Tokyo Ravens Volume 10 Chapter 5

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The stern yet alluring voice of a mature woman. The instant that mantra sounded in her mind, Akino's breathing momentarily stopped and her ears stood straight up.

In addition to Akino, shocked expressions even surfaced on Natsume and the Mystical Investigator named Yamashiro with that sudden voice.

But unlike the purely shocked Akino, the two seemed to already know who exactly the master of the voice was.

"That voice just now!"

"d.a.m.n, he's already here!?"

They turned their gazes towards the mountaintop as they shouted.

Then, Akino realized who exactly the master of the voice just now was from the reactions of the two of them.

...Tsuchimikado Harutora had come! Natsume's childhood friend was here!

Huh, but the voice just now had been a female voice. Could it be that Tsuchimikado Harutora was a woman? Or maybe he had ascended the mountain with a woman. No matter which possibility it was, Tsuchimikado Harutora was already at Seishuku Temple, that was for sure.

...Natsume......!?

Fretfulness that she had never before showed was on Natsume's face. Fretfulness - along with anxiety, antic.i.p.ation, and even a little bit of dread were mixed together into an extremely complex expression.

"You've started getting a bit panicked. But since my target's already arrived, I don't have the time. I'll quickly finish you right away."

Yamashiro declared coldly, controlling the group of eye-catching black kodoku.

"......That's my line."

Flashing electricity crackled as it flowed over Natsume's entire body. Yamashiro snorted, unleashing the kodoku again.

Natsume fearlessly stood in front of Akino, facing the approaching group of kodoku. Lightning filled her vision with a crash and Akino desperately held back from crying out.

Akino felt like she had entered another world in this vortex of intense vibrations and rumbling that she was experiencing for the first time in her life. Lightning struck next to her again and again. The ears on her head were also flattened as her legs trembled, unable to move. Even checking the surrounding situation was very difficult.

She didn't even have room to step into that kind of intense magic battle. All she could do was back up as much as possible to make sure she didn't obstruct Natsume from moving back.

So at least,

"T-Tengu-san! Please help Natsume!"

Even though her request was so irrational, Akino still shouted. She shouted while moving as far from Natsume and Yamashiro as she could, running away from the terrifying thunder.

Then, she fell down.

...Ah, honestly!

How slow did she have to be? But she didn't have time to sigh about it. She adjusted her crooked gla.s.ses, breaking into a run again.

But the next moment, a mysterious loss of energy pa.s.sed over Akino. Akino staggered and almost fell down again, hastily stopping herself.

...Eh? What was that?

At the same time as she suddenly noticed something was wrong, Akino realized that the rumbling thunder had also vanished.

"Natsume!?'

She hastily turned around and spotted Natsume there down on one knee. Akino was frozen with terror for a moment. It wasn't just the electricity that had vanished, as even the group of kodoku Yamashiro controlled had also disappeared. Then, Yamashiro looked up, cursing fiercely, "d.a.m.n!"

"What's up with that barrier!? A magical array? Did Jougen do this?"

Yamashiro was angry. Then, Akino also noticed that even her rabbit ears had vanished.

Though she didn't really understand, it appeared that all magic-related things had suddenly been rendered ineffective. It was probably related to Tsuchimikado Harutora arriving at the mountain. The reason that Natsume was kneeling was definitely related to magic becoming ineffective. She was a living spirit like Akino.

But Natsume's situation was even more severe than Akino, who just felt a loss of energy. Her face was pale and her body couldn't move. Right now, she was practically collapsed on the ground.

...Could it be!

It wasn't just because she was a living spirit, it was probably also related to how she had already died and been resurrected. In that case, wouldn't Natsume fall into quite a dangerous state when magic was sealed?

"Tch! I guess I have to!" On the other hand, Yamashiro, who had lost his kodoku and whose magic had been sealed, fished something out of his clothes with a grim expression.

It was a pistol. Akino's expression changed.

"I won't kill you. But don't blame me if you still try to resist and I shoot your leg. In any case, you have no chance of victory if magic is sealed. Give up!"

Yamashiro approached Natsume without any regard for her reply. Natsume slumped on the ground on one knee, glaring at Yamashiro through her scattered black hair. Though an endless fighting spirit shot out of her eyes, her face was bloodless and her forehead was heavily sweating. Even though the gun-toting Mystical Investigator was already close by, Natsume didn't seem like she would be standing up anytime soon.

Natsume's condition was very dangerous. Akino reflexively rushed to Natsume's side. But someone was already standing between Natsume and Yamashiro, even faster than Akino.

The shikigami named Tengu.

Yamashiro stopped.

The tengu shikigami was also affected by the barrier. Lag was all over his body, and his figure had almost vanished already. Even so, the shikigami stood sluggishly between the two of them, facing Yamashiro face-to-face in order to stop him.

"Hey. Don't get in the way."

Yamashiro growled indifferently. The gun sounded and the lag on the shikigami's body became even more severe.

Of course, Akino shouted "Stop" with a paled face, but Yamashiro didn't pay attention at all. One shot, two shots[1]. Yamashiro continuously opened fire. He fired to make the shikigami's movements even slower to stop the shikigami while closing in on Natsume bit by bit.

Just then, the situation changed again.

Suddenly, the strange loss of energy inside Akino's body vanished.

The barrier rendering magic ineffective had been released. Natsume's eyes flashed as she staggered up. Yamashiro raised the gun in a panic, but the hand he gripped the gun with had been grabbed tightly by a hand as thick as a log extending from the shikigami next to him.

Yamashiro glared, immediately forming a blade seal with his left hand and slashing at the shikigami's arm. While the lag cleared away, Yamashiro rapidly withdrew his right hand and retreated. But the pistol dropped from his hand onto the ground.

The tengu shikigami stepped on Yamashiro's dropped pistol.

Then, Tengu crushed the pistol into sc.r.a.p with a heavy impact.

"You!?"

Yamashiro began preparing with the charms he took out like magic after pulling away. But at that point, Natsume had already prepared for battle again. Electricity filled Natsume's body and she held many charms in her two hands to confront Yamashiro. Akino stopped and held her breath again. She felt that a magic battle would start again between these two people and the tengu shikigami in the middle.

But the tengu shikigami standing motionless between the two of them quietly said something inaudible.

Natsume and Yamashiro stopped moving at the same time. The shikigami straightened the back it had been hunching before, turning its gaze in the direction of the foot of the mountain - the north side of the North Star Mountain. Akino swiftly followed its gaze. The sound of something moving came from within the dense, lush forest.

The sound of something very large moving.

