He was the Kage-Mori. The shadows were his to control. And he was through being a pawn.
Either you take action or action is taken upon you...
Sucking his breath in, he formed a shadow whip and lashed out at the hideous beasts attacking his friends. It cracked in the air, loud and sharp.
The creatures recoiled at the sound, shrinking away.
His friends turned to watch. Their jaws dropped in unison as they realized he was the only one with the ability to save them and send the beasts on their way.
Unsure and afraid of what he was doing, Ryuichi stepped forward and tried again. This time the whiplash was even stronger. Louder. As he gained confidence, he gained power. They needed his protection, and he would be there for them.
Whatever it cost him. No matter how scary.
“Leave my friends alone!”
Masaru stepped toward him as if he intended to bond their powers.
Ryuichi held up a hand to stop him. “Not right now.” He had enough bad thoughts in his head. The last thing he needed was Masaru adding more. It was hard enough to fight off his personal demons.
Masaru was a lot more persuasive and intelligent. He couldn’t risk having the kitsune in his head too. There was no telling where that could lead.
Instead, he turned to the one person he knew wouldn’t turn him down a dark path. “Sensei... what do I do?”
Koichi shrugged. “Looks like you’ve got this one, kid. You’re doing great.”
He appreciated the thought.
Until the ground began to shake and tremble. Everything around them seemed to growl now.
His friends moved to form a circle to protect him.
“Oni wa soto.”
He turned toward Takara as she spoke those words in a soft whisper that became a quiet chant.Demon, get out.
The others picked it up. “Oni wa soto.”
Takara moved to stand to his right. Kato on his left. Jiro, Pim, and the rest took up positions around them. United, they stood ready to face whatever nightmare was coming for them.
His heart pounding, Ryuichi summoned two shadow swords. “I’m not afraid.”
From the darkness, a huge dragon rose up to tower over all of them. With eyes that glowed fire, it glared at them with disdain. “Who are you to challenge me?”
Ryuichi hesitated.
Masaru placed a hand on his shoulder, reminding him that he was no longer alone.
Reminding him of what all of them had risked for him.
“I am Yorukaze Ryuichi, the Kage-Mori. I’m here to make sure my father does no harm.”
The dragon laughed. “Your father left, little boy. The moment you entered this realm, you unleashed him.”
Masaru cursed. “Guess I’m not the one who really screwed up, huh, Koichi? ‘Bring the kid to the shadow realm.’ Now who had the stupid idea?”
“Shut it, demon!”
Takara cleared her throat. “Would you both stop? We have a much bigger problem at present... like a two-story dragon who’s about to eat us.”
