The Shield of Kuromori

‘You want to hear a joke?’ A girl’s voice interrupted his thoughts. ‘What did one horse say to the other horse?’

Kenny looked up to see blonde highlights, a tan complexion and a dazzling smile. ‘Huh?’

‘Why the long face?’ A giggle like bubbles popping on a sunny day. ‘Stacey Turner,’ she said, balancing her meal tray on one hand and extending the other.

Kenny half stood and shook her hand.

‘Are these seats taken?’ Stacey asked, eyeing the empty chairs.

‘No, no. Please, be my guest.’

‘That’s so sweet.’ Stacey set her tray across from Kenny’s and parked her jeans. ‘You’re the new guy, aren’t you? And from your accent I’d say you’re Australian, right?’

‘No. I’m from England actually.’

Stacey’s eyes grew even wider. ‘That is so cool. I just love English accents. Quick, say, “Would you like a cup of tea?”’

Kenny sat back. ‘I really don’t think that’s –’

‘Oh my God, you’re blushing! That is so sweet.’ Stacey wriggled round in her seat and waved to another table. Chairs scraped and three other girls hurried over, squeezing in round a bewildered Kenny.

‘This is Julianne, that’s Nikki and here’s Sarah,’ Stacey said, making the introductions. ‘Girls, this is the new guy. He’s . . .’

‘Uh, Kenny,’ he said. ‘Kenny Blackwood.’ He felt awkward, thinking how much easier it had been facing the giant crocodile.

‘He’s so cute!’ Julianne said.

‘Look, he’s blushing!’ Nikki observed.

‘From England, you say?’ Sarah added.

‘I have a confession to make,’ Stacey said to Kenny, shushing her friends. ‘Nikki bet me a thousand yen I wouldn’t come over and talk to you, but I’m going to let her off.’

‘Why’s that?’ Kenny ventured.

‘Because you’re so cute, that’s why!’ The girls rocked with laughter in their chairs while Kenny’s cheeks burned. ‘Aww, you were looking so miserable all by yourself, so I came to cheer you up,’ Stacey said. ‘It’s what we do. We’re the cheer squad.’

‘You’re cheerleaders?’ Kenny finally realised.

‘Yep.’ Stacey put a warm hand over his. ‘Say, do you play soccer? I mean, football?’

‘A little.’

‘You should try out for the team tonight. We’ll be there too.’

‘Well, uh, I was planning to –’

‘That’s so great! We’ll see you later.’

‘And we’ll be checking out your legs!’ Julianne added with a wink.

Kenny picked up his tray, no longer hungry.

Once afternoon classes had finished, Kenny hurried to the changing room. He pulled on his football kit and jogged out onto the grass for a warm-up, remembering to stretch first. He glanced up, scanning the faces of the few parents who had come to watch, more in hope than expectation.

Coach Heagney checked off the list of names and put the ten prospective players through a series of drills, having them dribble round cones, through arches, playing quick one-twos and piggy-in-the-middle, while the first team trained nearby.

‘I want to see you do as many keepie-uppies as you can in two minutes and then I’m going to give you all a practice match. There are two places up for grabs, so you’ll need to impress me, if you want to make the team,’ Heagney said, chewing a wad of gum.

‘Hey, Kenny! Kenny!’ Stacey’s voice rang out from the byline. Kenny groaned and tried to ignore the four cheerleaders shaking their pompoms and working on synchronised dance moves.

‘Woo, nice legs!’ Julianne added, laughing.

Kenny concentrated on keeping the ball in the air. He got as far as twenty-eight before a voice brayed, ‘Sorry I’m late, Coach. I had a detention.’

Heagney scowled. ‘Again? Don’t make a habit of it, Brandon. I don’t want you missing any matches for me.’

‘Whatever.’ Brandon snapped a mock salute and dropped to do fifty push-ups in front of the cheerleaders.

Coach Heagney gathered the hopefuls together and handed out training bibs. He stopped in front of Kenny. ‘What’s your name, son?’

‘Kenny, sir.’

‘I’ve been watching you. You’re looking pretty sharp. You played before?’

‘Yes, sir. Centre midfield.’

Heagney nodded to himself. ‘OK, boys. I’ve got the first team squad here.’ He waved towards ten players in school kit, lining up on the side. ‘You’ll be playing five-a-side in two games. That way, I get to see you play against every member of the first team. Any questions? OK, grab a drink and we’ll start.’

