Tokyo Ravens Volume 8 Chapter 5

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Huge changes had happened in Natsume's life since Harutora had entered the academy. They had clashed when he entered, but they had become friendly after they made up and gained many good friends. Worried about Harutora's poor results, she would sometimes be a bit strangely angry and sometimes she would smile brightly at him. It was thanks to spending three years of time together with Harutora disguised as Hokuto that she was able to sincerely express her emotions like this. Harutora described the present in a half-complaining, half-prideful tone as a 'life with no motivation' or 'boring days'. Though it was indeed a bit demotivating and it was indeed a bit boring, it definitely wasn't meaningless.

The happy and busy days continued. Every day, she got angry, was surprised, and smiled from the bottom of her heart.

Before she noticed, this had already become Natsume's new 'daily life'.

Harutora had expanded Natsume's world.

◎

Harutora and the others had already prepared themselves for the huge crowds of the fireworks festival, but the actual situation greatly exceeded their expectations.

"......Shibuya on a weekend can't even compare. Is everyone from Tokyo gathered here?"

After all, the train line here had already been packed. There were many yukata-wearing watchers as well. Clamor and heat gathered and slowly formed a huge mix.

Harutora and the others had set their meeting place to be Asakusa's Sensoji Temple[1]. But Harutora was speechless when he walked out of the train station and saw that it was packed so full of people that there was no place to walk.

There was still some time until sunset. The heat of the summer evening made it stuffy and hard to breathe. All around them was activity and smiles, filled with a 'festival' atmosphere.

"Wh-Where's Sensoji Temple?"

"Over there. We're almost at the Thunder Gate[2]."

Of the three of them, only Touji had come to Asakusa before. He had said he would guide them - though they could only move with the flow of people - so Harutora and Natsume followed Touji, slowly advancing. When they looked back, they could see the Tokyo Skytree[3] on the other side of the road. So tall. That was a natural feeling, but it was still very big. It was big enough that they couldn't make sense of how far away it was.

"Incredible...... After the fireworks end, let's walk over there and look."

It had already been a year since he came to Tokyo, but Harutora had never seen the Tokyo scenery. Everything he saw felt new, and he inadvertently gawked here and there. Just then, the famous Furaijinmon - the Thunder Gate - entered his vision. There were still people hustling and bustling around them, but there were also groups trying to get memorial photos.

"Hey, Touji, let's take a picture."

"More of this? Come to think of it, I wonder if you're really alright."

Touji, annoyed, looked back at Harutora over his shoulder.

"You know that your power went out of control a few hours ago, right? Don't only think about having fun."

"What. I told you it completely stabilized. We took the time to come here, so it would be a waste to not properly enjoy it."

"I guess I'll have to be responsible for treating your idiocy. Natsume, come persuade him too."

"Natsume?"

"Eh? Ah, s-sorry. I didn't hear."

"......You guys......"

Touji's mouth twitched, unlike his usual att.i.tude.

There was no helping it that Touji was worried. After all, right now wasn't the time for Harutora and the others to leisurely watch a fireworks festival.

After Harutora's aura went out of control and he lost consciousness, Natsume and Kon had brought him back to the dorm. Fortunately, he had regained consciousness within ten minutes, but the problem was the trigger for his loss of control and how it had stopped.

"......It could be that one-armed oni. If Natsume weren't the one saying it, it would have sounded like a joke......"

Natsume had explained the part of the incident she had seen to Harutora and Touji who had hurried over after learning about the situation. Considering the situation, it had undoubtedly been the one-armed oni Natsume saw that stopped Harutora from going out of control. Kon, who had witnessed it herself, had also provided the same testimony.

But they were clueless as to why an oni would stop Harutora from going out of control. It was very strange that an oni just happened to be present in the first place. Thinking that, they should believe that the oni had originally been hiding nearby - around the Onmyou Academy dorms. Then, he had appeared after learning about Harutora going out of control.

"A one-armed oni appearing near Natsume...... There's only one answer if we think about it that way."

"......We still can't be certain. I'm not completely confident either. It could even be the same as that Mystical Investigator from before......"

Natsume refuted Touji's opinion, but judging by the gist of her words, she already basically believed it. She was already different from the Natsume who had been kidnapped by the Mystical Investigator Yakou fanatic long ago. The current her had witnessed Ashiya Doman and Shaver's 'true self' at a close distance, not to mention the Phase Three mobile spiritual disasters. More importantly, the oni this time had released demonic aura from his body when Harutora had gone out of control. Natsume wouldn't have 'seen' wrongly.

"I originally thought that the Twin-Horned Syndicate had finally been vanquished and that the Yakou fanatics were cleaned away, but Natsume's old home was burned down, a girl with connections to Yakou appeared, and now Kakugyouki's come out. I wonder what's going on."

Harutora and Natsume glanced at each other wordlessly upon hearing Touji's complaint.

Kakugyouki.

That was the name of one of the servant shikigami guardians of Tsuchimikado Yakou. Of the countless shikigami that served Yakou, he and Hishamaru were famous as Yakou's left and right-hand shikigami. His true form wasn't well known in detail, but according to rumor, he was a 'one-armed oni'.

Kakugyouki had vanished just like Hishamaru after Yakou's death. Their current whereabouts were still concealed in mystery, but if this was Kakugyouki, then they couldn't ignore his actions no matter what.

Moreover,

"What's more, that oni even said the words 'Raven's Wing' and 'Saotome Suzu'."

Saotome Suzu was a Yakou researcher who had once belonged to the Imperial Household Agency Lingering Spirit Division. She had proposed that the Raven's Wing could determine Yakou's reincarnation, and her current whereabouts were unclear. They had learned recently that she was Ohtomo's acquaintance, but they still didn't know any more detailed information. In other words, they had been told to 'ask her for help', but they had no way of getting in contact.

"Supposing that oni was the true Kakugyouki, then the fact that he said 'Raven's Wing' and the name Saotome means that he quite believes the saying that the Raven's Wing can be used to determine Yakou's reincarnation. Thinking carefully, the Raven's Wing was in Natsume's father's hands until not long ago......"

Originally, the Raven's Wing had been kept in the Onmyou Agency, but that was a fake. Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi had secretly hidden the genuine article in the Onmyou Academy and had given it to Yasuzumi before Ashiya Doman attacked, leaving it with him.

"......Then, Souma Takiko's information becomes a little more believable."

Takiko had said that the residence fire had been an aggressive action of the Onmyou Agency.

"Looking at it this way, the Onmyou Agency wanted to take back the Raven's Wing, Natsume's father refused, and it led to that fire......"

