A short way into the forest, the little ponytailed ninja-girl threw a few sharp glances around at the trees and said bossily, “So, where are they—those ‘bruiser’ centipede youkai you were bragging about?” Crossing his arms behind his head, Shin side-eyed her. Bossy or not, she was pretty cute. Tomboyish and a little snub-nosed, maybe,

After returning to the ground, Shin stayed in his hanyou form longer than he should’ve. He’d forgotten that Kaori was a miko, as well as a ninja. He was reminded of it all of a sudden as her rosy aura hit his demonic senses like a slap in the face. Mid-leap, he phased back into

“Power, huh?” Shin said, grinning. As Kaori rolled her eyes, he asked, “So how do I fix my grip, then, sensei?” Kaori sighed, good and long. But after that, she got off her high horse and showed him how he ought to be holding his practice sword—both singled-handed and double. It felt weird at first,

Brushing off Kaori’s naysaying, Shin slung his practice sword over his shoulder and strutted past her, pacing back and forth down the trail. “First thing’s first, though,” he said, taking a swing at a passing dragonfly, “I’ve gotta help my mom find my dad. I’ve never met him before, but I know he’s really strong—he’s

Before Kaori or Shin could make a move, a pair of bandits appeared across the clearing, shouldering their way through the branches. One was skinny and greasy as an eel and the other was big and beefy as a ox. They held something brown, bloody and hoofed between them, hanging from a stick.  “…Goddamn pig

“What’re you kids doing here?” Seiichi demanded, squinting at them Jakkenishly. “You two barely look big enough t’ve left the teat.” Beside him, Daiji snickered. Smiling, Shin stepped forward to answer, before Kaori could pop off at the mouth. “Hiya—we were just playing around in the woods and got lost.” “That so?” “Uh-huh,” Shin said,

Seiichi’s skinny brows shot up. “Centipedes?” “Sounds made up to me,” Daiji grunted. “Aye,” Seiichi said narrowly. “What kind of wild lie is that?” Shit, Shin thought again. Kaori stamped her foot at being called a liar. “Great big monster centipedes,” she tried huffily to explain, but from the darkening looks on the two bandits’

Shin gaped at Kaori the tough girl, bawling her eyes out like a baby. What the… Around him the bandits looked just as caught offguard by her crying fit as he did. The two brothers shifted on their heels, glancing between themselves. Seichii scowled. Daiji scratched at his bald egg-head. “Hey, now, little girl,” he

A bald guy with no eyebrows drew up beside the bandit boss.  Shin figured this guy must be the boss’s right-hand man. He was dressed in robes like he might’ve once been a monk. He even wore a big beaded prayer necklace. Calmly and quietly, he said, “Runaways, perhaps?” The bandit boss tilted his helmeted