a private conversation in a room, across a yard, or in a crowded restaurant without giving themselves away. Since my missions usually involved death and not information gathering, I rarely used it, as focusing so much of your attention elsewhere left your body vulnerable. But the shrine seemed secure enough; there were no demons here, except the one hidden in my blade. Unless the ronin got bored and decided to bother me, I would be safe to listen in on Yumeko and the shrine maiden.
However, as I pressed farther into the building, hearing what I assumed were more mikos, talking about their daily lives, I suddenly hit a wall. Not a physical one; I could go through wood or stone or rice paper with ease. But a wall of magic, shimmering with energy, prevented me from going any farther.
A barrier?
I opened my eyes, and the magic scattered to the winds. The ronin still lounged on the steps, drinking, and the noble seemed to be admiring the well-tended rock garden in the shade of a pine.
Pushing myself off the railing, I turned and walked around the veranda and up the steps, brushing past the ronin, who gave me a puzzled look.
“Oi, where you going, Kage-san? I thought we were supposed to wait here.”
Ignoring him, I continued down the hallway, pulling my sword as I did. With a yelp, the ronin scrambled after me, demanding to know what I was doing, but I didn’t pause. I’d underestimated the shrine maiden, thinking she wasn’t a threat. That wasn’t a simple barrier I’d encountered; it was a complex seal, blocking any sound or magic from getting in or out. If she had Yumeko in that room and decided to attack, none of us would be able to hear what was going on.
As I drew closer to the last room, I could feel the magic pushing against me, trying to keep me back. I saw the nearly invisible shimmer blocking the door and narrowed my eyes. Raising Kamigoroshi, I aimed, then brought the sword slicing down across the frame, feeling the blade rip through the barrier and shatter it into a thousand pieces.
The doors fell, clattering to the floor beside me. I stared into the room as Yumeko and the shrine maiden whirled around, their eyes going wide as they spotted me.
“You!” The shrine maiden stepped forward, seeming unafraid, even as Hakaimono snarled with hate and urged me to split her in half like the doors. “Kamigoroshi, you are not welcome here. Get out, and take your human host with you!”
“It seems the head priest isn’t here today.” I stepped into the room, and the miko retreated a pace. I glanced past her, making sure the girl was all right, before turning to the shrine maiden. “You deceived us to get Yumeko alone. Did you think your barrier could stop me?”
Scowling, the miko pulled another ofuda from her sleeve and brandished it before her. It read loyalty in stark black ink down the paper. “Leave this place, abomination,” she ordered again. “If you come a step closer, I will summon the guardian of the shrine to drive you out!”
“Do it,” I said, feeling Hakaimono flare with eagerness, “and you will have one less shrine guardian.”
“Tatsumi, wait!”
Yumeko stepped between us. “It’s all right,” she told me, as the noble and the ronin pushed into the room, as well. I could feel their shock as they took in the scene; me with my sword bared, facing a shrine maiden brandishing ofuda. And a slip of a girl between us. “I’m fine, Tatsumi. There’s no danger here. Reika-san was just telling me how Master Jiro went missing and that she needs our help to find him.”
“What?” the miko exclaimed, obviously just as surprised as the rest of us. Yumeko half turned, looking behind her, as the shrine maiden lowered her arm, frowning.
“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it, Reika-san?” She cocked her head, as if the solution was perfectly clear. “To find Master Jiro. And we need his help to get to the temple. So, obviously, we should aid each other. Right, everyone?” Yumeko glanced back at the three of us, her gaze plaintive. “Daisuke-san? Okame-san? You’ll help, too, right?”
“Of course,” the ronin exclaimed immediately. “We’re always happy to aid a friend of Yumeko-chan’s. Just leave it to us.” He paused, scratching the back of his head. “Though it would help if I knew what the hell was going on.”
I sighed, lowering my sword. Shrine maidens, ronin, farmers, yurei.