Mitsuo is a promising martial artist and dating the most popular girl in school. Life seems perfect until his sixteenth birthday when he comes into his mother's heritage and his father's curse.     Winter's Child Chapter 1 Love and War By Amethyst

The blade of my opponent sliced through the air toward my neck and I only just raised my own in time for a block. The impact nearly knocked the blade from my hands. It served me right for not giving my opponent my complete attention. I put my focus back on the fight and we circled one another warily, watching one anothers eyes for some clue as to what the others next move would be. She moved first with a series of quick successive thrusts that I barely knocked aside with my own blade. As I parried her last thrust I moved my blade in an arc toward her own neck only to have it meet her own. She brought her blade back and it whistled through the air as I dropped down to the floor, swiveling my body in a roundhouse sweep to try and take her legs out from under her.

She leaped into the air and over my leg as it moved for the back of her legs, coming back down in a two handed overhand strike that might have split my head in half if it connected. I raised my own blade to block, my hands on the handle and the back of the blade to absorb the blow. The blade landed on my own with a loud crack and the impact jarred my shoulders. I rolled back in a backward somersault to get some distance between us and returned to my feet as I considered what to do next. She didn’t give me much time to think as a flurry of blows rained down on me and I was having trouble moving my own blade in time to stop them.

Finally I managed to knock her blade aside long enough to get in some attacks of my own. I swung for her left side and she blocked. Then I swung back around and over her head in an arc toward her right side which she blocked again. I danced backward and forward making a few feints before I saw an opening and thrust my blade toward her chest. Her own blade was quick to meet it blade on blade and with a twist of her wrist mine was wrenched from my hand and skittered across the floor. I raised my hands in defeat, “I yield.” *Thwak* “Ouch! Dammit Okasan! What was that for?!” I snapped as my mother’s bamboo practice sword hit me on the shoulder.

“Always be on your guard. You weren’t focusing Mitsuo,” my mother said. “You were thinking about that Rei Fujimoto again weren’t you?” Her tone was cold as Antarctica as she spoke Rei’s name.

I sighed and nodded. “Hai Okasan.” I knew she didn’t like Rei but she had been getting more and more hostile about her as it got closer to my birthday.

Grandfather gave me a stern look from where he sat watching us practice. “You know better than to let your attention slip while practicing Mitsuo.” Grandfather used to practice with us all the time but his arthritis had been getting worse lately and his age could be seen in his graying hair and tired eyes. He hadn’t really been the same since Grandmother died a few years back.

“Sorry Ojiisan, I will try to focus better,” I replied as I recovered my practice blade. Mom and I both got back into a ready stance and waited for his command to begin. Mom took after Grandmother; deep brown eyes, skin as white as snow, tall and really beautiful. She was also stronger and faster than she looked, a never ending source of amusement for her when new students at our family dojo thought she would be an easy opponent. At the moment though she was my opponent and I decided I’d better focus if I didn’t want to be sporting a wide assortment of new bruises.

Grandfather gave the word and we began to move against one another in a dance of thrusts, dodges, parries, and blocks interspersed with some kicks. Soon we both paused to lay down our practice blades and went at one another hand to hand. I was one of the few people I knew who could keep up with my mom and give her a good fight. I had been training since I was old enough to walk while our students were mostly still new, Grandfather was getting too old, and Dad wasn`t into martial arts as he claimed to be a lover not a fighter. Dad isn’t even Japanese, he’s Canadian and works as an software engineer for a large Tokyo company. He and mom had met when they both attended a private school and had fallen in love. When they graduated they married and he moved to live here in Japan with her.

After a good workout Mom and I bowed to one another and took a seat beside Grandfather who smiled at us both. “Good work Mitsuo you may beat Yuki someday after all.”

“Domo arigato, Ojiisan, if I do well it is only because I had a fine teacher,” I replied.

Grandfather laughed at that, “Yuki said the same thing at your age. You take after her so much.” It was true; I was pale like my mother with the same black hair and brown eyes and my face was just a little more feminine than I would have liked. My appearance and the fact that I was only half Japanese often made me the target of bullies at school, but given my skills at martial arts and my family it didn’t often go past name calling.

