...What to do?
Kogure ground his teeth in distress.
The escaping Nue and Mutobe Chihiro. Kogure, who normally made prompt decisions, was rather lost upon encountering this kind of dilemma.
Mutobe was the right-hand man of the Divine General Dairenji Shidou, and the second-in-command of the former Imperial Household Agency Lingering Spirit Division, with quite a powerful strength. Though he wouldn't be defeated, it would take some work to win against him. But, if he were delayed he would only be able to watch the Nue escape. If he didn't take the opportunity to deal with the Nue, it was bound to bring about more severe damage.
Maybe he should contact Hirata. No, maybe he should first have the helicopters track the Nue's whereabouts. But the people on the field were currently completely occupied purifying a phase four spiritual disaster, and he feared that they couldn't fulfill his request quickly.
Kogure had no way of deciding.
Just then--
"Natsume!"
The boy who ran from Aoyama Street shouted towards them.
In the next moment, Natsume briskly jumped off the motorcycle.
"I'll go chase it!"
"Wha- Hey!"
Natsume had already charged towards the boy before he even had time to say something to stop her. Chase? What did they plan on chasing? That didn't need to be said; of course it was the Nue. They planned on chasing the Nue relying only on the strength of two people. Since someone was blocking his own path, then certainly only Natsume was left to continue pursuing the Nue.
About Mutobe...... He didn't need to worry, the attack he had used just now had only targeted him. In addition, in order to keep from harming Natsume in the backseat, there were even a few range-reducing charms deliberately mixed in with the thrown charms. Mutobe was a member of the Twin-Horned Syndicate, and he definitely wouldn't touch Natsume who was rumored to be Yakou's reincarnation.
Kogure gritted his teeth and simultaneously made his decision.
"Alright, damn! Reisen! Hou'oubiden! You chase the Nue, Dasai and Kokuryuu return for now!"
From the perspective of an exorcist, this was a mistaken judgment. Knowing this Kogure still jumped off the motorcycle.
☆
Natsume looked up with bated breath at the Nue escaping the hunting ground.
Just then--
"Natsume!"
Harutora noticed Natsume and the others being attacked and frantically shouted, believing that something bad had happened. She looked at him, noticing that Harutora was charging at her.
Once she heard the voice of her childhood friend and saw his face, Natsume instantly regained her courage and her judgment ability, thinking of the goal for which she was here.
She took action almost reflexively, jumping off the motorcycle, leaving the words "I'll go chase it!", and immediately running towards Harutora. "Wha- Hey!" Kogure hastily called out to stop her, but she still charged forward without even turning back.
She didn't worry about the man called Mutobe Chihiro. She couldn't possibly get attacked if the man and Kogure confronted each other. She believed that Kogure wouldn't permit such a thing to happen.
When Natsume was running, she shot a glance at Mutobe, and Mutobe also looked at Natsume.
The gazes of the two crossed.
Perhaps this man was the Yakou fanatic who headed this series of events. Natsume originally should have hid out of fear, but strangely, Natsume didn't feel the same loathing as with the Mystical Investigator who had attacked her the previous year.
When the two's gazes crossed, Mutobe showed a smile. That smile was gentle and tender. Not only did it have no intent of attacking, it didn't even have a bit of animosity. Natsume ran past Mutobe, not understanding.
"Hah... Hah...!"
She charged at full speed towards Harutora on the Ginkgo Tunnel - she ran towards the side of her childhood friend shikigami, Harutora.
Just then-- "Wow! Can't tell from the exterior, but you have some pretty good spirit!" A sudden voice sounded, and it was even Kogure's voice. She jumped in surprise, hurriedly turning around to look, but she only saw a crow tengu that had been flying next to her since an unknown time.
The crow tengu spoke using Kogure's voice: "I'm using the shikigami to go with you. Wait for me to deal with this person and then I'll immediately catch up, got it? Absolutely do not overexert yourselves - that's what he says! My name's Dasai, are we going? Let's go!" Right after Kogure's connection ended, the shikigami instantly called out with a high-pitched voice, and the noise of a motorcycle simultaneously sounded from behind them. She looked back, noticing that a motorcycle with no one on it was approaching her. It seemed that one of the crow tengu was inside the motorcycle, moving the engine.
"Hurry! Jump on."
"Hey, what?"
"JUMP!"1
Natsume jumped up without a word and Dasai immediately circled behind her back, lifting her entire self up. "Iyaa!" Natsume couldn't help but cry out, and the motorcycle slid forward just in time - Dasai let go and Natsume fell down, sitting right on the motorcycle. She was riding the motorcycle before she even noticed.
"Ga! You scream like a girl! Calm down, grip tightly!"
"O......Okay......!"
Natsume hastily gripped the motorcycle handlebars - more accurately, she held them and wouldn't let go as the motorcycle's speed accelerated in a flash--
☆
"H-H-H, Harutora-sama!"
"Uwah!"
Pale-faced, Natsume rode the motorcycle that sped closer. Harutora hurriedly stepped back, taken aback.
But, the crow tengu that rapidly approached a step before the motorcycle called out: "Boy! Get on!"
"G, Get on?"
That was rather reckless, wasn't it...... Harutora thought. Kon quickly held Harutora up from behind once she noticed the crow tengu's intentions, holding him in midair - then tossed him into the backseat of the motorcycle. Harutora unconsciously grabbed on to Natsume.
"Aaah! H, Harutora-kun! You're touching--!"
"Oh god! I'm going to die! My life is at risk! I can't do this kind of stunt!"
The motorcycle carrying the two didn't lower its speed at all, rapidly rushing through the Ginkgo Tunnel with no regard for the panicked students and speeding on Aoyama Road. The motorcycle wobbled, sliding as it turned to the right and rubbing tracks on the asphalt road. For the moment, Harutora and Natsume were like riding a roller coaster without safety belts. Natsume gripped the motorcycle and Harutora grabbed on to Natsume for dear life, with Dasai and Kon flying in the air right behind the two of them.
"N-N-Natsume! What exactly is going on?"
"N, Never mind that, your hands - Hyah! H-Harutora-kun, you're--!"
"I'm not doing anything at all! Come to think of it, do you have a motorcycle license?"
"How could I have such a thing!"
Between the master and shikigami's shouts, the motorcycle with Kokuryuu inside it sped at full speed, zooming along the road that Harutora had been on before. It sped south, towards Shibuya.
"A, Anyway, the Nue is the priority! We can't let it escape, let's chase it quickly!"
Natsume raised her voice and shouted. That was right. Harutora worked hard to recompose himself, raising his head.
He looked up to the sky, noticing the Nue and Hokuto who chased doggedly after it above the building to his right, as well as two crow tengu. Dasai, who had also been speeding beside them, also left the motorcycle to join in the assault.
The dragon and the crow tengu attacked consecutively to keep from giving the Nue an opportunity to escape. The Nue suddenly dropped onto the roofs of buildings and suddenly leaped up to shake off the shikigami, constantly repeating similar movements. Though its body was gigantic, the Nue's movements were swift, very much like a baboon swinging through the trees. Even if 'lag' reactions occasionally appeared on its body, it still didn't show any signs of cowardice.
...How could this......!
"Kon! Go help Hokuto and the others!"
"A-A-At your command!"
"......Not good, they'll be shaken off no matter what they do!"
