Chapter 5: First Night Watch     — ? —"You want me to do what?"

  Kuroki stood in the courtyard, arms crossed, moonlight reflecting off her sword. "Night patrol. The shrine needs to be watched after dark."

  "Can't you do that?" Yuki asked hopefully. "You're the professional youkai hunter."

  "I do the midnight-to-dawn shift. You'll take dusk-to-midnight."

  "I don't know how to fight!"

  "Then you'll learn." Kuroki gestured to a wooden practice sword leaning against the shrine wall. "Basic self-defense. In case something attacks while I'm not nearby."

  Yuki eyed the bokken skeptically. Her st experience with combat was a particurly aggressive game of dodgeball in high school. "I'm a shrine maiden. Aren't I supposed to purify things, not hit them?"

  "Purification works on spirits. Physical threats require physical responses." Kuroki picked up the practice sword and tossed it to her.

  Yuki caught it awkwardly. It was heavier than expected.

  "Stance first." Kuroki demonstrated, feet shoulder-width apart, sword held in a middle guard position. "Bance here. Watch your opponent. React, don't predict."

  Yuki tried to copy her. Her stance felt wobbly. Her tails kept hitting her legs. The bokken dipped at an awkward angle.

  "No." Kuroki stepped behind her and adjusted her arms. "Elbows here. Wrists straight. Don't grip so tight — you'll tire out."

  Her hands were warm. She smelled like cherry blossoms and steel polish.

  Yuki's brain short-circuited.

  "Like this?" she squeaked.

  "Better. Now, basic strike. Overhead cut." Kuroki stepped back and demonstrated — a smooth, controlled swing from high to low.

  Yuki swung.

  The bokken went flying out of her hands, sailed through the air, and crashed into a decorative ntern.

  The ntern shattered.

  Kuroki stared at the destruction.

  Yuki's ears folded back. "I'll pay for that?"

  "With what money?"

  "...I'll work it off?"

  A long silence.

  Then Kuroki sighed. "Again. This time, don't let go."

  They practiced for an hour. Yuki got marginally less terrible. She could now swing the bokken without unching it into shrine property. Progress.

  By the time Kuroki called a halt, Yuki's arms ached and her pride was bruised.

  "Not bad," the samurai said, which was probably the nicest thing she'd said all week.

  "I broke a ntern and nearly decapitated a tree."

  "Yes, but you improved." Kuroki took the bokken and set it aside. "Keep practicing. Eventually you'll be competent."

  "Wow. High praise."

  Kuroki's lips quirked. "I'm not generous with compliments. When I say you've improved, I mean it."

  The sincerity hit Yuki harder than any sword strike.

  "Thanks," she said softly.

  They stood in the moonlit courtyard, and for a moment, neither spoke.

  Then Kuroki cleared her throat. "Your first patrol starts now. Walk the perimeter. Check for disturbances. If you see anything unusual, call for me immediately."

  "What counts as unusual?"

  "Glowing eyes. Strange sounds. Anything that wasn't there before." Kuroki handed her a small bell. "Ring this if you're in danger. I'll hear it."

  Yuki took the bell. It was cold in her palm. "You'll come?"

  "I'll come."

  The certainty in her voice should not have been as comforting as it was.

  ? ? ?Night in the forest was different.

  Darker. Full of sounds Yuki didn't recognize. Every rustling leaf felt like a threat. Every shadow looked like something lurking.

  Her fox ears swiveled constantly, picking up things her human form would've missed. Footsteps — something small, probably a rabbit. Wind through bamboo. An owl hooting in the distance.

  But nothing dangerous.

  Yet.

  Yuki completed her first circuit of the shrine grounds. The path was illuminated by stone nterns (the ones she hadn't broken), their soft glow pushing back the darkness just enough to see.

  This isn't so bad, she thought.

  Then she heard it.

  Laughter.

  High-pitched. Manic. Coming from the forest.

  Yuki froze.

  The ughter came again, closer this time. And with it, the sound of breaking branches. Something was moving through the trees.

  Something big.

  Her heart hammered. Her tails puffed up in arm.

  Ring the bell, her brain screamed. Call Kuroki!

  But what if it was nothing? What if she panicked over a deer or something equally harmless?