Kenny was taking a glug from a water bottle when he felt a tug at his shoulder. A tall, skinny lad from the first team was beside him.

‘I’m Dionte,’ he said. ‘You’re the new kid, Kevin, right?’

‘Close. It’s Kenny.’

‘Kenny.’ Dionte repeated, making a mental note. ‘You’ve got some nice moves. You any good?’

‘I’m OK,’ Kenny said.

‘Well, don’t be too good, if you know what I’m saying.’ Dionte lowered his voice. ‘You see that big guy over there? That’s Brandon, the coach’s son. He’s the star player on the team and he likes it that way. Watch out for him; he’s got a mean streak.’

‘Let’s go, ladies,’ Heagney called, signalling for the start.

The first match was a tough 5–5 draw, with Kenny scoring twice and setting up two goals for his team of newcomers. He came off to a round of whoops from the cheer squad.

For the second game, Kenny found himself facing Brandon at the kick-off. ‘Think you’re something special, huh?’ Brandon muttered, towering over Kenny. ‘We’ll see about that.’

The match kicked off with Brandon passing the ball forward to Dionte on the left wing, before surging past Kenny and administering a hard shove as he raced by. Kenny hit the grass hard, but rolled as Kiyomi had taught him, springing back to his feet. It was too late. Dionte crossed for Brandon who steamrollered two defenders to nod the ball home, past the flailing goalkeeper.

The first teamers immediately scored again from the restart. Brandon clattered into a player attempting to dribble past, collected the ball and fired a long pass into the box, for a teammate to smash goalwards.

‘We’re getting murdered here,’ one of Kenny’s players grumbled. ‘The ref isn’t giving us anything.’

‘I’ve got an idea,’ Kenny said. ‘You two, make a run down the wings, draw the defenders to you. You and you, drop back in case of a counter. Leave me space in the middle.’

‘You sure about this?’ someone asked.

‘What do we have to lose? We’re two down already.’

Coach Heagney signalled for the kick-off. ‘You guys ready?’ He put his whistle to his lips.

Kenny closed his eyes and remembered his training: all matter was composed of energy and that energy could be harnessed and shaped by will. He’d been encouraged to practise, so why not now?

PHEEEEEP! Dionte touched the ball forward and Brandon charged towards it like a thundering rhinoceros. Kenny reached the ball first, flicked it up with his left toe and then hammered it on the volley straight upwards with his right, while falling backwards. The game stopped as everyone stared at the ball rocketing higher and higher into the peach-hued sky.

Coach Heagney squinted upwards, his chewing gum falling from his open mouth, as the ball vanished from view. He shook his head, then spluttered, ‘What the heck was that? Did you just lose the ball?’

Kenny sauntered over to stand by the goal post.

‘You! Blackwood! Didn’t you hear . . .?’ The coach’s voice trailed off as the ball reappeared and dropped out of the sky. It didn’t have time to bounce as Kenny tapped it into the goal with the side of his foot.

‘You have got to be kidding me,’ Heagney muttered.

‘That’s not fair!’ Brandon screamed. ‘The ball was out of play. The goalkeeper wasn’t even in the goal.’

‘Two–one,’ Heagney called, holding up his fingers to show the score. ‘Final play. Next goal wins.’

‘You are dead meat,’ Brandon snarled into Kenny’s face.

BZZZT! Kenny’s wrist tingled. With a scowl, he checked the screen on his smartwatch. It had buzzed to indicate the arrival of a message from Kiyomi.

The text was typically blunt: MEET ME OUT FRONT – NOW. WE’VE GOT TROUBLE.

Kenny scowled. This was not good. ‘Coach? How much time do we have left?’

Heagney peered at his battered stopwatch. ‘About three minutes.’

‘Great,’ Kenny muttered to himself. He’d have to make this fast.

The whistle blew. After a quick exchange of short passes, Kenny received the ball and bore down hard on goal. He skipped past two challenges and was about to shoot when a large shadow from the corner of his eye signalled Brandon was flying in. Kenny sensed a two-footed, studs-up lunge, coming for his shins. Without breaking stride, he flicked the ball upwards, back-heeled it over his head and dived past Brandon’s incoming legs.

Kenny’s palms hit the turf; he hunched his shoulders, tucked his head in and dropped his elbows to complete a forward roll. Then he sprang forward at full stretch to connect with the ball, heading it past the astonished keeper. Behind him, he heard a lumbering Brandon hit the ground.

