Honoo no Mirage

Chapter 11

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Epilogue

At dawn the scope of damage done to the city was that much more apparent. The raw traces of the onryou’s violence stunned the people of the city with its extent.

Thereafter, the events of that night were covered extensively by the media and caused much hullaballoo, but since no cause or explanation was ever found, those events became hazy and before long had already faded away into nightmare and were forgotten.

Yuiko recovered very quickly and completely regained her memories. The next day her parents came to pick her up, and she returned home with them to Tokyo. (Her parents had apparently contacted the police with a missing persons report and had been desperately searching for her.) Her name was Takeda Yuiko; the blood of the Shingen family ran through her from her father.

Afterwards she and Saori kept in touch, and they became pen pals.

But all of that would come later.

Let us go back a bit in the story—

—To the dawning of the next morning, after the darkness which had pa.s.sed like bad dreams in the night.

Takaya had taken Saori home, then met up with Naoe once more to chase down and perform choubuku on the remaining onryou. Yuzuru had accompanied them, and by the time they were finished it was almost dawn.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble,” Naoe said, standing next to the Cefiro he had parked by the school and taking out his keys. “How about I treat you to coffee?”

“I dunno about coffee, but I want breakfast. Though—” Takaya leaned back against the fence, exhaustion written all over his face—“I’d rather go home and get some sleep.”

They’d ended up not returning home last night at all.

“Then let me take you home.”

“Ah, thanks. Then...”

And Takaya suddenly turned to Yuzuru standing next to him, who had been looking at them with a curious expression.

“—”

After a moment, Takaya turned back to Naoe.

“Actually... Nevermind. I’ll go home with Yuzuru. It’s not far, so...”

“I see. That’s very laudable of you.”

“Naoe-san,” Yuzuru said from one side.

“Thank you so much for everything. I was such a bother to you—”

“I don’t think of it as bother,” Naoe answered with a good-natured smile. “This is my job. And—”

“?”

“In many ways I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Yuzuru looked a him a little blankly.

Naoe said once more, “Please stay by his side.”

Finally understanding Naoe’s meaning, Yuzuru smiled a sunny smile.

“...I will.”

Takaya, to one side, interrupted, “Hey! Stop having a private conversation over there!”

“Hmm? Are we making you jealous?”

“Yeah, whatever!”

Climbing into the driver’s seat, Naoe said, “Though you were able to use such power, it seems that you still have not regained your memories, Takaya-san.”

Takaya returned Naoe’s gaze.

“You may not wish to admit that you are Kagetora, but what has happened tonight is irrefutable proof. You performed the summoning ritual without any guidance from me, not to mention the exorcisms.”

“—”

“Even though you may not have your memoriers, we need your «power». We will probably need to call on you for help frequently from now on, so please be prepared.”

“Call on me? To help you?”

“If we are to destroy the «Yami-Sengoku», the Takeda are not the only foes we will face. There are also the Houjou, Imagawa, Mouri, Date...and...” Naoe’s eyes sharpened slightly—“Oda n.o.bunaga.”

Takaya reacted with startled recognition.

For a few seconds they were silent. Then, Naoe, seeing Takaya’s expression, continued, “And then there are the incorrigible troublemakers like Kousaka.”

“Who’s that? A buddy of yours or something?”

“...I guess I’ve known him for quite a while...” Naoe grumbled. “There’s a bit of history there. He’s cooperated with us a few times, but he can be trouble just with his knowledge of inside information. Well, I’ve never really been able to figure out what he’s thinking.”

“What’s with that? So is he dangerous or what?”

His forehead in his hand, Naoe groaned. “Well, I guess you could say that. In any case, I’ll visit again soon. I didn’t even get the chance to try the famous local raw horsemeat dish—”

“You didn’t come here to sightsee!”

Naoe smiled faintly. “Kagetora-sama.”

“?”

“Perhaps it is a good thing that your memories have not returned. Probably very much so for you...and for me.”

“Naoe?”

Naoe gave him a small, silent smile. He turned the key to start the engine. “Please do some studying out of your j.a.panese history textbook. It will raise your grades and kill two birds with one stone.”

“Feh. You’ve gotta be joking.”

Naoe smiled. “Though I suppose in your case it should be called a review? Well then, I shall see you soon...”

Yuzuru bowed, and Naoe returned it.

Kousaka’s words echoed once more in his mind: ’The existence of Narita Yuzuru is a danger to the Roku Dou Kai."

Those words weighed on him, but in the end he hadn’t been able to ask Kousaka’s meaning.

Yuzuru...what in the world was—

It felt like a giant gear had been put into action. From the time he had been reunited with Kagetora.

“Well then...”

And Naoe stepped on the accelerator.

The car slowly moved down the road with a puff of exhaust smoke. Takaya and Yuzuru saw it off.

“...”

Takaya thrust a hand into his pocket as he gazed after Naoe’s Cefiro, which was soon driving down the line of poplar trees.

The wind flapped in their blazers.

Takaya suddenly murmured, “Yuzuru.”

“?”

Yuzuru looked at Takaya. Takaya, his eyes still chasing after the tail of the Cefiro, now turned his face away slightly.

“I...don’t have any intention of changing.”

“Takaya”

“—But if...”

He couldn’t complete the thought out loud.

“... What’s wrong, Takaya?” Yuzuru said with his usual gentle smile, “You’re you. You’ll be Takaya even if you change.”

“Yuzuru—” Takaya turned. Yuzuru was looking at him with a limpid, forthright smile.

“...”

Takaya brushed his bangs out of his eyes and smiled slightly. “How about some soda?”

“What? Are you treating?” Yuzuru asked in a normal, cheerful tone. “Then I’ll have some Aquarius.”

“Aquarius? Have some PF.”

“But there’s no Asahi vending machine around here, is there?”

“Then let’s go look for one.”

The colors of sunrise spread across the eastern mountains. The two walked beneath the line of poplar trees. A pure, cool morning breeze brushed past their cheeks.

A faint premonition descended upon Takaya.

A feeling as if something was pushing against his back. Towards a road on which there would be no turning back.

Should he deny his own powers?

The sunrise dyed the Matsumoto sky purple.

The mirage-like blue-green peaks of the Northern Alps awaited the awakening of the city.

The wind blew wordlessly from the east.

END

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