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Tokyo Ravens - Volume 14 - Chapter 4.3




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Part 3 
In the sky of the city, there was a three-legged crow flying. 
[Looking] over, magic lines and ley lines flooded the entire city, the altar of [Tensou Chifu Ritual] had formed into a massively complicated yet vivid pattern, it looked as if a mandala was created using magic. 
The god’s territory had expanded, merging the hidden world and real world into one, a magical stage to call down [god]. At this moment in terms of aura, it could be said that Tokyo had seemingly became a different world. 
In a certain meaning, this was something rather yearning. The spirit of magic, a large experimental ground that was pushed close to the unknown realm, it makes people yearning yet painful, however, now it’s not the time to be immersed in such sentiments. 
The golden bird flew carefully for a long time in the sky, the altar had caused nearby spiritual phase to mutate, this had, of course, affected the magic. Moreover, there were other spells flowing in, some areas continually had distorted auras became stabilised. He tried to grasp the changes nearby as much as possible-- as well as how the [battle] developed. 
However, this job was nearly done. 
A faint glow of tangerine on the far west, the sky was dyed in the colour of night. The moon made its appearance, the bright and clear moon looked over the scene below its lonely self. 
Ochanomizu. 
It looked as if the golden bird tore the moonlight apart with its wings, turning in an acute angle. Then, it glided directly towards a certain target. 
It flew pass Hijiri Bridge at an angle, passing over the skies of Kandagawa, towards the center of the altar— closing in to Kanda Myoujin. The Torri that leads to the road towards the shrine appeared in their view. The golden bird spread its wings suddenly, extending its three legs, slowing down in mid-air. 
It turned its body with ease, landing in front of the Torri— in a simple style, the gable and hip structured tile rooftop. That was the Great Hall of Yushima Seidou, statues of Kigintou, dragon head with a fish body figure were worshiped on the both sides of the roof. The Kiriyuushi Divine Beasts were worshiped in the form of Komainu Statues at the four corners. 
The golden bird landed on the roof with the divine beast, transforming into a black clothed Onmyouji in the next second. There was only Hongo Dori Road in between his position and the Torii of Kanda Myoujin, there were no obstructions in between. Another thing would be due to the effects of the barrier, there wasn’t any people and cars on the road, there was only a car that looked like its been abandoned at the side of the Torri. 
However, right below the cold and silent Torri, stands a small man in a priest robe. 
The man gazed towards the Onmyouji on the rooftop of the Great Hall, taking a step forward. 
"It's been a while, Tsuchimikado Harutora-kun. ...Although you might not remember me at all. After all, you were in quite some trouble at the time." 
"...Independent Officer Miyachi. Well, regrettably, I don't remember you. But I know of you. I've heard of your 'Fire Demon' moniker many times." 
The two of them were talking about the incident during the summer two years ago when Natsume lost her life. At that time, Harutora had been captured by the Exorcist Bureau and sent to the Mystical Investigators. Miyachi had been present at the time. 
The student who had lost his childhood friend and been possessed by his out-of-control shikigami, and the most powerful of the Exorcist Bureau Twelve Divine Generals who was in charge of exorcising spiritual disasters. Back then, who would have thought that these two would have faced each other like this? 
...This is quite incredible indeed...... 
Harutora harrowed his lone eye as he stood in front of Miyachi. 
'I'm confident in my spiritual power', Harutora thought as he steadied himself. After all, even during his sealed time as a student, his strong spiritual power had been the only thing everyone else had recognized. Now that he had obtained the spirit-seeing ability and recovered his past memories, he was familiar with releasing and manipulating spiritual power. He wasn't a bit beneath other Onmyouji in terms of simple brute strength. 
But Harutora wasn't so conceited to think he could beat the man in front of him. 
A short middle-aged man, shorter than Harutora, with thick and disorderly hair and a beard that covered his face. He wore a long robe and looked listless. 
But inside that short body was a tremendous spiritual power surpassing what an Onmyouji should have. Harutora was stunned by that immeasurably deep spiritual power. 
Fire Demon Miyachi, accepted and feared by famous Onmyouji as the strongest of the era. 
But what Harutora wanted to know the most wasn't his true power. 
"...Independent Officer Miyachi, I wanted to ask you a long time ago." 
"Hm, what." 
"Why you joined Kurahashi." 
Harutora stared at Miyachi with a sharp gaze as he spoke. 
