Tokyo Ravens - Volume 12 - Chapter 2.2

Part 2 
His control was still insufficient. In the end, he couldn't say he had succeeded in controlling it at this stage. 
But he was slowly understanding 'ways to use it'. It wasn't that easy, but he was slowly getting the feel for it. 
"Haaaaaaah!" 
Ignoring the roar that came from his throat, Touji focused his excited mind on the battle in front of him. 
His third seal was currently released. Touji was transformed into his armored form, a flaming body of demonic aura, as he took part in a fierce battle. 
The location was the same training place as always. It was the sealed-off first-class magic practice field next to the old abandoned Onmyou Academy building. Touji's opponent was one of the Twelve Divine Generals, Independent Exorcist Kagami Reiji. Kagami calmly dodged the shockwave-producing onslaught of the demonized Touji. 
His expression looked calm, but actually he could lose his life at any time. Touji finally took a moment to catch his breath from the full-force assault urged on by his demonic power. Just like how Touji might become a demon with one wrong step, his training opponent Kagami could lose his life with one wrong step. But Kagami was calm and put on his best performance. 
There was no room to be distracted, nor did he have the leisure to go easy. Touji had gradually become able to calmly analyze the battle after learning this. Kagami was fighting with Touji knowing that he was in severe danger of losing his life. Having such an attitude was a great benefit in the battle, but it wasn't something that was easily imitated. 
It was control over the battle itself and not just strength. 
...This was it. 
Touji had finally reached 'that stage' after braving the danger of demonic transformation, using his demonic power to its limits, and establishing a foundation of real combat experience. Though some conditions had been added that were dangerous enough to scare him and severely restrict his freedom, Touji had found the strength to overcome them. 
The next step was to figure out how to use the strength he had developed to this level and how to control it. 
The focus was on strategy and ways of combat. It was meaningless to rev his engine up to the max if he couldn't even attack at that speed. 
To be honest, it already took all his power just to maintain that speed. 
But speed was just a means to an end. In other words, it wasn't something 'necessary'. 
Here was the true problem. 
"Uooooh!" 
He roared like a tiger and moved like a cheetah. Touji used the reins that bound tightly around the oni as he desperately thought of strategy. A world where one misstep would destroy him revealed itself at a speed that his eyes almost couldn't keep up with. It was the will of 'Touji' that was reflected in the battle, not the will of the 'oni'. Bit by bit, step by step. 
Soon afterwards, Kagami's movements also started changing. He stopped solely dodging and began attacking Touji. A completely head-on attack. Taking the attack, Touji almost lost his control over the oni, but gritted his teeth and pulled back on the reins to regain dominance. It felt as if he were riding a stallion or a high-output motorcycle. He strode forward violently, rocking at the helm, and fought explosively. 
There were probably only a handful of Onmyouji who could fight head-on with the current Touji. Getting used to this feeling of power, Touji greedily absorbed this rare battle experience. 
However, 
"......Tch." 
Kagami suddenly clicked his tongue and changed his stance. With his demonic power at full force, Touji was unable to stop his momentum, but Kagami swiftly dodged back with flawless movements. 
Then, 
"Touji. Seal yourself again. If this goes on the barrier won't be able to stand it." 
"...!" 
He hastily 'looked' over after hearing this. Just like Kagami said, the permanent barrier set up in the training area - one of the best barriers in the nation when it had been put up - was creaking and on the verge of crumbling. 
"Reboot!" 
The seal cast on Touji's body rapidly bound the oni alongside his shout. 
The armor and materialized flame on Touji's body vanished together. Then, he was assaulted by a feeling as if his vitality were stolen away, his physical strength surging away in a wave. 
He inadvertently staggered. "...Ugh!" He gritted his teeth and stabilized his body as it was about to collapse, putting his hands on his knees to keep his balance. 
Touji regulated his frantic breathing, managing to win against the temptation to sit down on the ground. All that supported his body right now was his own stubbornness. 
Even if he reapplied the third seal after releasing it, he would lose his fighting power for some time. But he couldn't be overcome by such a huge flaw every time. At the least, he had to be able to escape on his own after re-sealing himself. 
Just then, 
"Touji-sama." 
A kimono-wearing young woman hurried over from a corner of the arena. She was Suisen, the shikigami who had been taking care of Touji's group. 
Suisen came to Touji's side, taking out healing charms and sticking them on Touji's body. The healing charms let him properly catch his breath, but his body still couldn't move. He had always been confident in his physical strength, but conquering this feeling of fatigue required quite the courage. 
From the side, Suisen watched her hardworking master with a pleased look. Her master had specifically ordered her not to do anything until it was necessary. 
Though Suisen was Touji's shikigami, the contract between the two of them was just one where he provided her with magical energy. She actually served the other person who was in hiding with Touji. 
"Hmm, it's your first draw, isn't it, Touji?" 
That other person smiled happily as he spoke, waving the fan in his hand. 
He was an old man who had been sitting in a wheelchair on the side of the arena watching the battle with Suisen. He was dressed up prim and proper - a three-piece suit, a slanted hat on his head, and a scarf. His eyes held an ageless vitality, making him seem like he wasn't actually old. 
He was the former Chief of the Mystical Investigators, Amami Daizen. Now his magical energy was being sealed, and he could only move with a wheelchair. He was Touji's current boss. 
Touji looked at Amami, trying to regulate his erratic breathing. 
