Tokyo Ravens Volume 3 Chapter 1

[] 

Very few people present at the time noticed the beginning of that incident.

Most people, almost all people only noticed after thinking about it after the fact.

Noticing that they had crossed the line that could not be returned to.

There were heavy chains outside the hospital room, the door was enchanted with magic, and a sacred rope was twined around itself on the outside, with sakaki[1] inserted to the left and right. His father cautiously removed them one by one, and finally put the key into the lock, turning the door handle.

This cautious att.i.tude made him inadvertently swallow. He only now realized that he had only made this proposal because of his unsatisfied curiosity and boredom - as well as some sympathy.

His father laughed, asking him "maybe you should just drop it", but he immediately shook his head upon hearing that. That sympathy had long since turned into a different emotion the moment he saw this 'sealed' hospital room.

After taking a deep breath - the youth slowly opened the hospital room door.

When the sound of the bell announcing the end of the exams sounded, the students sighed one after another, the tense atmosphere in the cla.s.sroom suddenly collapsing. Murmurs and laughter came after a while, and the teacher responsible for proctoring the exam walked through the cla.s.sroom, rapidly collecting the exam papers from the students' desks. The proctor collected the exam paper from in front of the straight-backed, properly-sitting Tsuchimikado Natsume, but Tsuchimikado Harutora sprawled on his desk, half-dead.

The Onmyou Academy - The premier Onmyouji development inst.i.tution in the nation. This place was one of the cla.s.srooms of the academy building.

Harutora was collapsed on the desk, and the look on his face was indiscernible at the time. Even if the exam had ended, restlessness and tension still lingered on the face of Natsume in the neighboring seat, but she herself wasn't the reason to make her restless and tense. Rather, it was Harutora, as this childhood friend had collapsed on the desk long before the bell had sounded.

When she was taking the exam, Natsume would often glance anxiously at Harutora, and once the proctor collected the exam papers and left, she couldn't wait to open her mouth to inquire.

"Harutora? The exam just now--"

"Don't say it." Harutora interrupted her words without waiting for her to finish, still sprawled weakly on the desk. "Don't say it and don't ask, don't say anything at all, don't ask anything at all, let me have some peace and quiet...... Please, tasukete[2]......"

"P, Please isn't the same as 'tasukete', don't you mean 'onegai'[3]?"

"......Onegai[4]......"

Harutora begged in a whimper, and Natsume looked up at the ceiling with a pained face. Then, she said in a quiet whisper that only the neighboring seat could hear: "......Which parts? What didn't you get?"

"......Didn't I say not to ask?"

"......But how many questions did you not get, one? Two!?"

"......A, A lot of questions......"

Harutora's tone was agonized, and Natsume's expression instantly turned from bitterness into grief.

"What do you mean by you didn't get a lot of questions! Almost all of the exam just now was within the sample problems, didn't we review them three times yesterday!"

"......Uuu."

"Didn't we actually prepare very well for the essay topic? Didn't we stay up late many nights preparing?"

"......Uuu."

Harutora twisted his body as he was sprawled on the desk like he didn't have the energy to reply or rise, and Natsume looked at her childhood friend as if she couldn't bear the sight.

Harutora's grades had plummeted after entering the Onmyou Academy. As a descendant of the great Onmyouji Abe no Seimei and a member of the Tsuchimikado family that had been a great Onmyoudou family in the past, he was simply worlds apart from the outstanding main family heir Natsume. The grades of Harutora, who had been born in a branch family, were far lower than those of the other cla.s.smates, and he would often have to receive after-school tutoring because of this. Despite the importance of the Tsuchimikado family reputation, Natsume had also given up on the thought of rescuing Harutora's grades.

But, the exam this time was quite important, as their successful advancement into the second year was at stake, so it couldn't be abandoned lightly.

Harutora raised his head with an 'uuu', his chin against the desk and his jaw clenched.

"Whatever, I've already done all I can, all I have left is to rely on...... getting back with practicals......"

Natsume sighed upon hearing her childhood friend's sorrowful lamentation, shaking her head. Though she was anxious, the practicals were truly all that were left to turn things around.

Natsume turned her head, lightly uttering a warning with her original voice: "......I won't forgive you if you dare to get held back." Saying this, she raised her gaze, looking out of the cla.s.sroom window.

The weather was gray, with dark clouds spread about and a thick, cold air could still be felt. The sun was a bit weak, lacking any vivid, bright colors. It seemed that they would still have to wait a long time for the bright spring sun to arrive.

Next month - early February - they would advance to the second year.

Half a year had already pa.s.sed since Harutora entered the Onmyou Academy to study.

☆

The spear blade moved like a swallow, slas.h.i.+ng through the air.

Of course, the opponent was attacking with the back of the blade, but if he took a hit head-on, he wouldn't just be fine after rolling on the ground a couple times in pain. Harutora used the back end of the shakujou to keenly deal with the attacking blade.

He rapidly moved side to side, regulating his breathing and focusing his spiritual power. The pentagram under his left eye gradually burned because of his circulating spiritual power, and when he felt this heat, he focused his mind on the s.h.i.+kigami before him.

The Onmyou Agency defensive s.h.i.+kigami 'G2 Yaksha' named 'Kokfuu'.

Not only did this s.h.i.+kigami possess basic unarmed combat techniques, it was proficient in using a spear. It was not an opponent comparable to an outsider like Harutora.

But, the shakujou in Harutora's hands was a magical tool specially created by his homeroom teacher Ohtomo, and though he needed to expend a large amount of spiritual power, he could turn his spiritual power into a blade of magical power or a s.h.i.+eld to clash with an enemy. Harutora was clumsy with magic, but his spiritual power was strong, and this weapon suited to both attack and defense could be said to match up with him. With this shakujou in his hand, at the least he could stand on the same level as his opponent, even if the chance of victory was not high.

Kokfuu's spear clashed with Harutora's shakujou, and with his spirit-seeing eyes, Harutora 'saw' the surrounding aura swirl, along with Kokfuu's magical energy, the aura his own body gave off, and the meandering magical energy flowing along the haft of the shakujou.

Magical power collided with magical power, and a spiritual wind whose temperature was ambiguous roared, his body - his spiritual body - burning as if it had been scorched. On the other hand, the s.h.i.+kigami Kokfuu was almost unconcerned by the surrounding spiritual pressure, its exterior giving off the exact same impression as before and continuing to attack Harutora like a robot.

But - a chance! The thought flashed through Harutora's mind, and a small figure instantly ran up behind Kokfuu's back as if seeing through his thoughts.

It was a small child, and moreover a little girl who didn't even look ten years old. She wore a suikan and a hakama[5], her appearance proper like a j.a.panese doll, with two round, blue eyes, a pair of pointed, triangular ears on her head, and a leaf-shaped tail growing out of her lower body.