‘AAAAH! My ankle!’ Brandon rolled around, clutching his boot.

‘Can I go now, sir?’ Kenny asked.

‘Wha –? How the –? Yes, you can go, Blackwood.’ Heagney snatched up his first-aid bag and raced over to where Brandon lay, wailing.

Kenny sped away from the football pitch.

‘Kenny! That was amaz– Hey! Where are you going?’ Stacey yelled, as he sprinted past.

‘I’m a superhero. I’m off to save the world,’ Kenny called over his shoulder.

‘Kenny Blackwood, you get back here!’ Stacey threw down her pompoms.

Kiyomi was waiting on her customised motorcycle, tapping one foot on the ground and revving the engine softly. She was wearing her black biker leathers and the mirrored visor of her helmet was up, reflecting a vapour trail in the golden sky.

Kenny’s heart fluttered, as it often did when he saw her. He slowed and ran a hand through his hair to tame it.

Kiyomi glared at him. ‘What took you so lo–?’ Her eyes widened and she struggled to stifle the smile stealing over her lips. ‘Why are you wearing . . .? No!’

‘Yep.’ Kenny spread his arms in surrender. ‘I reckon I made the team. The coach said we had to impress him and I was so good I impressed myself.’

Kiyomi arched an eyebrow. ‘Still as modest as ever, I see.’ She thumped the seat behind her. ‘We’ve got to go. Oni on the move.’

‘In broad daylight? How many?’

‘At least two. Papa suspects there’s something bigger going on, so we’re to observe and report.’

Kenny climbed on to the back of the bike. ‘Only watching? Are you able to do that?’

‘Don’t push your luck. I’m still mad at you for last night. And for making me wait.’ Kiyomi flipped her visor down.

‘You’re always mad at me,’ Kenny muttered, and the motorcycle slipped silently away.

Kiyomi swung a left out of the school gates, then made another, cutting down a leafy backstreet, bordered on one side by telegraph poles linked with black cables. Kenny clung on, the manicured shrubbery and wide green spaces of Nogawa Park zipping by on his left.

Kiyomi pulled the bike over at a petrol station.

‘Why have we stopped?’ Kenny asked.

Kiyomi tapped the touchscreen display on the dashboard. ‘They should be here any minute. I got Poyo to plant a bug on the vehicle. They’re heading east.’

‘Since when do oni hitch lifts? And in what?’

A large cream-and-turquoise delivery van rumbled past. The logo on its side was a black cat carrying a kitten in its mouth.

‘In that,’ Kiyomi said, throttling hard and leaving smears of rubber on the forecourt.

The van hugged the grassy central reservation and signalled a right at the next crossroads. Long shadows stretched in front as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Kenny squinted at the road sign ahead with its English lettering below Japanese symbols.

‘Ajinomoto Stadium? Are they going to watch footie?’

Kiyomi shrugged. ‘The airport’s that way too. Who knows?’

After about half a kilometre, the delivery truck left the road, turning right on to a strip of red asphalt. Kiyomi pulled over to the kerb.

Reading the road sign overhead, Kenny said, ‘Kokuritsu Tenmondai? What the heck is that?’

‘It’s the National Astronomical Observatory,’ Kiyomi replied. ‘As in telescopes and stargazing.’

The delivery van squeezed between two stone pillars, each with a globe light on top, and paused by a security cabin on the right.

‘Now what?’ Kenny said. ‘Do we follow them in there?’

‘Too obvious. We’re meant to be watching only.’

The van driver handed a parcel to the guard and drove into the compound.

‘I can ditch the bike and sneak in,’ Kiyomi said, eyeing the thick tree cover and low perimeter railings.

‘What about me?’ Kenny said.

‘No chance. You’re wearing football kit. Talk about conspicuous.’

Kenny scowled. ‘Thanks for nothing. Why did you bring me along then? How about I just –?’

His remaining words were ripped away by a blast of scorched air as an explosion tore through the security hut. A ball of fire billowed upwards while chunks of debris rained down.

‘What the –?’ Kenny cried out. ‘Move!’ He pointed to the gates.

‘We’re only supposed to observe!’ Kiyomi shouted back.

‘Stuff that. People are getting killed. Let’s go!’

Kiyomi revved the engine. ‘Remember, this is your idea. Hang on tight!’

The motorcycle blazed through the mangled iron gates. The entrance to the main building was partly screened by a roundabout, which was planted with a stand of palm trees encircled by tall sculpted bushes. Kiyomi wrenched the handlebars to the left, skidding to avoid the obstacle.

