Tokyo Ravens

Chapter 54

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"......I"m going to go back to the Onmyou Agency."

When Suzuka said that, everyone present was taken aback and reacted strongly.

"Hold on, Suzuka. Yashamaru - your father - is around the Chief, right? You"ll caught easily."

"What Touji says is right."

Tenma also calmly stated his opinion as Touji hastily stopped her.

"I understand that it"s difficult for you to stay at the Onmyou Academy in your position. But even so, returning to the Onmyou Agency is too reckless.

Just like Amami said, Suzuka and Kyouko were just like the princ.i.p.al in that it would be very difficult for them to continue a similar life as they had lived until now, even just on the surface. Though she was a student, Suzuka had originally been a special student. She was already a professional - and also a National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji who possessed "First-Cla.s.s Onmyou" qualifications. She had only come to the Onmyou Academy up to now as punishment for attempting to hold the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual. In other words, Suzuka"s "ordinary life" for several months stemmed from the will of the Onmyou Agency"s higher-ups - Chief Kurahashi.

However, Suzuka had opposed the Onmyou Agency tonight. The situation had also greatly changed now. She would likely be unable to attend the academy as punishment like before.

Most importantly, Chief Kurahashi had Yashamaru by his side.

Yashamaru - Dairenji Shidou - was the man who had used his own daughter, Suzuka"s body as an experiment with forbidden magic in his previous life. A man who was both cruel and elegantly heartless, and one who had both cunning knowledge and strength. From the bottom of her heart, Suzuka feared him more than she detested him.

Also, the Onmyou Academy was a place that Yashamaru could reach. Even though he had ignored it until now, it was unsure what would happen in the future.

"You can come with us if it"s hard to stay inside the academy. It would be even more rea.s.suring for us if we had a Divine General while we hide underground later on."

Amami couldn"t use magic, and he couldn"t even move on his own. He was in a situation where reliable people would allow him more aid. There was even less room to be selective if she was a Divine General.

"First off, what are you going to do if you go back? Let me first say that you have no chance of winning."

Touji harshly a.s.serted. Actually, things were as he said. Suzuka knew that as well.

The Onmyou Agency could be called the main base of the "enemy". Even if Suzuka sneaked in alone, there wasn"t even a one percent chance of victory. She would easily turn into a prisoner.

However.

"......Headband. You"re not hiding underground to run away here and there. Didn"t you say you were going to train yourself?"

After Suzuka said that, she turned her head. "Kyouko too."

"You"re staying in the Onmyou Academy to start your special divination training. Um...... I can"t express it well. But the two of you aren"t fleeing or escaping, you"re acting to become strong. I think that"s right. After all, if we keep doing what we"ve been doing...... we won"t be any good. We won"t be able to do anything."

Suzuka spoke as if for her own self to hear. But her words also spoke for the feelings of all of her companions.

Tonight, Suzuka and the others had struck back at Kurahashi and Yashamaru. But that was just a miraculous outcome interwoven with various factors including Ohtomo"s, Amami"s, and Saotome Suzu"s a.s.sistance. But Suzuka and the others would become scattered from now on and Ohtomo and Amami would be pursued, while Kurahashi and the others" rock-solid position - or even their fighting strength - was almost unchanged. No, perhaps their long period of lying low had ended and they were finally about to act boldly. If there was still a "next time", then the brutality and difficulty would be incomparable to tonight"s. These companions antic.i.p.ated that.

"Hold on, Suzuka. If that"s true, then that"s even more of a reason for you to go with Amami-san and me. Can"t you only train yourself while escaping from their eyes and ears?"

"......Unfortunately, my "strength" isn"t the kind of thing that can be increased by training. You understand, right, old man?"

Suzuka crossed her arms, shooting a gaze towards Amami on the sofa. Amami solemnly stared at Suzuka, but the "Trick Spider" remained silent.

Though Suzuka was the youngest of these people, her spiritual power was stronger than anyone else"s now that Amami"s magical energy was sealed. But that wasn"t her natural power, and it wasn"t something she had obtained through training. It was just a result of Dairenji Shidou"s experiments. All of the Divine General Suzuka"s strength was - ironically - given to her by the enemy, Yashamaru.

Because of that, it was very difficult for Suzuka to further increase that strength by herself. Maybe it wasn"t impossible, but she couldn"t do it through ordinary means.

"Of course, maybe I can learn ways to use my current strength more effectively. ......But my field of expertise is still "research". Therefore, I have to fight "there"."

Suzuka a.s.serted.

Touji could only shut his mouth due to her words and seeing her expression. "Suzuka-chan......" Though Kyouko murmured, she didn"t try to stop her again.

A smile flitted briefly over the corners of Amami"s mouth, and he said:

"...Specifically?"

"I"m going to uncover that person"s goal."

Suzuka immediately answered Amami"s question.

"Didn"t you say before? You said that the goal of those people was to "inherit Yakou"s legacy", but you didn"t know the contents of that "legacy"."

"You plan on investigating that?"

"Right. I"ll start from inside them after getting into the Onmyou Agency."

Amami"s eyes widened in surprise, but Suzuka held herself poised.

"......To be honest, I don"t know Kurahashi Genji"s true intentions. Maybe he just wants to expand the jurisdiction of the Onmyou Agency. ...But I don"t believe that "his" goal is that kind of thing. "He" definitely doesn"t care no matter what the Onmyou Agency turns into. "He" wouldn"t be interested in that kind of political business. I want to find out what "he"s" trying to do right now. If we"re never certain of our opponent"s goals--"

We won"t be able to fight, right?

Suzuka murmured as if speaking to herself.

Amami arched his brows, putting on a pained expression.

"Honestly, it would be an invaluable if you infiltrated the enemy and spied...... But if you go back on your own, won"t the opponents naturally surmise your intentions?"

"Then I"ll just make some mistake and get caught on purpose."

"Same thing. Those people won"t be tricked like that. Let me tell you, the opponents are quite clever, you know? Are you able to negotiate with those people?"

"Hah? It"s not whether I can do it or not, I said I was going to do it. I know I"m different from "him" right now. I"m already determined to expose "his" goal. The real negotiations start after that."

Though she was slightly angry, her words were firm. Since she said that much, Amami couldn"t say anything more. It would truly be be a great help if Suzuka spied from inside the Agency. More importantly, she was motivated. He couldn"t pour cold water on her resolve. Neither Amami nor the princ.i.p.al could a.s.sert that their judgments were more correct than the judgments of these children.

However.

"......Is that really alright? I"m going to warn you a third time, Yashamaru"s there, you know?"

Touji still spoke with a bitter look.

