Tokyo Ravens

Chapter 41

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It was said to be an ancient "family tradition".

As a branch family member, she would become the shikigami of a main family member.

"So you"re my shikigami!"

He didn"t know whether she understood the meaning of "shikigami", but the main family son proclaimed this with an unreliable appearance. But he didn"t understand the meaning of "shikigami" either. Hence, after she asked about its meaning, his expression immediately soured and he felt a big headache.

"Uh...... whatever. Anyway, you"re coming to my home. You just need to listen to what I say. In return, I"ll protect you."

He had truly kept that promise. He would always protect her if someone scorned her. If she were bullied, he would definitely come running to help. It was the master"s responsibility to protect the shikigami. He had said that, consoling her crying self and always staying with her. He was always by her side.

She was very happy.

It was her first time knowing this kind of happiness.

She also wanted to do something for him. She wanted to help him. She felt this from the bottom of her heart.

Then, those feelings ended up becoming an unshakeable loyalty. New light came to her "life" through her self-dedication.

"No way!?"

Tsuchimikado Chizuru was furious, as if electricity were flowing through her body.

But her fury was basically filled with despair, pain, and deep regret.

"Natsume-chan died? Don"t be ridiculous! Such - Such a thing!?"

Chizuru grabbed the collar of the main family head Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi and mercilessly yanked up. Yasuzumi didn"t display any resistance either, willingly enduring Chizuru"s anger.

Tsuchimikado Takahiro put his hands on Chizuru"s shoulders from behind her, getting his wife to calm down. Suddenly, strength receded from Chizuru"s hands that grabbed Yasuzumi. Chizuru let Yasuzumi go, burying her face in her husband"s chest and starting to cry.

"......I knew it."

She sobbed.

"I knew we shouldn"t have given away the Raven"s Wing. We shouldn"t have given it away, no matter what happened to us......!"

Chizuru"s sobbing resounded through his chest, and Takahiro stroked his wife"s shoulders with a solemn face.

"Are you certain?"

He confirmed this of Yasuzumi and Yasuzumi nodded bitterly.

"Her star has vanished, but--"

Yasuzumi still wanted to say something, negating himself with a "but".

"At least I can"t see it. I can only think of what has happened...... But, no. Natsume"s life has indeed ended. I fear that is doubtless."

He sounded poignant from the remorse wracking his body. As the master of his shikigami ident.i.ty and his old friend from childhood, his pain was also deeply conveyed to Takahiro. But Takahiro understood and watched that pain and remorse.

Of course, Yasuzumi wasn"t the only one feeling anguished. Chizuru and Takahiro were the same. He didn"t have the right to pretend to be feeling sad like this in the first place.

Maybe Yasuzumi planned on taking responsibility for all of the sin alone, but such a thing wouldn"t be allowed. After all, this was a sin that the three of them ought to bear together.

"......I know about Natsume. But what about Harutora? How"s that kid right now?"

The crying Chizuru came back to her senses as if waking from a dream after her husband brought this up. "I don"t know." Yasuzumi said with no reservations.

"A strength whose stars I cannot read has been added to the Onmyou Agency. I fear it is the Yase Doji. It looks like the Souma have also come out of their long time of hiding. We... were a step late."

Yasuzumi was an excellent "diviner". However, the strength of "divining" wasn"t an omnipotent prediction ability that allowed him to clearly see the future. Rather, if he erred in the process, there was the possibility that he would obtain an inaccurate impression of the future. It was a double-edged sword. Ultimately, it had been he who decided how to advance in that moment. He could only continue moving forward.

"Anyway, to Tokyo. Make your preparations, the two of you."

Yasuzumi instructed them this, and Takahiro nodded. They had escaped the eyes and ears of the Onmyou Agency and hidden in a city outside Tokyo. After all, the incident of the attack on the main family residence had happened the night before. He hadn"t been able to antic.i.p.ate things moving this far. Even if they departed for Tokyo now, it was uncertain whether they would be able to arrive before dawn.

Perhaps realizing Takahiro"s worries, Yasuzumi spoke sternly.

"All we can do now is trust in Harutora"s guard."

The Exorcist Bureau main branch was a bit far from the location of the Onmyou Agency.

Though The Exorcist Bureau was a department inside the Onmyou Agency, it was a large-scale organization that comprised over half of the entire Onmyou Agency. Moreover, because its duties were highly mobile due to equipment like transporters and portable altars, it was utterly different from other departments. Hence, in addition to the Shinjuku and Meguro branches, the headquarters building was constructed to rival the Onmyou Agency headquarters.

A sedan drove to the Exorcist Bureau headquarters.

The driver prepared to make a U-turn, but a small, kimono-wearing old lady impatiently got off from the backseat. The Onmyou Academy princ.i.p.al Kurahashi Miyo.

The princ.i.p.al hurried to the headquarters without closing the car door either. As if they had already been contacted, the waiting bureau members greeted her and quickly led the way in.

They went - surprisingly - to a lounge. It was a room for relaxation used during breaks. According to what the bureau members leading the way said, the "interrogation" had already ended and they were on standby here. As expected, when the princ.i.p.al entered the lounge, she noticed the figure of her granddaughter sitting on a chair with her head bowed in a corner of the vast s.p.a.ce.

"Grandma......!"

Kyouko noticed her grandmother and stood up. Painful sadness still lingered on her expression that was swollen from crying. Just seeing this made her feel heartbreaking pain. The boy who sat in the seat next to her also stood up along with Kyouko. It was Kyouko"s cla.s.smate, Tenma. His expression was also tinted with despair.

Only a single female bureau member was in the vast lounge, perhaps because it was already late or maybe because they had left after learning about the situation. She seemed to be keeping them company. It was probably out of simple concern for the two underaged children. After the princ.i.p.al approached, she rose politely and left to let the princ.i.p.al take her place.

"......Kyouko-kun, Tenma-kun."

She had already heard of the situation. Shame, regret, anger, and sadness poured forth. But right now she softly greeted them and refrained from expressing her emotions.

Kyouko burst into tears, lowering her head towards her grandmother"s chest.

"Natsume-chan...... N-Natsume-chan, she......"

Her voice was cacophonic as she cried in gasps. Right, it was "Natsume-chan". Recalling it now, it had been after she learned of Natsume"s true ident.i.ty from the Meguro incident that her granddaughter had become unhappy recently. She had heard that she had finally regained her happy appearance today. In other words, it was proof that their relationship had overcome the difficulty. The unfamiliar name of "Natsume-chan" was proof of that fact.

However, things had become like this after that.

Kyouko continued sobbing. The princ.i.p.al softly stroked her granddaughter"s shoulder, turning her face to the other student.

"Sorry, Tenma-kun. I came late."

"......No. ......That sort of thing......"