Originally, several strong magical defensive walls were set in the Tsuchimikado family residence, and it was too unreasonable to imagine that a pure fire had burned everything down. Of course, it was also hard to imagine that the residence had been burned because Yasuzumi had refused to return the Raven's Wing. But Takiko had said that Yasuzumi set fire to the residence. In that case, there probably wouldn't be anything left there. If not for the message Harutora's father had sent informing him of their safety, then they probably would have considered the worst situation.

"Also. Harutora noticed that there were Onmyouji monitoring the dorms - no, they were probably monitoring 'you guys'. Though it might not be related to Kakugyouki, that person's ident.i.ty is also unclear. Supposing the Tsuchimikado fire was related to the Onmyou Agency, then that person is very likely an Onmyouji belonging to the Onmyou Agency...... Then, why would the Onmyou Agency do such a thing? What exactly is going on? Even I'm not sure."

Harutora couldn't speak either upon seeing Touji frown and groan. If even Touji was raising his hands in forfeit, Harutora obviously wouldn't be able to understand.

"Anyway, the only thing we can confirm is that there's a 'dangerous' atmosphere around. But we had everyone gather together to go see a fireworks festival without collecting information or preparing for unexpected situations. It's ridiculous, no matter what you say."

Touji seemed to be in a bad mood as he led the two of them. He had been like this since before they left the dorms.

But in some sense, one reason Touji was this unhappy was because a true oni had appeared close by and he was the only one who hadn't realized, even as he had been snooping for information in his own room. Another reason was purely that he had missed the opportunity to see an oni, and he felt angry at his poor senses. Touji was a living spirit who housed an oni within his body, and he had long since gotten used to demonic aura, so there was no helping it that he had reacted slowly.

The three of them moved slowly as they talked about this, pa.s.sing through the Thunder Gate and entering the commercial road in front of the Sensoji temple.

The two roads that headed straight into Sensoji were lined with bustling souvenir shops. In addition, there were also confectionary stores, ningyouyaki stores, bread stores, and even stores specialized in selling kimonos and stores specialized in selling maneki-neko[4]. But to Harutora and the others' eyes, it was just people, people, and more people. The flood of people extended into the distance before them under the flickering illumination of lanterns.

Harutora smiled wryly, stunned by the sea of people.

"Sorry, Touji."

He apologized from behind.

"I don't know how it became like this either. To be honest, I'm a bit frightened."

Touji, who walked ahead, looked at him out of the corner of his eye upon hearing his murmured words. Harutora noticed his good friend's gaze and gave a fearless smile.

"But, isn't there anything we can do? Even if there's a clear 'enemy' around, that doesn't mean there's a clear 'reason' for him. Then even if we can't be careless, I hope that we can live like always."

Something was undoubtedly happening right now. Moreover, it seemed that several large-scale incidents were happening at the same time. The fire at the residence, Takiko's confession, and Kakugyouki along with the unknown spies.

To be honest, it was very frightening. The fact that things were unclear was even more terrifying. It was as if things that he had to be concerned about had snuck into every corner of his daily life. The fact that he had become overly cheerful might be a reaction to that.

It was because now was the time that he couldn't give up his daily life. If events from the outside encroached on his daily life, then the most important thing was to hold onto the important aspects more tightly.

For example, Kyouko.

He didn't know what would happen in the future. Then, right now he should be strengthening his bonds with the people around him. That thinking might be a bit strange, but he hoped to be able to confirm the 'depths of their friendship'. So that he would be able to deal with whatever happened. So that they would be able to stay together, no matter what happened.

He wasn't seeking to obtain Kyouko's strength. What was more important was that he wanted to get along closely with her. He hoped that they could rebuild their friendship.

"......So for now, we'll enjoy the fireworks. The six of us, together."

Touji knitted his brow at Harutora's words.

But not long afterwards, he helplessly relaxed.

"Bakatora."

He scolded.

Though it wasn't impossible to understand, there were other reasons that Touji had finally agreed to the fireworks festival proposal before they left the dorm in the first place. If the dorm was being monitored, then it would be safer to mix in with a group of people.

Natsume and Kyouko had already reconciled, and afterwards they could probably clean things up if they had Harutora get on his knees and beg for mercy. If he was able to reconcile with Kyouko, they would immediately be able to ask things of the princ.i.p.al. Touji had even considered keeping Harutora and Natsume from returning to the dorm and going straight to Kyouko's home to discuss things. One or two extra people shouldn't be a problem for the residence of the famous Kurahashi family.

"Well, alright. I don't really want to keep chattering anyway. But we can't split up, since if we wander off...... Natsume? Are you listening?"

Touji stopped, looking back to look at Natsume who followed behind Harutora. "Ah, sorry." Natsume hastily looked up.

"What's wrong, you've been like that since before. Are you worried?"

"O-Of course I'm not worried. I don't know if something will happen to Harutora. But...... I'm very concerned about what that oni said......"

"What? What did he say other than the Raven's Wing and Saotome Suzu's business?"

"W-Well...... Um...... Though I don't really understand......"

Natsume stopped speaking, her face solemn. It seemed that the reason she had been soft-spoken was because she had been immersed in her thoughts.

She looked at Harutora's face.

"......Um, Harutora? Your body's really okay, right? You're not forcing yourself?"

She looked up to confirm.

She expressed the worry in her heart, but with astringent words and expression. Also, she couldn't conceal her anxiety. Harutora was a bit embarra.s.sed and felt a pang in his chest. The fact that he was the reason for Natsume's anxiety filled his heart with guilt.

"Sorry."

Harutora unconsciously apologized.

"Sorry for making you worry. But I'm fine for now. I'll be careful. Natsume, I'm counting on you if there's a problem."

Of course, she was carrying Ohtomo's charms. If he cut back on rapid actions like yesterday's and stayed calm and careful as he acted, there probably wouldn't be any problems.

Natsume, who had stopped, was pushed from behind and staggered.

Harutora hastily caught Natsume in his chest as she fell. Her slender body leaned on him and Harutora's heart inadvertently raced.

"S-Sorry!"

"No--"

Natsume apologized, returning to her original voice. The flow of people still hadn't stopped. Touji was annoyed and said "Don't stop, keep walking", urging the two of them on.

A momentary confusion.

Then, Harutora grabbed Natsume's hand and followed behind Touji.

"Eh, H-Harutora-kun?"

"......It would be troublesome if we got separated now."

Harutora averted his gaze but still pulled her hand as he walked forward. Natsume also kept up with his strides as she followed behind. There wasn't much room to move around in the first place, and the distance between the two of them instantly shrank to the point where their shoulders were touching. But the two of them didn't even think of releasing their hands.