Among those present, only Touji had seen Suzuka and Yashamaru meeting face-to-face. Touji had witnessed the "power relationship" between the two of them. Because of this, he seemed to harbor strong misgivings about Suzuka returning to Yashamaru.

At the time, Suzuka had been like a frog stared down by a snake. The psychological factors were greater than the difference in strength between them. After all, he was her father - the father who had controlled her since birth. That terror was carved into Suzuka"s soul. He was someone who could be described as Suzuka"s natural enemy.

Of course, Suzuka was also conscious of her own absolute fearfulness.

But--

No, because of that--

"......I can"t run forever. If I don"t conquer "him", I won"t be able to become strong."

In the end, just-toasted bread was the best. Though she was in a bad mood, she had to admit that.

"......Thanks."

After she murmured a word, Takiko, who had brought the bread, beamed with a smile.

Takiko was sitting on the sofa Suzuka had been sleeping on until just now. Unfortunately, there was only one sofa, and Suzuka didn"t want to sit next to her, so Suzuka had moved over a chair from her desk and was sitting on it.

There were two cups steaming with black tea on the table in front of the two. There was Suzuka"s share and Takiko"s share. Though she had not a single thought about being hospitable, being excessively unfriendly was also very foolish. Anyways, the effort she spent would be the same, so she had made black tea as repayment for the bread - or rather, as the price.

After all, the girl in front of her was clearly Suzuka"s "enemy".

But Suzuka had long since realized that there were no ulterior motives in the smile that this "enemy" showed her.

It had been a year and a half since Suzuka came to the Onmyou Agency of her own will. Takiko would often come alone to visit Suzuka, who had almost no contact with the outside. As their meetings became more numerous, Suzuka naturally came to understand what kind of a person she was.

"It"s good that you like it; it was my first time going to that store too."

"What the h.e.l.l, are you using me as a food tester?"

"N-No! It"s because you never watch your diet, Suzuka......"

Saying this, Takiko glanced at the garbage can.

It was already filled to the brim with finished bags of convenience store candy. That was Suzuka"s primary staple food right now. Following Takiko"s gaze, Suzuka frowned and crossed her legs on the chair. To be honest, that wasn"t her business.

"It doesn"t matter. I"m just using my own money to buy things I like."

"Your nutrition won"t be balanced that way, you know. Also, it"s not just your diet. Judging by how you look, you didn"t go back yesterday, right?"

"So what."

"It"s not good for you to spend the night in this kind of place, and what are you going to do about bathing?"

"......It won"t kill me."

"As I thought. That won"t do. Suzuka, you"re a girl, so you have to keep yourself clean."

"Aah, I can"t stand it, you"re so annoying."

Suzuka immediately furrowed her eyebrows and glared angrily at Takiko on the sofa.

"And anyways, if you have that many complaints, can"t you just issue an order to your excellent shikigami instead of lecturing? "It"s time to stop monitoring her" or "give her some more freedom" ...Actually, you"re imprisoning me, so what do you care about bathing. I don"t feel grateful even if you send me food because I"m pitiful, you know?"

Anger and stress acc.u.mulated in large amounts every day. What"s more, Suzuka"s venomous tongue was first or second among the Twelve Divine Generals. She spat curses like a river. Her expression and tone were both calculated to make the other party as unhappy as possible, which was in some sense very remarkable.

Even though she had interacted with Suzuka for a year and a half, Takiko still didn"t have any tolerance for this hostility.

Her expression instantly paled. "......Sorry." After apologizing in a mosquito-thin voice, she hung her head.

Takiko became completely feeble after her weak points were jabbed. She would deny it if it were a misunderstanding, but Takiko understood that what Suzuka said was the truth. What"s more, she seemed to feel embarra.s.sed. In this kind of time, she couldn"t settle things or wave them past, and could only bear the accusations.

Suzuka"s stress acc.u.mulated because of Takiko"s downcast appearance. How should she put it? It was the feeling of an owner who couldn"t vent her irritation with an overly rambunctious pet. Her intimacy irked her, but losing her would also irritate her. This girl was truly hard to deal with.

Takiko was her hated father"s master. She wasn"t just the master of the shikigami Yashamaru, her lineage also made her the same as his master.

That was something Suzuka hadn"t known either until she had asked Amami directly. Her father Dairenji Shidou had been named "Souma" Shidou before. In other words, her father was also a descendant of the Souma family that had a.s.sisted Yakou in the past.

But the Souma family had been separated into several lines after the Pacific War. Her father was just from a Souma branch family.

The single remaining person from the Souma main family was the Takiko before her.

Takiko herself had given her explanation of the details of this aspect. The "princess" that Yashamaru called Takiko probably wasn"t a simple nickname. The unknown magic family, the Souma. Takiko, of the age-old "inner" great family, was a true princess.

...Well, otherwise it would be impossible to explain her unworldliness. Honestly.

In any case, her silence was very annoying. Suzuka, having trouble enduring the silence, deliberately sniffed with a "humph".

"Ah - I can"t stand it, even the air"s getting heavy. Can you not barge into other peoples" research labs and then go silent?"

"S-Sorry......"

"Even the tea"s getting cold. I"m going to go boil it again. Want any?"

"Huh? O-Okay."

Takiko raised her head, showing an expression of redemption. Truly a girl who couldn"t hide anything and whose thoughts were immediately conveyed on her face. Suzuka definitely couldn"t lecture her about those points, but the fact that even she was dumbfounded showed how severe it was.

Simply put, Takiko was a "pure" girl.

Her feelings clearly shone through, and she was frank and candid. She could also be described as brilliantly naive. Clearly put, she was a type Suzuka wasn"t good with. She was probably an ideal candidate for a cla.s.s representative - an elementary school one.

But the meaning of being pure changed depending on one"s position.

For example, if Takiko trusted that what Chief Kurahashi and Yashamaru were doing was "the right thing" and didn"t suspect a thing. If that were the case, then any sacrifice could be permitted as a "n.o.ble sacrifice". Even if people would be hurt or if she sympathized with them, she wouldn"t falter. Also, she would probably take the initiative to put herself forward as a sacrifice if there was a need. That was the kind of purity Takiko possessed.

Also, purity was directly linked with stubbornness and exclusivity. Takiko had quite a bit of those aspects as well. Even fanatics counted as "pure".

"......Ah... But it really is annoying......"

"Ah, in that case, let me."

"No need. You"re clumsy. ......Ah, right. Are you here, k.u.momaru? Why don"t you boil it."

Suzuka, who was about to rise from the seat, spoke to the area behind Takiko"s back with an irritated att.i.tude.

There was no immediate response. But when Takiko turned her neck slightly and called out "k.u.momaru", the aura behind the sofa shuddered and a male figure appeared.