"Damn, it would be good if we had a few more people to help!" Harutora and Natsume shouted as they looked up into the night sky.
The Nue went south along Aoyama Road. If it continued to go on, it would reach Shibuya Station. Hokuto, Kon, and the crow tengu kept attacking, doing their utmost to block the giant Nue's progress.
...Damn!
Harutora gritted his teeth. If this went on, wouldn't he have wasted his time desperately rushing over here?
The Nue howled loudly, spreading the miasma it gave off along Aoyama Road. It attacked Natsume and Harutora, and they were only able to bear it and let the miasma cover their bodies.
Then, the chimera lashed out with its tail like a whip, hitting Hokuto who was about to circle in front of the Nue. Hokuto was sent flying out by the blow, crashing onto the road - in front of Harutora and Natsume. The dragon's body flashed intensely because of 'lag'. "Hokuto!" Natsume cried out.
Harutora couldn't help but gasp, since this was his first time seeing Hokuto hit by the enemy, but Hokuto who had taken the attack didn't pay any heed to the injury. It thrashed on the ground, issuing a ferocious growl as if upset, then slammed against the ground, straightened its body, and was about to fly into the sky--
--Like this......!
"Hold on, Hokuto! Come here!" Harutora inadvertently shouted.
Natsume made a "huh?" sound, turning her head to look at Harutora, but Harutora didn't pay her any heed, just staring straight at Hokuto. Confusion momentarily flashed across Hokuto's face, but it quickly turned its body as if seeing some clue in Harutora's expression, gliding across the ground and rapidly approaching the motorcycle.
Harutora thought of the feeling of jumping off the motorcycle. That was simply a death-defying stunt, and comparatively, the crow tengus' actions had just been horseplay.
Even so...
Harutora forcefully grabbed onto Natsume's shoulders, standing up on the back of the motorcycle. He pushed off the stunned Natsume, leaping off the motorcycle with a "Bring me up!"
"Harutora-kun!" Natsume's face paled, unable to keep from screaming. Hokuto, who noticed Harutora's intentions, had its spirits suddenly roused, speeding over the road and supporting Harutora's body from below before he collided with the ground.
Harutora grabbed onto a horn on Hokuto's head and Hokuto flew directly into the sky. "I'm going!" After leaving Natsume with those words, he straddled Hokuto's head - on its neck. Natsume's eyes were frightened round by that sudden action.
The motorcycle and Hokuto rushed down the Aoyama Sanchome crossroad. Hokuto increased its speed and flew up in a flash, and this time finally succeeded in circling in front of the Nue. The wind pressure was strong, and Harutora clenched his teeth bitterly, reaching his hand into the charm box on his waist.
"Order!"
He threw out a charm - a water element charm. Magical energy created a mass of water and formed a torrent, directly hitting the Nue's head. The Nue roared angrily, stopped, and turned around.
"Wh-Why have you showed up here? Harutora-sama!"
"Kon! Don't mind me, keep attacking the Nue!"
Harutora barked at his shocked and apprehensive shikigami, continuing to throw charms and doing all he could to impede the Nue's progress.
"Ga! Incredible! Too reckless! But so cool!"
"So cool! We can't lose!"
"How exciting! Don't wait for the guy Zenjirou! We'll deal with this Nue!"
The crow tengu were driven on by Harutora's wild actions, swirling into a storm and disrupting the Nue's vision while successively hurling magical energy at the Nue. In addition, Harutora only noticed when he entered the sky that the crow tengus' cries seemed to be a form of magic itself. As they cawed, the sound gradually penetrated and eroded the Nue's sense of balance.
Harutora and the others didn't fall behind either. Kon used her foxfire to divert the Nue's attention, and Harutora took the opportunity to attack with a charm. Bursts of noise sequentially pierced through the Nue's entire body.
The Nue roared angrily, the roar filled with miasma and magical energy, but - Harutora had long since gotten used to it. He was no longer scared, instead roaring: "Don't think that'll work!" and infusing his magical energy into charms, attacking randomly. His strong spiritual power was his only weapon, and he relied on this spiritual power, indiscriminately and desperately throwing charms.
The Nue that had been single-mindedly escaping finally counterattacked under this heavy onslaught. It raked its claws, attacking Hokuto underneath Harutora's feet.
"Don't even try - Order!"
Harutora simultaneously threw out three protective charms and three defensive walls were temporarily erected, blocking the Nue's movements in midair. The Nue couldn't help but roar angrily, reaching out its claws and trying to forcefully tear open the obstructing defensive walls, utterly discomfited. But, that movement just happened to make a weak point appear in its movements.
This stupid thing - Hokuto's eyes shone and it immediately lunged towards the Nue, its movements like a fierce snake and its prey. Due to its shocking speed, Harutora who sat on its neck was immediately thrown into midair because of inertia.
"--!"
Above the roof of a building, a kind of floaty and bloodcurdling feeling assaulted Harutora, who had momentarily lost his balance. Before his eyes, Hokuto bit into the giant Nue's throat. The Nue's shriek became a turbulent shockwave, violently battering Harutora who was in midair.
"Harutora-kun!"
Natsume screamed in shock. Oops - Hokuto hurriedly reached out its hind leg, nimbly grabbing Harutora who had almost fallen down. Harutora's whole body was frozen and he couldn't even cry out. But the moment Hokuto's consciousness turned towards its rear, the Nue violently slammed its fist into Hokuto's face, escaping the dragon's fangs.
Intense interference appeared over the bodies of the Nue and Hokuto, but the Nue's was the most severe. The Nue directly dropped onto the roof of a building, its gigantic body flickering intensely and miasma spurting in large amounts out of Hokuto's bite wound like fresh blood. Though Hokuto had also been injured, it refused to show a weak appearance, roaring angrily at the Nue.
"This is a good opportunity! Let's take advantage of it!"
"Take advantage of it! Reisen! Hou'oubiden! Give this thing the finishing blow!"
"Understood!"
The three crow tengu took the moment to attack, their spiritual pressure adding to each other and gradually rising.
"S-S-S-Scoundrel! Look at what you are doing!"
At the same time, Kon flew towards Hokuto, angrily scolding it. Hokuto frowned as if reproaching her for getting upset over a little thing, then twisted its body, letting Harutora sit back on its head.
Harutora quickly grabbed on to Hokuto's horn, then abruptly shook his head.
"...Kon, what are you doing!"
"Huh? I, I......"
"Can you understand orders? Don't mind me, hurry up and attack the Nue!" Harutora roared, quickly drawing out a new charm.
"Right now is a good opportunity! Hokuto too, attack all-out with the pace from before!'
Actually, he couldn't stop his limbs from trembling, but that kind of thing wasn't important at all right now, and the priority was to deal with the Nue before them as soon as possible.
As Harutora said this, Hokuto immediately lunged towards the Nue again with a frightening momentum, but Kon only hesitated with a naive expression.
"......As you command......" However, she still obeyed Harutora's order, returning to the attack. As things were now, the culprit endangering her master was the thing that had to be eliminated the most.
Harutora and the others attacked, and the battle became even more intense.
The Nue jumped towards the wall from the roof of the building and then jumped down, moving while avoiding attacks. Since Hokuto's strike had succeeded, the Nue was unable to counterattack or even forcibly break through Harutora and the others' enclosure.
Not long after, they moved to a crossroads - above the Omotesando Subway Station. The Nue was pursued for the whole way and finally stopped in the center of the crossroads.