She wasn't a human, but rather a s.h.i.+kigami. She was Harutora's defensive s.h.i.+kigami - Kon.

"Haaaaah!"

Kon attacked Kokfuu from behind at the same time as she released her stealth and materialized. She slashed the beloved blade Kachiwari in her hand, cutting Kokfuu in its lower leg. That move was outside Kokfuu's expectations - outside the expectations of its master, Harutora's cla.s.smate Kurahas.h.i.+ Kyouko, who controlled it - and Kon's surprise attack made them flounder for a moment. 'Lag' reactions appeared in Kokfuu who had suffered an attack, and interference coursed through its body as it stopped moving for a moment.

Just then--

"I win!"

Harutora's shakujou struck Kokfuu, and Kyouko who had been controlling the s.h.i.+kigami hissed: "Hmph", looking displeased.

"Haha! How's that! I undoubtedly won this, right?"

"A-A-A, Amazing, Harutora-sama! Your skill is incredible--!"

"Your timing was perfect too, Kon, we're cooperating more and more seamlessly!"

"I-I-I-I am extremely grateful for your praise!"

Harutora laughed joyously and Kon's face reddened in embarra.s.sment from receiving her master's praise. Not only did her face flush, her tail also wagged constantly like a puppy. The defeated Kyouko hmphed in displeasure, dismissing Kokfuu's materialized form.

"......I said before that Kokfuu was originally adjusted to act together with Hakuou. Don't get it wrong, it can't wield its full power in a solo battle."

Kyouko warned Harutora with an imposing manner.

Her brown hair was tied up and hung down, her eyelashes were long, her eyes were sharp, and though she seemed quite compet.i.tive, she was extremely cute. Even if she wore a new uniform on her, it couldn't conceal her pretty figure or her pair of beautiful legs.

Kyouko's strength was inferior only to Natsume's among the first-year students. Maybe it was because of this that losing to Harutora made her dissatisfied even in a mock battle where she couldn't use her full strength. When they had started, Harutora and Kon hadn't even had a twenty percent chance of winning, but his winning rate this year was greater than fifty percent, showing the pair's notable growth.

Kyouko frowned and Harutora couldn't help but smile wryly upon seeing her reaction.

"I know that very well, I'm not getting carried away."

"......It's fine as long as you know."

"D-D, Don't heed her, Harutora-sama. Treat the complaints of the loser as the sound of the wind."

"I can hear everything, Kon-chan."

Kyouko narrowed her eyes, but Kon kept a straight face, her ears standing up, pretending she hadn't heard it. This s.h.i.+kigami was loyal to her master Harutora, but she was quite high and mighty towards people other than Harutora.

Harutora and the others before him were currently in the magic practice field underneath the academy building. The magic practice field was set up like an athletic stadium and had a barrier encircling the arena on all sides.

Since he had entered the academy - more accurately, since he had fought with a Yakou fanatic as soon as he had entered the academy - Harutora had been regularly having mock battles with Kyouko's s.h.i.+kigami. The reason was obviously so he could deal with Yakou fanatics, and in particular, it was to acc.u.mulate a form of actual battle experience and get used to methods of using magical energy as well as magical battles.

Natsume had been troubled by a 'rumor' every since she was small, and it had been rumored that she was the reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou, the ancestor of modern Onmyoudou and the culprit of a spiritual disaster in Tokyo that had led to unprecedented calamity. Because of this, Natsume was often hara.s.sed by blindly faithful Yakou fanatics. Also, Harutora was only training his fighting ability as much as possible because he had obeyed the branch family traditions and had become the main family's s.h.i.+kigami in order to protect his master Natsume.

"How is it, Natsume? I should be able to get some decent grades in the practical exam, right?" Harutora looked up at the spectator seats from the arena, chatting with Natsume who had been watching the compet.i.tion from the side.

Natsume deliberately hmphed upon hearing him say that.

"Bakatora, do you really think the exam will ask the pract.i.tioner to fight directly with a s.h.i.+kigami?"

"That's true...... But I'm already adept at using magical energy."

"You still rely on that shakujou to convert your spiritual power to magical energy, and you can't bring magical tools into the exam!" Natsume's face went taut as she strictly criticized the triumphant Harutora.

That serious action complemented her fine-lined, beautiful appearance. Her glossy black hair grew to her waist, tied behind her back with a pink ribbon. Her body was small, and her exterior seemed incomparably delicate at first glance, but she gave off a perseverant will from inside.

"You still aren't proficient at using simple s.h.i.+kigami yet, and though I don't believe this mock battle is a waste of time, in all honestly, it really isn't the time to do these things right now."

"What, weren't you fine before about having a mock battle today?"

"That was because we don't know what kind of topic this year's practical will have, so the only preparation you can take now is to smoothly circulate your spiritual power as a warm-up for tomorrow's practical exam." She couldn't stand it - Natsume shrugged her shoulders like a home tutor teaching a stupid student.

The Onmyou Academy first-year curriculum was based around lectures, and practical training was rare, so it was the pract.i.tioner's own qualifications rather than techniques that were important for the advancement exam. The content of the exam would also change every year.

"But you completely rely on the shakujou's help, and you won't get any effective warm-up at all, so why don't you face the s.h.i.+kigami bare-handed this time?"

"......That's suicide."

"Oh my, I'm happy to cooperate since Natsume-kun says so."

"Tch! Kyouko, don't call for Kokfuu so happily!"

Natsume helplessly shook her head, looking down at Harutora's panicked appearance.

Her att.i.tude was still quite severe even if her s.h.i.+kigami had won. s.h.i.+kigami had to be by their Master's side all the time in order to protect their master's safety, or in other words, Harutora would no longer be of any use as a s.h.i.+kigami as soon as he was unable to smoothly pa.s.s the exam and had to be held back or leave the academy.

But--

"......Pff." Momoe Tenma who sat next to Natsume couldn't help but laugh. His body type was about the same as Natsume's, a gla.s.ses-wearing, innocent-looking boy who was a cla.s.smate of Natsume and Harutora.

"W, What is it, Tenma-kun, what's so funny?" Natsume turned around in surprise upon hearing Tenma secretly laugh from the side.

"Because--" A gentle smile emerged on Tenma's face. "Natsume-kun, you say that, but when Harutora-kun won just now, you jumped up with your fists clenched in excitement and called out 'He won!' with a red face."

"What? What are you talking about! I, I didn't do that...... P, Please don't speak nonsense!"

Natsume was fl.u.s.tered for a moment, refuting him in a stammer. As her words became more and more confused, an abnormally shrill and clear voice was even audible.

"Hey, Natsume!"