His age looked the same as Takiko"s. A young man with a tough yet gentle appearance. Messy hair was tied carelessly behind his head. A military jacket coupled with jeans and high boots. His expression was sharp yet reserved, and in contrast with his active manner of dress, he had a temperament that made him feel like a scholar or monk.

He was Takiko"s guardian, k.u.momaru. His name in his previous life was Mutobe Chihiro. He was a Yase Doji who had been resurrected after death as Takiko"s shikigami, just like Yashamaru - Dairenji Shidou.

"Can I ask that of you?"

"......As you command."

After replying respectfully, k.u.momaru walked towards the s.p.a.ce supplying hot water.

......It was truly a fantastic scene, if she thought about it again.

Suzuka thought this as she looked at his back.

She had eaten the breakfast that Takiko, who ought to be her enemy, had brought, and had ordered her powerful guardian to boil tea. Depending on how one looked at it, it might be a relaxed scene, but she hadn"t imagined it at all before returning to the Onmyou Agency.

In the end, Suzuka had originally been a prisoner. But Takiko was humble like this because she wanted to be Suzuka"s friend. Takiko herself had told her this after all, so it wouldn"t be wrong. She suspected that she was being toyed with more than she was surprised, but Takiko was extremely serious.

Suzuka hadn"t learned of this directly and had only heard of the situation after the fact, but it seemed that Takiko had adopted the same att.i.tude towards Harutora and Natsume when she had gone to partic.i.p.ate in the Onmyou Academy studies before. Though the results were unsuccessful and they had ended up with a rift between them, her wish to become close with Natsume and the others hadn"t changed up to the very end.

The matter regarding the Raven"s Wing was the same.

Takiko had pulled the trigger on the chain of events linked to Harutora"s awakening. If she hadn"t done extraneous things, Natsume would have not died, and Harutora wouldn"t have awakened as Yakou. At least, not on that night. But Takiko herself had taken action completely and utterly "for the two of them". Her motivation had been pure goodwill.

...Troublesome goodwill certainly exists, huh.

It wasn"t irony, she believed that.

But speaking of the Raven"s Wing incident, she felt that resenting Takiko was also meaningless. It wasn"t because she had acted out of goodwill - it was because in the end she was just the "trigger".

At the time, the situation had been gradually and perfectly drawing together. Even if Takiko hadn"t acted first, then it was undoubtedly just a matter of time until the same outcome developed. No, rather, if Takiko hadn"t lost control, then Kurahashi and the others" plans would have been realized even more perfectly, and even the slight resistance Suzuka and the others were carrying out right now might not have been permitted. Hence maybe she had created a flaw in the plans of Kurahashi"s side.

Moreover...... Suzuka could actually understand Takiko"s feelings. She understood.

She had heard that ever since birth, Takiko had been worshiped by the adults around her as the Souma princess. But on the other hand, they excluded all but relatives from Takiko"s surroundings. Never mind friends of the same age, Takiko didn"t even have anyone she knew well. Takiko was raised as the "Souma Princess" before she was a "girl".

Also, though worship and abuse were completely contrasting environments, she was the same as Suzuka in the sense that they were alone. What"s more, you could probably say that she had the same environment as Natsume if you interchanged Souma and Tsuchimikado. Since birth, the three of them had borne the karma of "magic".

But Suzuka had a brother, Natsume had Harutora, yet Takiko had n.o.body. She was truly alone.

By supposing if she hadn"t had a brother, Suzuka could also easily imagine how deep and consuming loneliness could be. Hence, although it was hard for her to empathize with Takiko"s feelings, she could understand.

She longed for human interaction.

That was it.

The reason Takiko came to Suzuka came from that deep yet simple motivation.

But the "established" reason for which Takiko came to Suzuka was something else.

"......Thank you for waiting."

Just then, k.u.momaru returned with the boiled black tea, cups for two of them in his hands. "Thanks." Takiko thanked him while accepting it. Suzuka was s.p.a.ced out and didn"t extend her hand, so k.u.momaru put the cup on the table.

Then, k.u.momaru bowed lightly and tried to dematerialize. But, "Wait." Takiko stopped him.

"That"s fine, k.u.momaru."

"But......"

"It"s more fun when there are more people. Suzuka, is that alright? k.u.momaru should be alright."

Takiko said this, asking approval from Suzuka. She especially used the wording "k.u.momaru should be alright" because she knew that Suzuka loathed Yashamaru.

Suzuka glanced over, meeting k.u.momaru"s gaze. "Whatever you want." She replied carelessly. Then, k.u.momaru nodded to Takiko to express understanding and circled around to the back of the sofa, naturally sinking into a standby posture.

Actually, Suzuka had met k.u.momaru a long time ago - or more accurately, she had met Mutobe Chihiro. It was also because Mutobe had been her father"s subordinate in his past life, belonging to the Imperial Household Agency Lingering Spirit Division. When her father had still been alive, she had met him on several occasions.

They weren"t particularly close, and they hadn"t had any interaction other than greeting each other. Though she managed to remember his appearance and name, her father had a great number of subordinates and colleagues. Mutobe was one of them, and that was all she knew.

But from Mutobe"s point of view, Suzuka was his boss"s daughter. Hence it seemed that he remembered Suzuka very clearly.

Maybe because of that, k.u.momaru had answered Suzuka"s questions before.

It was not long after Suzuka had just returned to the Onmyou Agency. It had been a coincidental occasion when the two of them were alone, and Suzuka, whose suspicions had grown upon Takiko"s repeated visits to the research lab, had asked k.u.momaru, "What are you planning?"

"What do you mean?"

"What else could there be. I"m talking about that Takiko; she"s your master, right? Why do you let her come to me, an "enemy", unguarded? What"s your goal?"

"......She"s not unguarded. I"m by my master"s side."

"That"s not what I meant! I mean it"s very strange that she"s coming to me in the first place!"

It was a span of time when she was fearful of falling under her father"s control again. Suzuka was practically venting her stress and anger on someone, but k.u.momaru didn"t show her any hostility.

In addition, he had said with an att.i.tude that could be called cordial:

"I"m allowing my master to become friendly with you because it was her wish. But - Chief Dairenji actively recommended this to put a kind of restraint on you."

Maybe because he hadn"t changed his habits from his past life, k.u.momaru sometimes called Yashamaru by his t.i.tle when he had been alive. "Hah? What?" He explained, "Similar to second-cla.s.s magic", to Suzuka as she ground her teeth.

"If you become close to my master, you"ll become unable to betray us again. That"s what this is, simply put."

In other words, Yashamaru had let his master come to Suzuka expecting that she would "gain feelings" for Takiko. Suzuka felt more dumbfounded than angry when she heard this.