The flow of people slowly moved forward. Harutora and Natsume continued walking forward step by step with small strides.

"...Hey."

Harutora spoke, still walking forward.

"...Yeah."

Natsume replied, still walking forward.

"There definitely won't be any problem."

Harutora spoke with a normal tone, half to cheer himself up. He hoped that he would be able to dispel some of Natsume's anxiety. He formed words with all his power in order to cheer up his important childhood friend.

"A lot of things have happened up through now. ......We made it through successfully."

"......Yeah."

"The two of us aren't alone."

"......Yeah."

"There will always be a way."

"Yeah. ......Right. That's right."

Natsume tightly gripped Harutora's hand. Harutora also firmly clasped Natsume's hand in return.

"......Thank you, Harutora-kun."

Harutora's face reddened. But it was truly great that he had been able to say it.

He glanced at Natsume out of the corner of his eye. He met the gaze of Natsume, who had looked over at the same time, and they both turned away in surprise like an elastic collision. But unlike that reaction, their linked hands gripped each other firmly.

Noisy laughter pa.s.sed through the surroundings. The nighttime heat penetrated their skin. A festival chant sounded from somewhere. The air was mixed with the scent of sweat and burning soy sauce.

Natsume's black hair, tied with a pink ribbon, fluttered soundlessly in the air. Intertwined fingers. Heavy steps. His ears could hear his loud, agitated heartbeat. His brain was hot, but wasn't at all unhappy.

"Hey, we're here, we're here. We found it pretty easily."

Touji, who had walked ahead, waved his hand vigorously at them from the front. Harutora and Natsume's hands separated as if they had touched hot iron.

Sensoji's courtyard was still packed with people. The five-story paG.o.da and the main hall towered towards the night sky. Stalls were lined up like a maze. Touji waved near the Treasure House Gate[5], where there were even more mingling people.

He saw familiar faces dressed in plainclothes next to a thick pillar that was painted red. Tenma was dressed in clothes for warm weather, and Suzuka wore a nostalgic goth loli outfit. There was also another person, dressed in a beautiful yukata--

"...Kyouko."

Harutora muttered unconsciously.

Kyouko also noticed Harutora and Natsume behind Touji and showed a tense and partially embarra.s.sed expression.

Guided by the flow of people, Harutora and the others slowly moved in the direction of Kyouko's group. The Kyouko reflected in Harutora's eyes became larger and larger.

"You're so slow! Where did you guys go!"

The first time Suzuka opened her mouth was for an angry roar. Her hands were full with heavy bags of cotton candy, takoyaki, and other things in quant.i.ties that one person couldn't possibly finish. This scene felt familiar. She had definitely come quite early, to have been able to buy so many various things in this sea of people.

Tenma smiled wryly.

"There are so many people that it's hard to get here on time. She scolded me harshly even though I was just a little bit late, and......"

He looked at Kyouko next to him.

"Kurahashi-san just got here too."

As he said this, he casually escaped to the back.

Then, Harutora's group of three merged with Kyouko's group of three.

Suzuka closed her mouth after getting angry. She kept secretly glancing at Kyouko, seeming to be a bit concerned. Tenma looked very sincerely at his friends, and Touji didn't say anything unnecessary. Natsume and Kyouko looked at each other and then nodded quietly, making room for Harutora.

"......Ah."

Harutora dropped his jaw and sputtered.

Kyouko figure in the yukata was more beautiful than he would have antic.i.p.ated. Her delicate atmosphere didn't contrast against her gorgeous maturity, but rather merged to become greater than the whole. The young men around them often glanced over, and she herself seemed to be a bit embarra.s.sed.

Harutora walked in front of Kyouko, his mind blank as the other four watched them. What should he say and how should he say it? His mind was in chaos. He had no idea where his determination and motivation during the day had gone.

"Uh, Kyouko......"

He spoke with a weak, timid voice. Moreover, there was no follow-up. Awkwardness and tension were still restricting Harutora's actions.

But,

...Okay? Don't forget, alright? Since this is a promise.

"......Sorry. Kyouko. I was wrong."

He cleared his throat and apologized. Kyouko's expression went slightly stiff.

"I really hate myself for this too. I don't know how to apologize...... Even if I apologize now, it definitely can't change anything......"

Even if he apologized, he couldn't make amends. They couldn't go back in time.

But he wouldn't be able to go anywhere if he didn't apologize. He could only constantly look back, regret, and sincerely apologize. Harutora could only think of those insufficient methods to express his apology.

Then......

Kyouko stared motionlessly at Harutora and finally sighed after staring solemnly for a while.

She approached Harutora, and,

Slap.

Slapped Harutora with her palm.

Natsume, Tenma, and Suzuka were taken aback, and even the people around them looked over in surprise. A number of them whistled dirtily, but backed off instantly after noticing Touji's stern look. But the one who had showed the most self-restraint there was probably Kon, who decided not to materialize. Though that time should have been time for her to perform her duty as a defensive shikigami, she held herself back from intervening for her master.

"K-Kyouko......"

Harutora felt his cheek, his eyes wide. On the other hand, Kyouko inexplicably became relieved, looking at Harutora whom she had slapped forcefully.

She smiled softly, and said:

"......Bakatora."

He had no room to retort at all.

Though Kyouko smiled, Harutora quickly saw she was behaving incredibly nervously. Guilt flooded his heart again.

"......Sorry."

There should be many more suitable words, but all he said were unpresentable words of apology. "Sorry." Harutora deeply bowed his head to Kyouko.

The observers watched the two of them with very curious gazes. Touji continued glaring; this time, even Suzuka, Tenma, and Natsume secretly blocked the gazes around them or glared over with intimidating att.i.tudes.

Harutora and Kyouko weren't in the mood to pay attention to that as their minds were focused on each other.

"Really...... You were much cooler when we were little......"

Kyouko shrugged her shoulders as she spoke, forcefully pretending to be calm.

"It's so disappointing."

"......Sorry."

Harutora could only awkwardly apologize for his hopeless stupidity.

Kyouko slowly took a breath, and then revealed a firm yet also slightly hurt smile.

"Bakatora."

Compared to her words from before, her voice had already gotten much more cheerful. It was a voice that expressed that she could smile without regret even if not everything had been completely resolved.

"......Then, let's go."

She walked out, ending their topic just now on that note. She was unable to clearly forgive him, those were Kyouko's true feelings. Her feelings were complex and couldn't be defined in terms of forgiving or not forgiving. But Kyouko began walking forward, holding those thoughts in her heart.

"Kurahashi-san." Natsume took a step forward. Kyouko smiled.