  Another ugh. Definitely not a deer.

  Yuki gripped the practice bokken — she'd brought it along, just in case — and crept toward the forest edge.

  Two glowing yellow eyes stared back at her from the darkness.

  "Oh shi—"

  The creature burst from the trees.

  It was massive — eight feet tall, grey-skinned, with horns and tusks. An oni. A demon. And it was charging straight at her.

  Yuki screamed and dove sideways.

  The oni crashed past her, ughing that horrible high-pitched ugh. It swung a massive club, missing her by inches.

  "HUMAN SHRINE! DESTROY!" it bellowed.

  Definitely calling Kuroki now.

  Yuki scrambled to her feet and rang the bell desperately. The sound cut through the night, clear and sharp.

  The oni turned toward her, grinning with far too many teeth.

  "Little fox," it growled. "So small. So crunchy."

  "I am NOT CRUNCHY!"

  Magic. She had magic. Fox-fire, illusions, something!

  Yuki thrust out her hands. Blue fmes erupted from her palms, more from panic than control.

  The oni ughed and swatted the fire away. "Weak!"

  Okay. New pn.

  Yuki ran.

  The oni chased.

  She made it back to the shrine courtyard just as Kuroki emerged from the guardian's quarters, sword already drawn.

  "ONI!" Yuki yelled, pointing behind her.

  Kuroki's eyes narrowed. She stepped in front of Yuki smoothly, bde raised.

  The oni crashed into the courtyard, spotted Kuroki, and hesitated.

  "Samurai," it growled.

  "Demon." Kuroki's voice was ice. "Leave. Now."

  "Make me!"

  The oni charged.

  What happened next was almost too fast to follow.

  Kuroki moved like water — one smooth motion, her bde fshing silver in the moonlight. The oni's club swung down. Kuroki wasn't there. She was behind it, bde glowing with spiritual energy.

  One strike.

  The oni howled and staggered. Bck smoke poured from a massive wound across its back.

  "I said leave." Kuroki's bde pointed at the demon's throat. "Next strike is lethal."

  The oni snarled, but it backed away. "Not worth it," it muttered. "Just a stupid shrine..."

  It disappeared into the forest, the crash of branches marking its retreat.

  Silence fell.

  Yuki realized she was shaking. Her legs felt weak.

  "You're safe." Kuroki sheathed her sword and turned. "Are you hurt?"

  "N-no. Just scared." Yuki's voice trembled. "It was so fast. I didn't — I couldn't —"

  "You did well." Kuroki's hand settled on her shoulder, warm and grounding. "You rang the bell. You led it to me. That was smart."

  "I ran away."

  "That was also smart. You're not trained for combat. Running was the right choice." Her grip tightened slightly. "But I should have been clearer about the dangers. I'm sorry."

  Yuki looked up at her. Kuroki's grey eyes were worried, genuinely concerned.

  "You saved me," Yuki whispered.

  "I'll always save you. That's my job."

  That's my job.

  Right. Just a job.

  But the way Kuroki's hand lingered on her shoulder felt like more than duty.

  "Thank you," Yuki said.

  Kuroki nodded and stepped back. "No more patrols alone until you're better trained. We'll do them together."

  "Together?"

  "Together."

  Something warm unfurled in Yuki's chest.

  Her tails wagged despite the lingering fear.

  Kuroki noticed, and this time, she smiled. "Come on. I'll make tea. You need to calm down."

  They walked back to the kitchen side by side.

  And when Yuki's hand accidentally brushed Kuroki's, neither of them pulled away.

  — ? End of Chapter 5 ? —

  ? Author's NoteThank you so much for reading Chapter 5! Yuki really said "I am NOT CRUNCHY" and I will never get over it. She's trying her best, okay? And Kuroki is absolutely, definitely, one hundred percent only worried about her professionally. Sure.

  If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving a rating or a comment — it genuinely means the world and helps more readers find the story. ?

  ? Audio Version Now Avaible on Patreon!Till chapter 5 is avaible as an audio version over on Patreon — and more chapters get uploaded regurly. The best part? It's completely free to access. Feel free to check it out anytime!

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  See you in Chapter 6. ?