Just like Amami and the others had worried, Yashamaru had very quickly seen that Suzuka wasn"t obediently surrendering when she had given up. Well, that was certainly natural. Just like she had insisted to Amami, since Suzuka"s goal was exposed, any degree of spying would be a victory. He had used Takiko to try taming Suzuka"s resolve. There ought to be a limit to looking down on people.

However......

"It"s effective. For sure. Maybe you believe in your mind that your determination won"t be shaken by that. But this taming method will bind your "heart". If your mind understands, then the effects might be kept to a minimum, but they won"t be zero. The only ones who can do that are people who were like that from the beginning or people who underwent considerable training. Also, no matter how small the effects are, they"ll gradually expand and acc.u.mulate as time is spent."

At the start, maybe it was a slight change. A relationship where they had never spoken suddenly turned into one where they were greeting each other. Originally she would only say scathing words, but at some point it became a feeling of banter. Her anger had become smiles due to something, and her barrier of disinterest had crumbled gradually bit by bit in the face of their daily interactions. Next, bits of confusion would slip into her originally unshakeable resolve, connect with her clouded judgment, and would later develop into compromise.

Also, those effects were further strengthened on Suzuka, who was in a state of genuine imprisonment. When she was in an environment where she was always under a strong mental burden, it was no easy feat to keep treating someone completely emotionlessly when they showed her goodwill. At least it couldn"t be achieved by willpower alone.

People were beings that lived by interacting with others. "Building a relationship" was a phenomenon rooted in this nature.

"......What the h.e.l.l. Disgusting. ......Also, even if you have that kind of goal, is it fine to expose it to the target?"

"It doesn"t matter. The Chief doesn"t care even if I tell you. Also, even if the target knows about these second-cla.s.s methods, they"ll still be effective over time. Didn"t I say? "Emotions" are things that bind the "heart" rather than the "mind"."

Though k.u.momaru spoke casually, Suzuka"s hairs suddenly bristled as she listened. She had an illusion as if they were dissecting the human mind as they chatted.

That was the terror of the father that Suzuka knew. An "inhuman" presence existing deep within Dairenji Shidou. Back then, Suzuka had clearly understood that the man Mutobe possessed the same kind of terror as her father.

But--

"Also...... I don"t think this is bad, even if it"s the Chief"s second-cla.s.s magic. No matter what form it is, my master will be able to make a friend - that"s something to be happy about."

When he murmured this, k.u.momaru let her catch a glimpse of something that her father didn"t have - a glimpse of "emotion". In any case, she had started viewing k.u.momaru as "alright" since that conversation between them.

"......Suzuka? Are you not going to drink any?"

"Huh? Ah......"

Suzuka was summoned back from her recollections by Takiko"s voice, and reached her hand to the cup on the table. She held the cup with both hands and took a sip, still sitting cross-legged. Maybe she was still haunted by lack of sleep, but she felt like her mind was still fuzzy.

When she had made the decision to return to the Onmyou Agency, she had been scared inside about how she would be treated.

But she had never thought she would be placed in such a padded, gentle environment. Maybe it was certainly relaxed, but she couldn"t successfully hold herself firm because the outside pressure was weak.

Then, maybe concerned about Suzuka"s appearance, Takiko showed a slight look of worry.

"Are you busy with work?"

"Hah? ......Ah, yes. There"s a lot I have to do."

After replying with that, Suzuka thought of something again and made an unpleasant face.

"Hey, though I"m sorry for what I said before, could you let me use the internet once in a while? It"s so inconvenient."

"S-Sorry...... But, Suzuka, you"re an extremely confidential case right now, so......"

"......So you can"t permit it for safety reasons? Honestly."

Suzuka drank her black tea, still wearing a displeased look.

Suzuka was currently being directly entrusted with certain research by Chief Kurahashi. Simply put, it was "soul magic". Suzuka had only been punished because she had ventured into this realm, but once she joined their side, he immediately and secretly appointed her to this research. That was one reason you could call Kurahashi quite thick-skinned.

There were many magics cla.s.sified as forbidden under current Onmyou law. But even among those, magic related to souls was different from other forbidden magic. It was especially regulated and people using it would be severely punished. To all pract.i.tioners, it was even more taboo than being simply illegal.

One reason was that it would be a problem from an ethical standpoint.

And another more concrete reason was that in the past, Tsuchimikado Yakou had failed at soul magic, and a great spiritual disaster had happened in Tokyo because of it - at least that was commonly believed. In other words, the danger level was different from normal forbidden magic.

However, Kurahashi himself, who was in a position where he ought to ban forbidden magic, seemed to have used this kind of soul magic several times before in secret. Actually, the k.u.momaru who was currently present could be called a product of soul magic as well. The soul of a person who had once died was reawakened as a shikigami.

...Though I realized before, this group of people is the "bad guys"......

When Kurahashi had a.s.signed her with this research, her father, who had been next to him, had explained this to Suzuka.

The "Taizan f.u.kun Ritual" referred to a system of magic that connected one to the high-level spiritual ent.i.ty "Taizan f.u.kun" in order to manipulate human souls.

Though he had told her this very casually, it was an incredible thing. A high-level spiritual ent.i.ty, or in other words, a "G.o.d". Something that the "General Onmyoudou" system of magic cla.s.sified as a "G.o.d".

Come to think of it, she had once talked about the same topic when they had visited Ohtomo"s hospital.

The living things of this world were filled with aura. Aura constantly drifted around and stayed stable as a whole, but sometimes factors would lead it to become miasma. Those were "spiritual disasters".

Onmyou law referred to these spiritual disasters by Phase according to the degree of imbalance.

First, an imbalance of aura turning into miasma that was estimated to be unable to naturally revert was a Phase One.

When one could observe physical damage created by the miasma, it was Phase Two.

When the miasma materialized and became a mobile spiritual disaster, it was Phase Three.

If the miasma created from the mobile spiritual disaster quickly became more spiritual disasters, and a chain of spiritual disasters occurred, it was Phase Four.

That cla.s.sification was just a presumed benchmark for the "state" of the spiritual disaster, and even spiritual disasters of the same Phase exhibited quite large differences of "strength", but it was useful as a metric to express a spiritual disaster"s danger.

Then, spiritual disasters that reached Phase Four would condense further. The imbalance of aura based around that spiritual disaster would no longer become a local "imbalance". It would become a "true state" and would transform into a new type capable of filling anything.

That was a Phase Five. Also known as the Final Phase.

But the theory about the last phase was a simple hypothesis that no one had actually proved. It was the theory advocated by none other than Yashamaru - Dairenji Shidou - before his death. Also, Yashamaru and k.u.momaru had belonged to the Onmyou Agency Lingering Spirit Division before their deaths, the department that had performed research related to Phase Five.

