Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Tall, thin, and dressed in a wrinkled gray-striped yukata, Ryuichi’s master, Koichi, stood before the black urn he’d purchased from a peddler who’d shown up at their campsite not long after dawn.
Ryuichi was naturally skeptical of strangers who seemed to appear out of nowhere, pushing a cart of magical items at the first sign of morning light. Given how many yōkai wanted to kill him, he was a bit more cautious than the average person.
Perhaps his master should be too.
But given the gleam in Koichi’s dark eyes, Ryuichi suspected there was much more to this impulsive purchase. “Go ahead, boy. Touch it.”
Ryuichi stared at him in disbelief. While he was supposed to trust his master and do as he was told, he also knew the man had a nasty tendency to toss his pupils into the fire to teach them lessons they didn’t always want to learn.
And while the black urn seemed harmless enough . . .
Ryuichi was certain this was one of those times, especially given the words inscribed on the side of the urn.
“Um, Sensei, I think it’s called the Soul-Destroying Urn of Darkness for a good reason.” He leaned in closer to double-check the letters carved into the metal, and he was definitely reading it correctly. “Handling it might not be the best idea for someone who has a soul they’d rather keep.”
Ryuichi was still healing from the enormous battle he had fought against his father, the feared demon-god Ryukage. Ryuichi had won the brutal showdown, but he was still banished from his former school for making poor choices he’d rather not remember.
Making another mistake was not the least bit appealing to him.
“Why are you hesitating?” Koichi asked.
Ryuichi paused to come up with a good answer that his master couldn’t refute, but his thoughts went to Koichi instead. He was a disheveled older man who could look like a proper gentleman—if one squinted in the dark.
Based on that, and on his ronin status, most people discounted him immediately.
But Ryuichi knew that was a terrible mistake. For all his flaws and foibles, Master Koichi was the greatest swordsman and survivalist Ryuichi had ever met.
Maybe even the greatest samurai of their age.
But the heinousness of war had left its mark on Ryuichi’s master. Not just with the scars on Koichi’s body. Those wounds had healed.
It was the scars on Koichi’s heart and soul that haunted him eternally. Ryuichi assumed that was why Koichi was a harsh taskmaster at times. He wanted to protect his pupils from a world that was intent on destroying them.
Even so, Ryuichi loved his teacher. He really did, but the truth was, some days it was harder to love Koichi than others.
This was truly one of those hard-to-love days.
“Because my instincts are telling me the consequences could be grave,” Ryuichi finally said. “The writing on the urn agrees with me.”
Koichi narrowed his dark gaze on his student. “That is fear talking, not instinct. I bought this urn as a test for you. You can’t pass unless you show courage.” He pointed at the words. “Put your hand right there and use your powers to crush it.”
Ryuichi let out a nervous laugh before he did something that was exceptionally reckless given Koichi’s volatile personality.
He walked away.
Tsking, Koichi pulled a small bottle of sake from his side and took a drink. “Coward,” he muttered.
“To see what is right and not do it is cowardice,” Ryuichi said, recalling one of his favorite Confucius quotes. Then he added his own for good measure. “Refusing to do something stupid is wise.”
Koichi rolled his eyes at him.
A glimmering cloud appeared out of thin air, announcing the arrival of Ryuichi’s protector, Masaru. Dressed in all black, but with fox-like features, he was more like a ninja than a famed kitsune yōkai.
With a clever smirk, he bowed to Ryuichi. “Is Sensei bothering you again? Want me to tear his head off?”
Ryuichi wasn’t quite sure if Masaru was joking or not. Given the yōkai’s violent temperament, it could very well have been a genuine offer. “I think Koichi would rather keep his head. Besides, I’m the one bothering him. I should be more respectful.”
The truth was, Ryuichi should show Koichi more respect. Koichi was the closest thing he’d ever had to a real father, and despite their differences, he did want to honor his teacher.
For that matter, Ryuichi had come to rely on and care for his entire motley adoptive family, who had been banished along with him.
Together, they were searching for a new school where Ryuichi could hone his talents and skills.
But that wouldn’t be easy, as any school would probably hold his past against him.
Ryuichi was related to some rather powerful gods who had a history of performing evil deeds in this world, including tearing down Ryuichi’s former school and killing many people in the process.
Not to mention Ryuichi’s own missteps, which would always follow him—unless he set things right somehow.
Masaru noticed the urn and nudged Ryuichi. “So, what were you two doing with this thing?”
“Nothing,” Koichi said in a disappointed tone. “The merchant said this urn was haunted, so I bought it for Ryuichi as a challenge. Sadly, Ryuichi won’t be bothered.”
“Aw, you won’t play with your toy. How sad,” Masaru teased Ryuichi.
The funny thing was, that’s why Ryuichi wanted to avoid the urn. He didn’t want to play with whatever dangers might lurk within it. He had accidentally harmed the human realm before. Why would he risk doing that again?