Harutora hurriedly called out a warning from the arena, and only then did Natsume come to her senses, coughing lightly a couple times with a red face. Tenma and Kyouko looked at the interaction between the two with expressions of incomprehension.

Unlike the pure white uniform that Kyouko wore, Natsume wore a slightly bluish, black uniform - the color of a raven's plumage - the male uniform, the same as Harutora and Tenma.

But - really, that person was usually calm, but she would become fl.u.s.tered as soon as she encountered something sudden. Her true ident.i.ty would be revealed sooner or later...... Harutora muttered snappily in his heart.

The heir to the Tsuchimikado family had to show himself as a male, and Tsuchimikado Natsume had entered the Onmyou Academy as a male student in compliance with this Tsuchimikado family tradition. Harutora wondered how long Natsume would be able to conceal this for...... Honestly, Natsume was a girl to the letter but dressed as a male. For now, the only ones who knew this were Harutora, Harutora's s.h.i.+kigami Kon, and Harutora's and Natsume's good friend, Ato Touji.

...These students are really slow...... Even after half a year, her appearance looked very strange to me.

During this half-year at the Onmyou Academy, he had noticed that the biggest reason Natsume was able hide it from others was that she socialized very little.

Other than with Harutora and Touji who knew her ident.i.ty, she was only close to Kyouko and Tenma who were here. That was a result of Natsume's original shy personality, but more so because other people kept her at arm's length because of the rumor concerning Yakou.

If one actually interacted with Natsume, one would notice that she was actually quite imperfect. She was a typical gifted student in the eyes of others because no one had noticed her deliberately-hidden other side. Though her hair wasn't like a boy's, most people explained it to themselves as 'customs of a traditional family'. Fortunately, since it was magic community, there were thoughts that 'his hair ornament has spiritual power', whether it was true or not. Even so, a pink ribbon was too obvious, and Harutora couldn't help but secretly complain......

"Preconceptions really have strong effects...... Huh? That's weird, where did Touji go?"

Harutora who was looking up from the arena glanced everywhere, but he couldn't find Touji who had originally been watching the battle together with Natsume and Tenma.

"The princ.i.p.al called Touji-kun to the princ.i.p.al's office." Tenma replied on behalf of Natsume because her mood still hadn't calmed down.

"The princ.i.p.al?"

"Right - You know about the princ.i.p.al's cat s.h.i.+kigami too, right? That cat ran over and said that she needed Touji-san for something."

Harutora turned towards Kyouko upon hearing Tenma's reply.

"Kyouko, do you have any idea why the princ.i.p.al would look for a student?"

"Grandma didn't mention anything, so I'm not sure. But since it was grandma who called Touji over, maybe she had a strange 'vision'."

"Vision?"

"Right, actually it's just divination...... Didn't you know? My grandma is a first-cla.s.s astrologist."

"Astrologist?"

"......It seems like you should just repeat the first year."

The bad student of the cla.s.s asked a question for every sentence Kyoko said, making her arch her eyebrows in impatience.

The princ.i.p.al of the Onmyou Academy was named Kurahas.h.i.+ Miyo, an old woman with an elegant temperament and the head of the famous Kurahas.h.i.+ family that simultaneously had a huge influence on the modern magic community. She was quite a famous astrologist - a diviner, and even though she had long since retired, it was said that there still wasn't anyone in the nation on par with her. Kyouko was the granddaughter of this princ.i.p.al.

"Hmph...... Whatever, the princ.i.p.al won't be messing around anyway. It would be worrisome if Ohtomo-sensei were looking for him."

"Touji's grades aren't bad. In contrast, a student close to failing like you should be more worrisome."

Kyouko pointed that out frankly and calmly, and Harutora 'tch'ed, his face sinking.

"Touji and I both transferred in from an ordinary high school...... When did such a big gap open up?"

"You were never at his level since the beginning."

"That's true! I know, d.a.m.n it! That guy just has a good brain, he knew a lot about magic before transferring!"

"When I said 'since the beginning', I didn't mean since you transferred in. Rather, it's been that way since birth."

"Since birth!? And isn't it miserable that it's hard to even deny!?"

Harutora cursed angrily, his eyes teary. "H-H, Harutora-sama, becoming concerned equates to admitting your birth was inferior!" Kon consoled him tactlessly. Tenma in the spectator seats couldn't help bursting out laughing as he listened, but Natsume's face was solemn. But she quickly cheered up, straightened her spine, and spoke another proposal.

"Harutora! The exam is tomorrow, so you should practice magical energy conversion methods. Your spiritual power is strong, and if you can smoothly convert it to magical energy, you should be able to deal with the exam easily!"

The practical advancement[6] exam was tomorrow.

Harutora's fate would also be decided tomorrow.

"Purifying a spiritual disaster?"

"Right, that's the topic of this year's first-year practical exam."

Princ.i.p.al Kurahas.h.i.+ sat on a chair, nodding towards Touji who stood in front of her office desk.

The interior of the Onmyou Academy princ.i.p.al's office was filled with traditional decorations, completely out of tune with the academy building that was like a modern office building. Bookshelves filled two walls, with a red carpet laid out on the floor and a painted gla.s.s room divider. It looked about as big as a modern cafe, and it was overall quite traditional, with almost all of the room's furnis.h.i.+ngs being the princ.i.p.al's possessions or creations of the Onmyou Academy.

Only the princ.i.p.al and Touji were inside the princ.i.p.al's office, and the mechanical clock placed above the bookshelf ticked to and fro, quietly marking the pa.s.sage of time.

"Of course, we won't have first-year students purify a true spiritual disaster. Honestly, we've recently noticed an unstable aura that could create spiritual disasters, and because of this, the teacher who will be supervising the practical exam proposed to use this rare chance to deliberately allow the aura to become imbalanced, creating a forced phase one spiritual disaster, and then leaving it up to the students to purify it."

After saying this, the princ.i.p.al supplemented it with some more detailed explanations.

The princ.i.p.al was dressed in a kimono like olden times, her body small like a child's, but not looking small at all in the eyes of others due to her upright posture. Her shoulder-length short hair was already grayed, but she didn't feel old in any other way, her outward appearance still kept quite young. Incidentally, there was a three-colored calico cat curled up and sleeping soundly, nestled on the redwood office desk. It was her s.h.i.+kigami.

Touji who stood before the princ.i.p.al had a slender body, wearing the Onmyou Academy uniform on his body and with a bandanna around his head, his hair messy. Even if this handsome boy didn't open his mouth, he gave others a courageous feeling, and even if he was being called into the princ.i.p.al's office right now, he didn't show a speck of tension.

"Could I ask you what your motive is? I heard that conventionally, the topic of the practical exam isn't announced until the day of." A cold smile emerged on his lips after hearing the princ.i.p.al's explanation and he asked provocatively. But the princ.i.p.al didn't criticize Touji's att.i.tude, lightly raising the corners of her mouth instead.

