Tokyo Ravens - Volume 2 - Chapter 1.3

Part 3 

The principal's office was at the top of the academy building. 
After leaving the elevator that they hadn't been able to hear any machinery sounds from, Harutora and Touji walked to the end of the corridor. 
This academy building had long, simply decorated hallways that were a bit monotonic. It seemed quite like a museum from the adornments that might be cursed objects or magical tools. On the wall, there were suits of armor, dirty pewter staffs, burial vestments, fixed-up katanas, and other things that seemed like rare artifacts to Harutora's eyes, every one catching his attention. 
In addition, there wasn't a trace of dirt on the glass cases housing these objects, not a single speck of dust on the floor, and even the ornamental plants by the side had been meticulously taken care of. 
"......Could it be that shikigami are responsible for cleaning this place?" 
"It's very possible." 
After all, this building had the komainu shikigami as security guards. Harutora felt very interested, imagining a scene of staff manipulating shikigami to clean secretly in the dead of night. 
"I thought shikigami were used for battle, like the dragon and the horse Yukikaze that Natsume had...... The shikigami that the Mystical Investigators used had the same use, but could it be that there are actually domestic-use shikigami that are good at washing clothes and cleaning?" 
"There are general shikigami sold on the market that have unlimited uses, but to use such first-class magic requires considerable qualifications, or in other words, only specialized Exorcists can use them. The price isn't cheap either, so if there were truly 'domestic' shikigami, I don't think there would be many people who would find the money to buy them." 
"......Excuse me, Touji, what's first-class magic?" 
Harutora's question made Touji raise his brow, unable to help from sighing. 
"I'm surprised you were able to get into the Onmyou Academy like that. They're the Onmyoudou guidelines formulated by the Onmyou Agency - simply put, it's the magic officially recognized as being effective." 
Modern magic was split into two types, the first-class magic that the Onmyou Agency recognized as being truly effective, and the lower-class magic that did not fall in that category. The ancient 'forbidden magic' and most divination belonged to the latter. 
Usage of most first-class magic required qualifications as an official Onmyouji, or more accurately, one needed to pass the First-Class or Second-Class Onmyou Exams set by the Onmyou Agency. Harutora and the others were entering the Onmyou Academy in order to obtain those official qualifications. 
"As for first-class magic... Even shikigami aren't usually seen in daily life, since after all the usage of Onmyoudou is extremely limited." 
"Uh...... why is that?' 
"The laws were set that way." 
Touji explained casually, his hands still stuck in his pockets. 
Touji had spent a long time interested in Onmyoudou since the spiritual disaster had left side effects on his body. He relied on his self-taught knowledge, as compared to Harutora who lived without such cares but who was used to hearing about these things. 
"I see, so in other words, the Onmyou Academy is an exception, with shikigami everywhere?" 
"In the end, it's a place specially established and designed to foster Onmyouji." 
"Could it be that even the teachers are shikigami - it couldn't go that far, right?" 
"I at least know that there are shikigami among the students." 
"Huh? Really?" 
"Yeah, and he's even a fool." 
Touji smiled maliciously, and Harutora went 'nn?', tilting his head. When the foolish shikigami finally noticed whom Touji was referring to, the two of them had already walked into the principal's office. 
There was a simple sign hung on the plain door - 'Principal's Office'. 
Touji ignored Harutora who had begun getting tense again, calmly knocking on the door to the principal's office. 
No one responded. 
He raised his hand, about to continue knocking, when-- "Come in." A response came from under his feet. 
Harutora cried out like a surprised child, and Touji stepped back from the door, also concealing his surprise. A cat had approached the two of them at some time and now looked up at them from the floor. 
It was a supple-furred calico cat, and it showed a keen gaze as it looked at Harutora and Touji, lightly knocking on the door with its long tail. 
"The door's open, come in." 
It seemed like a talking cat was next after the talking komainu. 
"......Is this the principal's hobby? Or are Onmyouji-related facilities like this wherever you go?" 
"How would I know?" 
Harutora asked tiredly, and Touji also replied with a bitter expression. The cat arched its body with a bit of impatience, meowing like a normal cat as if urging them to hurry up and open the door. 
"...Excuse us." 
He called out to the principal's office. As soon as he opened the door, the cat quickly slipped past their feet, running into the room without any presence. 