"You have no relations with the Souma or the Kurahashi families. Nor do they have a hold of any weakness of yours, and it doesn't feel like you're being tricked. Also, it doesn't seem like you really admire them. You're a stoic, calm person. I think you're more capable of looking objectively at what you're doing than the Souma or the Kurahashi." 
"...Thanks, it's quite humbling to be told that by you." 
"So... why?" 
Harutora bluntly asked the obfuscating Miyachi. 
"With that kind of strength, you could openly oppose both the Souma and the Kurahashi. As an exorcist, as the leader of the exorcists, you obtained your ideal job. Most exorcists are working hard while looking up to you. Almost all your subordinates rely on you, and aren't you admired by everyone? So why, why did you betray everyone!?" 
Though his tone was very flat, Harutora continued pursuing the question. In this kind of situation, he wouldn't allow any dodging the question or changing the topic. Miyachi scratched his head silently as he thought of how to reply. 
Then, he replied: "In the past...... My power went out of control." 
Harutora furrowed his brows in surprise. 
"No, to be honest, I don't know how to answer. I wanted to die but couldn't, and I probably went crazy. Back then, the Chief saved me...... but in the end what I'm saying is just an excuse. Right now, I probably feel like nothing matters. Although I'm not completely dead, I'm no different from dead. I'm just going with the flow." 
Miyachi said in a frank, sincere tone. 
An evocative expression appeared on his clearly-outlined, gloomy face. It made him seem like an experienced actor burdened by many ghosts of the past rather than a noble knight. All that he showed was a learned sorrow, and on top of that, an immeasurable emotionlessness. Maybe this was a kind of enlightenment. 
But, 
"In that case..." 
Harutora's tone grew stronger. 
"Then you're an incredible bastard...... But I symphathize with you. There's nothing good about having great power." 
Harutora slowly swept his right hand to the side at the end, as if talking to himself. 
Defensive shikigami materialized to his left and right, leaving Harutora in the middle. Hishamaru, who stood on the roof wearing a military outfit, and Kakugyouki, who stood one-legged on the roof with his left sleeve flapping in the wind. The beautiful fox spirit and the one-armed ogre let out strange lights from their eyes as they looked at Miyachi and said, 
"The Fire Demon Miyachi - not a bad opponent." 
"...Well, let me witness your strength." 
Miyachi exhaled quietly. The beads in his hand clacked. 
They had always been members of opposite factions. There was nothing left to say, so this was all they could do. 
Harutora looked at the shrine road and at Zuishin-mon [14] built on the slopes of Kanda Shrine. A dull darkness covered the entrance to the gate, and he couldn't see anything at all inside. It was because a barrier covered the altar's surroundings. 
He couldn't see at all. 
Since he couldn't see, he would have to charge straight in, and therefore he needed to eliminate any obstacles. 
"Hishamaru! Kakugyouki!" 
Receiving their master's order, the two defensive shikigami gracefully leaped. 
Hishamaru jumped into the air, and Kakugyouki jumped to the road, separating into two in order to deal with Miyachi. 
"Nomaku Saraba Dadakyanaibyaku Saraba Bonkeibyaku Sarabada Darada Seida Makaroshada Ken Gyakigyaki Saraba Biginnan Undarada Kanman--" 
He recited Vajrapani's [15] most fundamental great dharani [16] , Acala's Fire Realm Magic. 
Fire Realm was General Onmyoudou. 
It was one of General Onmyoudou's representative offensive magics most commonly used when exorcising mobile spiritual disasters. 
But the level of Miyachi's magic was completely different. 
Gigantic magical energy poured forth from Miyachi's body, raging into a magical flame with him at its center. The flame instantly covered the road, scorching the buildings and turning the nearby area into a sea of flame. 
The last time he saw this flame was that summer night [17] . The flame had completely covered the Onmyou Agency building in order to fight back against Ashiya Doman. He had only glimpsed it through a window at the time, and now that he was seeing the flame of the Fire Demon before his eyes, there were no words to describe it other than 'shocking'. 
"Tch!" 
Kakugyouki guarded his face with his right arm and stopped as the flame engulfed him. 'Lag', which happened when shikigami suffered powerful attacks, made his body unstable and his hair stand on end as if he were a television image receiving interference. Hishamaru, who was flying up in the air, was also cried out and moved her tail in response to the wave of heat pouring forth from below. 
