Tokyo Ravens - Volume 12 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2 - Scenery of Old 
Part 1 
She no longer had any options left. She didn't know how many days she had racked her brains without being able to leave this dead end. There hadn't even been two months left in the first place. Now there weren't many days left until X-day [6] . 
Tokyo Akihabara, inside the agency building of the Onmyou Agency. 
Suzuka [7] sank listlessly into the sofa in her research lab. 
She curled herself up on the sofa with her white lab coat casually draped over her, glaring upsettedly at the calendar on the table. Recently, the mere occurrence of the calendar greeting her eyes had been enough to feel terrible. All she saw in it was the rude, inescapable reality. 
Of course, it couldn't be said that she had nothing to do all day. She was thinking of ways to get in contact with her friends every minute of every day, even when she was sleeping. But it was all fruitless. She lacked the power to break through her circumstances and could only watch as time escaped from her. 
"......Damn......" 
After voicing her displeasure, Suzuka rose from the sofa. 
She searched her mind for any possible countermeasure again. Suzuka gave up on thinking in a mere several minutes, and fell back onto the sofa sulkily. 
Who knew how many times this scene had already been repeated. After all, she had never before experienced getting pushed into such a quandary. 
Suzuka had obtained that information last month. 
It had been the morning after Tenma had sent a message to his friends. The most aggravating part was that it was the 'enemy' himself who had confirmed Suzuka's suspicions about the plot she had noticed. 
It was coming on March third, Hinamatsuri [8] . 
They were going to carry out another spiritual disaster terrorist attack on that day. The third 'purification', following after the Great Hinamatsuri Purification four years before and the Hinamatsuri Repurification two years ago. 
And according to what they said, this time was 'for real'. That hadn't seemed like a joke at all. 
"Those guys......" 
The past two incidents had all been brought about by the Twin-Horned Syndicate, a group of Yakou fanatics. The culprit of the first incident was Suzuka's own father, Dairenji Shidou; the second time was his subordinate Mutobe Chihiro. The two of them had both lost their lives after the spiritual disaster terrorist attack. 
But now, the two of them were again planning the third spiritual disaster terrorist attack. 
Dairenji Shidou and Mutobe Chihiro had been resurrected as Souma Takiko's defensive shikigami, Yashamaru and Kumomaru. No, this had probably all been within Souma's calculations from the start. After disrupting the spirit flow of Tokyo twice in a row, the Souma were finally going to go after their goal - to realize the desire of their clan. 
......This was what Suzuka thought. 
She was incomparably upset with herself for understanding everything but being unable to do anything about it. 
She had risked great danger and returned to the Onmyou Agency - the enemy's den - in order to dig up information on the enemy. In that sense, being able to obtain information on the spiritual disaster terrorist attack was already an incredible accomplishment. 
That being said, everything was meaningless now that she was unable to convey the information she had obtained to her friends and sound the alarm. 
This was her research lab, but it was also the room she was confined to - in other words, a prison. Her connections with the outside world had been cut off in the first place, and the jail had been strengthened after they learned that Suzuka held information about the spiritual disaster terrorist attack. For example, she had seen shikigami used for surveillance outside the research lab before, but now it was Kumomaru who had left his master Takiko to personally guard her. 
Kumomaru was a Yase Doji, a powerful shikigami that had even posed a threat against the dragon Hokuto that Natsume controlled. He was an enemy that Suzuka could not overcome with her magical energy restricted. Never mind defeating him, simply escaping from his monitoring was no more than a dream. 
Even so, maybe there would be some opportunity to tell a different agency member about the current crisis. After all, Suzuka was currently confined inside the Onmyou Agency building, and outside the research lab were employees and Onmyouji at work. If she could get through Kumomaru and loudly expose their schemes, someone would hear her. 
But no matter how seriously Suzuka shouted, there might not be anyone to believe her. After all, this was the Suzuka who had violated Onmyou law and had been convicted of using forbidden magic. 