"...Are you going to make good on that promise?"

"Y-Yes."

"Okay."

She looked at Natsume again as she said this.

"But, you don't have to wear your uniform when you come to see fireworks. And it's even the male one."

"S-Sorry. This is the only proper clothing I have right now......"

Touji, Tenma, and Suzuka all more or less showed surprised, astonished expressions when they heard the conversation between the two. Though they knew that the two of them had already reconciled, they hadn't seen it first-hand. Moreover, it was their first time seeing Natsume speak with Kyouko using a 'feminine manner of speech'.

Kyouko's eyes widened in surprise when she heard Natsume's reply.

"Really? Uh, well, that's fine. But don't act like the normal Natsume-kun when it's just us today, be the other 'Natsume-chan', okay? I want to properly understand 'Natsume-chan'."

"I, I understand. If Kurahashi-san says so--"

"Honestly, just call me Kyouko. Even Bakatora calls me that."

Kyouko smiled wryly, teasing her. "You don't like it?" The nervous Natsume frantically shook her head.

"Kyouko...... san."

"Yeah."

Kyouko nodded in satisfaction.

"Kyouko......" Harutora seemed to be dazzled by the two of them. Touji and Tenma looked at each other while smiling, and Suzuka harrumphed - very happily.

"Ah, come to think of it, Tenma, you still call me 'Kurahashi-san', right? That's too formal, why don't you take this opportunity to call me by my name directly too."

"That makes sense. It's true that I've been a bit too formal until now. Got it. Then let's call each other by our first names...... That's not bad, right, Suzuka-chan?"

"Why are you turning to me! Don't look down on me, Gla.s.ses!"

"Hey, hey, we finally managed to chat smoothly, so don't get too concerned about the details, Suzuka-chan."

"You always called me by my name directly in the first place, headband! And you guys, don't think I'm going to play along at easing up the atmosphere! How rude! I'm a Divine General!"

As the red-faced 'Child Prodigy' Suzuka roared angrily in opposition, smiles broke out on the others' faces. In that moment, Kyouko returned to being a 'companion' of Harutora's group.

"Well, the fireworks are about to start."

Kyouko looked at all of them and finally looked at Harutora.

"Let's go."

The rumor that Natsume was Yakou's reincarnation had become more and more frequently heard when she came to Tokyo and entered the Onmyou Academy. Natsume's life had been immersed in Onmyoudou since her childhood, but she hadn't come in contact with the 'Magic Community' since she had always been secluded in the countryside. She originally had some level of understanding of her role in the world, but what she saw after actually coming into that role exceeded her expectations.

The absurdities of the Yakou fanatics and the plans of adults.

But now, Harutora stood beside Natsume. In addition, it wasn't just Harutora. There was also Touji, Kyouko, Tenma, and their former enemy Suzuka.

Of course, friends weren't always good. Sometimes someone would annoy another, and sometimes someone would hurt another.

But sometimes someone would help another, and sometimes someone would protect another. Each time, both sides would grow. Natsume had learned from Harutora and her other companions that she didn't have to only rely on herself.

Of course, it was still hard to do away with her anxiety. Because she was rumored to be Yakou's reincarnation, often a.s.sociating with them may at some point impact their future.

The future was always shrouded in darkness, impossible to see clearly.

But there was one thing she could be certain of.

The days she spent with Harutora and the others were a clear-cut 'present' that illuminated her life in the darkness.

◎

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival. It seemed that there would be two fireworks-shooting areas set up along the river. They didn't have to walk to the riverside to be able to see it, but the towering buildings would block their vision, and there were very limited perfect observation points. Of course, good observation points had many people around, so there were also quite a few people who had taken seats and prepared to watch the fireworks while eating. Due to traffic control, vehicles couldn't come through, so many people occupied positions directly on the road.

"In the end, everywhere is full of people. Should we just walk around while watching?"

The experienced Tenma proposed this and no one opposed him. Fortunately, Suzuka had bought enough food. She charged them preposterous prices for it because of the matter of her name from before, but Harutora and the others obediently lowered their heads and paid, maybe because their stomachs had long since been empty while they walked on the road. Incidentally, what Harutora bought was a pound cake that Suzuka had eaten half of. It was so large that it was understandable that Suzuka didn't want to eat the whole thing, and though it was a bit cold, it was still extremely delicious.

"Ah, I haven't eaten any of what Natsume has. Let me have a bite."

"Eh? Ah, okay, go ahead."

"Hey, Suzuka-chan, you're eating too messily."

"Touji! That's a can of beer--"

"You're wrong. It's a carbonated malt beverage."

"If you wanted to get away with it, you should have at least said it was non-alcoholic beer."

Harutora and the others walked along noisily. Right as they reached a crossroads:

In the distance--

Bang!

A noise resounded and the surrounding visitors started cheering.

Harutora and the others quickly looked up. Then, the first firework bloomed on the other side of the crossroads into the night sky still colored in twilight. Then the second. The third. Fourth. The air shook as if from a festival taiko drum, and beautiful colors shone in the night sky. The blue-tinted sky was painted in gorgeous rainbow colors. The six of them stopped moving and silently immersed themselves in the same scenery.

Enormous fireworks blossomed in the sky and scattered in the air.

The constant, uninterrupted reverberations and brilliance repeatedly made dazzling performances. Upon seeing such a magnificent scene, everyone's hearts were slowly filled with simple wonder and joy. They temporarily forgot about the emotions that burdened them like resentment, pain, and grief.

"......It's so pretty."

Natsume quietly mumbled. Everyone present probably held the same thoughts.

Suzuka's body shivered, her eyes sparkling.

"Hey, hey! Let's get closer!"

"You don't need to be in such a hurry. There are still a lot of fireworks, it's going to continue for a whole hour."

"Tenma's right. Suzuka-chan, don't mix into a group of people, you'll disappear because you're short--"

"Don't force on the 'chan'! And I don't need you worrying about me!"

"Okay, okay, Suzuka. For now, let's all walk together while watching."

"Yeah. If it's really no good, we just need to fly a simple shikigami into the air to watch......"

"No, Natsume-chan. That's too boring. It's prettier when you watch with your own eyes."

The group chatted with each other, and the voices of even the members other than Suzuka became more and more excited. In that time, fireworks continuously exploded in the distant sky, shooting faint light into the surroundings. As the curtain of night finally fell, the gorgeous fireworks led the visitors into an excited mood.

Harutora and the others all broke out into smiles and started walking again. Their gazes were directed at the sky, and their strides were slow and natural.

Kyouko glanced at her phone.

"......So slow. Is she really coming?"

