Apparently, shadows could cross through whatever it was.
Rolling his eyes, he let out a disgusted breath. “The Great Evil’s right. We need a manual to instruct us.”
Keiko didn’t speak as she watched the girl kneel beside Ryuichi, who continued to scream. “Yamero! Yamero! Yamero!”
“Shh...” Takara touched him with a gentle hand. “No one can harm you.”
It took a moment longer before Ryuichi stopped his shrill screaming.
Sadly, in the same heartbeat he stopped, the statues returned to life.
And renewed their attack.
Masaru cursed. “That might have been a mistake.”
No kidding.
“Ryuichi!” the three adults called in unison to get his attention.
“Little help!” Koichi barely caught the first dog right before its jaws clamped down on his arm. He fought back, but it wasn’t easy. The dog kept trying to tear at his throat.
Keiko wasn’t having much luck either. Her dog appeared to be trying to climb her like a fence. What did they feed these things? Souls of oni? Fertilizer?
Everywhere she turned, there seemed to be a new threat.
* * *
Still crouched on the ground with Takara beside him, Ryuichi heard his friends struggling.
Yet the shadow part of him didn’t care.
They deserve it. Let them suffer. What have they really done for me?
Horrible thoughts went through his head. Selfish thoughts.
Dishonorable thoughts.
It would be so easy to forget them. To focus on the pain of his past. To let his hatred overshadow the good and find his father so that he could unleash him and make everyone pay.
He couldn’t allow that. For better or worse, they were his family, and family stood united. Always.
Control your hatred. If you have hate toward another, then they control you.
Honor in all things.
Never regret what is done.
He couldn’t change the past. Only the future.
Only his reaction in the present.
Ryuichi met Keiko’s gaze. She’d always been there, keeping watch over him.
And Takara had never failed to stand up for him when no one else had.
I am samurai.
No. He wasn’t just a servant to his lord.
