Night of the Dragon

by Julie Kagawa

  “The demons and spirits will continue to pour out,” he said slowly. “The island won’t be able to contain them. After they kill everything here, they’ll move on to the mainland of the empire. As long as that gate is open, not only will the demons keep emerging, Jigoku’s taint will corrupt this entire land. The kami will die, living things will become twisted and the humans that aren’t killed will turn into demons themselves. Eventually, Ningen-kai will become another Jigoku, and O-Hakumon will likely rule them both.”

  “No, Hakaimono. That is incorrect.”

  A blast of frigid wind tugged at my sleeves and hair, as the voice echoed all around us, tangled with the storm itself. A cold, familiar voice that chilled my blood and made all the hairs on my arms stand up.

  “If O-Hakumon tries to rule this realm,” the voice continued, “he will find that it has already been claimed. This is my empire now. I will purge this land of human strife and weakness, and all will bow before their new god!”

  An enormous streak of blue-white lightning descended from the clouds, smashing into the top of the mountain overhead. I gasped, and Tatsumi pulled me close again, hunching his body over mine, as the ground shook and stones fell all around us. When the rumbles ceased, I blinked dust from my eyes and looked up, and my heart froze in terror.

  Something massive sat atop the mountain, shining against the night with an eerie glow all around it. An enormous fox, a thousand times larger than a normal kitsune, with pale fur and blazing yellow eyes. Nine huge, sweeping tails framed its lithe body, the ends tipped with crackling foxfire, swaying and writhing against the night.

  “This world,” the Great Ninetail said, his voice echoing all around us, “is corrupted. Even before the gates of Jigoku opened, humankind infested the land that once belonged to us. I have seen nothing but war, greed, bloodshed, death. Time and time again, season after season. An endless cycle. Four thousand years ago, the Harbinger granted mortals the power to change their world, and what did they wish for? Immortality. Destruction. Vengeance.” The huge Ninetail raised his face to the sky. “No longer. There will be no more wishes, no more Dragon scroll, no more humans claiming the power of a god. I will be their Harbinger. Let the new age begin.”

  “Seigetsu-sama!” I rose on trembling legs and took two steps toward the ancient kitsune, who didn’t turn his head or even twitch an ear in my direction. “Please,” I called, wondering if he would hear me, if the tiny, impassioned words of a mere fox would even register, “I’m begging you—close the gates of Jigoku. Don’t let everyone here die. Why would you want to rule a land overrun with demons?”

  His muzzle lowered, and I was suddenly pinned in the terrible gaze of a god, who stared at me a moment before throwing back his head with a laugh. The terrible sound made the clouds swirl overhead and caused lightning to flicker all around us, as the Ninetail’s voice shivered through the storm.

  “Even if I could,” he said at last, giving me a hard stare. “I would not. Do you think I am the Dragon, who will grant whatever you wish if called upon?” His lip curled, showing a flash of shining fangs. “Mortals brought this catastrophe upon themselves. Let them reap the consequences of their greed. I am a god—demons and the spawn of Jigoku are of no importance to me now. Except for one.”

  His eyes shifted, the burning golden gaze landing on Tatsumi, who had leaped to his feet beside me. “It is time, Hakaimono,” he growled. “Time for you to return to the sword for eternity. I will not allow the Godslayer to claim one more life. If I must bury it in the deepest ocean or in the center of the earth, Kamigoroshi’s shadow will never darken this realm again!”

  The Ninetail’s expression changed, becoming savage and terrifying. A lethal madness entered his eyes as his muzzle curled back from his fangs, and the inside of his mouth began to glow a brilliant blue-white.