Akino rematerialized the rabbit ears that had vanished because of the barrier. As Akino stuck her ears up, the presence she felt immediately became clear to her. The sound of bark rapidly splitting apart and branches cracking came to her. Also, a mechanical sound of metal rubbing together.

Then, the moment Akino thought of trying to see what was in the forest, a giant body of metal rushed into the battlefield, kicking aside the giant cedar trees.

That giant body of metal had the form of a spider. A strange spider - Tsuchigumo.

"That--!?"

"An Armored Juggernaut!? How! Why is it here?"

Natsume and Yamashiro exclaimed in shock. With that, the Tsuchigumo heading towards the mountaintop abruptly stopped.

On the Tsuchigumo's torso was the upper body of a samurai wearing ancient armor. The iron helmet that covered its face turned to Natsume and the others.

A hazy flame shimmered in the depths of the empty face inside the iron mask. The moment those empty eyes caught Natsume and the others, they seemed to turn flashing and radiant. The eight steel legs supporting its torso moved up and down intensely as if they felt happy at spotting their enemy.

Then, it charged straight towards Natsume and the others.

"What!?"

Yamashiro hastily retreated. Natsume and the tengu shikigami also fled from the linearly-charging Tsuchigumo in a panic.

Even though it looked quite ma.s.sive from the outside, the Tsuchigumo's movements were extremely fast. The Tsuchigumo immediately adjusted its direction the moment its charge was dodged and charged straight ahead again. A momentum as if it were yelling 'chaaarge'. It was a strange-seeming body of metal, but why did it feel so terrifyingly powerful?

"Could it be...... Did Tsuchimikado Harutora bring this here!?"

Yamashiro dodged the second charge with all his might as he roared. Even if he could use magic, he still wasn't an opponent who could face the Tsuchigumo head-to-head. After all, the opponent was a spider as powerful as a tank. Though Akino didn't know exactly what kind of thing the 'Armored Juggernaut' was, she felt that it would be impossible for a pure human to win against it head-to-head.

The Tsuchigumo samurai charged towards Yamashiro while spitting silk from its mouth.

Its target was Natsume. Natsume crackled with lightning, incinerating the spider silk. But the lightning that attacked the Tsuchigumo's main body at the same time barely harmed the Tsuchigumo at all. The Tsuchigumo's movements were just slightly delayed by lag, and although it fully endured the blow, it was unharmed.

The Tsuchigumo freely swung its eight legs while charging and spitting spider silk around it, toying with Natsume and Yamashiro. The two of them managed to escape it since the Tsuchigumo was targeting both of them at once, but the Tsuchigumo showed no signs of slowing down at all. Before anyone knew it, the tengu shikigami had already moved away from the two of them, watching the freely-rampaging Tsuchigumo.

The Tsuchigumo rapidly stampeded back and forth with abandon. It wasn't like a machine at all, as its movements were filled with vigor. But it had quite the ma.s.s after all, and the surroundings shook constantly like an earthquake. Akino and the others barely managed to stay balanced.

But, "Eek!?"

The rampaging Tsuchigumo charged at the frozen Akino. More accurately, the position the Tsuchigumo turned through just happened to be where Akino was. Akino's ears shot up as if she had been p.r.i.c.ked and prepared to escape in a panic.

Then, she fell down.

"Akino!?"

Frightened, Natsume immediately released a lightning strike. She probably wanted to hold back the Tsuchigumo. The lightning strike dropped straight on the Tsuchigumo's body. But never mind being harmed, the Tsuchigumo's speed didn't even drop. Its eight legs trampled the ground as it charged towards the fallen Akino.

Akino felt that she was going to die.

But the moment before it squashed Akino, the Tsuchigumo suddenly stopped moving.

Its giant body slid to the side because of the effects of inertia. Akino cradled her head as she lay on the ground, but fortunately, the Tsuchigumo raised its body above her and deliberately raised the legs that were about to touch Akino as it deftly dodged her and flew out. The Tsuchigumo finally managed to stop after it had completely pa.s.sed over Akino.

Akino's ears stuck up as she lay on the ground and she looked around. Then, she raised her head and saw that the Tsuchigumo that had flown over her head had changed its direction and was peering at Akino. Akino met the samurai's gaze.

Her mind had become blank.

A hazy light slowly swayed inside the iron helmet that symbolized anger. She felt an illusion as if the samurai's look were conveying something like "Tch, a civilian". Just an ordinary complaint. The Tsuchigumo soon lost interest in Akino and took aim to charge at Yamashiro who was staring on in shock.

Akino blinked in surprise.

...I-It seems like it let me go just now!

While Akino was still s.p.a.cing out on the ground,

"Akino! Are you hurt?"

Natsume ran over, speaking as she helped Akino up.

"N-Natsume? What, what's going on?"

"The Armored Juggernaut - one of the military shikigami that Yakou made."

"M-Military shikigami?"

"Yeah. Though I fought one once...... it feels completely different. ......As expected. Back then, it was definitely because the shikigami's master was different......"

The Tsuchigumo had probably let Akino go just now. It was a spider-shaped body of metal, but it felt particularly human. That was very likely because of its master.

Natsume held Akino's shoulders while looking at the mountain top with a grim expression. The direction of the temple. Akino felt certain when she saw Natsume's pure and resolute look. As expected, he was in the monastery. Natsume's childhood friend whom she had come to see.

Then, at that moment, a dazzling flame lit up on the mountaintop they gazed at. Also, a powerful magical energy spilled forth. The presence of a fierce battle that was enough to affect the foot of the mountain.

A magic battle was being fought there.

"......Akino. Sorry. I......"

"You're going?"

"Yeah."

Natsume turned her head, nodding while looking into Akino's eyes. The current Natsume felt as if she were even younger than herself to Akino, probably because of her undisguised att.i.tude.

"I understand. I-I'll go too. Actually, I can carry Natsume there--"

"It's alright. I'll use my 'trump card'."

"Trump card?"

"Yeah. Akino, you don't need to force yourself."

Yamashiro evaded the Tsuchigumo's attacks on his own as the two of them talked to each other. Even Yamashiro didn't have it easy against the Tsuchigumo. The Tsuchigumo had also started becoming angered against the opponent who was more powerful than it had antic.i.p.ated.

But right as Natsume stepped away from Akino and was about to advance, the Tsuchigumo immediately included Natsume as an attack target again. It spat spider silk at Yamashiro before it and took advantage of the opening left by his having to deal with the spider silk to charge towards Natsume again.

This time, Natsume didn't try to flee.

The ground shook as the Tsuchigumo rushed straight at her. Akino's ears trembled. Yamashiro clicked his tongue while taking up a charm, thinking that it would be troublesome if Natsume died. The tengu shikigami who observed from the side also took a stance as if it were right about to step out.

