Part 3 If I became a demon like this-- The thought had once emerged in Touji's mind when he was a spiritual encumbrance patient in the middle of receiving treatment inside the infirmary room 'sealed' all around by barriers. If I became a demon like this, what a satisfying thing that would be. He had always thought to himself that 'could it be that nothing troubles me?', but this could be called the troublesome situation that he had wished for, and also an exit opportunity that he had wished for. He still didn't feel that he was a patient who had fallen to the level of suicide, but he felt that becoming a demon certainly had a kind of hard-to-resist fascination. The smell of blood made him restless. He had been like that all his life with no regard for the outcomes. If I became a demon like this - that thought became even more intense when the demon inside him was lively. The demon devouring him from the inside. Anyway, he didn't have anything to lose, and it wouldn't be meaningful for him to return to that old pain, suffering, and bleakness. Once he became a demon, his life would be over like that. It would be a cleaner end that way, like god giving the last act of mercy to a failed product. No, maybe it was a sweet trap of enticement that the devil had set at the end. If I became a demon like this. Maybe that was proof showing that the oni inside him had gradually infiltrated Touji's heart. Under the effects of the oni's strength, Touji's consciousness became fuzzy, and his values changed and became ambiguous, his originally weak will to live becoming even thinner. Touji's heart strode down the path of the demon step by step as he received magical treatment. Then, the primary physician brought his own son over. His name was Harutora.
Touji slowly turned around to face Harutora. The bandanna that was normally tied around his forehead was nowhere to be seen, and the two horns that had vaguely sprouted when he almost turned into an oni had also vanished, but there were still 'traces' lingering on his skin. Touji would tie on the bandanna to hide the traces - and to temporarily hide the horns that grew when his condition went out of control. "......How shameful." Saying this, a self-derisive smile appeared on Touji's mouth. But, he looked a bit unusual, and his emotions seemed quite agitated, his eyes slack and unfocused, with only his voice cold as ice. "The principal also warned me beforehand, but in the end I became like that right when I lost control. Even I myself think it's laughable." He stared at Harutora, his face stiff. His morbid attitude was clearly different from the usual Touji. Harutora instantly took a closer 'look' at Touji's aura. He didn't feel a demonic aura. But there was the 'presence' of a demon, and Touji constantly gave off a strong demonic 'presence' from inside him. A demon contained in the body wouldn't only affect the aura. Changes would appear in the mind that magic was unable to explain. The heart would gradually assimilate with the demon. But-- "......This isn't like you, Touji." Harutora returned Touji's gaze - returned that appalling gaze without fear. "My dad said that the oni would dwell in the darkness of humans. You said back then that you had no enthusiasm and the demon had nowhere to dwell. Back then, I thought that you were really a faker, but thinking carefully, it's laughable that you who wholeheartedly 'wanted to become a demon' were instead saved because of that." Not only was Harutora unafraid, his tone was even challenging. He spoke as his eyes stared into Touji's, with no intention at all of backing off. When confronting a demon, just slightly revealing a weak point or fragility would end in a loss, and a powerful mental strength was especially necessary to be able to suppress a demon. Strength of heart was necessary. Harutora and Touji confronted each other in the chilly corner of Shibuya. The corners of Touji's mouth rose, answering Harutora's challenge. Fangs hadn't grown in his mouth, but an expression like a demon's showed on his face. "My thoughts are still the same. It doesn't matter to me whether I become a demon or not." A self-derisive smile formed again on Touji's mouth. Destructivity, threat, and amusement were in it, like the deepest features of the smile that the delinquent Touji had always had on his face. Harutora hmphed, scoffing it over. "......Hey, what's wrong, Touji? Has your brain been eaten by the oni?" "Who knows, I don't know whether these are truly my own thoughts or the oni's thoughts either - in any case, it's fine either way, these kinds of thoughts are already deeply rooted in my nature, and they can't be changed." "Hmph, what 'nature'. You're just a year older than me, stop acting so arrogant." "These are just the facts, Harutora. Sorry, I'm not the same as you." Touji's tone was cold like a freezer, but his gaze gradually became heated, like hot melting iron. Though it had no magical energy, it tried to infiltrate Harutora's mind like magic. But Harutora wasn't afraid, nor was he fearful. He firmly believed in the non-demon Touji. "Hah, there it is, 'I'm not the same as you'. A cliche used by brats that don't want to admit they are one. You shouldn't always think about those useless things, you know." "It's always better than an idiot who doesn't think about anything