Honoo no Mirage Vol 1 Chapter 6

“What do you mean, ‘she went out’? Now wait just a minute here...” Takaya, standing in front of the examination room, yelled at the doctor who had just told him the news.

It was the next day, Sunday. Takaya had come to the hospital to visit Yuiko. The doctor replied placidly, “She may not have her memories, but she has a perfectly healthy body, so since she expressed a wish to go out, I allowed her to do so.”

“You just let her—you shouldn’t just let your patients do whatever they want!”

“Ah. Well, incidentally, she went with the young lady who accompanied you the other day when you came to ask her questions, so I asked her to look after the patient.”

“Argh... Hey, Mister! Wait!”

The smiling doctor was already walking away down the corridor.

But “the young lady who came with you”? That would be...

(Morino?!)

Though he had no idea how she was a “young lady”.

(What the h.e.l.l? She took Yuiko out?)

Takaya pressed a hand against his face and groaned. When had they become so buddy-buddy? If Yuiko wasn’t here, then he’d just wasted a trip.

“d.a.m.n Morino...” he groaned resentfully, but in the next moment sighed in resignation.

(...guess I’m going home?)

Actually, he hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night, so his body was still sluggish. His circling thoughts had kept him awake all night. In his own way, he’d been affected.

By the words of the man who had called himself Naoe.

(He was probably just making fun of me, wasn’t he?)

If so, it was a pretty elaborate story. But he didn’t think that it was all a bunch of lies. Then again, he couldn’t precisely believe everything the man had said.

But...

“Please keep an eye on her.”

His words from yesterday were on Takaya’s mind.

“...”

“Guess I’ll have to go look for them.”

And he tottered out the door.

The sky outside the building was overcast. Even the peaks of Northern Alps, which could usually be seen in the direction of the city, were barely visible. He hadn’t taken his bike because he’d thought it might rain, and it looked like he’d been right. As he walked outside he heard the pitter-patter of the beginnings of a drizzle.

If Saori had taken Yuiko out, where would they be headed......? It appeared that they’d decided to go sight-seeing around Matsumoto.

(The castle, maybe...?)

That was probably a good bet. He started walking in that direction.

He suddenly noticed the white gravel bed beneath his feet.

He saw in his mind the bike shed from yesterday. And Naoe, who had made the pebbles float into the air without touching them.

“Don’t think that this does not concern you.”

Takaya stared down at the pebbles.

He’d been half-convinced then, but—

(Can I do it...?)

If he really was Kagetora as Naoe had said, then he too should be able to use «nendouryoku».

He concentrated his mind on a single pebble.

That image from yesterday.

(Come on...)

He glared at it with ferocious concentration, urging it upward in his mind. The rock clung stubbornly to the ground. Takaya concentrated all his power and focused on it once more.

(Move...!)

It didn’t move one bit. To his vexation, it showed no reaction at all.

He grimly put all his power into it.

(Move, I said!)

The rock didn’t even quiver.

As if it were ignoring Takaya on purpose.

Takaya exhaled and gave up.

As if it would move.

(d.a.m.n that lying monk!)

In an burst of pique he sent the pebble flying with a kick.

Naoe must’ve really just been playing with him.

(He’d better not think he can get away with it, because I’m gonna make him pay.)

Having come to that ill-tempered conclusion, he brushed the hair out of his eyes and headed out of the hospital gates.

He’d definitely look foolish if he took that ridiculous story seriously.

The way to Matsumoto Castle was shorter via a back lane. His feet turned instinctively towards Nakamachi Avenue. Walking along lost in thought, Takaya hardly noticed the drizzling rain soaking into his clothes.

His feet stopped abruptly. Within the narrow s.p.a.ces between buildings by the side of the street he suddenly saw strange shadows crossing the alleyways out of the corners of his eyes.

(...What...)

He turned to the right. There, too?

Behind him. Takaya turned slowly, and his eyes widened. He gulped hard.

An armored warrior walked behind him, heavy armor creaking with every movement. The warrior stared at Takaya out of hollowed eyes...no, they weren’t eyes at all. What stood behind him was a skeleton. An armored skeleton.

Takaya couldn’t find voice to speak.

(...It...)

Turning, he saw more skeletal warriors all around him—and these were probably just the foot soldiers. The bones of their arms were yellow-tinged with the color of egg yolk, and they tottered around with the wisps of their few remaining hairs fluttering in the wind. At length they vanished in front of a storehouse. No, there was one left...