"The exam emphasizes fairness...... But this exam is unfavorable to you, after all..." The princ.i.p.al smiled, staring directly into Touji's eyes. "You experienced a true spiritual disaster first-hand, and you're still battling against the after-effects that linger in your body."

The princ.i.p.al's gaze was tranquil and clear, not a speck of sympathy to be found, and probed for his inadvertent reactions. Touji didn't avoid it, looking directly back into the princ.i.p.al's eyes. Then, he deliberately relaxed his guarded demeanor.

"...That's right, but, could I ask how this is unfavorable for me? Could it be that you believe the spiritual disaster from that time left behind shadows in my heart?"

"Even if you are self-aware, you can't be certain it's not a possibility."

"Since I don't have that kind of self-awareness, I'm not sure whether it's there or not." Touji suppressed his own emotions, speaking leisurely.

Two years had already pa.s.sed now since Touji got drawn into a spiritual disaster.

At the time, he was still a third year in middle school preparing to advance to high school, but had to stay in the hospital for half a year to get treated for the after-effects left by the spiritual disaster. Then, one year after he had gotten involved in the spiritual disaster, he had entered the same high school to study with Harutora, so in other words, he originally should have entered high school a year earlier than Harutora and the others. But, the reason he was well-acquainted with Onmyoudou was because he had ample time during his treatment to use for self-learning.

"......Did you call for me because you wanted to persuade me to give up on partic.i.p.ating in the practical examination of my own will?"

"Huh? Were you planning to?"

The princ.i.p.al asked without any malicious intentions, and Touji deliberately shrugged his shoulders as a reply.

"I never liked exams in the first place, as letting others test my own abilities isn't something suited to my personality."

"Oh my, that way of thinking is a bit extreme, Touji-san. Regardless of whether your grades are qualified, it's not a bad thing to understand your own ability from an objective standpoint."

"But disregarding whether grades are qualified or not is impossible for this advancement exam, right?"

"That's true."

The princ.i.p.al couldn't help but laugh at a student retorting like that. She laughed vigorously, and the sleeping calico cat nestled on the table lightly waved its tail.

"But, since Natsume-san and Harutora-san will both partic.i.p.ate in tomorrow's exam, you should be unable to give up, right? I wanted you to come here hoping to notify you of the exam contents beforehand and let you prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself? Does that need the princ.i.p.al to notify me herself?"

"Well...... Unfortunately Ohtomo-sensei is out right now, and I am the only other person in the academy who knows of your 'secret'. I was probably worrying a bit too much."

Upon hearing this remark from the princ.i.p.al, a mix between self-derision and a wry smile flashed across Touji's expression, a complex and troubled att.i.tude that he showed extremely rarely. But, that expression vanished without a trace soon after.

"......So you were worrying about me, how flattering."

Saying this, Touji returned to his calm tone and expression, irony hanging in his words, very much like his style. But the princ.i.p.al smiled again upon seeing Touji with this kind of att.i.tude, raising her eyes to look askance at this student.

"...Touji-san? That att.i.tude of yours isn't so good."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, was my tone too arrogant?"

"Just the opposite. You're fretful inside, yet you express yourself calmly and composedly, but that att.i.tude is only 'pretend maturity', not a true 'mature' response. Moreover, you are using your ident.i.ty as a spiritual disaster victim as a means of attack, while speaking almost unconcernedly. That kind of att.i.tude isn't good either. Annoying the other party can only count as a kind of childish communication technique, and it would sound much cooler if you just directly said that you didn't need sympathy."

Touji hadn't expected the princ.i.p.al to criticize him for that and went silent without opening his mouth for a long time. The princ.i.p.al had spoken straightforwardly, and even someone who wasn't Touji wouldn't know how to respond.

"......Your words...... are really resolute."

"Oh my, did I say something wrong? Or did you mean 'D-Don't speak nonsense, th-th-that's not true'?"

"Was there a reason to stutter when you said that...... I understand your meaning. Sorry, I should have been more sincere, thank you for your guidance."

Touji showed a rare helplessness, scratching his head over his bandanna. Even Touji didn't want to discuss the definition of 'maturity' with a grandmotherly princ.i.p.al.

Especially since the princ.i.p.al's advice actually made him extremely unhappy.

He had never meant to keep a secret. Rather, he had planned on facing and accepting the after-effects the spiritual disaster left behind in his body, and had only chosen to transfer to the Onmyou Academy with Harutora for the strength to overcome them. However, he couldn't help but feel anxious inside because that hard work had only resulted in others worrying unnecessarily about him.

Very few people know about that incident, even people close to Touji. Excluding the princ.i.p.al before him, Ohtomo-sensei and Harutora were the only ones remaining who knew about this incident, and even Natsume wasn't very sure about 'what kinds of after-effects were truly left behind'.

"......You also understand that these after-effects are very troublesome. Right now, I've already adapted to them, but circ.u.mstances like right now show up often, making me realize that I'm a spiritual disaster victim, and I can't help but feel fretful. However, I believe I can recognize them pretty well."

Touji spoke, his tone still harsh like always, but his expression this time seemed a bit like he was joking. After hearing him say that, the princ.i.p.al didn't plan on continuing to trouble him.

"......Perhaps, as I actually just said that this exam would be unfavorable to you by my individual subjective judgment. If you're unconvinced, let me apologize to you here. However..."

"I know, the princ.i.p.al's judgment is equivalent to the Onmyou Academy's judgment. Since I'm an Onmyou Academy student, I naturally defer to the decisions of the teachers, so thank you for taking the time to warn me." Touji spoke sincerely, but he quickly grinned again.

"......Also, never mind whether there are shadows left in my heart right now, I'll still find time to discuss the dangers of lacking self-awareness with my primary physician. From the perspective of the Onmyou Academy, it would sound bad if my condition suddenly changed for the worse during the exam, right?" Right after adding those extra words, he cast a rebellious gaze towards the princ.i.p.al.

"You don't need to worry about that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you from the beginning, but I've already consulted your primary physician."

"What? You mean Harutora's father?" Hearing the princ.i.p.al's reply, Touji felt greatly surprise, inadvertently widening his eyes.

When Touji had gotten involved in a spiritual disaster, it was Harutora's father who had been the doctor responsible for his treatment. Harutora's father was an Onmyou doctor - an Onmyouji specialized in treating ailments. After arriving in Tokyo, Touji had visited the clinic once every month. The reason he knew Harutora was because Harutora's father had looked after him so much.

"You didn't know? Harutora-san's father was also a graduate of this place."

"I, I see, so then......"