She quietly muttered to herself. Harutora noticed and asked "What is it?", but Kyouko just smiled and shook her head without explanation.

Harutora and the others pa.s.sed through one gap between buildings after another following Tenma's lead, searching for a suitable observation point. Though it was hard to focus on watching the fireworks with this method, it wouldn't feel crowded. Suzuka seemed to be in a hurry, but this wasn't bad.

Then,

"Oh, that overpa.s.s seems pretty good, doesn't it?"

At their second crossroads, Touji looked up and mentioned indifferently. As they looked over, the lovers who had just been watching from the overpa.s.s had just decided to change places and had walked down. It happened to be empty right now.

Suzuka's expression changed and she pointed a finger.

"Bakatora, sprint!"

"Me again, huh."

Harutora helplessly charged up to the overpa.s.s, occupying a position in the corner.

"Ah, we can see very clearly."

He only realized when he reached the corner of the overpa.s.s that they could see the location of the shooting from a gap between buildings. Though they were a bit far, this was enough. In addition, this place had a light breeze and it was cooler than walking. Suzuka chased after Harutora, grasping the railing and leaning forward. She stared at the brightly-blooming fireworks while letting out childish cheers.

The other four also walked into the overpa.s.s.

"Ah, nice. We can see very clearly from here. Let's watch from here for a while before moving on."

Everyone followed Tenma and lined up along the overpa.s.s rails, leaning in the same direction.

Their smiles were dyed white by the light of the fireworks as they all watched. They wordlessly stared at the colorfully-blooming fireworks, and then pointed fingers in pleasant surprise like characters in an anime as a particularly bright firework exploded and dyed the night sky gold. They all held their breath in antic.i.p.ation until the glittering sparkles of light vanished completely.

Then, the continuous fireworks roused their laughter again. Every famous fireworks festival was stunning.

"Also, the wind's pretty nice."

Touji sighed. They noticed that Touji had taken off his bandanna at some point, letting the air brush his forehead.

"It's really cool here, what a catch."

"Yeah. Walking here was really sweaty. Kurahashi - no, Kyouko-chan must also be very hot since you're wearing a yukata."

"Hehe. Though yukatas look cool[6], they're actually not. T-shirts are more comfortable. But Natsume-chan, you're probably the hottest, right?"

"I, I'm already used to these clothes."

"Is that so? It's a rare opportunity then, let's go shopping for clothes together next time."

"Really That would be great."

"Hey! You guys! Hurry up and watch the fireworks! The fireworks! You can look at Kyouko in a yukata however much you want later!"

"Oh, Suzuka-chan. Don't speak so coldly."

"Haha. This place really has a good view though. It seems like we'll be able to enjoy it till the end--"

"Ah, I'm out of c.o.ke. Bakatora, go buy some."

"Why is it always me! Also, weren't you watching the fireworks!?"

"Shut up, I even gave you the pound cake."

Suzuka took out her wallet from her bag, thrusting a hundred-yen coin into Harutora's hand. Even though Harutora wrinkled his face and complained "That's not enough", she pretended not to hear.

"Harutora."

Even Touji also tossed him a coin.

"Get me a bottle of carbonated malt beverage. The carbonated beverage the starts with a 'chu' and ends with a 'hai'.[7]"

"Eh? Eh. ......Anyone else? I'm going anyway, so I might as well help everyone buy something, right?"

Harutora made himself available for orders in resignation, and Tenma smiled and chose an oolong tea. Kyouko said "Then, I want lemonade"...

She nudged Natsume with her elbow.

She whispered to Natsume, who turned around:

"......You have to fulfill your promise."

She smiled and winked. Natsume immediately understood what she meant and blushed.

"Natsume? What do you want?"

"Eh? Ah, I, I'll go with you. You won't be able to carry it yourself."

"Ah, there won't be a problem. I'll just put them in a bag--"

"N-No! I haven't decided yet, so I'll go! I-I'll go with you!"

Natsume pulled on Harutora's arm and forced him to walk at a brisk pace. Harutora staggered and followed Natsume away from the guardrail. Do your best. Tenma, the only one who heard Kyouko's quiet encouragement, tilted his head.

Harutora walked down the stairs to the overpa.s.s as Natsume dragged him.

"Hey, hey, Natsume! That's dangerous!"

"Ah! S-Sorry!"

Natsume let go in a panic after seeing Harutora almost fall down. Harutora walked next to Natsume with a wry smile.

For the time being, the two of them strolled around looking for a convenience store. Though they couldn't see the fireworks behind the buildings, the sound still came to them from afar. The warm air swayed, mixing with the cheers of the visitors. Such a high temperature should have been very unpleasant, but his mood was inexplicably relaxed.

"Natsume, aren't those clothes hot, like Kyouko said?"

"I, I'm fine. Because I'm drinking water properly."

"And your hair's so long. Summer must be uncomfortable for you."

"It is compared to Harutora's...... But you really don't need to worry. I don't hate the summer."

They chatted to each other about meaningless topics, pa.s.sing through the sightseers. They had thought there were already enough people when they had entered Asakusa, but they hadn't thought that even more would squeeze in after the fireworks started. Things would be tough when they went back. Harutora inadvertently sighed.

He glanced at Natsume next to him.

"......It's great."

"Eh?"

"The fireworks. It was great that we came here."

"......Yeah. It was."

Natsume smiled at Harutora. Harutora realized even more that it had been the correct decision to come see the fireworks when he saw her smile.

"Kyouko's so cool."

"Is that how you should praise a girl?"

"But you understand too, right?"

"Yeah, I admire her a lot."

"Touji, Tenma, and Suzuka. Everyone's good people."

"Yeah, I think so too."

"It's great that I was able to come to Tokyo. I'm glad I could live with everyone like this."

"......Yeah."

Natsume fidgeted upon hearing Harutora's somewhat exaggerated feelings.

"I think it was great that you could come to Tokyo too. My hard work paid off."

She said a bit proudly.

"Huh? What hard work?"

"Eh? Ah, um! ......Um, the ema[8]...... and other things......"

Natsume lowered her head in panic, mumbling. She was almost completely silent at the end and he couldn't hear what exactly she had said. Harutora looked at Natsume a bit strangely, but she stammered with her head still lowered.

"What's wrong?"

"N......Nothing......"

She replied with a blush. Harutora knitted his brow, but soon relaxed and continued looking for a convenience store. Natsume repeatedly glanced at Harutora out of the corner of her eye, starting to check on him.

The expression she watched Harutora with seemed like she had something she wanted to say. But Harutora didn't notice her gaze.

Natsume hesitated for quite a long time.

