Tokyo Ravens - Volume 3 - Chapter 2.2

Part 2 
The tragedy happened by surprise. 

"Very good, alright, put more effort into it!" 
"Okay!" The people replied energetically to Kyouko's shout, and of course Harutora was among them. Kon breathed shallowly by Harutora's feet, Kachiwari grasped in her hand and taking up a ready stance. 
The students in Harutora's class were gathered on a tile-covered space like a small plaza between the sidewalk and the lobby of an office building in a corner of Shibuya. The exam was in progress. 
The spiritual disaster had happened in the center of the plaza, and the ying energy in the aura was particularly heavy, pressing heavily on the tiles like a gas heavier than air - though it couldn't spread. 
Looking at the current situation, the aura had already turned into miasma, like a violent invisible campfire whose heat could be felt even from far away. Even though it didn't create any physical harm, the psychological effect and the spiritual trauma that the body endured weren't to be underestimated. 
The methods for purifying spiritual disasters were different for each situation, but the basic order of things was mostly the same. First, a barrier would be set to isolate the spiritual disaster, lowering the damage done to the surroundings. At the same time, the aura's deviation would be analyzed, and the next step would be to add a correction or cast a stronger magical pressure to 'scatter' it completely. 
Harutora and the other students were separated into two groups. One group immediately set down a barrier to isolate the spiritual disaster, and the other group was responsible for casting magic, trying to correct the aura. Kyouko and Touji were in the former and Harutora and Tenma were in the latter, but Natsume was standing by herself next to the proctoring teacher, anxiously watching the examination progress from afar. 
"Uuu... I'm going to throw up......" 
"Get a grip, Tenma! Breathe deeply - no wait, it'll be bad if you breathe in the miasma. Anyway, just hold on, just hold on for a while!" 
"H-H, Harutora-sama! Please order this servant to attack--!" 
"No! The goal of the exam isn't to beat down the miasma, but to restore the aura's balance. Everyone in the class is working as one, don't think of going wild on your own!" 
"Calm down, everyone! Separate the barrier properly! It's no problem even if we spend some time, we'll definitely correct this aura. The purification is going very smoothly, don't worry!" 
One got more sensitive as he came in contact with aura, and it would be easier to be affected by spiritual disasters. It was especially difficult to maintain calm when being assaulted by miasma. Kyouko, whose strength was inferior only to Natsume, was in charge of maintaining the barrier, because unless the person had power to spare, it was not possible to hold up the barrier against a spiritual disaster for a long time. 
"Are you alright, Touji? I remember that you were hurt in a spiritual disaster, right?" Kyouko maintained the barrier while leading the students, and didn't forget to heed the condition of Touji next to her. 
Touji's face was looking abnormally bad, but his eyes stared straight at the spiritual disaster, never once looking away, his expression also unmoving. "......I'm fine." He replied, his mouth showing a self-confident smile. 
"You don't need to worry, I'm controlling it very appropriately. It won't be a problem even if I have to hold on for a while." 
Kyouko thought Touji was talking about 'controlling the barrier appropriately', hence she laughed and said: "I'm the one controlling it." 
The barrier group had surrounded the spiritual disaster to form a circle. Each person set down a barrier in their surroundings, and then Kyouko connected these barriers together to form a complete barrier. 
But, the students who were responsible for correcting the aura and who actually carried out the purification had to enter the barrier, directly applying their magical energy towards the spiritual disaster. Among them, there were people who used specialized charms, people who formed kuji seals [30] , and various people who pulled out all the stops. On the other hand, as originally expected, the shakujou that Ohtomo had made for Harutora was not allowed to be brought into the exam, so Harutora could only desperately and rapidly slash one haya-kuji [31] after another. 
He raised his forefinger and middle finger high to create the 'blade seal' [32] , yelling: "Rin! Kyo! Toh! Sha! Kai! Jin! Retsu! Zai! Zen!" Every time he chanted a word, he drew out five horizontal lines going to the left and right and then four vertical lines going up and down. As his 'blade seal'-forming fingers slashed through the air, the magical energy gathered in his fingers left a grid of light in midair, forming the 'doman' [33] , a magical pattern on par with the pentagram. 
There were a variety of 'kuji' magic methods used for exorcism, and the simplest among them was haya-kuji, with which someone skilled could rapidly exert his power. Of course, Harutora could only used this move because it was easy to remember. 
The actions of the exorcism group were clearly chaotic compared to the barrier group, 
"Harutora, your magical energy is too strong! Weaken it a little." 