Speaking of which, this was the first time he had been able to 'control' it until training ended. Touji had always reached his limits and been forced to stop the training in the past. 

And come to think of it, the tie was the result of Kagami holding back. Though Kagami was seriously fighting with Touji, he wasn't using all his power to win. Even if he did attack a few times without holding back, they were deliberate head-on attacks. If Kagami purely wanted to 'defeat' Touji, he could do so easily. 
In contrast to Touji, who still couldn't stand straight after healing charms, Kagami was just at the level of breathing hard with his shoulders hunched after interrupting the training. He walked straight over to pick up his jacket with no intention of listening to what Amami had to say. Carefully 'looking' at him only revealed that his aura was slightly erratic after the intense battle, but otherwise normal as if nothing at all had happened. How vexing. 
...But I got a bit closer to you again...... 
Now he finally saw how to pursue that back in the distance. The distance between him and Kagami was surely narrowing. At least he had gotten that good feeling from this fight. 
I can fight. 
Firmly directing this faith into his heart, Touji stubbornly stood up straight. 
"This barrier really is wailing. This barrier that should even be fine in the face of a materialized spiritual disaster running amok." 
Kagami snorted at the sighing Amami, glancing at Touji over his sunglasses. 
With a snickering, debasing tone that was completely like Kagami's style, he said "You're finally starting to look alright, demon-boy. Though it's only your horsepower." 
He used the same irritating tone, but his words surprised Touji and Amami. After all, it was incredibly rare for that Kagami to praise someone. 
"Hm~? Touji, you're pretty amazing for that Independent Officer to recognize you." 
"If you're to become my shikigami, it would be inconceivable for you to be unable to reach your current level. It's be annoying as hell if I hit you when I was pissed and you died from it, brat." 
Kagami threw arrogant, detestable words at Touji. 
Becoming a shikigami - that was one of the conditions Kagami had made when he accepted Touji's request for training. The condition was that if Touji fell and became a demon during the training, Kagami would take him as a shikigami. Touji and Amami had constantly been on their guard for Kagami pulling some kind of trick since accepting that condition, but Kagami hadn't done anything to deliberately send Touji's demonic power out of control at all. Rather, he held out merciless Spartan training with Touji so diligently that it surprised them. 
Today too, Kagami had summoned Touji for training. 
The deal between Kagami and Touji was that, as compensation for Kagami holding special training for Touji, Touji and Amami would give Kagami any information about Harutora and Ohtomo. In other words, once Touji got his hands on some information, he had to immediately contact Kagami as the price for the training. 
But today it was Kagami who had first brought up this time before working hours before requesting that they provide information. The deal with Kagami had continued for more than a year, and such cases had happened many times. 
...Unexpectedly, he might be warming up. 
It would be annoying as hell if Touji were at a level where he randomly died. That sentence wasn't restricted to the scenario where Touji was Kagami's shikigami. In mock battle after mock battle, Touji had also slowly understood what kind of a person Kagami was. That man was extremely serious and completely sincere about magic. No one knew whether Kagami and Touji would be enemies after this, but he wanted to have a good fight if that time came. He was definitely looking forward to it. 
And...... 
"Hey, as I was saying. You're about able to move properly, right? If you can move, it's about time to get on with the main business." 
"Hah? What main business?" 
"Keh. What are you pretending at, old man. You guys have been pretty hyped up since last month. In other words, something new has happened." 
Touji and Amami inadvertently traded glances at Kagami's accusation. Though something had certainly happened, they hadn't thought Kagami would notice. 
As Kagami said, his motivation right now was worlds different from his motivation last year. 
He was working harder than before, but he had also formed the ability of calm judgment. After objectively analyzing himself, he had reached the conclusion that he couldn't go without a hardworking mentality. Touji didn't hesitate to get reckless when he felt that he needed to in order to reach his destination. 
But like today, calm calculations weren't the only thing that drove Touji on. There were also irrational, vexing thoughts along with impulses he couldn't suppress, burning emotions, and a fire that Tenma had ignited in him on television that day. 
It was a fact that Natsume had returned. Tenma had the mettle to convey this to them. 
Anticipating that the time was coming, Touji couldn't help but charge forward after laying low for a long time. It definitely wasn't because he was happy, was it......? 
No, wait. 
It was because he was happy. He couldn't deny an excitement like that on the eve of a festival. Perhaps Amami felt almost the same. He was excited enough that Kagami, who they only met occasionally, had seen through him instantly. 
But - that was natural. The two of them had hid underground and endured this long for this day. 
"......Even so, you must be really worried to come over for the 'main business'." 
But Kagami didn't respond to Touji's challenging provocation. 
His mouth curled into a cold, fickle smile. 
He said almost self-mockingly: 
"......What's wrong with that? I've certainly thought that the current situation wasn't bad." 
"What?" 
"Nothing, it's my business." 
Kagami shrugged as he spoke. 
The wheelchair-bound Amami stared at Kagami and his strange attitude. Touji eyed Kagami with the same suspicious look, but was ultimately unable to see through what the young Onmyouji was thinking. A detestable silence covered the arena and Suisen looked restlessly between the three of them. 
"Hey, Touji." 
Kagami's vague words broke the silence. 
"When the time comes, don't pull something shameful like dying right off the bat, alright? Or else I'll look like a fool for spending more than a year training you." [9] 
That was obvious. 
Touji glared back at Kagami without speaking a word. Then, he silently replied with a nod. 
"I know. Look forward to it."