A blinding light and deafening noise, along with a suppressing heat. Harutora immediately put up a barrier, and though he was a good distance away, he knew that an ordinary barrier wouldn't be able to handle this. The flame produced by the Fire Realm Magic of General Onmyoudou burned spirits better than ordinary flame and had minimal power against physical objects, but it was already starting to melt the asphalt on the ground. The surrounding buildings started burning one by one and the creeping flame produced more and more heat. 
In front of the torii that flashed blue and white amidst the flame, Miyachi chanted the incantation with his eyes half-open. 
"......I see, you're coming out and fighting at the vanguard." 
A practitioner with this much power couldn't be placed in the middle of an altar where a complex ritual was being carried out. This powerful flame would burn away the altar's ritual as well. In addition, even the area outside of the shrine road was currently in Miyachi's 'area of consciousness'. He could burn everything before him to a crisp at will. 
...This wasn't a realm that could be entered through training, it was like something divine - a god-given ability. 
In the past, he had known someone similar to this man. Someone who overflowed with individual 'ability' - practically a fountainhead of spiritual power linked directly to the world itself. Practitioners like this were very few. The head of Seishuku Temple before had been such a person, and to be fair he had in the past been a similar kind of practitioner. 
But Miyachi was an exceptional example even among this group of practitioners. 
...His He himself was something like a fountainhead of power. It hadn't happened by Miyachi's own will. But one day, he had suddenly felt a fountain of strength pour forth inside his body. 
A strength that allowed him to burn everything before him to a crisp if he had the mind to. No, more than that - it might just burn everything to a crisp if he weren't careful and didn't have the power to control it. 
Miyachi had once let this strength go out of control. 
He once again felt the weight of those words. 
But, 
"......I can't just sit here and let you burn." 
He had also experienced pain going out of control. And it had been an extraordinary pain that others had never experienced. To make up for it, he couldn't let someone else make the same mistake. He wouldn't let someone else distort the truth of the world - especially not for their own biased views. 
Stopping this was the responsibility he bore for his sin-- 
...No. 
Harutora shook his head. 
...No, that wasn't it. Tsuchimikado Harutora! 
Harutora swiftly abandoned that righteous, obscuring view. 
He knew that he had to stop the Souma. He knew that he had to defeat the Kurahashi. He knew that he couldn't let the Tensouchi Ritual be performed in the modern era, and had no plans at all of asking forgiveness for dragging the others into this. 
But in his heart, there was a simpler, purer reason why he definitely couldn't back down. 
...Natsume...... 
If the ritual completed and the god descended, Tokyo's spiritual face would be changed. Natsume definitely wouldn't be able to handle it in her current state. So he had to stop it. 
In order to save Natsume, he had to communicate with ancestral spirits. And he needed the 'Full Moon' in order to communicate with ancestral spirits, so he needed to take Akino back. 
Natsume and the others had taken actions necessary to defeat the Souma and Kurahashi. But they hadn't bared their fangs. The reason to fight inside his heart was central to his thinking and couldn't be touched. This, too, was an opinionated bias. But it was the truth to him. That truth could be gathered up into a single sentence. 
Natsume, I'll become your shikigami. 
He had once promised this. 
Protecting the master was a shikigami's duty. 
That was why he called himself Harutora, and not Tsuchimikado Yakou. 
I can't lose. 
"Hishamaru, circle around behind him! Kakugyouki, push back!" 
After giving his order, Harutora swiftly raised his own magical energy. 
The nearby buildings ignited one after another. Hishamaru used the burning roofs as stepping stones and began to move. On the other hand, Kakugyouki couldn't help but smile wryly at his master's ruthless order. 
"Talking to me like that again...... That hasn't changed after your reincarnation, huh." 
Kakugyouki complained, but he leaped into the sea of flame and released his demonic aura. 
This time, it was Miyachi's turn to stare. 
The one-armed oni bared his fangs. Thick demonic aura exploded out. 
The demonic aura was burned by the flame and purified immediately after it was released. Instantly. But for that instant, just a single instant, it extended slightly. The demonic aura began spreading outside of where the flame burned, centered on the oni. 
The eyes that were often narrowed snapped open. His short golden hair grew and lengthened, becmoing messy as it fluttered in the flame. His huge, two-meter body swelled and swelled again, as if power were flooding into his body. 
As he stood in the sea of flame, the oni who had lived for a thousand years showed his true nature. Kakugyouki took a heavy step on the melted asphalt. 