"H-Harutora-kun."

"Hmm?"

"Um...... well......!"

"What? What is it?"

"W-Were the fireworks fun?"

"Ah, yeah. We really have to come see this when in the summer!"

"I-It's already been a year."

"Yeah. Well, although we didn't have the time to watch last year's fireworks......"

Just then, Harutora suddenly thought of something.

Suzuka's joyful appearance emerged in his mind. Come to think of it, Suzuka's eyes had been sparkling in Harutora's countryside fireworks festival too. Suzuka's life had been completely immersed in magic before, and it seemed that she had no experience with fireworks or summer festivals.

Natsume was probably the same, with just a difference in degree. Thinking back, his parents had once led him and Natsume to a festival together. But that was already a childhood memory from quite a long time ago.

"Come to think of it, Natsume. The last time we watched fireworks was a long time ago, right?"

"Th-That's not true. Last year......"

Natsume suddenly went silent when she reached that point.

"Last year? Huh? Did you see fireworks in Tokyo last year?"

Natsume had been in the Onmyou Academy alone until Harutora and Touji had come to Tokyo, and she probably hadn't had any friends to go see fireworks with. Could she have gone alone? Harutora looked at Natsume, waiting for her reply. But Natsume stayed silent.

...Huh?

Something was a bit strange. Just as Harutora noticed something, their surroundings changed.

Harutora and Natsume had arrived in the neighborhood parking lot. There were several shop stands here.

"Oh, perfect. We'll buy the drinks here."

"Y-Yeah......"

These weren't dedicated commercial stores. Several long folding tables were set up underneath a tent that one would commonly see at an athletic compet.i.tion, probably set up by the town council or some kind of local organization. They were selling fried noodles and corn, and cold drinks inside an industrial ice box filled with ice. Also, there was a household inflatable water pool and a small balloon-fishing game inside.

"Eh. It feels homemade, but this isn't bad."

To put it nastily, this kind of shop was set up to trick children and rarely had patrons. But it was fortunate that there were few customers. Harutora came to the tent to ask about prices and Natsume followed behind him.

Harutora suddenly stopped in front of a certain tent.

There was a shelf set up inside with several objects lined up on it in intervals. There was a long table in front of it with a group of toy guns.

A shooting game.

"Hey Natsume, look, this is--"

Harutora thought of last summer and excitedly turned towards Natsume.

He met Natsume's gaze.

His childhood friend seemed to be a bit disoriented, staring at Harutora with her lips pressed together. Her eyes showed a similar understanding. As he was about to speak, it unconsciously flashed through Harutora's mind that she had an expression that showed she already knew what Harutora was going to say.

Seeing the same scene--

Remembering the same memories--

That kind of expression...

Harutora, his head turned, didn't continue speaking. His body was firmly convinced before his mind, and his heartbeat accelerated.

Natsume, last year.

Fireworks festival.

Shooting game.

Harutora's gaze turned from Natsume's eyes to the pink ribbon tied in her hair.

His first time trying a shooting game. The cork bullet that hadn't been able to hit at all. Finally getting a bubble-blowing set. The pink ribbon decorating the box, which matched her Yukata. Her tying it in her hair--

Hokuto's pink ribbon.

"......Natsume, you......"

Time twisted for the two of them.

Natsume, dressed in a black uniform, overlapped with Hokuto in her black yukata in front of Harutora's eyes. The pink ribbon in Hokuto's hair connected with the pink ribbon also tied in Natsume's hair.

In Harutora's mind, the eyes in which had emerged embarra.s.sment and tension melded together with the eyes of Hokuto as she wept and shouted that night. Harutora's perception of time instantly staggered.

Bang. A firework bloomed in the night sky.

Beautiful light illuminated Natsume's body.

Harutora stood still wordlessly.

Natsume stared at Harutora with moist eyes.

In this moment, Natsume seemed like someone that he would think of as 'how beautiful' at first glance......

"......Found you."

Their world shattered.

Harutora momentarily felt like he was drowning as he was pulled back into reality. He came to his senses at the same time as Natsume and then turned towards the direction of the voice at the same time.

"......Takiko-san."

Souma Takiko stood at the entrance to the parking lot.

An awe-inspiring, resolute expression appeared on the girl underneath the illumination of the fireworks. Her determined, piercing look made them unable to help but think of a young priest about to face her G.o.d.

Takiko wore the same clothes as yesterday, a white Onmyou Academy uniform. She seemed to be carrying something, which was very strange and didn't suit the atmosphere here. At first glance, they couldn't recognize what it was. After a few seconds, as the shock created from Takiko's sudden appearance subsided, they finally realized it.

It was a birdcage.

Takiko was carrying an old birdcage made of bra.s.s. The interior was empty, with nothing at all......

No.

There was something. A big bird that didn't match the birdcage's size. A raven was shut inside, he just hadn't seen because it blended in with the darkness.

A raven.

Gooseb.u.mps rose on Harutora's skin.

"......Tsuchimikado Harutora."

Takiko called out to him directly. Her att.i.tude was clearly different from yesterday.

"Please believe that what I'm doing is for your sake. It's the best choice, for both you and us."

"What are you saying?"

Harutora started becoming alert and took a stance. Though that was an expected reaction, Takiko had a hurt expression she couldn't hide, as if her only friend had shot her a hateful glance.

She hung her head sadly, but didn't give up, looking at Natsume instead. Natsume also confronted Takiko with a stiff expression.

"Natsume."

Takiko spoke politely.

"I'm sympathetic to you. But if I make Harutora awaken, you'll definitely also become our 'companion'. Though you'll be lost and confused at the start, in the end you'll definitely--"

"Takiko!"

Harutora shouted, interrupting her words. Takiko started shaking.

"That's enough. I clearly told you that you weren't worthy of trust."

Takiko's face paled. Harutora knew that what he said had hurt the girl, and painful feelings also spilled forth in his heart. But he had to say it, he couldn't just let it go.

"......You understand the reason we can't trust you too, right? To be honest, we know that you have various problems and that you're a bit strange, but you shouldn't be a bad person. Though I'm not too sure why, I truly think that I like you. Normally, we would have become good friends a long time ago. But......"

Harutora's eyes were full of energy.

"But that's impossible. If you keep doing as you did before, we can only reject you. Be honest and tell us everything. Everything, from the beginning to the end without concealing anything. We'll listen seriously until you finish. If you say you can't do it...... then there's no helping it. Please don't appear in front of us like this."

"......Harutora......"

Tears welled up in Takiko's widened eyes. Her listless appearance as she stood there was frightening and defenseless. A pang ran through Harutora's chest again, but he didn't change his att.i.tude, staring motionlessly at Takiko.