The distance between the girl and the Tsuchigumo shortened.

Even so, Natsume didn't retreat.

She brushed her black hair while calling out sternly.

"Come, Hokuto. ...First seal, purge!"

Right as the words left her mouth, an astonishing 'yin aura' poured from Natsume's entire body.

It didn't feel mixed at all. It was a n.o.ble, high-level yin water aura. That was what it had been called by some ancient pract.i.tioners.

In other words, it was 'draconic aura'.

Then, Natsume's spiritual power increased explosively. The aura that could be felt from Natsume's body was no longer the spiritual power of a 'human'. It was as if she were a mobile spiritual disaster. Akino realized instinctively. The small golden water dragon Natsume had let her see in the morning. This spiritual power housed in Natsume's body - composing a major portion of Natsume's body - was the spiritual power of that beautiful creature.

It wasn't a water dragon.

Rather, it was a true dragon.

Yamashiro, who was held up behind them, also stopped speechless upon seeing Natsume's seal being released. Even the furiously-charging Tsuchigumo was taken aback and its advance was thrown into disarray.

Natsume extended her right arm, raising it above her head, as if to grab the entire sky. The draconic aura in Natsume's body spread towards the sky alongside Natsume's raised right hand.

According to the 'Five Elements of Yin and Yang', a basic tenet of Onmyoudou, 'lightning aura' was composed of the wood element of the five elements. Moreover, it was water aura that generated wood aura.

Water generates wood in the Five Elements Mutual Generation.

In addition, what Natsume released was no simple water aura. Rather, it was the high-purity yin aura released by a true dragon - draconic aura. The lightning aura that the draconic aura generated was practically indistinguishable from the 'divine roar' that the dragon G.o.d ruling the weather would release towards the ground while angry.[2]

The divine spiritual power that Natsume brought forth was condensed into magical energy.

Natsume loudly chanted an incantation.

"Thunder, fill the sky for nine days!"[3]

The greatest thunder G.o.d of Taoism, Lei Gong[4]. And the Cross of Thunder bearing Lei Gong's name.

Natsume chanted the magic while swinging her raised right hand straight at the Tsuchigumo.

Thunder engulfed the world.

The battlefield was completely split in two by the image of the high-temperature white streak of light. The golden lightning pierced through the Tsuchigumo, and dazzling, scalding, and terrifying arcs of electricity fiercely scattered from the Tsuchigumo.

She couldn't open her eyes at all. Akino covered her face with her hands, her rabbit ears jumping left and right in agitation. Her senses also became slow. Her senses were all paralyzed and she couldn't even keep her balance.

She didn't know how long it was after that, as if even her sense of time had vanished. Akino opened the eyelids that she had shut out of fright.

The Tsuchigumo had fallen.

Its body that was supported by the eight legs was emitting smoke and dropped on the ground. Even the ground around it was deeply indented as if it had been crushed.

Then, in front of the Tsuchigumo stood Natsume, her arm still swung down.

Faint remnants of electricity still crackled on Natsume's body. The draconic aura had already been released now, and swirled elegantly around its master. That appearance seemed as if she were a shaman who had summoned a lightning G.o.d into her own body.

Akino was dumbstruck.

But,

"Careful, the Armored Juggernaut can still move!"

Natsume didn't even turn around as she warned Akino. How was that possible? Right as Akino thought that, the Tsuchigumo moved with a clank.

She 'looked' over inside the samurai helmet - with no traces of weakness - and the fiery light that flashed in its eyes was still not extinguished. The unyielding fighting spirit and the sense of mission in those eyes slowly burned.

The Tsuchigumo's legs started moving with a clatter.

"Akino - I'll be there soon."

Natsume said that to Akino and rushed off towards the Tsuchigumo. Akino was tongue-tied. Natsume's actions were so swift and powerful, but they were also extremely spry.

Natsume ran like the wind.

The Tsuchigumo stood up again, its whole body shaking.

The samurai spat out spider silk. Natsume incinerated it with lightning. After that, she leaped up. She flew high through the sky - but the Tsuchigumo aimed at Natsume who was flying in midair and jumped up. Its sharp legs pierced upwards like spears.

...Natsume......!?

They were almost about to hit Natsume.

But Natsume stepped in midair and barely avoided the Tsuchigumo's legs.

Natsume moved step by step in midair, rapidly moving back and forth. With every one of Natsume's steps, golden draconic aura diffused from beneath her feet.

The draconic aura beneath her feet stretched into a long tail in midair as Natsume flew over the lush mountains, rushing straight towards the mountaintop.

Akino was inadvertently fascinated as she stared at Natsume running in midair.

The Tsuchigumo shook its legs as it looked up, as if to say: "Although you're an enemy, that was beautifully done indeed." Then, it moved its body stiffly and began to pursue.

Akino came back to her senses.

Come to think of it, Yamashiro had disappeared at some point. Perhaps he had also gone to the temple. What about Tengu?

Akino looked here and there. The tengu shikigami was in the same place she had seen it before, standing there with the exact same posture as it watched Akino and the others.

It seemed that Tengu noticed Akino's gaze. The tengu shikigami nodded lightly, rushing towards Natsume in the direction the Tsuchigumo had left.

You come too, it was saying.

"......Yeah."

Akino nodded deeply and started running at full speed as vigor flowed into her whole body from her rabbit ears to her toes.

The Armored Juggernauts that had dropped down in the courtyard immediately started to suppress the area. The freely-swinging eight legs drove off the surrounding people. The silver silk that the samurai spat accurately bound the armed soldier monks.

The ajari were knocked flying after being bound by the Tsuchigumo's thread, then immediately lost consciousness. It wasn't a simple unconsciousness. Rather, it was because the thread absorbed their spiritual power.

Of course, the soldier monks wouldn't just sit and do nothing, and some of them also counterattacked with their automatic weapons. But the rifle bullets were easily deflected off the armor of the Armored Juggernauts.

The Armored Juggernaut was a mechanical shikigami whose metal body was its vessel. Firearms on the level of rifles couldn't even make it lag in the first place. In contrast, the Tsuchigumo fired the cannons installed on either side of its body as if to say 'Not bad, let me return the favor'.

The rumbling sound of cannon fire from the Pacific War era, different from the sound of modern firearms, resounded through the mountain. Smoke curled up from the barrels.

Stone lanterns were shattered, huge trees toppled, and large holes opened up in the monastery. The cannons bombarded the shikyak.u.mon[5] like full-power chainsaws. Though it looked like their accuracy wasn't so good, their effectiveness as a deterrence was the real deal. The soldier monks who had surrounded Harutora before fled everywhere like scattering spiders.