at all, right?" "Not necessarily. People before said that 'actions speak louder than words'." Harutora's persistent attitude conflicted with Touji. He didn't know Onmyoudou, but his father had seriously taught him many ways to deal with Touji, and right now he was doing his best to think of the various techniques that his father had taught him. "Alright, let's go back, Touji. You know, I'm incredibly busy right now, and I don't have time to goof around with you." "In that case, don't mind me." "I'm not leaving because I can't do that." Harutora spoke, showing a firm, unmoving smile. He trusted in the connection between him and Touji, reliably pulling him towards himself step by step, trying to pull him back. He and the demon were currently carrying out a tug-of-war competition over Touji, and he definitely wouldn't let go. "After we go back...... then what?" Touji's expression changed. "I'll accompany you back, and then? Continue strengthening the seal, suppressing the demon inside my body. Exactly what meaning does doing that have?" "What use is it to think about that? No one in this world can succeed instantly!" "Could it be that you believe things will slowly turn around? What proof do you have?" Touji smiled coldly, aiming at his opposition's weak point and fiercely shooting out a sharp gaze. "If I live on in the future continuing to hold back this outburst, do you understand what kind of a life that will be? Do you get it, Harutora?" The gaze Touji looked at him with extremely resembled a demon's, and Harutora tightly clenched his fists. "......Touji, didn't you resolve to become an Onmyouji in order to deal with those circumstances? To suppress the demon inside your body in the future. There will be some day when the demon in your body can be purified completely." Touji hadn't aimlessly accompanied Harutora in transferring into the Onmyou Academy, and just like how Harutora had a certain reason to aspire to become an Onmyouji, Touji was the same. That was the after-effect of the spiritual disaster - the oni. Touji had chosen to walk this road in order to save himself.
"Some day? Some day, huh......" The cold smile on Touji's mouth widened, and a chill inadvertently went through Harutora's back. "I'll be able to solve my problem some day? That's the kind of thing a brat who doesn't know the world would say. I'll definitely be able to solve my problem some day, I'll definitely be able to solve my problem some day--! How can you be certain that there won't be a day when I lose control completely? When something like today happens again?" Aura suddenly surged through Touji's body. Aura. But it was clearly a turbid yin aura. "I'll be able to solve my problem some day? It actually doesn't have to be so troublesome. You know too, right, Harutora? If I just hurry up and become a demon and get purified altogether, I can solve my problem. That's the most reliable and the fastest, smartest method!" Demonic aura swirled into an eddy with Touji as the center. His forehead jutted out, his lips splitting open to show his fangs, and 'lag' reactions appearing over his entire body. The profile of the oni gradually overlapped with his body. The horns on his forehead and his fangs flashed as they extended, and the mist covering his entire body became more rigid. Armor. Armor from the Warring States Period [50] - or perhaps an even more historic era - appeared on his body, a wrist protector, breastplate, and a helmet with a visor. The half-transparent armor flashed alongside the intense 'lag', appearing and disappearing, completely covering Touji's Onmyou-Academy-uniform-wearing body. Touji resembled an armored samurai as well as the figure of a ghost, as if he were the evil spirit of an unfortunate samurai. The 'lag' even reached up to Touji's face, and the hideous impartiality of a demon emerged. Touji stared intently at Harutora in the depths of the mixed, interlacing shadows. For some reason, not only Touji, but also even the air that touched him gradually became sharp like a blade. But, in this sharp air-- Harutora rushed in. "Touji!" Harutora's fist hummed, and he struck out with a punch using all of his strength, enough to punch through the armor. Touji's head flew back and he staggered backwards a good distance. "You idiot, you're still saying that kind of nonsense! Let me tell you, Touji, stop being naive!" Harutora berated him with spit flying out of his mouth, Touji's demonic aura barely in his eyes, and flaring with an intense aura. "Listen! The life of a brat like you wasn't your own since a long time ago. It was made by my dad's hard work and painstakingly tempered by Hokuto and I, Natsume, Kyouko, Tenma, and everyone you know! You’re not allowed to be so reckless!" The lambasted Touji widened his eyes in disbelief, staring at the fierce Harutora. Soon after-- "......Pff." He cursed. "Don't talk big, could you be planning on fighting with the current me? It's not like you haven't seen my current form. I could smash your head with a punch." Touji felt his chin that had taken a punch, teasing Harutora as if knocking him. Of course, Harutora couldn't beat Touji, especially since the demonic armor bound to Touji's body was a symbol of the oni's strength, and the current Touji possessed superhuman power. Even he was completely sure of