Grandfather Tanaka was from a wealthy family with a long and proud history in Judo and Kendo. We were privileged enough to live in a large home with an attached dojo and a koi pond in the back yard. Mom had learned the traditional Judo and Kendo and had also picked up Karate, Akido, and Kung Fu. She and Grandfather had taught me all they knew and now at almost sixteen years I was almost as good as my mom. I turned to Grandfather again as I realized he was saying something to me, “Hai Ojiisan?”

“You turn sixteen the day after tomorrow,” he said. “Since your parents wish to take you out into the mountains on your birthday and you have plans tomorrow I thought that I might give you your gift tonight.” He reached behind him and pulled out a long narrow package and handed it to me.

The package was heavy, four feet long, and three inches in width and depth. I took off the wrapping and opened the box to reveal a katana in a white saya, or scabbard as the English call them. I carefully drew the sword, which looked to be of good craftsmanship, and examined it. The blade was three feet long and of a steel alloy and almost white in color as was the tsuba (guard), a work of art in itself, which was in the shape of a snowflake. The foot long tsuka, or handle, was in that same near white wrapped in pale blue ito (braid) that was soft to the touch and fit comfortably in my hands. On the end of the tsuka was a tassel of the same pale blue color and material as the ito. A fingertip to the blade proved that it was very sharp and I just stared at it for a moment. “This is a beautiful blade Ojiisan,” I finally said as I carefully returned it to the saya. I noticed that the sageo, or cord, on the saya was also of the same pale blue as the ito and would secure easily to my belt.

Grandfather nodded looking pleased, “I had it made especially for you. Your mother bears our family blade but I felt that you deserved one of your own. I named it Yuki no Hana, may she serve you well.”

“Snowflower? The name suits it,” I responded. I thought it was an odd name to give to a guy’s sword but then Grandfather always referred to swords as female so maybe it wasn’t so strange after all since it was the swords name and not my own. “Domo arigato Ojiisan, I will treasure it always.”

I placed the sword in my lap and caressed the tsuba and tsuka in wonder. My own sword, made especially for me, this could be the best birthday gift ever. Mom seemed to be of similar mind as she looked teary eyed as she watched me run my fingers over it. Finally she sighed and spoke. “Mitsuo, I know you probably don’t want to hear this but I want you to be careful tomorrow when you’re out with that Rei girl. I have a bad feeling about her.”

I groaned at that. I knew my mother was only looking out for me but it was starting to get on my nerves a bit. “Really Okasan? She’s a Miko at one of the most prestigious shrines in Tokyo, what’s she going to do? Somehow I doubt she is planning to take me to a sex hotel. She likes me, but I don’t think she likes me that much.”

“She likes you now…” Mom sighed and shook her head as she trailed off not finishing that sentence. “Just please be careful, not everyone is what they appear to be. Make sure you’re not home too late, we want to leave tomorrow night for your birthday trip so we have enough to time to get out into the mountains.”

Grandfather nodded and looked at the dojo entrance. “The shadows grow long, you had best get some rest Mitsuo. You have school tomorrow, your plans afterward and then you need to pack for your trip and a weary body makes a weary mind.”

“Hai Ojiisan, good night. Good night Okasan.” I let mom give me a hug and kiss good night and then I took Yuki no Hana and headed to my room for bed. Grandfather was right I had a few busy days coming up. First I had a big date with Rei tomorrow and then my parents insisted on leaving tomorrow night to go out and spend some time out in the mountains communing with nature for my birthday. I wasn’t really the outdoorsy type but my father had insisted that this was important to him and my mom. I was going along mostly because they seemed excited about it and it would get me out of school for a day or two.

