Still, Masaru refused his call for help. Useless! How was he supposed to rely on him in battle when the beast only showed up whenever he felt like it, and not when Ryuichi needed him?

For that matter, where were Kasumi and Keiko? Why had everyone seemed to evaporate now, when he needed them most?

“Kage-taro, where are you?” a tengu crooned. “We’ve come now to see this through.”

Panicking, Ryuichi glanced at the stone wall beside him, where the faces of those with dark hearts stared back in horror. For the first time, he almost envied them. At least they weren’t being pursued by these ugly, misshapen monsters.

“Now, now, our little prince, we know you’re here. Come out now and be a dear!”

He did his best to block out their words as he ran through all the ways to fight or defeat a tengu. Sadly, he couldn’t think of a single method. Why had no one taught that in school?

As fast as he could, he crept toward the edge of the building, making sure to stay hidden by the shadows that now made him leery too.

Maybe if he could get to his old dormitory, his presence would be masked by the other students.

Something fluttered behind him.

Ryuichi turned to see what it was.

The moment he did, he was grabbed from behind and snatched off his feet.

CHAPTER TEN

“What are you doing here?”

Ryuichi ceased struggling against his captor as he recognized that deep, sake-laden voice. Koichi-sensei.

More relieved than he cared to admit, he relaxed.

Until a tengu landed right in front of them.

The black-feathered tengu reminded Ryuichi of a crow—if a crow was taller than Koichi and had bloodred eyes. It stared at them with malicious intent. “Well, well, what do I see? My master’s boy and the fallen Koichi.”

Koichi pulled Ryuichi behind him. “Out of my way, Shoji. I’ve no time to deal with you.”

The tengu tsked. “You’ve no time at all. Now release the boy or fall.”

Koichi put his hand on his sword. “Don’t make me kill you.”

Laughing, Shoji shook his head. “How nice of you to play your part. But all of us know you’ve lost your heart.”

“Yet I haven’t lost my skill.”

Faster than Ryuichi could blink, Koichi had drawn his sword and engaged the tengu. Ryuichi’s jaw went slack.

Koichi’s speed and agility were startling. Ryuichi wondered how he had ever thought the man a drunken fool. He met the tengu’s strikes without flinching or faltering, and he got in as many of his own.

Scampering into a small notch in the wall, Ryuichi watched his sensei parry the tengu’s thrusts as two more tengu dropped down to join the battle.

Koichi ran up one wall and twisted to escape Shoji’s attack, then came down to stab one of the others. The tengu evaporated.