......Magic that controlled a "G.o.d"......

In the system of modern magic, the deities that had been objects of faith in the past were all viewed as spiritual ent.i.ties. Only the difference that they had been worshiped distinguished them from behind the same thing as spiritual disasters.

And although such a thing couldn"t be found in "General Onmyoudou" - and they were all designated forbidden now - there were several magics that explained "G.o.ds" as spiritual ent.i.ties and used them in Imperial Onmyoudou, the basis of General Onmyoudou. If Yashamaru was telling the truth, then the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual was one of those examples.

Suzuka had been entrusted with that research. With that, it was reasonable that she was being strictly monitored. After all, it was a crime. Actually, she had never thought that her clearly hostile self would so quickly be entrusted with such central work. Maybe she was being looked down upon to this degree, but it was indeed something she wanted.

...Just that order would be enough as evidence to denounce Kurahashi Genji under the law.

But just like Amami said, the ent.i.ty that captured magic criminals was the Mystical Investigators, the Onmyou Agency.

No one other than an Onmyouji would be able to tell whether the research Suzuka was carrying out was illegal or not. No matter how Suzuka chased after Kurahashi, that issue still remained.

...Also, that was the same for the "goal" of these people.

Yashamaru and the others already controlled the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual. Even so, they still had Suzuka carry out research because they still hadn"t reached a complete understanding of the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual system of magic. They entrusted Suzuka with research for a deeper, vaster, and more accurate understanding of the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual.

But she didn"t think that was everything.

She still hadn"t proved it. It was just Suzuka"s instincts, but--

...Their "true goal" was something else.

Suzuka"s research was probably one step in their goal. And when she thought about what their true goal was, their "ident.i.ty" that she had never deeply considered until now immediately surfaced.

That is, relatives of the Souma.

Suzuka sipped the black tea in order to conceal her mouth with the mug. As she did that, she stared at Takiko who sat before her and k.u.momaru behind her back.

Until now, Suzuka had basically been clueless about the "Souma family" business. It wasn"t just Suzuka; most Onmyouji were like that. The Souma and the Tsuchimikado were unlike the Kurahashi in that they were generational great families on the interior of the magic community. Also, they had intervened in the military to a.s.sist Yakou during the Pacific War era and had scattered after the defeat. Of the old people born before the war, excluding for now the people who were related, almost all Onmyouji would fail to react even if they heard the name "Souma". Just like when "Souma" Takiko had appeared before Harutora and the others.

However, the information had been left behind.

The history of the Souma was very ancient. Though it wasn"t commonly known, they were quite ancient. Though they had inferior origins and legitimacy, they possessed a history even longer than the Tsuchimikado.

Also, just like the Onmyouji Abe no Seimei who was the ancestor of the Tsuchimikado, the Souma also had a certain famous person as their ancestor. At least, that had been pa.s.sed down.

That person was currently worshiped as a "G.o.d". In this "Tokyo".

Suzuka slowly sipped her black tea. During that time, her gaze stared at Takiko - and k.u.momaru.

Allegedly, k.u.momaru and Yashamaru were Takiko"s "Yase Doji".

But that was an impossible thing in the first place.

The so-called Yase Doji[1] was a name referring to a certain "group of spirits", as well as a name referring to any member of that group. Also, they were spirits that could only be used by "a certain bloodline" of the nation. Martyred souls that served that "bloodline" during their life became guardians and still served that "bloodline" after death. Only those guardians were Yase Doji.

They were - the spirits that served the royal family.

...However, those guys[2] had been called "Yase Doji". That meant......

Actually, in j.a.panese history, there was only one person who had been called the "Imperial Prince"[3]. A person who tried to lead a rebellion against the imperial court and who led to historic chaos.

The Imperial Prince, Taira no Masakado.[4]

An ara-mitama. A "G.o.d" famous as a lingering spirit.

Also, he was viewed in legend as the ancestor of the Souma.

Suzuka pondered. She thought seriously.

Souma, the magic group whose ancestor was the self-proclaimed Imperial Prince Taira no Masakado. Takiko, who succeeded this lineage, served by the Yase Doji Yashamaru and k.u.momaru.

Also, Taira no Masakado was currently worshiped in Tokyo as a "G.o.d"[5]. He was a powerful and famous lingering spirit included among the three Great National Spirits[6].

What"s more, Yashamaru - Dairenji Shidou - and his trusted subordinate k.u.momaru - Mutobe Chihiro - had belonged to the Imperial Household Agency Lingering Spirit Division in the past. There, they had researched the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, magic linked to a "G.o.d".

Also. Yashamaru and k.u.momaru called Takiko "Princess", but sometimes they also called her "Shaman Princess". Shaman.

Needless to say, the so-called shaman referred to people who served "G.o.ds" and listened for divine intent. People responsible for duties connected with "G.o.ds" in ancient times.

What was the deal with all of these things? What did they mean?

Bit by bit.

The parts that had been scattered everywhere until now were starting to draw out a giant pattern. After getting this close to them, Suzuka"s eyes finally saw it.

No, she didn"t see it. They had showed her. As if deliberately making openings, they had declared their "true ident.i.ty" bit by bit in front of Suzuka.

This was evidence that they were gradually approaching the final point of their goal. Their goal had already slowly reached the phase where "it"s not a big problem even if others know".

Also, it was evidence that they were "trying to tame" Suzuka, like k.u.momaru had said.

Actually, there was a fact that she hadn"t been aware of at all until after she returned to the Onmyou Agency.

Her father"s old name was "Souma" Shidou.

In other words, Suzuka was also a Souma.

"......Suzuka."

"Suzuka?"

She finally returned to her senses after being called out to consecutively. Takiko smiled lightly, interested in Suzuka"s panicked return to consciousness.

"It looks like you really are exhausted. And it looks like you didn"t get enough sleep."

"......Shut up. I"m not tired."

"Really? If you"re feeling bad, I can leave."

"I said, I"m not feeling bad. ......Ah, but, hurry up and go back if you"re going to leave. You"re a hindrance."

"Ehh? That"s mean."

It seemed that even Takiko could calmly deal with hurtful words of this degree. Though she furrowed her brows in a troubled manner, it was the expression one showed to a close friend.

Suzuka wasn"t used to these direct feelings of affection. You could say she was bad with them. Especially when she was careless. "......Tch." Suzuka clicked her tongue and turned her face away as if escaping, unsure of how to respond to the smiling Takiko.

...Emotions" are things that bind the "heart" and not the "mind"."

k.u.momaru"s words flashed through her mind. Effective. Definitely not zero. Suzuka bit her lip, hatefully recalling those words.

