Part 5
Shikigami uses were not classified by strict guidelines, contrary to the classifications of creation methods. For convenience purposes, the Onmyou Agency did classify shikigami that were publicly sold, but it was a fact that even these kinds of classifications were used very broadly.
For example, there were general-types that could be applied to various uses; transport-types that could be used to move the practitioner or transport objects; detection-types that could investigate over long distances using the five senses; binding-types that were mostly used by Mystical Investigators when they were restraining criminals, and mechanical-types whose vessel became the shikigami's body.
'Defensive shikigami' were one of these types.
However, the semantics of a defensive shikigami were slightly different from the other types of shikigami.
The 'defensive' of defensive types came from the 'Dharma-defenders [8] ' of Vajrayana and Shugendo Buddhism [9] As 'General Onmyoudou' was not limited to the old Onmyoudou of the past but rather was merged with various magics and magic systems of Japan, which of course included Vajrayana and Shugendo. Tracing the roots back, Dharma-defenders were called upon as deities or spirits to serve as servants or guards.
Actually, it seemed to fit the definition of the servant-type shikigami of the 'General-style'. In fact, defensive shikigami were replacements for the Dharma-defender servant shikigami, meant to serve a similar role.
Faithful shikigami guards that were always by their master, guarding them while complying with their master's orders.
Those were defensive shikigami.
......But that hadn't come in handy yesterday.
Harutora secretly muttered to himself without speaking.
It was the day after he had hovered near the brink of death. The final class of the day was being held inside the Onmyou Academy building's classroom. The homeroom teacher Ohtomo was the lecturer, and this was Harutora's first time in his class. His frivolous personality was still unchanged even in class.
Just like yesterday, Harutora drew the attention of the students around him, but the reasons that they often stared at Harutora were different from yesterday's. Bandages could be seen all over Harutora's body, and healing charms were stuck everywhere.
After the incident yesterday, Harutora had used up most of the healing charms he had brought from home, so there had been no serious problem. And he was finally able to explain the whole story to Natsume after he recovered.
Even so, Natsume's feelings didn't seem to have improved.
Regardless of what had happened in between, it was an indisputable fact that Kon - that Kon who appeared to be a young girl - had her butt in front of Harutora. More importantly, Harutora had ignored instructions in the first place and hadn't borrowed the books on his way home to the dorm.
Though Natsume had apologized for being mistaken about one of the things she had 'punished' Harutora for, she hadn't spoken a single word to Harutora after that, and even now she had returned to her seat in the corner of the classroom, continuing to not even look at Harutora.
Even worse, today even Touji was sitting in a slightly farther seat to show that he was 'maintaining a distance' from him. The Onmyou Academy didn't have assigned seats, so everyone sat where they wanted for each class. Touji had changed seats to gather information, making Harutora go through class alone like someone who had escaped from an emergency room.
No, actually he wasn't alone.
"......Kon, are you here?"
He spoke softly, making sure not to be heard by the students around him.
"...I-I-I am present......"
Kon's reply reached his ears accordingly, but her figure still wasn't visible.
"Kon, listen up. I warned you in the morning, but please just stay properly hidden today, because I won't be able to take it if some accident happens, even if it's the smallest commotion."
Harutora showed a distrustful look as he stared in the direction the voice came from, and it seemed that he noticed a momentary light vibration, but it was fleeting.
After what happened yesterday, Harutora learned a lesson, and he ordered Kon to stay hidden unless called for, deciding that he wouldn't issue orders for the moment and let Kon stay behind him.
...Because this girl really lacked common sense and couldn't read the mood. In any case, listening to the Onmyou Academy classes was his priority for now, and there shouldn't be any opportunity for her to emerge, so waiting was the best policy for now.
Reconciling with Natsume, integrating with the students of the class, and learning Onmyoudou - there was a mountain of things to do. Among this heap of things, Harutora also planned becoming familiar with the environment and constructing a new 'normal life' as the first task, with not continuing to be foolish the most important part.
"......I'm really pitiful......"
Natsume seemed not to have any good feelings towards Kon, but since she was a defensive shikigami after all and was usually just hiding somewhere, the only thing he could do was endure and wait for her attitude to soften.
Just then--
"Hey, you're spacing out, new student! The one with 'Haru' in his name!"
"Wah! S, Sorry! I'm listening, I'm listening very seriously!"
"Then why are you apologizing?"
"Ah."
Harutora couldn't say anything for a while, and rustling snickers arose in the classroom. He felt like his neck was twitching, and he thought it was probably Natsume glaring angrily at him, but he didn't have the courage to turn around to confirm.
"That's not good, Harutora-kun. You're starting to slack on your second day after entering, how will you catch up to the past year of progress that you lost that way? In addition, the other teachers are all saying that your level is a lot worse than the others."
Ohtomo sighed deeply and deliberately, and Harutora recited to himself not to take this opportunity to speak, lowering his head and mumbling.
Actually, Ohtomo's words contained no malice, he just purely felt it interesting. Before class had started he had spoke brightly of Harutora's injury: "You can really make problems." It really made one wonder whether those words were suitable for a teacher.
"But it's inconsiderate to ask that you catch up to the class progress immediately, as the curriculum here - especially the lecture schedule - is quite packed, and there's no time at all to review after things are taught."
"I, I see......"
"Yeah, and anyways, even assuming that all of the students can keep up with the progress of the curriculum, even the teachers responsible for teaching the classes are very uneasy about whether the students truly understand."
