Tokyo Ravens Volume 8 Chapter 4

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She had entered this cafe near Shibuya Station to pa.s.s the time until their meeting. But now it was already past the time of their meeting, yet Natsume still didn't dare walk out. She had received the messages that Harutora had arrived in Tokyo and Shibuya Station, and it had already been ten minutes since then. The more she checked, the more restless she got, and hence she didn't even dare look at the time. Even so, her heart was about to burst from tension.

She walked into the bathroom again, which made enough times that she had lost count, and checked her appearance in the mirror.

She had already gotten completely used to dressing in the Onmyou Academy uniform in half a year's time. The black male uniform. She was probably already quite practiced with male actions.

But, no matter how familiar her normal life was, this was her first time appearing before Harutora with a male appearance. He had already heard about the 'family tradition' business, but what would he think when he actually saw her do this? Also, what att.i.tude should she take towards him? Though she had already rehea.r.s.ed it several times in her mind these past few days, she still hadn't found an answer now that the time came. Why was she so weak when it came to the crucial moment?

But, Natsume wouldn't be this nervous if it were just wearing a male disguise. There was another problem.

The pink ribbon tied to her black hair.

She stared at the ribbon in the mirror, and her originally throbbing heartbeat seemed to become even more intense.

When Hokuto's shikigami charm - when the magic she had added to and reinforced with magic to constantly improve had been revealed, why hadn't she confessed Hokuto's true ident.i.ty on the spot? She didn't need to explain the magic in detail, but why had she casually avoided explaining this important matter? It was no good for her to blame her past self, but she truly felt extreme regret when she faced her weakness and shamefulness from back then. She had indeed spent many sleepless nights troubled by her guilt.

But......

She couldn't continue running away.

This time, she would definitely make Harutora understand clearly.

How would Harutora react? How would he see her, who had hidden herself in the shikigami?

Maybe that would produce discord. It was possible that he would be mad or that she would be hated. How frightening. They had finally managed to mend the relationship between the two of them, and the possibility that it might be destroyed again frightened her so much that she trembled.

But......

She really couldn't keep running away. Moreover, she couldn't escape anyway.

Natsume slowly exhaled and inhaled, calming her mind with deep breaths.

It would be fine to keep acting like Hokuto. She would be sincere and straightforward just like those times.

So, Natsume finally made her decision and left her seat. She paid the bill and exited the cafe. She walked towards the station. She was about to arrive at the designated meeting place.

It was the fateful moment she had antic.i.p.ated, but Natsume still fearlessly advanced.

◎

According to the weather forecast, there was zero chance of precipitation that day, and the sunny day would last until the evening.

It was a good day for a fireworks festival.

"Wearing a yukata...... will be very embarra.s.sing."

"I, I guess. Since everyone's going together."

The cafeteria of the Onmyou Academy male dorm. Because it was a holiday, there were no other students around. Harutora and Natsume pa.s.sed the time alone, bored.

The clock hung on the wall would be pointing to noon soon. The sun that shone through the window was almost to its zenith. Looking from the air-conditioned cafeteria out of the window felt as if the world had been painted pure white with light.

"......But, that was really sudden. I never thought you would run off somewhere after school yesterday...... or that when you came back you would propose that we go to see fireworks the next day. What kind of development is that."

Harutora sighed from his heart. To be honest, he had expected a tragic outcome. He never thought that it would be a fireworks festival. Perhaps this was what was called a miracle.

But, though his words were those of complaint, Harutora's voice was extremely cheerful. In any case, Kyouko and Natsume had made up slightly after talking. This was probably the feeling of getting a weight off his mind.

"I didn't think this would happen before I spoke with Kurahashi-san either."

"What? Well after all, we didn't really see her for the whole day yesterday. I wonder what you talked about to make things become like this."

"If you ask that...... it's probably a heart to heart."

"A heart to heart?"

"We talked honestly."

He had asked her yesterday once, but Natsume hadn't told him anything concrete at all. Well, if the positions were reversed, Harutora would probably also have trouble explaining, so he didn't push the question.

Though Ohtomo had driven them on at the time, she had faced Kyouko, the two of them had spoken honestly, and then they had finally worked hard to reach an understanding. That was quite incredible. If he were asked whether he could do the same thing, he wouldn't have that confidence at all. The impression of a heroic sacrifice would be the only thing to emerge in his mind.

"......Natsume, you're pretty amazing."

"Eh? What... are you talking about?"

"Yeah, in a lot of areas."

It wasn't just Natsume. Kyouko was also very magnanimous. She had probably suffered a larger shock than Harutora could imagine when she had learned of Natsume's true ident.i.ty. But in the end, Kyouko still hadn't run away, but had spoken face-to-face with Natsume who came to her. 'Be honest' was very simple to say, but in that kind of situation it truly required an enormous amount of courage to share one's true feelings.

Though he didn't know whether this word was suitable,

...The two of them were both 'outstanding'.

But speaking of making up, it seemed that they still hadn't returned to before, and there was still a bit of a distance left between the two of them. He could understand that just by looking at Natsume's appearance. Natsume's behaviour had been stiff ever since she returned yesterday after speaking with Kyouko. Though she had expressed happiness about the talks being successful and about their promise to see the fireworks together, that seemed to be all. Harutora became even more curious about what exactly the two of them had talked about.

But even if there were still some problems left, Natsume's mood had clearly improved since yesterday. So, this was enough. It would be enough if from now on, the true Natsume - not her male persona - slowly advanced her relationship with Kyouko.

...Then, I'm up next.

Natsume had finished talking with Kyouko and had made up. But Harutora still hadn't. The incident from his childhood had been brought before him, but he hadn't taken a single step to address it. Outside of the relationship between Natsume and Kyouko, the relationship between Harutora and Kyouko still had other problems.

...But, Kyouko will come to watch the fireworks today too.

That meant that Kyouko would see Harutora. When Harutora was stalled and indecisive, the other party had taken a step towards him - no, just half a step. Then he had to respond.

...How nerve-wracking.

"......Hey, Natsume. The fireworks festival here should be packed, right? Maybe there will be even more people than in Shibuya on a weekend."

"But the scale definitely can't compare to the countryside, right? This is my first time watching them at the Sumida River too. The farthest I've traveled is Akihabara."

"I, Is that so. I've never gone either......"

Harutora wanted to use the light chatter to distract himself, but he wasn't able to have a proper conversation with Natsume. Actually, he had felt this ever since yesterday. Natsume's actions were awkward, and she seemed to be distracted. What exactly had she talked about with Kyouko yesterday?

