Tokyo Ravens Volume 9 Chapter 3

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"You've become pretty."

Her heart almost burst because of his unexpected words.

But his compliment was correct. The surrounding gazes aimed at her were clearly different from before. Especially the males. The people who had bullied and looked down on her as children seemed to have become different people, casting toady gazes at her.

She didn't feel happy at all. She was unhappy and resentful. She felt contempt and disgust at the males attracted by her appearance.

But only he was different. Only the change in the way he treated her made her feel terrified and anxious yet also sweet and joyous. His discomfort and embarra.s.sment - more than terror and fear - made her feel happy and joyful.

"You're my s.h.i.+kigami, don't forget that."

'Of course', she said with a smile to the upset him. She was happier than ever, so much that she even felt anxious, but even so, she still vowed seriously.

My loyalty is not to your family.

Only to you, Tsuchimikado Yakou--

A locked door. Simple lighting. Inlaid windows. One table and two chairs.

This was the entire room. Harutora sat motionlessly in one of the chairs in the center of the room.

A tight barrier had been set in the room. Hence, he couldn't even sense his own aura. It was as if he had returned to his self from a year ago, his still ignorant self. The ignorant, innocent and irresponsible time when he had frolicked with Touji and Hokuto.

His life just a short year before.

But it was like a different person's life. Or, was the current reality just a dream? After he woke up, would he still be ignorantly frolicking with Touji and Hokuto?

"......Ugh."

That time with Hokuto. Her s.h.i.+kigami self left a charm in Harutora's hand after vanis.h.i.+ng.

Then, today. Harutora had learned that Natsume had been the pract.i.tioner controlling Hokuto...... then, she had dyed Harutora's hands with her own blood and died.

Harutora stared at his palms. They were still clammy with Natsume's blood. As proof of his irreparable 'crime'.

...Natsume......

Suddenly, their childhood promise awoke in his mind.

...Okay, I'll become Natsume-chan's s.h.i.+kigami. We'll be together forever, and I'll protect Natsume-chan forever.

He had announced this and they had woven the magic of a promise together. Entwining pinky with pinky.

Right, he had indeed promised that to Natsume.

A promise he had once broken.

Right now, he had broken it again. He hadn't been able to protect his master, and in addition, Natsume had lost her life because of him.

Thinking back to the time with Hokuto, Natsume had also sacrificed her s.h.i.+kigami to help Harutora. Then, Natsume had helped Harutora again today by self-sacrifice.

How could he call himself a s.h.i.+kigami.

He tightly clenched his hands, his eyes bloodshot. He gritted his teeth with all his strength.

His crime. No matter what, he had to repent for that crime. ......No, the words weren't as pretty as that. Hate. He couldn't suffer Natsume's death and couldn't tolerate her absence. Currently, Natsume didn't exist anywhere in the world. This moment without Natsume would continue to exist forever. It was a hard-to-stand pain that practically destroyed his heart. His heart agonized as if it were being scorched.

Because of that......

Yashamaru's previous proposal wouldn't leave his mind. It had invaded him. Even though he clearly knew somewhere in his heart that it was an obvious 'mistake'.

It was a curse.

"s.h.i.+t."

Suzuka's figure emerged in his mind. Have you forgotten what you told me 'back then'? The sound of that girl's shout resounded in his heart.

It was completely as she had said. Harutora hadn't understood how it was to lose someone important. Not only had he let Natsume die, he had also hurt Suzuka. He had been selfish and irresponsible.

Even so......

As expected, he couldn't give up on Natsume.

Just like Suzuka had scolded him for, he was despicable. But his decision would no longer change.

The future was suddenly closed off in a thick darkness, and he stood in place with nowhere to go. However, there was a faint light in the depths of the darkness, indicating a path.

That path had to lead to a path in even deeper darkness. A path full of shadows, chill, and rancid taboo.

The forbidden soul magic. The Taizan f.u.kun Ritual.

But even if it were the devil's contract, he wouldn't hesitate.

Harutora's eyes housed a cold, penetrating light.

He would resurrect Natsume using the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual. That was 'decided'. The next question was 'how' to use that ritual.

The most reasonable way would be to ask Suzuka. It didn't matter if Harutora's life were the price.

But it was very difficult to pull off. Suzuka definitely wouldn't agree. In the first place, it wasn't certain that he would be able to obtain the help of his companions. No, they might even oppose him. Especially the adults, they wouldn't agree. Regardless of whether it was the princ.i.p.al or Ohtomo, they wouldn't approve of Harutora using banned magic. He couldn't even rely on his parents. After all, he couldn't contact them.

Moreover--

... 'I hope that you remember that even if you prepare to carry out the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, your time is extremely limited.'

It was extremely maddening, but right now his feelings were irrelevant. His determination wouldn't change even if he had to make a contract with the devil. Since there were no choices left for him, then he wouldn't hesitate.

But in the end, this was all based on the great premise of 'Natsume's resurrection'.

Yashamaru had also said that 'there might be some 'additional conditions. For example, if Natsume became like Yashamaru - if she awoke as 'Takiko's s.h.i.+kigami' just like Dairenji s.h.i.+dou...... should Harutora accept the proposal? His personal feelings towards Takiko were an irrelevant problem now. On the other hand, since Takiko had the Raven's Wing, then there was a very high probability that she is on the same side as the 'enemy' that had attacked the Tsuchimikado main family residence. To Natsume, awakening as the s.h.i.+kigami serving the person in that position might be a fate worse than death.

First, Yashamaru had said this. Since he was named 'Yashamaru' and not 'Dairenji s.h.i.+dou', then technically speaking, he was a different person - he wasn't 'human'.

In other words, it was possible that what Yashamaru called 'awakening' was different from Natsume's 'resurrection'. The other party might see it as a slight difference, but to him it might be a huge disparity.

The only thing he could say for sure was that in the end, the opponents were aiming at him - though that was hard to believe - as Tsuchimikado Yakou's reincarnation, not Natsume. Yashamaru had purposefully expressed that they were 'abnormal negotiations'.

Harutora couldn't determine whether he was Yakou or not. But at least Yashamaru, Takiko, and the others believed so. And to them, Natsume's resurrection was just a bargaining chip. There were no negotiations he could trust any more than his negotiations with them.

...But, is there no other......

Harutora tightly shut his eyes.

What exactly did Takiko and the others want to do by capturing this useless reincarnation? Or would they make him awaken after this? If he regained his memories from his past life, would he become able to wield powerful magic? But, so? What were they preparing to do? Come to think of it......

Why had Yakou reincarnated?

What exactly did Yakou want to do? Maybe that was related to what Takiko and the others were planning? Harutora didn't know Takiko's true goal either.