"Okay! Everyone, go!"
Dasai ordered, and Hokuto, Reisen, Hou'oubiden, Kon, and Harutora swarmed the Nue, focusing their magic into attacks and unleashing an onslaught from above the Nue's head. The Nue, which used all of its power to defend, leaped away again.
Intense interference appeared on the Nue's body, and its giant body twisted and deformed.
Since they couldn't let it continue to go deeper into the city, right now was the time of reckoning, as if they didn't deal with it as quickly as possible before the wound Hokuto had made healed, they would end up just watching it escape. With a consciousness that could collapse at any time, Harutora converted his spiritual power into magical energy, infusing it into the charms and throwing them to strike the Nue.
However, the Nue endured these attacks. It was wounded and became weak, but it still vigorously moved its huge body, destroying Harutora and the others' enclosure in one leap. "Damn!" Harutora cursed, and Hokuto angrily pursued it.
In that moment--
"Harutora!"
He heard the call of his good friend.
He had forgotten when this event was. At the time, he had been feeling an intolerable anxiety.
"Yo, it's been a long time, Touji. Anyway, you must be bored, right?"
Touji had once beaten up Harutora, who had come to the hospital room to visit him, without any explanation. Moreover, it hadn't just been a punch. He had hit again and again, kicking and trampling, venting all of the dark emotions in his heart on to Harutora. Harutora obviously hadn't just sat back and let himself get beaten, but resisting was a waste of energy. The Touji at that time had been changed into a living spirit, and he really wasn't an opponent Harutora could compare to.
Finally, the staff of the facility had rushed to the hospital room and restrained Touji. Harutora could only blame himself for choosing the wrong time to visit, as he had been exceptionally unlucky even before then.
Touji didn't have any thoughts of regret, and he even felt refreshed. The main physician's fortunate son seemed to him like an eyesore, and he couldn't bear the way Harutora looked at him, a look that seemed to disdain him. That day the seal was strengthened, and Touji laughed for the entire night, crying and laughing at his own misfortune.
But the next morning, when he was burnt out, Harutora walked into the hospital room alone.
"I've come to return the favor." Touji didn't fight back, despite being pummeled by Harutora. He wasn't hurt or angry, just extremely shocked.
Harutora, whose wounds from the previous day hadn't yet healed, looked down at him with swelling cheeks, sitting on the ground. A slight smile emerged on the face of Touji who looked blankly at him.
"What's wrong, living spirit? Where did your boldness from yesterday go?"
Touji was speechless. Only then did he notice that something hot was sliding down his swelling cheek.
Harutora breathed out, kneeling down to look Touji eye to eye.
"The two of us should get along fine." Those words deeply pierced Touji's empty and vague heart--
Even now, they showed no signs of pulling out.
☆
Yukikaze carried Touji, galloping ten meters above the ground.
It passed over the walls of buildings, kicked off the branches of trees, and surged along the shortest path. Touji single-mindedly stared ahead, the violent wind whipping up his hair.
Pain.
His forehead felt pained, as well as his canines. As his emotions became excited, the influence of the oni inside his body gradually swelled. He knew that horns had sprouted from his forehead and that fangs had grown from his mouth. He was very clear, but he wasn't afraid.
He was the linchpin. As long as he firmly held on to Ato Touji, he didn't need to be afraid of the oni's existence.
A living spirit.
Accept it, he thought.
Recognize himself who had become a living spirit, then accept it and trust in it. I am me, he thought silently.
How shameful - he couldn't help but mock himself. He had taken his circumstances as amnesty and oppressed the people around him, indulging in pleasure brought by violence while feeling empty, and finally was even possessed by the oni, endangering lives, even pushing aside the one who had reached out to him.
Shameful. Despicable. Stupid. Unredeemable.
But even if he were like that, there was still a group of good friends who didn't give up on him, who were still willing to lend a hand even if he refused them with spite. Therefore, he couldn't run away anymore. Now was time for him to face it, accept it, and move forward. The time to screw around darkly while hating himself was over, and it was time to struggle towards the source of light and advance with the companions who had let him decide this.
...Don't be afraid.
He didn't need to fear the oni. He still had his life and his future.
He didn't need to fear or run away. Only facing the problem would resolve it.
Horns and fangs grew from his face, demonic aura hovering around his entire body. The oni put on the armor by itself, casting the figure of a samurai over Touji's uniform.
But, it was no problem. Ato Touji still tightly grasped the reins controlling the oni.
They charged straight towards Aoyama Road, Yukikaze dashing between the buildings that stood in great numbers on either side of the road. Touji's change didn't cause it to fear at all, but it was no wonder, as after all, Touji didn't know - Yukikaze had long since gotten used to running here and there while carrying a living spirit.
Hooves trampled through the night sky and Touji advanced along with Yukikaze. The scenery around them sped past like an arrow. Their target was the Nue and the companions that should be battling the Nue right now.
Suddenly, a sharp light flashed in Touji's eyes.
A giant presence of a spiritual disaster appeared ahead. Yukikaze also noticed, raising its front leg and neighing. Touji pulled the reins tight, tossing them hard.
"Over there! Go!"
Yukikaze ran through the night sky, dashing past the south Aoyama Gochome crossroad - a mobile spiritual disaster over twenty meters in total appeared before them. A phase three, a Nue. Circling around it were figures that seemed like crows, and...... Hokuto.
In addition--
"Ha."
Touji inadvertently laughed, a smile spilling from his heart over to his lips.
There was a figure on Hokuto's head, straddling the dragon's neck. There was only one person who was this impulsive among the people that Touji knew.
The presence of the imminent battle made the oni inside his body unbearably excited, and Touji had the same feeling. He resonated with the oni, his appearance ferocious, and aura pulsing from his body like lava - demonic aura spewed from the depths of his body.
He gripped the shakujou Tenma had entrusted to him in reverse, intense interference appearing all over his body, the oni's helmet appearing on his face. The oni caused bursts of pain. It's all right, Touji smiled.
...I'll bring you some prey now.
Eat as much as you want.
"Ha......!"
His eyes flashed, showing fangs, and his oni-like appearance gripped the shakujou, then raised it high like he was throwing a spear, using all his strength - turning his own aura and demonic aura into magical energy, infusing it into the shakujou. The shakujou hummed, giving off light, its strength increasing until it almost burst.
The demon inside Touji's body entered the shakujou.
He aimed at the target--
"Harutora!"
Touji focused his mind, powerfully throwing the shakujou out.
☆
Upon hearing that call, Harutora quickly turned his gaze towards the rear of the Nue.
There was a figure ahead in midair, a figure riding on a horse. He couldn't help but doubt his own eyes, as that horse was Yukikaze, and the person sitting on Yukikaze was none other than Touji. Touji threw something at him, a thin - spear, no, a shakujou. That was the shakujou that Ohtomo had specially made for him.
Harutora's mind was completely befuddled. Why had Touji appeared here? Why had Yukikaze appeared here? Why did he have the shakujou in his hands? Why, why, why......
Harutora immediately tossed those doubts out of his mind.
The shakujou immediately shot towards the Nue's giant body as if it were guided.
Unfortunately, the Nue noticed the shakujou flying from behind it in the nick of time and the frightening strength infused into the shakujou. It roared and forcefully twisted its body, kicking in midair, and bending to avoid the attack. The shakujou flitted over the Nue's head without hitting.