"Well, to be honest, things like military vehicles are exceptional fighting powers."

Harutora murmured to himself with a bitter smile. Even with more than twenty military monks as its opponents, the strength of a single Armored Juggernaut was overwhelming. And though the soldier monks were all armed with firearms, they weren't used to using them and cooperating for a group battle. Judging from the way Jougen commanded them, he hadn't commanded an armed group before. And needless to say, infantry like this were useless against military vehicles.

Before anyone noticed, the two Divine Generals who had announced their uninvolvement beforehand had disappeared somewhere. They were probably afraid of getting dragged in and hence had taken advantage of the chaos caused by the Armored Juggernauts to escape.

"D-Don't panic, just draw back!"

"No, aim! Aim at the shikigami's master!"

It seemed that several high-ranking ajari were shouting angrily. Avoiding the shikigami and attacking the master was a fundamental of magic battle when confronting powerful shikigami. But the excellence of the Tsuchigumo wasn't just in their offense. The Tsuchigumo nimbly used their legs and bodies to block bullets, deflecting all of the shots aimed at Harutora. Then, the people who had aimed at Harutora along with their commanders were immediately dealt with by the loyal defensive shikigami--

"Scoundrel!"

After they were subjected to a fierce counterattack, they went silent. The barrier based on the Mountain Gate would be destroyed soon and flaws had appeared in the array covering the interior of the monastery. Though the main hall's barrier still stayed up, a small defect would have huge consequences since the magic it was constructed with was extremely unstable. Right now, the lag had already subsided from Hishamaru and Kakugyouki.

Then, as Hishamaru danced marvelously through the battlefield, Kakugyouki entered the depths of the main hall, destroying the final barrier. The array had already vanished completely when he came out.

The soldier monks were still putting up resistance, but not long afterwards they saw the second Armored Juggernaut advancing while constantly knocking down the cedar trees to the left and right of the mountain path in front of it. This was the Armored Juggernaut that had just activated by the south side of the mountain and destroyed the barrier at the Mountain Gate.

The monks moaned in despair upon facing the new powerful shikigami. The second Armored Juggernaut's eight legs clanked as it moved and climbed up the mountain path, gazing at the soldier monks. Then, it easily pa.s.sed through the shikyak.u.mon that had already become cannon fodder. It walked in front of the first Armored Juggernaut as if saying 'Requesting regroup', neatly and respectfully arranging its eight legs. In comparison, the first Armored Juggernaut stamped back respectfully as if to say 'Good work'.

With the two gathered in the courtyard along with the one attacking on the north side of the mountain, the three Armored Juggernauts were all objects that had been stolen from the Onmyou Agency storehouses. Originally, vessels of the level of Armored Juggernauts ought to have been sealed in the Onmyou Agency building's sealed storage room. But unfortunately, the Armored Juggernauts' vessels were too huge, and it was difficult to keep them inside the agency building. Hence, the Armored Juggernauts had been kept in a storehouse administered by the Onmyou Agency under the name of research materials.

Of course, magical security had been cast on the storehouse. Especially after the incident with the 'Child Prodigy' Dairenji Suzuka, that security had become even more serious. Even so, it was quite easy to break into the storehouse compared to the agency building's sealed storage room. Harutora and the others had used stealth magic to infiltrate the storehouse and cleverly stolen the Armored Juggernauts.

"They were originally things I made, so it's more accurate to say that I'm 'taking them back'."

To Harutora who casually said that, Hishamaru replied:

"These things must be very happy right now as well."

"Those things are armaments, not you."

Kakugyouki reb.u.t.ted.

Also, Harutora had cast some misleading precautions on the simple shikigami guards and workers so that the Armored Juggernauts wouldn't be realized as stolen for a while afterwards. Actually, Harutora and the others had spent the seven days between receiving Jougen's message of 'summons' to arriving at Seishuku Temple on stealing the Armored Juggernauts along with handling and maintenance.

Harutora's reasons for especially utilizing the Armored Juggernauts wasn't because he had antic.i.p.ated Jougen's next move. Rather, he had prepared them as effective measures to suppress a forested mountain battlefield in case the summons to Seishuku Temple was a trap. In the end, it was just coincidence that they had become an effective countermeasure to oppose this magical-energy-sealing array. But even if he hadn't prepared the Armored Juggernauts, Harutora had other means of destroying the magical array.

Hishamaru returned to Harutora's side, leaving the suppression of the courtyard to the two Armored Juggernauts. Harutora briefly checked the appearance of his defensive shikigami.

"Are you fine?"

"Of course, Harutora-sama."

Hishamaru waved her fox tail, replying pompously.

Kakugyouki shrugged his shoulders at the two, showing a fed-up expression.

"What Harutora wants to hear about is the condition of your 'stability'. It's normally in a pretty bad condition, and the magical array just now could only have impacted it negatively. Why don't you just obediently stay on the sidelines?"

"How foolish. Defensive shikigami are supposed to always stay by their masters. How can I alone stay uninvolved?"

The fox spirit frowned and rejected the one-armed oni's proposal. But Harutora also looked troubled.

"But what Kakugyouki says is reasonable. Hishamaru, you don't need to force yourself that much."

"What! H-Harutora-sama, even you're saying such things? Harutora-sama, are you saying you no longer need Hishamaru!?"

"I never said that kind of thing at all."

"T-Then please don't say such heartless things. My current condition definitely isn't as severe as Kakugyouki says. It's my natural responsibility to move alongside you as a defensive shikigami."

Hishamaru desperately spoke to Harutora with a despairing expression. Tears welled up in her clear blue eyes and the ears on her head and her elegant fox tail trembled pitifully. To be honest, it had been fine when she had her child form, but Harutora was pretty troubled every time he saw her do this kind of thing with her stifling beauty now that she had an otherworldly gorgeous appearance. He smiled bitterly, just replying to Hishamaru with an "I understand". Actually, he felt more at ease letting her follow him by his side than forcefully ordering her to leave and ending up with her secretly trailing him.

Then, Harutora's gaze returned to the battlefield before him again. He wished he could have avoided letting the Armored Juggernauts loose in this old haunt if at all possible. Unfortunately, things had turned into this. The pa.s.sage of time was truly cruel.

Harutora wore a complex expression as his eyes reflected a scene from the same place but a different time. Then, there was a nostalgic figure from that scene.

"I'm very sorry, Shinra."

Harutora muttered with a lonesome expression.

But it might be too early to say that. The changes to the battle situation brought by the vanishing array weren't just beneficial to Harutora and his two defensive shikigami. Seishuku Temple wouldn't yield that easily.

"Noumaku saraba tatagyateibyaku saraba bokkeibyaku sarabata tarata senda makarosyada ken gyakigyaki saraba biginnan untarata kanman!"