The sightseers nearby noticed the strange conversation between Harutora and the others and deliberately stopped.

"......Takiko."

Natsume returned to her male voice.

"It's like Harutora says. We might be able to help you. I hope that...... you'll be able to tell us the truth."

Her tone was full of sincerity. He thought of what Natsume had said yesterday, that Takiko resembled her former self. These were probably Natsume's honest feelings. Even Natsume wanted to approach Takiko as much as possible.

But--

Upon hearing Natsume's sincerity-filled words, Takiko showed a resigned smile instead. She made her decision.

"Thank you."

Takiko announced.

"I'm very happy, Natsume. But telling the truth won't do. I can't do something like facing you honestly without concealing anything. Even if I could do it, it would be no good for you either. After all, you're...... a girl, right? You've already been cursed to disguise yourself like this."

Stunned, Harutora and Natsume went speechless. Takiko smiled coldly upon seeing them.

"Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi--"

She let out a hateful voice, still wearing a smile.

"...I'll let you watch me break your curse."

Harutora and Natsume instinctively took stances. At the same time, Kon materialized in front of them. The sudden appearance of the girl frightened the surrounding visitors, but Kon gripped her blade without paying them any heed.

A battle was about to break out. But Takiko was almost indifferent to their reactions. Her body's aura swelled and she inhaled powerfully.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten--"

She stared at Harutora, slowly chanting an incantation. The incantation he had never heard before resounded with a buzz--

"...Furube, yura yura to, furube."

Takiko's hair danced and rose from her head like snakes of flame. At the same time, the ornaments scattered in her hair resonated with her aura and started shaking at a high speed.

There were ten in total.

"Lingering Spirit Calling!"[9]

Natsume shouted dumbly. But the voices around them slowly distanced themselves from Harutora, and that shout became the final sound he heard.

His vision narrowed and his perception thinned. His heart accelerated - he seemed to feel that, but the feeling also began becoming murky. These were the same symptoms as during the mock battle. But their force was on a different level. He couldn't resist, as if his consciousness was being forcibly stripped from his body. He didn't know if he was standing or if he had already collapsed. All of his senses left him, and the only thing left around him was the buzzing, resounding incantation and the aura surrounding him.

Natsume--

Would that word he wanted to give voice to be able to become sound?

In the next moment, Harutora's aura burst forth.

She had trembled when she faced the Nue and despaired when she faced Doman. But the first time she clearly realized she was going to die was in the battle against Shaver.

An overwhelming opponent.

True killing intent.

But even if she and Harutora had died in battle together, she wouldn't have had any regrets. if there was a world after death, wouldn't being reborn there be unexpectedly relaxing?

If even she could make friends and enjoy life in ways that she didn't even dare to imagine......

It might be more relaxing compared to timidly feeling out and walking through the darkness or compared to squandering her life facing a future that she didn't look forward to.

It was better to die without knowing anything than to face a fated, rending despair.

She inadvertently thought of such things. If she could welcome the final moment together with Harutora, she would be satisfied and consider it an unexpected fortune.

But.

Harutora definitely wouldn't agree. Harutora definitely wouldn't think death was a good thing, nor would he be satisfied.

Then, she hoped that Harutora could live on. She hoped he could live on forever and ever. Then, if Harutora still lived, she would also want to live. With him and next to him.

She hoped that they could share their experiences and conquer the difficulties before them together.

But--

◎

Harutora's aura burst forth.

"Harutora-kun!"

Strength had already flooded from Harutora's body like a raging torrent before Natsume screamed. The strength bursting in all directions wasn't magical energy carrying Harutora's consciousness, but rather pure spiritual power. Moreover, the amount and density reached a level where it would endanger Harutora's surroundings.

...This was bad!

Kon, who endured her master's aura, started swaying and soon fainted after shouting "Ah", collapsing powerlessly. Natsume also unconsciously put up a simple barrier to protect herself, but Harutora's spiritual energy almost shattered the barrier. The customers of the stores and the shop workers noticed the abnormality without even having to look and screamed loudly as they fled in all directions.

Several fireworks shot out above her head again. Natsume cried out in the surrounding commotion.

"Harutora-kun!"

But Harutora still didn't respond no matter how loudly Natsume shouted. His eyes were empty and he didn't move. His consciousness clearly hadn't returned to normal.

His strength was going out of control, and that wasn't it.

"What did you do to him!?"

She roared at Takiko. But Takiko was focused on her magic. Her red hair danced in the air as her hair ornaments swayed while vibrating rapidly.

Ten hair accessories. [10]

They swayed lightly to and fro.

"As I thought!"

...Lingering Spirit Calling Magic!

Natsume knew the incantation Takiko had chanted just now. She had used a magic called 'Sacred Words', an incantation used in concert with ten artifacts known as 'Ten Sacred Treasures'. But the 'Ten Sacred Treasures' were artifacts deeply hidden in mystery, and there were no records of them in ancient records or in texts like the Nihon Shoki. It was only viewed as a divine mystery because of pa.s.sing allusion in the Sendai Kuji Hongi[11] and the law-related text 'Ryo no Gige'.

These ten treasures were the Okitsu Kagami, Hetsu Kagami, Yatsuka no Tsurugi, Iku Tama, Makaru Tama, Taru Tama, Chikaeshi no Tama, Hebi no Hire, Hachi no Hire, and the Shimamono no Hire. One could exercise divine might by chanting an incantation in concert with these treasures. But when this magic was used in the ancient 'c.h.i.n.konsai'[12], ten 'jades' were prepared to parallel the 'Ten Sacred Treasures', and the swaying 'yura yura' technique was used. Takiko had used her hair decorations as 'jades' to reenact the ancient magic. Those decorations themselves were special magical tools.[13]

But,

...Why!

Lingering Spirit Calling was a magic belonging to Imperial Onmyoudou and was currently designated as banned magic. The reason was that Lingering Spirit Calling was 'soul-related magic', just like its name. The magic was cloaked in mystery, and it was so strong that it could even 'revive the dead'.

"What do you want!? What are you doing to Harutora-kun!?"

She questioned Takiko again, but the red-haired girl still didn't budge. Though the aura coming off of her body was nothing compared to Harutora's, it was still respectable for a first-cla.s.s pract.i.tioner.

"......Natsume-dono......"

A feeble voice made her come to her senses. It was Kon. She crouched beside Harutora, unable to even stand. The strength coming from her master had increased by a lot, but that couldn't be seen at all. As expected, this was different from his aura purely going out of control.