"I already heard some of the situation before coming here. But what about Touji-kun and Suzuka-kun - and Harutora-kun? Were they not with you?"

"Yes...... The three of them are still being interrogated......"

Tenma probably didn"t have a clear idea of the situation either. After all, he had also been in interrogation until recently.

In any case, it had been an urgent, abrupt, and deadly incident. It was hard to believe, even though she saw that things had changed this much. It seemed like her "divination" ability had completely atrophied. If she had been aware earlier, then this outcome might not have come to pa.s.s.

No, right now wasn"t the time to criticize herself. She had to extend a helping hand to the students left before blaming herself.

Right afterwards--

"...So you"ve finished here too."

A twenty-five-or-so year old man said this, appearing in the lounge.

He had a wild style, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and battered jeans. But his expression was uncharacteristically solemn and a penetrating sharpness lay under his unusually fierce expression. The valor of the strong aura carried by his whole body was even more noticeable in this tragic scene.

National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji Kogure Zenjirou. He was an Independent Exorcist belonging to the Exorcist Bureau and had met Kyouko and the others.

Then, he entered the lounge leading Touji and Suzuka.

Tenma heaved a sigh of relief after looking at the two of them. Kyouko finally stopped crying and raised her head.

But in contrast, the expressions of the two hadn"t cleared up yet. Touji looked malevolent and distraught, he glared ahead. Suzuka"s face was so pale that it seemed like she would faint soon. The two seemed like flimsy straws, giving off a kind of dangerously weak impression.

The princ.i.p.al looked at the two and nodded as if confirming that they were safe and sound for now.

"Zenjirou-san......"

"Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi, it"s an honor."

Kogure respectfully bowed to the speaking princ.i.p.al. He was also a graduate of the Onmyou Academy. Even after graduating and becoming an independent exorcist, he still held the princ.i.p.al in deep regard.

"Could you tell me about the details?"

"Yes. ......Although, I actually just got here from the Shinjuku branch just now......"

After Kogure replied this, he looked over his shoulder at Touji and Suzuka who had followed behind him.

"Though they were still in interrogation when I arrived, it was after the two of them had already finished talking about the general situation. They were silent no matter what was asked afterwards, and so I"m responsible for them for now."

"I see, it must be troublesome for you......"

"It"s nothing. After all, this situation is......"

Kogure also inadvertently spoke vaguely. He had been Natsume"s bodyguard once during the "Hinamatsuri Repurification" three months ago. He was quite pained since he had met her himself.

Moreover, it seemed like he had other worries.

"Come to think of it...... Princ.i.p.al, where"s Jin? Does he already know about this......"

"......I"m not sure. I haven"t been able to contact him since we parted in the evening."

Natsume"s homeroom teacher Ohtomo Jin had entered the Onmyou Academy with Kogure and had been his coworker in the Onmyou Agency.

Moreover, the princ.i.p.al was also worried about Ohtomo. What would he think after he learned about the business with Natsume? Just imagining made her scared.

On the other hand, "I see......" After Kogure murmured, he immediately recomposed himself.

Even if there were no outsiders in the lounge, he lowered his voice out of care for the surroundings and said:

"......Princ.i.p.al, you already know about the Raven"s Wing, right?"

Kyouko"s body shuddered. "Ah." The princ.i.p.al quietly replied to match Kogure.

"I heard that the Raven"s Wing possessed Harutora-kun and went out of control."

"That"s roughly what I heard. Then, what about the person who brought the Raven"s Wing?"

"Well......"

He hadn"t exactly gotten ahold of such detailed information. Kogure turned his gaze to Tenma in response to the princ.i.p.al"s request for an answer.

The information Kogure had obtained was all testimony from the students who had been there. Hence, he judged that it would be better for them to explain it themselves. Though Tenma was momentarily tense, he spoke up with a solemn face when the princ.i.p.al said "Tenma-kun" to him.

"......A girl called Souma Takiko. Yesterday she came to the Onmyou Academy to observe our studies."

She couldn"t help but bite her lip when she heard that name. It was the name Ohtomo had mentioned today, just hours ago.

But the Raven"s Wing had earlier been moved to the Tsuchimikado home, to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi. The fire at the residence had been during the dead of night yesterday. Since then, information about Yasuzumi had cut off and the Raven"s Wing"s whereabouts had become unknown.

Then why had it fallen into Takiko"s hands?

Just then--

"I-It was me!"

Suddenly, Kyouko burst into a wail.

"I, I told that girl about the fireworks......!"

She confessed in a whimpering tone.

It was her first time seeing her granddaughter so immersed in grief. The princ.i.p.al had been away from the academy building when Takiko had come to observe the Onmyou Academy studies yesterday. She had heard that Takiko and Natsume conducted a mock battle, but something had probably happened between her and Kyouko as well.

The sound of Kyouko"s sobs echoed emptily in the vast lounge.

However--

"......So what if you say that."

Touji spat brusquely. Kogure, Tenma, and Suzuka turned their heads in surprise.

"Natsume died because you told her about our meeting today? What a joke, don"t be ridiculous!"

He said painfully and in abandon. Though his methods were crude, he was essentially declaring that he didn"t believe that it was Kyouko"s mistake. Touji a.s.serted this not as sympathy or consolation, but rather as a pure fact.

"But...... but......"

"Kyouko. Natsume died because of the magic from the Raven"s Wing possessing Harutora"s body. Natsume gave up her own life to suppress Harutora"s rampage."

As if she hadn"t heard about this, Kyouko and Tenma all inadvertently stopped breathing.

"You could actually say that idiot Harutora was the one who killed Natsume. Do you think so?"

Kyouko silently shook her head. "Same as me." Touji said.

"Therefore, Natsume"s death wasn"t Harutora"s mistake or your mistake either. Rather, all of us who were there should feel guilty. No single one of us should bear it all."

Touji communicated the true thoughts he wanted to say through a series of blunt words. Those words only supported the nearly-breaking-down Kyouko because of their undisguised sincerity.

Kyouko"s breathing was still rough and she still sniffled, but she stopped crying. The princ.i.p.al thanked Touji in her heart. While she was proud of her student, she also felt regret at allowing that outcome that made Touji say this.

"......As for this incident--"

Adopting a businesslike tone, Kogure calmly changed the topic.

"The Exorcist Bureau"s official opinion says that Natsume-kun was killed after encountering a spiritual disaster. More accurately, though the Raven"s Wing was designated as a prohibited magic tool, its actual form was closer to a shikigami - a materialized spiritual ent.i.ty - than a magical tool. As a result of it losing control, it was viewed as a type of spiritual disaster. Harutora-kun was also "possessed" by this spiritual disaster and lost control - Touji-kun and Dairenji tried to stop him. That"s the gist of it."

