Page 62 of Night of the Dragon

My blood chilled. One side of her face was seared, the flesh blackened and weeping, her long hair burned away. She drew in a shuddering breath, as everything inside me contracted in helpless agony and rage.

“Yumeko...”

“Gomen... Tatsumi,” Yumeko whispered, clutching at my sleeve. “I’m sorry. I...I don’t think I can help you anymore. I tried...”

The ground trembled, and a shadow fell over us, the heat of foxfire making the air shimmer. I gritted my teeth and held Yumeko close as the pale form of the Ninetail loomed over us, yellow eyes shining through the darkness and smoke.

“Goodbye, little fox.” Its voice echoed with the finality of death. “I will admit, your talents are admirable. Few kitsune ever learn how to make their creations real, if but for a moment. In another life, I might have considered keeping you. But you were only a piece in a game, and I have no need for you anymore. Take solace in that, when your soul is reborn, it will be a far different world than the one you know now. Sayonara.”

“Wait!” I threw out a hand.

The kitsune flicked a tail, and Yumeko burst into flames in my arms.

Heat seared my arms, my chest, my face, but I barely felt anything as the fox girl instantly shriveled against me and turned to ash, her small body vanishing into the flames. She didn’t even make a sound. I choked, unable to move or even think, watching numbly as the kitsune-bi sputtered and died and I was left holding nothing. Nothing, except...

I blinked. A leaf, tiny and miraculously unsinged, lay in my palm, a curl of white smoke fading into the breeze. My breath caught, my heart stuttering into motion again, as behind me, the Ninetail let out a sigh that almost sounded sad.

“Now, Hakaimono,” it said, crouching down to peer at me with blazing yellow eyes. “Let us continue, with no distractions. If you wish, I will make your death as painless as I did hers.” His jaws gaped open, glowing with blue-white light. “One brief flash, and then nothing. It will be faster than the edge of a blade. The gods must be merciful, after all—”

I rose, turning to face the huge yokai. As, like a streak of lightning from above, another Tatsumi dropped from the sky and drove his sword into the Ninetail’s back.

The fox god roared, rearing up in shock, its multiple tails lashing out wildly. The demonslayer on its back burst into flames and disappeared, but I felt a ripple of fox magic from every direction, as dozens of Tatsumis and Yumekos emerged from the flames. Smiling grimly, the closest Yumeko stepped forward, chin high as she faced the monster fox.

“You are not the Harbinger,” she called. “Power and immortality does not make you a god. The Kami exist because humans worship and revere them. And as long as there is hope, we will keep fighting. The game isn’t over yet.”

She raised an arm, and the demonslayers around her charged. The Ninetail howled, sweeping fire and lightning through their ranks, incinerating demonslayers by the handful. But those that got close lashed out with Kamigoroshi, and blood streaked the monster’s fur as the blades struck home. Screaming, the Ninetail leaped into the air and came down in an explosion of foxfire that might’ve wiped out the whole army. But the Yumekos raised their hands, kitsune-bi flaring in their palms, directing the deadly flames away, sending them harmlessly into the air.

“Go, Tatsumi,” whispered a voice behind me.Hervoice. Strained and exhausted, but unmistakable. “While he doesn’t know what is real and what isn’t. End this once and for all.”

I smiled. Drawing Kamigoroshi, I turned and sprinted into the madness, weaving through flames and duplicates of myself, toward the fox who thought he could become a god. In a desperate attempt to protect himself, the Ninetail covered his whole body in flames. Kitsune-bi roared, strands of lightning crawled over his fur, and the demonslayers closest to him frayed apart, charred in an instant.

“Seigetsu!”

The shout came from the trees, from the spot I had left moments ago. The Ninetail whirled, eyes wide and furious, finding the girl standing at the edge. She, too, glowed with foxfire, shining like a torch against the night as she faced the monster across the field of battle.

“Kiyomi-sama,” I heard her say, though she was far from me and the din around us should have been deafening. “We will avenge you today. For all the years you lost, let this bring you peace.”

The Ninetail’s muzzle curled back, jaws gaping as its throat glowed blindingly bright. It stepped forward, eyes blazing, as I leaped into the air, vaulted onto its shoulders, and slashed Kamigoroshi through the neck of the fox.

The kitsune staggered. For just a moment, it stood there, jaws open, staring at Yumeko. Then, the head toppled forward, leaving its neck in a spray of blood, as the massive fox swayed on its feet and collapsed. I hit the ground and rolled, suddenly too tired to spring to my feet, as the enormous creature spasmed and bled out on the stones. Its multiple tails writhed and beat the ground in a frantic, hypnotic pattern before they, too, finally stopped moving.

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, grimacing as all the burns, bruises, cuts and lacerations I hadn’t let myself feel became loudly and painfully known. Around me, the army of demonslayers was fading, twisting into smoke and leaves that vanished on the wind. I took a deep breath, uncaring of the smoke and blood that filled my lungs, and breathed out slowly, warily letting myself believe the battle was over. That we, against a night of failure, death and catastrophe, had triumphed at last.

“Tatsumi!”

I looked up as Yumeko staggered toward me out of the smoke. Her face was covered in soot and grime, one sleeve was ripped, and blood streaked her arm and part of her robes. But her golden eyes shone with triumph and relief as she saw me and hurried forward.

I caught her as she threw herself into me, barely feeling the jolts of pain from the various hurts across my body. None of that mattered now. I was still standing, Yumeko was alive, and somehow, impossibly, we had killed the Ninetail with the power of a god.

“I can’t believe it,” Yumeko whispered. Her eyes were wide as she drew back, staring at the body of the huge fox. “We...we did it, Tatsumi. It’s really over.”

I nodded wearily. “Just one more thing to do,” I muttered. Stepping around Yumeko, I walked toward the dead Ninetail, still gripping Kamigoroshi in one hand. I felt the girl’s puzzled, worried gaze on my back, and heard her footsteps as she followed behind me.

“What do you mean?”

“The Fushi no Tama,” I said, setting my jaw for what came next. Yumeko still looked confused, and I gestured to the motionless Ninetail. “We killed its host, but the Dragon jewel is still on the body somewhere. We have to retrieve it, before...”

I fell silent, a cold knot forming in my stomach, as another Yumeko, dirty, torn and bleeding, walked around the Ninetail’s body and blinked at me.

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