Incidentally, it had been Suzuka's proposal to see the fireworks festival, not Kyouko's. Though the person in question had strongly denied it, messages about the meeting place is here and absolutely don't be late had been arriving nonstop since the morning.

Come to think of it, the first time he met Suzuka had also been at a summer fireworks festival.

"......But, we didn't have time to watch the fireworks during last year's festival......"

Suzuka had suddenly shown up and fought a magic battle against the Mystical Investigators. An unexpected first kiss. A tearful, shocking confession. That night's events instantly returned into focus as if Harutora were daydreaming.

That night was undoubtedly an important turning point in Harutora's life. A dangerous night that had changed his life.

"......How nostalgic."

Harutora sighed emotionally, looking back on the year.

Then, he suddenly turned to Natsume who sat next to him.

Natsume - for some reason - was staring at Harutora with a blush on her face.

It wasn't at the level of a slight red tinge, but rather she was red down to her neck. The eyes staring at Harutora were very moist and warm. Harutora couldn't help but stop breathing when he saw Natsume like that, his face reddening as well.

"......Wh, What is it, Natsume?"

"What are you asking about?"

"Uh, because."

"What? I didn't do anything."

"......I ......Is that so?"

Harutora stopped talking after seeing Natsume inexplicably tense up.

As for the Sumida River fireworks festival planned for today, Touji was researching the area online. Also, it seemed that Tenma, who was going with them, had gone before, so they probably didn't need to worry.

But,

"......Ah, right. Sorry, Natsume. Please don't forget to bring the magical charms Ohtomo-sensei made for me."

Natsume finally came to her senses when Harutora warned her about this as a precaution.

"Of course. I have them on me right now."

As she said this, Natsume took out a hand-crafted charm from her pocket. It was a charm that Ohtomo had prepared for Harutora yesterday after the mock battle after school had ended.

"Harutora-kun, is your aura still unstable like before?"

"Well, yeah. I should be able to get through it. This is actually decent training for aura usage."

"You sound very optimistic when you say that...... But, the current situation isn't good at all. Please don't force yourself. ......And Kon, tell me immediately as soon as you feel that Harutora-kun's condition is slightly off."

Natsume warned Kon as well as Harutora. Kon wouldn't respond to an order from someone other than her master, but this time Harutora felt the presence of her nodding in agreement.

"But like Ohtomo-sensei says, we can't resolve the fundamental problem by using Sensei's charms. We definitely have to think of some way to get in touch with Uncle and ask him to perform a detailed examination......"

What Natsume said was right. Harutora's current condition had to be diagnosed as soon as possible.

But, an entire day had pa.s.sed since the news of the fire, and they still had no way of contacting Natsume's father or Harutora's parents. No new information had come from the police or the Onmyou Agency either. The peculiarities of the current situation even misled some people to believe that it had been a simple natural fire.

"......Hey, Natsume. What do you think of Takiko's explanation yesterday?"

"The information that the Onmyou Agency was behind the fire? ......To be honest, I don't understand it."

The Onmyou Agency had attacked the Tsuchimikado family - though those words had come from Touji, not Takiko, it sounded like that was what she had meant. What exactly was going on? Why did the Onmyou Agency want to attack the Tsuchimikado family?

Though the Tsuchimikado family had already declined, it had once been a prominent Onmyoudou family. In addition, the current leader of the Onmyou Agency was the head of the Kurahashi family. And the Tsuchimikado family had once been the masters of the Kurahashi family. If they hadn't heard the news of the fire first-hand, they would have treated the information Takiko revealed as insane ravings.

"......Could it be that they have some connection with Yakou that they hid from us......"

"How could that be...... I don't believe it. After all, well. Even if they did have some connection to Yakou, don't you think it's a bit strange that they ignored you and acted directly against our families?"

In the end, they couldn't completely accept the information Takiko had given without knowing anything about Takiko's background. If they heedlessly trusted her, it might bring them unnecessary trouble. In the case, they could only find solace in the message 'we're safe' that his father had sent. In the end, they could only trust that message for now and continue waiting for contact.

But it was truly strange that there still wasn't any information after an entire day. 'Something' had definitely happened to his father.

...What the h.e.l.l happened?

Takiko had appeared before Harutora and the others, which itself seemed to be an omen. Could it be that there was something going on right now? Quietly but steadily, with Harutora and the others being the only ones unaware, and now......

"......I wonder what's going to happen."

Natsume's true feelings leaked out. Harutora inadvertently looked at her.

Her lonely face looked like she was worrying over vague anxieties. She was pretending not to care on the surface, but she gave off quite a pitiful impression. Like someone lost in the fog, or lost alone a crowd...... Harutora felt his chest tighten.

"......Hey, Natsume."

"Hmm?"

Natsume looked at Harutora sincerely, as affectionate and naive as a child trusting his parents. Heat rose in Harutora's body when he felt that casual, familiar gaze.

If he wanted to clear away Natsume's anxiety, then perhaps there was only one way.

Harutora pondered over those thoughts and was momentarily about to open his mouth.

But,

...Huh?

He focused his mind. Just then, Harutora suddenly felt a mysterious 'wrongness'.

It was a very subtle wrongness - no, it was a 'gaze'. The feeling that 'someone's staring at me'. A 'consciousness' subtle enough that he normally wouldn't notice. But the current Harutora couldn't ignore this kind of feeling.

His attention unconsciously turned towards that feeling.

A gaze. Someone was conscious of him. Watching him right now. No--

Was he observing?

...Outside.

Before he realized it, he had suddenly stood up from the seat. "Harutora-kun?" Natsume spoke, surprised. But Harutora didn't respond to Natsume, looking out of the window with a bewitched gaze.

But his gaze focused on the distance outside.

"......Someone's there."

"Eh?"

Natsume asked, dazed, and followed Harutora's gaze in her confusion. Just then, Harutora's body moved by itself.

He kicked back the chair and ran out. He sprinted from the cafeteria into the corridor, leaving Natsume behind with her confusion. Then, he left the dorm through the entrance.

The summer heat suddenly a.s.saulted him and sunlight filled his vision. The sound of cicadas came from afar. Harutora's consciousness focused on the 'gaze' he had noticed just now.

...It's not just one person. There's someone else!

Then, after he ran out of the dorm, Harutora noticed something other than a gaze.

Magical energy. Magic had been set up. That magic was being used to - monitor the dorm.

"Kon!"

Kon materialized according to her master's wishes. Her small face bore a sharp look, as she rushed out before Harutora. Then, Harutora noticed the trace gradually thinning, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Stealth magic. He realized that Harutora had noticed him. Harutora inadvertently clicked his tongue.