The students" expressions seemed to stiffen by the way he indifferently made the "post-incident report". But it was because it wasn"t mixed with unnecessary emotions and because of its emotionless tone that his felt rational rather than emotional and made the listeners regain their calm.

As an exorcist, Kogure might have faced such scenes in person several times before. His words felt stern, like those of a veteran with much experience. He was different than the person the princ.i.p.al knew from his Onmyou Academy time.

She straightened herself and organized her feelings.

"......Zenjirou-san. Is Harutora-kun"s interrogation still going on?"

"Yes. But it"s not at headquarters."

"What happened?"

"Albeit what Touji just said...... circ.u.mstances are circ.u.mstances. His interrogation is currently being conducted at the Mystical Investigator Department instead of the Exorcist Bureau because of the Agency - the Onmyou Agency"s instructions."

The first to react to Kogure"s explanation were Touji and Suzuka. The two instantly glanced at each other, their demeanors changing as their expressions became solemn. Touji clicked his tongue as well.

"What"s wrong?" Kogure turned his head, but the two didn"t meet his gaze.

"Anyway." A surprised expression suddenly emerged on Kogure"s face, but he continued speaking.

"When I arrived it was already after he had been handed over. And in this situation, who knows how long the interrogation will continue for......"

"I see, he"s at the Mystical Investigator Department......"

Unlike the younger two, the princ.i.p.al carefully masked her inner feelings.

Because of her talk with Ohtomo during the day, she happened to hold suspicions about the Onmyou Agency. She didn"t plan on suspecting Kogure himself, but he might not know everything about the organization. She couldn"t carelessly give Harutora - especially the Harutora who had been chosen by the Raven"s Wing - to the current Onmyou Agency.

The princ.i.p.al calmly moved her gaze to Touji.

"Touji-kun, what you felt from being nearby is enough. How was "Harutora-kun"?"

Kogure slightly furrowed his brows. It wasn"t just Kogure, as the questioned Touji also seemed to comprehend the intent of the princ.i.p.al"s question.

"Of course, he was "Harutora". Though he became emotional...... and said some nonsense."

"What?"

"......It"s nothing."

For some reason, Touji spoke vaguely. But for now, it seemed that Harutora hadn"t yet "awakened".

Even so, things might not be good. In any case, no one currently knew what exactly was going on with "Yakou"s reincarnation".

"...Kogure-san, I"m going to the Onmyou Agency building after this. Could you let me meet with Harutora?"

In any case, Harutora was still underage. Moreover, his parents were unreachable just like Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi. Then her Onmyou Academy Princ.i.p.al self might be able to get Harutora back as a proxy guardian of her student.

It went without saying that the most reliable method was to request this of her Onmyou Agency VIP son, Kurahashi Genji.

However, the princ.i.p.al was currently holding certain suspicions of her own son. The information that Souma Takiko had obtained the Raven"s Wing strengthened those suspicions even more.

The Pacific War in the past. The Kurahashi family, the most powerful clan of the branch families, and the Souma family that had considerable influence in the Imperial Army were the two forces that had a.s.sisted the young genius Tsuchimikado Yakou.

And currently, she couldn"t ignore the possibility that these two forces were joining together again in the darkness to encircle Yakou"s reincarnation. In these circ.u.mstances, it was very unlikely that her son was unrelated as the current Kurahashi family head and the Onmyou Agency chief. Rather, it was almost zero. As long as this doubt didn"t vanish, she had to move carefully around her son.

Of course, though she had relinquished her position of overseeing the family, she had been the Kurahashi family head before. Moreover, she had been the "Kurahashi family diviner" widely reputed in the influential community not limited to just the Onmyou Agency. She would use the connections she had established from before. No matter how things turned out, she had to first get Harutora back.

"Understood."

Kogure nodded to the princ.i.p.al"s request.

"Harutora-kun probably felt quite a great shock. It would be good for him to have Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi with him. I agree."

Though she didn"t know if he was aware of the suspicions that the princ.i.p.al held, at least the words he had just said were his true feelings. Although it wasn"t within his jurisdiction, she would be able to move freely even inside the Onmyou Agency if she had a National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji like Kogure backing her.

But the princ.i.p.al"s considerations were simplified.

"...Ah, you"re here."

A man walked into the lounge, greeting them like that.

A small middle-aged man. A beard grew around his mouth and chin and gave him an overall sophisticated atmosphere. He had an indescribable appearance made up of a combination of somberness and affability.

"Miyachi-san?"

Kogure turned his head in surprise.

"What now, at this time?"

"What do you mean "what now", I"m practically staying here overnight because that idiot Kagami got locked up."

The man shrugged his shoulders in annoyance.

The director of the Exorcist Bureau Purification Command Room, Miyachi Iwao. Though it couldn"t be seen from his lighthearted actions, he was currently the highest ranked exorcist. The Independent Exorcist Kogure was his direct subordinate.

Miyachi approached them and said "It"s been a while, Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi", lowering his head respectfully.

In addition, he also quickly gave Suzuka a knowing gaze. Miyachi and Suzuka knew each other, as they were both Divine Generals.

"It"s also been a while since I"ve seen you, miss. This time really is a disaster."

She couldn"t keep his deep, composed voice from creeping into her pained, complicated emotions. Suzuka looked away without saying anything at all, but Miyachi seemed to regard the girl, worriedly staring at Suzuka.

"You came at the right time, Director Miyachi. I just heard from Independent Officer Kogure that an Onmyou Academy student was being interrogated by the Mystical Investigators. He"s still underage, so I hope that I could stay with him - or at least meet him. Would I be able to speak to him through Director Miyachi?"

Though Miyachi was in the Exorcist bureau, he could be called the pillar of the Onmyou Agency, as he was the highest-ranking member in the spiritual disaster purification job. If he and Kogure were intermediaries, future negotiations would become favorable.

However--

"I"m extremely sorry, Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi. I can"t allow you to meet with Tsuchimikado Harutora."

Though his expression was extremely complex, Miyachi spoke resolutely.

The princ.i.p.al inadvertently went speechless. Kogure was also taken aback, interjecting "Miyachi-san?" from the side.

"Why? Judging by the circ.u.mstances, the princ.i.p.al"s request is extremely reasonable. The Mystical Investigators probably wouldn"t have any problems if you negotiated with them directly."

"The Mystical Investigators asked something of me earlier. They would leave the other students to the Exorcist Bureau, but the Mystical Investigators would be responsible for Tsuchimikado Harutora. ......Also, Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi. I hope that you"d be able to focus on your Onmyou Academy work for now. This is a kind of...... unofficial advice."

"Advice?"

"Yeah."

Miyachi announced with a calm, penetrating look to the intensely shaken princ.i.p.al.