It was so close.
No, that was wrong.
Harutora had certainly grasped the meaning of Touji's shout.
"Hokuto!"
Hokuto simultaneously and correctly understood Harutora's intent. It twisted its body, charging in the direction the Nue had dodged, speeding like an arrow along the path that the shakujou had been thrown in.
"Hah!" Harutora reached his hand out towards the shakujou that rapidly flew by, grabbing it tightly, and received the shakujou that Touji had sent over.
Once he grabbed the shakujou, Harutora's fingers were almost ripped off. There was a fierce and wild strength infused into the shakujou. But he firmly held on to it, accepting Touji's intent with all his power. He grabbed it and brought it under control.
At this moment, the results of his unremitting hard work over the half year from the autumn day last year until now were displayed. If his Onmyou Academy teachers were here, they would definitely stare with wide eyes in disbelief. He managed to finally control the shakujou's strength.
The strength overflowing from the shakujou flowed into the rings on the front end and the rings spun like rotors, the magical energy forming an edge - a giant blade.
No, it wasn't fitting to call this a blade. This was a fang, one that cut, pierced, tore, and bit. A vicious fang with a powerful strength.
Hokuto extended its body, rapidly flying into the air and blocking the space above the Nue's head. The Nue looked at them, its round eyes unable to conceal its cowardice, and it hurriedly stooped its head.
"Eat this!"
Harutora swung the shakujou, piercing deep into the Nue's neck. The strength infused into the shakujou exploded inside the Nue's body, the oni's strength dispersing in all directions and tearing apart the Nue's body from the inside. Hokuto noticed the danger, quickly pulling back, and Harutora also quickly let go, leaving the shakujou in the Nue.
The Nue fell into the center of the crossroads again, without the strength to even defend. Violent interference assaulted the giant body like a shikigami whose vessel had been destroyed. Every time its body flashed, miasma scattered everywhere.
The aura forming the spiritual disaster gradually crumbled.
But-- "......Damn, it's still not enough?" The Nue still hadn't been completely routed. The wounded, dying monster tried desperately to fight, allowing the shakujou to stick in its body. It pushed its head up, threatening Harutora and the others who surrounded it.
But, just then.
A shining charm danced neatly through the air, and colorful light encircled the Nue, forming a beautiful nimbus. The brilliant charm gave off a mind-blowing magical energy, overflowing into the surroundings like a fragrance.
Of course, this wasn't magic that Harutora had cast, and it had nothing to do with Touji or the group of shikigami either.
「──き奇いつ一奇一たちまちうん雲か霞を結ぶ、う宇だい内はつ八ぽう方ごほうちょうなん、たちまちきゅうせんを貫き、げん玄と都に達し、たい太いつ一しん真くん君に感ず、奇一奇一たちまち感通──！」2
Natsume.
At some point, the motorcycle had stopped and Kokuryuu was flapping his wings by the side, flying in the air. Natsume sat on the stopped motorcycle, her eyes closed, focusing her mind and chanting an incantation.
The aura pervading her body carried an elegant radiance, dying the girl in gorgeous colors. Her black hair that was tied with a ribbon floated in the air, and the charms stacked in her right hand flew out one by one like butterflies, entering the nimbus surrounding the Nue.
When the final charm had flown into the nimbus Natsume suddenly opened her eyes, forming a blade seal with her hands and raising them above her head.
"In the name of Amenominakanushi3, sweep away this evil miasma! Order!"
The blade seal swung up with a ferocious momentum. This was the strongest purification magic among those that Tsuchimikado Natsume had studied - the 'Perfect God's Curse'.
Magical energy shot through the charms strung up in the nimbus, then burst towards the interior, forming billowing beams of light. Not only Harutora but also Hokuto, Kon, the crow tengu, and even Touji and Yukikaze who were farther off, inadvertently closed their eyes because of the blinding light. Magical energy spilled forth like a melody and a pure, bright aura covered the surroundings. A brilliant and ethereal melody spilled forth and dominated everything. Harutora felt it over his whole body, and even his soul became intoxicated from the magic's strength.
A bright whiteness.
"......Uh......" Not knowing exactly how long had passed, as his sense of time was numb, Harutora slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes that had been blinded because of the glare slowly adjusted to the scene before them. In front of him was the horn on Hokuto's head as well as the scenery of the night, with the deserted, empty crossroads under them.
The Nue had vanished.
The shakujou that had pierced the Nue floated above the crossroads, then fell onto the ground before Harutora's eyes after it felt gravity's pull. It seemed that there was still some extra strength left inside the shakujou, as with a metallic sound, the shakujou stood spiritedly on the asphalt road, as if showing off its own accomplishment.
"......The purification...... Did it succeed......?" Harutora breathed, asking in a stiff voice.
"Ga! Well done!"
"Nue eliminated!"
The crow tengu called out together, cawing and happily jumping around in a dance. Hokuto snorted when it saw that, raising its head and straightening its chest. Stunned, Harutora slid down Hokuto's body down to its back. "......Did we deal with it?" He murmured, his mind blank. But just as he finished speaking--
"......Kon! Hurry up and catch Harutora!" Natsume on the motorcycle hurriedly shouted, leaning on the handlebars.
Immediately after, Hokuto vanished.
Since she had used a strong magic that she still wasn't familiar with, Natsume's spiritual power seemed to have already reached its limit and she couldn't continue maintaining Hokuto's materialization.
"Uwah!" Harutora momentarily lost his balance, falling downwards again. Kon hastily flew forward, catching her master's right arm. Harutora grabbed on to Kon's waist, finally stabilizing himself. Not only did none of the crow tengu come forward to help when they saw that scene, they even all laughed so hard they shook.
Harutora slowly descended together with Kon. The more he approached the ground, the more he felt like the spiritual disaster had truly been purified.
"......Great." He couldn't help but grin.
"......I really came at the right time."
"Touji? And...... Yukikaze!"
Yukikaze casually descended, carrying Touji. It stopped by Harutora, and only then did Harutora regain the shock that he had thrown out of his mind earlier.
"Why are you here? Never mind Touji, isn't Yukikaze the family's-- Ah, Touji! Your horns!"
The twin horns on Touji's forehead made Harutora's eyes widen for a moment. Looking carefully, he could even see lingering traces of the oni's armor on him.
The demon transformation had progressed further.
But, the expression that emerged on Touji's face wasn't the oni's, but was without a question the expression that he normally saw on his good friend's face.
"Isn't it cool?" Touji grinned, that arrogant and frivolous response exactly same as the normal Touji.
Harutora didn't really get what had happened, as his mind was still overloaded from the intense battle that had just ended. Though he was confused, he didn't have a bit of anxiety or fear, and instead, he was at ease for some reason. He simply believed that this friend had overcome a storm.
"......Yeah, it's not bad." Harutora spoke seriously while staring at Touji, the same mocking smile as his good friend's emerging on his mouth. "There's nothing more fitting for you than that egotistic appearance."
"......Tch, to think they dealt with it......"
On Aoyama Road, above the bridge from the south Aoyama Sanchome crossroad leading to the Omotesando Station, Kagami muttered a curse.
Though he cursed, his expression was very joyous and he leaned his body on the railing, his eyes staring intently in the direction of Omotesando Station - towards Harutora and the others who had purified the Nue.