"Graah!" 
Baring his fangs, the oni bellowed ominously. He took a heavy second step towards the Onmyouji in the center of the flame. 
Then, he swung a fist. 
Miyachi reflexively re-formed his hand seal. Flame gathered in front of him - but that flame was instantly scattered by the tsunami of demonic aura being released by the fist. 
A fierce, head-on battle between the god-given flame and the ancient demonic aura. Rough shockwaves spread to the surroundings, splitting open and collapsing the burning buildings around them. 
The roaring swirl of magical energy blew around the surrounding aura. At the same time, part of the Tensouchi Ritual altar collapsed. 
"Incredible!" 
Miyachi said. He wore a rare childish expression. 
"That's my line." 
Kakugyouki said. 
"I've been drifting through this world for a thousand years now, but haven't met someone of this level. I ought to use everything I have to deal with you." 
He took a third step. 
The fist that went out again whipped up a gale of misama. Miyachi's flame burned even more exuberantly, flapping in the gale and spreading waves of heat. Kakugyouki slowly closed the distance amidst the wild flame and misama. But Miyachi didn't take a single step back. The closer the oni got, the denser the space was and the heavier the oni's next step became. He couldn't believe that a human was responsible for this kind of magical output. 
On the other hand, Harutora still hadn't moved. He was still refining his magical energy, trusting in his defensive familiars. He could only use this kind of 'special move' once against an expert like Miyachi. The plan to wait for 'that moment' to come had already begun, and time passed at a snail's pace. 
Then, finally, Kakugyouki stopped. 
The compressed flame attacked the oni, burning his skin. 
But, 
"Hifimiyoimune, kotomochirorane, shikiruyuitoha, sobatamakumeka!" 
A clear voice recited the words of the Hikime ritual. When Miyachi looked back to see behind him, Hishamaru had already circled behind him and was in an archery stance, readying foxfire. 
Release. 
Miyachi released of his hand seal and swung the prayer beads in his hands. The beads, entwined with Miyachi's magical energy, just barely deflected the foxfire. 
But in the moment that Miyachi's focus was shifted, Kakugyouki purhsed through the flame. With a fanged grin, he leaped out at Miyachi, who controlled his flame to knock the oni back down. 
Things quickly became chaotic. 
"Daniyada udakadaibana enkeienkei sowaka!" 
Hishamaru chanted Varuna's mantra and magical energy formed a stream of water that attacked Miyachi's flame. Steam swelled up explosively, producing a thunderous roar. 
Hishamaru's magical energy couldn't compare to the monstrous Miyachi and Kakugyouki. But it could help while the two of them were locked in a stalemate. In fact, you could even say that Hishamaru's actions decided the flow of this battle. 
The two defensive shikigami constantly attacked Miyachi from in front of him and behind him. But Miyachi didn't fall, as they were unable to land a deciding strike without an overwhelming advantage. On the other hand, Miyachi fought hard with his clothes disarray and clacking prayer beads, as if playing with the two defensive shikigami. The manipulated flame became knights that protected their master, trying to burn the cunning fox spirit and the vicious oni as they danced with radiant swords. 
If he wanted to, he could turn this area into a firey hell. Part of the altar would also burn up like paper as the area of the inferno spread. 
Harutora sharpened his mind. The defensive shikigami were fighting against Miyachi's power. He knew that Takiko couldn't move. Yashamaru was focusing on undoing the curse. Also, Kumomaru was heading to the location of the Armored Juggernaut, as he had determined while observing from the sky. 
The key to the battle was time. The trap Harutora had laid, and the curse that Yashamaru would undo at some point. With that, he had no time to sit still. 
Ultimately, what was the best course of action? 
"Hishamaru!" 
Harutora shouted. Hishamaru's ears immediately stood up. She turned in midair by swinging her tail, and right after she landed, a huge lions attacked her. 
A white lion with a beautiful mane. And also, a black lion and a man wearing sokutai came through Zuishin-mon from inside the closed-off darkness of Kanda Shrine. 
Kurahashi Genji. 
"Chief!?" 
"Miyachi, suppress the oni! ...Hakuma! Kuroun!" 
The black lion next to him leaped off the ground down to the shrine road as soon as he commanded, joining the white lion to attack Hishamaru. Hishamaru spun her body, stepping off of the wall of a burning building to leap into the air to flee. But the two lions leaped into the air after her. 