"Kon! Don't let him escape!"

He ran in the other direction at the same time he issued an order to his shikigami. They split up, each chasing one of the movements that he had noticed before. But the opponents had already hidden their trail with stealth. They had probably moved as they chased after them.

What should he do?

His hands moved by reflex, pulling out a wood-element charm from the charm box tied to his waist.

"Scatter! Order!"

He used the charm, whose magic had been modified. The charm was immersed in Harutora's magical energy and released a blinding light. Then, before the light had dispersed, it became a gust of wind. The brilliant wind blew across the road in a flash, instantly sweeping over the area that Harutora indicated.

Then,

"Ah!"

The stealth magic had been slightly disrupted. As expected, he was still there. A man dressed in a suit and pants, with a coat he had taken off under his arm. This man had been using magic to monitor the dorm just now.

"Hey you, what are you doing!"

He took out the next charm as he roared. It was also a wood-element charm. He would capture him for now. But the opponent was also a pract.i.tioner, so he couldn't be careless. Harutora immediately planned his tactics, unleashing the magic that emerged in his mind.

"Order!"

He shouted and released the charm.

But in that moment. The magical energy he infused into the charm unintentionally overloaded.

His output surged uncontrollably. The giant aura in his body swelled up in a flash, as if it were trying to lift his body itself.

...This was bad!

His magical energy was going out of control. The intense magical energy flowed into the magic, and the charm suddenly burned when it left his fingers. Vines extended everywhere with the force of an explosion. Harutora, who was right next to it, was quickly engulfed.

"d.a.m.n!"

He frantically tried to control it, but he couldn't. The magical energy output caused a huge pressure that was difficult for him to intervene with. The man, who had released the stealth magic, turned to look over, stunned. Then, coming to his senses, he ran away. Harutora didn't even have the leisure to shout at the opponent.

The vines wound around Harutora, pressing him against the ground. How disastrous, to be attacked by his own magic. His output of magical energy still didn't stop in that period of time, and his aura continued to increase.

"H-Harutora-sama!"

Kon had observed her master's abnormal condition and had abandoned her chase to return to Harutora's side.

She swung Kachiwari's blade to cut the vines covering Harutora. Though the out-of-control magical energy also flowed to his shikigami Kon, if she used foxfire right now, she would risk harming Harutora due to using too much power. But even though Kon did her best to swing her wakizashi, the speed at which she cut couldn't match the rate of the vines' growth. The surrounding road had already been covered in creeping vines, like a spiritual disaster.

Because of the huge magical energy he had suddenly released, Harutora's mind began to lose focus, as if his brain were deprived of oxygen. "Harutora-sama!" Kon shouted. But never mind replying, it was becoming harder and harder for him to even hear her clearly.

...d.a.m.n......Natsume!

Harutora cried amidst his slowly fading consciousness.

Just then. The click of a tongue sounded from somewhere.

"......No choice. I'll help you this time."

A very reliable male voice.

Finally, Harutora lost consciousness.

◎

Natsume left the cafeteria in a daze, chasing after Harutora who had suddenly run away. But she finally realized when she reached the entrance.

Harutora's magical energy had exploded.

It was extremely abnormal. The unrestrained release of magical energy could only be described as an explosion. Her face instantly paled because of his runaway aura.

"Harutora-kun!"

She frantically rushed over. She wasn't far, so she would be able to get there soon. Over there, around the corner. Natsume reached for Ohtomo's charm that she had just taken out to show Harutora.

But right before Natsume turned the corner, a strong aura appeared on the other side.

It was different from Harutora's aura. No - it was more like miasma.

Demonic aura.

"What!?"

She froze and gooseb.u.mps rose over her body.

She had already gotten used to demonic aura ever since Touji had been able to control his living spirit power. But the demonic aura she felt this time definitely wasn't something Touji could compare to. It was Natsume's first time experiencing such a strong intensity and presence. An overwhelming 'strength'. Her instincts howled in terror.

But - the demonic aura, which appeared to be swelling, vanished in the next moment as if it had been crushed. Natsume held her breath, quickly moving the legs that had stopped for a moment and turning the corner.

The first thing she saw was Harutora lying on the road and Kon next to him.

Harutora had lost consciousness. There were still traces of turbulent, chaotic aura in the surroundings. But the output of magical energy seemed to have stopped already. His spiritual power was depleted because of his sudden release of magical energy. Though the situation wasn't good, he was safe for now.

On the other hand, Kon crouched next to Harutora, and upon closer inspection, she seemed to be shielding her master rather than supporting him. Her right hand gripped her wakizashi and the hair on her tail was erect. She stared at a man in the distance who stood on the other side of the road.

The instant she glanced at this man, Natsume shrank back in fright again.

A giant man. He was tall enough to rival Shaver, maybe even taller. But compared to Shaver's thin body, this man's was tempered and burly. His rough Western suit outfit was also very striking, and couldn't hide the wild nature inside. His short golden hair was like a crown in the sunlight.

The demonic aura from just now had come from this man. Natsume had that kind of doubtless instinct.

An oni.

He wasn't a manmade shikigami, but rather a true oni.

Why was he here?

"...Hey."

The man abruptly spoke. With just that, Natsume almost fell down from her tension.

"What's up with that curse?"

"......Eh?"

Natsume didn't understand the man's words for a while and didn't even know who the man was talking to. Was he talking to the unconscious Harutora, the embattled Kon, or her, who had rushed over?

"He became like this because it wasn't completely removed."

The man spoke coldly again. Natsume was overwhelmed by him and couldn't reply. Kon's fighting spirit was blazing, and her expression seemed to say that this wasn't the time to talk about such things. She was determined to protect her master to the death without looking after her own safety, fitting of her ident.i.ty as a defensive shikigami.

In any case, Natsume was in a stance, prepared to summon Hokuto at any time and simultaneously racking her brain. The highest priority was to escape this place with Harutora. But even if she fled, it would probably be hard to escape. She couldn't act recklessly before she understood the reason this oni had appeared here.

Harutora's going out of control could very likely caused by this oni here. But Natsume had felt the demonic aura after Harutora's aura went out of control. Moreover, he had appeared the moment Harutora's condition reached the most dangerous level - then, Harutora had stopped going out of control. Could it be that this oni had stopped Harutora? But why, exactly?

The surroundings were filled with a simmering silence, and even breathing felt difficult.

Not long afterwards,

"The 'Raven's Wing' has activated."

"......Eh?"

"It can't be worn right now. It's risky."

What was he saying? Natsume was confused and didn't understand. But Natsume finally noticed that the man had no animosity. Though Kon hadn't lowered her guard, Natsume felt that he wasn't an 'enemy'.