"That"s the opinion of the Mystical Investigators. Incidents involving the Onmyou Academy have been frequent lately. There was "D" last month - Ashiya Doman"s attack on the Onmyou Academy building, the dispute in the borrowed Meguro branch, and then this incident. Also, these incidents were all involved with "specific students"."

"That......"

"I probably don"t need to state the reasons now. The problem is the effectiveness of "his" supervision is being called into question. The Mystical Investigators - no, the Onmyou Agency higher-ups decided that regarding the question of "his" treatment, the Onmyou Academy"s "allotment" and management ability have already been exceeded. I believe that this is an "extremely reasonable" decision from an objective standpoint."

"No way!" Kyouko protested Miyachi"s - the Onmyou Agency"s - viewpoint.

Touji also clicked his tongue and said:

"......Isn"t the Meguro incident more the fault of the Exorcist Bureau than the Onmyou Academy?"

"Uh, so you"re Ato Touji-kun. It"s completely as you say."

The Exorcist Bureau higher-up admitted readily, and Touji couldn"t help but lose his momentum.

"Incidentally, Touji-kun. The Mystical Investigators admitted their faults in their own way. They said something like "some decisions may have been inappropriate"."

"Then--!"

"However, the decision has been made that he can no longer be entrusted solely to the Onmyou Academy on the basis of being underage. That"s what the past has taught us."

Miyachi replied simply to Touji"s challenge with an unwavering expression. Then, even Tenma who had been silent throughout continued Touji"s reb.u.t.tal of Miyachi.

"A-According to what Kogure-san said, Harutora just lost control due to the effect of a spiritual disaster, so what is he asking about? Is the investigation going on right now to clear up the details of the situation? But what you said just now sounded like Harutora-kun would be kept in the Onmyou Agency from now on--"

"......It won"t be "forever", but that"s how it will be "for now"."

Miyachi replied honestly to Tenma"s question, his face apologetic.

"Sorry. Although it must be extremely hard on you...... This has already been "decided"."

"No way......"

Stunned, Tenma was unable to say anything more. The princ.i.p.al looked sharply at Kogure, but Kogure was also lightly shaking his head with a stiff expression.

It seemed that Kogure hadn"t thought that the situation would be this severe either. Moreover, since it seemed that Miyachi was acting on behalf of the Mystical Investigators, Kogure could do almost nothing.

"Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi."

Miyachi continued speaking, as if reminding her.

"This is my personal opinion, Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi - you have been disturbed by "him" and the multiple incidents related to "him", and have lost sight of your concern for the other students. Maybe "he" is indeed an important student, but the other students are also the same, right?"

"Of course, I--"

"Then you shouldn"t be putting priority on "his" outcome and ignoring the harm that other students received, right? Pardon me for being so direct, but you"re too focused on "him" - no, I should say "them". More students might lose future possibilities because you"re too hung up on Tsuchimikado Harutora and Tsuchimikado Natsume. What do you think about this?"

Actually, an unprecedented number of students had withdrawn from the Onmyou Academy in the past two months. That was clearly an effect from Doman"s attack and the Meguro branch incident.

There was nothing wrong with people who couldn"t endure leaving the academy - saying something like that was overly cruel to the underage students, given the commotions that had happened multiple times. There were people among the students who grew rapidly from experiencing actual battle, and there were also students who grew by training bit by bit every day and showing their true worth in the end. The qualifications of the latter were definitely no inferior to those of the former. Also, just like Miyachi pointed out, she couldn"t say the Onmyou Academy was currently doing its job right now with regard to the nurturing of the latter.

"Strictly speaking, it"s currently uncertain whether Tsuchimikado Harutora is Yakou"s reincarnation."

The group couldn"t help but freeze up because of Miyachi"s words that cut straight to the core.

"But the possibility is already enough to become a source of dispute. Moreover...... there have already been deaths. I"m extremely sorry, but please understand that in the future, this will be in the category of "law enforcement" rather than "education"."

Miyachi"s voice wasn"t stern, and his expression wasn"t malicious.

But even so, his words had a weight that couldn"t be ignored.

A steely silence completely crushed all of their reb.u.t.tals. The princ.i.p.al struggled desperately to think, but couldn"t think of any reason for further protest. Though she felt useless. She could only withdraw from here for now. She would have to resiliently continue negotiating.

Not with Miyachi. With the Onmyou Agency. In other words, with the leader of the Onmyou Agency, her own son.

...Just as princ.i.p.al backed off wordlessly.

"......Natsume-chan."

Kyouko spoke up.

Her eyes, wet with tears, stared intently at Miyachi"s face and she pleaded with a tone without the slightest hint of malice.

"Can I see Natsume-chan?"

Miyachi"s expression twisted from suffering again.

Miyachi forced himself to keep calm, apologizing "......Sorry." Shame and suffering surpa.s.sing what he had felt before overflowed from his voice.

"The possibility that someone who died after being involved in a spiritual disaster becoming the core of a subsequent spiritual disaster is very high. Hence, the Exorcist Bureau will manage her for a period of time, as obligated to by Onmyou Law. So I hope that you can wait one night. You will be able to see her tomorrow, and I"ll take responsibility for helping you arrange that."

Miyachi promised with his most sincere att.i.tude, even thought it was just to a student like Kyouko. Kyouko, Touji, Tenma, and Suzuka didn"t say anything more after this.

Even Miyachi wouldn"t hold malice or animosity towards students. In addition, he had never even seemed annoyed or the slightest bit contemptuous. They couldn"t keep being selfish.

But.

"......Director Miyachi. There"s a former exorcist among the students" teachers, and he should understand the Exorcist Bureau"s rules. Would it be possible to let him go see Natsume-kun in place of these kids?"

Their smallest request.

Though Miyachi hesitated for a moment, he finally agreed to the princ.i.p.al"s request.

"......I understand. No, I just arrived...... Yes. Yes, no problem. I"ll report again afterwards."

Fujiwara sighed heavily, hanging up on the call from Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi.

A painful job. Though he had experienced the deaths of subordinates when he had been an exorcist, he hadn"t thought that he would be entrusted with the same mission after becoming more professional and becoming a teacher.

Fujiwara had heard about Tsuchimikado Natsume"s business - the rumors tying her to Tsuchimikado Yakou - so he helped Harutora and the others with their individual training whenever he had time. Because of this, he had been quite shaken when the princ.i.p.al contacted him. To be honest, he still felt it hard to believe even when he was going to check Natsume"s remains. He felt as if he had experienced a nightmare.

The familiar Exorcist Bureau headquarters. He seemed to have been introduced already, as Fujiwara was quickly escorted in after stating his ident.i.ty.

Spiritual disasters happened from day to night - but more accurately, most were from sunset to sunrise. Hence, there weren"t many bureau members in the headquarters, unlike during the day. It was a nostalgic atmosphere to Fujiwara, but it only felt empty to him right now.

