Tokyo Ravens - Volume 13 - Chapter 5.5

Part 5 
"Souma Takiko......!?" 
Suzuka doubted her own eyes. 
The last time she had met Takiko had been last month - no, it had been two months ago. She hadn't come to the research lab since Suzuka got her hands on the information about the spiritual disaster terrorist attack. They hadn't seen each other for a long time. 
But it was really strange. 
She knew it was Takiko, but inadvertently, she asked, "...Who are you?" 
Without a doubt, it was Souma Takiko standing there downhill. Her androgynous and beautiful features, her steady standing posture, and her bright red hair were all evidence of Souma Takiko. 
But she was different. There were things that were different from the Takiko of before. She couldn't say where, but her instinct warned her. 
"It's been a while, huh. I haven't been able to see you for a long time. And...... I thought I wouldn't be able to see you again. I didn't think we'd be able to meet this soon, like Chief Kurahashi said. I'm so happy." 
Something was still wrong...... 
...Calm down...... Suzuka breathed deeply, organizing the current situation. They had to escape, even if only Akino could make it. They couldn't let the Full Moon fall into enemy hands. ...Ha, it was like she wanted to play a hero. But the situation was urgent, and first off, they had to...... 
She stood in front of Akino and slowly moved her hand behind her. 
"......What are you doing here?" She spoke to Takiko. 
"The normal 'special training'. Didn't you know? It's close by." 
"......Meaning that you've already dealt with the other business?" 
"Hmph. I'm not with those annoyances today. I finally got to go out and walk around." 
"By yourself?" 
"Yeah." 
Takiko affirmed naively and innocently. But Suzuka had a flash of inspiration. 
'Those annoyances' couldn't refer to Onmyou Agency men, it had to be her defensive shikigami Yashamaru and Kumomaru. There wasn't any strange aura nearby, and although it was possible that they were stealthed, Takiko didn't lie. 
...It could work. 
She had already confirmed Takiko's power from her mock battle with Natsume in the Onmyou Academy. She didn't know how much it had risen after her 'special training', but she was confident that she could at least succeed in running away. 
Hold on, this might be a big opportunity. If she was able to capture the Souma clan's shaman princess - no, that wouldn't do. If she captured her, 'they' would immediately notice-- 
Then, shouldn't she just kill her? 
The thought that momentarily flashed through her made Suzuka uneasy. 
Takiko letting the Raven's Wing go out of control had been the direct cause of Natsume's death. That gave Suzuka enough reason to make her decision here. 
But...... 
...'I'm so happy'. 
Suzuka knew that not one bit of her smile as she spoke those words had been false. Suzuka knew that she had been Takiko's only conversation partner during her two years of imprisoned life. Suzuka knew that Takiko was even worse at making jokes and even less worldly than her, and that she would keep at the card game she liked for entire nights. Suzuka knew all of that. 
...Ugh...... 
'Affection'. 
The word that Kumomaru had freely said before was now truly binding Suzuka. The second-class magic they had applied to Suzuka for a year and a half used the 'heart' rather than the 'mind'. It was now impeding Suzuka's actions. 
"............" 
"Those are pretty ears." Takiko's gaze moved away from Suzuka as she broke the silence. 
Uh oh. She clearly felt panic from Akino's hand that she held on to. Akino's ears were still showing, and now she couldn't conceal them even if she hid them back away. 
"Are you also from the Souma clan like Yashamaru said? Maybe we three Souma girls gathered here thanks to our ancestors' guidance. How nice." 
That moment, Suzuka noticed exactly what she had been feeling strange about since before. 
...This girl...... almost had no emotions!? 
Takiko had originally been a plenty emotional girl, but the emotions of the Takiko in front of her now almost never changed. She had lost her 'pitiable' feeling too. Was it because of the 'god summoning'......!? 
"Hey, Suzuka." She spoke in a voice that seemed to reverberate in her mind like a bell. "I don't really want to part with you...... Do you want to come back/ I like you. I won't force you to help us, just stay with me......" 
Suzuka couldn't reply. The mysterious pressure behind Takiko's back pressed down on Suzuka and constantly increased her restlessness. Her mental state started becoming unstable. 
Just then, 
"We're Natsume's friends!" 
Akino jumped out from behind her with a shout, then hid back behind Suzuka's back. 
Suzuka's pressure from before vanished as if she had been smacked awake. 
"Even I......" In contrast, Takiko's expression twisted when she heard those words. Anger, regret, and sadness. The expressions of the Takiko who Suzuka knew surfaced again. 
On the other hand, Takiko's spiritual power that she could 'see' was swelling erratically. 
That moment. 
"Akino! Suzuka!" 
A dragon and an oni. Voices came from the sky. She knew by sensing the spiritual power and didn't need to look. 
"Natsume! Touji!" 