...Huh? 
Upon entering the principal's office, Harutora instantly mumbled quietly. The atmosphere inside the room was extremely different from the corridor outside. 
A calm, nostalgic atmosphere floated inside the room, like a Taisho-era cafe. 
There were faded, light yellow walls, a deep red carpet laid out on the floor, and a metal coat rack along with a painted glass room divider. Behind the room divider was a space for receiving guests, and within it were placed corner chairs and a tan-colored table. 
However, the most apparent thing in the room was the bookshelf covering two walls. A surprising quantity of books was arranged neatly on the bookshelf, and one could tell at a glance that it had been organized. There was Japanese literature as well as foreign literature, with even some ancient literature and documents also kept on them. 
And deep inside the room... 
There was a big redwood table placed in front of a large glass window, along with a small figure sitting quietly on the chair behind it. 
Harutora and Touji looked at each other, as the two of them had both assumed that the principal was a man, but the person sitting on the chair was an elegant old woman. 
The cat sat on the table, nimbly jumping onto the old woman's lap. She put down the book she had been reading, lightly stroking the cat. 
Then, she raised her head, plucked down the glasses perched on her nose, and looked at Harutora and Touji. 
"Welcome, I've been waiting a long time for you two." 
Her voice was exactly the same as the cat's. 
The hair reaching to her shoulders was gray, and though she was old, her sitting posture was quite upright, completely unindicative of her age. She wore a brown-colored kimono that suited her so well it seemed like a part of her body. 
"Tsuchimikado Harutora-san and Ato Touji-san. Hello, I am the principal here, Kurahashi Miyo." 
"H, Hello." 
"............" 
Harutora spoke a greeting, and Touji also nodded his head in respect. Then, the two of them answered the old woman - Kurahashi Miyo's request and moved in front of the table. 
Maybe because he wasn't used to the uniform yet, or maybe as a result of the atmosphere given off by the room and the principal, Harutora felt like a child showing a new uniform to a seldom-seen grandmother rather than like meeting the principal for the first time. 
The principal's eyes gazed at the two without faltering, and she suddenly beamed. "I see." She murmured suggestively. 
"So you are Natsume-san's Hishamaru and Kakugyouki." 
"What?' 
Harutora was surprised, asking hastily. Touji quietly watched the principal, seemingly puzzling over her intent. 
However, the principal quickly changed the topic with a warm smile. 
"I remember it being mentioned before that you two didn't have the chance to touch upon Onmyoudou in your normal life." 
Her tone was cordial as she stroked the cat on her lap. 
"You should have already met Alpha and Omega on the first floor. In addition to them, this cat is also my shikigami. Did they surprise you?" 
"Uh, a, a bit......" 
"Then I'm very sorry, but please get used to it as soon as possible, because you will be living in 'this world' from now on." 
The principal spoke, her gaze pointing at the two of them. 
"Ato Touji-san, I already heard about your condition from Harutora-san's father. Your determination is quite remarkable, so please work hard to win against your side-effects." She first spoke to Touji. 
Then, she turned to Harutora. 
"Tsuchimikado Harutora-san, I have also heard your parents speak about you, and I have heard a bit from Natsume-san." 
"Natsume? What did Natsume say?" 
Harutora asked in surprise, and the principal smiled lightly, nodding. 
"Yes, that child is quite polite. After you decided to enter the academy, he came to tell me that you were following the Tsuchimikado family tradition and that you had become his shikigami. And actually, I know people in the Onmyou Agency, so I had already heard things regarding the Dairenji Suzuka incident this summer." 
Harutora and Touji hurriedly glanced at each other upon hearing the principal say this. The Onmyouji the principal had mentioned - Dairenji Suzuka - had changed both of their lives, leading to the opportunity for them to enter the Onmyou Academy. 
But, her incident hadn't been made public. On the outside, it was because of her age, but it was actually because of political considerations to try to keep the effect on public opinion as small as possible. Dairenji Suzuka was a National First-Class Onmyouji - one of the 'Twelve Divine Generals', the best of the best Onmyouji. The Onmyou Agency naturally wanted to keep the disaster caused by this elite as hushed-up as possible. 