  A huge fireball shot toward us, streaking like a comet from the Ninetail’s jaws, searing the air and growing larger with every second. Tatsumi grabbed me and leaped off the ledge as the flaming sphere struck the ground behind us and exploded with a roar of kitsune-bi. We plummeted down the mountain, Tatsumi springing off ledges and jutting rocks, until we landed atop a lower cliff overlooking the valley. Around us, the land was flat and rocky, a large semicircle of open ground seemingly carved out of the mountain, with clusters of pine and bramble growing along the edge of the walls, forming a ring of shadows and vegetation. The center area seemed frighteningly open, not a lot of cover to fight an enormous, fire-breathing fox god. But if we hid in the shelter of the trees, would he just set the whole forest ablaze?

  Tatsumi released me and drew Kamigoroshi, gazing up at the rising cliffs behind us. “Hide,” he told me, eyes narrowed to glowing slits. “Get out of sight, Yumeko. He’s coming.”

  I glanced desperately around and spotted the nearest cluster of pine in the shadow of the mountain, the branches thick and cloaked in darkness. “I’m not leaving,” I told him, taking a step back. “I’m fighting, too. But...”

  “I know.” Tatsumi nodded. “Work your fox magic. I’ll keep him distracted for as long as I can. Maybe it will be enough to fool a kitsune who thinks he’s a god.”

  Fear knotted my insides, but I refused to think on it. “Be careful, Tatsumi,” I whispered.

  I started to draw away, but Tatsumi pulled me close and kissed me, quick and fierce, making my senses stand straight up. “In case I meet Daisuke’s glorious death,” he murmured as we pulled back. And though he still wore a faint smile, his eyes were shadowed. Resigned. “Thank you, Yumeko. For everything.”

  I swallowed the sob in my throat. “We’ll win this,” I whispered. “We have to beat him, Tatsumi. For Kiyomi-sama. For the Dragon, the kami and all our friends who brought us this far. This ends tonight.”

  “One way or another,” Tatsumi agreed.

  A chilling howl echoed over the storm, and dozens of lightning strands seared the sky, flickering over the valley. I broke from Tatsumi and sprinted toward the trees, darting behind a trunk as with a roar, an enormous ninetailed fox landed at the edge of the cliff and turned toward us, cold triumph in its golden eyes.

  27

  The Fox Who Would Be a God

  TATSUMI

  I drew Kamigoroshi and faced the creature looming over me. A ninetailed fox, the most dangerous of yokai, imbued with the power of a god. Its tails writhed behind it, snapping with foxfire, and its yellow gaze was fixed on me as it took one terrifying step forward, jaws open to reveal a maw of shining fangs.

  My blood surged, and I raised Kamigoroshi, backing away from the huge creature. I knew why it wanted me dead. The reason lay curled around the pit to Jigoku: the immortal Kami that had been slain. If Kamigoroshi could kill the Great Dragon, it could also slay a ninetail, even one who was immortal.

  It had already killed one god tonight. I would just have to kill another.

  The Ninetail didn’t bother with words. There was no mocking laughter or announcements that I was doomed. The kitsune’s open jaws released a blast of blistering foxfire that scorched the air as it surged toward me. I dodged the first wave, dove away from the second and ducked behind a rock as fire seared the boulder and caused the nearby trees to crumble to ash. I felt the intense heat in the rock behind me, saw tongues of blue flame curl around the edges of the boulder and gripped my sword as the Ninetail came forward, its steps making the earth tremble.

  I felt a presence beside me and glanced back into the face of a second Tatsumi, who gave a grim smile and raised his weapon. For just a moment I was startled, until I realized Yumeko was working her magic. I nodded, and the false Tatsumi darted from cover, dodging the blast of fire that ignited the trees behind him.

  I paused a heartbeat, then did the same, seeing the illusion disappear in a blast of foxfire. In that split second of distraction, I leaped at the monstrous Ninetail with a snarl, blade sweeping toward its neck, figuring even a god would die if Kamig
oroshi severed its head from its body.

  One of the kitsune’s tails lashed out, slamming me from the air. Pain seared half my body as white-hot foxfire scorched my skin. My demon half was used to the fires of Jigoku, and even in human form I tolerated heat better than most mortals, but the flames of the Ninetail defied belief. I struck the ground, and as I did, my body seemed to fracture into dozens of Tatsumis, tumbling through the dirt to either side.