Acala's Fire Realm magic swirled in the courtyard. Harutora and Hishamaru took up stances against this powerful magical energy. Kakugyouki smiled lightly as he marveled. The Fire Realm magic in the courtyard spun into a giant tornado of flame. Sparks scattered in every direction like dust along with the fierce gale.

The power it carried was presently more than the limited-use cannons of the Armored Juggernauts. The tornado of flame swelled more and more into a giant vortex. The two mechanical shikigami were forced to stop in a panic. They were protected by magical armor, so they weren't seriously harmed even after being engulfed by the Fire Realm magic, but unlike bullets, they couldn't do anything to stop the Fire Realm magic. Then, the Fire Realm magic that engulfed the Armored Juggernauts rushed towards the main hall.

The Raven's Wing Harutora wore powerfully flapped its hem, bringing its master into the air. The two defensive shikigami continuously avoided the heatwave, moving to the roof of the main hall. But the Fire Realm magic didn't stop wildly extending in pursuit towards the black-clothed shikigami.

"Don't think too much of yourself!"

Hishamaru's magical energy rose from her body. It formed a pale blue flame - foxfire - and rushed straight towards the approaching Fire Realm magic. They engulfed each other, riding their momentums. The crimson and pale blue flames constantly intertwined, the gorgeously-colored flame dancing nonstop.

However, just then,

"...Harutora, Hishamaru, careful of below."

Kakugyouki 'saw' under his feet and simultaneously leaped up. Harutora and Hishamaru instantly turned to evade, the black coat and the fox tail fluttering in the wind.

Immediately, a raging aura spouted forth, shooting through the roof of the main hall from below. The aura that burst out like a volcano headed towards Harutora with the momentum of its eruption. Probably because the spiritual power was too violent, it wasn't even controlled by an organized magic spell. They probably wouldn't get off unharmed if they were drawn into this torrential, avalanching magical energy.

The intense eruption definitely wasn't a simple magic.

"They opened up a gap in the spirit flow."

Harutora spoke helplessly. The three of them leaped into the air to evade. The Fire Realm magic and the torrent of magical energy that approached them from below constantly tossed the three of them around like leaves in the air. Harutora's hair and the Raven's Wing swished loudly as they were swept by the strong wind.

However, at the same time as a powerful wind swept over Harutora's body, he narrowed his right eye and looked down. He spoke in a cold voice.

"...Hishamaru, you're in charge of the Fire Realm magic. Kakugyouki, I'm leaving the spirit flow to you."

"Understood."

"I can't completely suppress it, you know."

After they both replied, the two defensive shikigami flew out like meteors and landed again. Hishamaru was the first to act.

"Taniyata udakadaibana enkeienkei sowaka!"

She formed a dragon seal and chanted the mantra of Varuna, one of the Adityas[6]. Instantly, the defensive shikigami's magical energy turned into rain, the downpour battering the Fire Realm magic like a waterfall. The vapor that was produced from the collision swelled up like smoke. Hishamaru put up a barrier, unafraid of the scalding water vapor as she dropped towards it.

"Noumaku sanmanda bodanan barunaya sowaka!"

She continued chanting the mantra of the Aditya, and the waterfall pouring downwards became a whirlpool. She used the whirlpool to destroy the vortex of flame from the inside. The torrent overflowed out in all directions, and even the Armored Juggernaut left inside the Fire Realm magic were pushed away.

On the other hand, the way Kakugyouki dealt with things was quite simple.

"Anyway, I can get serious this time."

At the same time as he broke out in a fearless smile, the spirit flow erupted. Kakugyouki bared his teeth the moment his entire body was instantly violently struck by magical energy. His normally narrowed eyes widened with a grim light and his short golden hair sparkled as it extended into a messy mane. High-density demonic aura filled his body, and his normally almost two-meter-tall body grew once, twice. It swelled more and more as if it were normally suppressed.

Then. A pair of ominous horns grew from his forehead. After the magical energy touched the demonic aura entwined around Kakugyouki's body, it became demonic aura and started dissipating into the air behind him. Kakugyouki was immersed in the erupting magical energy, and the spilling magical energy flew out from the hole in the roof.

He revealed the smile of a wild beast that had caught its prey. He bared his teeth and roared, firmly clenching his right hand--

He smashed the erupting ground.

The resounding impact raised the ground around the spirit flow. At the same time, the main hall that it was centered on was blasted out explosively from the inside. The shockwave in the direction of the courtyard collided with Hishamaru's torrent and sent powerful splashes everywhere. After the powerful magics of the Fire Realm and the spirit flow were neutralized, Hishamaru calmly stayed in the courtyard and Kakugyouki stood on the foundation of the exploded main hall, leisurely stretching his body. Then,

Harutora leisurely dropped down to the ground, spreading the wings of the Raven's Wing. After finishing the purification prayer, he clapped his hands at the same time as he landed. The magical-energy-carrying sound purified all the surrounding spiritual power. Then, Hishamaru returned to Harutora's side.

"Harutora-sama..."

"Yeah, I stabilized the spirit flow for now. Good work, Kakugyouki."

"It's too early for thanks."

Kakugyouki had already returned to his original appearance. He lightly stroked his chin, motioning towards the movement from the direction of the completely-destroyed main hall.

The interior of the main hall was raised from the ground towards the peak of the mountain. A patched-up gathering hall was erected there. In front of the gathering hall stood the ajari of Seishuku Temple side by side. The retreated soldier monks had gathered together again centered on Jougen.

Jougen's face was grim as he glared at Harutora. His lips were tight and his eyes burned with a vicious light as if he wanted to sear his opponent's soul.

Hishamaru immediately moved to eliminate the enemies with a cold look. But Harutora stopped her.

"Priest Jougen."

Harutora called out.

"Do you still want to continue?"

"Of course. This monastery absolutely will not surrender to an outside force."

"We don't plan on making you surrender or anything."

"The end result will be the same if we leave the Onmyou Agency alone."

"I never planned on leaving the Onmyou Agency alone in the first place."

"In that case."

Jougen gritted his teeth, speaking with an unbearable anger.

"Why do you refuse to save this monastery when you possess such strength!? Why do you abandon this monastery that has branded its mark into history since ancient times to the Onmyou Agency? Without this monastery, the feats that the ancients constantly undertook - the great magic techniques that have existed for so long - might end! Why do you, who touched the world with magic and allowed it to bloom, want to abandon this place? There are countless things that you ought to protect here!"

That cry that came from his soul enveloped fervent questions. Harutora calmly accepted the questions.

"It feels bad to be thought of as such, but Priest, it's too late to bring up such criticisms now."

