutting through thick calf tendons in a spray of blood. Akumu stumbled, falling to his knees, his tetsubo smashing to the ground. I leaped from a crumbling wall onto a roof and sprang into the air, Kamigoroshi raised over my head. For just a moment, I was above Akumu as the oni bellowed in fury and started to rise. With a roar, I landed on his shoulders and drove Kamigoroshi into the back of his neck, shoving the point of the blade through his throat.

  Akumu let out a garbled cry and staggered, the tetsubo dropping from his claws. Yanking Kamigoroshi back, I gripped the hilt in both hands and slashed the blade across the thick neck. The oni’s head toppled forward, rolled down his chest and hit the ground with a wet thud that seemed to echo through the city. The headless body stayed upright for a few seconds, seeming to defy the laws of gravity, before it, too, collapsed with the rumble of an avalanche. I leaped off before it struck the ground and rolled upright, panting, as the third demon general of Jigoku twitched several times and was finally still.

  I took a deep breath, though I knew we couldn’t relax yet. With the gate breached, the demons would be swarming the city. I had to return to the palace to help Yumeko and the others, but there was one small matter here that required attention.

  “Well done, demonslayer. Or, should I say Hakaimono now?”

  “Why is the Shadow Clan here?” I growled, turning as Kage Ichiro appeared on a section of wall behind me. Around us, I could sense movement, flashes and blurs in the darkness, and I knew I was surrounded by shinobi. “Did Hanshou order this? How did you even get here—the Path of Shadows can be walked by only a few at a time.”

  “For a normal Shadow mage, yes,” said a soft, instantly recognizable voice. I bristled, and my vision flooded with red. “But for one who has been practicing this art for a few centuries, we have uncovered a few secrets over the years. It’s been a long time... Hakaimono.”

  I looked across the corpse of the dead Akumu, and Lady Hanshou herself smiled at me over the battlefield.

  19

  The Barrier Falls

  Yumeko

  The courtyard was turning into a bloodbath.

  The Orochi roared as it stomped toward us, crushing samurai under its claws, flinging them aside with its multip
le heads. On either side of the monster, the scorpion twins slashed and whirled in a deadly, graceful dance, beheading samurai or cutting them apart with their spinning chains. Demons and yokai flung themselves at the humans, tearing into them even as their own numbers were cut apart with swords, spears or arrows. Everything was pure pandemonium, but despite the valiant efforts of the samurai, the Orochi and the scorpion twins drew ever closer to the palace, the miko standing at the top of the steps and the daimyo within her circle of majutsushi.

  “Okame!” I cried, but the ronin was already striding forward, raising his bow, and the first arrow slammed into the chest of a minor oni, toppling it backward. The second pierced the throat of an amanjaku, while the third struck the forehead of a doglike yokai with the face of an old man. As they shrieked and collapsed, three of the Orochi’s heads turned toward the steps, eyes narrowing as they spotted us.

  I reached behind me, grabbed a handful of chrysanthemum leaves from the bushes growing beside the door and hurried to join Okame at the top of the steps. He glanced over, met my gaze with a smile and a nod and turned toward the enemy as I released a surge of fox magic into the courtyard.

  Dozens more samurai appeared, exploding into existence with small puffs of smoke, and rushed the demon army with unified battle cries. Startled, the hoard turned to face this new threat, giving the real warriors time to regroup. The Orochi snarled in rage, sending its heads down to bite at the newcomers, shredding illusions and slicing through them with its tails. But for each illusion the monsters destroyed, I added two more to the battle, tossing leaves into the air and filling the courtyard with fox magic.

  As Okame continued to rain down arrows and I continued to bolster the samurai army with illusions, one of the scorpion twins looked up and met my gaze over the carnage. Her eyes narrowed, and she leaped onto the Orochi’s back, then stood up and swept her arm over the mass of demons.