The whole purpose of our plan from the beginning had been twofold.

First, we had to get my family without taking any risks of the Ka deciding it wasn't worth it to keep them alive. After that, we had to make sure that none of the Ka escaped, not one. What better way to accomplish that than a thousand fire-breathing dragons that were ten times bigger than a Shadow Ka? And that had also been the reason for setting up the complete circle surrounding our enemy.

I watched as the dragons split into two groups—one staying back to protect the perimeter, the other moving in for the kill. I'd made it clear that we were supposed to keep as many alive as possible. But by the same token, we couldn't allow any resistance or escape. If it came down to the lives of humans or the lives of Shadow Ka, there was no hard decision to be made. And so I knew that in the end, many of the Ka would die in those fields. And despite their evil, it made me sad because deep down they still had to have some sense of humanity left in them.

The attacking group of dragons had reached the outer edge of the Ka, and landed on the ground, facing forward and ready to fight. Although I couldn't see Tanaka, I knew he was out there, somehow giving commands. Right now he was telling them to wait—to let the Ka be the first to attack.

And attack they did.

From somewhere deep in the black, writhing mass of Ka, a cry rung out—the terrible, haunting sound of someone dying in agony. But I knew it was a Ka, and I knew it was an order. As one, thousands of Ka sprang forward and attacked the standing ring of dragons. With outstretched claws and teeth the black creatures rushed forward, oblivious to the consequences. They had to know it was suicide, but they went forward anyway with all of their strength, tearing and ripping anything that came in their path.

It was then that the dragons started breathing out the fire.

Great, spouting flames exploded out of their huge mouths, incinerating anything and everything that got in the way. The charging screams of the Ka turned into wrenching cries of fear. Shadow Ka were running in all directions, alight with fire, falling and tripping over each other and then lying still. Hundreds must have died in a matter of minutes. The rest quickly gave up and surged back together in a tight pack, now noticeably smaller than when the fight had started. But they still outnumbered the okisaru.

The Ka now had no doubt about their chances of surviving this fight. And so they chose the only alternative. They flew up into the sky, desperate to escape.

They had barely reached thirty feet before the outside ring of dragons shot into the air, chasing and herding the Ka, cutting off all routes of escape. Some got through, like flies through a hole in a window screen. But the dragons stopped the stragglers with bursting spouts of flame, enveloping them with liquid heat before they could get very far.

Fear was the key. Eventually, the Ka would give in to the fear, and surrender. No matter how noble they thought their cause, in the end they would choose life over death. Especially death by incineration. So many already lay on the ground, writhing in agony.

I couldn't watch anymore. Victory seemed pretty certain, and I wanted to see my family. I turned and ran into the house.

“Mom! Dad!” I yelled as I ran through the front hallway and through the kitchen. “Rusty! Where are you guys?”

“In here,” a voice said from the living room. It was Rusty.

I went in there, ready to throw everything aside for a moment and have a family reunion. But I stopped dead in my tracks in the entryway, stunned by what I saw.

Hood was sitting on the couch, his head resting against his Ring. His arms and legs were bound with a tough cord. Rusty sat on one side of him, Dad on the other, also bound. Even as I began to take in what else was in the room, I froze the cords with Ice and shattered them apart. But they didn't move.

That's because my mom was being held by a big Shadow Ka, one of its black arms wrapped around her neck. They stood by the fireplace, and at their feet lay a body, already showing the ghostly white skin of death.

I knew she wasn't just asleep, caught in the Black Coma.

Inori was dead.