The Sun Prince

Ch29 P1 - The Kusanagi Strikes

Blood spurted like fireworks when Kuro reached the platform.

Ren hadn't been the only human with a complete lack of survival instinct, and thank the gods for that. The initial wave of a dozen Undesirable men and women had wrestled samurai to their knees.

But reinforcements poured out of the main keeps, swords drawn. They cut down the initial wave.

More Undesirables scaled the ladder, shoving Kuro out of the way. They jumped on samurai from behind and broke their grips. Swords clattered on the ground to be claimed by the Undesirables.

Kuro had to act quickly. The Undesirables challenged the samurai for the moment, but with the samurai's superior skills, they'd overwhelm the Undesirables soon enough.

The onmyouji and the Shogun had fled, or so Kuro hoped. Fled meant they felt intimidated. Fled meant Kuro might have a chance. Strategically retreated might be too much for Kuro. But he'd figure it out. If Yumi could plot their way into the castle, then Kuro could plot his way into regaining the Kusanagi.

The barrier held firm against the Night Parade. They hovered in place, a roil of scales and fangs and claws and black miasma. They spread like a plague toward the main keep.

So long as Yumi lived, they weren't a problem. Night would pass, dawn would break, and the Night Parade would give up. He glanced over their writhing mass to catch sight of their ghost leader, but with too many flailing limbs, it was impossible.

He searched amid the carnage in the core bailey for the Shogun, but only lower rank samurai swarmed. He hadn't retreated inside the main keep, had he?

But no, the Shogun was easy to find. All Kuro had to do was look up. The Shogun climbed out of a third floor window and hauled himself onto the tiled roof. Wind tore at him, but his ox-like build was impervious to anything less than a typhoon.

"What is he doing?" Kuro murmured to himself.

It didn't matter. Kuro had to follow him. He couldn't let the sword fall to the Night Parade either. It belonged to Ren. Kuro couldn't bring Ren's family back to life, or repair the Imperial Palace, or make Ren emperor, but he could return one thing that he'd stolen away from him.

Which meant Kuro needed to climb. He jumped off the platform and, dodging swords and fists, made his way to the main keep. He sprang back from the door as three more samurai raced out. Inside the dimly lit room, the outline of samurai roiled like the Night Parade. He couldn't use the stairs.

He backed up and ducked under a whistling arrow. In his fox form, he could jump between the layers of roof. But the keep was built to prevent humans from infiltrating it. The plaster sides offered no handholds, and even if he could climb that high, iron rods prevented him from reaching the barred windows.

"Psst, idiot fox."

Kuro jerked his head to look down to the voice. Nekogami squatted, waving one hand like a lucky cat statue.

He jogged over to her. "What do you want?"

"I saw what you did, meow."

He narrowed his eyes. "So what? I thought you were just going to watch."

"I'm not going to fight," she said. "But I couldn't help but notice how useless you are."

He bared his teeth.

"Hang on, meow." She rose to her full spirit height, turning her back to him. She flicked her hands around her buttocks, indicating for him to jump onto her back.

"I'm not going to do that," Kuro said.

"The proper response is thank you."

"You're a fifteen pound cat! You can't carry me."