  Yumeko. Though there was no time to marvel at the kitsune’s distractions, or what her ultimate plan was. If she even had one. I pushed myself to my feet, gripping my sword and seeing the small army of myself do the same. I didn’t know where Yumeko was or how she was doing this, but there had to be at least a few dozen duplicates of myself that had suddenly joined the battle. Raising multiple Kamigoroshis, they began to surround the huge Ninetail, who watched them without concern.

  “Daughter,” it said, sounding unimpressed, “I have lived a thousand lifetimes. I have watched clans rise and crumble. I have seen the birth of forests and the death of stars. I have created my own kingdoms and filled them with servants, lovers and enemies. Do you really think you can defeat me with simple tricks?”

  It waved a single tail, and half of the duplicates surrounding it burst into flame, consumed in an instant. But the other half sprang forward, rushing the Ninetail with Kamigoroshi blazing a sickly purple as they swarmed their enemy.

  I lunged forward as well, hoping the images would do their job and distract the Ninetail long enough for me to get close. The kitsune snorted, shaking its head in contempt, and casually swiped a tail toward the illusions. Another half of the crowd went up in flames, fraying apart and turning into smoke as kitsune-bi consumed them. I gritted my teeth and charged the monster, seeing the few duplicates left do the same, as the huge Ninetail chuckled.

  “You insult me, little fox,” it said, leaping gracefully back. “Sending these false demonslayers to distract and confuse. As if I have not used such tactics a thousand times before. As if I do not know the difference between what is real and what is not.”

  Turning from the illusions, it looked right at me with blazing yellow eyes. I had a split second to realize it knew I was real before the kitsune lunged, a blur of silver against the dark, and a huge paw slammed into me, pinning me to the ground. I felt the breath leave my lungs in a gasp, and curved black claws dug into my chest as the monster fox loomed over me, tails writhing madly behind it.

  “Sayonara, Hakaimono,” the Ninetail said, and its mouth began to glow blindingly bright. I braced myself for the blast of foxfire that would char me to ash, when one of the duplicate Tatsumis leaped into the air and brought Kamigoroshi slashing across the monster’s neck.

  Blood, bright and vivid, erupted from the white fur, and the Ninetail screamed. Jerking back, it stared wildly at the illusion, golden eyes wide with disbelief and shock. I blinked in shock as well, watching a stain of crimson spread through the pale fur, dripping to the ground. Real blood. Not an illusion.

  Utterly bewildered, I glanced at the other Tatsumi, who gave the equally stunned Ninetail a grim smile.

  “You may be a god,” he said, and rippled into Yumeko with a swirl of white smoke, making my heart stutter. A bloody tanto was clutched in her hand, and she glared up at the monster in defiance. “But you can still bleed.”

  With a snarl, the Ninetail lunged, covering the space between them in a blink. Before I could move, its deadly jaws opened, snatched the girl up and shook her like a rabbit in the teeth of a hound. Yumeko screamed as her body was torn apart, before she exploded into a cloud of smoke that writhed from the monster’s fangs and vanished on the wind.

  My heart lurched into motion again. The monster fox straightened, tails writhing menacingly behind it as it gazed around. “You cannot hide forever, daughter.”

  “I learned a lot from you.” Yumeko’s voice still echoed around us, from the tongues of foxfire crawling over the ground, from the trees and the rocks and the very mountain overhead. “Never be where your enemy expects. Let them chase shadows, like reflections in a pond. Make it so they don’t know what is real and what is not. But there was one trick you didn’t tell me, something you always kept back. It’s all right, though. I figured it out.”

  The branches rustled, and dozens of Tatsumis strode from the trees, a small army of demonslayers with glowing eyes and swords. As one, they came forward, not speaking, their faces grim as they converged on the massive fox. Melting into the throng, I felt a chill slide up my back as dozens of versions of myself surrounded me. I had seen Yumeko’s magic many times before. Her illusions were always lifelike, a perfect image of reality, but these seemed different somehow.