The purification carried out in the Meiji outer garden had already ended. Kagami had recognized the situation and left the area beforehand alone. He announced that he was going ahead to chase the escaped '02', but actually he was interested in Tsuchimikado Natsume - more accurately, the group of Onmyou Academy students with him as the head that he had encountered in the evening.
But, it actually wasn't correct to say he was 'interested'. With his peculiar sense of smell, Kagami had sniffed out that instead of dealing with '01', whose redeeming trait was its size, and participating in that large-scale spiritual disaster purification similar to that of sport events, this side was surely more interesting.
His intuition proved correct. Outsiders were in charge of purifying a phase three spiritual disaster. Though Kogure's shikigami were assisting on the side, it was still a rare scene.
If this incident got out, the rumors that Tsuchimikado Natsume was Yakou's reincarnation would definitely gain credibility and they would spread like wildfire. The Twin-Horned Syndicate had planned this series of spiritual disasters, but they might jump for joy more excitedly when the Nue were completely wiped out. It was ironic.
"Alright...... What should I do?" Kagami leaned on the railing, muttering and laughing coldly.
The Exorcist Bureau was using all its power to purify a spiritual disaster and didn't have anyone to supervise Kagami's every move. Because of this, no one would be the wiser even if he 'intervened' from the shadows. He wouldn't make that kind of mistake. Moreover, the person who made him feel the most interest right now wasn't Tsuchimikado Natsume, but rather the student who had become a living spirit - Touji.
Before the operation had started, Kagami had accessed the records from two years ago. Touji had indeed been involved in the spiritual disaster Dairenji Shidou had brought about and had even directly come in contact with Dairenji who had become a phase four. In other words, he had been assaulted by the spiritual pressure and miasma of a phase four 'Type-Ogre' spiritual disaster and almost become a spiritual disaster.
The 'Type-Ogre' spiritual disaster Dairenji Shidou had used himself as the core for hadn't been a simple spiritual disaster. No, the situation hadn't been simple at all.
"......Unfortunately, the information was all destroyed......"
There was nothing in the world that could escape Kagami's sharp eyes, including the 'Child Prodigy' Dairenji Suzuka. Kagami and her had met a few times, and he had seen that she was a 'vessel' in a single glance. Her ability as a Divine General - the surprising ability that she wielded at such a young age - was at best just an additional effect.
Dairenji Shidou had made his own daughter into a 'vessel'. But why had he done this? Of course, this was in order to let some kind of spiritual being possess her. Dairenji had made his own daughter into a 'receptacle' to receive spirits, rearing and cultivating her for that purpose.
But when Dairenji brought about the spiritual disaster two years ago, he had become the core instead of his daughter. Not only Kagami, but also all the Mystical Investigators couldn't find the reason behind it.
Since Dairenji had 'prepared' a vessel like his daughter, it was hard to think of him as a normal spiritual disaster after he became a 'Type-Ogre'. A phase three spiritual disaster - a mobile spiritual disaster - actually meant a 'materialized spiritual being'. In other words, the most suitable explanation was that Dairenji had made himself into a vessel for possession, which led to spiritual disaster transformation as a result - a demon transformation.
Then Dairenji Shidou - as the previous head of the Lingering Spirit Division and the cadre of the Twin-Horned Syndicate, what exactly had he planned on letting possess his body?
And what exactly had attached itself to his body as a result?
Dairenji who had transformed into a spiritual disaster had been purified by the Exorcist Bureau, which caused the Lingering Spirit Division that was the lair of the Twin-Horned Syndicate to fall under inspection. The Mystical Investigators had carried out a thorough investigation, but unfortunately not a single definite fact had been dug up, and right now they were only left with intractable questions.
But, what if someone had been affected by Dairenji Shidou and had become a living spirit? Would the demon inside that living spirit's body just be an ordinary demon?
"......Interesting, it's way too interesting......"
The answer was hard to figure out, but he could find the truth by opening the lid, and that container holding the answer was right in front of him, in front of him who was unattended.
"......But, it would save a lot of trouble if he fell to the path of the demon......" He murmured, stepping back from the railing, an unkind smile emerging on his lips. But, that smile didn't last very long and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Knock--
The sound of wood lightly knocking against the cement...... Footsteps sounded from behind him. His heart leaped, and something hard immediately pressed against his back.
"......You're the same as always."
A hearty and passionate Kansai accent. But Kagami could hear the ice-cold chill hidden beneath the calm tone.
"I taught you to always be on your guard on the very first day. You really aren't suited to be a Mystical Investigator, I really made the right choice in guiding you to become an exorcist."
Ohtomo pressed the short cane in his hand against Kagami's back, speaking leisurely. His tone was regulated as if he were pressurizing an egg grasped tight in his hand, yet afraid of crushing it.
Kagami's lips rose, showing an unruly smile. Though it was sharp as a blade, the smile was filled with tension. He couldn't turn around, his entire body taut.
"......Well, well. Isn't this Ohtomo-senpai?"
"It's been a long time, Kagami-kun."
The two of them greeted each other, seeming friendly, but their words actually hid blades. Kagami felt like someone behind his back was holding him at gunpoint, ordering him to raise his hands high, and he was extremely clear that the current situation was as dangerous as that analogy.
"......Why are you in this kind of place? I heard you retired, could you have come to visit?"
"How's that possible, it's no place for me to take the stage right now. I was just on a nighttime walk. That's a recent hobby of mine."
"It's those old man hobbies again. You haven't changed at all, senpai."
"You're just like old days too. You don't seem civil at all, you're just a punk."
The two of them smiled, but greeted each other with veiled words.
"You're so shrewd that you would realize right away even if I didn't tell you, but I'll tell you first. I'm a teacher right now." Ohtomo continued speaking.
"A teacher?"
"That's right, I'm a teacher at the Onmyou Academy."
Kagami's body went rigid and he glanced towards Harutora and the others.
"......Ha, I see......" He murmured while grinding his teeth: "How unexpected...... to think senpai would switch to becoming a teacher."
"Even I myself didn't expect it. But being a teacher is actually pretty interesting, and I noticed that I'm extremely used to dealing with problem children. It's not easy to find someone more difficult than Kagami Reiji."
"How hurtful, and I thought we got along very well."
"That's true, I really miss those days."
Saying this, Ohtomo snorted, and a deeply abhorrent mocking smile emerged on Kagami's lips.
"Alright." Ohtomo spoke:
"I finally ran into you, but I don't have any intention of keeping a busy official Independent Exorcist tied up in this place. Let me take my leave first."
"That's truly regretful, I wanted to chat for a bit longer...... Right, I'll come to the Onmyou Academy some day to stir things up. There's a student who interests me a lot."
Kagami deliberately spoke those provocative words, and Ohtomo only laughed coldly and quietly upon hearing.
"I don't think that will be so easy. You'll have to spend a long time just to undo the curses, so you'll be staying here for a while."
"What did you say!" After Ohtomo uttered those words, Kagami showed anger for the first time, turning around to look at Ohtomo.
Ohtomo grinned in satisfaction, showing a cold gaze.
"You're a bit too careless. Who knows how many curses I laid during the time you and I were chatting. Let me warn you out of goodwill that none of them are common curses. They're all strange curses no one knows about that you won't find the names of unless you check some ancient books. But don't worry, I set an ample period of time, so you have some time to investigate slowly."