When she had been reunited with her resurrected father, he - Yashamaru - had naturally treated Suzuka as being on his side. Suzuka"s - his daughter"s - actions and att.i.tude didn"t even count as problematic to him. As for why, it was naturally because Suzuka was her father"s daughter. To her father, that was the same as her being under his absolute control.

Or, to him, maybe it was more so that they were "both Soumas" than being father and daughter. The unbroken, continuous chain of an ancient bloodline linked Suzuka as well.

......Stupid. Don"t be ridiculous. Who would get caught up over this redhead......

Suzuka said this to herself. Also, she turned on the turned-off television in order to express "I"m tired of talking with you".

Then, she inadvertently froze.

"Alright, the New Year"s Ceremony"s grand finale put on by the shikigami manipulated by the academy students has finally started. Look, various kinds of shikigami, from the valiant and majestic to the slender and beautiful, are showing themselves onstage.

It seemed that the television was showing a broadcast of the New Year"s program.

The Onmyou Academy.

It was the underground magic practice field of the Onmyou Academy building that Suzuka had once studied at.

"Ah, I can"t believe I forgot. The Onmyou Academy"s New Year"s Ceremony was today. I had Satake remind me, but I completely forgot."

Takiko spoke with a regretful expression.

But she immediately looked happily and ecstatically at the screen.

"The Onmyou Academy underground, huh...... How nostalgic. To think it was two years ago that I had a mock battle with Natsume there......"

She muttered somewhat sadly. Anguished feelings from the past and guilty feelings about what she had given rise to swirled back and forth in her heart.

But when the screen showed a certain person, Takiko unconsciously rose from the sofa.

"It"s Kyouko! Look, Suzuka. It"s showing Kyouko!"

Kyouko"s figure was clearly shown in front of where Takiko pointed. She wore the Onmyou Academy uniform, the girl"s pure white uniform, standing tall and controlling the two defensive shikigami Hakuou and Kokfuu as if confronting something. The figure of a friend seen after a lapse of one and a half years. Was it an illusion that she looked much more mature than before? It felt like her already-great figure had grown a step further. What the h.e.l.l. She was so cunning. She even had a charm that she hadn"t had before. But it wasn"t disagreeable. In addition, she was still extremely pretty. She seemed more mature, maybe because she had a serious face on. She probably wouldn"t look much different if she smiled. She was definitely annoyingly nosy just like always. And with a mult.i.tude of expressions. Cheerful, merry, and amicable. She would hug people like toys at the drop of a hat, but proudly lecture people as if she were an elder--

"Bzt". A noise sounded out and the television turned off. "Huh?" Takiko looked back at Suzuka in surprise.

Suzuka"s back was hunched and her head was lowered, still sitting cross-legged on the chair. Her right hand was extended, pointing the remote control at the television.

The thumb of her right hand that gripped the remote control was pressed down on the power b.u.t.ton.

"S-Suzuka? What"s wrong? We got to see Kyouko......!?"

In front of the confused and fl.u.s.tered Takiko, Suzuka slowly put her arm down and tossed the remote control onto the table.

She said with a lowered head:

"......I have to start work."

"Huh?"

"......You"re in the way."

Her voice was cold and extremely faint. Takiko stood still in confusion.

However.

"...Princess. It"s time to leave."

k.u.momaru urged her gently from behind.

Takiko nodded obediently, her expression still tinged with nostalgia yet also showing concern for Suzuka.

"......Suzuka. Thanks for the tea. I"ll come again."

After leaving those words, she left the research lab with k.u.momaru.

When Takiko and k.u.momaru left, it felt as if the room suddenly became vaster. Suzuka changed her sitting position, holding her knees and curling up on the chair this time.

She had never once thought that she would be this intensely shaken. But seeing the figure of a friend after half a year had destroyed Suzuka"s sh.e.l.l in one blow - the sh.e.l.l protecting her while she was in the center of the enemy base. The feelings that Suzuka usually kept hidden from herself spilled out freely.

Loneliness. Sadness. Pain. She wanted to see her.

She couldn"t stop them. Suzuka shut her eyes desperately and tightly to suppress the tears that were about to fall, gritting her teeth with all her might to endure the sobs leaking out. How unfair. She was doing her best, doing her best with everything she had, but why did her chest hurt so much just from seeing her friend? Her affection for her friends became a blade that sliced at Suzuka. She wanted to throw everything away and escape from here.

Who cared about the surveillance. She could use everything she had to hold back the people in the way and go right away to the Onmyou Academy where Kyouko was. That was a blinding, sweet, and intense temptation. A blissful poison. But at the same time, it was also trap that battered at her resolve from that night. Suzuka endured. She hugged her knees on the chair, putting her face into her knees, curled her body into a ball, and desperately endured with everything she had.

She didn"t know how long she was like that for.

She finally regained stability from the waves of emotion. Suzuka gingerly stretched out her body that was stiff from overexertion.

She slowly took a deep breath.

Her face was very hot. The corners of her eyes were probably red. But that didn"t matter. She had calmed down.

It seemed like she had reacted particularly intensely because of the sudden blow. Suzuka"s gaze fell on the remote control she had tossed on the table.

Hesitation.

Would she succ.u.mb to temptation if she turned the television on again now? The sh.e.l.l she had put back up had to be no weaker than before, right? She wasn"t sure. She couldn"t answer. After Suzuka stared at the remote for a while, she suddenly gripped the remote with her left hand as if recalling something.

She closed her eyes and turned her head, pointing the remote control at the television. She stuck her thumb straight out.

Like that, she tried tapping the b.u.t.ton once. If the television didn"t turn on, then she would immediately put the remote control on the table and start work again. A test of her luck. No, it was divination.

She pressed the b.u.t.ton.

"Bzt", came the sound of the power turning on.

Then, when Suzuka"s body unconsciously froze up, she heard the reporter"s belated yet strangely excited voice.

Suzuka looked back in surprise.

That instant, the image shown on the television clearly and beautifully entered Suzuka"s eyes as if she were viewing it live.

The beautiful and slightly empty opening of the Onmyou Academy New Year"s Ceremony.

But the latter description might stem from Kyouko"s bias[7]. Though the New Year"s Ceremony was a broadcasted performance meant to improve the image of Onmyouji, it was by no means ineffective. Actually, the audience of the first and second-year students and the media in this magic practice field were clamoring noisily.

The flow of the program was consistent with the rehearsal they had held yesterday. After the princ.i.p.al"s speech, there was a ceremonial demonic aura purification. Then, there was the shikigami summoning and manipulation by the third-years.