The Mystical Investigators who had been tasked with dealing with it had also strictly told Harutora and Touji that they couldn't talk about anything related to her or this matter, and there was only a small portion of people within the Onmyou Agency itself that knew the clear details. 
"Maybe you two, who are essentially outsiders, wonder why you were admitted into the Onmyou Academy. I personally made an exception for you two and allowed you to pass, one reason being that I recognize your contribution in that matter." 
"......A, As I thought......" 
"Yeah, I thought so too." 
Touji opened his mouth for the first time from next to the surprised Harutora, appearing to be quite calm. 
The prospective Onmyouji from around the nation gathered at the Onmyou Academy, and it was very competitive. Even for a member of the Tsuchimikado family or someone who had taught himself, it wasn't that easy - and they hadn't even undergone formal procedures until right outside the academy doors. Harutora and Touji had also faintly felt that there had to be some secret behind it. 
"You want to seal our mouths completely - is that the main reason?" 
Touji asked with a challenging tone. Harutora cast a reproachful gaze at him, but his good friend didn't even look. 
However, the principal maintained her good-natured expression, even admitting altogether: "I can't deny that thinking." 
"But even so, you two do not lack quality. For example, Harutora-san, are you aware that your spiritual energy is far greater than the average person's?" 
"Huh? Ah, now that you mention it, I remember the examiner telling me that I was only pretty good at raw power during my exam......" 
Harutora recalled the events from that time. He hadn't heard that as praise back then, but had instead believed that he was being scolded for being appallingly bad. 
"Letting untalented students in will at best frighten them. By my judgment, you two possess the talent to become excellent Onmyouji, and you were thus permitted to enter. Of course, there is a possibility that my judgment was wrong. Regardless, you have already officially entered the Onmyou Academy, and what happens after this will be up to your own hard work." 
"Uh......" 
...This person spoke really directly. 
In contrast to her elegant demeanor, the principal spoke without beating around the bush. But, rather than saying she spoke plainly, perhaps the Onmyou Academy treated its students with a different attitude from an ordinary school. 

As Harutora was at a loss, Touji next to him was sizing up the principal. Honestly, Harutora was already certain that Touji would take to the Onmyou Academy like a fish to water. 
...The school that this guy was suited for definitely wouldn't be too normal. 
What about himself? Harutora was a bit anxious. 
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Take this as a small warning from an old woman like me." 
Her demeanor turned on its head, as she showed a cautious - but also interested - look, gazing at Harutora and Touji. 
"You two should know the 'rumors' regarding Natsume-san, right?" 
The principal was direct beyond what they had imagined. 
Touji quickly gathered his expression, but Harutora unconsciously stared at the principal. Needless to say, the two of them were well aware of what those rumors referred to. 
The principal meant the rumors that Natsume was Tsuchimikado Yakou's reincarnation. 
The principal was still unmoved, even after seeing Harutora's and Touji's attitudes turn rigid again. 
"Due to the effects of the rumors, Natsume-san receives a lot of attention inside the academy, and that might affect you two as old acquaintances of Natsume-san. If you have any trouble, you are welcome to find me at any time, and if it's inconvenient for you to tell me, you can also speak with your homeroom teacher - I will introduce you to Ohtomo-sensei soon. We will assist you to the best of our abilities." She spoke, ignoring the pairs' reactions. 
"That means......" 
Harutora wanted to say something, but the principal had already spoken first: "But - I hope that you will get used to these circumstances as soon as possible." 
"U, Used to?" 
"Yes, since these things will be always bothering you in the future after all." 
Harutora closed his mouth upon hearing that sentence. The principal had spoken true, but he had never imagined what kind of situation it would be. 
Natsume had said that the adults around her had seen her from the angle of the rumor for as long as she had paid attention. During that event over the summer, Suzuka had also been after Natsume due to the rumor's effects. By now, Natsume should be unable to rid herself of the rumor's entanglement. 
...Just being born in the Tsuchimikado main family was annoying enough. 
He couldn't ignore it, and he hoped that he could more or less help Natsume and share her burden from the side. That thought had also been an important factor in Harutora's decision to become a shikigami. 
...I can only endure it...... 
Harutora once again silently thought of the words he had murmured upon entering the building. 
The principal looked at the new student, a kind smile emerging on her face. 
