Page 50 of Night of the Dragon

“Okame,” he whispered, as the fox girl caught sight of the blade as well and gasped, her hands going to her mouth. Suki, floating helplessly above them, could only watch the scene unfold, seeing the devastation on Daisuke’s face as the ronin slumped against him. The noble raised a trembling hand, hesitated and curled his long fingers around the hilt of the knife.

“Forgive me,” he whispered, and yanked the blade free. The ronin immediately gave a howl of pain that seemed to cut through Daisuke like an arrow; the noble winced, pressing his forehead to the ronin’s, as if trying to take the hurt onto himself.

“Kuso,” the other gritted out, his voice tight with pain. “I wasn’t paying attention.” One hand clutched the front of Daisuke’s robes as the noble gazed down at him, stricken. “Don’t...focus on me, peacock,” the ronin gasped. “That demon bitch is still out there—”

Daisuke’s gaze shot up, his eyes hard and lethal. In a blinding motion, he drew his sword and slashed it through the air over Okame. There was a clang of metal on metal, and another black knife went hurling end over end to clatter against the rocks.

The demonslayer drew his blade in a flare of purple fire, as low, mocking laughter echoed behind them. Suki turned as another streak of lightning threaded the sky, outlining the monstrous figure that appeared on a jutting wedge of rock, grinning down at them.

“Predictable,” the demon announced. His wild crimson hair snapped in the wind, horns curled from his brow, a curved obsidian blade clutched in one claw. “Predictable, and foolish. Did you really think Genno would leave this pass unguarded?”

“Rasetsu.” The demonslayer stepped forward, his blade flickering in his hand. “So you’re the final obstacle, are you?” He gave a humorless smile, eyes glowing red, and raised his weapon. “I’m not trapped in a binding circle this time—you won’t be able to run me through so easily. Come on, then,” he challenged, baring his fangs. “If Genno is on the other side, I guess I’ll have to carve a path right through you.”

“No.”

Daisuke raised his head, his voice and eyes hard. Gently, he lay the ronin against the rock wall and stood, his hair billowing around him, to face the half-oni.

“There is no time, Kage-san,” he said. “We have come to the end of the road, and the objective is mere steps away. Take Yumeko-san and continue. I will stay and deal with the demon.”

“Taiyo.” The demonslayer glanced at him, his voice was full of warning. “This isn’t a normal demon. His name is Rasetsu, the second oni general of Jigoku. I don’t know the type of bargain he’s made with Genno, or why he’s suddenly sharing a body with a human, but Rasetsu is on the same level as Akumu and Yaburama. You won’t be able to beat him.”

Suki trembled, but Daisuke only gave a faint smile. “Then the duel I have longed for is finally here,” he stated calmly.

“Daisuke-san...” The fox girl stepped forward, eyes pleading. “Please. We’ve come so far, and Genno is so close. We can’t stop now.”

“That is exactly why I must stay, Yumeko-san,” the noble replied. “It was never my fate to face the Master of Demons and stop the Wish. That destiny is yours. Okame and I have brought you as far as we could. Now let us protect you and Kage-san one last time.”

“He’s right, Yumeko-chan,” added the ronin, his voice tight with pain. He tried shifting to another position against the rock but slumped back, clenching his teeth. The stone behind him was smeared with red. “Kuso. My fight is done, and there’s no time left. You two go on, stop Genno. That’s all that matters now.”

“Okame-san.” Yumeko’s voice shook, on the verge of tears. “What if we never see you again?”

“Hey.” The ronin gave a tired smile. “Don’t think like that, Yumeko-chan. We’ll see each other again. Just make sure you beat Genno so we can all drink to our victory tonight. And if I’m not there, pour out a bottle for me.”

“Arigatou, Yumeko-san,” Daisuke said. Looking from her to the demonslayer, a beautiful smile crossed his face. “For letting me be a part of your journey. For helping me to push beyond what I thought I could do. Kage-san, my only regret is that we never completed our duel, but I was proud to fight at your side. I count our time as friends a far greater accomplishment than all my victories as Oni no Mikoto.” He lifted his sword before him in a final salute. “Good luck to you both. It has been an honor.”

“All right, I’m bored with this.” The Second Oni leaped into the air and came down with a crash a few paces away, brandishing his sword as he rose. “I don’t know why you mortals have to talk so much before you die!”

With a roar that made the ground shake, he lunged at the kitsune.

Both demonslayer and noble leaped forward, intercepting the monstrous demon as it came in. The oni’s black sword flashed up, screeching off and deflecting both blades as the monster spun with shocking grace and kicked the demonslayer in the head with a heel, knocking him aside. The demonslayer tumbled over the rocks and bounced upright with a snarl, tensing to leap in again, but Daisuke’s voice rang out, halting him.

“Leave us!” The noble’s voice was hard, even as he desperately parried a blow from the red-haired demon that sent him stumbling back. “This isn’t your fight any longer, Kage-san! Stop Genno, stop the Summoning, that is all that matters now.”

“Go, Yumeko-chan!” added the ronin leaning against the stones, his voice rough. “Get out of here. We’ll be fine.”

The demonslayer hesitated, clearly torn between leaving and springing into the fray again. But then he set his jaw and turned, holding out a hand to the fox girl.

“Yumeko, hurry.”

The kitsune sobbed, clenching her fists. But she turned and sprinted to where the demonslayer waited, and together they started up the narrow path. Toward the distant peak and the clouds swirling overhead.

But as they turned away, a dark figure appeared on the rocks overhead, braid swinging behind her, and raised an arm, a glittering knife between her fingers. Suki started to cry out a warning, but with a streak of darkness, an arrow flew out of nowhere, striking the demon in the back. She screamed and toppled off the stones, and Suki whirled to see the ronin, bow in hand, smiling grimly as he lowered the weapon.

“Don’t count me out just yet,” Suki heard him mutter. Nearby, Daisuke’s sword flashed, sparking off the oni’s blade as the two circled each other in their lethal dance. The oni didn’t notice or seem to care about the two bodies vanishing up the mountain, so Suki watched as the kitsune and the demonslayer drew farther and farther away and trembled, feeling as if her ghostly body were being ripped in two. Genno was up that trail. The fate of the empire hung on whether the kitsune and her demonslayer could reach him in time.

And yet...

Daisuke-sama.Suki turned, her gaze falling on the noble in his desperate battle, knowing she could not leave him. She watched as he nimbly avoided the oni’s savage blows, the obsidian blade barely missing him as he whirled and parried, his own sword a blur. But the oni, too, deftly avoided or parried Daisuke’s weapon, and the screech of steel against steel echoed off the rocks. The monster appeared to be enjoying himself, grinning viciously as he battered and cut at the swordsman, using not only his blade, but his claws, horns and feet to strike blow after blow, barely giving the other a chance to breathe. But...and Suki felt a flutter of amazement...Daisuke-sama was smiling, too, his eyes bright and intense as he danced around his enemy.

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