"......Don't think you can scare me like that." Kagami immediately replied. The leisure from before wasn't audible in his tone, and it was full of boiling rage instead. "We've known each other for so long, do you think I'd believe that prized silver tongue of yours?"
"Hahaha, those are some really interesting words. But, don't waste your breath. In any case, you also understand what kind of person I am. Do you understand why I brought you to so many tragic battlefields when you were under my care? It was for you to realize that I'm a person who will do anything if there's a reason to."
"............" Kagami gritted his teeth ferociously.
Ohtomo spoke the truth. Back when Kagami had entered the Onmyou Agency, his ability had obtained approval, but his style and personality were believed to be problematic, and the higher-ups decided that Ohtomo would bring Kagami around for practical training.
At the time, Ohtomo had been the 'Shadow' of the Mystical Investigators, the capable confidant of the 'Sacred Fan' Amami Daizen. He dealt with the Onmyou Agency's work that didn't see the light and definitely couldn't be made public, belonging to the darkness of the magic community. Kagami had witnessed first-hand the contents of Ohtomo's work during his practical training.
No, more accurately, it should be said that Ohtomo had 'deliberately' let him witness those scenes.
Controlling the opponent's knowledge was the basis of second-class magic, and its essence was to use the 'unknown' to its fullest.
"Like I said just now, you're very shrewd. Even if my words are ninety percent bluff, you cannot ignore the last ten percent, definitely not. Alright, why don't you go spend some time slowly researching until you're completely sure that my words were all complete nonsense."
Ohtomo forcefully twisted the short staff pressed into Kagami's back like he couldn't wait to damage his flesh.
"Remember, don't even think about touching those students while I'm still alive."
Those words were like hot mercury. Though they were dull, they carried a breathtaking valor.
Kagami was speechless for a while. He accepted that he had indeed been gotten the best of, and just as Ohtomo had evaluated, he didn't refuse to accept defeat so much to the point of risking death.
"......Some day......" He barely held back the anger, hate, and anxiety that erupted like a volcano, gritting his teeth forcefully and saying: "Some day, I'll defeat you... I just can't wait for that day......"
"Oh my, that's quite scary. I could smooth things over and have you die here in an unexpected accident, want to try?"
"......I'll definitely kill you."
"Hah, we've definitely both got 'silver tongues'."
Ohtomo laughed. He knew that the killing intent in Kagami's voice was a deliberate provocation. He was still the same verbally abusing Kagami as always.
On the other hand, Kagami was overjoyed. This was different, that living spirit and reincarnated brat were no match. Only jokes involving life and death and the aberrant games of adults could let him enjoy this kind of ecstatic feeling.
"......Why don't you stop there, Jin."
Kagami looked to the right in surprise upon hearing those words, noticing that Kogure who had walked up at some point was already standing on the other end of the bridge. Ohtomo leisurely made a sound different from Kagami's shock.
Kagami pressed his lips together again.
Whatever situation he was in, he would always be on his guard. Even in this kind of situation, Ohtomo had long since noticed Kogure walked over here. Vexation inadvertently spilled forth in Kagami's heart, not the same as anger or loathing. He was mad that he hadn't noticed earlier.
Ohtomo frowned towards his old classmate.
"Hey you, you're too reckless, Zenjirou! Why did you let my students run out to directly deal with a Nue? I was so surprised when I ran out to look. What's the Exorcist Bureau making underage outsiders do?"
"I, I didn't want to, things happened suddenly. Mutobe of the Twin-Horned Syndicate tied me up, and I only got out just now."
"What kind of stupid reason is that, you idiot! You should have developed countermeasures for Mutobe from the beginning, the Exorcist Bureau should be responsible for that. The chief's post might be in danger if I revealed this to the media."
"Bastard! Don't make that kind of bad joke! This isn't funny!"
Maybe believing that Ohtomo might actually do such a thing, Kogure's expression changed. It was really a farce. Kagami couldn't help but click his tongue.
"......Kogure-san, did you successfully arrest Mutobe?"
"Of course...... well, I really want to say that." Upon hearing Kagami's question, Kogure couldn't help but make a bitter face, grudgingly saying: "......He's dead."
"What?"
"Uwah, how bad, how did you let him die, Zenjirou?"
"What a pity, our most important main suspect died again. It looks like we'll still have to play around for a while."
"This clumsy man, really......"
"Was he always like this?"
"He was always like this."
"Sh, Shut up! He had a suicide curse placed on him since the beginning, what could I do! And also, you two are normally always arguing so loudly, so why are you so understanding when you're talking bad about me! That's a bit strange!"
Ohtomo and Kagami took turns continuously ridiculing him and Kogure's face flushed in anger as he protested repeatedly. From the contents of the conversation, it was hard to imagine that they were National First-Class Onmyouji - the premier practitioners in the nation.
"Ah, found Zenjirou! Zenjirou's over here!"
"You definitely won't believe it! They purified the Nue! Incredible, right? They did it, amazing!"
The four crow tengu - Kogure's shikigami - flew towards the bridge one after another. Ohtomo casually put down the short staff. Kagami had managed to obtain release from the magic binds - the force of second-class magic - but he still felt unbearably fretful in his chest.
This farce truly got worse and worse. Kagami cooperated with the performance while holding back his anger. Since Kogure had come, he would have to be careful for now and could only wait quietly for the next opportunity to have some fun. After the spiritual disaster was purified, in a while he would have to go out to deal with some annoying and downright boring aftermath work.
But, he had clearly learned the location of Yakou's reincarnation, the living spirit related to Dairenji, and Ohtomo.
The Onmyou Academy.
He didn't want to give up on the prey that was so fascinating. Though he hated being patient from the bottom of his heart, as long as there was a need, he had the ability to endure various difficulties or hardships. He would wait in the wings and kill his rivals by surprise, whether it was the Exorcist Bureau, the Onmyou Agency, or Ohtomo. Kagami carved this point into his heart.
But - he didn't expect that something fun would happen before he returned to his boring job.
Suddenly - "Tch." Ohtomo looked over, then a chill went through Kogure's entire body. Then, Kagami also noticed that 'presence'.
The three National First-Class Onmyoujis' expressions changed as they looked in the distance. The crow tengu didn't understand what had happened, and also followed their gazes over.
Looking in the direction of Harutora and the others.
In the scene of the purified Nue spiritual disaster, Harutora sat on the road alone, exhausted.
Next to him was Touji who had dismounted from Yukikaze. The horns and fangs on his face had already returned to their original state. After landing, Kon walked around here and there, seeming to be scouting the spiritual disaster area. Kogure's crow tengu gave the work of maintaining the condition of the area to Harutora and the others, flying out to find their master to report.
Natsume didn't stay by Harutora and Touji's side, still sitting on the motorcycle in the distance. When she had received Yukikaze's charm from Touji, she had unhesitatingly asked for the reason why Yukikaze had appeared here. "My father......" She murmured several words but didn't open her mouth again, her expression seeming quite complex. Concerned about her mood, Harutora and Touji both happened to move away from her.
No one present opened their mouth to say a word, and the area became quite tranquil after the noisy crow tengu left. After completing this matter, they didn't even have the strength to rejoice. Touji who had come here in the end wasn't as bad, but Harutora and Natsume were already so tired that they were limp and powerless.