"You!" 
Hishamaru glared at the lions. Hakuma and Kuroun were defensive shikigami passed down along the Kurahashi Onmyoudou family. 
Loyal shikigami that protected the head of the family from outside enemies. They had fought with Hishamaru before while they had served Tsuchimikado Yakou. 
They were extremely reliable allies, but they were tough opponents. 
"Hishamaru." 
"I'm alright!" 
Hishamaru replied to her master as she leaped through the air. Blue foxfire guided by her tail traced out arcs that singed the noses of the approaching lions. 
But the lions were uncowed. Hishamaru swung her tail as she controlled her spiritual power, jumping to higher ground. 
Kakugyouki clicked his tongue. He stared at the two lions in the air and clenched a fist. 
But, 
"Oh my, I'm being ignored." 
Miyachi's flame shot forth from in front of him. "Ugh." Kakugyouki's giant body was blown away. 
The flame instantly burned away the miasma floating in the air. 
Then, seeing the opportunity, Kurahashi refined his spiritual power. 
"Now, let's get rid of them!" 

"Understood." 
Kurahashi sucked in a breath even before hearing Miyiachi's response. "Tagamagaharaama tsunorito no futonorito wo machi kakamunondemu. Exorcise and cleanse all things!" 
He chanted the highest-level exorcism spell and clapped his hands together. A blinding aura burst forth, and at the same time, Miyachi manipulated the raging flame and drew it back. 
Kurahashi's magic passed through the shrine road, purifying all of the chaotic aura, miasma, foxfire, and flame at once. 
It didn't crush everything using force, but rather saw through the balance of the five elements and used the requisite aura to supplement the necessary areas, stilling and regulating everything. 
Hishamaru was stunned by that excellent technique as she evaded the lions. Harutora was also taken aback. There were extremely few Onmyouji who could perform this kind of feat. This kind of technique could only be grasped by constantly practicing to perfectly regulate the balance of the five Onmyou elements over an extremely long time. 
The moment the battlefield was purified, Kurahashi started a chant. He was repairing the Tenchuu Chifu Ritual altar, which had been damaged in the magic battle. At the same time, Yashamaru was also cleansing the altar's contamination. They couldn't just sit still and watch holes open up. 
Right, they couldn't ignore this. They couldn't possibly have ignored this. 
He had been waiting for this opportunity. 
As the altar was returned to normal, magical energy flowed through it and into the spirit flow. 
Inside that flowing spirit flow was a trap Harutora had laid - imprisoning magic. He rapidly drew it out and modified the preset settings of the spell as he strode into the battlefield. 
His target was Miyachi. 
While the defensive shikigami had been fighting, Harutora had sprinkled the magical tool hidden by his feet - a rock wrapped in bamboo leaves - with salt. 
"By the green of these bamboo leaves, by the withering of these bamboo leaves, let green die! And by the drought of this salt, wither! And by the weight of these rocks, sink!" 
The secret art that Ohtomo had used against Ashiya Doman before, the 'Eight-way Bamboo Cage Curse'. 
Harutora's magic guided the magical energy lines and spirit flow of the repaired altar to become a prison that caged Miyachi. Miyachi was shut in the cage along with the flame aorund him, and inside were powerful curses - various curses that Harutora brought through the spirit flow using his magic. 
The interior of the cage instantly became a crucible of curses and flame. 
"What!?" 
Shocked, Miyachi turned his flame into a shield. The Fire Demon's flame constantly burned the mass of curses that had been gathered from all of Tokyo. 
Miyachi couldn't move in that narrow space, and burning the curses alone exhausted him. 
"Miyachi!" 
Kurahashi shouted, clenching his fists. 
But Kurahashi couldn't do anything. 
Even Kurahashi with his full power couldn't destroy the cage formed by the magical energy lines and spirit flow. 
With the spiritual power lines and spirit flow cut, the Tenchuu Chifu Ritual altar also stopped its work. His plans had ground to a halt. 
There was only one thing left that he could do - to remove the rock beneath Harutora's feet from the spell. Of course, Harutora wouldn't let him do that. 
...Good! 
Harutora had realized before the battle that the Fire Demon, called the strongest of the Twelve Divine Generals, would be a hindrance. 
He wouldn't possibly have not come with countermeasures for the Onmyouji who had faced Ashiya Doman alone. 
This was the countermeasure that Harutora had prepared to remove the Fire Demon from the board. 
