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Tokyo Ravens - Volume 10 - Chapter 5.3




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Part 3 
Natsume passed 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 entity possessing their body, even if a magic sealing any direct interaction was cast on them. The more they used the strength of the spiritual entity, 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 practitioner. 
"...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 assaulted 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 surpassed the boundaries her body could tolerate. She felt Hokuto's undisguised panic - then slowly drifted away... 
"Re-seal!" [61] 
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 bastard!" 
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 surpassed 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. 
"Shit!?" 
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 practitioner 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 shikyakumon 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 shikyakumon. 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.



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