“How long have you been there?” Mitsue demanded, losing his cool slightly.

  “Not long,” Harue said, smiling. “We all heard Shion screaming a little while ago. Then she busted out of her room and went running off. That seemed like a fun thing to watch, so I followed her.”

  “And how,” Mitsue growled, “did you get into our bathroom? Shion came through the front door.”

  “I took a little shortcut,” Harue admitted. “There was a whole crowd out front.”

  “Shion busted out of her own room?” James asked.

  “Yeah!” Harue exclaimed enthusiastically. “I think she got so mad, she forgot how doors work? You were lucky, your door opens in the direction that she was going. Her door, not so much.”

  “How very fortunate,” Mitsue said dryly. “Since our door still works, albeit not perfectly, perhaps I can persuade you to use it? This has been very stressful and we need to get some rest.”

  “Sure, sure,” Harue said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Mitsue closed the door behind her. It didn’t stay closed, there was no lock left to engage and it just drifted slightly open. Mitsue sighed and jammed a chair up against it.

  “Let’s get some sleep,” he said.

  They joined the girls for breakfast again the next morning. Mitsue didn’t want to, and James could sympathise, but that was where Suki was sitting. Kana’s food dominated the table again. The cafeteria staff seemed to have adapted to her and had started piling more food on her plates. She had also modified the types of meals that she had ordered, focusing on the more meat-heavy dishes.

  “Good morning,” James said, mostly to Suki, but to the rest of the table as well. A chorus of greetings was returned.

  Sitting down at the space Suki had saved for him, James cast a surly glance at Harue. He needed to establish some boundaries.

  “Harue, about last night, I—”

  She glanced at him innocently, and then her eyes widened. “Oops! Teacher incoming!” she interrupted.

  “Good morning, students,” a familiar voice said from behind him. Turning around, he saw Professor Toei.

  “Good morning, Toei-sensei,” everyone chorused. James was a little late with his; he still hadn’t gotten the knack. Kana didn’t deign to respond with the others, but she paused her ravenous display of consumption.

  “Greetings,” she said haughtily, once all the others were finished. Professor Toei glanced at her but seemed to decide to let it pass. He nodded at his daughter and then addressed James.

  “James, with all the excitement recently, I wonder if you’ve given any thought towards learning self-defence?”

  “Um, sure, yeah,” James stammered, taken off guard. Where was this coming from, he wondered.

  “Good, good,” Professor Toei said. “Martial arts aren’t offered as part of the curriculum, but there are numerous clubs that can provide expert-level training. Do you have any preferences?”

  “Ah, no?” James said. He looked around the table for help and also to see if they found this conversation as strange as he did. He was reassured to see puzzled looks on the faces of Mitsue, Suki and Matsuri. Harue, as always, was just amused, and Kana had resumed eating.

  “In that case,” Professor Toei said. “I recommend that you speak with Shimoyanagi Midoriko.”

  “Who is she?” Suki asked quickly.

  Professor Toei looked at her curiously. “She’s a third-year student, president of the Kenjustu club and the PMC. I’ve worked with her before, and I can attest to her skills as a teacher and a swordswoman.”

  “What sort of work?” This time, it was Matsuri who asked the question. She seemed upset.

  “Just… fieldwork on archeological sites,” Professor Toei said.

  “You go on a lot of those,” Matsuri said sulkily.

  “Well, I’m not just here to teach!” Professor Toei said. “There are many important archeological sites on these islands, and some critical work is being done here!”

  “So has this Shimoyanagi Midoriko already arrived on the island?” Mitsue asked.

  “She actually lives here,” Professor Toei said. “Her uncle is the priest of the shrine on the top of the mountain.”

  “Oh, that’s a coincidence,” Harue said brightly. “I was about to pay a visit to the shrine. Perhaps we could go together!”

  “I’ll come too,” Suki said quickly.

  “Well,” Professor Toei said. “I’ve already told her to expect you, so just show up whenever.”

  He left them with a wave.

  “I… could also accompany you,” Mitsue said. “I have an interest in martial arts.”

  “Looks like we’re making it a group thing,” James said. “Do you others want to…”

  “I have stuff to do at the workshop,” Matsuri announced. “Leave me out of it.”

  Everyone looked at Kana, who sniffed dismissively. “I think not,” she said. “I believe I will try my luck at hunting today.”

  “Uh, is that… what?” James asked. He looked at Harue for an explanation.

  “It’s fine… probably,” she said, without much concern in her voice. “It will probably help with her dietary problems.”

  “What dietary problems?” James asked, glancing at the stack of empty plates in front of Kana. If there was something she couldn’t eat, he had no idea what it was.

  “The food here isn’t very nutritious to Kana,” Harue explained. “That’s why she needs a lot of it. Have fun on your hunt, Kana… just remember the school rules.”

  “I have a perfect memory,” Kana snorted. “I am unlikely to forget.”

  The bus that went from the town to school also continued to the shrine. There was a path as well, but James begged off climbing all those stairs. They still had to climb about thirty of them, passing through five torii gates to get to the shrine compound.

  When they got to the top, James looked around at the five traditional Japanese buildings, arranged around a well-swept flagstone courtyard.