But Kyouko was in an absent-minded state. Her coincidental viewing of Ohtomo"s star yesterday still hadn"t left her mind.

Touji and Amami ought to still be pursuing Ohtomo"s whereabouts. The monitored Kyouko and Miyo hadn"t gotten in touch with the two of them, but how many clues had they uncovered right now? According to rumors that were secretly whispered in the residence, it seemed that Ohtomo was currently lurking in a secret society of the magic community and moving in the shadows. The ominous appearance of the star she had seen yesterday made her worry.

Also, apart from this, the feeling from yesterday"s divination that she hadn"t had before still clearly lingered with Kyouko.

To be honest, if the New Year"s Ceremony hadn"t been today, she would have faked illness and stayed home from school to rest. She really wanted to try divination again while she still remembered that feeling. Though she was also worried about Ohtomo"s star, the hope that "maybe I"ve gotten the trick to divination" was more powerful. If she could re-experience that feeling of her own will, then Kyouko would have advanced a great deal. When she thought that, she couldn"t stand cooperating with the current broadcasted performance.

That said, Kyouko had been a.s.signed to a team responsible for manipulating the shikigami in today"s program, and she had been chosen as one of the individuals controlling the very first unique shikigami and not as one of the members of the group dance. Since there was a need for excellent students who wouldn"t fail the performance, she wasn"t permitted to oppose or feign illness. Right now she could only follow along and partic.i.p.ate in the program.

...Yeah. The New Year"s Ceremony will end in the morning, and my stomach started hurting at lunch...... No, I was feeling bad from the morning, but I managed to hold on just for the performance. With that reason......

As Kyouko watched the demonic aura purification solemnly carry on from backstage, she wished for it to hurry up and end. Of course, that kind of second-cla.s.s magic was ineffective, and the ritual was carried out at a gradual crawl.

Is it going to be night soon? The ritual finally ended when Kyouko started to wonder that. She couldn"t help but vigorously applaud at the end, busily adjusting her strength.

Anxiety and irritability.

But Kyouko had become a bit more spirited compared to yesterday. Though Kyouko herself hadn"t noticed, just seeing signs that her training was bearing fruit had invigorated her.

Not long afterwards, it was time for Kyouko to take the stage. Kyouko moved forward from backstage with the other selected members.

Halfway through, Tenma entered her vision from a different cla.s.s. Eh? Her gaze inadvertently paused.

Tenma was a member of the group dance, and hence he took the stage after Kyouko and the rest. But he didn"t look well, maybe because he was already nervous. Come to think of it, it seemed like he had messed up several times during the rehearsal yesterday. It seemed that he still wasn"t good at practicals, just like before.

She was a bit comforted by how Tenma hadn"t changed.

Then, Kyouko summoned her defensive shikigami Hakuou and Kokfuu, just like the rehearsal.

These two were Onmyou Agency-created defensive shikigami named "M2 Yaksha", and they were equipped with a katana and a spear. Kyouko positioned Hakuou and Kokfuu to her left and right. After the music started sounding in the arena, the shikigami were made to perform a sword dance in tune with the song.

Kyouko was currently focused on training her divination, but she had also trained in other first-cla.s.s magics with a serious zeal that she had never had before. She was even much more skilled at controlling Hakuou and Kokfuu than before. Actually, the two defensive shikigami clearly moved differently from the shikigami that the other students manipulated. It wasn"t a simple matter of speed, it was the dexterity of their movements.

The waiting period had been particularly long, but when the actual manipulation started, it was a short effort. After the music stopped playing, Kyouko put away her shikigami"s weapons and bowed deeply to the audience with her shikigami. Applause more enthusiastic than that of the demonic aura purification rained down. Kyouko and the selected members walked off the stage, surrounded by applause.

Up next was the grand finale of the New Year"s Ceremony. The group dance of dozens of manmade shikigami. Dozens of students, including Tenma, quickly jogged to their various positions.

It had already been published what was going to be performed next. The first and second-year students and the media intently watched the arena. Kyouko, returning backstage where she had originally been, tried searching for Tenma"s figure. Found him. His face was pale from tension. Calm down, she encouraged him from her heart.

Then--

......Ah.

Again.

This time, it was in an instant shorter than the blink of an eye. Her consciousness rose up. The universe spread out in her vision. A faint light flashed before her. Tenma"s star.

This was the star that Kyouko had "seen" first on that night.

The current divination left her the instant after it visited, like a pa.s.sing breeze. Kyouko"s heartbeat jumped powerfully, but fortunately she didn"t show it on her face.

Her heart thumped loudly like a crashing wave.

When she came to her senses, music was sounding through the arena again. Then, the students sang together in front of Kyouko as she pondered her premonition.

"Shikigami, rise! Order!"

It"s alright. Completely alright. It"ll definitely go successfully[8]. Tenma had continued saying that to himself hundreds of times since the New Year"s Ceremony started.

He had finished all the preparations during the period of time since dawn. Fortunately, the shikigami charms at the base were things that had been slowly readied since a long time ago. Though he hadn"t thought of using it in this kind of way, he wasn"t sure when there would be a better time to use it. But ch.o.r.eographing the entire spell in one night had been more work than he imagined. In the end, he hadn"t been able to sleep, and hence his spiritual energy was worrisome.

...But......

Tenma put his hand in his pocket, tightly gripping the protective charm hidden there.

The demonic aura purification ended, and the New Year"s Ceremony moved on to the shikigami controlling portion. The students currently manipulating shikigami were the group of third-years who were particularly good at controlling shikigami. Kyouko was at the center.

Even though Kyouko was in the middle of the selected members, she seemed to stand out. Never mind her shikigami controlling technique, she gave off a general feeling of beauty. It seemed that this was even going to be broadcast on television today, so maybe Kyouko would become the main attraction.

Also, for some reason, Kyouko"s mood seemed slightly different from today. Maybe it was an illusion, but she seemed in a slightly good mood.

...Did something happen?

In any case, this was a good omen. Definitely. Tenma nodded and said "yeah" to himself.

He had waited a year and a half.

Also, the letter that had finally been sent was probably the first sign of the "change" after the long wait. And that change was a "good change". That was definitely true.

Not long afterwards, Kyouko and the others finished their dance and the magic practice field was filled with applause. Tenma"s applause mixed in with the applause around him, but once it was time for him to take the stage himself, he started feeling incredibly nervous again.

It"s alright. It"s alright. It"ll definitely go well. Though he said that to himself again, he was still shaken no matter what.

Then, the selected group walked off the stage. The signal was given. Tenma and the others, the students responsible for the group dance, jogged to their various positions. His heartbeat accelerated vigorously as they moved.

He reached his position. He breathed deeply.