Kakugyouki! 
"Yeah." 
The moment Harutora shouted, Kakugyouki returned to the battlefield from where he had been blown away to. 
Ignoring the trapped Miyachi, he walked to the sloped shrine road. 
Simply coming close to this demonic aura made Kurahashi feel incredibly pressured. 
Kurahashi kept his guard up, his expression grim, but the initiative was already Harutora's. Until he thought of something he could do, he could only combat Kakugyouki's demonic aura. 
Harutora couldn't give Kurahashi an opportunity. 
"Hishamaru!" 
"Yes!" 
Hishamaru gracefully dropped from the air and leaped over the shrine road. Kakugyouki blasted Hakuma and Kuroun form behind with demonic aura, temporarily stopping them and preventing them from pursuing Hishamaru. 
...Now... 
Kumomaru wasn't here right now. Yashamaru couldn't move because of the altar, and Takiko was defenseless inside the altar. As long as Hishamaru broke through Kurahashi, Harutora's victory was essentially guaranteed. 
...They could do it! 
At least Harutora thought. 
A slash that could cut through everything passed by Hishamaru and cut the shrine road into two. 
Hishamaru screamed, blown away by the slash's spiritual pressure. Kurahashi was almost sent flying as well. The sleeves of his sokutai flapped in the raging wind. 
"...What!?" 
Harutora yelled. 
This fearsome sword skill was no worse than Kogure's. But this wasn't Kogure. A Divine General carrying a large sword appeared on the battlefield with an ominous grin. 
"Kagami!" 
Harutora growled. 
Kagami stared at Harutora. 
"...Yo." 
An insufferably arrogant smile appeared on his face. 
Hastily regaining her footing, Hishamaru appeared in front of Zuishin-mon, staring at Kagami in disbelief. 
...Was this... truly Kagami? 
One of the Twelve Divine Generals. Independence Exorcist, the 'Ogre Eater' Kagami Reiji. Someone who had been involved with all of Harutora, Hishamaru, and Kakugyouki. 
In particular, to Hishamaru he was the sworn enemy who had wonded her master's left eye. 
But the man before them was completely different from the Kagami of the past. His outer appearance hadn't changed. But internally - the natura of the aura inside his body had changed dramatically. The chaotica aura frothing inside his body didn't seem like somehting a human ought to have. It was like boiling magma. 
To be honest, it was strange that he was still alive. 
It felt like he was forcefully suppressing it. Perhaps it was even less stable than Hishamaru's condition. 
Even so, he was still able to use such a powerful strength - it was a strength that felt comparable to Miyachi's. 
His limiter had been removed!? 
That's what it felt like. 
"Hishamaru!" 
Kakugyouki shouted. Hishamaru came to her senses and instantly jumped in front of her comrade. Kagami didn't pursue. 
He was panting, as if he had no stamina. His condition looked extremely poor. 
But Hishamaru had goosebumps from confronting him. The current Kagami had some abnormal condition and gave off an extremely dangerous feeling. 
On the other hand, 
"Kagami... You..." 
Kurahashi was also shocked into silence by Kagami's transformation. Kagamist panted as he swept a scornful gaze over Kurahashi. 
"Not bad, Chief. It was better than I would have thought. Those guys who've been fooled until now will definitely be surprised." 
"......The seal's been broken, but that appearance..." 
Kagami cackled at the dumbstruck Kurahashi. 
"I honestly thought I was gonna die. I couldn't even use Far Step, so I ended up arriving late to the party......" 
Kagami turned his body as he spoke, looking at the guarded Hishamaru and Kakugyouki in the middle of the shrine road. In addition to Hishamaru and Kakugyouki, he stared at Harutora in the distance of Yushima Seidou. 
Kagami laughed madly. 
"Right, I'm me, I do what I want." 
Saying that, he looked back at Kurahashi. 
Kurahashi had already called his two defensive shikigami back to him. The giant lions were as tall as Kurahashi's shoulders. Just by standing there, they evoked instinctive fear - but Kagami was the side with more pressure. 
But Kagami very quickly turned to Harutora and swung a katana. 
"......Well, this is rare, so you're first." 
Thick aura floated around Kagami. His body leaning slightly forward, Kagami bared his teeth and stared at Hishamaru and the others. "Bastard!" Hishamaru's fur rose. 
But, 
"Alright." 
Kakugyouki walked forward without hesitation. 