The Onmyou Academy had been created half a century ago, and not only was it old, it was actually the only school in the nation specialized in fostering Onmyouji. There should have been quite a few Onmyouji from Onmyou Academy during the same time period as Harutora's father.

"I can't remember which year he was from, but he performed outstandingly. Amami-kun was extremely regretful when he left the Onmyou Agency."

"......Amami-kun?"

"Oh my, sorry for being unclear. He is the current head of the Onmyou Agency's magic crime investigation department, he and I are old friends." The princ.i.p.al spoke relaxedly.

The head of the Magic Crime Investigation Department could be called the head of the Mystical Investigators. As expected of the Kurahas.h.i.+ family head to refer '-kun' to someone like him.

However, it was still Harutora's father that surprised Touji the most.

"The Mystical Investigator head felt regretful...... Could it be that Harutora's father was a Mystical Investigator before?"

"You don't know that either? He's only an Onmyou doctor in a rural place right now, and maybe that's why people find it very difficult to imagine him having such a past. But looking at it from the perspective of 'specialists in casting magic on humans', the techniques of Mystical Investigators and Onmyou doctors actually overlap quite a bit. After all, how could someone unfamiliar with magic cope?"

"......That's true." Touji echoed in a low voice.

Harutora's father was a respected Onmyou doctor, and Touji had only kept his life two years ago because of him. One could say he was Touji's savior, and he was also a well-trusted doctor.

"......In other words, Harutora's father judged that this level of an exam wouldn't influence the after-effects?"

"Yes, that's right, so I said just now that I only called for you this time to let you prepare yourself."

"I understand...... But you don't need to worry, it's just a phase one spiritual disaster in the eyes of an outsider like me, so it's nothing scary."

Touji spoke relaxedly, like he had already recovered his pace that had been disturbed earlier.

The spiritual disaster Touji had been involved in two years ago had been on quite a gigantic scale even for the present time when spiritual disasters were commonplace, and had even become a hot topic among society. Though it was an intentional underestimation, his thoughts were truly 'it's just a phase one spiritual disaster'.

"......Could it be that you have some premonition?"

"Oh my? What does that mean?"

"My words have only one meaning. Pardon my rudeness, but the Kurahas.h.i.+ family astrologist is the last resort that previous generations of Onmyou Agency heads relied on, and it's really an incomparable honor for such a great seer to predict my own future."

Sarcasm dripped from Touji's words again, and the princ.i.p.al couldn't help but become stunned.

"......Oh my, oh my...... You seem rich in knowledge, as can be seen from your grades, but it seems it has a bit too much gossip."

"I rather like knowledge of that sort."

Touji spoke firmly, and the princ.i.p.al couldn't help but smile wryly upon hearing it. If Ohtomo, who had evaluated the princ.i.p.al as 'a behind-the-scenes big shot of this industry', heard this, he might break out in a cold sweat.

"Alright...... Then I'll put it to you straight. Touji-san, your 'stars' are extremely difficult to unravel because of the influence of the after-effects. One of the reasons why I am especially concerned about you and called you here like this is because I am unable to read your 'stars'."

The princ.i.p.al spoke calmly towards Touji, her words not showing a trace of sympathy just like before, just giving him the facts she knew.

Touji's listened to the princ.i.p.al's words with a solemn look, but quickly showed a helpless and presumptuous smile. "...Well said" He sighed again after saying this.

The princ.i.p.al's words were harsh, but in any case they were better than blind comfort. Touji knew better than anyone that his future wouldn't be the best possible.

"I'm grateful for your advice."

"Don't be so polite, but Touji-san, be sure not to feel pessimistic about your future because of this. I'm very happy to see you enter the Onmyou Academy to combat your after-effects, and though the teachers here cannot help you recover from your after-effects, we can teach you the means to save yourself by relying on your own strength and let you live according to your own desires in the future."

"Thank you very much for your goodwill, but unfortunately my current self doesn't have any grand goals like a 'desired way to live'."

"The 'current you' doesn't but that doesn't mean that you will be the same in the future. Limiting your future possibilities isn't a smart way to do things."

The princ.i.p.al encouraged Touji strictly and gently, but a cold smile only emerged on his face. He had no intention of continuing to reply.

Just then, the napping calico cat just made a small yawn, waking up.

The cat stretched its body, looking at the two people in order like it was asking whether they had finished speaking, and the conversation between the two took the opportunity presented by the cat's wordless question to come to an end.

Touji said goodbye to the princ.i.p.al, leaving the princ.i.p.al's office. After he walked into the corridor, he sighed.

He unconsciously raised his arm, grabbing the headband wrapped around his forehead and murmuring: "......Future possibilities?"

Then, self-derision once again returned to his lips, his eyes full of ridicule - and emptiness. The hand touching his headband was a bit stiff.

"......It's really not my style."

Just after he spoke, the phone in his pocket vibrated right on time. Touji came back to his senses, taking his phone out to check.

'I heard the princ.i.p.al was looking for you. What did you do this time!'

Harutora had sent a text message. It seemed like he had already finished the special practice he was holding with Kyouko's s.h.i.+kigami.

The future was buried in darkness and couldn't be seen into, but at the least there was the usual light s.h.i.+ning by Touji's feet in the present.

Touji smiled lightly, striding forward and beginning to type out his response text to Harutora.

☆

A limousine stopped near s.h.i.+buya Station on Meiji street.

After the back car door opened, a man got off of the limousine. The man had a loose head of hair tied behind him with a hairband, and a beard covered his mouth and chin. His appearance was completely incompatible with a high-cla.s.s limousine, but careful observance would show that his body was fit, his appearance was stern, and his look gave off a firm will and a strong, intellectual temperament.

The man wore a dark green military uniform on the outside and a pair of jeans and lace-up boots, and an old leather backpack on his shoulder. He seemed like a scholar who traveled place to place.

He looked back at the open backdoor of the limousine, briefly uttering: "Thanks for your care."

"Don't concern yourself, I also did this to apologize for the incident half a year ago." A reply came from the other person in the backseat.

There was an old man wearing a black kimono in the backseat. He looked like a doddering old man on the outside, but his voice was curiously youthful. He wore a pair of red sungla.s.ses, his white hair combed back on his head.

The old man didn't look at the man outside the car, but stared straight ahead instead.

"But it's really unfortunate, you plan on courting death this time, right? There will still be a lot of action to come."

"Whatever. I can find some fun out of it since you're taking the plunge like this."

"Yes, but please......"

"I know, don't worry. At the least, I'll properly keep my distance until you decide a winner."

"......Sorry about that."

The man's choice of words was polite, but his tone was extremely rude. The old man seemed not to care whatsoever as he listened, but seemed happy instead.

"Then I will take my leave. Thank you very much for your care - Master Doman."

