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