...That girl...... Who was she?

"......d.a.m.n......"

He didn't have enough information. His definite information was exceedingly insufficient. He hated his ignorance from the bottom of his heart. Why hadn't he studied more, understood more, or seriously asked questions before things became like this? It was the first time since he was born that he regretted being lazy.

"...d.a.m.n!"

Harutora stood up from the chair, unable to stand the silence. He paced around the room with rough footsteps to get over the agitated emotions filling his body. But even this couldn't suppress them.

In the end, he shouted out loudly and hit the gla.s.s of the inlaid window.

"d.a.m.n."

He growled, angrily glaring daggers at the idiot reflected in the window.

Then, he noticed.

The corner of his left eye. The pentagram mark had vanished.

...Wha!?

Suddenly, he felt as if his heart had been grabbed.

The proof that he had become Natsume's s.h.i.+kigami. The magical pattern that had guided Harutora to become an Onmyouji. It had vanished. As if the bond between the two of them had been cut because of Natsume's death.

Tears welled up.

...Why......

His body's strength dwindled. Harutora leaned against the window as if he had collapsed, knocking it with his forehead. The whole room creaked.

...Natsume......

"......Natsume......"

His heart was sad and grieving.

Harutora leaned listlessly against the window as if his power source had been cut off.

He didn't know how long he stayed motionless like that.

Suddenly--

Something moved in the corner of his vision.

He slowly moved his gaze, not thinking about anything. Outside the window. Something was stuck on the window.

A bug. It was a spider.

A spider as small as his thumbnail. It crawled curiously back and forth on the other side of the window, across from Harutora. It moved right, moved left, and moved upward and to the right and then down...... Repeating the same movement several times. Moreover, it kept moving along the same trail, but it didn't seem to be weaving a web.

Right. Left and down. Up. To the right and down. Left and up. Then to the right again.

Harutora followed the spider's movements in a trance. He kept watching for a long time--

At some point, he realized.

"......Wha!"

The spider had been tracing a pattern since the beginning.

A pentagram.

He inadvertently put his hands on the gla.s.s, staring at the spider outside. It wasn't wrong. That spider was making the exact same movements and drawing a pentagram. He was taken aback. His wretched mood left him and he became purely and simply surprised. Harutora's eyes widened.

Along with that, the spider seemed to understand that Harutora had noticed it, and changed its continuous movements.

It quickly drew a pattern, snaking around as if dividing a circle into right and left. It repeated that a second time, and then he noticed when it repeated the third time. It was the Taijitu[1]. The image representing yin and yang. Then, after Harutora became aware, the spider started another different movement.

"This thing...... is it!?"

...A s.h.i.+kigami!?

Harutora's spirit-seeing ability had been sealed because of the barrier set in the room. But the movements of the spider before him clearly were not the movements of an ordinary bug. Moreover, though he couldn't see clearly through the gla.s.s, this spider was blue. It was a blue spider in an even deeper color than Swallow Whips.

Harutora stared motionlessly at the spider sticking to the outside of the window.

...Whose...... Whose s.h.i.+kigami was it? Why was it here? No, what was it here for?

His paralyzed mind rapidly started spinning. This spider - what did the s.h.i.+kigami's master want? The only thing he knew was that the other party wanted to establish contact with Harutora. Otherwise it wouldn't deliberately make these movements to catch Harutora's attention.

However, there was another important point.

...No matter who the master of this thing was...... He wasn't with Takiko's group.

If he were one of Takiko's companions, he wouldn't have used such a roundabout method. Moreover, he didn't think it was Touji and the others. He immediately thought of Ohtomo, but he didn't feel it was him either. Then his parents? There was that possibility, but how could they know where he was?

"d.a.m.n!"

The spider s.h.i.+kigami seemed to lack the power to pa.s.s through the room's barrier. Since the Onmyou Agency had prepared this room's barrier to restrain pract.i.tioners, it wasn't easy to break even for a top-notch Onmyouji.

But the spider didn't give up at all, continuing to move before Harutora. Then, it finally started tracing 'words'. One word after another...... But it was difficult to spend time reading the spider's movements while racking his brains.

...Who? Who was it?

A mysterious pract.i.tioner who was attempting to come in contact with Harutora.

Then as you wish. Harutora grinned resignedly and impolitely. He put his thumb against his teeth, breaking the skin.

He ignored the pain, using his welling blood to write hiragana starting with 'あ' on the gla.s.s window. An intense change came over the spider's movements. After it circled around a few times, it started moving on the other side of the window when he finished the 'さ'[2]. It moved from character to character.

Harutora mumbled, closely following the marks in the corner of the window. The spider moved around as it willed.

い,い,ぞ.[3]

...Alright!

The devil had offered his hand, and now it was a spider. But - good. To the current Harutora, it didn't matter if it was straw or a spider as long as he could grab on to it. Seeing that his b.l.o.o.d.y characters had already started drying, he bit his finger again.

Needless to say, Harutora didn't know. Even if he had heard of the legends of Kibi no Makibi, who had brought back the Onmyoudou codex '金鸟玉兔集'[4] from the Tang Dynasty and had controlled 'spiders' to save the life of Abe no Seimei's ancestor, Abe no Nakamaro, he didn't remember them.

However, unbeknownst to him--

The progeny of the Tsuchimikado prepared to entrust his life to the guidance of the spider again.

He didn't return messages, nor did he pick up his phone.

As a result, Touji, Kyouko, and Suzuka could only give up on meeting up with Tenma.

Touji came from the dorm, Kyouko from her residence, and Suzuka from her apartment. After leaving the Exorcist Bureau and being sent to their various homes, they secretly snuck out and gathered back up. Kyouko had changed from her yukata into clothes easier to move around in.

Touji silently checked the time. How many times had Touji repeated that action? They had already wasted quite a bit of time. Even if there was still a long time until dawn, they didn't have time to waste.

Tenma's home was by Gokukuji[5]. Though it was the farthest from Akihabara, it shouldn't have been too difficult for him to slip out undetected compared to Kyouko who had been with the princ.i.p.al and Suzuka whose life had been monitored by the Onmyou Agency since the incident last year. If he had taken a taxi like the three of them, he should have gotten here long ago.

Even if something had happened, it was very strange that they had no contact from him. It looked like they could only believe that Tenma 'wasn't coming'.

Unexpectedly, Suzuka was the angriest.

"That wimpy Gla.s.ses really just left us. Well, I didn't expect much out of him to begin with! But what's good about abandoning everyone and just saving yourself? Is he stupid!?"

She cursed resentfully, her face red. Suzuka's tone wasn't like her style. Rather, it might be proof that she was showing her true feelings.