After placing my new sword reverently on top of my dresser in its box, I got out of my clothes and headed into the bath. I ran the water hot to ease the pains in my muscles from a strenuous workout though I had to make the bath quick. Once I was clean and had gotten most of the kinks out I dried off and took a look in the mirror. “Mitsuo Thompson, you sexy beast.” Okay I’m not really sexy, I’m more cute in that effeminate way that a lot of male J Pop artists and some anime characters are known for, maybe I should think about that as a career, I thought to myself. Well the J pop thing, not an anime character, though voice acting could be a possibility.

Despite my training I wasn’t even heavily muscled, but rather lean, well-toned and effeminate. Even my height wasn’t anything to write home about as I was just a bit below average height for a guy. Once I was finished cataloging my physical shortcomings, no pun intended, I returned to my room and climbed under the covers on my futon to try to sleep. I had trouble sleeping and I half wished my mom would come in and tell me one of her stories.

When I was a small child my mother used to tell me the most wonderful stories; western fairy tales and stories about Yōkai. Her favorite stories were about Yuki-onna. Yuki-onna were beautiful women who lived in snowy, cold, or mountainous regions. Sometimes a man lost in a snowstorm would stumble across a Yuki-onna. Some of these women would be alone while others held babies or small children. Helpful Yuki-onna would lead the men to safety and then sometimes sleep with them, indifferent ones left them alone, and the wicked ones would lead them astray to begin with, kill them, or steal their warmth leaving them frozen. In all the stories they were cold to the touch, pale, and Mama said they could control snow and ice.

In the stories where the Yuki-onna slept with the traveler the result was always the birth of a child that took after its mother. Most times they would take this child and disappear into the snow and when the child came of age she too would become a Yuki-onna. But in Mama’s favorite story the Yuki-onna slept with the man she had led to safety and the pair fell in love, married, and raised their daughter together. I thought Mama liked this one best because she was a bit of a romantic and her parents had met when Grandfather got lost in the woods in the snow while traveling and Grandmother had led him to safety. They had even named her Yuki in memory of how they had met. When I was small I could almost believe my mother was the daughter in that story as beautiful as she was.

My father had told me stories too, though he usually only did it when we were camping or during a storm since he seemed to prefer western ghost stories. He had a favorite story too. His favorite story was about a father and son who were traveling through China, even though they couldn’t speak the language. They had hired a guide to take them through some of the wilderness and had planned on hunting for their food. They passed through the mountains in an area that was populated by snow leopards, an endangered species, and the guide warned them not to harm any of the felines or they would face dire consequences.

The boy was a cocky sixteen year old and when dad told the story you could almost feel his resentment of the stupidity of the boy. He ended up shooting a snow leopard that was a mother of a litter. When the old guide discovered what the boy had done he cursed the boy and all his descendants when they came of age to become snow leopards to make up for the life he took and the kittens he had left motherless. The boy grew up and learned to regret what he had done and to respect nature. He married and they had a son and like his father he too turned into a snow leopard, though he could control it.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of Scandal playing on my computer. Scandal isn’t really your typical J pop band as they have a harder edgier hard rock sound that I like and listening to them first thing in the morning gives me an energy boost to help start my day off right. I quickly got up and went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth before returning to my bedroom to put on my school uniform. Then it was downstairs for breakfast with Grandfather, Mom, and Dad before school.

“Ohayou,” I said as I joined my family at the breakfast table. Mom already had the table set and I sat down to a traditional Japanese breakfast of steamed rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki, and broiled fish. Mom was a traditionalist when it came to breakfast but she was also a great cook so I never went to school hungry. Once we were all sat at the table and ready to eat we all chimed in, “Itadakimasu!”

“So,” my father said as we dug in to our meal. “Are you ready for the big trip into the mountains Mitsuo?” He was smiling from ear to ear and only a fool couldn’t have seen that he was excited about it.

“Hai Otosan, I’m looking forward to spending some time with you.” I really was. I spent a lot of time with my mother, but my father was usually pretty busy with his work so we seldom got to spend any one on one time. I may not be the outdoorsy type but doing anything with both my father and mother as a family would be welcome.

“Great!” he exclaimed, “I’m looking forward to it too. Remember not to be out too late tonight. I want to leave as soon as you get home. We’ve already got the gear we need packed so you’ll just need to pack some clothes.” After that we both hurried to finish our breakfast and Mom gave us both a quick hug and kiss before sending us on our way.