Then, she asked with a relaxed tone: "And at this point I am curious - what are your impressions of Tsuchimikado Yakou?" 
"Impressions? Impressions of Yakou? Honestly, I don't have any particular impression other than that he's from long ago. He's like some famous relative...... but after that thing happened, I get the impression that he was a troublemaker." 
"I understand. What do you think, Touji-san?" 
"......I believe he was a great person in the magic community, and accomplished many amazing feats. In addition......" 
"What?' 
"He was a genius, without a doubt." 
Touji replied calmly and boldly. 
Tsuchimikado Yakou... 
Half a century after the Tsuchimikado family had begun declining after the Meiji Restoration, during the hectic outbreak of the Pacific War in Japan, a genius magician showed himself. 
Yakou revitalized Onmyoudou at the request of the military. He integrated the legends and magics of Japan, constructing a brand-new system of magic, which was 'Imperial Onmyoudou', the foundation of the currently adopted 'General Onmyoudou'. 
However, during the aftermath of the Pacific War, there was a strong atmosphere of defeat, and the Japanese military ordered Yakou to perform a large-scale magic ceremony, but unfortunately it failed - most ordinary citizens believed this. Affected by the failure of the ceremony, Tokyo's aura became chaotic, leading to the occurrence of spiritual disasters that even now still happened often. 
Japan was currently the only nation in the world that formally recognized and permitted the use of magic. Actually, this was to deal with the spiritual disasters - the curse Yakou left behind. 
But, to quell the endless spiritual disasters, they relied on strong Onmyoudou - the blessing Yakou left behind. 
The development of Onmyoudou was closely linked with spiritual disasters, and it was only because spiritual disasters happened that Onmyoudou hadn't been buried away. And tracing the roots back, both of these things had been brought about into the world by the same genius. Tsuchimikado Yakou's work had created the basis of the Japanese magic community. 
...A world-changing genius would obviously grab attention. 
Not even Natsume herself knew whether she was truly Yakou's reincarnation, and no one at all knew for sure. She indeed had talent as an Onmyouji, but currently it still couldn't be determined whether she was Yakou's equal. She didn't have any memories of a past life, and no obvious similarities could be seen from her. 
But, Dairenji Suzuka of the Twelve Divine Generals believed Natsume was Yakou, and she probably wasn't the only one who firmly believed that. 
Would Natsume remember her past life someday and realize that she was Yakou? When that day truly came, what kind of change would come over Natsume? As her shikigami, what would he do about it? 
Just as Harutora was thinking helplessly...... The principal suddenly said: "...He really liked playing shogi [2] ." 
"What?" Harutora asked back, and Touji also showed a rare surprised look. 
The principal didn't mind, continuing to speak: 
"But he was very bad at shogi, perhaps it was a lack of talent? Being bad at shogi yet loving to challenge others at it - but he would sulk once he lost, bringing a headache to the person who played against him. But I always was very grateful to him for persistently teaching me shogi. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have known what shogi was for my whole life." 
She smiled nostalgically as she spoke. Harutora was perplexed for some time, but it dawned to Touji in a snap. His eyes widened from under his bandanna. 
"......You saw Tsuchimikado Yakou when he was alive?" 
"Yes, I was still a child back then." 
The principal revealed it readily. Touji closed his mouth upon hearing this, but Harutora opened his own. 
"Really!? You met Yakou?" 
"Of course I did. Maybe you youngsters think he was someone from ancient times - but don't forget, it was only half a century ago that Japan was enveloped by the flames of war." 
The principal smiled, seeming to say: 'there's nothing incredible about this.' 
But Harutora still couldn't conceal his shock. 
...The principal had met Yakou...... I see, so there were still people who had seen Yakou with their own eyes......! 
Yakou was a historical figure in the view of Tsuchimikado Harutora, but someone who had actually experienced that 'historical' figure was right before him. He couldn't help but feel an abnormal atmosphere of heaviness, unable to speak for some time. 
...But...... Saying it like it wasn't anything unusual...... 
The person before him had already lived quite a long life before becoming the 'Onmyou Academy Principal'. She had lived through a youth just like his, experienced war, grew up, had a family - she had actually lived many long years. Harutora had looked at her before as her identity as 'principal', rather than as 'Kurahashi Miyo'. 