The place the three of them met up was one of the ticket gates of the JR Akihabara station. The rolling door had already been locked, and it was empty. But there was a twenty-four-hour store nearby, and quite a few cars going by even in the dead of night. If three underage kids were roaming around at this kind of time, even patrolling police wouldn't ignore them.

"......Let's go."

Touji spoke readily after checking the time one last time. Then, he strode out without saying anything else.

However, Suzuka stared at her feet and didn't move. "Suzuka-chan......" Kyouko spoke to her as if to console her.

"It's excusable...... Rather, Tenma made a decision in his own way. Unfortunately, Tenma's practical skills are bad...... he might become a burden instead."

"......Even so."

Suzuka gritted her teeth, unwilling to agree.

"Don't just run away......!"

Tenma's practical skills were clearly inferior to the three present. But Suzuka even had her strength limited, and things varied depending on their opponent. Considering the 'adults' that might be waiting for them in the Onmyou Agency, a small difference in ability might not be too meaningful.

Even if Suzuka was here, it was because she wanted to stay with everyone. She wanted to act together with her companions.

Tenma's actions mocked those feelings of Suzuka's. Hence, it made her mad and she wouldn't forgive him.

"Suzuka-chan......"

Unlike Suzuka, Kyouko didn't plan on blaming Tenma. Kyouko had felt despaired once in the Meguro branch when she had faced the rampaging Shaver before. If not for Tenma extending a supporting hand, she would have left the battle and crouched on the ground.

But, "Don't blame Tenma." She didn't use that to persuade Suzuka. She could understand Suzuka's feelings.

Then--

"That's enough."

Touji stopped striding out.

He spoke to Suzuka, who was thinking about refuting her immediately:

"Just like Kyouko says, it's very likely that Tenma backed off. Staying behind was the correct choice."

"But! I-Isn't that guy also one of our--"

Friends...... The next, trembling word vanished from her mouth.

Touji - even at such a time - was smiling slightly wryly. After all, no matter how much the people around her teased her, Suzuka wouldn't admit that she was one of Harutora and the others' 'friends'.

Touji faced Suzuka again, saying:

"Suzuka, Tenma's good point is that he's not as reckless as us, he does things properly. Hence, even if we screw up, there's still Tenma - if you think that way, you'll feel a lot more at ease, right? Even if he's not here, that guy will help us in his own way."

He was half-saying it for himself too. In contrast to the contents of his words, Touji's expression seemed lonely and regretful.

"Anyway, let's go. It's not wise to break in during dawn."

Touji started walking with those completely relaxed words, not stopping this time. Though Suzuka hung her head for some time, she finally started walking. Seeing this, Kyouko also followed behind them.

It was less than a ten minute walk from the station to the Onmyou Agency.

"Let me say this first......"

Touji spoke while walking.

"I'm ashamed to say it when I proposed this, but unfortunately, we don't know about the interior of the Onmyou Agency. I don't have any thoughts about our plans for breaking in either. If you have any ideas, say them now."

Of the three of them, Suzuka was the most familiar with the agency building. Though Kyouko had visited the agency building with her grandmother and father several times, Suzuka had dealings with the agency building as a National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji before.

However--

"......Then let me first say that no one has a full grasp of the agency building's structure. Actually, it's almost like a maze deep inside there."

Suzuka consciously switched the mood, replying to Touji.

The Onmyou Agency building had been renovated and expanded several times since it was an old structure that had been built not long after the war, but there were still a large portion left over and many places that had stayed the same. This was because of the Onmyou Agency's nature, as the spiritual and magical aspect added difficulty to the construction and the construction couldn't be done while the building was being used. Though the Onmyou Academy building had been reconstructed last year, unlike the Onmyou Academy cla.s.ses, the Onmyou Agency work couldn't be interrupted that easily.

Moreover, the Onmyouji made specific and special instructions because of the renovations and expansions, so every time the agency building was worked on, it became an increasingly specific structure. Though they did not interfere with normal operations, there were dead ends everywhere that wouldn't be noticed during normal work. Even among the agency members, people who had a grasp of its 'entirety' were an extreme minority.

Actually, Suzuka had carried out her research of the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual forbidden magic in a secret research lab in the agency building. That was also because Suzuka wasn't used to being 'outside' the Onmyou Agency, and so she didn't have a choice, but as a result, her research had progressed without any hindrances. Naturally, she had laid down thorough seals and barrier, and in addition, she had been part.i.tioned from the neighboring room by a wall, as if she had been in a cut-off magical s.p.a.ce.

"......In other words, it's hard to attack and hard to defend. Not bad."

"Idiot. No matter how hard it is to defend, it's obvious that the opponents have an overwhelming advantage."

"The opponents don't only have an overwhelming advantage in terms of position."

"But, Suzuka-chan, you're the one who knows it the best among us. Do you have any idea about ways to break in or the like?"

A bitter expression emerged on Suzuka's face at Kyouko's sincere question.

"......Anyways, we can break through the barrier around the whole agency building and the security guards at the entrance. I can also think of several places that Bakatora might have been thrown into......"

The results of Touji's sudden strategizing were obvious and he came up with results instantly. The agency building's security was of a normal level. At the least, they could 'expect' that.

But they should expect that there was strict surveillance set up around Harutora. In that case, finding Harutora would be far trickier than slipping into the agency building.

"Of course, Bakatora's magical energy has to be sealed. All we can do is investigate everywhere we can think of and look everywhere that seems suspicious."

"Okay, then we had better get moving."

After saying this, Touji quickened his pace. Suzuka also sped up, doggedly following after Touji. Needless to say, Kyouko also hastened her steps, but......

She thought absentmindedly.

If Tenma were here, then maybe he would be able to make everyone feel more secure even if he was anxious and panicked - something like that. Even if they were pushed back, maybe he would provide a cautious opinion and right their path - something like that.

She thought of the inexplicable feeling she had when they had parted from him at the Exorcist Bureau. She had seen - she had seemed to see a faint light from Tenma. Maybe that had really been an illusion or something else. Something like a daydream that her heart had seen because of her pain and exhaustion.

Kyouko vigorously shook her head.

She had to focus on the present right now. She had to think of a way to see Harutora and talk about Natsume's matter.

Afterwards, the three of them wordlessly and silently moved with quick strides.

Several minutes later, the Onmyou Agency entered their vision.

At--

--Almost the same time.

A small black car stopped in an alley near the Onmyou Agency building.

A man with a fake leg came down from the driver's seat. Then, a young boy came out of the car from the backseat across from the driver's seat.