I made my way through the streets of Shinjuku with my book bag in hand on my way to Hatomori High School. I was adjusting the collar on my uniform and looking at a motorbike in a shop window when my eyes were covered from behind. “Guess who,” Rei said with a giggle.

I scratched my head as I pretended to try to guess who she was. “Yumi? Rika? I know! Is it Aoi?”

She removed her hands and stuck out her tongue at me. “It’s me silly, Rei.” Then she looked me over in concern. “Are you alright Mitsuo-kun? You’re really cold to the touch; I hope you’re not getting sick.”

I shrugged as we started walking toward school, “Well it is late November, and the weather is starting to turn cold. Don’t worry, I’m feeling fine and I wouldn’t miss our date tonight for anything Rei-chan.”

Rei smiled and took my hand as we walked, “Good, I’ve been looking forward to this all week.” That girl had such a beautiful smile. I wondered, not for the first time, why she had chosen me out of all the possible guys at school to ask out. She could have had anyone with her looks, brains and prestige but three months ago she had asked me out and we had been steady since. She claimed it was because she respected my strength. When I had argued that there were stronger guys in school than me she specified that it wasn’t my physical strength, but my determination and skills in martial arts. She seemed to think I would make a good protector, though I couldn’t think of just who she would need protection from.

Our walk to school was made in companionable silence and soon we were entering the school gates. Rei was pretty popular and it seemed everyone had to say hello or have a quick word with her. I was getting quite a bit of attention too, mostly hostile glares from the guys. One of those guys was Rei’s ex-boyfriend Daisuke, who had made it quite clear that he’d like nothing better than to get me alone for a good pounding. I could see him watching me sometimes, just waiting for a chance. Once we were finally inside the entrance we both got our inside shoes and changed into them with a few minutes to spare before class. Rei leaned in and kissed me before we parted ways, “See you after school Mitsuo-kun.”

“I can’t wait Rei-chan,” I replied. Then I headed up to my class and thus began the long wait for the school day to be over. Class was boring and I slept through most of the morning lectures. Mrs. Sugisawa had to have the most boring voice in the world. I somehow made it through to lunch and as I sat there at my desk eating, my best friend Keigo Hiromori came over to talk. “Hey Mitsuo, do you want to go watch a movie or something tonight?”

I shook my head as I swallowed a mouthful of sushi from my bento box. “I can’t Keigo, I’ve got that big date with Rei tonight and then my chichi, haha, and I are going camping in the mountains for a few days.”

Keigo sighed, “Damn you’re lucky Mitsuo. You get to go out with a beautiful older woman and you get to miss out on school.”

“She’s only older by a year Keigo, but I won’t deny that she is beautiful.” I leaned back in my chair and sighed contentedly, “And getting to miss out on school is great. It’s good to be me right now.”

Keigo gave me a jealous look. “Yeah it must be. Fujimoto-san is older, beautiful, smart, and she’s a Miko at Meiji Shrine. How did you get so lucky?”

I just grinned at him. “Clean living my friend.” Then I went back to finishing my lunch as Keigo griped about my love life. Soon we were back to boring class work and I was fighting off the need to take a nap once again while counting down the time on the clock. If anything the afternoon seemed to pass even slower than the morning had but eventually the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. I said goodbye to Keigo and loaded my school bag so I could go meet Rei.

Rei was waiting for me outside by the school gates, talking to some of her friends. Once she caught sight of me heading her way she quickly excused herself and met me with a kiss. “Ready to have some fun?” she asked.

“Of course,” I said with a grin. “Lead the way; you’re the one who made all the plans.” Rei had insisted she wanted this date to be special since we couldn’t be together on my actual birthday. The whole date was supposed to be one surprise after another. “Just remember my parents don’t want me out too late,” I reminded her.