"......What's going on?"

She asked cautiously.

But the man didn't reply. As if he had already finished his business, he quietly spun around and indifferently turned his back to Natsume.

Then, Natsume couldn't help but gasp as she finally realized. The man's jacket. The sleeve of his left arm didn't have any thickness and the cloth just slowly swayed along with the man's movements.

One arm. In other words - a one-armed oni.

Could it be? Natsume's eyes widened and her breath caught.

The man suddenly stopped.

"......Ask Saotome Suzu for help if there's an emergency. Though I don't really recommend it."

After looking over his shoulder and leaving those words, the man truly left.

Natsume's entire body was paralyzed for a while and she remained frozen. Then, she waited for the man leave. Only after the demonic aura faded completely did she bolt to Harutora's side.

She checked his condition. As expected, although his aura was very weak, it had already stabilized. With this, there wouldn't be a problem even if she didn't use Ohtomo's charm.

The words the man said and the swaying left sleeve churned into an ominous swirl in her mind.

But for now, Natsume pushed them out of her mind, and together with Kon, brought Harutora back into the dorm.

She hadn't worn a yukata since she was a child. Kyouko let her mother, who was rarely at home, help put hers on while looking at herself in the mirror a bit bashfully.

Kyouko's mother wasn't an Onmyouji, but she had to support her husband and family in many areas as a Kurahashi family member. Moreover, she herself was quite cultured, with hobbies of tea ceremonies and flower arrangement, and often wore kimonos. Of course, helping another put on a yukata was quite trivial for her. With that, maybe she would complain 'you have to do this kind of thing yourself' contrary to their original agreement, but since she had already agreed to help put it on, there wasn't anything else she could say.

Once the preparation work was finished, she sighed and checked the time. They would meet in the evening, and there was still a lot of time. But once she became idle, she couldn't help but think about what she could forget when she was preparing.

The conversation with Natsume yesterday after school.

Also, she was going to see Harutora soon.

She inadvertently smiled wryly.

"......I went a bit overboard yesterday."

She hadn't professed her emotions like that for a long time. Her face inadvertently reddened when she recalled it.

Of course, she wouldn't regret. It was extremely relieving to let out the feelings she had always hidden. It was great that she had been able to do her best and talk seriously. She truly thought so. Though her relationship with Natsume hadn't returned to what it was before, they could at least start anew.

But, although she could end the business with Natsume with minimal embarra.s.sment, the problem was Harutora. Unfortunately, the problem there was still extremely complex. Moreover, it might become even more embarra.s.sing after her relationship with Natsume was successfully restored.

...Uh oh. I should've kept quiet about the past if this things were going to turn out like this......

But at the time, she had said it because she had to, and there was no helping it now. She could only face Harutora directly like how she had dealt with Natsume yesterday. Even if the relationship between the two of them became even more complicated because of it, it definitely wouldn't 'break'. Yesterday's experience had given Kyouko this confidence.

"......Well, but, it's really embarra.s.sing......"

She couldn't calm down no matter what she did. What was Harutora feeling right now? She at least hoped that he was as nervous as she was.

Her mother who had helped her put on her yukata returned as she was inadvertently grimacing into the mirror.

An Onmyou Academy student had called her home. Kyouko unconsciously asked back "For me?". After all, someone she knew would directly call her cell phone. She couldn't think of a student who would call her home phone.

"Is it really a student?"

"Who knows. But her voice sounds like a young girl's. But her manner of speech is like a boy's."

She instantly thought of Natsume when she heard that, but she knew Kyouko's phone number. Even if her cell phone was broken, she could borrow Harutora's or Touji's, so she wouldn't have to deliberately call her home's landline.

Kyouko walked out of the room in wonder, coming to the room that the phone was in.

She lifted the earpiece out of its cradle:

"......H-h.e.l.lo?"

She greeted.

Then,

"Kyouko? Sorry for bothering you so suddenly. I'm Souma Takiko, we talked yesterday."

"Ah."

In her surprise, Kyouko replied that she still remembered her. Come to think of it, Takiko had once said that she had connections to her father. Even if she didn't know Kyouko's cell phone number, it wouldn't be strange for her to know their family's number.

But,

"What is it? Do you need something?"

She had first met Takiko yesterday in the corridor and brought her to the cla.s.sroom, talking about cla.s.ses the whole way. They had introduced themselves to each other too. But they had just stated their names. She seemed to know about Kyouko from her father, but Kyouko knew nothing about her origins.

Doubts that she couldn't banish arose in Kyouko. "Actually......" Takiko spoke as if she had something difficult to say.

"I had a bit of a disagreement with Natsume and the others yesterday...... Well...... We fought in the end. I didn't mean to originally. But for various reasons, and because it was a bad time...... I became pretty emotional. I'm already regretting it."

"A fight......"

Kyouko's eyes widened.

Now that she mentioned yesterday, Kyouko and Natsume had had a bickering that could be called a fight. In other words, if what Takiko said was true, then Natsume had clashed with Takiko as well as Kyouko.

Moreover, unlike Kyouko, Takiko's fight with Natsume hadn't gone smoothly.

"What happened?"

"Sorry. I can't say any details. I think I was responsible. But, it's wrong that we're quarrelling like this. I...... I want to be friends with Natsume and the others. I was hoping we could talk calmly again."

Could it be - Kyouko tried imagining Takiko's situation.

Maybe she was the same as her. She had learned that Natsume was actually a 'girl' and hence fought with her. Takiko seemed to have known Natsume from before, but it was most likely the 'male' Natsume. Because she wasn't a student, she didn't know about Natsume's ident.i.ty being exposed at the Meguro branch. Then, she had learned about that fact while observing the Onmyou Academy studies yesterday...... and hence had clashed with Natsume. If that were true, then Kyouko could understand her ambiguous att.i.tude.

"Kyouko. I'm really sorry for asking this after just meeting you yesterday...... You're very close with Natsume and the others, right? I heard that you were a bit out of sorts with them yesterday, but even so you've been friends longer than I have. So, please. Could you help mediate between me and Natsume?"

"......Me?"

Takiko replied "nn" to Kyouko's question, as meek as a child.

"I don't want to trouble you. I just want to borrow your strength and make an opportunity for us to talk. That's why I called so selfishly. ......Is that okay? Am I asking for too much?"

Takiko asked anxiously.

She didn't know what Takiko had heard from her father, but to Kyouko, who had just met her yesterday, this was indeed quite a brazen request. Judging from Takiko's words and tone, she herself seemed to be aware of this. In other words, she had to request this even if she would shame herself for it.