Anyway, he hadn"t forgotten how to respond during this kind of time. Clear his emotions and eliminate unnecessary thoughts. Fujiwara advanced indifferently, finding his way on his own.

His destination was in the depths of the headquarters. At the dark end of the corridor was a room with a metal sign hung coldly stating "Spirit Calming Room". Fujiwara stood in front of it and opened the door after preparing himself.

A small corridor extended on the other side of the door, with doors that had been sealed magically at the end. The Spirit Calming Room in the depths was surrounded by a barrier that stabilized spiritual aspects. Moreover, there was a small reception area to the front and side after the corridor. Here was where he obtained permission to release the seal on the doors and enter the inner structure.

However, there was no one here.

Fujiwara furrowed his brows. "...Is someone here?" He asked while looking around the reception area. Then, he noticed that an overweight bureau member was fainted on the floor inside the reception area.

Fujiwara"s expression changed and he "looked" at the seal again. It had already been released. Someone had entered inside without permission.

He checked his charms at hand. Though he had considered first contacting bureau members, the one placed in the Spirit Calming Room right now was none other than an Onmyou Academy student.

Fujiwara refined his aura, letting magical energy circulate through his body. His expression tensed and he sneakily pushed open the doors whose seal had been released.

The interior was very vast. It was an inorganic, cold, drab room. A bed was placed by the innermost wall, and only it was illuminated with light. In front of the bed stood a figure bathed in white light.

Once he saw the figure standing with his back to him, relief and consternation a.s.saulted Fujiwara simultaneously.

"......Ohtomo-kun?"

The figure"s right leg was a prosthetic, and one of his hands rested on a cane. His fellow teacher, Ohtomo Jin. He was Tsuchimikado Natsume"s homeroom teacher. He wouldn"t mistake his characteristic figure for anyone else.

Even so, Fujiwara felt like it was a different person from the Ohtomo he knew when he saw his back.

"......Fujiwara-sensei, my apologies, did I scare you?"

It really was Ohtomo.

Overall, his expression was composed without any grief. However, Fujiwara"s heart rate quickened.

Ohtomo had white hair. It wasn"t because of the light, it was an after-effect of his magical battle during the Onmyou Academy attack incident. Fujiwara had already seen it once when he went to visit him in the hospital. The incongruity he felt didn"t stem from this fine change. But he would have trouble responding if he were asked what it was. In any case, just looking made him unable to calm down.

Suddenly, he recalled an impression similar to what he felt now.

It was then, when he had blocked the way of Ashiya Doman who had attacked the Onmyou Academy alone. His feeling inexplicably reminded him of that experience.

"......O-Ohtomo-kun, how did you get in here......"

"Ahh, the seal? Sorry, I couldn"t stop myself no matter what...... I took a few liberties. Don"t worry, the barrier won"t be damaged, and the worker outside will wake up soon too."

"Wait, I meant......"

"It"s really embarra.s.sing that everything had already ended by the time I got ahold of the information...... What happened, for there to be a death."

"O-Ohtomo-kun!"

A faint, bitter smile emerged on Ohtomo"s face in front of the speechless Fujiwara.

Then, he turned towards the bed again.

On the bed lay a student - the remains of a student. A girl with black hair. A "she", not a "he". Fujiwara had only learned of that fact just recently too. Her eyes were closed, and she looked to be sleeping at first glance. A tranquil corpse.

Ohtomo leaned his body slightly, facing Natsume. "......Sorry." He spoke softly.

"Sorry, Natsume-kun. I"m really...... sorry."

Fujiwara couldn"t see Ohtomo"s current expression from behind. But the unease he felt at the start increased. It was almost no different from "terror".

"Ohtomo-kun. In any case, come with me for now, we"ll call the princ.i.p.al over and talk."

"......Thank you very much, Fujiwara-sensei."

Ohtomo returned to his former posture and replied to the desperately appealing Fujiwara.

"But, it"s alright. I just sent my resignation in to the princ.i.p.al."

He spoke, still with his back to him.

This couldn"t go on. Fujiwara instinctively reacted and loudly said "Wait!" while stepping forward to try to forcefully grab him. At the same time, Ohtomo knocked the ground with his cane, still with his back to him.

Then--

"...Eh?"

In just a moment, his consciousness went blank. No, perhaps it wasn"t a moment. A blankness of several seconds, or maybe several minutes.

Ohtomo"s figure vanished like smoke.

Ohtomo walked alone through the corridors on his fake leg and cane. None of the surrounding bureau members noticed him. They pa.s.sed in front of him without noticing him, changed their direction, or stopped, all making room for him to pa.s.s. Among them was a group of exorcists who wore miasma protection clothing, but when they were about to block Ohtomo"s path, they unconsciously rapidly moved to the sides of the corridor, avoiding Ohtomo as he pa.s.sed. As a result, Ohtomo didn"t stop a single time, and he didn"t even change his pace as he quietly left the Exorcist Bureau headquarters alone.

After leaving the headquarters, the warm summer night air covered his skin.

Ohtomo reached his hand into the pocket of his suit, taking out his phone. He walked while recalling a certain number and dialing it in.

That was the number that had been given personally to him by its owner yesterday at dawn.

The phone call made it through on the third ring.

"Priest?"

Ohtomo calmly opened his mouth with the same tone as always.

"The situation"s changed a bit. Though I"m ashamed that it"s only been a day, could you repay that favor immediately?"

The Onmyou Agency headquarters was an old yet vast building, and moreover, since it was where most of the nation"s magic-related management were gathered, there was various equipment both inside and outside the building.

One of them was in a storage room being used as a warehouse. But it wasn"t any simple warehouse.

A sealed storage room.

Highly dangerous magical objects. Objects that were "cursed" or were spiritually abnormal. A room that sealed magical tools designated forbidden and objects that were considered very dangerous if left alone were sealed here by a tough barrier. Most things were under the jurisdiction of the Research and Development Department, but there were also things directly overseen by the Chief sealed inside here.

The sealed storage room was in the depths of the Research and Development Department"s Research Lab One.

The Raven"s Wing, which had been retrieved by the spiritual disaster purification team, had been moved into this Research Lab One.

A barrier had been put up on a two-meter wide square table. In the center was placed an ancient bra.s.s birdcage, and inside it was a single raven. Upon careful observation, one would notice that it had three legs.

The symbol of the sun in Onmyoudou, the yatagarasu.

This yatagarasu was Yakou"s magical tool, the transformed state of the shikigami known as the Raven"s Wing.

The Raven"s Wing, choosing its yatagarasu form, had its eyes closed as if sleeping and was motionless. Yashamaru looked at the yatagarasu"s appearance with interest.

He circled around and sat on the chair near the table. Humor and a blade-like sharpness emerged in his eyes, one behind a monocle.

