She looked to Chansu for help, but was aghast to find the young soldier smiling.
“Well done, my son,” the figure said as he raised his head to reveal the face of the daimyo. “You’ve brought me the Demon Slayer.”
“And you promise to keep my master safe?” Chansu asked. “Lord Shin Bo Hyun won’t be hurt?”
“Of course,” the daimyo said. “Your master will become a great and powerful king. And you will be his first in command.”
Kira stood in shock, staring at the gleeful face of the young man who now circled her.
“You think I’m a traitor, don’t you? But I’m not. I’m protecting my lord from you!” Chansu spat, his face twisting with hatred. “You left him to die twice now, but never again. I would betray you a thousand times so that you would die and leave my lord alone!”
“And very wise of you, my young man,” the daimyo said. “You have made the right decision.” A look of pure evil crossed the daimyo’s scarred face. “Come here, my dear.”
The daimyo gave a careless flick of his finger and Kira found her body flying toward him through the air, unable to stop.
“Finally, the Demon Slayer, or should I say Dragon Musado?” He chuckled. “But what does it matter what I call you? You are mine now.”
The daimyo was now solidified and he reached for her. The little bag containing the tidal stone and her haetae figurine were ripped off her neck and went flying into his hand. In the next moment, the jeweled dagger flew out of its scabbard and rested in the daimyo’s grasp.
“Where is the dragon belt? Why is it not on you?”
Kira couldn’t respond.
“No matter, we will find it. Now you will come to us and control the Dragon King’s treasures for my lord and master,” he said.
The loss of the treasures was crushing. She tried desperately to fight, but just like in her dreams, she was completely paralyzed.
Inside, she screamed for her tiger spirit.
The air about her shimmered and from above her head, her tiger spirit leaped out to attack the daimyo. It was the second time she’d seen her tiger spirit manifest into a physical form. It was larger than any real tiger and stood between Kira and the daimyo. Even as she watched the tiger and the shaman battle, Kira was frozen in place, her paralysis absolute. The daimyo was too powerful. She’d been so foolish to think she had a chance against him.
With a tremendous roar, the tiger clawed at the daimyo’s chest, ripping away an amulet and smashing it under its paw. The daimyo’s form immediately began to shimmer away. But before he disappeared completely, he formed a lightning ball between his hands and directed it at the tiger.
The air smelled of burning as Kira was released from the daimyo’s control. She fell down next to the tiger’s electrocuted body. At first, all she could do was stare in disbelief. This was her tiger spirit. How could it be dead? It felt as if a piece of her soul had been ripped out of her body. Her sobs were too painful to hold in. Steam rose from the body as Kira cradled the great cat’s head. Only then did she begin to scream in rage and agony.
Her dokkaebi army appeared first, milling around in confusion, no enemy to be found. Moments later the clearing filled with soldiers as her brother, Jaewon, and Shin Bo Hyun came to her aid. Gom was leading the way.
Kwan and Jaewon knelt by her side. “What is it, what happened?” Kwan asked.
She raised her head, still heaving from her sobs. “This is my tiger spirit.” She spoke brokenly.
There was a gasp of shock from all who saw her. They were staring at her eyes.
“Your eyes! What happened to them?” Jaewon gasped. “They’re brown!”
Her heart seemed to freeze at his words. Her yellow eyes, her cursed yellow eyes were always her connection to her tiger spirit. If they were gone, then this truly meant her tiger spirit was dead.
Suddenly, the tiger’s body began to shimmer, a golden light surrounding it. Ever so slowly, the tiger began to fade until there was nothing left. Kira’s body began to shake. Something within her snapped. The grief was too painful and it overcame her—swiftly changing to rage and hate.
Kira turned wildly until she saw Chansu cringing against the base of a towering tree. Racing over to him, she punched him in the face, and began to beat him furiously into the ground.
“What are you doing?” Shin Bo Hyun shouted. He pulled Kira off the young soldier, who had not tried to defend himself.
“He did this to me! He betrayed me! He led me into a trap with the daimyo, who stole the treasures and tried to control me! He would have had me too but for my tiger spirit.”
Kira began to weep uncontrollably. “My tiger spirit is dead because of him! He might as well have killed me!”
Shin Bo Hyun pushed Chansu away in shock.
“Why?” he asked. “Why would you betray us like this?”