Hanzo Hattori stepped forward.
Ryuichi’s ego deflated even more as he braced himself for the worst denouncement yet.
Hanzo, the man who’d brought him to Maho-jo in the first place, was after his head.
The man he owed everything to. Of course Hanzo hated him. Why wouldn’t he? Ryuichi had placed both of his children in jeopardy and burned his home to the ground.
Ryuichi wanted to die from the shame of it all.
To his shock, it was Kasumi who came to his defense again. “We can’t kill the boy, regardless of what you think. He’s the only one who can make sure the others return to their worlds. We have to have him to close and lock the gates.”
Several of the councillors nodded in agreement.
“Thenwe kill him?” the old man asked.
Ryuichi gaped at the random question.
Kasumi ignored it. “As we’ve said, he’s a danger to all those around him.”
Hanzo and several other councillors nodded in agreement.
Kasumi allowed her tail to swish. “I think a compromise is in order.” She cast her gaze around them to make sure they were listening. “I’ve been consulting with Masaru?—”
The crowd erupted again into boos and jeers that shredded Ryuichi’s soul.
“What does that monster know about anything?”
“He’s worse than that brat!”
Ryuichi really wanted to die in that moment when their hatred cascaded over him.
Kasumi growled at them and wrestled control back from the shouting men. “Listen to me. We need solutions, not blaming. As I’ve said, I believe we can create a compromise that will satisfy all of you.”
Not likely, given this depth of hatred.
Masaru appeared out of nowhere to stand next to Kasumi. He refused to meet Ryuichi’s gaze.
Kasumi spoke in a calm and even tone. “There’s only one answer: banishment. We cannot defend against another round of attacks, and he cannot go unwatched. For everyone’s sake, he must be banished and sent to another school.”
Wait... What?
There was a loud cheer in the crowd. The support was unanimous.
Ryuichi felt sick. And not just from his chest wound. He felt like the vote was not just a decision on what to do with him, but that it was also a measurement of his worth as a human being.
And the people voted against him.
They wanted him gone.
Banished.
Heartsick, Ryuichi caught Hanzo staring at him in the distance, his eyes like sharp daggers.
Takara’s father hated him. And deep inside, he knew the man had every right to.
Koichi clapped Ryuichi lightly on the back as he caught Hanzo staring. “Don’t worry about him. He’s always a sourpuss. Just focus on the future. A brand-new school. New friends. New opportunities.”
“To make old mistakes?”