that. Therefore...... "I think this is just right." Harutora deliberately replied. The voice Touji mocked him with shook slightly, and that fine change didn't escape his ears. He rushed in, swinging his fist. Touji's body naturally dodged the attack - Harutora didn't pay it any heed, still continuing to approach. He hit and kicked, with Touji dodging every blow. Touji saw through Harutora's attacks and didn't need to use the oni's strength at all. Harutora himself understood this point. He was just blindly attacking, and finally Touji couldn't help but sneer. "Are you an idiot?" "What's wrong with that!" Harutora shouted, throwing his whole body at Touji. "Harutora!" Touji hissed, angrily swinging his fist, swinging the demonic fist covered with a flashing armguard. Harutora didn't dodge. "...!" Touji's fist suddenly stopped, and instead Harutora's fist hit Touji. He used his entire body weight to swing that fist, and the two tumbled into teach other, falling onto the ground. Harutora took the opportunity to kneel over the body of Touji, who was lying down under him, grabbing his collar with both hands and shaking him violently. "What's wrong, Touji! Why don't you fight back? Hit me! You can't do it, right? Because you could crush my head with a fist! Because you could take my life anytime if you were careless!" Touji clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth as he listened to Harutora's yelling, finally showing a wavering that belonged to Touji himself rather than the oni. Harutora stared intently at Touji from up close like he wanted to see through him, then continued to cast his incantation. "The two years you and I were together for weren't wasted, I saw long ago that you wouldn't be able to kill me! Get it? This is the second-class magic that the principal mentioned. I cast that magic on you - no, you cast it on yourself! Because you're a person who thinks about his friends! A mere oni can't crack open that kind of strong magic! As long as that magic isn't released, you'll have to keep fighting with the oni! Why don't you hurry up and realize!" "......!" Touji pressed his lips together. Strength flowed out of his entire body, the demonic aura dissipated like smoke, and the 'lag' reactions gradually intensified, the image of the armor gradually thinning. The moment he looked into Touji's eyes, Harutora was confident he had succeeded. He had succeeded in bringing Touji back. He beamed and said: "You troublemaker," and punched Touji again. Touji moaned - and then fainted again. After putting down his fist, Harutora slowly rose. The demonic armor had already completely vanished, and for the sake of caution, Harutora used his spirit-seeing ability to 'see' that the aura on Touji's body had stabilized. Only then did he finally let out a deep breath, looking up at the sky. A numb feeling came from the hand he had punched with. With no one around, Harutora still clicked his tongue loudly to conceal his bashfulness. "You're this old already yet you're still so hot-blooded...... you idiot." Then, Harutora quickly called Tenma on the phone. Kon also hastily came over after he shouted several times in a row, but he deliberately didn't contact the Onmyou Academy or other teachers. Tenma ran over, panting for breath, and jumped in surprise when he saw Touji lying prone on the ground, but he quickly noticed that Touji was just passed out, and breathed out in reassurance. Touji didn't lose consciousness because he had been hit by Harutora's fist, but rather because he had started suppressing the oni inside him again. Harutora's punch at the end had given him a helping hand, and the goal of the blow was to shake up Touji's mindset. But Tenma began worrying again when he finished listening to Harutora's next words. "You want to go to Natsume-kun? That...... Then what about Touji-kun!" "That's why I asked you to come. Sorry, could I ask you to help contact the Onmyou Academy and bring him back inside the academy?" "B, But, who knows where Natsume-kun and the others are--" "I sent them a text message notifying them when I found Touji, and I asked for their location at the same time. They seem to be preparing for an engagement in the Meiji Shrine Outer Garden [51] . I checked a map on my phone, and I can run there on foot." After Harutora explained to Tenma while sitting on the ground to rest, he exerted himself again and stood back up. His body and mind were tired, but there was still something waiting for him to deal with. There were troubling incidents one after another, but since he had become the shikigami of this kind of master, he could only bite the bullet. "Tenma, do you have any charms on you right now? If you do, could you give them to me? I'm afraid the few that I brought won't be enough." "It, It's no problem to give them to you...... but are you really planning on going over alone? The Exorcist Bureau is carrying out an important operation with their full strength, right? I fear that something like meeting up with Natsume-kun and the others will be......" "Leave those kinds of things for later, since after all......" Harutora smiled wryly, looking at Touji who was lying on the ground. "I talked pretty big. In any case, sorry for giving you a heap of trouble. I'll leave Touji to you."
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