Harutora replied in a bitingly cold voice.

"Priest, how many 'feats of the ancients' do you think I've crushed and how many 'long-lived techniques' do you think I've severed in the past for the nation? I'm the person who melted and recast the things that you always prized, forging them into things sharp as sabers. Things I ought to protect, you say? Have you gone senile from old age? I'm the madman who once muddied the nation's magic into chaos and then reorganized them with no misgivings, you know?"

Harutora's words weren't excited nor frenzied. Rather, they held a somewhat sad tune. But the current Harutora carried an abnormal feeling of pressure. He carried a deeper 'darkness' different from magical energy or spiritual power. Jougen's face paled in the blink of an eye.

"Priest, you made a mistake the moment you entrusted the continuity of the dark temple to me."

Jougen bit his lip hard at Harutora's lecturing tone. Then, his body shook and he shouted out, flipping the sleeves of his priest's clothing.

"Attack!"

At the same time as the soldier monks scattered, one group started chanting incantations like Fire Realm, curses, Unmoving Golden Chains. Some also threw charms.

"My, oh my."

Kakugyouki smiled slightly while severing all of the magics closing in with demonic aura in a flash. Hishamaru flew out from in front of Harutora, constantly releasing pale blue foxfire.

A magic battle started again in the blink of an eye.

Harutora didn't avoid the a.s.saulting magics, as the Raven's Wing didn't let any magic attack get within half a step of him. Harutora calmly advanced, and the Armored Juggernauts that had been pushed into a corner of the courtyard moved again.

"Since you no longer care about the monastery, then I don't need to be polite anymore - Overwhelm."

The Armored Juggernauts that had been pushed away by the torrent seemed dizzy as if they had crashed into a giant tree, but once they received their master's order, their joints instantly creaked as they moved again. They stamped the ground with their eight legs as they advanced. When they were about to crash into the soldier monks, Harutora's grim and sad expression suddenly relaxed. He turned his gaze from the chaotic battle of the shikigami advancing through the group of soldier monks, turning his back to the battlefield and walking to a temple.

The temple, which faced the courtyard like the main hall, was already in a half-wrecked state after enduring the magic battle and the shockwaves of cannon fire. But Harutora didn't face the direction of its entrance, but rather the other side of the building. There was a person coming out who had been there to avoid the battlefield in the courtyard.

"Sen-san!"

"Hohoho, it's been a long time, Yakou-sama. No, I should call you Harutora-sama now."

The sound of explosions and shouts overlapped with chanted incantations from the other side of the courtyard. But the old man who had showed up didn't seem tense as he strolled leisurely.

But his wrinkled smile was even deeper now. His eyes that were still clear, albeit weathering many years, currently contained an indescribable grat.i.tude.

"You're quite old. I really wouldn't know you if I couldn't clearly 'see'. But that's an obvious thing. How many years has it been?"

"Well, this old man forgot as well. I stopped counting at about ninety."

"'Old man'? Hahaha, the way you speak is suitable for an old fogey."

"As you say, I'm already called 'Old Man Sen' nowadays. But there's no helping it. It's been a long time. It really has been so long."

Sen laughed cheerfully, nostalgic emotions spilling forth from his chest. Harutora's remaining right eye moistened slightly.

"Although Harutora-sama is a different person, Yakou-sama's appearance remains there."

"It's the same bloodline, after all. Quite the resemblance, huh?"

"Honestly, it's quite nostalgic. That reckless habit of yours hasn't changed at all."

Sen's gaze turned to the courtyard as he said this. Right now, flame was dancing, water was pouring, wind was raging, and the ground was shaking there. An intense battle was cleanly destroying the past that the two of them shared. "How shameful." Harutora apologized bitterly. "It's alright, it's alright." Sen smiled.

"Rather than that, Harutora-sama, could it be that you came here especially for 'that'?"

As Sen said this, he brought Harutora around to the interior of the temple. The various things that were naturally placed on the ground here brightened Harutora's spirits.

"The tokijiku![7] As expected, it's already bearing fruit!"

What Harutora looked at was a seedling planted in a pot inside. The sapling in the pot was less than a meter tall. Its leaves had become small and round for the coming winter, and there were two small, orange fruit the size of a baby's fist dangling spa.r.s.ely on it.

"Sen, did you help look after it?"

"Yeah, I didn't have anything else to do."

"A pract.i.tioner able to make this thing bear fruit. I never thought there truly would be one."

"You're too kind. Nurturing is very interesting, whether it's humans or other things."

Sen smiled, bending down to pick up the pot.

"I just watered them in Tachibana hall. As expected, it wasn't wrong to have brought them here."

He said this and then gave it to Harutora.

"Is this alright?"

"What are you saying at this point? Though, what do you want to use this thing for?"

"I'm still unsure now."

"Oh, unsure?"

Sen inquired incredulously, and Harutora smiled bitterly after accepting the pot.

"To be honest, I'm desperately investigating something right now. I'm not sure whether that thing will be helpful either. But I plan on gathering everything I can first."

Harutora shrugged his shoulders, looking at the sapling's fruit with a hopeful look. The current Harutora resembled an immature boy befitting his age. Sen quietly looked at his good friend from long ago.

He slowly spoke.

"Harutora-dono, could it be that the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual failed?"

Harutora was taken aback, showing a stunned expression. "How[8]?" He asked back. Sen laughed out loud, saying with a bantering tone:

"She's here right now."

Eh. Harutora was speechless. Then,

The huge sound of thunder came from the north of the mountain. Harutora noticed that 'presence'. His right eye widened. He gasped and opened his mouth.

"Wha! That was lightning magic just now? Also - isn't that draconic aura!? Why is she here - ah. Yasuzumi's divining--!"

Harutora immediately panicked, unconceivable restlessness on his face. He reflexively turned in the direction of the courtyard, clenching his teeth.

Sen carefully observed Harutora. He eliminated any extraneous worry from his tone and spoke.

"Hiyakuroubou is there too - that guy's moving around however he wants right now. I'm not sure about the details."

Harutora turned around, carrying the potted sapling.

"You're not going to go meet them?"

"There's a reason!"

"I see... In that case... Would you meet someone else?"

"Eh?"

Harutora stopped and looked back. Old Man Sen smiled with an unreadable expression, looking at Harutora.

A momentary silence fell over them.

Harutora shook his head.

"Sorry, Sen-san, I don't have time to chat with you anymore."

"I see. Then, that's enough, go ahead."

The momentary stiffness was released. Sen spoke with his original tone. That steady att.i.tude made Harutora's feelings choke up again.

