Samurai Son (53 page)

Chapter One Hundred One

The way back to the
Kimon
was thick with smoke.
 
Despite his fears, Hiroshi agreed to lead them back to the demon gate.
 
The underground passages crisscrossed confusingly, and Akira was glad to have the ninja with them.
 
Without the Shinobi’s sense of direction, he was certain they would get lost in this warren of tunnels.
 
The stench of sulfur so overwhelmed them that Kasumi announced she couldn’t smell anything other than the smoke, even with her Neko senses.

They met no further opposition in the tunnels as they headed down toward the
Kimon.
 
Hiroshi explained that the tunnel was an offshoot to the main tunnels and it was unlikely that Nanashi would send any more men or demons to investigate because his true goal was the
Kimon
and not the dungeons.
 
Still, Akira kept his no-dachi out and ready.

As they approached the crossroads to the main corridor that led to the
Kimon,
they saw the glow of torchlight or fire.
 
Akira looked askance to both Kasumi and Hiroshi, who were both taut and ready to fight.
 
They could hear the footfalls of an army marching up the hallway toward the
Kimon.

Just before the crossroads to the main tunnel, Hiroshi held up his hand and turned to them.
 
“We don’t dare enter the passage without some sort of magic,” he whispered.
 
“Do either of you have the ability to cloak yourself?”

Akira frowned.
 
As a Tengu, he could become invisible at will.
 
But if he chose to do this now… “I would have to violate my promise.”

Hiroshi harrumphed and gazed at the samurai.
 
“I have the ability to become invisible, and I might be able to extend it to one but not both of you.”

I can become a small cat,
Kasumi interrupted his thoughts.
 
The tiger transformed into a tiny black cat, almost invisible in the smoke and darkness.

Hiroshi nodded.
 
“You’ll have to stay close, Stormhammer, and don’t cut me with that pig-sticker.”

Pig-sticker, indeed!
 
Windspirit snorted and Akira almost laughed.

Hiroshi made odd, hypnotic gestures, and Akira felt the tingle of magic as it enveloped him.
 
He glanced down and could still see his body.
 
He frowned and glanced back at Hiroshi.
 
To his dismay, the ninja was still visible.
 
“I can see you.”

Hiroshi nodded.
 
“It’s a cloak that covers us both,” he whispered back.
 
“Kasumi won’t see us.”

I can’t see you,
Kasumi confirmed.
 
I can smell you both, though.

Mollified, Akira started ahead, only to feel the ninja’s grip on his arm.
 
“You can’t go too far from me, or you lose your invisibility.”

“How far?”

“No more than five feet.”

“It’s hard to keep that distance in a fight,” Akira grumbled.

“If you’re swinging that pig-sticker, you’ll blow our cover anyway when the demons start losing their heads.”

Akira chuckled and nodded.
 
“Good point.”

#

They walked forward, Akira leading the way, despite Hiroshi’s protestations.
 
Akira had to give credit to the ninja for bravery, but he felt that of the three, Windspirit was the most capable weapon when it came to killing oni.
 
While he was certain Kasumi could take on a demon in her tiger form, she was vulnerable as a housecat, and her transformation took precious seconds.
 
She walked beside him, her tail touching his leg with each step.

Akira stopped as they reached the intersection.
 
Before him, hundreds of troops marched toward the demon gate.
 
Many were samurai but some were demons and ashigaru.
 
He wondered how the warriors had gotten past the dragon or the other traps.
 
He glanced at Hiroshi, who nodded and stepped forward, hugging the luminescent wall to avoid the troops.

The corridor was wide enough to allow them to skirt the soldiers that marched through the cavern.
 
Akira hesitated as he saw samurai of various clans and colors, their eyes glazed as if they were unaware of their surroundings or what they did.
 
He noted that a demon led each company of samurai and ashigaru.
 
He wondered if the demon might be controlling the men and wondered, too, how Nanashi might have brought so many demons into this world without using the
Kimon.

He would have to summon them,
Windspirit said.
 
A time-consuming process, but if he was determined to have leaders for his army, summoning demons would be the way to do it.