The man thanked again, leaving with his head high without a glance back. He didn't turn around even as the car door shut behind his back and the limousine rose up.

He walked towards Aoyama[7], mixing into the noisy group of people around him.

In s.h.i.+buya, he didn't need to fear anyone paying attention to his appearance, which was much more convenient for business. He could now begin to act as long as he cooperated with instructions.

"......Please watch over our actions, Chief Dairenji."

He suddenly stopped right after he finished speaking, a sliver of shock flas.h.i.+ng over his mask-like face. At the same time, he strengthened the invisibility spell that had already become habit for him, rapidly hiding in a nearby alley.

From his hiding spot, he showed a sharp gaze towards the other end of the street where a group of adolescent boys and girls were chatting and walking on the street. That group had four boys and one girl, all wearing a strange, similarly designed outfit that looked like a uniform. The man was very clear on which school's uniform this was.

It was the uniform of the school that cultivated Onmyouji - the Onmyou Academy. Among them, there was a youth whose unique, characteristic uniform drew more attention.

That youth's black hair was tied up with a pink ribbon, with a small body and a serious face.

The man recognized this youth and knew about him in great detail. Even right now, when he was carrying out a plan where he was betting his life, he still thought of that youth in his heart.

"......North Star King......!"

As soon as he spoke that name, fanatical desire spilled forth from the man's chest and he wanted to speak with the youth. If only he could say a few words, he would be willing to stay unknown. It would even be fine if he pretended to b.u.mp into him and ask for directions. He just wanted to talk with the youth.

Since his plan had started - No, since the incident two years ago, the man had appeared open-minded to everything, but even so, the strong thought that was produced in this moment still burned hot like a raging flame inside his chest, bending his iron will.

After a brief but intense struggle, the man restrained the desire inside him, using all of his strength to prevent himself from rus.h.i.+ng forward.

It was very possible that the youth was being watched by the Onmyou Agency, and moreover, if he spoke with the youth right now and checked whether the youth was 'truly him', his resolution to offer his life might waver.

If the youth truly was the North Star King, he would some day bring light into the darkness. He couldn't put that in danger for his own desire, even if he wouldn't see that day.

"......King, please......"

He called out lightly - Then, he could say no more, only able to blankly watch the youth leave.

The moment that group of youths had walked by, the man had noted one other youth.

There had been a bandanna tied around the youth's forehead. He remembered that he had seen this youth before, no, he had an impression that he might have seen this youth before. But he couldn't recall what it was no matter how hard he tried, and the youth just now stole away his attention, leaving him only able to wonder. Where had he seen this youth? The man thought for a while, but wasn't able to think of it in the end. He looked at the backs of that departing group of youths from afar until their figures had disappeared from before his eyes.

☆

"Ah, Ohtomo! Over here, over here!"

Once he walked into the shop, an enthusiastic "Welcome!" greeted him, followed by an overbearing voice that Ohtomo had missed calling out to him. Ohtomo frowned, unable to help turning in the direction the voice had come from.

This place was a high-cla.s.s hostess bar in Ginza where wealthy people came to have fun. Costume-wearing females slipped around the room like tropical fish, and among them, Ohtomo's former boss sat in the innermost booth, waving the fan in his hand.

Ohtomo sighed lightly, shaking his head at the male worker who planned on leading the way. He propped up the short walking stick in his right hand, walking into the store while dragging his fake right leg.

An old man and three beautiful women sat inside the booth, with a silver ice bucket filled with ice cubes and a bottle of Pink Champagne on the table. Ohtomo's face sank and he couldn't help raising his eyebrows upon seeing it.

With the guidance of one of the beautiful women, he sat down on the other side of the table.

"......Hey, this is really a waste of money. An old geezer like you won't be living for much longer, so can you stop using the citizens' hard-earned money however you please?"

"Idiot, even if you put it so nastily, I spent my own money."

"Isn't your salary from our taxes?"

"So, at least I'm giving my salary to these pretty girls. You should praise me for being a model government worker."

Isn't that right - he waved his fan, asking happily. The three beautiful women immediately grinned after hearing this, approving of his words one after another. Ohtomo stared maliciously at his never-changing former boss.

Ohtomo was a lecturer in the Onmyou Academy, as well as the homeroom teacher of Harutora's cla.s.s. His body gave off an abnormally haggard presence, and he wore gla.s.ses on his face, a rumpled s.h.i.+rt, a tie, and pants under his equally rumpled outerwear. His right foot was a wooden stick fake leg that looked like a toy, as if he were a medieval pirate, a suspicious element that looked like he had come to the wrong place.

On the other hand, the old man was bone-thin, but full of vigor.

The old man's age was similar to princ.i.p.al Kurahas.h.i.+'s, yet his voice and movements were healthy and strong. He wore an Armani three-piece suit without a tie, showing his individual style. He had mixed in quite well with the club's atmosphere - more accurately, regardless of what kind of place he was in, he would find some place to treat as 'his area', like a superb actor.

Ohtomo had once been a member of the Onmyou Agency magical crime investigation department, and the old man before him was his boss from that time - the chief of the magic crime investigators, Amami Daizen.

"Come to think of it, this leg of mine isn't convenient for walking, so please don't tell me to come to this kind of place. Especially since not only is it inconvenient to walk, I'm also an irrelevant outsider."

"The person who was so eager to put on that fake leg really dares to say that much? You should apologize to everyone that is truly crippled. And besides, with our friends.h.i.+p, it would be too polite to call yourself irrelevant."

"Don't speak nonsense, there was no longer any connection between Chief Amami and I from the moment I sent that resignation letter."

"Don't be stupid, do you think that thin piece of paper can sever the kindness I always took care of you with?"

"To think you had the nerve to mention 'care' and 'kindness'. As expected of the Chief, your jokes are both novel and bold."

"Pff, how can my novel, bold jokes match up to that fake leg of yours."

Amami grinned at his previous subordinate like an old man playing with a cat. The hostess sitting next to Ohtomo took advantage of the gap in their war of words to help him pour champagne into his winegla.s.s.

"......How is it? Is Miyo-chan the same as always?" Amami opened his mouth to speak, watching the beautiful woman's actions.

"You mean the princ.i.p.al? She's always making me run around to help."

"Haha, she looks nice, but she's a merciless slave driver."

"Why are things like this... Maybe I don't have luck with old people."

"It's better than not having luck with women."

"......Ahh, why don't this old lady and this old geezer hurry up and die......"

Ohtomo muttered, taking the winegla.s.s from the hostess. Just then, Amami said "well then--", quietly casting a glance to the side. The three hostesses in the booth silently rose and left.

After there were only two people left inside the booth, Amami raised his winegla.s.s, and Ohtomo accordingly raised his winegla.s.s in regard. Then, the two of them drank on their own without saying cheers.