Harutora sat on the ground, supporting himself from behind with his two hands. "Come to think of it..." He spoke with a wry smile: "The day's finally over." Those words seemed like the final conclusion to this day. Touji replied, also with somewhat of a wry smile: "That's right."
So many things had happened one after another during the period of time from the start of the practical examination until now, though it actually hadn't even been half a day. Moreover, every single event had been important and serious. Their feelings inevitably felt a bit confused and they had a hard time calming down.
Today in the morning, Harutora had only been worried about whether he could successfully advance a grade. Though he had knowledge relating to shocking situations like spiritual disasters, Divine Generals, and development into phase threes - because he was in the Onmyou Academy and knew about these matters because he belonged to the magic community - in the end, they still had had nothing to do with his daily life.
The incident that had happened to Touji was the same. Though he had been worried at the start when he heard about the exam contents, he hadn't seriously worried that Touji would show signs of demon transformation again. That showed how much he trusted the adults around him - his father who was the primary physician caring for Touji, the proctoring teachers of the practical exam, and the Onmyou Academy that he belonged to. He had been confident that no matter what happened, those adults would come forward and guard their daily lives to ensure they weren't destroyed.
But, after this day, Harutora truly realized that he was wrong.
It wasn't that adults weren't willing to protect, but they could only do what they could.
Things had happened that even the teachers in the practical examinations couldn't handle. Even the Onmyou Academy couldn't completely protect the students. Even the Exorcist Bureau, though they had finally purified the spiritual disaster, had caused severe damage. Even the Onmyou Agency's trump card, the Divine Generals, weren't omnipotent superhumans, and there were little girls like Suzuka among them along with hateful people like Kagami.
Harutora trusted that the adults would protect him in the end, and had never believed that was a mistaken thought. In particular, the figure of the practical teachers who had stepped forward for them were burned into his heart.
But on the other hand, he also understood something. Fanatically believing in the adults around him and blindly giving everything to them to deal with wasn't called 'trust', but rather 'dependence'. He had learned to first rely on 'himself' before relying on the assistance of adults. He would rely on his own strength and his mustered efforts...... If that kind of hard work wasn't enough to resolve the problem, he trusted that the people around him would come forward to help. That was true confidence, or perhaps could be called 'faith'.
"......I have to do my best......"
After defeating the Nue, he hadn't thought that these kinds of ideas would appear in his mind. The path to becoming an Onmyouji seemed to be longer and more tiring than he had imagined. No, it shouldn't just be the path of an Onmyouji, growing up and maturing was definitely also an arduous process.
"......I really never thought you could control the oni...... How is it? Touji? No problems?"
Harutora sat on the ground looking up at Touji next to him. He feigned calmness on the outside, but he couldn't conceal the wavering and tension deep in his heart. After all, he had just fought with Touji who had almost turned into a demon, and thought that while Touji was fine on the outside, there must be some trauma left in his heart.
"I'm not sure." But, Touji's attitude was no different from usual, and his mouth smirked like always. "Just now was only 'practice', I still can't say for sure."
"......It seems scary. Both a former juvenile delinquent and a demon. That's not just a bad dream, that's a nightmare."4
"Be careful what you say, Harutora. On the off chance that I do become a demon, it's very possible that you'll be the first one to be eaten and chewed up in a bite."
Touji deliberately showed his canines, grinning and relieving the remaining doubt in Harutora's heart. Harutora had reconfirmed that Touji was a trustworthy person.
"Next time, I'll send you a tiger loincloth5 so you can wear it instead of that bandanna."
"Hmph, your head's so big after defeating a single Nue. Don't forget whose power was inside that shakujou."
"You don't know how hard I had it before then, you only came out when things were almost done with. To think you're still proudly taking credit."
"Because my unfortunate self was beaten up by a certain person, but I still rushed out here so worriedly. That kind of situation is very rare, you know."
The two of them bantered, glancing at each other. Harutora's expression relaxed first.
"You really had it hard too."
"Honestly, I'm confident that my luck's even worse than yours. But--" Touji's face suddenly went serious. "You and I are the same, we seem to always turn the tables in a crisis. When I encountered the demon and became a living spirit, your dad rescued me, and that's why I can stand here like this today. You could call all of it a blessing in disguise."
"A blessing in disguise? What's that mean?"
Seeing Harutora's confused look, Touji smiled wryly. "Bakatora."
"I encountered the demon, but also met you guys. With that, I'm already satisfied." Touji managed to speak with a youthful, sincere tone. Harutora blinked in surprise, looking up at his good friend, then smiled evilly.
"Huh? What's wrong with you, Touji? Haven't you used up your lifetime's worth of 'youth' tonight?"
"......That's true. Pretend I didn't say that just now." Touji mocked himself bashfully, turning away.
Harutora hastily grasped the opportunity to latch on without letting up. "Nope, I definitely won't forget." He changed into a cross-legged sitting position, putting his hands on his knees and grinning happily. Touji knocked his good friend's head with an embarrassed face.
☆
In the distance, Kon's ears had perked up at some point, watching Harutora and Touji restlessly. She seemed to want to return to her master's side but couldn't find the opportunity.
Just then - "Kon." Natsume, sitting on the motorcycle, called out to Kon in a whisper.
Kon walked over in surprise, as Natsume seldom called out to her.
"Don't disturb them."
Natsume warned Kon in a childlike tone. She spoke maturely, but her expression was evidently impatient. Kon replied unwillingly: "I understand."
Natsume sighed lightly, watching Harutora and Touji's backs from afar.
Though she was concerned about her father seeming to have seen through everything, at the same time she understood that she was helpless regarding this kind of situation even if she was concerned. She didn't understand her father's true intent, and simply believed that she should be grateful to her father for sending Yukikaze over.
Right now she was walking the same road as Harutora and Touji. There might be thorns everywhere on this road, but as long as she remembered that everyone was on the same path, they could weather the most difficult storms one by one. Today was the best example.
"But......" Kon muttered, her gaze still looking towards her master and his good friend. The two of them were laughing heartily, teasing each other. "......It's very enviable."
Natsume smiled upon hearing Kon's dissatisfied complaint, saying: "Yeah", expressing agreement from the bottom of her heart.
Even if she was dressed as a male, all that changed was her outer appearance, and she was still an outsider to male friendships.
"Male relationships are really... cunning." Saying this, Natsume shrugged her shoulders, burying her face in the collar of her uniform.
The incident happened at that moment.
☆
A black-colored limousine drove into the crossroads.
The car approached from the direction of Harajuku6. Harutora hurriedly stood up, and Touji, Natsume, and Kon watched the limousine in shock.
Because they hadn't ran across a car the whole time, they thought that the nearby roads were already all closed off. Actually, traffic was indeed being controlled, as otherwise, it would be impossible to see no one at all on Aoyama Road no matter how late it was at night.
"W, Were the roadblocks removed?" Harutora murmured, and Natsume and Touji had the same feeling.
Strangely, that limousine was extremely slow, like it was planning on stopping in the center of the crossroads. Moreover, this high-class limousine didn't make a single engine noise, like it was sliding over ice, which was very puzzling.
Harutora and Touji moved back beside the motorcycle Natsume sat on.
Then, the limousine turned soundlessly, stopping right in the place where the Nue had fallen, its side facing Harutora and the others. After the car stopped, Natsume couldn't help but cry out, and at the same time Touji and Harutora were shocked by the abnormality.