While Yashamaru stared at the Raven"s Wing, the door behind him was unlocked and a man walked into the research lab.

He was not young. Rather, it seemed that his flesh were steeped in "age".

However, on the other hand, he had an overwhelming power as if that age directly became strength. His extremely serious personality could be understood at a glance of his outer appearance.

The Onmyou Agency Chief. The VIP of the magical world who was currently the Exorcist Bureau Chief and the Mystical Investigator Chief, Kurahashi Genji.

Kurahashi stood behind Yashamaru, glancing into the depths of the sealed storage room.

"......You still haven"t prepared a seal?"

"Of course. It just started after all."

Yashamaru replied informally to the Onmyou Agency Chief"s question without even turning around. Yashamaru"s past self, Dairenji Shidou, had been Kurahashi"s coworker in the Onmyou Agency. After Dairenji"s death and resurrection, their relationship had already lasted ten years.

"You"ve heard already, right? Tsuchimikado Harutora still hasn"t awakened completely as Yakou. Of course, I"m not sure if this Raven"s Wing is the key to the reincarnation...... But it"s worth investigating and trying out."

Yashamaru spoke indifferently, putting his white-gloved fingers under his chin.

"Moreover, I was very curious about "that man" in my previous life. I personally believed the secret art of resurrection was one of Yakou"s most powerful secrets."

Kurahashi listened to Yashamaru"s words while watching his face from behind. Yashamaru almost paid no attention to Kurahashi, continuously staring at the yatagarasu in the birdcage with narrowed eyes. Kurahashi could read the meaning of his expression due to having known him for a long time.

A voracious thirst for knowledge and a childish curiosity.

He seemed somewhat excited in front of the Raven"s Wing he had dreamed of for so long. A wry smile that seemed a tiny bit different from usual flashed over Kurahashi"s mouth.

"......That"s not it. That Raven"s Wing probably becomes - no, it "might" become the existence that proves your personal hypothesis. The one about the Final Phase."

"Hoho, I"ve been found out."

Yashamaru admitted it readily. Creak. He turned his head to Kurahashi behind him as if leaning against the chair.

"Since I was born as an Onmyouji of this nation, isn"t it necessary to want to meet the yaoyorozu no kami[1]? I have to know who they are and "how they exist" for this. Right?"

"......So? That Raven"s Wing is the "Phase Five shikigami" you speak of?"

"That......"

Yashamaru spoke vaguely and then his chair made noise as he lost his calm. This time, he leaned his body forward.

He put his elbows on his knees, saying:

"Honestly, that hypothesis is still mystery. This Raven"s Wing is a shikigami and also a magical tool. Though this thing is entirely a servant shikigami, it"s technically a manmade shikigami, you know? It was created solely as a "magical tool" by Yakou"s hands. Hence, although its form resembles the yatagarasu of legend, it"s just the form that Yakou made it into."

"Is that so?"

"I"d say I am eighty or ninety percent confident. Even so, it becomes hard to deal with when you consider "why did Yakou choose this form"...... Of course, you could also believe it was purely Yakou"s fancy, but we also have to search for the origins of the magical energy that forms the core of this thing......"

Yashamaru inadvertently forgot about his explanation to Kurahashi, turning his eyes to the yatagarasu and muttering to himself. This was also familiar to Kurahashi, who had known him in his previous ident.i.ty.

"Alright."

Kurahashi called Yashamaru back from his research.

"Let"s put aside the Raven"s Wing"s true ident.i.ty for now. I first want to organize the situation."

Yashamaru"s expression seemed like that of a child who had been ordered to stop playing his video game, but he immediately rose while turning from his chair with a "Fine."

"The princess?"

"She returned to the hotel with k.u.momaru."

"How is she?"

"Tsuchimikado Natsume"s death seemed to be quite a large shock, and I heard she was distraught afterwards."

"What about now?"

"We kind of forced her to sleep. Though intense mood swings are the norm for shamans, the princess"s power is a bit strong. It would be very troublesome if she called down a G.o.d. I might have accidentally gotten carried away in the past, so I"ll have to be careful in the future."

Yashamaru replied to Kurahashi with an expression that didn"t seem regretful at all. In comparison, Kurahashi"s expression was unfazed as always.

Just a few words.

"......An unnecessary sacrifice."

His expression was still unchanged, but his voice was bitter.

Yashamaru shrugged.

"I think it"s a bit dumb to unilaterally decide whether a sacrifice was necessary or unnecessary. The dead are the same, no matter what cause they died for."

Kurahashi glanced at Yashamaru"s expression but didn"t open his mouth again. He hadn"t planned on speaking about their views of death in the first place.

"Yakou"s reincarnation is the branch family"s - the branch family"s "apparent" son, Tsuchimikado Harutora. That"s not wrong."

"Indeed, you can believe that. Actually, I met him directly just now."

"What?"

Kurahashi narrowed his eyes and Yashamaru grinned. "Don"t worry." He supplemented it with an explanation of the incident.

After hearing that, Kurahashi lowered his head to look at Yashamaru with a bitter face.

"......It"s hard to say you"ve established a friendly relationship. Don"t you think you were hasty?"

"I wanted to check the state of his awakening. Is the so-called reincarnation purely about the soul? Or does he inherit his abilities and memories from his previous life? If he inherits that, then to what degree? Depending on those, we may completely change how we deal with him later on. Right?"

"My position relative to Tsuchimikado Yakou won"t change regardless of the nature of his reincarnation. That"s different from you."

"Even so, the "priorities" would probably change. After all, there are a lot of things to do."

"Even so, you were a little too provocative, just judging by what you said just now."

"Really? The main point is that it"s fine if we just put a few fetters on him. It"ll be a pain if we let him run in the opposite direction. If we do that much and sprinkle around a little bait, he won"t freely run out of our hand even if we"re not keeping watch over him, right? Well, it was a very bad impression, but that"s not hard to change. The opponent"s just a child, no matter what anyone says."

Yashamaru opened his hands exaggeratedly while a.s.serting this with quite the frivolous tone.

Kurahashi scorned:

"Though he"s a child, he"s Yakou"s reincarnation."

"Hey hey, Kurahashi, you haven"t forgotten, right? Even Yakou was just a young man who died early."

Yashamaru spoke calmly and impertinently. But it was hard for his former colleague Kurahashi to view his words as rude.

The years that Tsuchimikado Yakou had lived, and the years Tsuchimikado Harutora had lived. Even if the two were added together, they didn"t reach the years that Kurahashi or Yashamaru - Dairenji - had lived.

Moreover, needless to say, the two of them hadn"t wasted a single day of those years.

"Incidentally, I also came in contact with that Ato Touji along with him. Suzuka was there too. I didn"t seem to see your daughter."

"Good. I hope that she"s far away from these things if possible."

