Chapter 11: That Shapeshifter, Preoccupied ❦ Rin woke up swathed in a familiar, repulsive darkness. Her whole body ached fiercely and the air was heavy with the smell of human sweat. Very faintly, she could make out some murmuring. Blood rushed in her ears so loudly, but she could fill in the blanks from experience. … Read more
Chapter 10: That Shapeshifter, Reminiscing ❦ Yoka flew above the Nagasaki Kaido in her tengu form. Rin was tucked in her arms, peering down at the shocked travellers as she searched for Matsukura Aoko and his procession of palanquins. They had almost reached Nagasaki but there was no still sign of their target. Rin’s fingers … Read more
Chapter 9: That Shapeshifter, Collecting Clues ❦ In the middle of the day, people in the streets of Karatsu City caught sight of a tengu with raven-black wings fly over the city with a doll-like beauty in its arms. Those who saw it were spooked and began to panic while those who only heard about … Read more
Chapter 8: That Shapeshifter, Deployed ❦ Shinji Tsuguru’s father was a loyal samurai captain that served the Terazawa clan and her father’s best friend. There were centuries of friendship and loyalty between the Shinji family and the Terazawa clan. As captain of the guards, Tsuguru’s father lived with his wife and son in the … Read more
Chapter 7: That Shapeshifter, On Guard ❦ A maid’s typical day began two hours before dawn. Yoka switched the candles in the rooms and corridors with new ones, chopped firewood and drew water from the well. After that, it was time to start boiling dashi and making noodles. One of the souls she once consumed … Read more
Chapter 6: That Shapeshifter, In Her Place ❦ Rin slapped Yoka across the face. The maid was kneeling next to Rin’s futon where she made her report. Her head snapped to the side and a red print blossomed on her cheek. ‘Do you know how hard it was to get a poison that mimics the … Read more
Chapter 5: That Shapeshifter, Cleaning Up ❦ Hirayama’s eyes flashed. He straightened up and folded his arms across his muscled chest. ‘Don’t accuse your senpai blindly. You might be our superior in name, but we have been Nagasaki’s administrative officials for many years. Why would we take part of the shogun’s tribute for ourselves when … Read more
Chapter 4: That Shapeshifter, Waiting ❦ Even though Yoka walked into main keep and up the stairs to the young mistress’s bedroom, she could still hear the conversations in Moon Gazing Hall as clearly as if she was there. ‘The little brat’s got taste, the freshest squid…even the tea is fragrant. She sure knows how … Read more
Chapter 3: That Shapeshifter, Welcoming ❦ Rin slept for three hours. When she woke up, she demanded sweets, so Yoka couldn’t begin any other preparations for the evening banquet until she made mochi for the young mistress. Reika had been waiting for Yoka in the kitchen with the things she bought a long time ago. … Read more
Chapter 2: That Shapeshifter, In Charge ❦ In truth, the “we” who would be preparing the banquet and the “us” showing hospitality was just Yoka. She gave the two troublemakers simple tasks to complete and kicked them out of the kitchen. Kii, who was in charge of picking vegetables from the edible garden for a … Read more