"......How is it on your side? I've heard very bad a.s.sessments of the magic crime investigation department recently."

"Hey, how can someone with a job like a Mystical Investigator mind outside opinions."

"I mean that the performance of the Mystical Investigators has been lacking recently. It was I who helped you with the aftermath half a year ago, Chief."

Ohtomo spoke with a grin and no bad intentions. Half a year ago, Natsume had been attacked by a Yakou fanatic; Natsume's attacker at the time had been a Mystical Investigator.

"You mean that incident." Amami's face went bitter, and he lamented heavily.

"Miyo-chan also lectured me fiercely about that incident. She's too cunning, she certainly knew that kind of thing would happen from the beginning."

"Come to think of it, I was the person who actually dealt with that incident, not the princ.i.p.al. What's up with that, how did you guys let a Yakou fanatic get close to the 'candidate'?"

Ohtomo spoke jokingly, but the moment that last word left his mouth, a severe light flashed across the eyes hiding behind his gla.s.ses. Amami couldn't help but feel surprised upon seeing that appearance, and he fanned himself with the fan in his hand.

"I can't do anything about that, our manpower is insufficient. Mystical Investigators are too busy to even talk. We're so busy that we even want to get help from cats, though I don't mean Miyo-chan's s.h.i.+kigami."

"Those Mystical Investigators were all stolen away by the Exorcism Bureau. In short, it's all because you're too slow and refused to take the initiative, Chief."

"Every section has problems of insufficient manpower, and in particular, those 'strong people' are in demand...... I finally managed to cultivate someone who could hold his own, but he just resigned a moment later."

Amami hmphed, crooking his mouth and glaring at Ohtomo. A wry smile flitted across Ohtomo's face like he had realized he had spoken incorrectly, but soon after he indifferently brought the winegla.s.s to his lips.

"In any case, the Exorcism Bureau has become exhausted by spiritual disaster purification recently, and when you add the fact that the Exorcism Bureau can't train people overnight, that Kogure who entered at the same time as you did is simply swamped."

"Oh, that person's a nice guy. Very easy to handle, and loves to work."

"You don't say...... Let me tell you, the Exorcism Bureau guys - especially those frontline Exorcists, they're incredibly grateful towards Kogure, especially because--" Amami's tone changed, his face losing its original heartiness. "--Once that person arrives, there's a lower chance of having to use Kagami." He spoke with a serious tone.

Once Amami spoke those words, Ohtomo instantly narrowed his eyes under his gla.s.ses. His unique, unfathomable air that made others drop their guard momentarily tensed.

"......Ho." After a while, he called out lightly, a slight smile emerging on his mouth like the shadow of a giant fish floating on the surface of a sea. That smile was somewhat 'suspicious', but it was better described as 'indifferent'.

"......The Exorcism Bureau is being led by Chief Kurahas.h.i.+, right? Is the princ.i.p.al's son letting that 'brat' misbehave?"

His voice and tone were like usual, but the words he said weren't the usual, and the eyes under his gla.s.ses carried a provocative light.

Amami couldn't help but click his tongue upon hearing his former subordinate's question.

"......They collared and chained him, but it would be meaningless if they just removed his fangs. I said many times, the Onmyou Agency's current manpower is insufficient - we lack talent."

Amami closed his fan with a snap. Ohtomo bided his time for the moment, but soon called out quietly, a wry smile emerging on his face again.

"......This is really not something an outsider like me can chip in to."

"Hmph...... We're getting away from the topic. My meaning is that the Magical Investigators lack talent compared to the Exorcism Bureau, but if someone is useful, we'll take them first and ask questions later, regardless of what role it's for. We really have no way of investigating these peoples' backgrounds completely beforehand, and more importantly, it's impossible to tell whether or not someone's a Yakou fanatic beforehand."

"Yes, yes, since in any case there's no shortage of reasons to s.h.i.+rk responsibility - right?"

"Tch, you're as acrid as always...... If you really want to talk about it, Onmyouji all 'recognize' Yakou somehow on the inside, as you could say that modern magic only has a place because of him."

Saying this, Amami pointed the fan at Ohtomo. "Onmyouji and Yakou fanatics - the two are actually not far apart."

☆

"......Maybe."

Ohtomo replied, lightly leaning his mouth towards his winegla.s.s.

Neither of them said a word, and the inside of the booth momentarily fell silent. The ice in the ice bucket melted, the champagne bottle making slight noises of contact.

Suddenly, a jolt went through Ohtomo's body. His mouth left his winegla.s.s as he turned his head to look behind his shoulder and outside the booth - at the entrance to the shop.

A new customer had walked into the shop, and a worker was currently greeting him. It was a young man - he looked even younger than Ohtomo.

Amami laughed leisurely upon seeing Ohtomo's reaction, saying: "......You still have pretty good eyes."

Then, he called out to the young man: "Hirata!". Once the young man noticed Amami and Ohtomo, he quickly nodded lightly and walked over.

Ohtomo remembered the name he had heard from Amami's mouth.

"Hirata? He couldn't be the one from two years ago--"

Ohtomo quickly spoke up to confirm, getting Amami's affirmative reply.

"We said just now that we couldn't find out beforehand which Onmyouji were Yakou fanatics, and moreover it's not like all people who wors.h.i.+p Yakou are dangerous people. We need to be cautious about those people who are 'intense' and 'fanatic' about Yakou and the secret societies where these people gather. Though it's meaningless to explain these things to you since you've already left."

Amami spoke deliberately, and the young man reached their booth just in time.

Since it was their first meeting, Ohtomo was about to rise to greet him, when-- "You don't need to be so polite, Ohtomo-senpai. I know your leg is inconvenient." The young man spoke considerately, so Ohtomo sat back down.

Amami properly introduced the young man from the side.

"This is the s.h.i.+ning star of the Mystical Investigators, Hirata Atsune, responsible for conducting the search for the Twin-Horned Syndicate secret society, and therefore taking over your position."

The young man - Hirata - smiled slightly, nodding in regard towards Ohtomo who sat on the sofa.

"I am Hirata of the Onmyou Agency Magic Crime Investigation Department's Public Safety Unit. It's a great honor to meet you personally, I've heard your name a lot."

Hirata's voice was clear and concise, like water flowing down a tall mountain. Ohtomo felt a bit embarra.s.sed, replying with a "Yeah, nice to meet you......" and a nod.

Due to his neither haughty nor humble att.i.tude, his calm look and sharp, valiant eyes didn't look aggressive, and on the contrary he gave off an honest, upright impression. He seemed more like a pastor or priest rather than an Onmyouji. His hair was shoulder-length, his styled bangs just covering his forehead, and he wore a dark blue suit. Unlike the Armani suit that Amami wore, his clothing wasn't eye-catching, completely suited to the style of a Mystical Investigator.