"What about your mother?"

"Preparations have been made in that regard."

"Good."

Yashamaru grinned, mimicking Kurahashi"s tone.

Maybe it was quite comical on some level for the Onmyou Agency Chief and his former VIP colleague to be so concerned about students. But they could only establish the right "circ.u.mstances" by staying in control of "everything".

Ato Touji and Dairenji Suzuka, along with Kurahashi Kyouko and the others, were people that they cared about for certain purposes even if they didn"t have power. For now, they kept a certain amount of attention on them. Of course, this was the same for Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi.

"I haven"t asked about the situation with that old woman and the kids. Let"s talk about the other adults. You haven"t gotten ahold of Yasuzumi-kun"s and the others" movements? They should act since their "daughter" died. Even if it"s just as a courtesy."

Yashamaru quipped.

They were aware that Tsuchimikado Natsume was truly a girl from Takiko"s report just several hours ago. Supposedly, Tsuchimikado Natsume had posed as a male because of the main family"s "tradition".

However, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi"s child who was supposed to be Tsuchimikado Yakou"s reincarnation should have been a "son". When Yasuzumi"s late wife - whose maiden name was Wakasugi - had been pregnant, none other than Kurahashi had "seen" that aura with his own eyes. In other words, Yasuzumi had entrusted his own son to the branch family and raised Natsume as a replacement. Then, he had concealed her gender, raising her as his own son. Yasuzumi"s true son was Tsuchimikado Harutora.

Kurahashi dully replied "We still haven"t gotten any new information right now" to Yashamaru"s question. Yashamaru crossed his arms with a "hmph", turning the chair he sat on around with a clatter.

"......Could it be that Yasuzumi-kun still hasn"t picked up on this incident?"

"Impossible, Yasuzumi is an excellent "diviner". It"s best not to believe that he hasn"t noticed his "son"s" awakening or the Raven"s Wing"s activation."

"Then we haven"t gotten ahold of their movements?"

"They"re probably watching or waiting for an opportunity, or maybe there are reasons they can"t move."

"Hmmm. ......What about Tsuchimikado Harutora? We have to keep him under control, right?"

"Yeah, he"s being kept in the Mystical Investigators interrogation room right now."

"That means that there"s a possibility that Yasuzumi-kun will show up himself to take back his son?"

"Yasuzumi has Takahiro and Chizuru with him. Takahiro in particular is a powerful former Mystical Investigator and should be taken seriously. But we all know each other in and out. We have Miyachi here."

When Kurahashi had ordered the attack on the Tsuchimikado main family to recapture the Raven"s Wing, Yasuzumi from the main family along with Takahiro and Chizuru from the branch family had beaten back the Mystical Investigators that had been dispatched. They had also overwhelmed the commanding National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji Yuge Mari, the "Binding Princess".

But they had set fire to the residence themselves when faced with Yuge and Miyachi together and had only managed to escape that place by using the Raven"s Wing as bait. Miyachi"s existence was that decisive with regard to magical fighting power.

"I see. In that case, it seems like it might be good to post Miyachi-kun in the Onmyou Agency temporarily instead of the Exorcist Bureau."

"I"ve already given those instructions."

"Oh, as expected from Kurahashi. Good work, I"m impressed."

Yashamaru laughed happily. But Kurahashi still continued speaking without a pause.

"Unfortunately, there are other worrisome items. There"s a troublesome individual with my mother - the Onmyou Academy."

"Hah? Who?"

""Shadow"".

"Eh? Really? If I recall, didn"t he retire before I died?"

"He resigned as a Mystical Investigator, but afterwards he was taken in by my mother. As Tsuchimikado Natsume"s homeroom teacher."

"......Really."

Yashamaru nodded with a surprised appearance.

The so-called "shadow" was a former top-rate Mystical Investigator who had been a confidant of the "Divine Fan" Amami Daizen. He was a National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji who had obtained the "Onmyou First-Cla.s.s" qualifications, and his power was no joke.

"Though he borrowed Kogure"s power, that man beat back Domahoshi when he attacked the Onmyou Academy last month. Because of the effects of that magical battle, he was temporarily hospitalized. But he vanished yesterday and his whereabouts are currently unknown."

If k.u.momaru was also here, he might have hastily reported that Ohtomo had appeared during the climax of Takiko and Natsume"s mock battle. But even if they knew that truth, the fact that they didn"t currently know about "Shadow"s whereabouts still wouldn"t change.

"Why did it have to be "Shadow"...... Although he"s young, he"s very experienced. Moreover, he"s someone who was responsible for all of the "darkness" himself. It"s very troublesome for him to become an enemy in this situation."

"That"s true about his ability, but the bigger problem is that we have no idea how he"s going to move at all. He has the potential to become something completely unexpected for us. It"s too dangerous to ignore him."

"Uh...... But, he can"t beat Miyachi-kun after all, right?"

"Of course, no pract.i.tioner could exist who could beat him in fighting power. But we have to have Miyachi completely focus on dealing with the Tsuchimikado family. Even just the Takahiro-Chizuru pair is as powerful as "Shadow". Moreover...... The interior of the Onmyou Agency isn"t as solid as a rock either. Miyachi is essential as an overall "deterrence" as well."

Even among the Onmyouji belonging to the Onmyou Agency, there were powerful pract.i.tioners who were inclined towards "the other side", that was reality. Moreover, Miyachi was the leader and central figure of "their side"s" Onmyouji. If he had to deal with the powerful "Shadow" as well, the overall balance would easily crumble.

"Then is it reasonable for me to step in? k.u.momaru would easily fall for a trap."

"That"s not bad, but even if we have you focus on dealing with "Shadow", it might result in a lot of delay. Although he"s Tsuchimikado Harutora"s homeroom teacher, he"s an uncertain element after all. As I said before, we don"t know how he"ll move right now."

In the end, if "Shadow" was harmless - which was very possible - then deliberately dispatching Yashamaru to deal with "Shadow" would be a waste of effort. Yashamaru had to do what Yashamaru had to do.

Even so, ordinary pract.i.tioners would be useless if "Shadow" truly became hostile. Sending someone weaker would be useless.

"Then what should we do? You "don"t have enough pieces" right now, right?"

Yashamaru freely spoke of his worries.

Kurahashi was the Onmyou Agency Chief, and it wouldn"t be too much to call him the most powerful individual in the current magic community. But in the end, that was the situation on the "surface". There weren"t many people he could "privately" call on like Yashamaru.

But Kurahashi slowly replied to Yashamaru"s worry. "Don"t worry, there"s a "suitable person"."

The phone call came when the date was about to change.

The unlit, messy room was dimly illuminated by the light of the television. He was surprised after seeing who was calling. Kurahashi Genji. Seeing as that guy was contacting him personally, it was no ordinary situation.