"Akino! Suzuka!" 
They had just received the second message. As she dropped from the sky, Natsume saw Suzuka's phone in Akino's hand. Suzuka had probably secretly given Akino the phone behind her back while drawing Takiko into a conversation. Not only did the message say their location, but it had also told them that Takiko didn't have any shikigami with her right now. 
"Here's our chance! Yashamaru and Kumomaru won't be able to do anything as long as we have control over their master!" Natsume jumped down from Touji's arms as she said this and surrounded Takiko with Suzuka and Touji. 
"Order!" 
The flame scattered by the fire-element charm surrounded Takiko instantly, and at the same time Touji rushed forward with a speed that broke apart the ground he stepped on. They would fight and win as quickly as possible! 
But-- 
Touji's speed dropped and he kneeled onto the road, groaning. His seal had indeed been released, his horns and fangs were very visible, and there was no problem with the demonic aura that covered him in the form of samurai armor. It was the same living spirit form as always. But all Touji could do was crouch on the ground groaning. Natsume and Suzuka panicked when they saw this. 
"How dangerous." 
Despair instantly dyed her thoughts. 
The figures of two shikigami appeared on the slope behind Natsume and the others. Yashamaru and Kumomaru. 
"Ato Touji-kun? Did you forget what I said before? That you were the same kind as us? That you obtained the 'same kind of protection'?" 
"You...... What are you saying......" 
The Yase Doji laughed coldly. "Did you even forget how you became a living spirit? The oni in your body is none other than the one I summoned during the Great Hinamatsuri Purification four years ago. As for which one it is, you shouldn't need me to elaborate." 
...How...... 
"You can't touch the princess with your strength." 
"Damn...... What the hell......! Third seal, release!!" 
Touji bellowed and demonic power spurted forth like a geyser, covering his entire body. Touji got up on one knee. He stood up with all the power in his body. 
But that was it. Takiko looked somewhat sorrowfully down at Touji, who couldn't rise past supporting himself on one knee. 
"Do you understand now?" Yashamaru laughed coldly. "Check." 
They had been checked. As soon as these two shikigami returned, they no longer had any chance of winning. They couldn't even escape. 
Checkmate. 
Suzuka and Natsume could do nothing more than stand still dumbly. 
"Okay!" Akino suddenly cried out. "Don't worry! Please start!" 
Pale white light gathered by Akino's rabbit ears. "Touji, reseal right away! Natsume, Suzuka, stand together!" 
Akino shouted. It was Akino's voice, yet wasn't Akino's voice. 
Everyone present stared in surprise. Because everyone was familiar with that voice. 
 
"Harutora-kun!?" 
At the same time, Akino started stepping at high speed. A complicated and precise pattern of steps was instantly completed nine times with the speed of the moon rabbit. 
Far Step. 
"Kumomaru!" Yashamaru cried out and simultaneously shot his spiritual power into the ground. 
Far Step, an instant movement method using the spirit flow. They couldn't let them escape like this! 
But Akino's target wasn't Natsume and the others gathered here. 
"...Damn!" The two shikigami hastily flew to their master. But Akino had grabbed Takiko a step before them. 
"...Natsume, sorry." 
Those last words were in Akino's voice. 
Right as the words left their mouth, Akino, Takiko, Yashamaru, and Kumomaru were sucked into the spirit flow. 

The moment the Full Moon entered the spirit flow, the connection with the Raven's Wing was cut off and Harutora’s consciousness returned to his body. 
He could only have sacrificed Akino. It pained him to give up the Full Moon he had finally managed to obtain, but the opponents also knew about this and wouldn't harm Akino. 
But without the Full Moon, he would have no way of performing the Taizan Fukun Ritual again to call on 'him'. His clues for rescuing Natsume ended here. 
And though he had disguised the spiritual power that he had provided for Far Step, the Onmyou Agency had probably noticed already. He would have to change locations again. 
"Hishamaru, how is it?" 
"It's already stabilized." 
"Understood. I don't want to move, but we have no choice. Prepare the next hideout." 
"Harutora." Kakugyouki called out from behind his master while Harutora suppressed his emotions. 
There was no response. Harutora just gritted his teeth hard. 
"At this point......" His voice was like a growl. "We've already used up all our strategies. So there's nothing left to be confused about - destroy the Souma, defeat the Onmyou Agency, rescue Akino, and save Natsume. I definitely won't give up." 
His voice was flat, but his harsh, one-eyed gaze burned like magma, frightening those who saw it. 
The sun had already set, and the flames of the few candles left in the room were all that provided illumination. 
The flickering, dying firelight and the comparatively overwhelming darkness. The Onmyouji stared into nothingness as if begrudging himself.