He released his full-power demonic aura without holding back a single bit. His every step crushed the ground of the shrine road and the vast magical energy whipped up a roaring wind. Hishamaru unconsciously guarded herself against the shockwaves. 
"Hah!" 
Kagami snickered, stabbing Higekiri between his feet and roaring. 
Spiritual power shot forth. 
It was practically unbelievable. Truly, it was a strength comparable to Miyachi's. Kagami refined his magical energy and poured it into Higekiri. Higekiri gave off a silver light and formed a huge blade, slashing open the poring demonic aura. 
Kakugyouki's waterfall of demonic aura was completely cleansed. Hishamaru was shocked into silence. Kakugyouki clicked his tongue. 
"Our compatability's still this bad, huh. That's what happens when something gets your spiritual affinity." 
Kakugyouki bared his teeth, lightly swinging his arm. 
...I see, that guy's sword...... 
Kagami's sword Higekiri was from the Heian era, the blade used by the samurai Watanabe no Tsuna. The name Higekiri came from the legend that he had used it to fight an oni. The legend said that Higekiri had cut off that oni's left arm. 
That oni's name was Ibaraki-doji. That was one of the names Kakugyouki had used in the past. 
"Sorry about before, but it'll be a long time before things get better." 
Kagami laughed as he readied Higekiri. 
"But this guy's in excellent condition right now. Well, it kind of feels like he's out of control. Why don't you have a bout with me." 
Kagami raised Higekiri as he said that. Kakugyouki grunted. 
"Kakugyouki!?" 
Kagami refined his powerful magical energy, poured it into the blade, and threw it out. 
When Kakugyouki's demonic aura swelled up, the thrown Higekiri danced in midair and a young man holding Higekiri's hilt materialized. 
This man with messy wavy hair and wearing a joyful, arrogant expression was Higekiri's vessel Shaver, Kagami's shikigami. 
"Yaaaah!" 
Shaver swung down Higekiri while emitting a strange cry. Kakugyouki dodged an instant before he was cut, but the explosive sword pressure produced lag all over his body. Hishamaru hastily guarded herself as the sword pressure pushed her back. 
"Remember this!" 
Shaver bellowed. His flashing eyes were filled with killing intent and locked on to his target Kakugyouki without moving away. 
"You even messed around with me before! Die! I'll kill you, Ibaraki-doji!" 
He charged forward, laughing wildly and hunched over so far that he was almost crawling on four limbs. He swung his large katana rapidly. Kakugyouki's giant body leaped up agilely. He avoided the swift blade while suppressing Shaver using demonic aura and looking for an opportunity to strike. 
Slashes continuously split the night sky as the blade's magical energy and the oni's demonic aura raged. 
The demonic aura became a whiel that exploded out with a roundhouse kick. Sharp lag spread over Shaver's body, but the shikigami joyfully stabbed out with his sword, to impatient to wait to recover from the lag. Kakugyouki clicked his tongue once again and deflected the sword using the armor on his arm. With the differences in stature, the battle between Kakugyouki and Shaver felt like the fight between a bull and a matador. 
The fight was evenly matched, but Kakugyouki, who was known for his power, was avoiding a head-on clash. The bad affinity seemed to be true. 
...Not good! 
Hishamaru formed a hand seal, planning to cover him. 
But, 
"Hishamaru!" 
Just as Harutora called out from behind her, Kagami's Fire Realm magic attacked. Fire Realm magic without speaking an incantation and essentially without any preparation. But this Fire Realm magic contained magical energy approaching Miiyachi's. Hishamaru's expression changed as she just barely jumped up. She realized her mistake only after jumping. 
"You and I still aren't done yet. Let me get back at you for before." 
Kagami controlled the fire, making it pounce on Hishamaru in midair. This was a vary 'haphazard' magic, controlled without a hand seal or a mantra and seemingly about to collapse at any moment. But because it was haphazard, it was swift and could react nimbly. Unable to avoid it, Hishamaru instantly put up a barrier in midair. The flame engulfed both the fox spirit and the barrier, burning fiercely. 
Assaulted by waves of heat, lag spread over Hishamaru's body. In the first place, her aura was in an unstable state. Though she felt concerned and anxious, she couldn't break through this Fire Realm magic. 
"Water conquers fire, order!" 
The several water-element charms that flew over weakened the power of the Fire Realm before the barrier was burned away. It was Harutora. 