A boy who was about elementary school age, who would make one think of reproaching him for not being asleep at this kind of time. Moreover, the way he dressed was pretentious and intriguing. A black jacket, vest, and pants. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and had a bowtie around his neck.

Moreover, though it was the dead of night, his eyes were covered with sungla.s.ses. Sungla.s.ses with lenses as red as blood.

The boy looked up from behind the back of Ohtomo, who had exited the car first--

"Heh."

He laughed with a mysteriously mature att.i.tude.

"......I didn't think that this old man recognized by that Abe no Seimei would be called and ordered in the dead of night around by a brat not even thirty years old. You never know what will happen, even if you've lived for a few hundred years."

The boy - As.h.i.+ya Doman - spoke pretentiously with a jovial tone.

Ohtomo glanced at him expressionlessly, asking:

"......Do you dislike it?"

"How could I?"

Doman chuckled, his mood good. Ohtomo snorted coldly.

To put it bluntly, he hadn't intended this. Doman definitely wasn't someone he could trust. It was extremely dangerous. And that danger exceeded the scope that Ohtomo could deal with.

But there was no other way. He had used all the cards he could have. Right, he had sworn in front of Natsume.

"...So? Let me confirm, your goal isn't to get revenge for your dead disciple, it's to steal back the imprisoned one, right? That reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou?"

The boy leaned into the car again as he asked this, taking something out of the backseat with a clatter.

It was a case with wheels on the bottom - a suitcase.

"Did you know?"

"About what?"

"That Tsuchimikado Harutora was the reincarnation."

"Heh, you overestimate me."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Great, then there's still a chance of becoming friends with you, Priest."

"......Hmm? It felt like you just said something quite arrogant, or was I wrong?"

Doman frowned, extending the handle of the suitcase. This time, Ohtomo didn't glance at him again.

Needless to say, he wanted to get revenge for Natsume. He obviously wanted to.

But Ohtomo fully understood that pure revenge was no good. Revenge was just self-satisfaction. Regardless of how many elaborate words he wove, they wouldn't reach the dead. Because it was an idiotic and shameless thing to push revenge onto others just because he couldn't accept it - just because 'he himself' couldn't stand it.

If he wanted to do as the dead wished, then he had to turn those thoughts towards the living.

"But to be honest, I didn't think you would force yourself this much."

"Really? It's purely a rational decision."

"In any case, you're allowing this old man to have fun."

"......I truly feel like being an ara-mitama and bored to tears would really be the worst."

Ohtomo responded coldly to the outwardly innocent and joyful Doman.

But Ohtomo hadn't thought he was forcing himself like Doman mentioned.

The greatest strength of an 'individual' with an 'organization' as his opponent was speed. Responding quickly was the key to victory. Hence, he would fight and win quickly. There was no room for hesitation in the optimal choice.

More importantly, there was no room for trickery or strategy this time. It was the simplest surprise attack.

Break in and steal.

Ohtomo knew extremely well how effectively pure, uncalculated force could instantly take control of a situation and lead to the goal.

"What kind of level do you think the 'enemy' is on?"

"In general, they're high level...... But I don't think they're completely unbeatable."

"Hm, Of the current members, I'm expecting the most from 'Enma'."

"If possible, I hope we can avoid him."

"Then are the 'numbers'."

"I think we should be able to gain the upper hand if the problem is just 'numbers'."

"Kuku...... Let me advise you, that thinking is 'naive'."

"......Indeed, I'm being overconfident. My apologies."

They actually had an extremely serious conversation in tones that didn't seem particularly serious. It wasn't bad. A sharp feeling of tension. It felt like his 'instinct' from his Mystical Investigator time had returned. The efficiency and humility that had been cut off from him. He gradually organized his battle state.

"Alright, there's something I wish to ask of you. I'm expecting a lot."

"Leave it to this old man, I'm raring to go."

He couldn't trust Doman. But there was no partner more capable than him in the 'strength' aspect. He was extremely fortunate that he 'didn't need to worry'. He didn't need to fight while protecting anyone. It had been a long time since he had been able to seriously focus on his own magic.

If he wanted to do as the dead wished, then he had to turn those thoughts towards the living, Ohtomo believed.

But, putting that aside for now--

"......Allow me to resolve things."

Unbeknownst to Harutora and the others, Ohtomo quietly proclaimed with an expression behind his gla.s.ses that they probably would have difficulty imagining.

The warm night wind slowly blew by.

Just then. His phone received a message. It was from the princ.i.p.al. Though he wanted to just check it out of obligation, he couldn't ignore it when he saw the subject, and he continued and displayed the contents.

He read over it once.

"......Hah."

He smiled happily.

Apparently, Kyouko had vanished from her home.

He instantly realized. Just like before, it was his obtrusive, serious, reliable, and lovable students. They were well-focused tonight. Though he felt it wasn't like his style, he couldn't help but feel proud of his students.

He couldn't let them endure any more pain. He definitely couldn't let them run into any more suffering.

He could understand the feelings of Kyouko and the others.

But.

"...Sorry, Kyouko-kun. This is the only thing I can't permit. This is 'adult's work'."

He didn't believe there was a need to return the princ.i.p.al's message. He had already submitted his resignation. Thanking the princ.i.p.al's insight for suggesting this, Ohtomo put his phone away.

"Then, let's go, Priest. The plan will be as we just said."

"Very well."

Thunk - his cane and fake leg made noise as Ohtomo face the Onmyou Agency and took a step.

Click. The sound of the opening lock resounded through the room. Harutora's body s.h.i.+vered and he instantly tried to hide the window behind his back, turning around.

The door had been opened from the outside.

A voice came from the other side of the opened door.

"...Come out."

Harutora's face pulled taut.

...They were here.

Fortunately, the person who opened the door wasn't planning on entering the room. Though he had been surprised, Harutora used his hand to try wiping the b.l.o.o.d.y characters on the window's gla.s.s. He couldn't wipe off all of the sticky blood, but the characters were smudged for now. There was no helping it. There wasn't enough time.

"......What's wrong?"

The voice came again. An unexpectedly composed tone. Harutora slowly sucked in a breath and then cautiously walked out of the room.

Even so, the room that Harutora had been held in wasn't directly linked to the corridor outside. There was a narrow s.p.a.ce like a reception room in the middle. It was probably the s.p.a.ce the people monitoring him stayed.

Even so, his spirit-seeing ability returned the moment before he stepped outside the room, since he had walked out of the barrier. At the same time, he noticed the aura of the person who had opened the door and spoken.

No, it wasn't a 'person'.

"...You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!?"