"What are you doing - Harutora-kun, it's too weak this time! Can you not control your magical energy!" 
"Where are you casting your magic, Tsucchi, you're not facing the target! Can you not see the spiritual disaster in front of you!" 
"My fault? Everything's my fault? You people can't be blaming me for your and everyone else's mistakes, right?" 
Harutora's spiritual power was the greatest, but he wasn't good at turning his spiritual power into magical energy. Not only did he make mistakes frequently, his magical energy wasn't stable either, and it was depleted violently but didn't return any significant effects. Fortunately, his spiritual power was particularly robust, so he wasn't exhausted. 
Natsume who was watching everything from afar couldn't restrain herself, verbally correcting him. 
"Your hand seals are simply bad! Your blade seal should be like this! You have to cut with your fingers like this!" 
"How can you see me making seals when you're standing that far away! And also, I understand the basics like the blade seal!" 
"H, H-H-Harutora-sama, i-it must be formed like this--!" 
"Kon, you know how to make the seals too? But don't float in front of me! You're blocking my view! I can't see in front of me!" 
"......It's so nauseating, my head hurts, I'm going to die......" 
As Harutora shouted angrily at Natsume and Kon, Tenma finally collapsed unsupported. It wouldn't be a problem to keep the barrier up for some time, but it seemed like they would still need to spend a very long time purifying the spiritual disaster itself. 
"Tch...... Sensei, I won't summon Hokuto, so please let me join the exam!" 
Natsume made a request of a proctoring teacher, seeming like she could no longer bear stand still. Several teachers looked at each other, repressing their wry smiles. 
The homeroom teacher Ohtomo wasn't at the exam site because he had business, but in consideration of the dangerous content of the exam, the practical examination this time had three teachers proctoring together. One of them was of advanced age, but he was a seasoned former exorcist. 
"The important thing about purifying spiritual disasters is teamwork. Once you get used to borrowing the strength of others, it's certainly difficult to grow as an individual. The important meaning of this exam right now is for them to understand their own power in a situation without your participation, regardless of whether they successfully purify the spiritual disaster or not." The elderly former exorcist warned Natsume, speaking clearly and logically. Natsume looked utterly unconvinced, but she couldn't rebut at all since the teacher spoke reason. 
However, the old instructor showed a smile again very quickly. 
"......But the goal of the exam isn't truly to have you all purify a spiritual disaster. Actually, it's about time to deal with it." He checked the time on his watch as he said this. 
The sun was gradually tilting to the west, and the streetlights around them lit up one by one. Onmyoudou called dusk 'Omagatoki', and also named it the 'time of disaster', the moment when calamity would arrive. Spiritual disasters mostly began becoming active from this time onwards, and hence it was very possible that continuing the exam would bring disaster. 
When the old instructor had just decided to allow Natsume to participate in the exam, a phone ringtone suddenly sounded. The old instructor started in surprise when he saw caller's name, hastily picking up the phone. 
"Principal? What is it? ...Yes, we're still holding the exam here... Yes." 
As could be heard from the old instructor's words, the person who called was Principal Kurahashi. The other two proctoring teachers were also perplexed, perking up their ears to listen to the conversation of the two. 
Just then-- 
"......Huh? Hey, it looks like something's not right." 
"S, Strange, this is...... Is the aura getting stronger?" 
The students suddenly became restless. Natsume's heart leaped and she turned her attention back to the spiritual disaster. 
Surrounded by several students, the spiritual pressure of the phase one artificial spiritual disaster was violently increasing. The originally gas-like impression that it gave off gradually became thicker. Then, with a crash, the tiles underneath cracked apart. 
"Strengthen the barrier! Exorcist group, more magical energy! Keep the spiritual disaster from expanding!" 
Kyouko quickly spoke orders once she noticed the abnormal situation. Her voice was more urgent than before, and the students' expressions changed, then - as expected of Onmyou Academy students - they used their full power to purify the spiritual disaster, following Kyouko's orders. 
The magical energy released by the students increased, but it seemed ineffective, and the spiritual disaster's spiritual pressure rose sharply. 
"Sensei!" 
Natsume frantically turned her head to look at the teacher, but the three proctoring teachers had long since rushed besides the students with dark faces, raising their magical energy in a snap. 
"Barrier group, continue as before! Exorcist group, quickly retreat outside the barrier - Kurahashi! Can you hold on for one more minute?" 