To be honest, the origins of the girl Takiko were unclear, so she didn't have a good impression of her. Though Kyouko didn't believe she was a bad person, she felt that Takiko had a kind of a dangerous, troublemaking aura.

But it was a bit mean for her to rashly make such a conclusion. After all, she had experienced Takiko's current predicament herself yesterday. Thinking that way, she couldn't just freely refuse her. As for her origins, she must have already obtained some degree of trust from her father if he had already told her about Kyouko. She ought to help her with whatever she could do.

"......Then Takiko-san, are you free tonight?"

"Eh? Today? I don't have any plans."

"Oh. ......Actually, there's a fireworks festival tonight at the Sumida River. I, Natsume, and the others will be going together to watch."

"Eh!?"

Takiko responded in surprise.

"R, Really? But, Kyouko, weren't you still fighting with Natsume......"

"Don't worry, we already made up yesterday. ......Also, if possible, do you want to go with me? It might be a bit embarra.s.sing to be invited to watch fireworks so suddenly by someone else, but the later it gets, the harder it is to decide. I can help you out a bit too, if it's today."

After hearing Kyouko's proposal, Takiko seemed to have inadvertently shut her mouth on the other end of the phone because of how sudden things were.

It was commonplace for people to hesitate because things developed too quickly. If she said no, then she probably wouldn't ask Kyouko to help her anymore. Kyouko had conveyed her sincerity, and everything else was a question of Takiko.

But,

"......I understand. No, that's a great proposal. Please let me join you."

Takiko accepted the proposal faster than Kyouko had antic.i.p.ated.

"Though I'm still a bit nervous, it gets harder to get along as time goes on, just like you say. Thanks. I'll talk with Natsume again there."

Kyouko's impression of Takiko changed a bit again after hearing her thank her so sincerely and stiffly. She wasn't a bad person, but more like a clumsy yet serious-natured good kid. In that case, as long as she talked calmly, she would probably successfully make up with Natsume. Moreover, Takiko would be calmer than her, who had been affected by several overlapping issues.

After Kyouko returned an "Okay" to Takiko, she informed Takiko about her own plans for today. Just in case, she also gave Takiko her phone number. Takiko thanked her profusely while writing it down on the other end of the phone.

"I might get there a bit late, but I'll definitely meet up with you guys afterwards. Thank you Kyouko, you really helped me out. I'm extremely thankful."

Her voice revealed an exaggerated feeling of relief. Kyouko felt a bit strange.

So, inadvertently:

"So? Takiko-san, was it because of Natsume's 'family tradition' that you fought with her?"

She asked.

But,

"Eh? 'Family tradition'? What's that?"

Takiko asked back, extremely strangely. Uh oh. Kyouko regretted it. She shouldn't have asked that extraneous question just now.

But it was her duty to let Takiko make up with Natsume. It would also be embarra.s.sing to ask that and dodge Takiko's question. The most important thing was that recklessly concealing it would leave trouble for the future. As things were, although it was 'family tradition', it was just a matter of time until Natsume's true ident.i.ty reached Takiko's ears. Then, it would be a smaller shock if she told Takiko as early as possible.

"Sorry. I thought that was the reason you fought with Natsume-kun. ......Well, please listen calmly. Although I only learned this recently......"

Then, Kyouko seemed to be very talkative as she carefully picked her words while cautiously explaining Natsume's 'family tradition' and her true gender to Takiko.

After hearing Kyouko's explanation and understanding the meaning of her words--

Takiko was dumbfounded on the other side of the line.

The blue sky dyed white with sunlight could be seen through the window.

The princ.i.p.al's office of the Onmyou Academy building. The sedate, antique interior was furnished like a Taisho-era cafe. But the room was currently permeated with tension, solemn silence, and dense aura.

The master of the room, the Onmyou Academy Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi Miyo, was sitting in a chair, focusing with narrowed eyes on a Liu Ren Board placed in the office.

The small body in the kimono was nervous, unlike usual, and she looked highly focused from every perspective. Ohtomo, who was also seated, seemed to be s.p.a.cing out by the bookshelves on the wall without even daring to breathe loudly as he watched the princ.i.p.al's divination.

But......

"......No good."

The princ.i.p.al sighed weakly.

The aura loosened and diffused into the surroundings. Her aged expression clearly showed fatigue. She had severely exhausted herself.

"I can't see it. I'm also getting old......"

"Princ.i.p.al......"

"Hoho. There's no helping it. 'Divination' is a heavenly gift. There's nothing you can do about it, no matter how hard you work. It looks like the duty I was made a 'diviner' for has already finished."

Her words revealed a bitterness that only she herself could understand. Ohtomo didn't say anything, staying on the other side of the office with a serious expression.

The calico cat curled up on the faraway sofa ran towards its master with a 'are you done already' att.i.tude, climbing onto her knees. The princ.i.p.al plucked off her gla.s.ses, patting the shikigami's bright fur.

"......Then."

The princ.i.p.al checked with Ohtomo.

"Harutora-san's condition is quite bad, right?"

"Yeah. Extremely......"

Ohtomo's reply made the princ.i.p.al's expression darken.

She had already heard that Harutora had performed extremely well in defeating Kagami Reiji's berserk shikigami during the Meguro incident. But this was the first time she had heard that his aura had been disrupted as a result.

Since Ashiya Doman's attack, the princ.i.p.al had been running around busily day and night for the Onmyou Academy's reopening. Also, after the Meguro branch incident - the Twin-Horned Syndicate sweep operation - she had received the bad news that her old friend Amami Daizen had vanished, and had done all she could to find the truth. Particularly the latter, which had to do with the life and death of her longtime ally Amami. Even if she was the princ.i.p.al, that matter still had the greatest priority.

But hence, it was true that she had moved her gaze away from the Onmyou Academy for a long time. The result of busying herself with the 'outside affairs' meant that she was 'uninformed' about the inside.

"......I'm truly unqualified to be the princ.i.p.al."

She muttered self-deprecatingly. The calico cat on her knees raised its head and mewed as if to cheer her up.

Come to think of it, she hadn't even talked much with her granddaughter Kyouko since the Meguro incident. She had even tried to use divination to learn about anything at all. But just like before, she had basically been unable to see a thing recently.

Her ability to interpret fate as a 'diviner' was currently declining.

But her responsibility as the Onmyou Academy princ.i.p.al hadn't changed.

"Anyway, I'm also worried about Harutora-san's condition. Maybe it's a side-effect from the magic battle like what you have?"