‘There they go!’ Kenny said, pointing at the van, which was disappearing behind a plum-coloured building on the right.

‘Where are they going?’ Kiyomi wondered aloud, cranking the throttle. ‘This doesn’t make any sense.’

She hurtled past a small car park and rounded the same three-storey building. Ahead, at the end of a short avenue, was a white circular structure with a metal-panelled dome roof.

The delivery truck screeched to a stop beside the staircase leading into the observatory and the rear doors were flung open by a pair of huge hulking figures.

‘Two oni,’ Kiyomi growled, eyes narrowing. ‘Let’s –’

A blinding flash of light cut her short. Kenny barely had time to flinch before a searing wall of hot air slammed them both off the bike, as a section of the nearest building erupted with a deafening roar.

The evening sky wheeled crazily overhead and tree branches clutched at Kenny’s clothing as the blast flung him high into the air. He crashed down on to a small shrub and slowly rolled to his feet, his ears ringing. Printed pages fluttered around, many edged with orange flames.

‘Kenny!’ Kiyomi was already up and heaving her motorbike to a standing position. She pointed at the fractured building. ‘People are trapped in there. You go help them. I’ll deal with the oni.’ She swung a leg over the bike.

Kenny opened his mouth to protest, but Kiyomi cut him off.

‘Don’t argue. You’re better at that stuff. I can handle two oni.’ She sped away towards the domed building, zigzagging her way round the chunks of rubble strewn across the road.

‘Tasukete! Tasukete kure!’ a woman was shrieking, her voice barely audible above the jangle of fire alarms.

The cry came from above and Kenny made out two fists pounding against a cracked windowpane on the top floor, leaving red smears on the glass. An orange glow flickered from behind her while plumes of oily black smoke belched from fissures in the creaking, sagging roof.

Kenny took a deep breath, backed up a few paces and then sprinted towards the burning building. As soon as he hit the kerb, he bent his knees and leapt into the air, his brow furrowed in concentration. A sudden, powerful gust of wind thrust him upwards and he landed on the window sill, some eight metres above the ground.

‘Get back!’ Kenny warned the woman, summoning Kusanagi, the Sword of Heaven. The blade shimmered into his hand and Kenny swept it round the frame, slicing through the glass as easily as if it was cling film. The panes collapsed inwards and Kenny dived into the building, having dismissed the sword. The Japanese woman stared at him in disbelief.

‘Come on!’ Kenny shouted above the alarms and the crackle of fire. ‘We’ve got to get out of here before the roof caves in.’

‘Go? Where?’ the woman said, her eyes darting around.

Kenny ran to the door and recoiled as the intense heat from the burning corridor forced him back. The building groaned, like a huge wounded beast, and Kenny felt the floor shift beneath him.

‘The window! Now!’ he yelled, throwing his arm around the woman to propel her forwards, but it was too late.

With an angry bellow, a section of floor yawned open, collapsing under Kenny’s feet. He tumbled downwards, into the smoking ruins of the floor below, followed by half of the roof.

Kiyomi crept along the dark passageway leading into the observatory. Guttural voices echoed within the musty dome ahead, at first indistinct, then gradually becoming clearer.

‘Urg-ra n’guh-n-hak ra-rar ng gah – with this stupid thing?’

‘How would I know?’ the other oni replied. ‘I’ve learned not to ask too many questions. Give me that pole. Not that one; the one behind you. It’s numbered.’

Kiyomi heard the hollow clang of metal against metal.

‘Is this even going to work?’ the first oni said. ‘How heavy is that thing anyway?’

‘Seventeen tonnes, more or less.’

‘And the frame is going to take that?’

‘It only needs to hold till we cut the mounting.’

‘Where are the others? They’re late. What’s keeping –? Wait . . .’ The oni let out two loud snorts.

‘What is it?’

‘I thought I smelled a human in here.’

Kiyomi froze, pressing herself against the wall.

The oni sniffed again. ‘Huh. It’s gone now.’

‘You’re just smelling your own backside. Where’s the cable?’

Amid the clank of metal and the grunting of oni, Kiyomi crept closer to the end of the passage, which led from the front stairs. The ogres had entered through a ground-level access and were in the equatorial room, the huge circular chamber which lay beneath the twenty-metre-high dome.