But, a lock of the flowing black hair on his head was dyed red.

Red - No, more accurately, it was crimson.

"Even in the Mystical Investigators, there aren't many who know of the present and past Divine Generals meeting to talk secretly in this kind of place, especially since it's the 'Heavenly Fan' Amami Daizen and his former right-hand man, the 'Shadow'. I'm sure there would be quite a few people willing to pay money just to see this scene with their own eyes." Hirata looked at Amami and Ohtomo in succession, opening his mouth to speak.

After hearing Hirata's words, Ohtomo inadvertently cast a questioning gaze towards Amami.

The truth was just as Hirata had said. Ohtomo had obtained First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji qualifications, but when he was performing his Mystical Investigator duties, he was just 'a National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji' - in other words, what was commonly known as one of the Twelve Divine Generals. His name was never made public. The name "'Shadow' of the Mystical Investigators" had once spread, bringing fear to criminal magic-users, but the number of people who knew his true ident.i.ty even inside the Mystical Investigators was extremely limited.

"Can't help it." Amami shrugged his shoulders, noticing Ohtomo's gaze. "He figured it out on his own. You don't have to worry, I already told him he wasn't allowed to reveal it."

"......Oh, so that's how it is. But I also heard rumors about you that during the spiritual disaster outbreak two years ago, you conducted a large-scale investigation of the Lingering Spirit Division."

"No......" Hirata's expression quickly became downcast after Ohtomo spoke.

"In the end, I still wasn't in time to stop the spiritual disaster, and the prime suspect Dairenji s.h.i.+dou was killed before his arrest. I still feel at fault."

Hirata's voice sank as he replied honestly. After he said this, Amami urged him to sit, so he sat down next to his boss.

The Twin-Horned Syndicate was a secret society composed of Yakou fanatics, and the Mystical Investigator who had attacked Natsume was connected to the Twin-Horned Syndicate, which had already been verified by the investigation after the incident. The size of the organization was unclear, as well as when it had begun, and even their true goal was still pending further investigation.

The Onmyou Agency noticed the Twin-Horned Syndicate because of the incident two years ago. The Twin-Horned Syndicate had initiated simultaneous spiritual disasters within Tokyo, forcing the Onmyou Agency to hold a large-scale magic ceremony that was named the 'Great Hinamatsuri Purification'. It was the first-ever 'spiritual terrorism attack' in history.

The prime suspect of this incident was a National First-Cla.s.s Onmyouji, the 'Professor' Dairenji s.h.i.+dou. The 'Child Prodigy' Dairenji Suzuka who had held the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual the previous summer was his daughter.

"......Dairenji was outstanding, but unfortunately he was a dangerous person. We noticed that he admired Yakou long ago. He was influenced by his environment, after all." Amami played with the winegla.s.s in his hand, recounting past events in a serious tone.

When the incident had happened Dairenji s.h.i.+dou hadn't been a member of the Onmyou Agency. When specialized Onmyouji were brought up, one would naturally a.s.sociate it with Onmyou Agency members, but actually there were quite a few Onmyouji who chose to live within the populace or in the government, and the Onmyou Agency wasn't the only organization that used Onmyouji.

The most particularly troublesome organization that used Onmyouji was the Lingering Spirit Division.

"......Like it's name, the Lingering Spirit Division is responsible for investigating and researching 'mitama' - in other words, the disastrous and harmonious parts of 'ara-mitama' or 'nigi-mitama',[8] and......"

"......That Lingering Spirit Division was a branch underneath the Imperial Household Agency[9]. It doesn't belong to the Onmyou Agency, and so it's not easy to touch them, even if the Mystical Investigators want to."

When Hirata explained halfway, Amami continued the explanation of the situation back then.

Going by the current definition of 'General Onmyoudou' that the Onmyou Agency used, 'mitama' generally referred to a special type of spiritual disaster, where certain people with strong spiritual power who fulfilled a certain condition would leave behind a spiritual body and become the core of a special spiritual disaster. The objects of the Lingering Spirit Division's research were the deities of the past, and their department was established with its goal as deriving an explanation from the angle of magic.

As for why the Lingering Spirit Division had been established under the Imperial Household Agency and not the Onmyou Agency, the most important factor was because mitama included 'spirits of n.o.bility'. For example, of the tales mentioned in the 'Nihon Ryoiki' such as Prince Nagaya, Prince Sawara who cursed Nagaokakyou, Sugawara no Michizane that became the G.o.d of thunder, or the aristocrat and imperial families that died unnatural deaths, most became mitama. Because they had to deal with these mitama of n.o.bility, the government judged that the Imperial Household Agency was more suitable than the Onmyou Agency.

"......Though you say that, quite a few disputes arose when the Lingering Spirit Division was established, and because it was quite closed off, the outside community didn't get any information from within, at least that was the case before Hirata entered undercover."

"......Then after you entered, you noticed it had already become the Twin-Horned Syndicate's den - Is that right?"

"Exactly so."

Mitama were 'souls' turned into spiritual disasters. Trying to explain them from the angle of General Onmyoudou would inevitably lead into the Imperial Onmyoudou that Yakou established, as well as 'soul magic' from the same source. Of course, magic related to souls had all been cla.s.sified as forbidden magic, but in the end, General-style was a system of magic developed using Imperial-style as a basis. If one tried to seek a suitable answer using the angle of General-style, he would have to end up investigating Imperial-style.

The more one understood Imperial-style, the deeper one would feel fascinated by Tsuchimikado Yakou, the great Onmyouji who had established this system, and that was why the Lingering Spirit Division would become Yakou fanatics - the hotbed of the Twin-Horned Syndicate. It actually wasn't unexpected, in a certain sense.

"The Dairenji s.h.i.+dou we mentioned before was the Imperial Household Agency Lingering Spirit Division Chief at the time...... More than half of his subordinates were members of the Twin-Horned Syndicate. He personally planned and actually carried out the spiritual disaster attack."

After the incident had happened, the Exorcist Bureau managed after many hards.h.i.+ps to purify the human-induced spiritual disaster. However, the prime suspect Dairenji s.h.i.+dou had lost his life while bringing about the spiritual disaster. The Mystical Investigators arrested the Twin-Horned Syndicate members inside the Lingering Spirit Division, and the Lingering Spirit Division itself was forced to close and dissolve. Hirata was the person who commanded the Mystical Investigators' actions at the time, as he had sneaked into the Lingering Spirit Division beforehand to investigate.

"But all we dug up back then was just the tip of the iceberg, and we didn't arrest all of the members related to the incident. As you can see from the event this summer that was brought abo