It was the s.h.i.+kigami with Takiko. He recalled that he was called k.u.momaru. He had his hand on the opened door, seeming to be waiting for Harutora to come out. Perhaps his s.h.i.+kigami self couldn't enter the barrier of the sealed room. k.u.momaru calmly closed the door in front of Harutora who had retreated and taken a stance.

Then--

"......Sorry."

"What?"

"Even if I'm sorry, it'll just make you unhappy, but even so I still want to apologize."

His outrage at Takiko awoke in his mind. Just like k.u.momaru said, his anger spilled forth. A compa.s.sionate expression emerged on k.u.momaru's face as he silently endured Harutora's gaze steaming with killing intent.

The first time he saw this s.h.i.+kigami was after Natsume and Takiko's mock battle ended. His messy hair was tied behind his head and he wore an M-51 military jacket, jeans, and laced leather boots. His lithe and trained figure resembled that of an ascetic athlete.

He appeared to be of a similar age as him. But something thoughtful and composed could be felt from his deep eyes.

Come to think of it, Yashamaru was Dairenji s.h.i.+dou after awakening as a s.h.i.+kigami.

Could this person be--?

"......Were you also a human before?"

"Yeah, my previous name was Mutobe Chihiro. I worked as Chief Dairenji's subordinate before. I was once in the Lingering Spirit Division of the Imperial Household Agency."

Harutora tensed up even further when he heard of the Lingering Spirit Division.

"In other words, you used to be a Twin-Horned Syndicate member too?"

"Right. I was also related with the spiritual disaster terrorist attack this spring. I 'died' immediately after."

Harutora was dumbfounded by k.u.momaru's dull, indifferent words. k.u.momaru wasn't particularly bothered by Harutora's speechless appearance. "Come." He stepped forward.

Harutora's alert gaze shot out to behind k.u.momaru's back. But the opponent had the advantage. There was no meaning even if he resisted here. He should obediently comply for now. Harutora walked forward behind k.u.momaru.

In that period of time--

...Kon?

He didn't speak, solely searching for her aura. She was there. Harutora was more relieved than he would have imagined.

Kon was the defensive s.h.i.+kigami who was always with Harutora, protecting him. But when he had been bound by the Raven's Wing, he hadn't been able to see her, perhaps due to its influence. What's more, Harutora had been in an almost hysteric state then and he hadn't had the leisure to pay attention to Kon's circ.u.mstances. Then, he had been captured by the exorcists, his magic had been sealed during transportation, and he had been tossed into the room from before. He hadn't had an opportunity to speak with his s.h.i.+kigami.

But currently, he could feel Kon's aura nearby. Since k.u.momaru was here, it would be very difficult to hold a detailed conversation. Kon probably believed that and wasn't materializing for now.

Then.

...Just wait like that.

Without speaking, he made a suppressive gesture with his palm. Then, as seeming proof of a response, aura swayed slightly under his hand. Harutora faced forward, raising his chin and nodding.

Unlike the Exorcist Bureau, it seemed that there were almost no workers in the Onmyou Agency at this time. k.u.momaru silently led the way, his footsteps not making noise even in the empty corridor. Harutora continued staring at the undefended back exposed to him.

He wasn't carelessly negligent, but he didn't feel particularly guarded either. Thanks to this, communicating with Kon became possible, but was he not antic.i.p.ating that he would escape from here or sneak away? Or was he confident that he could deal with anything Harutora could do?

But he couldn't even feel anything comparable to Harutora's personal animosity and malice. Even his apology from earlier - though it had made him quite mad - hadn't been empty. It felt like a true apology. Even as Takiko's s.h.i.+kigami, he was completely unlike Yashamaru.

"......Hey."

"What is it?"

"What's Takiko doing now?"

"We gave her medicine and had her sleep, because she lost her composure after she learned that Tsuchimikado Natsume died."

Even if he understood, Harutora's limbs reflexively stiffened. Even he didn't know how to deal with the mult.i.tude of emotions that swirled inside him.

"One thing that I hope you believe is that this outcome definitely wasn't what my master desired - or what we did. I won't say something selfish like 'please forgive me', but my master wanted to become friends with Tsuchimikado Natsume from the bottom of her heart. That's the truth."

"......Because she thought she was Tsuchimikado Yakou's reincarnation?"

k.u.momaru stayed silent to Harutora's question.

But.

"......No, that's wrong. She's just - alone."

It was still inexcusable. Yes, k.u.momaru who said it knew this the most - it was that sort of tone.

There were other questions he wanted to ask. But Harutora couldn't bring himself to speak with k.u.momaru anymore.

The two of them silently advanced.

They took the elevator, changing floors. The highest floor. The instant he left the elevator, he noticed a faint incongruity.

It was a people-repelling barrier.

...Finally......

The final destination k.u.momaru brought him to was the executive office. Gulp. He couldn't help but swallow.

"Here."

k.u.momaru walked straight into the executive office. There was a seat for the secretary in the room ahead. k.u.momaru momentarily stopped in front of the door deep inside and knocked on the door. He opened the door and turned to Harutora.

Starting now was the stage where the victor would be decided. Harutora resolved himself again, stepping into the room deep inside.

The room was more s.p.a.cious than he had imagined.

Interior decorations that gave off a sedate impression. There was a carpet on the floor, and the buildings of Akihabara could be seen through the giant windows on the walls deep inside, eye-catching because of their nighttime illumination.

There seemed to be a sofa and table used for receiving guests. The teenager lounging on the sofa rose along with Harutora's entrance into the room. It was Yashamaru. After seeing Harutora, he grinned as if to say 'sorry for bothering you before'.

Then--

The person sitting in front of the desk also stood up slowly.

He wore a robe, a hakama, and an obi. Formal wear. An Onmyouji's outfit that made him think of Ohtomo when he had confronted Doman. Actually, though it was their first time meeting, Harutora had seen him in professional journals several times. Moreover, he had heard about him from his daughter many times. Just like he had imagined, he was stern and had an atmosphere that made other people nervous even when he was just standing still. Also, he had a strong aura that felt hidden deeply inside him.

Kurahas.h.i.+ Genji.

The head of the famous Kurahas.h.i.+ family and the chief of the Onmyou Agency.

The leader of the Twelve Divine Generals, hailed as the most outstanding modern National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji.

Princ.i.p.al Kurahas.h.i.+ Miyo's son - also, Kurahas.h.i.+ Kyouko's father.

...This man is......

The man at the apex of the modern magic world. The moment he thought that, he felt his hair rise.

"Good to meet you, Tsuchimikado Harutora-kun. I am Kurahas.h.i.+ Genji."

He had a steely expression. His entire body went stiff for some reason.

But after seeing the speechless Harutora, Kurahas.h.i.+'s expression softened slightly.