Then why does he even bother with the Kimon?
Akira asked.

Because he wants to bring in thousands or hundreds of thousands of demons, not just a dozen or so.

The realization sent a shiver through Akira, and he stared at the men.
 
If just a few demons could do this, what would hundreds of thousands do to humans?
 
He shuddered inwardly.

As they entered the dragon’s chamber, Akira had the answer to his question about how they had gotten past the beast.

The great dragon lay dead, its broken body contorted at an odd angle suggesting that its neck had been snapped by something powerful.
 
Its fiery eyes no longer held their flame but stared, glassy, at the entrance, as though the last thing it saw was its attacker.
 
Its jaws were slightly parted, displaying its sharp and brilliantly white teeth.
 
A trickle of blood still dripped from its mouth into a widening pool of black gore.
 
Its claws were curled in tight fists as though its death had been painful.

Akira halted and stared at the beast.
 
The ryu had been a magnificent creature, and even though Tengu were natural enemies of the dragons, he felt a twinge of sadness.
 
This creature most likely never saw its attacker, let alone fought it.
 
Akira could feel the tingle of strong magic around the dead ryu.
 
Whoever used magic to attack it must be very powerful.
 
A wizard such as this could kill his enemies before they even had a chance to defend themselves.

He glanced at Hiroshi and could see the ninja was thinking the same thing.
 
He felt Kasumi rub against his ankle.
 
Nanashi doesn’t know we’re here,
she said.
 
Surprise will be our strength.

Let us hope that will be enough,
Akira thought darkly.

Chapter One Hundred Two

The corridor that led from the dragon’s chamber to the
Kimon
was filled with torchlight from both caverns.
 
Akira could hear snarling, screaming, and the clash of swords, but nothing prepared him for what he saw at the
Kimon.

The cavern seethed with samurai and warriors.
 
Tigers, leopards, and other great cats pounced on the attacking samurai and tore through the enemy’s ranks in a blur of blood and fur.
 
Men who waded out in the water screamed as the large kappa attacked and dragged them under to drown.
 
They splashed, trying to resist the strong claws of the water sprite, and one man even tried to slash at the kappa with his sword.
 
The katana glanced harmlessly off the creature’s hide, and it tore into the man, ripping his entrails out.

Neko warriors materialized along the banks and charged.
 
Some took the form of human warriors, but many were large cats.
 
The Neko warriors, both men and women, wielded their katana as viciously as Akira had seen Tengu fight.

For a moment, it looked as though the Neko were winning.
 
But then Akuma demons appeared in the middle of the fray and wielded their terrible flaming swords.
 
Cats screamed along either side of the oni as they mercilessly cut them down.
 
Neko samurai attacked, only to have the oni’s flaming swords cleave their own katana.

Akira…
 
Kasumi’s mental voice was filled with terror.

Akira took a deep breath and scanned the room.
 
The Guardian stood at the demon gate in her tiger form; her guard stood ready as well.
 
None of Nanashi’s men had reached the small island.
 
“Where’s Nanashi?
 
I thought he had to be here to open the
Kimon.
”

Hiroshi frowned.
 
“I don’t see him anywhere.
 
I just see his troops and demons.”

A lightning bolt appeared from nowhere and struck the churning water.
 
The kappa screamed and flailed as its body caught fire, and the overwhelming stench of burning kelp and frog flesh filled the room.
 
With a sudden burst of light, an old man appeared on the edge of the
Kimon
’s
island.
 
Even from this distance, Akira could see that the man was easily in his seventies with a stooped posture.
 
He wore samurai armor with red and black coloring and an oni emblazoned on the chest.
 
His black helmet had demon horns protruding from the top.

That’s Nanashi!
 
Kasumi hissed, her tail lashing furiously.

“Of course, he’s a warlock; he’d be able to turn invisible,” said Hiroshi, shaking his head.
 
“I hadn’t thought of that.”

The
Kimon
guard attacked.
 
Nanashi laughed and stretched out his arm.
 
From his fingertips issued lightning.
 
The bolts hit the tigers and threw them back, smoldering.