  “Your illusions.” The voice of the Ninetail sounded reluctantly impressed and...could it be...afraid? “They are...real.”

  With unified battle cries, the swarm of Tatsumis around me attacked. Instantly, the giant fox reared up, multiple tails waving, and howled. Its powerful voice rose into the air, swirling the clouds overhead, and lightning fell from the sky like rain. Flickering white strands seared into the ground, and dozens of Tatsumis frayed apart, becoming tendrils of smoke on the wind. One of the bolts hit a pine next to me, and the trunk exploded in splinters and flames, sending me tumbling to the ground.

  Wincing, I pushed myself upright, intending to rejoin the battle, when a soft whistle made me stop. I glanced over to see another Tatsumi shake his head, putting a finger to his lips as he drew back into the trees. Setting my jaw, I stepped back and crouched behind a boulder, reluctant to hide but knowing Yumeko had a plan. The kitsune knew what she was doing, and I would trust her.

  With a roar, the huge Ninetail landed in the midst of the remaining Tatsumis, tails and claws flashing as it scythed through them like paper. Leaves scattered to the wind, wisps of smoke dissolving around them, as the fox destroyed the army of demonslayers in an instant. But even as they were incinerated, the branches rustled, and even more emerged from the trees on the far side of the battlefield, filling the air with fox magic.

  “Enough.”

  The Ninetail shook its head, rising to its full impressive height. “I weary of these games,” it announced, glancing at the new mob of demonslayers walking toward it. “I wished only to kill the demonslayer and bury Kamigoroshi where none would ever find it. These tricks are amusing, but I have seen them before. And I know better than to continuously chase shadows.” It looked at the trees beyond the army of demonslayers, narrowing its eyes. “I can feel you, little fox,” it said quietly. “If one wants to destroy the hornet’s nest, one does not waste time with drones. You take out the queen.”

  Its tails writhed madly, igniting with kitsune-bi at the tips, before it sent a storm of foxfire into the trees. Flames roared as ancient pines were consumed, turning to ash. Trunks snapped, trees curled and blackened in the heat, and embers swirled into the air, as an entire swath of forest became an inferno of blue-white flames. The army of Tatsumis jerked up, shuddering, and seemed to lose form, crumpling to the ground before dissolving into mist. I tensed, ready to spring from cover and charge the Ninetail, but a rock struck the trunk by my head, startling me. The other Tatsumi, crouched a few feet away, shook his head emphatically and mouthed a firm command. Not yet.

  A scream drifted over the roar of the fire, making my stomach clench. Heart in my throat, I looked back to see a figure stagger from the flames, coughing and hunched over. Her long hair was scorched away, smoke curled from her body, and I could see the skin of one arm blackened and charred. Heart in my throat, I watched Yumeko stagger, then fall to her knees, gasping and surrounded by her fading army, as the Ninetail loomed over her. The monster fox was no longer smiling.

  “I win,” it said quietly, and waved a tail. Immediately, Yumeko burst into flames, blue-white foxfire consuming her body. She screamed, jerking up as she vanished in the conflagration, and shriveled into a blackened husk before crumbling to ash
.

  I dug my fingers into the tree, reminding myself that wasn’t her. It couldn’t be the real her. If it was, there was no way the other Tatsumi could still be here, a few feet from me. I glanced back at the image, saw him wink, and my heart unclenched a little.

  “All right,” he began, “while he’s distracted...”

  I rose, but abruptly the other Tatsumi jerked up as a fireball streaked from the air and slammed into his chest. Ignited instantly, he fell back with a cry, writhing on the stones as foxfire roared around him, and my blood froze as her familiar voice tore through me.

  “No!”

  Forgetting everything else, I rushed to her side, falling to my knees in the dirt. Yumeko lay curled on the ground, the illusion faded, tongues of foxfire still flickering over her robes. I smothered the flames and gently pulled her to me, turning her face to the light.

  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.”