"You're unsurprised. You're unshaken, even when you realized you were being brought to the executive office. Or perhaps you vaguely noticed from Princess Souma's words."

His voice held unadorned praise.

But the praise was undeserved. Harutora was extremely shaken, but he didn't let it show. It was because he had already heard his name during his conversation with the spider before.

Needless to say, it had been through the conversation through letters of blood on the window. The information he had heard was only an extremely small, incomplete portion. Everything from then on was unknown territory.

Kurahas.h.i.+ stood up from his chair and walked around to the front of his desk with steady steps.

"You won't ask about my daughter?"

Harutora first took a slow breath.

Then--

"......Don't look down on me."

He replied.

"I don't need to ask in the first place. Kyouko would have told us if she knew anything, even if it was only a little bit."

"......I see."

Kurahas.h.i.+ nodded slightly. Perhaps it was a mistake, but he seemed to be smiling. Then, he stood still in front of the desk and confronted Harutora. In comparison, Yashamaru didn't get any closer, lazily laying back on the sofa as if he were watching a show. k.u.momaru was the same, silently moving to Yashamaru's side.

Harutora glared at Kurahas.h.i.+, grasping their positions with a corner of his vision. He had experienced Yashamaru's skills earlier, and he had understood k.u.momaru's strength to some degree because of his spat with Natsume and the others. As for Kurahas.h.i.+, he didn't even need to make a detailed comparison. The current him didn't have a chance of victory no matter which one of them was his opponent.

But, even so, his position should be comparable. Because the one they wanted was no other than Harutora himself.

"......So?"

Harutora continued speaking completely unyieldingly.

"Let me confirm this first, can you resurrect Natsume with the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual?"

"We can."

Affirmation. Harutora lost his keenness because of Kurahas.h.i.+'s matter-of-fact a.s.sertion.

"......Is that true?"

"We can do it. Of course, we'll break the law."

"Th, Then would it be the same as Yashamaru over there - would she awaken as Takiko's s.h.i.+kigami, like how Dairenji s.h.i.+dou awakened as a s.h.i.+kigami?"

Kurahas.h.i.+ didn't reply directly this time after he tossed forth the doubt in his heart. He turned his head slightly in Yashamaru's direction.

Yashamaru spoke as he sat with both hands on the sofa:

"No, it's different."

A mischievous smile emerged on him. Perhaps he had long since expected Harutora to harbor those doubts.

"Though it's all called the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, there is a range of types. Strictly speaking, that's a name referring to a whole group of similar magics and rituals."

"What does that mean?"

"In other words, the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual refers to an overall system of magic - linking with the spiritual ent.i.ty known as 'Taizan f.u.kun' and then manipulating human souls."

"System?"

"Yes." Yashamaru nodded with a slight smile at astonished Harutora after he asked back.

"Also, what you can do with the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual increases dramatically according to your understanding and ability to control that system. The results depend on the usage. For example, though Suzuka was able to use the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, all she knew was the method of 'trading her life for the life of a dead human'. If you use the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, that kind of thing is 'possible', but it's not 'all there is' by a long shot. Rather, it's just an extremely small part of the system."

"......Really?"

"Of course. Naturally, the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual isn't all-powerful, you know? ......Ah, no, it's unclear whether 'soul manipulation' might actually be all-powerful, but at least it's hard to do for us. It's like the ruins of a mysterious computer to an ancient civilization. No matter how we a.n.a.lyze and a.n.a.lyze, we can't see the whole picture. Even Tsuchimikado Yakou was probably unable to understand the complete system. We just connect with the 'understood portion' and use its effects."

Harutora was speechless as he listened carefully to Yashamaru's explanation.

Then, although he was generally clueless, he felt that he understood the reason the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual was viewed as forbidden magic.

Something that could never be understood and was only used within the range that was understood. There might be a smart method, but it was probably a method that always carried 'danger'. After all, if some abnormality happened in the system, there would be no way to deal with it. In addition, it was extremely possible for a problem in the 'still-unknown range' to affect the 'known range'.

Even though they spoke of the 'known range', since they couldn't understand the complete system, then it wouldn't be too much to call it the 'range that they believed to be known'. The Taizan f.u.kun Ritual was far more of an ambiguous and undefined magic than Harutora imagined.

...That's right, because actually......

Yakou had failed.

No, more accurately, maybe 'reincarnating' already counted as a success, but in comparison, he had brought about huge spiritual disasters. Spiritual disasters continued happening in Tokyo until this day because of the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual that Yakou misused. Such a dangerous magic couldn't possibly be left unregulated.

However--

"......Aah, right, right, there's something I especially need to tell you--"

Yashamaru smiled as if reading Harutora's thoughts. A strange light came from the eyes beneath his monocle.

"What Yakou failed at wasn't the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual."

A surprise. It was like the monologue in his mind had suddenly been intruded upon.

"...Eh?"

"Because, you see, Yakou reincarnated properly."

He somewhat understood the meaning in Yashamaru's words. Indeed. If he was truly Yakou, that meant that Yakou hadn't failed at all. But, then what had caused the huge spiritual disasters?

"......I, I see, it's because Yakou didn't pay the 'price' of the ritual......"

"And hence the great spiritual disasters happened? Is that something Suzuka told you? What a joke! How could Yakou make that kind of low-level mistake? Obtaining lives was a trivial task back then, especially since there were plenty of people who wanted to dedicate their lives to Yakou."

"Th-Then......"

Why? Yashamaru spoke with a light tone to the staring Harutora.

"Think about it. If it were just a human controlling a magic involving a single soul, do you think it would lead to those kinds of devastating spiritual disasters? It's very unnatural, right?"

"But, there really were huge spiritual disasters in Tokyo--"

"Yeah, because what Yakou failed wasn't the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, but the system above it."

"Wha--"

...What?

Harutora couldn't speak.

But, at the same time, he felt something flit through his mind.

An extremely ominous, but unsullied thought. Ideas. Faith. Something sleeping deep inside Harutora that he didn't know of.

A chill ran through him.

"......Yashamaru."

Kurahas.h.i.+ exhorted dully. Yashamaru shrugged comically.

"Ah, whatever. ...Anyway, Harutora-kun. In regard to Tsuchimikado Natsume's resurrection, it's just as promised. Leave it to us. Of course, it depends on your att.i.tude."

Yashamaru ended his long explanation with those completely deliberate words. Harutora bit his lip.

...d.a.m.n. What exactly is the situation......

The continuous, unantic.i.p.ated information that he had been told in torrents practically obscured the important facts. But, he couldn't sincerely trust what they said about Natsume.

"......Depends on my att.i.tude, huh......"

