Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
The twins stood beside each other in matching kitsune masks, gleaming black with golden teeth and silver whiskers.
Aki on the left.
Yuki on the right.
Or maybe Yuki on the left and Aki on the right. Tonight, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart and that made me more anxious than I allowed myself to admit.
Kaoru wore the Kuchisake. Pink hair fell past the mask's edge in long pale streaks. His charm was switched off completely. His face—what I could see of it under the slit-mouth woman—was as flat and patient as a man waiting for a train.
Yoichi had on the gold kitsune. And that damn mask had not been carved recently. It appeared older than him and me.
Older than this island.
Expressionless.
Ancient.
A little wrong in a way I had stopped trying to name as I turned from it and put my gaze on Satoshi with his Gozu mask. Iron ox-head. Satoshi held his rifle the way a priest held a holy book.
And then there was Rin.
Rin stood apart from the rest of us. One full foot of clearance on every side. His Shuten-dōji mask faced the field. His white clothing gleamed in the dark like a signal flag. His braids hung down.
Two braids tonight. Interesting.
One braid always meant Rin would fight at distance.
Vials.
Darts.
Poisoned blowpipes from cover.
What did two braids mean?
Definitely more danger.
Both braids gleamed with an unnatural sheen. Poison coated every strand. Wicked hooked blades capped each tip.
Rin has upgraded.
He must have planned to fight close. Anyone who grabbed a braid in the chaos of close-quarters combat would most likely go down.
Hard.
Fast.
In agony.
And then Rin would kill them while they were on their knees gasping.
Anyone who touched Rin’s bare skin would have the same problem.
Satoshi stood to Rin's left at exactly the correct safe distance. He had measured it with that ex-military exactness. He filed the radius and obeyed it.
Kaoru gave Rin a single nod across the dark. “Eh, don’t die tonight, man. Remember. We’ve got a couples date night coming up in a few days. My girls and your new Deja. I’ve got the best sushi restaurant to take them to with excellent karaoke.”
Rin returned the nod. “I’m excited.”
“Just don’t have Deja teaching my two sweeties anything.”
“I can’t control Deja. Without a doubt, she’ll be a bad influence.”
“Hmmm. Well. . .maybe I’ll like my ladies having me on a leash.”
“There is a joy in giving up control to a gorgeous woman.”
Some of the other Fangs chuckled.
I tested my Hannya mask, making sure it was secure on my face.
Akiro’s men would be searching for Kenji, Reo, and me in the fight, hoping to take us down for the victory.
The lollipop went sweet against the roof of my mouth.
I lifted my eyes to the field.
Just like planned, the Scales broke from their positions of defending the landing space against Akiro’s men, and ran toward us like terrified cowards.
Some stumbled. Others screamed and dropped magazines. One of them threw down his rifle and held his hands up as he sprinted past where Akiro's first wave had gathered earlier in the night. Another tripped over a tree root, rolled, and got back up, screamed, and ran harder.
Across the field, Akiro's men roared with laughter. Hundreds of them. Drunk on the sight of our Scales’ overexaggerated retreat. They fired their guns into the air and screamed out insults. A few beat their chests. Some even grabbed their crotches.
I raised my eyebrows.
Through the Namahage, Toma's voice came out muffled and dry. "I think our men may have over-sold the performance. After this war, some should definitely consider theater."
Through the Tengu mask, Kaede watched the retreat without turning his head. "Those few on the side should not have dropped their magazines.”
Reo shrugged. “I’m sure they plan to go back to them.”
Daisuke exhaled once through his nose. For Daisuke, that was a standing ovation.
The twins tilted their heads at identical angles. Aki spoke first. "Convincing."
Yuki finished. "We would have done better."
Yoichi's gold kitsune turned toward me, and as always with violence he became poetic. "Even the ocean retreats before the wave."
I rolled my eyes. "That's not a haiku."
"But it is a poetic fact." Yoichi's gold kitsune turned back forward. “How about this: Death takes the leaves."
Kaede sighed. "Please don't."
“Spring still reaches through the graves.” Yoichi ignored him. “The flowers bloom on.”
Reo nodded. “That’s quite a lovely haiku, Yoichi. Thank you.”
Yoichi bowed.
I frowned. “Please don’t congratulate him. He’ll keep on yelling out haikus through the whole battle.”
Yoichi inclined his head. “Just for that, I’ll make sure to be close to you when I do, Hiro.”
“That haiku sounded too sad to me.” Satoshi pressed a magazine into his rifle with a clean precise click. “I don’t want flowers to grow after I die. Let the whole place where I fall be barren for centuries.”
“Depressing.” Aki nodded.
“But, true,” Yuki added.
At least I can still tell them apart by their voices. Too bad we won’t be speaking that much in battle.