Page 91 of Son of Shadows

“Not now,” Haruki said to the shinigami.

Ignoring her plea, the shinigami stepped out of the shadows so he could kneel at Koichi’s side. “Drink.”

Then again, Koichi guessed he would be reincarnated as a bug. That was his luck.

Haruki pushed the shinigami’s bottle of sake aside. “Who thinks about drinking at a time like this?”

Unbothered by her actions and anger, he held the sake out for Koichi. “Drink.”

Koichi let out a sigh of relief at the only good thing in his final moments. “Don’t mind if I do.”

It wasn’t going to save him, but what was the harm in one last drink?

He cursed as the hot sake went down his throat like a raging fire. Throwing his head back, he roared in agony. He hoped death would come quickly, because he couldn’t take any more of this.

Haruki sat back on her heels and cried. “Stop, you’re hurting him!”

The shinigami smiled. “No, I’m healing him.”

Haruki’s eyes went wide. “What did you just say?”

“Haru doesn’t decide when someone dies,” the shinigami continued. “He’s not a god, and he’s not a shinigami.”

He snapped his fingers and the ropes around Ryuichi-kage fell away. A pair of black-feathered wings sprang out from his back as he transformed into a giant crow. “You better get on fast. They’re about to blow the island.”

Ryuichi-kage was weak, but he wasted no time helping Koichi climb up on top of the shinigami. Once he and Haruki were seated next to him, Koichi could already feel the fatal wound in his stomach closing up.

It was a miracle. One that Koichi never thought he’d live to see. He held Haruki’s hand in his, and she put her head on his shoulder.

How had he gotten so lucky?

“Where are we going?” Ryuichi-kage asked the shinigami as it launched into the air.

“To reunite with your friends.”

* * *

Ryuichi finally arrived where it had all begun: the gate to the human world.

Where he had battled his father.

Where Orochi and his army were still leading their assault.

He and the others were hidden in a thicket of trees and brush, away from the World Eater’s soldiers, who were trying to open the gate but failing miserably.

Orochi’s warriors had been at it for days now, and still no success, despite all their weapons and energy.

Closing his eyes, Ryuichi heard his mother’s voice in his head, encouraging him and giving him strength.

You are the only one with the power to control the gate. It is your destiny.

Ryuichi knew Orochi was aware of that fact. But he’d evaded capture up until now.

Being back in his presence was terrifying. Orochi’s eight heads were furiously blowing fire at the gate, roaring when the blaze did absolutely nothing to the gate.

The World Eater looked strong and full of rage, eager to unleash destruction. Ryuichi, however, was feeling weak and tired. Which was not a good thing in a do-or-die situation like this one.

He had to snap out of it.