No!
shouted Kasumi.
 
With that, she leaped out of Hiroshi’s invisibility shield and changed into a tiger in mid leap.

“Kasumi!
 
Wait!”
 
Akira took a step forward and felt Hiroshi’s arm grip his.

“We can’t do anything against that.”
 
Hiroshi stared wide eyed at the daimyo.

“I can.”
 
Akira pulled his arm away from Hiroshi.
 
He rushed forward, following Kasumi.
 
Nanashi’s men charged him as he ran, and he swung the great no-dachi, cutting through their armored bodies as though they were rice paper.
 
Kasumi’s roar pierced the din of battle as she ripped through the warriors.

They had both made it to the water’s edge when Nanashi raised his hands against the Guardian.
 
Lightning issued from his hands and hit the Guardian as she sprang at him.

No!
Kasumi screamed and jumped into the cavern’s pool.

“Kasumi, wait!”
 
Akira was right behind her, floundering in the water.

The lightning knocked the Guardian off her feet, and she was thrown backward, hitting the supports of the gate as she did.
 
For a moment, Akira thought the Guardian was dead, but she slowly rose to her feet and shook her head.
 
Nanashi sent another barrage of lightning, knocking the Guardian back again.
 
She stood up, much to Akira’s amazement, and leaped at the evil warlord.

Fire issued from Nanashi’s fingertips and slammed into her.
 
The flames licked her, and she screamed in agony.

Akira, do something!
 
Kasumi bounded onto the
Kimon
’s
island and charged at Nanashi.

For a brief second, Akira thought she would break through his defenses.
 
Instead, he threw up a hand, and a wall of force batted Kasumi away as though she were a kitten.
 
She tumbled back into the pool.

“Kasumi!” Akira shouted, half running, half swimming to her.
 
He sheathed the no-dachi, despite the rivulets of water running out of the scabbard, and pulled her head out of the pool.
 
Kasumi twisted in his arms and changed back into human form.
 
Her beautiful body was bloodied and bruised.
 
An oozing gash ran from her ribs to hip.

“Akira-kun,” she gasped.
 
“Nanashi will open the gate, and all will be lost.”
 
She stood up and turned to the
Kimon.

Nanashi no longer faced them but held his hands up toward the demon gate, speaking in a guttural language of hisses and clicks.

Akira frowned.
 
This is it,
he thought to himself.
 
He looked at Kasumi’s battered face.
 
He glanced behind.
 
Nanashi’s samurai were overtaking the Neko and had pushed them back to the water’s edge.
 
There was nowhere for them to go.
 
He kissed Kasumi gently on the cheek.
 
“Don’t worry, Kasumi-chan.
 
I will stop him.”

Akira, what are you doing?
 
Rokuro’s voice came into his head.

“I’m doing the only thing I can, Sensei,” he whispered.
 
“Forgive me.”
 
It didn’t matter anymore whether he lived or died now.
 
If the demon gate opened, they would all be dead.
 
Becoming Tengu was meaningless now.
 
If the Tengu chose to kill him or take him back to become one of them, he could accept that, if only Kasumi lived.
 
Akira closed his eyes and summoned the spark of Tengu magic that he had buried inside himself.
 
He reached deep and felt the magic crackle around him as he called the winds together...

Nothing came.
 
Akira opened his eyes and blinked.
 
North Wind!
he demanded, trying to summon the wind kami.

“Akira-kun, what’s wrong?”
 
Kasumi looked at him.

Akira looked up at the cavern ceiling.
 
No air moved within it.
 
He frowned.
 
“I can’t use my Tengu powers, Kasumi-chan.
 
It’s like something is blocking them.”

You’re underground, Akira-san,
came Windspirit’s voice.
 
The Tengu’s domain is the forest and sky.
 
You cannot call a hurricane down here.

Akira stared at Nanashi as he continued to chant in the terrible language.
 
To his dismay, something within the torii began to swirl wildly.
 
Kasumi morphed back into her tiger form, but Akira stroked her shoulder.
 
“Stay here.”
 
And with that, he charged.