  “Where do we go?” he asked.

  “Hmm,” Harue said, looking around. “Straight on, I think.” She was wearing a traditional priestess costume, which… she… hadn’t been wearing a minute ago.

  “When did you change?” James asked.

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  “On the bus,” Harue replied. “It was good of you not to look.”

  Mitsue was frowning in confusion. Suki was as well, but her face cleared as Harue spoke.

  “It was good that you didn’t watch,” she said, smiling. “Watching would have been rude.”

  “I didn’t… because she didn’t…” James stammered. “She was just…”

  “Hey, listen,” Harue said. “Let me do the talking, all right? Just stand behind me and don’t react to anything I say.”

  “Don’t react when you lie, you mean,” James said sourly. “You’re just going to get us into trouble that way.”

  Harue chuckled. “No way. I lie all the time, and I hardly ever get into trouble. Just stick with me, and you might learn something!”

  She set off, leaving the others to follow.

  “Couldn’t you just tell us what it is?” James asked.

  “Oh, you wouldn’t believe me if I just told you. Or at least you shouldn’t. You haven’t figured out yet that you shouldn’t believe anything I say.”

  “I think I’m getting the idea,” James grumbled. Harue looked over her shoulder with a big grin.

  “No, you really haven’t,” she said.

  The building directly opposite the gate was the most ornately built of all the buildings here. A verandah ran all the way around it, and the walls were made of exquisitely decorated panels. James assumed that some, or all, of them were made to slide to allow entry. Harue stopped just before the steps that led up to the verandah.

  “Well?” she asked scornfully. “Is this how guests are greeted at the Oushima Hachiman Shrine?”

  For a moment, nothing happened. Then there was a series of quiet thuds, from a source that James couldn’t see… even though they appeared to be coming right in front of him. A few moments later, two people suddenly appeared out of thin air.

  That was enough of a shock. But the people… weren’t human. Desperately trying not to show any reaction, James took in all the strangeness.

  The man and the woman who appeared before them were sitting on the verandah in the seiza position. They were wearing loose robes that James thought might be yukata.

  They both sported large and obvious animal ears and tails that matched their hair colour. The woman had black, pointed ears that stood straight up, while the man’s were more rounded and flopped down over themselves. Under other circumstances, James might have assumed they were cosplayers, but even if they hadn’t just appeared out of nowhere, he could clearly see their animal parts twitching.

  “Our apologies,” the man said. “I am Gintaro, guardian of this shrine, and this is Ginchio. We are honoured to greet the guests of the Uoshima Hachiman Shrine.” They both bowed deeply. Harue returned the bow, and the rest of them followed suit.

  “Hmp. I am Kuzahana Harue, bearing greetings from the Hamamatsu Hachiman Shrine and its resident, to the Uoshima Hachiman Shrine and the revered one residing there.”

  James couldn’t believe the difference in Harue’s speech and bearing. She was imperious and arrogant and had started speaking in the most formal form of Japanese speech. The two in front of her also seemed impressed.

  “Sadly, Kuzahana-sama, the inner shrine has been sealed and may remain so for quite some time,” Gintaro said.

  “Sealed, you say?” Harue asked calmly. “Who ordered this?”

  The two bowed again. “The head priest, Shimoyanagi-sama.”

  “I see,” Harue said. “Then I suppose I must pay my respects and deliver my gift to him.”

  At the mention of a gift, Ginchio’s ears perked up. Gintaro bowed in apology again.

  “Unfortunately, Harue-sama, the head priest is not on the island at the moment. He is on the mainland handling business interests.”

  “We could accept it on his behalf?” Ginchio said brightly, speaking up for the first time.”

  “We’re not supposed to accept offerings,” Gintaro said to her. He spoke under his breath but was still loud enough for James to hear. “It’s supposed to go to the Young Mistress.”

  “Aw, c’mon!” Ginchio pleaded. “We went to the trouble of showing ourselves to mundanes and all…”

  “Mundanes?” Harue said with a chuckle. “Are the guardians of Oushima really so blind?”

  She gestured at Suki. “Take a closer look.”

  The two guardians looked at each other and then peered closely at Suki. James saw matching looks of surprise… and then fear as they drew back.

  “What is… that?” Ginchio demanded.

  “What is what?” Suki asked.

  “Um, excuse me, but the main temple is closed to visitors,” a new voice said, coming from one side. James looked in that direction to see a Japanese girl in a white and red dress similar to the one that Harue was wearing. She had long black hair that came down to her waist and beautiful green eyes.

  “So… beautiful,” Mitsue breathed. James hoped it had been quiet enough that the girl hadn’t heard.

  “Who are you talking to?” the girl asked, coming closer.

  James looked over to the verandah, but the two guardians were gone.

  “No one,” Harue said. “Are you Shimoyanagi Midoriko-senpai?”

  “I am,” Midoriko said hesitantly.

  “Excellent!” Harue exclaimed. “This is James St John-san, whom you’ve been told about. My name is Kuzahana Harue, and I’m paying my respects as a fellow member of a Hachiman shrine. The others are just here for the free booze.”

