Chapter Ninety-Seven

Syaoran's first reaction was to call his sword to his hands.

It didn't work.

"We left it in the canyon so you wouldn't use it on us," Kurogane had said, minutes after he'd woken up in Nihon. The ninja had claimed it was a joke, that Mokona had it, that it hadn't been abandoned in Sapphirine.

But he didn't have it now, and he needed it.

"And you're not getting it back until I say so!"

Syaoran whipped around, his hair yanking free of his scalp by the roots. He raised an arm to protect himself, stomach knotting as the familiar presence registered with him.

With Seishirou dead, and Fei Wong Reed hidden away in his secluded lair, Syaoran could think on only one person who would try to kill him.

Of course, he thought, opening his eyes to take in the blue and brown irises of the Other. I won't be free of you until one of us is dead.

"It pays to look above," the Other said. Syaoran froze, startled by the fact that the Other had spoken at all, and even more startled by the smile on his face. Perhaps it was these things that prompted him to obey instead of sending a bolt of lightning through his clone, or perhaps he'd learned enough from his lessons in Infinity to recognize the real threat. He looked up.

Concealed by the dripping leaves, the sound of its movement masked by the hissing rain, the demon had put itself in the perfect position for an ambush. As Syaoran looked up, the Other's image shivered out of view, intangible as any hallucination.

Once, Syaoran had flipped through Kurogane's memories with a magic book. He'd seen the destruction the demons of this world had wrought, and realized how much more powerful these monsters were than the digital creations of Outo. But until he saw the speed at which the demon flung itself from the branches, he would never had guessed at the sheer, instinctive panic the misshapen creatures could cause him.

It was only by instinct that he threw himself to the side before the demon crashed down on him. He rolled, wincing as a root dug into his ribcage. Above him, the demon righted itself and brought its glistening black pincers down where he'd hit the ground. He gasped, bringing his arms up. The demon lifted its claws for a second attack.

Syaoran had just enough time to choke out a spell before the demon's pincer buried itself in his chest.

Something was wrong.

Sakura knew it, but she didn't know what was wrong until Tomoyo intercepted them in the hallway.

"The demons have pierced the wards!" the dreamseer yelled. Her hands were coiled around the hem of her dress so the fabric wouldn't impede her movement as she ran.

"What?" Kurogane demanded, his head whipping around. Sakura tried to identify the expression on his face. It wasn't fear that tinged his response with such urgency, but there was an intensity there that had been absent when they'd been preparing for their mission.

"The southern border of Edo," Tomoyo said, modulating her voice now that she had everyone's attention. "Dozens of demons have pierced the border wards. They're heading north now."

We have to stop them. The words weren't spoken, but everyone heard them.

"Bring me the swords," Kurogane snapped at one of Tomoyo's servants. Sakura might've flinched at his tone if the words hadn't confused her so. Swords? she thought, head tilting to the side. More than one?

The servant was already sprinting down the corridor. Sakura looked up to see the ninja bowing his head to Tomoyo. "I'll take care of this."

"Your swords, Lord Suwa," the servant said as he returned with a bundle of silk. Sakura watched the ninja unwrap them.

There were two blades. One wore a handle made of white wood, accented with subtle etchings that gave the impression of flower petals. The steel of that one glimmered even in the limited torchlight of the corridors.

The other blade sported a hilt made of some dark wood, almost black except for the brown undertones. A wolf's head was inscribed in a circle on the wide part of the handle. The steel of this blade matched that of the first blade.

"They're still forging the sheaths, but the swords are finished," said the servant who'd brought them out.

"Good enough," Kurogane said, thrusting the white-hilted blade toward Sakura. She flinched back, then took the sword by the handle. He turned to her, eyes sharp. "Be careful with that. It's much better steel than you're used to; it'll cut you if you're not careful."

She nodded once, then turned for the end of the corridor. The ninja moved past her, pulling the door open.

She didn't have to ask who the other sword was for.

Rain splattered against the cloak they'd found for her. Rivulets of rainwater ran down Kurogane's armor, washing over the metal like it would over a turtle's shell. "There are horses this way," he said. The words came out fast and urgent. Whatever threat these demons presented, it must've been greater than she'd realized.

"Do you think Syaoran is there?" she asked.

"Don't know. Maybe."

They reached the stables then. Kurogane flung the door open and went straight to the back of the structure. There, he opened another door and pulled a black gelding from the stall. It nickered a greeting. That must be his horse, Sakura thought irrelevantly, eyes scanning the other stalls for potential mounts. None of the horses seemed too eager to venture out into the storm.

"Take this one," Kurogane said, freeing a gray mare from her stall. "She's docile."

Sakura took the reins and led the mare out of the stables, heart pounding. She remembered riding camels in Clow, though she'd preferred to walk if it was an option. Somehow, she didn't think the leisurely pace of those animals would measure up to the gallop of the horses. And even in the country of Jade, where horses were the primary mode of transportation, she'd never ridden faster than a trot.

"Hold on tight to the reins. She'll follow my lead," Kurogane said, already on his horse. Sakura pulled herself into the saddle and started after the ninja.

Something had happened. Every bone in her body vibrated with that cold certainty. Something had happened to Syaoran, and whatever it was had something to do with the demons breaking through the wards. She knew it, knew it the same way she'd known where the emergency exit had been during the apartment fire in Infinity.

Her knuckles whitened with the force of her grip. She tried to relax while still maintaining a firm hold on the reins. The mare bounced under her, turning her stomach with its speed. Stay calm, she chanted to herself. It's no faster than the dragonfly racers in Piffle. Just stay calm.

The mare stepped up the pace even further, and she closed her eyes. The wind ripped her hood back and exposed her face to the downpour. Syaoran went out alone in this storm, and you can't handle a horse ride? part of her demanded. She forced her eyelids open and let the water run down her face.

I won't lose you again, Syaoran. So don't give up on me.

A bolt of lightning exploded from the trees beyond the city. The resulting clap of thunder left her ears ringing. But there was no mistaking the direction of the lightning. Instead of coming down from the clouds, as it normally would, it shot up from the ground.

"He's there," Kurogane called over the thunder.

"Right." She dug her heels into the mare's side, pushing her faster. Her heart pounded in time with the hoof beats.

"Keep your sword at the ready," Kurogane said. "The demons here are quicker than the ones in Outo—they can kill you in a heartbeat."

Lovely. Her fingertips probed the smooth hilt of her sword, sliding the blade against her belt. When the tip of her index finger touched the dull side of the blade, she paused.

"It's much better steel than you're used to," Kurogane had said.

Better steel indeed.