The magic stream of water was instantly boiled into steam. Hishamaru escaped the Fire Realm through the steam as it scattered everywhere, descending to a building that still hadn't collapsed. 
Though she immediately prepared for another attack, it didn't come. Kagami panted as he stared at Harutora on the other side of the shrine road. 
The spiritual power he had gained from releasing the seal was Kagami's original strength. But It was extremely unstable. Though it was very powerful, the instability of this power made it feel as if it could misfire. 
His control of the power wasn't quite perfect - or rather, this aura had been quite strange since the beginning. Kagami currently bore a wound that practically destroyed his spiritual body. He wasn't in any state to fight in a battle of magic. 
But, 
...He's doing this much with that body...!? 
Kagami was doing his best to use his spiritual power and fight in this magic battle with his spiritual body in a near-death state. 
He was able to do this thanks to force of will. 
But what they had to be most alert of was his obsession. His powerful obsession with victory - with defeating the enemy. 
Kagami's obsession was his pillar of strength, supporting his aura and fighting spirit. 
Kagami inhaled deeply, forcefully stabilizing the aura inside his body. 
"What's wrong, fox!? Come at me!" 
Forming a hand seal again, he unleashed Fire Realm magic targeting Hishamaru on the roof. Hishamaru jumped carefully to avoid the attack, moving to the shring road while kicking off the outer walls of the burning buildings. 
Next to her was the close-quarters fight between Kakugyouki and Shaver. Kakugyouki had already fought against Miiyachi, so he was quite tired. Harutora couldn't move because he was sealing Miyachi. Kurahashi continued commanding Hakuma and Kuroun as he surveyed the situation. In this situation, he would attack Harutora to save Miyachi whenever the opportunity arrived. 
In other words, Hishamaru had to attack Kagami in order to break through the current situation. She and Kagami were both in conditions far from perfect. Kagami was in this battlefield thanks to his dedication to victory, the pillar supporting his will to fight. 
But just like Kagami, Hishamaru had no plans to back down. 
...For my master. 
Hishamaru readied her body, her waist-length hair drifting in midair as if unaffected by gravity. 
Aura filled her body, serenely covering her as she glared at Kagami. Her seductive beauty slipped away as her eyes became round. She looked like a wild fox that was about to attack. 
Unintimidated, Kagami smiled and licked his lips in anticipation, hitting his palm with his fist. Noticing Hishamaru's determination, Harutora shouted "Hishamaru, stop!". But Hishamaru consciously drove her master's voice out of her mind. 
It was already very clear that time was precious. Needless to say, Hishamaru herself also knew that she needed to deal with the enemy at any cost to her own body. 
"......Come." 
Kagami said. Hishamaru's body was dotted by seductively beautiful blue foxfire. 
But Hishamaru, who was completely absorbed by the battle before her, didn't notice that the ears on her head moved. 
Though there were two shikigami fighting nearby. Each and every one of the nearby buildings were all burning and emitting black smoke. Harutora behind her was reciting the 'Eight-way Bamboo Cage Curse', and Miyachi's flame was still fiercely burning inside it. 
But that sound reached Hishamaru's ears when she had even cast away her master's voice. 
The sound of an engine and exhaust from a highway in the distance. 
Then, she heard it. 
"...Harutora-kun!" 
When he heard that voice, an explosion of various emotions poured forth from Harutora's heart. Shock, happiness, yearning, love, all very powerful. They became a driving force that made Harutora waver. 
But the strongest emotion that assaulted him was fear. 
He had prepared to clean up the scene before 'she' arrived, and in the worst case, if he couldn't make it in time, he would immediately retreat. Just like in Ogikubo. He definitely couldn't meet her. But right now that was impossible. Kagami was already in a battle state, and Kakugyouki was in no condition to guard their rear. He was unable do anything about 'her'. 
Most importantly, the Tenchuu Chifu Ritual was being held nearby. The Tenchuu Chifu Ritual that was the highest among the Tenzan Fukun Rituals. The ritual was already affecting the spiritual nature of the surroundings. It was also slowly beginning to affect the nearby souls. 
He recalled the summer day two years ago. 
When that long night ended, the dawn on the academy building rooftop had been greeted by a silently-held evocation. 
Since then, Harutora had wandered the ocean of magic in order to undo the knot he had encountered back then. In order to think of a way to resurrect that knot into its former state. In order to make that thread whole and unbroken. 
But... 



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