“Hai,” she replied as she half dragged me along the street. “I hope you enjoy what I have planned Mitsuo-kun. First we need to stop by my place.” I merely nodded as she led the way through the streets of Shinjuku. I had never been to Rei’s house before nor had I met her parents yet. She said she was waiting for the right time. She hadn’t met my parents officially either yet though I know my mother had seen her from a distance and took an instant dislike to her. I was so not looking forward to an actual meeting between the two.

The house she led me to was near the forest that surrounded Meiji Shrine. From the outside it looked like a nice home similar in size to Grandfather’s with a small walled courtyard in the front. Once we got through the gates I saw a middle aged man wearing a gi sitting on a stone bench. He looked good for his age with no visible fat, good posture, and a full head of shoulder length hair pulled back in a ponytail. He rose when he saw us approach. “Konnichiwa Rei-chan, how was school today?”

“School was good Otosama. I would like you to meet Mitsuo, the boy I told you about,” she replied.

I gave a polite bow, “Konnichiwa, it is good to meet you Fujimoto-sama, I am Thompson Mitsuo.”

Rei’s father seemed to assess me for a moment before nodding, “That’s an unusual family name Mitsuo, are you American?”

I shook my head, “No Fujimoto-sama, my chichi is Canadian and my haha is Japanese. I was born and raised here.”

“Good,” he said with a smile. “Rei tells me you’re quite the martial artist Mitsuo, I was wondering if you might do me the honor of sparring with me.”

“It would be an honor Fujimoto-sama.” I carefully placed my book bag on the bench and Mr. Fujimoto and I both got into our respective ready positions. Rei sat down on the bench to watch us and I wondered just what was going on. If I hadn’t agreed to spar it would have been rude and I would have dishonored my family. Did Rei and her father have this planned?

I let him make the first move so I could get a feel for him. He threw a quick jab followed by a high roundhouse. I blocked the jab, using my left hand to push his own away and raised my right to block the kick and used the moment to launch a kick at his midsection. It went on like that for a while both of us attacking and counter-attacking as we tried to get a read on one another. He was pretty good and hardly telegraphed his moves at all. Finally I saw an opening as I kicked at him and he stepped aside launching a kick of his own at my side. I quickly dropped to my knee spinning to grab his foot as I used the momentum of the spin to sweep the leg he was balanced on, knocking him to the ground as I let go of his foot and rose to my feet to offer him a hand up.

He took the offered hand and got to his feet and we both bowed to one another. He gave me a nod and a smile. “Well fought young man, you’re as good as Rei said you were. I must say though I am a bit surprised. I find most young people these days talk a lot and use insults during a fight to keep their opponent off balance, but you didn’t say a word.”

I shrugged as I replied, “I find that a waste of breath Fujimoto-sama. It prevents one from focusing completely on the fight and talking means you aren’t controlling your breathing. Focus and control over your whole body and its functions are the keys to good form. Also if your attention is on distracting your opponent, you too are distracted and all the talk in the world isn’t going to do you any good if you don’t have the focus and skills to back it up.”

“That is a wise way of thinking for one so young,” he responded.

I grinned at him, “My Ojiisan says ‘One is only as wise as the lessons one chooses to learn.’”

Mr. Fujimoto nodded at that, “He sounds like a wise man himself and he has taught you well. I must speak with my daughter for a moment, would you mind waiting?”

“Of course not Fujimoto-sama. I will wait on the bench.” I went to sit on the bench beside my book bag while he pulled Rei aside and the pair walked toward the house.

Despite the distance and their hushed tones I could mostly make out what they were saying to one another. “… an outsider but he seems sensible and he would make a good…” Came Mr. Fujimoto’s voice.

Rei responded with, “I told you he would be good and he turns sixteen tomorrow.”

Her father nodded, “Do you think you can convince him to…? We could have him come over…”

I knew eavesdropping was rude but it’s not like I was intentionally listening in, I just seemed to be hearing well. I was getting annoyed though at hearing snippets, but not everything. The trend seemed to continue as Rei said. “No, he’s supposed to be going away with… won’t be back until…” At least I had a good idea what I was missing there. She was probably talking about my camping trip with my parents.