"Yes, no problem!" 
"Okay, one teacher assist the barrier! All students, be sure to stay calm and act quickly!" 
The old instructor's voice was full of vigor. He sounded extremely pressing, but he allowed the listeners to calm their minds and momentarily relax. 
One teacher stood next to Kyouko assisting the barrier, and the barrier's strength multiplied. The old instructor and the other teacher replaced Harutora, Tenma, and the others who had left the barrier, rushing inside. 
"...With the mortal world under my control, I subdue this evil spirit in the name of Acala's oath! On bishibishi karakara shibari sowaka! [34] " 
The instructor cast a spellbinding seal added on to a Dharmacakra seal, [35] namely the Unmoving Golden Chains [36] magic, fiercely unleashing a strong magic incomparable to the students' at the spiritual disaster. 
The gradually expanding spiritual disaster distorted and changed shape under the blow, and the magical energy formed a net to tightly bind it. 
The spiritual disaster struggled intensely inside the magic bindings, giving off an even more intense miasma. However, the magic bindings set down by the old instructor never broke, succeeding in stopping the spiritual disaster from expanding. 
The old instructor cast a sharp gaze at the students who had retreated outside the barrier. 
"Momoe! Quickly contact the Exorcist Bureau Emergency Response Center! Also - Harutora, you're responsible for contacting the Onmyou Academy. Explain the situation to them clearly and ask for assistance!" 
"Okay, got it!" 
"Onmyou Academy...... Who do I contact?" Since things were so sudden, Harutora asked back in a panic next to Tenma who was hurriedly taking out his phone. 
Hesitation momentarily flashed over the old instructor's face. "...Ohtomo-kun might have already returned to the academy building, so if he's there......" Before he had finished speaking, a student suddenly screamed. What was surprising was that the shrilly-screaming student was Kyouko. She managed to maintain the barrier while crying out: "Touji! Get a hold of yourself!" 
Touji, in the barrier group, was kneeling on the ground next to Kyouko. His face was pale, his shoulders shook intensely, and his right hand was pressed to his temple while his left hand was clutching the ground, as if he were using all his strength to contain something. A bestial growl leaked from his clenched jaw. 
"Touji!" 
Harutora's eyes widened in surprise and he rushed towards Touji. Tenma frantically shouted out: "Harutora-kun, the phone!" but it didn't reach his ears. On the other hand, the teacher inside the barrier barked a warning: "Kurahashi, focus!" The normally calm Kyouko had now become flustered, and she affected the other students one after another, so the barrier gradually lost its balance. 
Just then, Harutora hastily reached the kneeling Touji's side. 
"Touji! You couldn't be--!" 
"......Don't touch me." Touji spoke in a low voice towards the shocked Harutora. "......I'm still holding on...... but I don't have much strength left...... Don't touch me......" 
Touji's voice was heavy with pain, but he didn't seem panicked. Even in an emergency situation, he was calm as always. 
But even so, he couldn't relax. Harutora couldn't do anything to support Touji, so he could only anxiously bit his lip by the side. 
Just then - "H-Harutora-sama!" Kon cried out, guarding Harutora's front. 
Not long after, the spiritual disaster spewed out a strong miasma and the students screamed one after another. "Ugh!" Touji's body also spasmed intensely. 
At the same time, the barrier finally could no longer be supported, and the miasma poured into the entire plaza. 
"Kuh!" 
The old instructor and the other teacher were still mustering their entire strength to bind the spiritual disaster, and the teacher responsible for maintaining the barrier gave up on setting the barrier back up, hastily moving forward to assist the two. The spiritual disaster was still inside the bindings, but its spiritual pressure increased again. 
Cracks continuously appeared on the tiles, and then with a crackling sound, pressure shattered the tiles from below, exposing a blackish-green ground with soil bubbling forth like lava. Strictly speaking, the spiritual disaster had already risen to phase two. 
"Damn it!" Harutora cursed with an ashen face. 
Just then-- 
"Come out, Hokuto!" 
A stern voice sounded, and then an expanding aura burst forth in the sunset-dyed sky. 
The aura shot through the sky, momentarily taking shape and forming a ten-meter long body. Two horns stood proudly on its head, its mane swaying with the wind, and the golden scales covering its body gave off a dazzling radiance under the light of the sunset. Not just the students, even the teachers looked up with bated breath. 
A dragon. 
Natsume's shikigami, Hokuto. Its figure was incredibly majestic, grand, and imposing, even stately, making the original threat of the spiritual disaster seem momentarily minor. 
