Page 94 of Son of Shadows

Koichi cursed. “They’re coming.” He looked at Ryukage. “I’ve heard that you can lay an army down with the snap of your fingers.”

Ryukage gave him a droll stare. Then he lifted his hand and snapped said fingers. The roar of eight dragon heads and the clinking sound of armor echoed in the distance. “Didn’t work. Any other great ideas?”

“You have to be able to do something,” Haruki said to Ryukage. “You owe us. For all the devastation you’ve caused.”

He couldn’t bear to look at Haruki, his head hanging in shame.

“You can choose to do the right thing,” Ryuichi said to his father. “And still be a fearless warrior.”

After listening to his son’s words, Ryukage manifested a horse and an extra-large katana that he hefted up and then rested on his shoulder. “I’m going to fight until they kill me. Hopefully, I’ll take Orochi with me.”

At least his father had a plan.

Not a very wise one, but he seemed determined to change his fate.

Ryuichi took a step toward him. “Let me help you.”

Ryukage threw out his hand, and suddenly Ryuichi couldn’t move a muscle. He was frozen in place.

What the . . . ?

Was the Ryukage trying to prevent his child from going into a deadly battle?

An overprotective father. Who would have thought.

Heat poured over Ryuichi’s body, like the scalding water in his father’s hot spring. But as the heat faded, Ryuichi’s armor had changed into a smaller black version of his father’s.

The Ryukage tipped his head to his son. “You no longer need Masaru to protect you. No weapon can penetrate that.”

Koichi cleared his throat. “What about the rest of us? We could use an upgrade too.”

He pulled the sword from his shoulder as he continued to stare at Koichi.

Faster than Ryuichi could blink, they were all wearing similar armor. Yamaguchi, Katsu, Lord Inumagami. Even Shima.

His sensei smiled. “This is the lightest armor I’ve ever worn.”

“You’re welcome,” said Ryukage.

Soon their enemies were bearing down on them. Shima began speaking in a language Ryuichi had never heard before. It seemed like something ancient and meant for the gods.

“What’s he saying?” he asked his father.

A slow smile spread across his father’s face. “He’s calling for reinforcements.”

“From where?”

Shima winked at Ryuichi. “The other side.”

“The human world?”

Those words were barely out of his mouth before he realized how wrong his assumption was.

A puff of smoke formed from the ground and a warrior stepped out in full armor, its brilliant crimson as bright as blood.

Only this wasn’t an ordinary warrior.

It was a dead samurai.