The limousine's wheels weren't turning and it was even floating slightly in midair. On that note, there were cracks all over the road due to the Nue, and no matter how high-class the limousine, it couldn't glide over the ground without making a sound.
However, it was actually surrounded on all sides by a powerful enclosing barrier, but of course these Onmyou Academy students couldn't notice that.
Harutora and the others blankly stared at the limousine, and the back car window facing them slowly rolled down.
"Harutora-sama!" Kon's ears and tail stood up, and she called out in a voice full of a tense feeling that she had never shown before.
Then--
"...Good evening."
A greeting came from the car's backseat - from the dark interior of the car. It was a light and lively voice, but that impression was immediately overturned when the car's light lit up.
Logically, it should be the car's interior light that lit the inside of the car. The lights were dim like a candle's flame, and illuminated the wrinkle-filled face of the infirm, elderly man in the car who looked quite old - and who could be mistaken for a mummy.
The old man's wispy white hair was combed back, and he wore a black kimono with a pair of blood-red sunglasses on his face.
That scene was extremely 'strange'. The black limousine, the hazy light, and the old man who emerged in the light. Looking carefully, the distance in the car window felt a bit abnormal. The illuminated old man, the seat, and the space inside the car seemed sunken in darkness, as if a different world existed on the other end of the rolled-down car window.
Just then, the old man behind the 'car window' opened his mouth to chat with Harutora and the others.
"I originally thought that I would retrieve something, but it seems like it was cleanly purified. Ah well, ah well, tonight's game was really very exciting."
The old man spoke happily, but no change was visible on his expression, contrasting with his joyful tone. He just moved his lips mechanically, uttering words.
Harutora froze in place, unmoving, and Natsume, Touji, and Kon were also the same. They couldn't move and were only able to stare straight at the old man, as if an invisible rope had bound them.
"Exciting, it's so exciting, but you're just chicks who just hatched from their eggs, so absolutely don't be complacent." The old man spoke teasingly, his expression unmoving, with only the sound of laughter flowing from his mouth.
"Keep working hard." The old man spoke to Harutora and the others.
"Then, come 'here' as soon as possible. This old man eagerly awaits you......"
Right after his words dropped, the light inside the car darkened and blackness momentarily enveloped the area behind the car window.
The car window slowly rose, closing shut.
Harutora and the others could only one-sidedly listen to the old man's words. "Wh, Who are you?" But Natsume forcefully raised her voice. With those words, the almost tightly shut car window suddenly stopped moving, and the old man's laughing voice once again came through the thin gap in the window.
"My name is Ashiya Doman."
After he said this, the car window closed completely, and Harutora immediately lost consciousness.
He wasn't dizzy, nor did he faint, but with no warning, he suddenly couldn't tell where his body was for some time, losing his sense of time. It was his first time experiencing this shock, and his body went stiff with fright, unable to even scream. When he came to his senses, the high-class limousine had already vanished before his eyes. He hurriedly looked around, but didn't even see the shadow of the car.
"N, Natsume?"
"Uh, just now my consciousness suddenly......?"
"Touji? Kon!"
"Damn! What happened just now?"
"I was careless, I deserve a thousand deaths!"
Everyone was panicked, raising his or her guard. When the enemy was right before them, they had been undefended, transfixed, and only hastily upped their guard once the opponent vanished. It was really a comical scene from the perspective of an observer, but they all went on strict alert, not daring to drop their guard.
An abnormal tension. Their limbs shook, sweat dripping like rain.
The nighttime crossroad was tranquil and empty, with no sense of danger. Normalcy appeared before Harutora and the others, and this 'ordinary' scene slightly alleviated the shock that Harutora and the others had received.
"......He left...... right?" After a while, Harutora asked quietly. Natsume, Touji, Kon, and even Harutora himself also took some time in order to accept that fact.
Not long after, a rigid smile emerged on Touji's face.
"......Hey, Harutora. I feel like I heard a name that couldn't really appear. It feels like I was dreaming......"
"......That's unfortunate, Touji. Honestly, I'm the same, I feel like I heard a name that even someone as ignorant as I am knows, a name that couldn't be heard in reality......"
"Haha...... That's right, it's practically a joke."
"Right, I really want him to stop playing around......"
The demeanors of the two as they chatted weren't leisurely like before. Their faces were pale, and upon listening carefully, it could be heard that their voices were shaking.
"......Ashiya...... He said he was Ashiya Doman?" Natsume spoke, almost falling off the motorcycle. "Is he a fake? How could that......! Who...... who exactly is he?"
No one present answered that question.
Harutora bit his lip and Touji clicked his tongue, kicking the ground. Kon unconsciously moved towards Harutora. Natsume - blankly looked towards the place where the limousine had once lingered.
That moment was the first glimpse this group of young crows got of how profound the night sky they would spread their wings in was. They already stood on the starting line leading to the deep, dark, and magical world stretching from ancient times until now.
One minute later, Kogure who had been blocked by the barrier hurriedly rushed to Harutora and the others' side, bringing the crow tengu.
In the darkness, a man chanted incantations without distractions.
An altar was laid out before the man, a candle flickering on a candlestick. It was the only light source, and the only audible sound was the man chanting incantations. The firelight swayed along with the incantation, casting complex shadows across the man's face.
The man continued chanting incantations.
Other than the candlestick, there were also two charms on the altar. One of them was spread out, but the other was wrapped up in paper, sealed up.
The incantation written on the opened charm was dried up, the text and design visibly cracking. The incantation on the charm wasn't written with ink, but with blood instead.
In front of the charm was a sheet of neatly-folded paper like a scroll recording a rite.
The man continued chanting incantations.
Dawn would be approaching soon, and there was little time left to secretly carry out undercover actions. But the man wasn't concerned at all, and he didn't have the leisure to worry about those distractions.
The man continued chanting incantations.
After a moment, his tightly shut eyes suddenly widened.
"I humbly ask to consult Taizan Fukun, the lord of the underworld--"
The scroll on the altar gave off magical energy, floating in midair, and then flipping open and suddenly igniting in a lightly blue flame. The scroll burned in an instant - and disappeared. The surroundings momentarily sank into a deep darkness where one couldn't see their outstretched hand.
"......Mutobe-san?" The man asked in a whisper in the darkness.
The spread charm gave off a weak light like it was replying to his question. The light immediately vanished, but the man's face had a satisfied smile.
"......You worked hard. Leave the rest to me."
The man murmured, respectfully taking up the charm and wrapping it up with the paper he had prepared in advance, carefully and cautiously sealing it. Then, he put it and the charm he had sealed beforehand into his clothing.
He stood up, dismantling the altar, continuing to chant incantations, and carefully eliminating all traces of the altar. The man's movements weren't visibly hesitant in the expansive darkness.
After the clean-up work had ended, the man took out a phone from his suit pocket, turning on the battery.
As he had expected, there were several missed calls on it. Though the aftermath would be troublesome, they were just chores anyway, and it wouldn't be hard to properly deal with things without arousing suspicion.
Now, he had to inherit the will of his comrade and become the messiah. For this, he had to deal with things cautiously and accurately no matter what kind of situation he encountered. The man had the self-confidence that he could do it.
He opened the folding phone, checking the phone's screen. The liquid crystal screen gave off a slight light, illuminating the man's face in the darkness.
His black hair blended with the darkness, mixed with a strand of bright vermilion7.
Like blood dripping in the darkness.