He might not be able to see Sen again. ...No, perhaps this would be their final farewell. Harutora bit his lip. He forced himself with his willpower to smile cheerfully.

"Sen-san, thank you so much. I'll play a board with you next time[9]."

"You still haven't had enough, huh. Harutora-dono, may everything go well for you."

Harutora flipped the Raven's Wing, flying to the courtyard while holding the potted sapling. He flew into the still-ongoing magic battle, issuing an order.

"Hishamaru! Kakugyouki! We're retreating!"

Natsume pa.s.sed over the high cedar treetops, constantly sprinting upwards with all her might. Her beautiful black hair extended behind her, the pink ribbon fluttering in the wind. Even though her breathing was extremely erratic, Natsume didn't stop even for a bit.

Natsume currently had the Tsuchimikado family's guardian beast - the spiritual beast Hokuto - in her body. Her current ability that was similar to flight was actually the manifestation of the dragon Hokuto's ability. The draconic aura that overflowed from inside her body complied with Natsume's will, pushing Natsume's body forward step by step.

But she couldn't keep up her current state for long.

In the first place, it was quite a dangerous thing for a living spirit to use the strength of the spiritual ent.i.ty possessing their body, even if a magic sealing any direct interaction was cast on them. The more they used the strength of the spiritual ent.i.ty, the more dangerous the human portion of the living spirit would become.

Moreover, Natsume's situation was even more severe. The strength of Hokuto possessing her body was almost all used to maintain 'Natsume's existence'. The spiritual power she used by releasing the first seal was actually misappropriated strength that had originally been used to maintain 'Natsume's existence'. In other words, Natsume was putting herself in danger when she controlled Hokuto's spiritual power.

...It's fine. It's alright. If it's just to the mountaintop--!

Natsume tread on air, running vigorously to the mountain top along with a gust of wind.

She ran to where her childhood friend was.

...Harutora......!

There were too many things she wanted to ask.

There were also countless things she wanted to say.

Why - why did you deliberately summon me back to the human world and then abandon me? Why did you leave me with Yasuzumi but hide yourself in the darkness? Why didn't you even come see me a single time - or even contact me once?

Also, what exactly was the current Harutora doing? What kind of goal did he have to rebel against the Onmyou Agency? What exactly was Harutora preparing to do? He had strayed far away from his life until that point and left his friends, even abandoning Natsume.

Could it be--

Could it be that Harutora had truly become Yakou already?

That Tsuchimikado Harutora no longer existed at all?

She couldn't even finish what she wanted to ask and what she wanted to say in an entire night. Her doubts and anger, her sadness and fear, spilled over uncontrollably from her chest.

But no matter what--

She wanted to see him.

She wanted to see his face.

She wanted to hear his voice.

She wanted to feel his presence.

Natsume cut through the sky with no regard for her own condition, advancing towards the mountaintop.

Then, she finally saw the roof of the gathering hall amidst the mountain forest. Just then,

"Om bishibishi karakara shibari sowaka!"

Her gaze dropped. The Unmoving Golden Chains that was unleashed from the mountain forest completely bound the careless Natsume.

"What!?"

Natsume lost her balance, dropping from the sky. Natsume increased the output of draconic aura, forcefully tearing apart the Golden Chains and landing on the ground.

In front of Natsume's anger-filled glare stood a pract.i.tioner.

"...Hoh."

Yamashiro snorted fiercely.

"I thought you were using some technique...... It looks like you just let the Tsuchimikado family dragon possess you, huh? What an incredible strength. I never thought you were a dragon living spirit."

"......Please move aside."

"And if I refuse?"

Natsume's right arm shot out. Lightning arced towards Yamashiro with a flash. But the 'lightning-repelling' magic that Yamashiro had cast was still effective. The lightning strike avoided Yamashiro, instantly tearing into a cedar tree next to him.

Moreover, this lightning strike of Natsume's had only charred the tree. She inadvertently felt a bit regretful. It was very obvious that her power had clearly lowered.

"What? I finally managed to catch up to you, but you're out of spiritual power?"

Yamashiro spoke and unleashed Unmoving Golden Chains again without chanting an incantation or forming a hand seal. Natsume released a lightning strike to obliterate the Golden Chains, but the moment she released that lightning strike, her vision went black.

A chill a.s.saulted her. She could feel the cold presence of 'death' inside her skin.

Hokuto inside her body was sending her an acute warning. She was already at her limits. If this went on, problems would appear in the magic Harutora had cast. Natsume's soul that was merged with Hokuto would leave her body again and become a true wandering soul.

Even so, Natsume didn't activate the seal again.

"Don't... get... in... my... way..."

Even though groans of pain came from her mouth, Natsume still attacked with raking strikes of lightning. Lightning crisscrossed everywhere, flashing with light and heat and burning the bark of the nearby trees into ash.

At the same time, Natsume tried to rapidly circle past Yamashiro. Her charging figure was filled with the draconic aura that represented Natsume's life as she reached the astonishing speed that a living spirit had.

But,

"Order."

Yamashiro dropped an extremely ordinary wood-element charm. But the vines that the charm formed bound Natsume as she pulled lightning with her, then continued by binding Natsume's hands and feet in a flash.

Natsume fell on the ground, sliding along the slope. Natsume immediately released lightning and incinerated the vines.

But when the vines were incinerated, Yamashiro's fingers had already taken up another wood-element charm. It was this relaxed, sow-paced strategy again.

Then, finally,

......Ah.

Her consciousness started to become fuzzy. Natsume lost hold of her consciousness. It was because the lightning strikes from before had already surpa.s.sed the boundaries her body could tolerate. She felt Hokuto's undisguised panic - then slowly drifted away...

"Re-seal!"[10]

A powerful voice came from the trees, pulling Natsume's life back by a hair's breadth. The seal on Natsume's body closed the draconic aura inside her body again, supporting her life with all its power. The consciousness that had already vanished from Natsume returned to her body again.

It was a male voice belonging to a third party.

A very familiar voice. She had only been away from him for a few days, but strangely, it felt very nostalgic.

"!? Who--"

Just as Yamashiro tried to figure out what exactly had happened,

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

An extremely powerful lightning strike raced towards Yamashiro along with a woman's angry roar. Even though the 'lightning-repelling' magic was still maintained on his body, this lightning strike surpa.s.sed the spell's limits and electricity poured towards Yamashiro's body like rain. Even though he wasn't hit directly, Yamashiro was still knocked off the ground and sent flying.

"s.h.i.t!?"

Yamashiro put up a barrier in a panic. Natsume twisted her head, looking in the direction of the voice.

A small woman wearing miasma protection clothing appeared from the dark mountain forest. She wore a headband on her forehead and the eyes beneath her headband were filled with rage as she charged towards Natsume with all her strength.