Takaya stood shock still, quietly staring.

And suddenly those almond-shaped eyes narrowed.

“The spirits linked to the Takeda are beginning to move.”

Naoe’s words.

(So I should believe him?)

Seeing what was happening now...

It was going to be hard to deny.

Meanwhile, Saori and Yuiko had finally arrived at the much-antic.i.p.ated main stop of their Matsumoto sight-seeing tour, Matsumoto Castle.

“Eek—wait up!” Saori gasped, short on breath as she climbed the very steep steps of the castle tower.

“Maybe I packed too much lunch? It’s so heavy!”

Wheezing and panting, she finally arrived at the top of the stairs almost on her hands and knees to find Yuiko, who had gone on ahead, waiting for her.

“...”

It was the highest floor of the tower. Though there were other pairs of tourists already there, it was still uncrowded because of the early hour. The well-lit top tower floor had latticed windows which were placed relatively near the ground. Saori, crouching to look out, said to Yuiko, “Oh, you can’t see much because it’s cloudy. If you come on a clear day, you can see a lot more.”

“...”

Noticing that she was talking to herself, Saori peered at Yuiko’s face. For some reason, Yuiko hadn’t spoken to her since sometime earlier.

“Yuiko-chan, what’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”

“...”

Yuiko continued to stare outside expressionlessly. Though Saori thought Yuiko’s manner rather strange, she pulled herself together and added, “You know, I really like this castle. There are other places that are this high up, but don’t you think this place makes you feel special? Like, I wonder if princesses might have climbed up here or something. Maybe it’s because I like historical dramas.”

“...”

“Wouldn’t it be great if this were your home? Oh, but in the winter it’d probably be cold,” Saori said, and laughed at her own joke. Next to her, Yuiko murmured something in a faraway voice.

“...huh...?” Saori asked, not having catch what she’d said. Yuiko repeated huskily, “...This is our castle...”

“Yuiko-chan?”

In an expressionless tone that was almost a moan Yuiko muttered, “This f.u.kashi Castle belongeth to us, the Takeda, and to no other. It hath been sullied by false history.”

The voice wrung from her throat gained in strength. “This castle belongs to the Takeda. This land is Takeda land.”

“Eh, huh, what...???”

Saori was utterly confused and upset at being completely unable to interpret Yuiko’s words. The other tourists had gone down the stairs, and only the two of them remained on this floor.

“Have...have you remembered something? Yuiko-chan...”

Yuiko’s eyes became tinged with a suspicious light.

“This castle rightfully belongs to the Takeda. No other shall be allowed to touch it.”

The edges of her lips curved in a cold smile. The person who stood there was obviously not Yuiko at all.

“Verily, we must purify this sullied castle. My Lord must take this country and steer history onto its rightful course.”

Saori shuddered. This person who stood before her—

Who was she...!

“We shall be the ones to command the «Yami-Sengoku»!”

“!”

“All shall belong to my Lord!”

Purple light flared from Yuiko’s open eyes, and Saori gasped.

She couldn’t look away from that light! Her body wouldn’t move!

“Thou art my servant. Thou wilt act as I bid thee.”

The overwhelming power in her voice s.n.a.t.c.hed away all thought. Those purple eyes controlled her heart. The voice took everything from Saori as she stood frozen and cut off from the rest of the world.

«Break thou Narita Yuzuru’s “spirit bind” and release our Lord. Approach Yuzuru and remove the talisman bracelet from his wrist.»

Saori stood unmoving. The voice wound tightly around her heart. It was an absolute decree that brooked no refusal.

«Release Lord Shingen!» Sanjou faced Saori and commanded, «Now go!»

The rain began to fall in earnest.

Matsumoto Castle, its tower covered in heavy lead-colored clouds, was soon soaked. Yuiko stood unmoving in the drizzle and stared at the reflection of the castle on the surface of the moat’s muddying water.

Takaya, who had finally arrived at the castle gardens, saw the young woman standing there at the foot of the moat.

“—Yuiko-san.”

Yuiko slowly turned, having already sensed his approach.

“Ougi-kun...”

“You’re here by yourself? Where’s Saori?”

“She said that she was feeling unwell and went home. But I don’t know how to get back to the hospital, so...will you take me?”

Takaya nodded with a dubious expression on his face. “...Okay.”

Yuiko quickly entwined her arms around Takaya’s right. Takaya looked at her, taken aback, and Yuiko turned to him with a small voluptuous smile.