"I can't deny that, but I've seen several examples of those conditions. Harutora's condition seems more like spiritual enc.u.mbrance from a curse or an extreme depletion of aura. You could maybe call it a curse, but the fine points make it more like a 'seal'......"

"Seal?"

"Ah, no. Sorry. I was speaking nonsense. There are a lot of problems with his body as well...... Anyway, we have to have an Onmyou doctor examine him as soon as possible."

"But if it's related to a Tsuchimikado family secret art......"

"Yeah. Of course, it would be the most logical choice to have Harutora-kun's father examine it. But he's currently vanished without a trace and we can't contact him."

"Really......"

After Ohtomo said that, the princ.i.p.al's gaze also drifted through the air.

The princ.i.p.al's expression was solemn. The Tsuchimikado family was the master of the Kurahashi family. The princ.i.p.al had met Harutora's parents herself, and she probably knew them better than Ohtomo did.

"But, I think nothing should have happened to Yasuzumi-san. That man was an incredible diviner much better than I, and he also has Takahiro-san and Chizuru-san with him. Though they've been out of active duty for a long time, they're truly very skilled. They won't be easily harmed."

"That's true, but we can't contact them right now."

"Yeah. This is now my personal opinion rather than my opinion as a diviner, but they probably deliberately cut off communication to hide."

"What are they hiding from?"

The princ.i.p.al didn't answer that. Ohtomo didn't continue asking either, changing the topic slightly.

"What do you think of the fire itself? You don't have any detailed information on it either, right?"

"Yeah. It's very unfortunate. The Onmyou Agency seems to have started moving already, but I don't know much about their plans."

The princ.i.p.al sighed bitterly as she spoke.

"......There are movements in many different areas. From small to large. These movements might have a hidden pattern, but that's unclear from the outside. ......In addition, the people on the scene are probably very confused too."

"I feel the same." Ohtomo flatly expressed his agreement to the princ.i.p.al.

But, they definitely couldn't relax here.

"...Princ.i.p.al."

He questioned her thoroughly in an indifferent voice.

"Chief Amami's disappearance. And the burning of the Tsuchimikado main family home. Chief Kurahashi...... Your son hasn't responded much to those incidents, right? Or did he make his move long ago?"

It wasn't a reproachful tone, nor was it a complaining one. His composed voice sounded calmer.

But all extraneous emotion had been eliminated from the eyes underneath his gla.s.ses. It was a look that demanded answers, whether the other party was his boss or someone close to him. He remained calm while being a bit intimidating.

The princ.i.p.al stiffly closed her eyes when she heard her subordinate's question. Deep wrinkles were engraved between her eyebrows.

"......Of course he's responding to them. But that son is also the Exorcist Bureau Chief and the Mystical Investigator Chief as well as the Onmyou Agency Chief. There's no helping it that it's hard to keep hold of everything when incidents occur continuously like this."

"So you say that there are things he 'overlooked' because he's burdened with so many responsibilities? I'm sorry, but I never heard that your son was such an idiot. I've heard the opposite a few times though."

Ohtomo made this sarcastic remark and a heavy silence fell between the two of them.

The calico cat curled on the princ.i.p.al's knees batted unhappily at the silence pressing down with its tail. But the two of them still didn't make any reaction.

Not long afterwards, the princ.i.p.al slowly sighed as if to relieve herself of a burden.

"Up till now, I always lived as the Onmyou Academy princ.i.p.al and the Kurahashi family head, and I never did anything I could be proud of for that child as a 'relative'. I'm probably a bit guilty."

She slowly muttered.

She closed her eyes, tightening her expression. She straightened her spine, her elderly body tensing like a rope that had suddenly been pulled taut.

"But - that's too idiotic. It's been a while since I met my son. I'll go to the Onmyou Agency, meet him, and talk to him. ......Ohtomo-sensei?"

"Yeah."

"I'm extremely sorry, but could you write a letter of resignation? It's fine to leave the date blank."

Ohtomo's gaze instantly sharpened like a blade.

"......You mean to 'release my chains'?"

The voice he responded in had the same tone as the former Ohtomo - the Mystical Investigator him that had been named 'Shadow', whom the princ.i.p.al definitely didn't recognize.

Sharp, modest, and strong. Even commonly-used words would feel like a flitting blade.

The princ.i.p.al smiled.

"It's to protect my position - it's fine if you interpret it that way. Separating you from the Onmyou Academy may be the best way to protect me, the Onmyou Academy, and the students in the future. But no matter what, it's just one layer of insurance. I'm not saying that you can act freely. Please don't pull a reckless stunt."

Ohtomo returned to his original state when he heard the same advice as from his former coworker and smiled wryly. Though he was a calm and composed former Mystical Investigator, he always felt that the way he saw himself was a bit different from what the people around him knew him for.

"I'll keep that in mind."

It was a serious promise, not a lightly given reply.

"Then, the letter of resignation will come later, Princ.i.p.al. There's still a matter I'm concerned about. We mentioned her before, the matter of the visitor Souma Takiko."

"Ah, I'm also very concerned about that child. She showed an impressive power in the mock battle."

"Yeah. Also, she didn't lose to Natsume-kun, and her techniques are more refined. She will stand out even more in a real battle. But no matter what she herself says, the shikigami she brought along is definitely abnormal. It's undoubtedly a servant shikigami type, but I've never seen such a shikigami before. Also, the thing that puzzles me the most is how she called herself 'someone with ties of lineage to Tsuchimikado Yakou'......"

Ohtomo repeated the information he had heard from Touji.

To be honest, the fact that she had approached Natsume after mentioning Yakou was enough of a reason to be on their guard against her. Moreover, Takiko herself was full of mystery, and her true ident.i.ty was intriguing.

"But what's extremely interesting about what I said just now is that she came to observe the Onmyou Academy's studies by the 'Onmyou Agency's introduction'. After some investigation, it seems that it wasn't just any ordinary guise, it was an instruction from the 'higher-ups'. Maybe it was an order made by the Chief. Don't you think it's a bit suspicious?"

The Onmyou Agency very rarely introduced observers here. Moreover, most of them were agency members or qualified specialized Onmyouji. Since Takiko had appeared after a formal introduction, there was naturally someone else involved.

The princ.i.p.al honestly acknowledged Ohtomo's doubts and speculation.

"The probability that child is related to my son is definitely high. If she's truly someone from the 'Souma family'."

"Eh? Do you have some clues?"

"The Souma clan and the Kurahashi clan...... More accurately, it's like that child said, they once had connections to Tsuchimikado family."

Ohtomo expressed interest as he heard the princ.i.p.al's unexpected reply.