"Look at what you've done to Natsume! I'll kill youuu!"

Along with that extremely direct declaration of battle, furious lightning strikes shot towards Yamashiro as if to verify that proclamation. Yamashiro reflexively strengthened the barrier and sprinted with all his power to avoid the lightning strikes at the same time. The lightning strikes doggedly chased the escaping Yamashiro, their white light illuminating the surroundings and their roars extremely audible.

Yamashiro's face stiffened when he saw the sudden interferer. That was obvious. This woman was a former exorcist, as well as the former captain of a spiritual disaster purification team. She was a capable person. Even more fearsome was the master of the voice that had re-sealed Natsume. Even though he had raised his voice, he was still enchanted with a powerful stealth magic and his presence - even to Yamashiro - was undetectable. Yamashiro wasn't just wary about the 'lightning-user' in front of him, he was even warier about the pract.i.tioner who was constantly hiding his presence.

Grateful and apologetic feelings hovered over Natsume's heart.

But right now, she had to......

"......Yeah."

Natsume gritted her teeth, running up the mountain again. "Natsume!?" The woman was extremely shocked, but upon seeing Yamashiro about to chase Natsume, she immediately started obstructing Yamashiro with all her strength. Sorry. Natsume thanked them in her heart while heading to the mountain top alone.

Even though she almost fell several times, she still didn't quit running up the slanted mountainside. It wasn't just her spiritual power. Even her physical energy had reached its limits long ago. Even so, she climbed up with her hands and pushed aside weeds. Natsume didn't care if her hands were covered with wounds as she continued running to her destination. She gasped for breath as she continued running to the gathering hall she saw up above.

Then, when she saw the gathering hall on the other side of the thicket again, Natsume felt the ripples of a magic battle pervading the air and gulped.

Traces of magical energy and residues of aura floated through the air. There was the light of trees as they crackled and burned along with smoke that wafted everywhere.

The gathering hall currently looked like it was about to burn down.

Also, only the foundation was left of the main hall that ought to have been on the other side of it, having completely vanished.

Fallen ajari were everywhere. There were also people staggering and moaning loudly. And people bleeding and slumped on the ground. Wreckage was scattered over the destroyed ground. The wake of a battlefield - those words flashed through her mind. Natsume steeled her heart and turned her head, mustering her energy and treading on the ground again.

She reached the courtyard.

Nothing was left around her.

The destroyed main hall of which only the foundation was left, along with the gathering hall burning on the inside. Fallen people of the monastery were everywhere and the surroundings were filled with agonized wails and groans. The temple was also in a half-destroyed state and the shikyak.u.mon was practically unrecognizable. The giant cedar trees surrounding the courtyard were also fallen everywhere and burning.

Also, on the mountain path in front of her, two Armored Juggernauts knocked over one tree after another, advancing through the mountain path that went through the shikyak.u.mon. They were currently leaving the battlefield. Why? She had no doubt. The battle had already ended.

Natsume glanced around, her hair fluttering.

Then, she inadvertently raised her gaze, looking up towards the eastern sky.

Found you.

Somehow, it was already evening. Ashen clouds still covered the sky like a naturally-formed ceiling as they swept towards the distant hills like waves. The reddish sunset shot beautiful, slanting rays of light through the gaps formed among the clouds.

As she looked along the rays of twilight--

A giant raven flapped its wings in the distant eastern sky.

An Onmyouji wearing a black coat flew east through the air.

She had been left behind by him again, left all alone.

Natsume's tears flowed from her eyes. The hot tears slipped over her dirt-covered cheeks, dropping down.

Natsume crossed her arms over her chest. Her body trembled convulsively all over as tears flowed even more tempestuously.

Then, she breathed deeply and shakily, and in the direction of her departing childhood friend's back,

"BAKATORA--!"

She shouted angrily.

After that, she wept loudly.

Maybe she had never run with all her might like this before. Akino fully exerted the leg power of the rabbit living spirit, climbing up the mountain forest in a matter of moments. But her feet became heavy when she approached the center of the monastery. There was still some distance, but magical energy produced from the usage of magic reached her. Also, chaotic yelling. Sounds of destruction. At the same time, though the main hall was covered by the forest and out of sight, the sky nearby was brightly lit. Something was burning.

"......Ugh."

Though she was honestly very scared, she would no longer turn back now. Akino slowed down while hiding herself and carefully climbing the mountain.

It looked like the courtyard had become the central location of the battle. Akino approached bit by bit, hiding in the underbrush and peering across from an extremely close place.

She couldn't help but doubt her own eyes. The gathering hall was burning ferociously. The main hall seemed to have already vanished.

This wouldn't do. She couldn't approach like this. Akino didn't rush directly towards the courtyard, but instead carefully circled around to the interior of a temple in order to keep from being spotted. But come to think of it, half of that temple had already been destroyed. Akino could only suppress her fear and steel her own heart as she faced what had become of the familiar scenery of the place she had been raised in since birth.

But in the end, she was lucky to have circled around to this side. That was why Akino was fortunately able to realize an unantic.i.p.ated reunion.

"Sen-jiichan!"

"Ohh, Akino. You're alright." Akino's endurance reached its limit as she saw Sen's figure. She ran over and held him, burying her face in his chest while sobbing loudly. There was no helping this because of her fear and sadness. After all, the only world that Akino knew of had been dragged into a vortex of war and lost. Sen continuously, quietly, and gently stroked the still-crying Akino from the side.

Sen kept waiting until Akino's crying stopped.

Then, she brought Akino to the courtyard.

The magic battle had long since ended by that time.

Stunned, she looked at the desolate scene before her. But Akino's gaze moved towards the girl standing blankly in the center of the courtyard rather than the barren monastery scenery.

"Natsume!"

She hastily ran towards Natsume. Natsume's eyes reddened when she saw Akino. She sniffled and lightly called out "......Akino."

"What happened? Are you alright!?"

"Akino. I, I......"

"D-Did you not meet with that Harutora person?"

"......Yeah."

Her face was swollen from crying and grimy all over. Natsume nodded powerlessly.

The ears on Akino's head swayed left and right in embarra.s.sment since she didn't know what to say.

The unimaginable appearance of that awe-inspiring Natsume crying gave Akino quite a large shock.

Although on one hand her conscience felt bad due to the wrong occasion, these straightforward thoughts still came to her.

Beautiful people were still beautiful even when they were crying.

"Natsume."

"Natsume-chan!"

She turned around to look in surprise at those sudden shouts. A man and a woman ran over next to Akino and Sen.

The man had a cloth tied around his head and a scraggly beard growing under his chin. He was a man as strongly built