She was one of the Twelve Divine Generals as well as the Onmyou Agency's figurehead girl, the 'Child Prodigy'. But although the employees in the Onmyou Agency had a straightforward impression of Suzuka, she was a prodigal troublemaker who had been left to her own devices. Even if that Suzuka accused someone of something, people might not listen sincerely. 
...Most importantly...... 
Behind Yashamaru and Souma was the Onmyou Agency Chief, Kurahashi Genji. 
Not only was Kurahashi the current head of the famous Kurahashi family, but he was a National First-Class Onmyouji like Suzuka, the person who stood at the top of the modern magic community. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that standing against him was opposing the entire magic community. 
No, ultimately Kurahashi was helping the enemy, so he was an accomplice of the enemy. In other words, this spiritual disaster terrorist incident was a 'crime of the Onmyou Agency'. Telling the culprit, the Onmyou Agency, about the danger of this situation wouldn't accomplish much. 
Also, just like old man Daizen had said, was she actually able to prove their terrorism? 
It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to detect crimes of magic. The national judiciary would naturally have a hard time, and the only organization that could validate a crime of magic was the Magical Crime Investigation Division of the Onmyou Agency. And Kurahashi was the Chief of the Magical Crime Investigation Division. 
Also, Kurahashi was currently monopolizing both official and private power over the magic community. Resisting him by asking groups of the magic community for aid would be incredibly difficult. 
...In addition, according to what Takiko said, the Souma family also held sway in political circles. 
From the rumors she heard from Takiko, Satake Masumi, a member of the currently-dominant New Democratic Party, seemed to be a member of the Souma clan. In addition, he was the nephew of her father - in other words, he was actually Suzuka's cousin. Though they hadn't met, Suzuka inadvertently shivered at realizing her connection of blood to the Souma clan. 
The Souma family had long since calmly slipped into the higher-ups of the military during the Pacific War era, building their power along the way. Those means were still effective in modern society. 
In addition to the Souma, Chief Kurahashi was also politically connected. He hadn't directly participated in spiritual disaster purifications or Mystical Investigator work these few years, and he almost never personally directed that work. Rather, he had focused on expanding the Onmyou Agency's influence outside the Onmyou Agency. He was the most influential Onmyouji in the current political world. 
How could Suzuka and her friends oppose the powerful Kurahashi and Souma families...... 
"......Well, thinking about that now is of no help......" 

The first priority right now was stopping the third spiritual disaster terrorist attack planned for this Hinamatsuri. For this, Suzuka had to get the information she held onto outside and transmit it to people who would sincerely accept it, her friends who had been in continuous hiding. 
"Well, I'm only this anxious because I can't do that. ......Damn." 
She had already lived in the Onmyou Agency for over a year and a half, and she was conscious of the fact that she was talking to herself more and more. She knew she couldn't run her mouth since Kumomaru was outside, but the habits that had formed in her mind after a long time were hard to change. 
...As expected, she had to break through with force...... 
A conclusion she had reached many days ago. 
But Kumomaru was a shikigami and didn't need to eat or sleep. He was able to constantly watch over Suzuka twenty-four hours a day, so escaping from this jail would be an incredible feat. She racked her brains trying to think of some way she could make an opportunity to escape, but she couldn't think of any strategies. 
......She had to hurry...... If she didn't hurry, then...... 
Unconsciously, Suzuka's gaze fell on the calendar on the table. Suzuka's expression instantly twisted into a frown and she furrowed her brow - looking like she was about to cry. 
Then. 
"Excuse me." 
The moment she heard this voice, Suzuka cringed and jumped up from the sofa. 
After consciously pushing back her instinctive terror, she turned her head in the direction of that voice with all the strength in her body. 
Standing there was a slender young man. He was dressed like an old aristocrat, wearing a white shirt and black vest along with trimmed pants and an ascot. But he gave off a cold, dark impression from underneath that dress, without any of the honesty and nobility that a true aristocrat ought to have. 