Masaru took a closer look at the urn, examining it with a penetrating stare and several sniffs with his highly sensitive nose. “I can smell the dark energy coming from it, Koichi. You should have left this alone.”
“Should we throw it away?” Ryuichi asked.
“No! You don’t discard evil like its trash. You either contain it or destroy it.”
Masaru was Ryuichi’s guide in all things supernatural. As an inari, he knew more than most about the divine and sacred parts of the spirit realm.
Which is why Ryuichi was surprised when Masaru snatched it up and tossed it to Koichi, who caught it out of habit.
Ryuichi’s eyes widened as his master cursed, then dropped the urn straight to the ground. It jolted around like something was locked inside it and trying to escape. Then it popped up and righted itself.
Koichi growled at him. “Are you insane?”
“All the time.” Masaru winked at Ryuichi. “I have no soul for it to take. Figured yours is so corrupt the urn wouldn’t want it. Looks like I was right.”
The elegant black-leather outfit Masaru wore was a complete contrast to Koichi’s tattered and frayed yukata. The black-haired fox was as cunning as he was aloof, but he was still deserving of admiration.
Ryuichi had no idea why Masaru had ever agreed to protect him. After all, his life was very complicated and dangerous.
He glanced over at Masaru. “So do you think we could destroy it?”
Masaru gave Ryuichi a cold stare. “I think we just got your soul back. Maybe we shouldn’t chance losing it again so soon, eh?”
“Then again, we got it back once. We should be able to do so again.” Koichi grinned.
Koichi’s cavalier attitude made Ryuichi uneasy. He wasn’t prepared to risk his soul. Besides, he still wasn’t even in one piece. Had everyone forgotten that but him?
“Maybe we could try reuniting me with my shadow before we do anything else.” Ryuichi gestured over his shoulder, where said shadow had just appeared without warning.
Silently, Ryuichi-kage watched them, like he was plotting something devious. Not too long ago, he had been divided from Ryuichi by Masaru and offered up to Ryukage as Ryuichi’s replacement in the demon nether realm.
But Masaru’s trick had dangerously backfired, and it had nearly killed them all.
In the end, Ryuichi had learned an important lesson: Shadows know your darkest secrets, and it’s imperative to keep them attached to your body.
Thankfully, Ryuichi-kage wasn’t nearly as cold and ruthless as he had been when they were first separated.
But that didn’t mean that anyone fully trusted the shadow twin.
Masaru nodded at Koichi. “Kid has a point. Living separate from your shadow makes you vulnerable.”
Koichi’s gaze went to Ryuichi-kage. He put a hand on his sheath and stared down the boy’s shadow. “Which is why we’re always watching your every move.”
Ryuichi saw Ryuichi-kage take a defensive posture, as if his shadow self was expecting Ryuichi’s protectors to come after him. But before anyone could move, Ryuichi’s other kitsune guardian, Keiko, approached in her human form—an older woman with a sharp tongue.
“Breakfast is almost . . .” She paused mid-sentence as she saw the cursed urn on the ground. Her eyes flared. “Is that what I think it is?”
The shrill tone of her voice made Ryuichi cringe.
Unlike the men, who were often amused whenever he fell into a dangerous abyss, Keiko had absolutely no measurable sense of humor about Ryuichi’s safety.
Which made his male guardians suddenly very nervous as they glanced around, playing a game of “this isn’t what it looks like” with her so they didn’t end up tied to trees for the rest of eternity . . .
Or something worse.
In spite of his usual sense of self-preservation, Masaru was the only one foolish enough to speak. “I can explain.”
Keiko stood in front of Ryuichi with her hands on her hips, attempting to shield him.
“Don’t you even try your lies on me! What is wrong with you all?
What if Ryuichi got hurt? What if we lost him?
Can you imagine? What would you do if his goddess mother was here and saw this travesty?
The entire world order depends on this precious boy.
He’s the only one who can close the gate to the nether realm.
Do you ever think with those brains of yours? ”
Ryuichi was a bit embarrassed by Keiko’s display of concern. Yes, he owed her so much for taking care of him all these years, but couldn’t she see he was no longer the weakling child she swore to protect?
“I’m fine, Keiko-san. Koichi was only trying to—”
She turned around and gave him a bone-crushing hug. Then she looked up at him with teary eyes.
“You’re not hurt, are you? If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive them. Did that foolish Masaru put you up to this? It was him, wasn’t it? Tell me the truth.”
Koichi nodded immediately. “Yes, it was him. He did it. He has no regard for Ryuichi’s safety at all. Bad, Masaru!”
Masaru gaped. “I’m going to kill you, traitor.”
Before Masaru had a chance to make good on that threat, a loud scream echoed in the woods.
It sounded like someone was being murdered.