Page 82 of Son of Shadows

Inumagami shook his head. “I’m trying to explain to you. He said he only travels to Kagemura. He won’t go anywhere else.”

Masaru pursed his lips. “How do you understand all that from drink?”

Ryuichi was at his wits’ end. He turned toward Inumagami. “Aren’t you his lord? Can’t you order him to take us wherever we want to go? At this rate, Orochi will have broken through the gate and devoured the entire human world before we got off this stupid island.”

Inumagami shrugged. “He’s a shinigami. I can’t exactly order him around like some common servant. But I will give it a shot.” The little lord growled a bit at their shinigami captain and barked a few times.

Ryuichi turned to Yumi. “What did he say?”

Yumi translated, “‘Excuse me, could you rethink it, Shinigami-san? We really do need a boat.’”

The captain looked right at Ryuichi and said, “Drink?”

Inumagami sighed. “See?”

“Can you at least ask why he can’t go anywhere else?” Ryuichi asked.

“I have, but he has never given me a straight answer. It’s impossible to guess what a shinigami is thinking. They see the world differently than the rest of us.”

Ryuichi couldn’t believe this. Had he lost the war before setting foot on the battlefield?

He and their crew couldn’t contest Orochi’s bid for conquering both worlds if he couldn’t make it to the fight. They were a small threat to the World Eater’s nastiness and his enormous army. But they had Ryukage now, which was a very big advantage.

Still, it was the end of the world, as far as he knew, and they were all about to be a no-show.

Yamaguchi, who had followed them from his father’s palace, came over. “Are we having a problem?”

Ryuichi gestured at the shinigami. “We’re trying to get off the island, and he won’t leave unless we go back to Kagemura.”

Yamaguchi nodded. “That is a problem.”

“Drink?” asked the shinigami.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Yamaguchi reached out to take the cup from the shinigami.

“No!” Masaru and Yumi both shouted.

“But—”

“Don’t do it!” Inumagami said amid a series of yelps.

“Fine.” Yamaguchi put his hands up. “No drinking. Anyway, I was just going to grab my stuff and leave.”

Ryuichi let out an exasperated breath. “How do you plan to leave? The only way off is the shinigami’s boat. And he’s refusing to go anywhere.”

Yamaguchi shrugged. “I was just going to take mine.”

Everyone turned to stare at the oni.

“You. Have. A. Boat?” Masaru asked slowly, as if he were speaking to an overgrown toddler.

“Yes. Did you not hear me?”

Masaru rolled his eyes as Yumi giggled.

“It’s only a small fishing boat. Nothing too fancy. I like to take it out sometimes and catch something to eat.” Yamaguchi proudly slapped at his big belly. “This little war machine can’t live off just rice, you know?”

Little? Ryuichi raised a skeptical eyebrow as he watched the big belly jiggle. He wasn’t so sure of that.