Page 69 of Shadow of the Fox

“And if that happens?”

“I will lose control, and the Kage will be forced to put me down.”

Master Iemon nodded. “You know this,” he said harshly. “You know you must always work alone. Humans will only tempt you, distract you, and worse, they will bring out the emotions we have spent a lifetime teaching you to suppress. The Kage demonslayer mustnevergive in to anger, fear, frustration or grief. Feeling anything only brings Hakaimono closer to the surface, and if you lose control of the sword, that will bring great shame and dishonor to the Kage, as we must clean up the mess you left behind.”

“I understand, Master Iemon. But—”

“But?” The majutsushi hissed, “There is nobut, no excuse. You are nothing, demonslayer. You exist only to serve the Kage. Your personal feelings mean nothing, because you should not have them.” He straightened and stepped back, appraising me. “It appears that the Kage demonslayer’s resolve is slipping. Perhaps a reevaluation of the subject’s mental state is necessary.”

Rage filled me, and I fought the urge to draw Kamigoroshi and cut my way free, knowing Iemon was watching my reaction. Reevaluation meant days of mental and physical stress to determine if I could remain in control. It meant being shackled to a pair of stone pillars and beaten with bamboo rods, to see if I would lose myself to the demon. It meant plunging my hand into a bed of hot coals to prove I would follow orders at any cost, or kneeling motionless before a wooden target while fellow shinobi hurled shuriken and kunai past my face.

But, with Iemon and the rest of the majutsushi watching, judging my reaction, there was only one acceptable answer. Bowing low at the waist, I cast my gaze to the floor, feeling Iemon’s eyes on the back of my neck. “My life and my body belong to the Shadow Clan,” I murmured, as Hakaimono recoiled in angry disgust. “If this is what the Kage requires of me, I will submit.”

“No, Tatsumi-kun,” came a new voice behind me. “Not this time.”

“Masao-san!” Iemon exclaimed, as the courtier sauntered into the hallway. Clad in a flowing kimono of purple silk, a spray of golden bamboo covering one side, he stood out among the stark black robes of the majutsushi. The pair that had been flanking Iemon backed away, but the lead majutsushi stood firm as Kage Masao’s presence filled the corridor like a swan stretching its wings.

“Good evening, Master Iemon,” Masao greeted. “Please forgive the interruption, but I’m afraid I must intervene. The demonslayer will come with me.”

Iemon’s black lips thinned. “The demonslayer is under our watch,” the majutsushi argued, as Masao regarded him lazily from behind his white silk fan. “We are responsible for determining if he is a danger to himself and the citizens of Iwagoto.”

“Tatsumi-kun is on a very important mission for Lady Hanshou herself.” Masao snapped his fan shut and smiled at the glowering majutsushi. “He does not have time to be dragged away and tormented by your cadre of ghouls.” Iemon stiffened, but the courtier’s smile didn’t falter. “Worry not, Iemon-san. If he loses control and eats someone, I will assume full responsibility.”

“Very well.” The majutsushi stepped back, a sour look on his face. Victory went to the courtier, and I took a quiet breath of relief. “Then we leave him in yourcapablehands, Masao-san. I am certain you will know what to do if Hakaimono makes an appearance.” He smirked, his expression saying the exact opposite, as if he was hoping I would lose control and rip the courtier to shreds, but Masao only nodded serenely.

“Oh, you flatter me, Master Iemon.” The courtier fluttered his fan again, a faint blush tingeing his cheeks. “I am not worthy of such praise. Besides, with your excellent training and guidance, I am sure to be in no danger. Tatsumi-kun has had the most thorough upbringing, I am certain. And if the boy does lose control, Lady Hanshou would certainly not blame the death of her most trusted advisor onyou. She is, of course, the kindest and most benevolent of rulers, and her punishments for those who disappoint her are reserved for only the vilest of failures.”

Behind his makeup, Iemon went slightly pale. “Yes. Well.” He backed away, suddenly eager to be gone. “We will take our leave, then. Good evening, Masao-san.”

“And to you, Iemon-san.”

As the majutsushi turned and drifted away down the corridor, Masao’s pleasant smile turned faintly savage, and he closed his fan. “Keep to your magic and manipulating the kami, Iemon-san,” he said in a quiet voice. “Don’t attempt to play the game of the court with a master.”

Tucking the fan into his obi, he looked at me, and the vicious mask disappeared, as if it had never been. “Tatsumi-kun,” he said brightly. “So sorry to keep you waiting. Will you walk with me for a bit?”

We started down the hallway, moving in the opposite direction Iemon and the rest of the majutsushi had gone. I was glad to be rid of Iemon and the three majutsushi, but strangely enough, being in the presence of Kage Masao felt just as unnerving, as if there were live vipers hidden beneath his robes, though I didn’t know why.

“I understand that the Silent Winds temple had been destroyed when you got there,” Masao commented after a minute or two of walking.

“Yes, Master Masao,” I replied. “Amanjaku had killed everyone, and the scroll was already gone. There were reports of an oni, but I didn’t see it.”

“Demons,” Masao mused, sounding grim. “So, Jomei was right. A mortal is summoning them from Jigoku, which means they’re likely after the scroll, as well. Lady Hanshou will not be pleased.” He sighed and gave me a sideways look. “This girl you’ve taken up with, who is giving Iemon a heart attack. Who is she?”

“The only survivor from the temple,” I told him. “She claims her master told her where he sent the scroll, but not how to get there. That’s why we came to the capital—there is someone here who knows where this hidden temple is located. I promised to escort her there once she has the information.”

“I see.” Masao gave no indication of what he thought of this. “And do you trust this girl?”

“I...” I paused.Trust no one, that was Master Ichiro’s number one rule.Believe nothing but what your senses tell you, he would always warn.Humans manipulate. Yokai deceive. Everything has ulterior motives, and the second you let your guard down, they will slit your throat from behind.

I’d heeded his warning, of course. Everything, everyone I met, was looking to kill, harm or manipulate me in some fashion. That assumption had saved my life on more than one occasion, when the sobbing child at the river had lunged at me with bared fangs, and the frightened woman in the alley had attempted to strangle me with her hair.

But Yumeko... It was strange, and possibly dangerous, but I felt...almost comfortable around her. Or, at least, I didn’t believe she would try to stab me the moment I let down my guard. Master Ichiro would flay the skin from my back if he discovered I was having such thoughts, but Yumeko was different, genuinely curious and unassuming. She had saved my life, she didn’t demand anything of me and she was the first person to ever touch me without inflicting pain.

“I trust she will take me to where the scroll is,” I told the courtier. “I trust she will do everything in her power to get there.”

“Good.” Masao nodded. “Continue to aid her, then. Protect the girl from the demons and blood mages that might try to stop you. Do whatever it takes to ensure your mission is a success. And the moment she leads you to the scroll and you have it in your possession, kill her.”

A cold lance went through my stomach, but I nodded once, keeping my voice impassive. “Understood.”

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