Then--
Like he had thought of some idea from his own words, Ohtomo suddenly closed his mouth and went into deep thought.
Then, he grinned, closing the textbook in his hand with a thump.
"......Since two new students just transferred in, why don't we take advantage of this time to review the curriculum from last week. On one hand, it can be a review, and on the other hand it can check whether everyone truly understands the content of the curriculum."
Ohtomo's sudden declaration led to a clamor in the classroom with some people letting out dissatisfied voices amidst it, but Ohtomo paid no heed at all.
But--
"Please don't be ridiculous!"
A student pounded the desk forcefully, standing up from her seat. It didn't need to be said that the student was Kurahashi Kyouko.
"Sensei, you believe that the curriculum is 'packed', but now you plan on delaying our progress for these two transfer students? Isn't this special treatment!"
She spoke clearly and logically like always, and Ohtomo blankly uttered a 'nn', but it wasn't apparent whether the expression on his face was confusion or indifference.
"Listen, Kyouko-kun. Doing this isn't only for Harutora-kun or Touji-kun, as I hope that everyone can take this opportunity to review."
"Reviewing is the responsibility of the individual! Since the curriculum is arranged with everyone being able to keep up as a premise, anyone who believes they cannot keep up with the progress obviously needs to be responsible for reviewing on their own. It's too strange to sacrifice the rights of the students who seriously want to listen to the lecture for these people with no self-awareness!"
"Hmm...... From what you say, it sounds like we should give up on those who can't keep up with the progress?"
Ohtomo deliberately asked to confirm. His tone was leisurely as always, but there was a clear probing gaze directed at Kyouko from underneath his glasses.
Kyouko understood Ohtomo's motive, straightening her back and replying without missing a beat:
"Isn't the curriculum arranged this densely for that purpose?"
The tone she replied with was strict and full of self-confidence, and she was extremely clear that such a statement could be criticized for being arrogant, as if she were deliberately provoking the people with such opinions of her thoughts.
However, Ohtomo replied with a: "Hmm, I guess", readily admitting Kyouko's beliefs.
"In the end, Onmyouji is not a profession that just anyone can get into. It is the education policy of the Onmyou Academy that especially making an effort to help lagging students is meaningless, and they are even anxious to kick out those who don't have the ability to keep up with the curriculum or the 'dull' ones who are unaware that they are falling behind."
Ohtomo spoke callously, and an alarm sounded in Harutora's mind.
How strict. And moreover, that strictness sounded 'natural' from Ohtomo's words.
Kyouko closed her mouth uninterestedly since the discussion was over, but Ohtomo continued to say:
"......But on the other hand, the Onmyou Academy gives every instructor quite a large jurisdiction, and it so happens that I don't agree with those policies."
"D, Don't agree? That......"
"Haha, it's very contradictory, right? Moreover, the Onmyou Academy knows that I oppose those policies yet still assigned me as an instructor, which is equivalent to silently accepting that contradiction. Do you know why the Onmyou Academy does that?"
Ohtomo asked with a smile, and of course, not a single student replied.
So, he said elatedly:
"That is magic."
...The fake leg under his thigh made a 'clunk' sound.
The crisp noise sounded particularly audible in the silence-filled classroom. "How is it? Isn't the world of adults really complex and strange?" Ohtomo smiled, mischievously adding on those words. However, his gaze was abnormally solemn as he spoke.
"Plainly speaking, if your goal is only to pass the 'Third-Class Onmyoudou' exam - No, even the 'Second-Class' - you don't actually need to understand that deeply. But, the goal of the Onmyou Academy isn't that small-scale. Though us lecturers are always saying the same thing, always wanting you to study hard, we're actually anticipating you to perform."
Ohtomo spoke like he was joking.
Actually, Harutora couldn't understand the contents of Ohtomo's speech, but the atmosphere was conveyed even if the meaning was hard to understand.
What was strange was that Ohtomo who calmly said 'That's magic' was actually quite persuasive.
He looked ordinary, spoke and acted frivolously, and his entire body gave off a hard to describe unreliable presence.
However, he was the only specialist inside this classroom, a true Onmyouji.
"Alright, that's how things are - everyone's getting more confused the more I say, right? Anyways, this is the Onmyou Academy and I'm your instructor, so everyone has to obediently listen to my instructions~"
Somehow, Ohtomo had led everyone by the nose. Maybe his true goal was to muddle everyone's thoughts, or in other words, every student had fallen to his 'confusion'.
...Wh, What was the story behind that teacher?
Touji was also showing a rare look of being unable to see through the other party. Even though Harutora was confused, his impression of Ohtomo still changed slightly.
The instructor on the podium spoke in a torrent, but actually there were still students who had escaped his confusion.
"......I, I can't accept......!"
The one who squeezed those words out was Kyouko again.
"Even if you go over your reasons again, your decision right now was clearly for the two transfer students - No, it was partiality for the Tsuchimikado transfer student. Could it be that you only made that decision for him alone? I can't accept you doing that!"
Kyouko firmly refused to back down.
The situation was almost the same as yesterday's, and the students' gazes - also including Harutora's gaze - pointed towards Natsume who sat in the corner. It has nothing to with everyone whether you accept it or not - Natsume's angry snap rang in their ears.
But--
"............"
Natsume sat in her seat without even moving a muscle under everyone's gazes, even deliberately staring outside the window, feigning an indifferent appearance. A decent commotion arose among the greatly surprised students as they saw her reacting like that, and Harutora could only simmer bitterly.
...That girl is still sulking.
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