Page 37 of Son of Shadows

Wherever she went, Koichi hoped she’d come back soon and safely.

His student would be gutted if anything happened to the closest thing he had to a mother. And if he couldn’t protect Ryuichi, well, Keiko would strangle him herself.

“What’s the plan, Koichi?” Ryuichi-kage asked. “Should we go toward the gate? I’m eager to fight.”

Koichi shook his head. “We can’t fight a number this large.”

“The size of that army was pathetic. I’ve fought even greater numbers,” Haruki reminded him.

“With legions of demons on your side,” Koichi shot back. “I thought you would have made yourself more useful in this realm, but you haven’t done anything but whine and complain. Why not use your powers to fix this mess, oh mighty goddess?”

Haruki gave him an evil glare but didn’t say anything more. Koichi was surprised. He couldn’t believe he actually shut her up.

Maybe he was leadership material after all.

“Let’s head into the woods,” Koichi suggested. “The survivors and wounded are congregating there. There’s a chance Ryuichi and Masaru are too.”

“No,” said Ryuichi-kage. “My brother is at the gate. I can sense it.”

Koichi wasn’t sure he could trust Ryuichi-kage. He knew the shadowling had been intent on severing as many yōkai limbs as he could. He would walk through fire if it meant getting more blood on his hands.

“Going toward the gate is a suicide mission. Ryuichi has more sense than to try and stop that army on his own,” Koichi replied.

“He’s not alone. He has that pompous kami with him,” Haruki said.

“Masaru wouldn’t risk Ryuichi’s life,” Koichi said. “We’ll go to the woods.”

“Coward,” Ryuichi-kage muttered, and Haruka laughed at his cruel remark.

Sighing, Koichi pictured a nice bottle of sake in his hand and gave himself an imaginary toast.

Closing his eyes, he imagined the warm liquid going down his throat. The way his body would relax after a few more sips. Fantasizing wasn’t any substitute for the real deal, but it would have to do.

With a deep breath, he gave himself fully to the illusion, and for a split second, the world went still.

Then he opened his eyes and imagined something better for himself. He wanted to be a man worthy of all the responsibilities bestowed on him. Someone worthy of Keiko and Ryuichi’s trust.

He wasn’t that man.

But maybe, just for a little bit, he could pretend to be.

“Let’s move out,” Koichi said. Then he started walking in the direction of the woods.

Ryuichi-kage and Haruki dragged their feet behind him. Koichi tried not to listen as they whispered to each other, but he couldn’t help himself.

“This isn’t going to work,” the shadow twin said.

“If it doesn’t, we’ll go our own way,” said Haruki.

Koichi sighed again. How could there be dissent already? Did no one have any faith in him?

When they reached the forest, it seemed as though Ryuichi-kage was right. None of the tengu who were in hiding had seen Ryuichi or Masaru. Katsu and Hayasaka were also unaccounted for.

Koichi feared the worst. That all of them had perished.

But then the messenger crow they had seen when this whole disaster started came into view. It screeched a couple of times, like it was trying to speak.

“Ryuichi closed the gate,” Haruki said, disappointed.