(...she...) Takaya thought with bewilderment.

Clinging to Takaya’s arm, Yuiko turned around slightly with a bewitching smile hovering on her lips.

In the shade of a pine tree along the line of her gaze a shadow watched the two standing in the rain intently.

That shadow was the one who called himself Kousaka Danjou.

The next day.

Takaya, who had actually come to school today, met Yuzuru and Naoe at the school gates. Nothing at all had happened to Yuzuru yesterday, but he still looked pale. Though the suggestion of the talisman bracelet allowed Yuzuru to bind Shingen’s spirit, it still probably required enormous force of will.

Unable to just stand by and watch, Takaya blurted out, “You should be home resting today.”

“But...I’ve been resting way too much. And it’d be bad if I keep skipping Band.”

“You’ve gotta stop being so serious about everything,” Takaya half-scolded.

Naoe, nearby, spoke up: “The exorcist I’ve called will arrive tomorrow. Please give it your best for one more day.”

“You...!”

“Takaya!”

Yuzuru, holding Takaya back, tried to smile, but it came out strained on his tired, pallid face.

“It’s okay. I’m fine, so don’t worry about me. Naoe-san, may I leave myself in your hands?”

“Of course.”

“Yuzuru!”

Yuzuru smiled.

“I’m fine. I have to talk to the teacher, so I’m going ahead. See you later,” Yuzuru said, waving, but as he turned to go the tiredness fell once more over his face. He didn’t look fine at all. Takaya, gazing after Yuzuru, sighed.

“That guy pushes himself way too hard.”

“That’s true, isn’t it.”

Takaya, leaning back against the parked Cefiro, brushed the hair out of his eyes.

“There’s a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a while. How did you know that he was possessed?”

“... When a mother carries a fetus in her womb, you can hear the heartbeats of two people within one body. In the same way, you can sense the different tones of the soul energies belonging to two people.”

“That’s pretty handy. I have no idea what that would feel like, but if I were Kagetora, wouldn’t I be able to tell too?”

“You probably have sharper senses than the likes of one such as I.”

“...huh...”

The way Takaya nodded seemed to indicate that they were talking about someone else altogether.

“Then I can drive out the ghost who’s possessed Yuzuru...too?”

“Takaya-san?”

“It’s been two days. Where the h.e.l.l is that friend of yours?”

Naoe’s brows knitted slightly.

“Probably still out on business. We had planned for a quick return, but before the trip the onryou seemed to have become involved in a dispute, and it’s probably taking a little more time than we had expected to finish things up.”

“What, there aren’t any more of you?”

“Well, yes, but one is a baby right now, and the other is missing.”

Takaya raised an eyebrow, annoyed.

“Can you guys really protect Yuzuru? Can you really drive out Shingen or what?”

“I will protect Yuzuru-san even if it costs my life.”

Naoe was suddenly completely in earnest.

“I will absolutely not allow Shingen to have his way.”

“...”

For a moment Takaya was swayed by the conviction in Naoe’s voice.

But then he snorted a defiant laugh.

“Life? Your life?”

“?”

“You can just take over someone else’s body when you die, so what does life matter to you?”

“!”

Naoe’s eyes widened in shock.

(...what...?)

For a moment, Naoe’s reaction gave Takaya pause. Though he had meant it as a trivial sarcastic comment, Naoe glared at him with such terrible, dagger-edged ferocity that Takaya involuntarily recoiled. Naoe said coldly, “I never imagined that I would hear that from your lips.”

“—”

“Those are exceedingly irresponsible words. Shall I not say the same back to you?”

Takaya scowled at him. Naoe returned glare for glare.

You, too, are kanshousha, was the implication in words unspoken.

“...”

Takaya was the one who broke away.

“I’m not Kagetora!”

“—Takaya-san...”

Takaya glared fixedly at the asphalt.

“... Just until tomorrow.”

And he turned to look at the path behind him.

“Somehow it feels like someone’s been watching me.”

“!”

Naoe carefully extended his senses outward.

“Could it be someone named Kousaka?”

“I don’t know his name, but...do you know him?”

Naoe sank for a moment into silence before replying, “Yuzuru-san mentioned yesterday that someone with that name had tried to take the talisman bracelet from him.”

“Dangerous?”

“It would seem. I have a bad feeling.”

Takaya looked up at the school building with narrowed eyes. “A bad feeling...huh?”

A shadow among the shadows of the school building fixed a look full of coldness upon the two.