He suspiciously picked up the phone. Through the voice, he confirmed that there was definitely no mistake, it was Kurahashi himself.

Moreover--

"Your seal is released. Come to the Agency building right away."

"......Right now?"

He checked the time again.

As an exorcist, it wasn"t too strange to get an emergency dispatch in the dead of night. If something like a spiritual disaster terrorist attack happened again, it wouldn"t even be strange for his seal to be removed.

But it was very abnormal for him to be called to the Onmyou Agency building and not the Exorcist Bureau.

The meaning of his silence seemed to reach the other side.

"It"s undercover work. There"s a possibility that a powerful Onmyouji is going to break into the Onmyou Agency. I want you to deal with him."

"Me?"

It was more and more suspicious. That kind of work belonged to the Mystical Investigators, and Kurahashi was currently in the position of Mystical Investigator Chief. He should be able to prepare sufficient manpower no matter how secret the operation was. He didn"t need to take the trouble of contacting him himself.

Then, there was only other reason. A powerful target that he couldn"t deal with without people at his level of power.

"......Who is it?"

""Shadow"."

He couldn"t help but straighten himself, the laziness he had been feeling until that moment instantly evaporated.

A joke - no, it couldn"t be. It was the secret order of that Kurahashi Genji.

Kurahashi repeated his order.

"Independent Exorcist Kagami Reiji. I release your seal. Come to the Agency building immediately."

The savage smile of a hungry wolf emerged on Kagami"s face in the unlit, messy room.

"Anyway, it"s already late. I"ll have the bureau members drive you back, so please go back home for today."

Kogure spoke to the Princ.i.p.al and the students who were left behind after Miyachi"s departure.

But, what should she do after going back? Kyouko wanted to shout loudly, but she didn"t even have the energy left for it. She slumped in the chair she sat in again, unable to even muster the energy to rise.

She would go back to her house, take a hot shower, and go to bed. She would turn off the lights, close her eyes, and not think of anything else. In that case, would she be able to sleep at a time like this? However, even if she slept for a while, reality still wouldn"t have changed at all by the time she woke up. That would be true tomorrow and the day after. Forever.

No matter how long she waited, Natsume wouldn"t come back again.

......Ah......

She shut her eyes and covered her ears, not wanting to admit the reality that invaded her through her skin, stealing away Kyouko"s paths of escape. Anguish. Everything was so painful, even breathing, thinking, and feeling. Her mind was about to break down, but that might even be more liberating.

"......Kyouko-chan? Are you alright?"

Tenma couldn"t keep watching and spoke up, looking quite bad himself. Of course, she couldn"t possibly be alright, and even Tenma should understand that kind of thing. Even so, he couldn"t help but voice the question.

"......Thanks."

Just as she managed to softly reply, a middle-aged man flew into the lounge. He was Fujiwara, a practical skills teacher of the Onmyou Academy.

"Princ.i.p.al! Did Ohtomo-kun come here?"

"Eh? What"s going on?"

The princ.i.p.al was astonished, and Kogure instantly became alert when he heard Ohtomo"s name. Then, the two of them left Kyouko and the others" side, quickly approaching Fujiwara.

...What?

After moving to the corner of the lounge, they started talking busily in voices that kept them from hearing. He didn"t know what exactly had happened, but the adults" expressions were extremely serious.

Just then--

"......Hey, we have things to talk about here, so listen."

Touji spoke in a quiet yet sharp tone as the secret talk of the adults floated by from the distance. Tenma and Suzuka turned around in confusion, and Kyouko also looked up.

"After this, I"m going to break into the Onmyou Agency."

A moment of silence.

Before the three of them thought of what to say, Touji forcefully advanced the topic. "Listen up--"

Touji spoke about the last few days - he summarized the incidents that happened right after the Onmyou Academy had reopened. There wasn"t much time, so he spoke very quickly, but the information were coherent. Most of that information was for Kyouko, who had been separated from them after the Onmyou Agency reopened.

About the fire at the Tsuchimikado main family residence and regarding Souma Takiko. According to her, the main family fire had been the work of the Onmyou Agency. Touji a.s.serted that her words were very reliable since she had appeared with the Raven"s Wing. Also, regarding Harutora"s instability. According to him, there had already been clues before he was possessed by the Raven"s Wing. Moreover, he had lost control during the day today and had been stopped by the "one-armed oni". At that time, the oni had left some words regarding the Raven"s Wing and Saotome Suzu before departing. It seemed that in addition to Kyouko, Tenma and Suzuka hadn"t know about that incident either, and their eyes widened in shock.

"Harutora lost control when he noticed the pract.i.tioners monitoring the dorm and tracked them down. As a result, though they escaped, it"s pretty clear that those pract.i.tioners were watchers from the Onmyou Agency based on the situation."

"......Wh-What"s going on?"

"In other words, the Onmyou Agency started "preparing to resurrect Yakou" from the very start. That"s why they"re monitoring Harutora and the others and why they attacked the main family to steal the Raven"s Wing. Takiko said herself that Harutora was from the main family, not Natsume...... Maybe it"s as she says. There"s a possibility that the Tsuchimikado family noticed the Onmyou Agency"s intentions - or saw through them. Hence, they entrusted Harutora, "Yakou"s reincarnation", to the branch family and let him grow up as a branch family member. On the other hand, they had Natsume pose as a male and falsified her as a main family member. So that the Onmyou Agency would look towards Natsume instead of Harutora."

"How could that be......"

Tenma"s lips trembled. He shook his head, as if he didn"t want to believe rather than he couldn"t believe. Kyouko had the same feelings.

But Touji"s words were reasonable.

Actually, the Raven"s Wing had possessed Harutora and not Natsume.

...Harutora was...... Tsuchimikado Yakou"s......

Moreover, the Onmyou Agency was trying to resurrect Yakou. That a.s.sertion was hard to believe in a short period of time. After all, the Onmyou Agency"s leader was Kurahashi Genji - Kyouko"s father. Though they didn"t have the solid familial relationship of an ordinary family, even Kyouko held her father dear.

......However.

Kyouko had also noticed somewhat. Recently the relationship between her grandmother and father had been strained. Especially her grandmother"s att.i.tude. Moreover...... on the other hand, her father att.i.tude to her grandmother had already become extremely distant since a long time ago. Her grandmother and Kyouko might have vanished from her father"s eyes a long time ago.

Then, Touji spoke of another thing, the incident after Harutora had escaped from the exorcists.

"I didn"t talk about this incident in the interrogation just now--"

He looked at Suzuka after starting off with that. Suzuka also nodded her head. It seemed that the two of them had hidden the information.

Regarding Takiko"s shikigami called Yashamaru.

And that his true ident.i.ty was the resurrection of Dairenji Shidou,

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