“Try to convince him tonight then, there’s no harm in telling him a day early. If he accepts we can start training him once he gets back. Make sure he knows to tell no one. Are you certain…?”

“Hai Otosama, I like him and I think he will make a great husband and help to carry on the family…” was what I caught of her reply. He nodded and she came over to take my hand. “Sorry to make you wait Mitsuo-kun I needed to ask my father about something family related. I’m just going to go inside and change, I’ll be right back.” She gave me a quick kiss and dashed into her house after her father. It was then that I noticed the slips of paper on the door and the windows of the front. It looked like something was written on them in kanji but it was hard to tell what without going right up to them and reading. They looked like spirit wards but I guessed that it kind of made sense with Rei being a Miko and all. Still it was a little strange to see them these days.

I shrugged it off as Rei came back out the door dressed in a nice looking black dress and matching jacket with a pair of black heels that made her legs look incredible. She came and gave me another kiss, this one longer and much more enjoyable, before checking her purse to see if she had everything she needed. I was feeling a bit hot under the collar as I asked, “So where to first?”

She put her arm around me and started guiding me back out to the street. “Would you like to go home to drop off your books and change first?”

I thought about it and nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. It’ll be nice to get out of my uniform and carrying around my book bag would be a pain in the ass.”

“Okasan! Ojiisan!” I called out as I removed my shoes and stepped inside the house. Rei was waiting outside by the gate as she was in a hurry to get to our first stop and I really didn’t want her and my mom to meet right yet anyway. I had a feeling that that could only end badly for me.

Mom came out of the kitchen and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, “I thought you had a big date this afternoon.”

I nodded, “She’s waiting for me but we thought it would be a good idea for me to drop off my book bag and get changed first. I just wanted you to know I was doing that and I should be back home sometime after dinner.”

She gave me a tight hug and then shooed me up to my bedroom. “Hurry up then and get changed, and remember to be careful tonight. Make sure to take your phone in case of emergency.”

“Hai Okasan,” I replied as I tossed my book bag on my bed. “I’ll be careful and if anything happens that I can’t handle I’ll call you.” Then I shut the door to my room and quickly got out of my school uniform. After that it was a mad search through my room for something date worthy to wear. I finally decided on a pair of black jeans, a charcoal button-up shirt and a black blazer. I shoved my phone and wallet into various pockets of my jeans and ran downstairs to give my mom a quick kiss and practically jumped into my shoes and out the door.

Soon Rei and I were walking arm in arm again as she led the way to Yoyogi station. She still wouldn’t tell me any destination other than that and I was a bit surprised when we got off the train after only one stop at Sendagaya station. Once we left the station she led me straight to the entrance to Shinjuku Gyoen. We spent the next hour there walking hand in hand through the gardens stopping only once in a while for brief kisses. It was a romantic walk and the only thing that could have made it better would have been having the cherry blossoms in bloom.

Far too soon the park closed and we left to catch the train again. This time we got off at Harajuku station and she led the way to a restaurant she knew of that served western cuisine and had the appearance of a 1950’s diner with a jukebox and a small dance floor. One thing I love about Harajuku is that nobody there seems to conform to any one style. People are free to express themselves however they wish In their clothes, hair, and attitudes and everyone just accepts it. For example the booth behind ours had one girl dressed in a Gothic Lolita style, one pink haired cyberpunk, a guy in jeans and a fishnet shirt with electric blue hair, and a third girl who was cosplaying Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Half the fun of going to Harajuku is people watching.

I ate a really good burger and fries with a coke and once we were finished eating we selected some slow songs on the jukebox. Dancing in one another’s arms felt so good and I was reluctant to let her go as the last song we had chosen came to an end. “This is nice,” I said as I kissed her. “I’m really enjoying myself tonight.”

“I’m glad,” she replied. She kissed my neck and then tugged on my earlobe with her teeth before whispering. “I wanted this night to be special for you since we couldn’t do anything tomorrow. I was hoping to take you to the Sword Museum too, but it’s already closed.”