"Hokuto! I order you to purify the foul, evil influence!" 

Natsume issued an order, and Hokuto quickly showed an unwilling appearance, seeming like it still wanted to enjoy its return to the vast horizon. But, when it noticed the spiritual disaster raging on the ground, it first looked surprised, and then turned its nose up in annoyance as if feeling quite displeased that the quiet evening had been polluted. 
It twisted its body, turning in the air, targeting the spiritual disaster on the ground. Though it was her own order, Natsume couldn't help but go pale in fright when she saw this. 
"Everyone, move back!" Natsume cried out, and Hokuto charged straight at the spiritual disaster like a hawk swooping towards its prey - or like an arrow shooting from the sky. 
"Th, That's not good!" 
The old instructor hurriedly released the Unmoving Golden Chains, modifying it to expand a simple barrier - though it was more like he'd thrown it out expeditiously - to the surroundings to protect the students. 
Right after, the fierce and imposing Hokuto collided head-on with the spiritual disaster. 
The aura and miasma clashed and the impact spread in all directions like a bomb blast. The students were knocked over or fell to the ground. Kon, whose attention was entirely placed on Hokuto, cried out, her entire body tumbling backwards after being hit by the impact and knocking into Harutora. 
The aura and miasma swirled into an eddy inside the plaza. Not long after, the dust became thinner and thinner, gradually dissipating. Looking carefully, a big hole had been carved out in the original location of the spiritual disaster, revealing a state similar to after a bombing. 
Hokuto once again flew into the air several meters above the ground, overlooking the situation on the ground like it was searching for whether there were any unpleasant remnants of miasma. Each and every student's face was dazed, and they raised their heads to look up at Hokuto. As they had maintained the barrier as much as they could until the last moment and hence faced the impact of the aura storm head-on, Kyouko and the others showed a soulless appearance. 
"......As expected of the Tsuchimikado family guardian beast...... It's astounding." The old instructor spoke blankly, uttering the feelings of everyone present. The simple barrier he had hastily spread out had long since been blown away. 
"S, Sorry! Is everyone unharmed?" 
Natsume who had summoned Hokuto ran towards the students with a red face. "Natsume......" Harutora's face was full of helplessness, clutching the dizzy Kon in his chest. 
"We were saved because of you...... But could you be a little more cautious?" 
"I, I had no choice, it was an emergency!" 
"The moment just now was the real emergency." 
"Aren't you just nitpicking! I was also very nervous." 
"......Natsume-kun...... you were pretty cool up to the moment you said that 'come out, Hokuto'......" 
"Even Tenma's criticizing me! L, Let me tell you, if I just stood around and did nothing, the situation would definitely have gotten out of hand! Right, sensei?" 
"Hmm? Oh, uh...... probably......" 
"Sensei, why are you stammering? S, Strange, was my judgment so mistaken?" 
Natsume desperately defended herself, and the satisfied Hokuto turned its body above her head in elation. Not knowing how to respond, each and every student stood still - or sat on the ground. 
Though all of them had heard rumors, this was their first time actually seeing the Tsuchimikado servant shikigami and the power of the shikigami that the genius Tsuchimikado Natsume controlled. This moment, they finally understood why the teachers had decided not to let Natsume participate in the exam. 
But-- "......Hey." Touji moaned, and Harutora hurriedly shifted his attention. 
After the spiritual disaster was purified, his good friend had still stayed kneeling on the ground like before. He had even widened his eyes and clenched his teeth, so the situation looked even more urgent than before. 
"Everyone leave this place, right now......!" Touji raised his voice to yell, his voice sounding like he was fighting back intense pain. Then, a shadow flitted across his feet. 
Above his head-- 
Hokuto's entire body went taut and its lackadaisical demeanor changed in a flash. Kon's eyes widened from within Harutora's arms. 
The teachers, Natsume, Harutora, Kyouko, and of course all of the students as well were unable to instantly recognize exactly what the 'thing' in front of them was. 
That giant thing descended from the sky like a flying elephant. Even with all four limbs on the ground, it was more than three meters high, and it had a head, body, four limbs, and a tail. The first impression it gave off was that the balance of its entire body was 'out of tune', with its head 'like' a monkey's, its limbs 'feeling somewhat like' a tiger's, and its tail 'looking like' a snake. The impression each part of it gave off changed as time passed. No, it wasn't just an impression. The thing itself was actually constantly changing its appearance. 