The princ.i.p.al's gaze returned to the board on the desk again.

"......It was something from quite long ago. During the war. At the time, Tsuchimikado Yakou accepted the backing of the Imperial Army and was elevated to the top of the Onmyou Bureau that they revived. Did you know about that?"

"Most of it."

"Don't you think it's a bit strange?"

"Eh?"

"After all, at the time, the Tsuchimikado family - or more accurately, Onmyoudou itself was already abandoned, forgotten, and had retreated from the stage of history, right? In an era where we could construct huge battleships, tanks, and fighters, they unearthed the almost-vanished magic and even supplied funds, manpower, various political favors, and their full support. Is that what a modern country's army would do? Normally, wouldn't that be impossible?"

The princ.i.p.al's question confused Ohtomo. Now that she asked, that was indeed the case, but Ohtomo had never thought about the problem from that perspective.

"Well, it's indeed as you say, but that's history after all...... The army higher-ups probably saw Yakou's magic ability, I guess? Or maybe he had support from the nation's religious elements or the faction swayed by Hitler's ideology?"

"......The military faction that supported Yakou was the Souma clan."

Ohtomo's expression changed drastically for the first time and his body twitched. The princ.i.p.al continued speaking seriously.

"They weren't purely religious, they had unique skills pa.s.sed down since ancient times. They were a group of true pract.i.tioners. That was why they gave such a high appraisal to Yakou's excellent skills. They supported Yakou from within the military. Yakou's Onmyou Bureau was also established by the Souma clan."

"......I see."

Ohtomo listened extremely seriously to the princ.i.p.al's explanation. At some point, a fearless, provocative smile had shown up on his face.

"'Ties of lineage', huh...... Then I can understand. Souma Takiko came in contact with Natsume and Harutora before, and at the time she talked about Yakou's private school. With that background, she would indeed be able to know about those details. That shikigami is more like a shikigami serving that Souma family than that kid's own shikigami. Moreover, the fact that she has contact with the Chief is also......"

"......Yeah."

The princ.i.p.al admitted with a bitter expression.

"At the time, it wasn't only the Souma family that supported Yakou. We, the Kurahashi family, were first among the ranks of Tsuchimikado Yakou's - the Tsuchimikado family's support. After the war ended in defeat, the Kurahashi family remained, but the Souma had almost completely vanished. But......"

"......They were still tied together?"

"Maybe they kept contact in other ways. In any case, this is all hypothetical for now. But if my son and Souma are connected in some way, then we have to make plans quickly. There's only one reason that these two would be together."

"......'Tsuchimikado Yakou'."

Ohtomo spoke heavily. The princ.i.p.al silently nodded.

"Indeed, we need to prepare ahead of time."

The eyes beneath Ohtomo's gla.s.ses flashed like the bared fangs of a wild beast.

Things would be much easier if it were just Souma Takiko. But the support of the Souma clan was behind her, so they definitely couldn't be careless. Moreover, just judging by the shikigami that Takiko carried around, there was undoubtedly a group of pract.i.tioners behind her - strong, skilled pract.i.tioners.

Or,

"......Maybe the roots of the Twin-Horned Syndicate are unexpectedly related to them."

Ohtomo's speculation made the princ.i.p.al widen her eyes as if she had been struck.

She pressed her lips together, not refuting him. She felt that Ohtomo's speculation wasn't impossible.

If Souma was related to the Twin-Horned Syndicate, then they were very likely to be involved in Amami's disappearance. Along with the fire at the Tsuchimikado family residence. In that case, various mysteries would be answered in an instant. After this would be the time for the former Mystical Investigator to shine.

"......Well, it's very fortunate that we've identified our opponents, but if I go act over there, the defenses around Natsume-kun will be reduced. Princ.i.p.al, can I leave it to you?"

"True. It's better to just place Natsume-san next to me altogether. If Natsume-san's by me, then they probably won't dare to mess around. Also, we have to find where their parents are as soon as possible."

"I'll leave it to you. I'll resolve that as soon as possible. For now, say that I'm still 'recuperating' to explain my job as a teacher. Well, actually, uh, you could also talk about workers' compensation or overtime......"

The princ.i.p.al smiled brightly as she watched Ohtomo playing the fool.

"We'll treat it as 'paid leave'."

"Ah, that's still a bit unsatisfactory...... Whatever. Tell Natsume to be extremely aware of her surroundings too."

"Of course. He should understand this very well."

The princ.i.p.al guaranteed that seriously, but Ohtomo suddenly raised an eyebrow when he heard those words.

Revealing a somewhat mischievous expression:

"Oho, 'he', is it? Princ.i.p.al. Could it be that you still don't know?"

"Huh? About what?"

"Haha. Tenma-kun really was right, there really is an information gap between students and teachers. If the princ.i.p.al didn't know either, then I must be the only teacher who knows about this. How annoying. Everyone needs to build better relationships with the students."

Ohtomo laughed exaggeratedly, speaking pretentiously. The princ.i.p.al's face tightened in surprise, and even the cat on her knees scratched its ears as if it were trying to say 'what's wrong with this guy'.

"Ohtomo-sensei? What are you trying to say?"

"No, I only learned of it yesterday too."

Ohtomo finally put away his comical expression, explaining Natsume's matter to the princ.i.p.al.

He didn't know how serious his expression was. After all, once he said the truth, it wasn't something he could take back. Though disguising one's gender shouldn't lead to punishment, Natsume's Onmyou Academy life would have to change in the future.

But--

The princ.i.p.al's reaction after hearing this greatly exceeded Ohtomo's expectations.

"......What did you say!?"

After she gasped, she said nothing more. Her face paled. This was Ohtomo's first time seeing the princ.i.p.al with such a stunned expression, and he couldn't help but unconsciously correct his expression.

After being astonished for ten seconds by this shock:

"Is...... that true? Natsume-san is a girl? But how is such a thing possible......"

Her eyes widened and her body shivered. This wasn't a trivial matter. Ohtomo also immediately did away with his playful att.i.tude from before.

"No, it's not wrong. She herself admitted it. But...... princ.i.p.al? Is it that shocking?"

Ohtomo's eyes sharpened and he stared at the princ.i.p.al in a ready stance. But the princ.i.p.al, dumbstruck and motionless, didn't look at Ohtomo.

Understanding and uncertainty emerged on her intelligent face.

"Yasuzumi-san, did you......"

Behind the princ.i.p.al's back was set frosted gla.s.s decorated to match the princ.i.p.al's office interior. The summer sunlight that tinted the sky was slowly becoming a soft dusk.

The board in the office moved slightly.