Recalling now, it was the night of that incident. When he had infiltrated the Onmyou Agency alone by Saotome Suzu"s instructions.

Though Tenma had been unsettled at the time, he had understood how dangerous of a bridge he was crossing. Actually, he still had dreams of it sometimes. He had been helped by Amami too, not just Saotome. He had only managed to be saved due to various overlapping factors.

However, at least he had crossed a dangerous bridge with his own two legs. That was the truth.

...Is this anything special, compared to that time?

It"s alright. It"s alright. It"ll definitely go well. Right as he thought that, music sounded through the arena.

Now, Tenma finally changed his att.i.tude.

In the end, everything had already been set up. The dice had already been cast. After this was only the final push.

Then, the tone of the music changed. The surrounding students inhaled and refined their magical energy. Tenma also followed.

"Shikigami, rise! Order!"

In the end, Tenma failed quite spectacularly.

"Hey, I didn"t think we would be able to check in this way."

"Yeah."

Touji smiled and spoke in agreement to Amami"s cheerful words. It was really quite nice.

The two of them were in the secret base they were currently using. Suisen happened to be out buying daily necessities right now. They didn"t have anything like furniture, since it was just a temporary hideout. All that was set up was a small folding table. Touji had a laptop computer opened on that table right now, and was watching a television broadcast with the wheelchair-bound Amami.

The broadcast was of the Onmyou Academy New Year"s Ceremony that was currently being held. Also, Kyouko was being shown right in the center of the screen. Kyouko was awe-inspiring and beautiful as she coolly commanded Hakuou and Kokfuu, stealing the attention of the viewers. Though she had been shown on the screen multiple times recently, the feelings of the cameraman for wanting to do this were extremely understandable.

"I feel like if I saw Miyo-chan"s successor holding a performance before, it would have seemed like playing around...... But being able to see Kyouko-chan like this isn"t bad. ......d.a.m.n. Feels like my eyes are heating up......"

Like his words implied, Amami"s eyes were a bit moist as he watched the broadcast. It was an extremely rare occurrence for the stern and self-composed Amami.

But...... A year and a half. Also, it hadn"t been any simple year and a half. A long, silent year and a half that he hadn"t experienced before until now. The figure of a friend he hadn"t seen since the start of this time. Even Touji was deeply moved. The despondence from Kagami last night - just several hours ago - seemed to have dissipated in a flash.

Touji sat on the ground next to the wheelchair, one leg in front of him and one knee on the ground as he relaxedly looked at the screen with one arm on the table. This kind of stable mood had been absent for a long time.

"It"s the feeling of meeting an estranged granddaughter. Truly something to be grateful for, as someone who crawls in the shadows."

"......I wanted to ask this a while ago."

"Hah?"

"Amami-san, did you perhaps have feelings for the princ.i.p.al before?"

"Hah. Well. Ah, Miyo-chan was a charming girl when she was young, but Tsuchimikado Yakou noticed her and she gained "divination", right? After the war ended, the famous Kurahashi family treated her like the apple of their eye. While I was a fledgling, low-level employee. It would be quite scary to say I had feelings for her."

Amami cackled nostalgically.

"But...... Just between you and me, Kyouko-chan"s a beauty surpa.s.sing Miyo-chan. She has quite the body. ......Hey, you heard me, right? That"s just between us, okay?"

"...Understood."

Touji endured a laugh and promised Amami as he urged sternly.

Not long afterwards, Kyouko stopped dancing in the screen, bowed, and walked down the stage. Amami clapped his hands. Touji had the same feelings, but it felt embarra.s.sing, so he just watched Kyouko go.

"......This broadcast."

"Hmm?"

"Was it by Chief Kurahashi"s instructions?"

"......No. I don"t think that guy would personally make such specific orders. But in the sense of opening the doors to the industry, it goes in his direction. In other words, it"s proof that those around the Chief will go in the same direction as him even if he doesn"t make specific orders.

After the Onmyou legal reform, the atmosphere of the industry was turning towards a direction different from before. The traditional, closed-off magic community was gradually becoming more traversable. It definitely wasn"t a bad thing, and it had to be admitted as the achievement of Chief Kurahashi.

Kurahashi had his secrets. Secrets that he couldn"t divulge no matter what.

But at the same time, he was currently allowing the industry to develop. Infusing it with new vitality. That was bringing benefit to many people and also further strengthening his momentum. Resisting him was equivalent to opposing the people who had benefitted from him. Also, to those people, Touji and the others were totally "evil".

"......We"ve really picked a troublesome fight."

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

"How could I. It"s just what I want."

Half of that was forcing himself. But the other half was his true feeling. The future of the magic community and the future of the Onmyouji were unimportant to Touji. Maybe Amami was concerned about that, but it had nothing to do with Touji. Maybe it would be nice if everything went in a good direction, but if that was only established with the sacrifice of some - the sacrifice of Touji and his friends - then what did the fortune of others matter? He could only oppose with all his power.

Kyouko was also fighting on the other side of the screen. He couldn"t lose to her.

Then, an announcement sounded on the scene and a large number of students started to move to replace Kyouko and the rest. It looked like this was the group dance put on by the students" shikigami.

"......So, we saw Kyouko-chan, but what about that boy Tenma? It would be nice if we caught a glimpse of him."

"I don"t know, that guy doesn"t stand out."

Though Touji smiled wryly, his gaze scanned the image, searching for the figure of his friend.

Tenma was indeed low-key and didn"t stand out. Touji tried looking for him, but as expected, he didn"t find him.

He didn"t see Tenma"s "figure".

"Shikigami, rise! Order!"

The students threw out shikigami charms together in the image.

Then.

"...Uh? Hey, what"s this?"

Amami murmured in astonishment as he watched the broadcast.

"Isn"t this the group dance? Did something happen?"

Amami"s eyes widened and he leaned his body slightly forward from the wheelchair.

In contrast, Touji abruptly stood up.

As if he had been kicked hard. He couldn"t stay still. His eyes were so wide that they were almost popping out, his lips were tightly pursed, and his clenched fist shook. He stared at the screen with a burning gaze. "Touji?" Amami spoke up out of surprise, but Touji didn"t reply even though the voice reached his ears. The cells in his body were practically scorching.

For a moment, Touji was silent--

His whole body shuddered from emotion and joy.

"Amazing...... You"re incredible, Tenma......"

"It"s Tenma?" The dumbstruck Amami hastily returned his gaze to the image because of Touji"s whispered voice. But he narrowed his eyes and scrunched up his eyebrows, maybe because he couldn"t find him at all.

But that was natural. Touji hadn"t been able to spot Tenma"s figure either. But even so, Touji found "Tenma" in the screen of t

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