I shivered at her kiss and turned her face so I could kiss her on the lips. Once our lips parted I smiled at her. “This has been special and I’m sure there are other things you want to do. Besides I got a sword as a gift from my Grandfather so I think I’ll want to appreciate that one for a while. So what’s next?”

“I thought we’d go to the shrine,” she replied. “There’s something I want to talk to you about privately and I thought we might pray together there.”

“Umm, sure that sounds great.” I was a little caught off guard by that. Maybe she really was serious about me if she was planning something like that. This whole date had been one romantic thing after another and she was obviously making an effort. And then there was that whole secretive conversation with her father. I wondered what exactly she was planning on asking me. We paid for our meal and then she took me by the hand and led the way to Meiji Shrine.

It was a new moon so there wasn’t much light to walk by but Rei seemed to know the path to the shrine fairly well. We were walking through the dense woods and holding hands as Rei spoke, “So Mitsuo-kun, I need to talk to you about something very important. You may not believe me, but I want you to keep an open mind because this is really important. I really like you and I want you to…” she seemed to be having trouble coming out with the words.

I took her hands in mine and asked, “Want me to what? Marry you?” I remembered her telling her father I would make a good husband.

She nodded and I wasn’t sure in the dim light but I think she may have been blushing. “Yes, but you need to know that joining my family comes with certain duties. We have a long history to uphold.”

“A history?” I asked.

She took a deep slow breath before saying, “My family are Yōkai Hunters. We have been hunting and either killing or sealing them for centuries.”

Swell, I thought, she’s smart, pretty, and she seems to really like me. Of course she’s insane. Yōkai don’t exist. She must have sensed my doubt because she opened her mouth to say something. A snapping twig caught my attention and I put my finger to her lips. “Shhh, someone is following us.” I turned around searching the darkness as five large figures made their way out of the trees to surround us. I couldn’t make out any faces in the darkness.

“Well look what we have here guys, if it isn’t Rei-chan and her new girlfriend.” I recognized that voice, it was Daisuke.

Rei moved closer to me, gripping my hand tight. “Daisuke, leave us alone.”

“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you Rei? I bet you want to get your girlfriend there all alone out in the woods. I can’t believe you left me for this loser,” Daisuke said, his voice full of disdain.

I got between Daisuke and Rei and watched carefully as he and his four cronies moved closer. “Obviously her taste has improved,” I shot back with more bravado than I was feeling. One on one and maybe even two on one I would have no problems, but there were five of them. Maybe if I could take out their leader quick the others would run. I whispered back to Rei, “If you get a chance, run for it.”

“You shut up,” Daisuke snapped. “I’m going to make you regret ever being born.”

“How are you going to do that? By boring me? Listen asshole I have places to be so if you’re going to try to kick my ass get it over with and stop standing around trying to be intimidating. It’s not working and it’s a waste of all of our time.” I started to shift my position into a ready stance. I had succeeded in pissing him off enough to attack first and he rushed me throwing a punch. He had absolutely no technique. Obviously he was the type who relied on physical strength and numbers to win a fight. I could work with that. I quickly blocked, batting his fist aside and delivered an open hand strike to his nose, breaking it and causing a gush of blood.

He dropped to the ground holding his bleeding nose and I had hoped that would be the end of it. His friends didn’t appear to be of the same opinion though as they rushed me from all sides. I didn’t have time to waste on being nice. I kicked the first in the solar plexus and delivered a chop to the nerve bundle in another’s neck. One managed to hit me on the head from behind with something and I was seeing stars as my vision swam. Then Rei did something I couldn’t see that dropped one of the guys behind me and I kicked hard at the knee of the one who had hit me from behind dropping him as well.

Rei grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to my feet. I was seeing three of her in the dim light but I managed to stand and she pulled me along behind her as she took off through the woods and away from the path and the group who were starting to get to their feet. We ran through the trees for a while until we were sure there was no sign of pursuit. “I think we lost them,” Rei said as we leaned against a tree to catch our breath. She seemed to be saying something more but I was having problems focusing as I fell to the ground and darkness claimed me.