"......Are you certain?"

He heard Kurahashi ask to confirm what he heard, a rare look of surprise showing on his always-calm face.

The Onmyou Agency executive room. Yashamaru shrugged his shoulders in front of Kurahashi.

"Is it true?"

He asked Takiko, who was next to him. Takiko silently affirmed, her face aghast. k.u.momaru was also behind Takiko.

"I thought it would be better to tell you. After all, that's enough to completely overturn the information we had."

Yashamaru said this with his arms crossed, like a solemn young scholar who had obtained poor results. Kurahashi didn't pay Yashamaru any heed, looking at Takiko next to him instead. Takiko gave a slightly angry nod to his statement.

"It's not wrong. That information came from no other than your daughter. Natsume just usually wears a male disguise...... but she's actually a girl."

"......What does that mean. A girl posing as a boy?"

"I heard that it was the Tsuchimikado main family's 'tradition'. 'The successor of the Tsuchimikado family must appear as a male to outsiders.' So only Harutora of the branch family and a few people close to them knew of Natsume's true ident.i.ty before the Meguro branch incident led to her gender being exposed."

Kurahashi silently placed his elbows on the desk, burying his face in his hands.

A frightful gaze shot from his eyes. Though he didn't say a word, the entire room seemed to be filled with a feeling of pressure. Yashamaru and k.u.momaru were indifferent, but though Takiko didn't show any fear, she was still angry.

"Hmm. So you really didn't know either? Though the Kurahashis are a branch family, they treated you like 'outsiders' too, huh? Or......"

Yashamaru uncrossed his arms, putting his hands on his waist and sighing softly.

Then, a cold smile emerged on his lips.

"......This 'family tradition' was a fabrication from the very beginning. In order to conceal something......"

Yashamaru, who mentioned two possibilities, seemed to have already come to his own conclusion. The ironic smile that had emerged on his clever face was like that of an old chess player staring at a younger player's coup.

The wordless Kurahashi seemed to agree with Yashamaru's opinion. Takiko, who watched the two of them talk, quietly gulped with a tense face as well.

"But, supposing Tsuchimikado Natsume's male disguise was to conceal something, we should be focusing on the goal of the cover-up."

Takiko couldn't help but watch Yashamaru. Yashamaru felt his master's doubt and smiled to alleviate the tense atmosphere.

"For example, Princess. The thing that comes to mind first right now is that rumor, right? 'Tsuchimikado Natsume is the reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou.' Incidentally, the roots of that rumor lie in another rumor, 'Tsuchimikado Yakou will reincarnate as the child of the Tsuchimikado family containing his blood.'"

"That rumor's authenticity is uncertain, right?"

"Oh, Princess. We're not so ignorant as to completely believe all the rumors and let this kind of trick - or perhaps I should call it a countermeasure - lead us by the nose."

Yashamaru spread his arms like an actor, lifting a white-gloved index finger.

"First, the latter, the rumor that 'Tsuchimikado Yakou will reincarnate as the child of the Tsuchimikado family containing his blood.' That was the final conclusion reached by many Onmyouji researching Yakou's magic, including me. People doubted it because it sounded pretentious, but we deliberately manipulated the information to mislead them. After all, if that rumor was publicly known, it would become difficult for us to move. Of course, as long as we haven't completely unraveled the magic Yakou used to reincarnate, we can't say anything 'for sure'. But please remember that that fact is trustworthy and very likely to be accurate."

Then, Yashamaru lifted his middle finger to follow his index finger.

"The previous rumor. There's still no explicit information to prove the one that 'Tsuchimikado Natsume is the reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou.' There's just a 'basis'. Right, Kurahashi?"

Yashamaru's monocle flashed as he looked over.

Kurahashi, who sat next to the desk, endured the shikigami's gaze with a stony expression.

He opened his mouth solemnly:

"When the current head of the Tsuchimikado family, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, belonged to the Onmyou Agency, he used divination on himself. The conclusion was that the child inheriting his blood would be Yakou's reincarnation. That was his first prophecy, or in other words, the first moment he possessed the ability of 'divination'. I - happened to be present."

Takiko's eyes widened silently and she pressed her lips together. Yashamaru coughed lightly.

"Returning to the topic...... 'Tsuchimikado Yakou will reincarnate as the son of the Tsuchimikado family containing his blood' is essentially certain, as I said just now. Also, 'Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's child will be that reincarnation' is based on Yasuzumi's prediction, and there's a possibility that he 'lied' or 'read incorrectly'. But, Chief Kurahashi who saw that moment can attest to the prophecy. Then overall, 'Tsuchimikado Natsume is the reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou' was a worthy enough hypothesis for us to act. Do you understand that?"

Takiko nodded obediently upon hearing Yashamaru's respectful lecture.

"......I understand. But how did we get here from when I talked about Natsume being a girl in disguise just now?"

"Nn. There's indeed no relationship if you consider it directly."

"Eh?"

"But how about this, Princess? Yasuzumi might have predicted that 'his child would be Yakou's reincarnation', right? Then, that has nothing to do with Tsuchimikado Natsume being male or female. Then there would be no meaning in deliberately disguising herself as a male. Hence, if you consider it directly, her male disguise wasn't trying to conceal anything, it was just purely because of a 'family tradition' that the Kurahashi family wasn't informed of. ......But--"

Hmm. Yashamaru deliberately made a pondering noise, turning his neck and looking at Kurahashi out of the corner of his eye.

With an indifferent tone:

"But, Kurahashi. Why are you so shocked? If Tsuchimikado Natsume is a female, does that even make anything inconvenient--"

"Yes."

Kurahashi replied immediately without a shred of affectation, forming a clear contrast with his former coworker[1].

"The reason is that Yasuzumi's child was a boy."

Takiko went stiff. On the other hand, Yashamaru seemed to have antic.i.p.ated this long ago and wasn't surprised.

He bluntly asked:

"Why?"

"I 'saw' directly with my own eyes. I...... My mother and I. When Wakasugi Yuuko[2] was pregnant, the child in her belly carried yang aura."

Yashamaru calmly narrowed his eyes.

All people carried aura, whether they were pract.i.tioners or not. Males had yang aura and females had yin aura. Though Natsume used magic to disguise her aura type, she had to use her dragon's aura. In other words, it wasn't very easy to cover up. More importantly, it was essentially impossible to forge the aura of a fetus.

"......Of course, when you 'saw', Yasuzumi-kun was......"

"Aware."

Yashamaru raised his head to look at the ceiling upon hearing Kurahashi's reply.

He muttered "I see" with a poker face. Then, he clapped.

"Then here's w