  Midoriko giggled. “We’re all too young to drink alcohol,” she said firmly. “That’s the sort of thing the PMC would crack down on quite heavily.”

  “We should stay out of their sight then,” Harue said. Midoriko giggled again.

  “You should come into the dojo,” she said. “If it’s school business, I should get changed.”

  She led them into one of the larger buildings and then disappeared to change. Mitsue made as if to follow her, but forced himself to stop.

  “What’s the PMC?” James asked.

  “Probably, the Public Morals Committee,” Harue said. “It’s not common, in Japanese schools, but it’s not unknown for there to be a student-run organisation that makes sure the students behave.”

  “Sounds like your worst nightmare,” James said.

  “Oh, please,” Harue said. “It’s no fun unless there’s a challenge.”

  “I’m sorry, but what was… that?” Suki asked. “Those people with the ears and the way they looked at me…”

  “I told you that you might learn something,” Harue said smugly.

  “Was that… what you told us, before?” James asked. Harue nodded.

  “What? What did she tell you?” Suki asked.

  “Uh… Suki, don’t take this the wrong way,” James said. “Harue told us this, but she says a lot of things. I don’t know what this one even means. But she told us, and Kana agreed, and now those guys…”

  “What? What did she tell you about me?”

  “She told us… that you don’t have a soul,” James said miserably.

  “Oh,” Suki said. “What? What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know!” James said. He looked at Harue.

  “It means that you can freak out yōkai!” Harue said. “Yōkai see souls as a matter of course, so of course not seeing one is going to freak them out.”

  “Is that what you are, then?” Mitsue asked quietly. “What Kana is? A yōkai?”

  “Ah, well—”

  “Let’s get to training then!” Midoriko said, entering the room. She was dressed in a mostly all-white version of the school uniform. White jacket, white skirt, black stockings and shoes.

  “Is that your school uniform?” James asked.

  “Oh yes, you might not have seen it before,” Midoriko said. “White indicates membership in the PMC.”

  James looked at Harue, who just grinned.

  “Before you get started,” Harue said. “I do have a gift to present, from my shrine to yours.”

  “Oh, of course!” Midoriko said. There was a little ceremony between them as Harue handed the bottle of koshu over.

  “I’ll convey this to my uncle when he gets back,” Midoriko promised, setting the box aside. “Now, who’s going to be joining in?”

  “We’re starting now?” James asked. “Shouldn’t there be safety gear… and stuff?”

  “We’re not starting practice,” Midoriko explained. “I’m just going to assess your suitability for learning kenjutsu.”

  “I thought it was called Kendo?” James asked.

  “Kenjutsu is the art of wielding a sword,” Midoriko replied. “Sometimes we practice with wooden swords, and that practice has become a sport all its own. That sport is called Kendo.”

  She walked over and took a sword from a rack against the side of the dojo.

  “Kendo is a sport,” she said. “It has rules, and points to tell you who won. We use something similar when practising, but ultimately, this is about the blade. We have rules about respecting opponents and about how to address your superiors. Rules about blade safety and so on. But the Rule of the Blade is the one that matters above all.”

  She held out the katana to James with one hand, the blade out to the side. The long, two-handed handle meant that he could easily reach out and take it from her. He did so.

  “That’s right,” she said. “Rotate it so the blade is vertical and put your other hand on the grip.”

  She took a step back and to the side as James adjusted his grip. With a bit of fumbling, he managed to arrange it so the sharp edge was pointing away from him. It felt awkward to hold the sword out in front of him that way, but it wasn’t so heavy that he was going to drop it.

  “Good,” Midoriko said. “Now lift it above your head.”

  Still feeling a little embarrassed with his friends watching him, James raised the sword.

  “Now, strike!” Midoriko snapped. Startled, James brought his arms down in front of him as hard as he could. The sword whipped through the air and then stopped as the arc of his swing ended.

  “How did that feel?” Midoriko asked.

  “Powerful,” James replied. “Dangerous.”

  Midoriko nodded. “Good. The Rule of the Blade is this: don’t get cut.”

  James made a sort of half snort, repressing a laugh. It didn’t seem right to laugh in such a serious place, with a naked blade in his hand.

  “I don’t want to get cut,” he agreed.

  “See that you don’t. Now, go over there a little way, and practice that same exercise a hundred times— count each strike. See if you can do that without injuring yourself.”

  “Does that happen… often?” James asked, looking doubtfully at the sword in his hands.

  “You’d be surprised,” Midoriko said wryly. “Who else is thinking of joining?”

  “I have some training with swords,” Suki said. “I wouldn’t mind trying.”

  “Not for me,” Harue demurred. “My family respects swords, but we don’t carry them.”

  “I— I must decline as well,” Mitsue said. James looked at him, shocked at his loss of composure. Then Midoriko glared at him until he resumed his exercises.

  “I—trained in a different sword art,” Mitsue stammered. “I would be—honoured to spar with you at—later.”

  “Sure,” Midoriko said. “That sounds like fun. For now, though, you can just watch from the side.”

  some as an explanation for why your stats got better, but how it actually works is that you beat your enemies, get XP, and spend it on stats. Conflict, as they say, builds Character.