Page 71 of Son of Shadows

The oni nodded. “That’s quite unlucky for you. No trespassers means no trespassers. Which means I have to eat you now. It’s nothing personal. Just my orders.”

A suit of armor appeared out of thin air, floating for a moment before it landed at the oni’s feet. He picked up the first piece to put it on.

Grimacing, he struggled with the straps.

“One moment. Got to get the old armor on. Been a while since I last had to do this. Most leave my master alone because they’re not dumb, like you all. But I have to make this official, as it’s my sole duty.”

He struggled to get the breastplate around his body. He’d outgrown that armor by quite a bit, which made Ryuichi wonder how many trespassers he’d eaten.

With a fierce growl, the oni continued to fight the armor. “Too long, really, since my last fight. This is why daily exercise is so import . . . oh, there we go. Just a little more . . .” He made a terrible face as he finally managed to secure it around his massive torso. “Now we’re in business.”

He slammed his mighty fist into his chest to make sure the armor was still sturdy. With a satisfied look, the oni strode around and cracked his neck. “My name is Yamaguchi, and it’s my pleasure to kill you today. I know we’re fighting to the death and all, but please remember to always obey the primary rule of martial arts. Have fun.”

Since when was that a rule? It certainly wasn’t one Ryuichi had learned at Master Hanzō’s school. Definitely not something Koichi had ever said to him.

Confused, he met Yumi’s gaze. Shrugging, she handed him a sword, then created a bow out of a flash of light. The oni grabbed a boulder and heaved it at Masaru, who barely got out of the way in time.

Well, mostly out of the way. A piece of his yukata was caught underneath the rock. “Katsu? Hayasaka? I’m in a spot of trouble. Want to lend a hand?”

The others were too busy dealing with the charging oni to assist Masaru. Ryuichi tried to reach him, but he couldn’t get around the mountainous yōkai.

Masaru cursed. “Figures.” He pulled out a small knife and cut the hem of his yukata. “It was one of my favorites too.”

Katsu slashed at Yamaguchi’s knees. Ryuichi stepped in to help. He was proud he was finally able to hold his own in a real fight. When Katsu went for one leg, Ryuichi went for the other.

Yamaguchi wasn’t happy about it. “Hey, stop that! Trying to watch you two is making my head spin.” He tried and failed to kick the two of them away. Yumi shot a slew of arrows at him, but they bounced off without doing any real damage.

Masaru looked at Hayasaka and Inumagami. “Are you two planning to sit this one out?”

Inumagami shook his paw. “Of course not. We are soldiers.”

Hayasaka found a comfortable patch of ground and sat down. “Actually, that’s what Katsu’s for.”

Masaru rolled his eyes. “Idiots.” And with that, he looked at Ryuichi. “Time for a little bit of teamwork, right?”

Ryuichi nodded and cleared his thoughts so Masaru could join with his body. Yamaguchi’s skin was too thick for their swords and Yumi’s arrows, so they needed a power move badly.

Still, it was hard to stay alive, even with Masaru and Yumi by his side. They were up against two tons of rock-solid oni. Whenever Katsu went for a slash at the legs, Ryuichi would follow up with a cut of his own. This went on for a couple of hours, and they made some progress.

Against his armor.

Of course, one would have to squint to see where the blades had struck.

In a month, maybe two, they might even be able to get past it and do something more than make the oni laugh as he claimed they “tickled” him with their blows.

Not even their magical powers made a dent in anything. Ryuichi, Masaru, and Yumi tried every one of their best tricks, but none of them did any damage.

Exhausted and breathless, Ryuichi retreated back to the others, who were apparently having a picnic, complete with a blanket, a tea set, and several books from the ship to help them pass the time.

Seriously? He was tempted to run them through.

Inumagami gave him a haughty stare. “Are you finished, Ryuichi?”

Since the oni was still standing and Katsu was staggering, sure . . . “I’m taking a break. Why don’t you help Katsu out?”

“Good thought.” Katsu continued his fight. “We’ll wear him down. It’ll be a battle of attrition, then.”

Ryuichi collapsed on the ground, his breath heaving.