Afterwards, Kon didn't even make a sound, but her intent had already been completely conveyed to Natsume. Even if Harutora's condition wasn't a simple loss of control, he was undoubtedly releasing an intense aura. If this continued, it was very likely that his aura would be exhausted. She had to stop it soon.

Natsume focused her determination and she reached for her charm. The charm Ohtomo had made.

But,

"...Don't move."

A sudden motion came. The aura made Natsume inadvertently back off. A young man she had seen before appeared in front of her. It was Takiko's shikigami, who had appeared at the end of the mock battle yesterday. She seemed to recall that he was called k.u.momaru.

"Back off!"

She swung her hand and roared. But k.u.momaru stubbornly stayed between them, making no motion to let her pa.s.s. Natsume's blood boiled.

"Order!"

Natsume swiftly turned to charms when she realized that she couldn't resolve this relying on words and released one. A fire-element charm. The opponent was a shikigami. She had used a charm from point-blank range without holding back. But--

It was ineffective.

k.u.momaru didn't even take a defensive stance. He just stood there indifferently, his entire body was immersed in scorching flames. Not even a little bit of lag was produced on the shikigami, shocking Natsume into speechlessness. Then was the next charm magic. She released an earth-element charm, a metal-element charm, and a wood-element charm one after another using Five Elements Mutual Generation. She changed to a magic focusing on speed, raising the magic's power in the blink of an eye and shooting out a high-density stream of water.

But,

"It's no use."

k.u.momaru easily blocked the jet of water produced after Mutual Generation with the palm of his right hand. The exploding torrent of water shot into the surroundings, splashing into a storm-like whirlpool of magical energy, but the shikigami didn't budge. Natsume instantly doubted her own eyes, feeling as if she were caught in an illusion.

k.u.momaru flung off the drops of water on his right hand, slowly proclaiming to Natsume from the center of the magical energy whirlpool.

"I don't want to hurt you. Please be cooperative for now."

The eyes k.u.momaru looked at Natsume with were full of anguish and compa.s.sion, as if he had known Natsume for a long time.

Natsume gritted her teeth.

This shikigami, his master Takiko, and the Yakou fanatics were all like this. They always put on an expression as if they understood Natsume the best and pretended to know everything while blindly pushing their expectations of Natsume onto her. What did they know about her? She wanted to question him loudly and couldn't hold back.

"...Come, Hokuto!"

Right now wasn't the time to hold back. A strong aura appeared, answering Natsume's summons. A golden ribbon of light even more brilliant than the flowers of light dancing in the night sky extended and grew.

A dragon giving off a divine aura appeared, leisurely looking down below it.

What the dragon saw was aura running out of control, Harutora standing still like a soulless sh.e.l.l and a shikigami with an appalling spiritual pressure, k.u.momaru. And Takiko, who looked like she was being possessed by a divine spirit.

The Hokuto whom she had always been able to keep cool-headed had become more dignified along with its master's growth. The dragon instantly picked up Natsume's intentions, twisting its body in midair and charging at k.u.momaru like lightning.

k.u.momaru perfectly avoided the pouncing dragon, and Hokuto also stopped itself before crashing into the ground, pursuing k.u.momaru as if crawling along the ground. k.u.momaru dodged and Hokuto chased. The dragon's giant body cleanly smashed the surrounding tents out of the way.

k.u.momaru's movements momentarily slowed. His body swayed, dragging his right leg as he slipped through the air. Unexpectedly, Kon had pulled off this surprise move. She had originally been in a condition where it was hard for her to move, but she had still approached k.u.momaru by surprise while he was avoiding Hokuto and slashed at his right leg from behind his back with her wakizashi.

k.u.momaru turned a somersault and leaped into the air, and Hokuto rapidly soared into the air to fight with him. It was as if it had cooperated with Kon for this perfect opportunity. k.u.momaru, who couldn't move at will in the air, shouldn't be able to dodge.

But,

"...Namu Great Bodhisattva Hachiman."

k.u.momaru chanted an incantation in midair and brought his hands together. Aura instantly exploded from his clapped hands.

The burst of aura hit the approaching Hokuto head-on, and though the somewhat-cowed Hokuto bared its fangs and continued to chase, the momentum of its attack had been weakened and k.u.momaru twisted his body to dodge. Moreover, using Hokuto's horn as a foothold, he slowly kicked off down to the ground.

Natsume held her breath in shock.

...Just now, that was!

It wasn't magic. No, in theory it would be cla.s.sified as belonging to first-cla.s.s magic, but it was different from magic that used methods. It was close to Harutora's going out of control in a sense. It was a primitive magic that had appeared before 'techniques'.

In any case, Natsume's charm magic from before was a drop in the bucket against this kind of might. She became conscious again of how frighteningly strong this shikigami was.

"...Give up."

Even while facing Hokuto, k.u.momaru still wasn't fl.u.s.tered. His att.i.tude felt more 'troublesome' than Shaver's excited, blade-swinging att.i.tude. It was unfathomable.

But in that moment, k.u.momaru also panicked. He hastily leaped off the ground, practically flying back to his master - to Takiko.

Then.

A group of white paper shikigami poured towards Takiko like an avalanche.

"Suzuka-san!"

The shikigami slid between the approaching group of shikigami and his master by a hair's breadth, swinging his arms as if scattering mist. A fearsome spiritual pressure burst out and Suzuka's group of shikigami were swept away like true paper. But just then, the 'next person' charged up, giving off demonic aura, his armor flashing with an exorbitant will to fight.

It was Touji.

"Take this!"

With a splitting roar and the force of a cannon, the living spirit-empowered Touji smashed his fist into k.u.momaru. But k.u.momaru blocked Touji's strike, with the strength of his whole body, directly with just one hand. The arm he gripped Touji's fist with just shook slightly.

Touji shouted happily from under his iron helmet. Then, he started fighting. He continuously punched, kicked, and swiped at the enemy, giving him no breathing room. k.u.momaru caught, avoided, and counterattacked as much as he could. He kept his master behind him and didn't retreat half a step. In addition, he even slowly advanced, pushing Touji back as he unleashed a storm of attacks.

Touji remained immersed in his attack and continued to fight strongly; however, k.u.momaru was unfazed. Never mind overcoming his impregnable defenses, he didn't even budge. But Touji still didn't let up. He had other things to try.

"......Natsume!"

There was no need for him to remind her, as Natsume had already realized Touji's intent. While Touji was entangled with k.u.momaru, she charged towards Harutora with all her might. She gripped Ohtomo's charm in her hand again.

Just as k.u.momaru noticed their intent,

"Order!"

Natsume threw the charm at Harutora.