He was Takiko's shikigami, Yashamaru, as well as Suzuka's father Dairenji Shidou after resurrection. 
"............" 
"Haha. Don't glare at me like that. I just came to check whether you've made any progress." 
"......I wish you'd knock before entering." 
"Ahh, sorry, sorry. After all, it's a lot of work to lock the door again." 
Yashamaru smiled as he replied. 
Suzuka's research lab was always magically cut off from the outside by a strong barrier. It had originally been a barrier that Suzuka set up herself, but now Yashamaru and the others had modified the spell. That was why he was able to come and go as he pleased. 
"Also," 
Yashamaru continued asking with the same frank tone as always: 
"How's the research?" 
"......Didn't I already write a report last week? Did you not look at it?" 
"Of course I looked at it, but it's important to write what you yourself feel in the report. Ah, it's hard to understand without talking directly with the author." 
Every time Yashamaru took a step towards the sofa, Suzuka retreated a step to maintain the distance between the two of them. Unconcerned about his daughter's uncooperative attitude, Yashamaru bent his waist a bit to lean against the back of the sofa, leaning his upper body forward as he looked at Suzuka. 
Yashamaru had given Suzuka a mission when she returned to the Onmyou Agency. The mission was regarding the research of 'soul magic'. Suzuka had originally been an Onmyou Agency researcher specialized in the 'Imperial Onmyoudou' that Tsuchimikado Yakou had established. Also, though soul-related magic was designated as forbidden now, it had existed during Yakou's time - during the time of Imperial Onmyoudou. The representative magic was the Taizan Fukun Ritual that Harutora had resurrected Natsume with. 
Suzuka had also tried to resurrect her dead brother with the Taizan Fukun Ritual, and had thus investigated 'soul magic' before. 
However, when she saw the trove of magic books and data that Yashamaru had sent to her from the Souma and Kurahashi, she realized that her knowledge from back then had only been the tip of the iceberg. Even the magic that had resurrected Dairenji Shidou and Mutobe Chihiro as Yashamaru and Kumomaru also came from the Taizan Fukun Ritual. Suzuka hadn't even imagined such a thing to be possible back then. The Taizan Fukun Ritual wasn't a single magic, it was a 'system of magic' to control souls that Tsuchimikado Yakou - no, that the Tsuchimikado clan had established after many years. 
It seemed that Yashamaru's understanding of the Taizan Fukun Ritual was far above Suzuka's. Since he was still ordering Suzuka to research it, perhaps fully verifying the Taizan Fukun Ritual system was tough for a single person. Also, more importantly, he also had other things to do. 
"......Is it really alright?" 
"Hmm? What are you referring to?" 
"Being away from Takiko. Isn't it Kumomaru who's responsible for guarding me, not you?" 
"Ah, that. I just finished things up over there. She probably won't regain consciousness for some time." 
"......Looks like the 'gift' is going very smoothly." 
"Of course. She's the legitimate successor to the thousand-year-old Souma bloodline. A perfect messiah." 
Yashamaru laughed unconcernedly as he said this. 
She couldn't sense any hostility in that laugh, nor could she sense any animosity, but a mysterious pressure seeped from it and tried to crush Suzuka. 
Takiko had been coming to the research lab to talk to Suzuka less frequently this year. Maybe it was since Suzuka had gotten her hands on information about the spiritual disaster terrorist attack, or maybe it was because of the biggest reason, which was that Takiko was 'preparing' for the next stage so seriously that she couldn't visit the research lab. 
In order to achieve the Souma clan's desire. 
The Souma bloodline's shaman princess would finally show her true worth. 
"In any case, tell me whether you've had any progress here, Suzuka. We're eventually going to have to put on a good show...... I hope that you can at least put forth as much research on the Taizan Fukun Ritual as possible. After all, it failed back during the war." 
Yashamaru said with a laugh. 
A hair-raising light shone coldly from the eye beneath his monocle.