The president then spoke to the speechless Harutora: "Yakou was also the same, Harutora-san." ...As if peering into his thoughts. 
"Tsuchimikado Yakou was also the same as you, born into the Tsuchimikado family, growing up in a traditional family, and then shining brilliantly before finally being engulfed by the era. His life was indeed unusual, but he could cry and laugh, just an ordinary person." 
"An ordinary person......" 
"Right, but there are also some people who do not understand this. As a Tsuchimikado, maybe you believe Yakou was the culprit of your family's decline - a stain on the magic community, but you know this, right? There are indeed people who hold the complete opposite thoughts." 
"The opposite thoughts...... What does that mean?' 
"There is a group that views Yakou as a hero and paints him in the colors of a god...... They are the Yakou-worshipping fanatics." 
Harutora cast a questioning glance towards Touji at this name he had never heard before, but it seemed like it was also Touji's first time hearing it. 
"They ignore the ordinary human in Yakou, blindly worshipping him...... Unfortunately, Natsume-san's matter has also reached their ears, and they have even tried contacting Natsume-san before." 
"Th, They came to find Natsume? How......" 
He hadn't known about that. In short, Natsume was being eyed by a group of crazy fanatics. 
"The circumstances I want you two to get used to also include these dangers. They are convinced that the rumors are true. I know it sounds absurd, but that is reality." 
The principal warned them sternly. Harutora was speechless. 
"Impressions are also one form of magic...... and also a curse." The principal slowly spoke: 
"Rumors are the same. This form of magic bewitches human hearts...... The magic that Onmyoudou does not recognize as actually effective is collectively referred to as second-class magic, but regardless of first or second class, magic is magic. What's more, this truly terrifying and powerful magic is strictly classified as second-class, but perhaps that is too hard for you two to understand." 
"............" 
Harutora and Touji were silent, and the cat on the principal's lap yawned, as if saying impatiently: 'What part's hard to understand?' 
"......Harutora-san, Touji-san, you may encounter a great deal of difficulty in the future, so please work hard and overcome it step by step. I'm looking forward to your future performance, from the position of an individual as well as from my position as principal." 
Saying this, the principal smiled. 
Just then, as if spotting that the conversation inside the room had come to a halt, the sound of a knock came from behind them. "Excuse me......" Saying this, a man poked his head inside. 
"Principal? It's already past the designated time, do you still need a moment?" 
"Oh my, I've made you wait, I'm sorry. We just finished here." 
"Ah, that's perfect." 
A lanky man walked into the principal's office. 
He seemed relatively young, but didn't seem very energetic. His hair was messy, he had a pair of worldly glasses, and he wore an aged shirt and tie covered by a cheap suit and a pair of rumpled pants. A mild smile emerged on his thin face, making him give more of an impression of being 'weak' than 'gentle'. 
But, the most eye-catching portion of his body was undoubtedly the cane in his right hand. When he entered the room, he had been propping himself up with that cane, shuffling forward - glancing down, a wooden stick extended out of his right pants leg. 
It was a fake leg, and one that couldn't appear in this modern era - a vintage fake leg like something that medieval pirates had used. 
Perhaps noticing their gazes, the man smiled cordially, lifting his right fake leg. 
"Oh? This? It's cool, isn't it? I'm a teacher in this academy, but I'm also an Onmyouji, so I've gotta boast about my prestige." 
What was stunning was, the man spoke extremely brightly. 
They had no idea what he was proud about - what's more, they couldn't understand what kind of prestige that fake leg boasted about, but his attitude was quite enthusiastic and he spoke with a Kansai accent. 
...What a strange person...... 
Realizing he was rude, Harutora's face still twitched slightly. 
"This is your homeroom teacher, Ohtomo Jin-sensei. Don't judge him by his appearance, he's extremely capable." The principal smiled as she spoke. 
"How can you say that principal. Ah, whatever, that's how it is anyway, I hope we get along." 
Saying this, Ohtomo grinned. Though he looked like an extremely unreliable weakling from the outside, his smile was full of vigor. 
"Then let's go, everyone's waiting for you two in the classroom - Principal, I'll be leaving." 
Ohtomo lowered his head in a salute, bringing Harutora and Touji out of the principal's room. 
The cat purred, as if cautioning them: 'Work hard.'