The room itself was dominated by an enormous cream-coloured, double-barrelled telescope, twelve metres long and almost a metre wide. It sat at a 45-degree angle on a complex mounting system of wheels, gears, pulleys and levers, all poised on a single massive, white-painted column of solid steel.

Wooden beams radiated from the centre of the ceiling like the ribs of a giant umbrella, arching high overhead to form a vaulted roof, connected by thousands of interlocking planks.

‘Careful, careful . . . Got it!’

Kiyomi craned her neck to observe the two oni working on the floor below. One was brick-red with a single horn growing from his forehead; the other was sky-blue with a chipped tusk. Red was supporting a steel tube A-frame, while Blue positioned the legs against the concrete outer wall. Scaffolding poles and heavy steel cables spilled out of canvas bags by their feet. Both oni wore silvery overalls.

‘Hurry it up. Five minutes left to complete the hoist,’ said Red, propping the scaffold against another A-frame to form two sides of a pyramid, its apex above the telescope mounting.

‘They’d better be here soon with the cutting gear,’ Blue grumbled, bolting the sections together.

Double doors crashed open behind Kiyomi, making her jump. She whirled round and saw two burly shadows filling the doorway: more oni.

‘The party don’t start till I walk in,’ boomed the one in front. ‘You can hit the music now.’

Kiyomi swore under her breath; two oni were a challenge, but four were deadly – and she was caught in the middle.

The two newcomers stomped down the passage towards her.

‘Can’t . . . hold . . . this . . . much . . . longer,’ Kenny said through gritted teeth.

The woman coughed and waved a hand to clear the dust-filled air. Her streaming eyes widened at the sight of a hunched teenage boy in football clothes, knees bent and arms outstretched, holding a structural support beam over her head.

‘Muri, da,’ she mouthed.

‘I’ve . . . got leverage . . . but this . . . still . . . weighs . . . a tonne,’ Kenny said.

The woman pulled herself up on to all fours and assessed the damage. The top two floors had partly collapsed, dumping tonnes of rubble inwards, but the outer wall remained intact. A faintly glowing square marked a window. She began to crawl towards it.

As soon as she was clear, Kenny twisted, dropping the steel joist and the section of concrete floor attached to it, letting it slam into the floor with an ear-splitting crash. He placed his hands on the small of his back and straightened up, his silver complexion giving way to normal pink as his body reverted from the near-invulnerable metallic state he had adopted.

‘No good,’ the woman said, banging her fist on a twisted beam in frustration.

Kenny picked his way through the wreckage to join her. They were almost at the window but a fallen girder barred their path.

‘Stand back,’ Kenny said, summoning his sword. It materialised into his hand and, with one slice, the beam fell away in two pieces. ‘Let’s go.’

He dismissed the blade once more and helped the woman out through the shattered window frame on to the grassy verge outside, where they gulped in deep lungfuls of fresh, sweet air.

‘Who are you?’ the woman said. ‘How can you . . .? And where is sword?’

Kenny ran a hand through his filthy hair and shrugged. ‘It’s a long story.’

The shriek of sirens announced the arrival of ambulances from the neighbouring Hasegawa Hospital, and groups of white-coated laboratory staff ran from the main building, first-aid kits in hand, to assist bloodied survivors. The woman was swallowed up by a mob of her colleagues, all talking at once.

Kenny slumped on the grass and allowed himself a satisfied smile, but it wasn’t to last.

An explosion ripped through the remains of the top floor, showering onlookers with broken glass. Kenny jumped to his feet and squinted up at the ruined building. A third of it had fallen in and smoke billowed from the top-floor windows. The twisted remains of a metal fire-escape dangled from a wall. And then he heard the screams of people trapped inside.

The building groaned again and swayed slightly, threatening to collapse at any moment.

With no time to waste, Kenny started running.

Kiyomi was trapped; two oni were bearing down on her, while two in front were working in the equatorial room.

Fortunately Kiyomi had instinct and training to fall back on. Her gut said to hide, but the passageway was short with no recesses; her schooling said to take the initiative, to change defence into attack. Her training prevailed.

‘Kiiii-aiii!’ she screamed, bursting from cover. The red oni froze as Kiyomi flung herself forward, planted her palms on the floor and pushed off from the handspring. She tucked her knees in hard, somersaulted over the oni’s head and landed with feline grace on the horizontal mounting of the telescope.

The blue oni reacted immediately. With a roar, he levelled the steel pole in his hand, then swung it straight at Kiyomi to squish her like a bug.