The words of a cheap villain. He had never thought the day would come when he actually heard those sort of words.

Harutora stared straight at Kurahas.h.i.+ again. Wiping the previous conversation out of his head for now, he focused on the negotiations that were to follow.

"......Could you 'explain' to me a bit?"

"Of course."

He didn't know how far Kurahas.h.i.+ had seen through his bluff, but Kurahas.h.i.+ didn't mind his arrogant manner of speech and agreed straightforwardly.

"We hope to join hands with you. You've already heard everything from the Souma princess. We would like to invite you as a 'comrade'."

"......You're inviting Tsuchimikado Yakou, not me, right?"

"No, it's 'you', Tsuchimikado Harutora-kun. Though we see you as Tsuchimikado Yakou's reincarnation, the way we think won't change even if you aren't Yakou."

"Liar."

"It's not a lie. Naturally. Because to me, you're the next head of the family."

He was taken aback. Too many things had happened, and he had forgotten about that for a moment.

But come to think of it, Takiko had certainly p.r.o.nounced that Harutora was a main family member and Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's son. Tsuchimikado Harutora's position would change greatly, not purely because of the possibility that he was Yakou's reincarnation.

...Calm down...... I have to calm down.

He couldn't do anything if he wasn't calm. He had to think and act objectively and calmly.

"......In any case, why do you want someone like me? Indeed, I might be Yakou's reincarnation, but I don't have any memories of my previous life at all, nor am I a genius like Yakou. Or do you think that I'll become like Yakou in the future? That I'll become an incredible Onmyouji like Yakou?"

When Yashamaru had appeared before Harutora, he had asked about his 'former' strength and memories. Judging by that, would he become Yakou in the future? If that were true, then what would become of 'Tsuchimikado Harutora' at that time?

"First, what do you want to do by making Yakou into one of your own? Y, You're the chief of the Onmyou Agency! You're already at the top of the Onmyouji, isn't that enough? Tell me what else you want to do!"

Their 'goal'. That was something the spider also wanted to know. He didn't believe that it was a crazed desire like the so-called Yakou believers. It was unreasonable to view the 'enemies' arranged before him as pure lunatics. Being unable to see their goal was like being unable to see their true appearance.

He was driven to indecision by his anxiety, but he resisted on the surface. The actions of an arrogant 'brat' who truly didn't know anything.

They probably weren't acting, but they weren't reacting truthfully either. But in any case, the more they viewed him as unskilled and immature, the more openings that would make, and the opportunities would gradually increase - hopefully. No matter how it was acquired, information was information.

"Did you know?" Then, Kurahas.h.i.+ abruptly opened his mouth as he stared at Harutora desperately trying to stand his ground.

"During the Pacific War, Tsuchimikado Yakou headed the rebuilt Onmyou Bureau and merged all j.a.panese systems of magic to establish a new system of magic. An extremely powerful, extremely practical and useful magic from which religion was removed. That was the Imperial Onmyoudou that became the foundation of today's General Onmyoudou. ...However, it wasn't something made by Yakou's achievements alone."

"Eh?"

Kurahas.h.i.+ continued impa.s.sionately speaking in response to the sudden widening of Harutora's eyes.

"That's natural. You also learned a bit about the greatness of magic at the Onmyou Academy. Yakou didn't limit himself to Onmyoudou, he even roped in other sects of magic. Most of them were techniques that were already lost at the time or techniques that were disappearing. Moreover, they were techniques with jumbled and unclear authenticity. He had to completely investigate, select, and add them to build the system of magic. It wasn't an amount of work that could be realized by a single person."

"Of course, it was an undertaking only possible because of Yakou's ability. I have no plans on belittling his greatness. But the achievements Yakou left behind were only completed because of the work of the nation and the military's strength behind the scenes."

Kurahas.h.i.+ narrowed his eyes.

Boiling heat could be glimpsed deep within his sharp, profound eyes, on the other side of his steely impression.

"And...... The people who acted as his left and right hands were the Tsuchimikado family's most powerful branch family, the Kurahas.h.i.+ family, along with the Souma family that had influence deep within the Imperial Army's higher-ups."

"Souma......"

Harutora, finally comprehended, moved his gaze from Kurahas.h.i.+ to Yashamaru. Yashamaru smiled unreservedly, welcoming his friend's introduction.

"As Kurahas.h.i.+ says, if Hishamaru and Kakugyouki were the left and right hands of the 'Onmyouji' Tsuchimikado Yakou, then the left and right hands of him as the Onmyou Bureau Chief - the 'Onmyou Head' Tsuchimikado Yakou were the Kurahas.h.i.+ family and the Souma family."

Harutora stared at Yashamaru in disbelief, then he returned his gaze to Kurahas.h.i.+.

...Yakou's left and right hands......

Until now, Harutora had only had the impression that Yakou was an extraordinary pract.i.tioner. For example, a genius superior to 'strong Onmyouji' like Kagami Reiji, Ohtomo, or Kogure. He had believed him to be a legendary Onmyouji who controlled powerful magics and s.h.i.+kigami.

But, on the other hand, he was also the head of the Tsuchimikado family, as well as the executive responsible for the Onmyou Bureau organization, a position where he was in command of a large number of people and supported by many comrades.

He wasn't alone.

He had been accompanied by people of the same age who possessed the same will.

"...In the past, the king of the magic world 'Tsuchimikado' led the 'Kurahas.h.i.+' and 'Souma', reviving the 'Magic' that was facing the crisis of destruction. Then, the next 'great development' that they pursued...... wasn't realized. That is all."

Kurahas.h.i.+ continued speaking. Harutora was absorbed by his words.

"However, the will of the 'Tsuchimikado' was send through time by Yakou's reincarnation, and was continually inherited by my bloodline. All the way until now."

Thump. Harutora's heart beat.

It wasn't Onmyoudou. Nor was it an illusion or first-cla.s.s spirit language.

But there was indeed a 'curse' in Kurahas.h.i.+'s words. A 'curse' woven to carry distant history. A 'curse' that would send the thoughts of the ancients, the desires of the dead, and communicate them to the living descendants.

A 'curse' from the ancient dark underbelly of Onmyoudou.

"Tsuchimikado Harutora."

Kurahas.h.i.+ chanted Harutora's name, saying:

"The 'Kurahas.h.i.+' and the 'Souma' now crown the 'Tsuchimikado' as king again, inheriting Yakou's legacy. We ask for your a.s.sistance. I wish for you to walk the path of Onmyoudou with us."

He instinctively understood.

The 'Kurahas.h.i.+' he spoke of didn't refer to Kurahas.h.i.+ Genji alone. Kurahas.h.i.+ Genji was just of the 'Kurahas.h.i.+ family' - part of the huger, more ancient, and more powerful 'Kurahas.h.i.+'.