"......Huh?" An unknown one of the students called out stupidly, but the old instructor's face was dumbfounded. 
"A, A phase three...... How is this possible......" 
'For such an absurd thing to happen' - Just as he wanted to finish saying this, that 'thing' slowly raised its body, standing up on its two hind legs. 
The thing extended its body, seeming to grow several times taller in a breath, and then crashed back down like it wanted to flatten something. Then, its mouth seemed to split wide open and it let out a shrill roar. 
"EIIEEEE!" 
The sound was ear-piercing, and miasma spewed out from it in all directions at a far greater concentration than before. 
Miasma flowed like sweat across every cell of the body, across every single nerve, freezing the soul in bursts, terror and despair taking hold of the emotions. Half of the students who took this direct attack fainted where they were, and Harutora also almost lost consciousness because the force of the impact was too violent. 
"......Ugh......Uh......" 
He moaned painfully, his entire body rigid, but his gaze never left that 'thing'. 
It looked like an animal, but it didn't look like any animal in particular, with its body covered everywhere with hair and scales. The lengths of its limbs were also different, and its stripes meandered across its body like living creatures, its horns and wings drooping down as soon as they grew out. It simply looked like various creatures had just been mixed together - no, they were still in the process of merging. 
As a result of the existence of the five elements - wood, fire, earth, metal, and water - the five yin energies that had become miasma were still clashing with each other on the inside after materializing, not giving in to one another. 
A phase three spiritual disaster, Type-Chimera, referred to as a 'Nue' by Onmyouji. 
"Tch! ...Order!" 
The old instructor flung out a charm. 
He threw a fire-element charm, and the charm hit the Nue directly in the face, igniting into a red flame. The Nue shrieked shrilly, but it wasn't wounded, just purely angry. Of course, the old instructor hadn't expected this little charm to be able to defeat the Nue. He had done this to buy time. 
"I'll be the decoy! You help the students evacuate!" The old instructor commanded the other two teachers with a fiery tone. 
"But--!" 
"Don't be stupid! None of us will escape if we drag on like this!" 
The old instructor spoke as he threw charms, guiding the Nue's attention to himself. The Nue seemed to stamp its feet while twisting its body, continuously treading on the ground. With every movement, it scattered miasma into the surroundings. 
The two teachers followed orders and guided the students to shelter with pale faces. The students who were still able to hold on to their consciousness carried the unconscious students, desperately escaping from the Nue. 
Harutora also came to his senses, shouting out: "N, Natsume!" 
"I know! ...Hokuto!" 
Natsume ordered Hokuto to attack the Nue, and Harutora took advantage of this time to confirm the conditions of the other students. 
Tenma had already moved rather far from the Nue, and though he breathed in gasps, he still managed to evacuate himself. Even though Kyouko was staggering, her expression was still perseverant. She summoned her two defensive shikigami, ordering Hakuou and Kokfuu to carry those students who couldn't walk on their own. 
He couldn't find a student who had lost consciousness and who wasn't being cared for by others, so all that was left was... 
"Touji, sorry for touching your body. Kon, help me lift that arm!" 
"......Haru......tora......" 
Touji seemed to have difficulty even speaking, and his limbs spasmed more and more severely as if there were short bursts of electricity passing through his body. Moreover, his entire body was hot like a scorched rock. Even Harutora who had prepared himself before touching him inadvertently withdrew his hand. Even the breath he exhaled from his mouth was hot enough to be mistaken for steam. 
One of the strangest things was that aura was flowing from Touji's body, an aura that was clearly different from the aura that could normally be felt from him. 
This was all the effect from the spiritual disaster - the Nue. 
But of course, this had nothing to do with the effects of the yin energy. Instead, it was resonance. He was resonating with the Nue in front of him. 
"Let me go...... I'm already...... no longer normal......" 
"Don't say such stupid things! ...Kon! Hurry up!" 
Harutora knelt next to Touji's body, roughly making his hand wrap around his own shoulder, which felt like he was wrapping a container filled with hot water around his neck. Though it was hot, Harutora felt chills upon contact, and the aura from his body - his spiritual body - couldn't help but tremble like it had taken a fierce blow. 
"......Kuh!" Harutora grunted, stubbornly pulling Touji up. 
But-- "......Harutora-sama." Kon called out lightly. Even if she had received Harutora's order, not only did she not listen to her master's instruction, she didn't even stop staring intently at the Nue, her ears sticking straight up. 