Then, what he spoke to and requested a.s.sistance of wasn't Harutora alone.

The 'Tsuchimikado'.

He tried to reach out to the 'King' of the nation's magical world that spanned a thousand years.

Harutora stopped breathing, frozen in place.

His mind was paralyzed. His heart was overwhelmed and impressed on a scale that he had never experienced.

But--

On the other hand, he suddenly noticed. A thought that was completely different.

...I see.

"That's why--"

"What?"

"That's why I was raised in the branch family."

Kurahas.h.i.+ showed uncertainty for the first time because of those simple words that he let out.

His current self. His sixteen-year-old self that had gotten by without doubting anything.

Harutora had finally noticed several hours ago that he was actually at the center of a long-running 'conspiracy'. But it was unclear whether that 'conspiracy' was purely to fool the eyes of the 'enemies'. Maybe there were completely different reasons, reasons of a more intimate and personal nature.

The faces of his parents emerged in his heart.

Takahiro's face. Chizuru's face.

And the face of Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

It wasn't fully formed, as it was just a vague, general understanding, but--

They had tried to protect Harutora 'in various ways'.

Just then--

"...Kurahas.h.i.+."

Yashamaru said.

Glancing back, Yashamaru had stood up from the sofa at some time. k.u.momaru next to him also wore a collected expression.

Maybe Kurahas.h.i.+ had also realized, as the uncertainty from before instantly vanished from. Eh? When Harutora thought this, the phone on the desk rang ominously.

An ice-cold smile emerged on Yashamaru's face as he said:

"We have guests."

It was like this again.

An order to conceal the truth. These orders had been strangely numerous recently. She was extremely displeased and was also somewhat uneasy.

"What exactly do they want me to do?"

Independent Exorcist Yuge Mari finally complained, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around.

That order came from the Director - Miyachi. While she had been on duty at the s.h.i.+njuku branch, she had suddenly gotten a phone call saying to 'come to the main agency immediately'. She had rushed over thinking there was some emergency, but then she had been told 'wait there'. It had already been an hour since then. Miyachi, the key to this, hadn't showed up at all, and she couldn't even reach him by phone. She had long since pa.s.sed from anger to boredom.

"Honestly, with the Tsuchimikado family incident the other day, enough is enough. I haven't even returned home since then."

Yuge was inside the Onmyou Agency building, in an office of the Exorcist Bureau. Like its name, it was a room that the Exorcist Bureau employees used when they worked during the day.

Naturally, there was no one in this room when the Onmyou Agency wasn't operating. Yuge, whose personality was basically earnest and who everyone else believed to be a model employee, couldn't help but become flippant. Especially when her colleague Kagami Reiji had been placed in confinement, as the Independent Exorcists were busy even before that. She was honestly very unhappy to be tossed around for orders that she didn't comprehend.

Yuge was currently twenty-four. She kept her mid-length hair up with a barrette, matching her makeup with a tight skirt and a jacket. Other than the fact that her jacket was miasma protection clothing whose length had been modified, she looked at first glance to be no different from a commonplace office lady.

However, though she was female, she was one of the youngest National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji to obtain 'First-Cla.s.s Onmyou' qualifications. She was a capable Onmyouji who could even rank in the top ten in the nation. She was a bit proud of her own ability and took pride in her work. She seriously believed that her fate was to protect people from spiritual disasters.

But because of this, she preferred to avoid factional jousting within the agency. The Tsuchimikado incident a few days ago was clearly involved with 'politics'. Though Yuge very much wanted to keep her distance from such things, it seemed that her boss Miyachi wasn't outside its reach.

"......Though there are things that can't be helped in his position...... At least explain things a bit when you involve your subordinate. That useless boss......"

Her habit of muttering when she got angry was a habit that had started when she was small as well as something that she hid and felt embarra.s.sed about. She would remind herself to be careful when there were people around, but she would do it without thinking when that wasn't the case. Yuge sulked, pouting her cheeks.

Yuge was a capable Onmyouji who could rank among the top ten in the nation. But as Yuge saw it, only Miyachi was special. Though she would die before revealing it now, he had been her role model when she had strived to become a professional. She respected her senpai Kogure and recognized the ability of her kouhai Kagami, but no matter what, Miyachi was the only one who was greatly different. She practically felt that he wasn't human. As one of the Twelve Divine Generals, the 'Binding Princess' couldn't help but reach this conclusion.

In terms of ability, she straightforwardly believed him to be a 'G.o.d'.

But why did he have to be 'like that' in terms of personality?

It wasn't right - she couldn't say that much. But it didn't match. If his normal att.i.tude were like Chief Kurahas.h.i.+'s, maybe she would be able to reconcile with it.

"......Come to think of it, at least pick up your phone, honestly......"

Yuge frowned impatiently, staring at the screen of her phone. Incidentally, the number of her boss that had been entered under his full name at first had now become the word 'Beardy'. But having her call history filled with 'Beardy' during a busy time was another source of irritation.

However, the time she had been able to briefly relax ended here.

"......Eh?"

It seemed as if the chair she sat on had suddenly been kicked flying.

A strong feeling of incongruity. Moreover, some kind of wail rang out immediately after she became conscious of that abnormal aura and magical energy.

Her trained body reflexively ran out of the room. She ran into the corridor - and stopped at the nearest window.

Her eyes couldn't help but widen. Chills ran through her whole body because of the scene outside the window.

A rampage of demons and monsters.

"Wha!?"

s.h.i.+kigami. Simple s.h.i.+kigami. A group of countless simple s.h.i.+kigami. They seemed on the outside to be s.h.i.+kigami who had jumped out of an ink painting, and completely covered the window exterior - the outer wall of the agency building.

Moreover, she remembered these s.h.i.+kigami.

"'D'!?"

The mysterious Onmyouji 'D' who called himself As.h.i.+ya Doman and whose true ident.i.ty was unknown. The s.h.i.+kigami currently surrounding the outside were the s.h.i.+kigami of 'D' who had 'simultaneously' attacked the Onmyou Agency and Onmyou Academy last month.

The Onmyouji 'D' had ended up being reported to be an ara-mitama - a type of spiritual disaster.

But--

"Why? Didn't Kogure-senpai already purify him!?"

Even though she was extremely confused, Yuge ran through the corridor with all her might.

The wails that rang out increased drastically. In the attack last month, 'D' had announced himself beforehand, and the Onmyou Agency had gathered to engage him in full force. But this time it was a surprise attack. They had no preparations. Though the agency building was permanently protected by a barrier, she didn't know how l