"It...... It's retreating, it seems to fear something." 
"Wha, What did you say?" 
Kon's sudden words made Harutora forget the situation around him for a moment in confusion. 
But, Kon wasn't the only person who noticed this situation. The old instructor who was fighting with the Nue and who had resolved to die, along with Natsume who was trying to fight with Hokuto, successively noticed its strange state. 
The Nue's reaction was slow, and it didn't try to counterattack no matter how the old instructor attacked it. In addition, Hokuto was attracted by something other than the Nue, sluggish to pay attention to Natsume's orders. 
The Nue was alert, taking a cautious stance, and at the same time screeching "EIEE", its roar mixed with anger and cowardice. However, Hokuto wasn't the opponent who made the Nue fear deeply or who made its wariness surge, and of course it wasn't the old instructor or Natsume. 
"......What's this!" 
Engineer boots stepped heavily on the tile-paved road. 
The man's tone was casual and he didn't raise his voice, but for some reason, everyone present heard the words he spoke clearly even amidst all the noise. 
"What's this group of brats doing around my prey? And there's even a true dragon coming out to mix things up, what's going on with this?" The man's tone was mocking and clearly arrogant. 
A young man showed up in front of everyone with a head of cropped short silver hair, an 'X' scarred onto his forehead, and wearing silvered sunglasses on his face. Both his hands were stuck into the pockets of his fur-collared jacket, showing a lazy appearance - but he looked disdainfully and self-confidently around the spiritual disaster area. Because of the man's appearance, the area that had originally been chaotic to the limits rapidly froze instead, calming down momentarily. 
The students who were still conscious all gasped. It was needless to say about those students who knew the man, but even the students who didn't recognize him gaped in surprise after witnessing his strong, savage aura. 
"O, Ogre Eater......" 
The man frowned as if he had heard the old instructor's sudden murmur, taking his right hand out from his jacket and raising his ring-wearing finger to point towards the old instructor. 
"Hey, old man, don't call me by that name. My name is Kagami Reiji. Careful that I don't murder you if you dare mess around in front of one of the Twelve Divine Generals." 

"......Damn! How could this happen......!" 
Mutobe Chihiro, who had chased after the Nue and the Independent Exorcist Kagami Reiji, noticed the figure of Tsuchimikado Natsume among the stunned, unmoving Onmyou Academy students and inadvertently gritted his teeth. 
He had prepared four Nue in total, placing them separately in Ueno, Akihabara, Shinagawa, and Shibuya, which were Tokyo's Demon Gates and Rear Demon Gates, where the spiritual flow would let these four Nue awaken simultaneously. These spiritual disasters would grow simultaneously and at a rapid, astounding speed by consuming the aura in the spiritual flow. Then, he would enter the next stage of the plan. 
He didn't have wild wishes that these Nue would all live on. In general, the Exorcist Bureau's abilities were outstanding, and sacrificing one or two Nue for someone even more incredible like an Independent Exorcist of the Twelve Divine Generals was within his expectations. 
However, Kagami Reiji's actions were far faster than his predictions. He had originally been wary of the Meguro branch taking action, and hadn't expected Kagami to arrive first from Shinjuku in the opposite direction. It seemed that this wasn't a formal action, and he could only feel unfortunate about this kind of sudden situation. 
No one could match Kagami in tracking mobile spiritual disasters, and even among the Twelve Divine Generals, there wasn't a single one who could match his unique intuition and senses. But he was often troublesome, with a lack of responsibility for his work. Mutobe had originally believed that if he was lucky Kagami would be excluded from the fighting force, and it seemed that his thinking had become too naive as a result. 
Moreover, Tsuchimikado Natsume - the youngster rumored to be the North Star King - was also here. 
No, not just that, he had just now finally thought of who that slender, bandanna-wearing youngster he had seen yesterday had been. He was indeed a victim who had been pulled into the spiritual disaster two years ago, and he was clearly resonating with the Nue before him. There was only one explanation for a Nue to be resonating with a spiritual disaster victim, and such a situation hadn't been within his expectations at all. No, it was impossible to expect that there would be such a situation. 'Fate' was truly such a mischievous thing. 
"What should be done......" 
Enchanted heavily with stealth, Mutobe asked himself while getting as close as he could while making sure to keep a safe distance. 
Should he risk intervening or watch quietly for changes? He definitely couldn't beat Kagami Reiji if he fought face-to-face. 
"............" 
Mutobe pinched his lips together, slowly raising his magical energy.