Part 2
Which side had been victorious?
That speculation felt suffocating to Harutora.
The black-clothed Onmyouji, who stood in place like a broken scarecrow.
The white-clothed Onmyouji, who stood unmoving, still with his hands clasped.
It was the latter who moved first. Ohtomo staggered to the ground and supported himself with one hand, as if he had expended his energy. Harutora swallowed, and Natsume sobbed. In moments, Ohtomo's hair had lost its color.
But the white-haired Ohtomo still lived. He was dying in front of Harutora and the others' eyes, but he still hadn't lost his fighting spirit. He struggled to raise his head, plucking off his cracked glasses and looked at Doman with gritted teeth.
His eyes flashed,
"......As expected."
He murmured.
A smile still emerged on his mouth in his dying state.
"I thought this might be the case before. Now I can finally confirm it completely. You aren't a human, you're an ara-mitama [17] ."
A twisted, broken body, four unnaturally distorted limbs, broken red sunglasses, and empty eyes. This was no longer a corpse-like old man, it was a true corpse of an old man.
But the old man's corpse:
"Ho."
Replied.
It was a surreal scene. The old man corpse that couldn't possibly stand anymore didn't fall as it slowly swayed. It opened its mouth to speak and even laughed.
Its mummy-like body didn't bleed. A "Ke-- ke--" resounded from its torn throat, a 'voice' like wind blowing through a hole.
"You forcefully adopted such reckless strategies just to confirm that? Ho. Delightful, delightful. This old man is already taken with you. You're the first since Yakou to make me feel this way."
Doman laughed 'Ke-- ke--'.
Kyouko, behind Harutora, had also started wailing. Harutora couldn't speak up to console Kyouko upon seeing her unable to suppress her sobs. The overly 'monstrous' scene before them made his thoughts go blank and his body and soul were completely paralyzed.
After Kyouko, even Natsume also seemed to want to vomit. Suzuka, who controlled the barrier, gritted her teeth.
Doman, still laughing 'Ke-- ke--', said:
"I'm much obliged to be called a 'mitama' by you. After all, this old man is just the product of an unorthodox method. To those who do not understand, I look similar...... but this old man is different from that person--"
Upon careful 'observation', the aura exuding from Doman's body hadn't weakened at all. Aura constantly poured from his dilapidated body - or more accurately, from the space around his body. It wasn't that his 'body' carried aura, but rather his 'aura' resided within the body. The aura was his real body, and the person was an accessory. If the affiliated person was dying - or in other words, even if he was already dead, his aura was still alive.
As Doman spoke, Ohtomo slowly stood up.
His snow-white hair blew in the wind. Ohtomo's composure still didn't diminish while being surrounded by oni and shikigami or as the originally dead Doman talked to him.
After plucking off his glasses, Ohtomo's eyes stared intently at Doman, as bright as if they were releasing magic themselves. In contrast to his swaying body, his inner will was indomitable.
"Well."
Doman continued speaking.
"Your name?"
"...Ohtomo Jin."
"Good to meet you. Onmyouji Ohtomo Jin. Why don't you join the side of this old man? Magic is an extremely deep, extremely beautiful, extremely lovable thing. You can definitely understand. Well, don't stop at peering down into the abyss of magic, throw yourself and fall in - only then can you feel joy. An unmatchable bliss."
His emotional words were at the same time extremely deep. Just by hearing them, one couldn't help but tremble and almost lose balance.
But Ohtomo's reply was unusually clear.
"My apologies, but I must refuse."
He stood tall, interrupting magnificently.
It wasn't aura, but something more like 'dignity' swelled in his body.
"Ashiya Doman, don't try to trick me. Even if I am near death, I won't fall for the sweet talk and deception of a withered old man. I may be rude, but I hope that you would be gracious and let us go."
He spoke with fortitude. Harutora was deeply drawn in by his strong figure.
"Hmph, ho, ho, ho."
Doman laughed. The old man's body suddenly leaned back and spasmed constantly, as if it were a hanging puppet.
"How arrogant! I definitely won't forgive you, Ohtomo Jin! Observe this old man defeating your arrogance!"
An appalling aura once again spewed from the old man's corpse. Though Doman had denied it himself, this power could only make one think of mitama - 'gods'.
"Ha." But, Ohtomo laughed.
Then, he reached into his clothes, taking out several charms. Shikigami charms. He threw them into the air, flipping the sleeve of his robe.
The shikigami quickly materialized, appearing bright blue in the gray sky. Birds. Their designs were different from mechanical shikigami like the 'Yaksha' and 'Emperor'. Rather, they were blue swallows, as lifelike as living creatures.
"Ah!"
Tenma shouted.
This was the binding shikigami 'WA1 Swallow Whip' manufactured by the Witchcraft Corporation. It was well-received by many Mystical Investigators as the masterpiece of the Witchcraft Corporation.
It was a shikigami buyable on the market.
"You!"
Doman roared angrily.
"You spit rhetoric at me, yet you still ridicule this competition of magic!"
Doman's roar was like splitting thunder.
But, Ohtomo said:
"No, no, old man."
He face him with a light smile.
"The idea that it only counts as taking it seriously if you have to use shikigami you made yourself is only pretentious and self-righteous. That's how it is. Historical geniuses like Priest are another matter, but mortals have their own methods. Using mass-produced products is one of them."
Ohtomo smiled at Doman.
Returning to his usual Kansai accent,
"And I don't remember saying that I would have a 'magic competition' with you."
The blue group of swallows flew independently over his head.
Suddenly, small feathers began dropping from their wings.
Every time a swallow flapped its wings, feathers would fall like petals. They swayed lightly in the wind, dancing above the academy building rooftop.
This fantastic scene was as if the intense magical battle up to now had all been an illusion. Harutora and the others raised their heads to look up, looking in a daze.
The flying blue feathers continuously fell to the roof.
They touched the horn of the bull-headed oni, the shoulder of the horse-faced oni, the bodies of the shikigami, and Doman. As if they were snowflakes, they felt weightless. Once the feathers almost devoid of magical energy touched them, they disappeared with lag.
An unreal, fantastic scene, making one forget that this was a battle of life and death.
"......What are you planning?"
Doman asked Ohtomo, somewhat displeased - but at the same time somewhat curious.
"I said just now. When I said 'as expected'."
Ohtomo replied, his expression as if a heavy burden had been removed from him.
"If I can confirm that my opponent is 'spiritual disaster-like', I have my own methods of fighting. Eye-catching actions like announcing your attack are counterproductive in the end. ...Well, the situation just now was so tense my heart almost stopped."
Ohtomo exaggerated. Doman as well as Harutora and the others felt wonder upon seeing the white-clothed Onmyouji's attitude.
Just then, there was a slight reaction around Harutora's left eye - on the pentagram drawn below it.
Then,
...Eh?
Harutora noticed it.
Behind Harutora, in an extremely distant area.
Under the cloudy sky, in the direction of Shibuya street,
-Flicker-
A point of light lit up.
A fire.
Moreover:
"......Ah, what's that?'
"H-Harutora-sama! Over there--!"
"Wait, there too!"
There wasn't just one. On the left, on the right, and behind. Five fires in total were lit in the distance of their boundless view, several hundred meters away. Their locations were very high, probably on rooftops, and the distance to each of them were similar. They surrounded the academy building at a distance.
Doman also noticed these fires. Then, he thought of the 'meaning' that this arrangement possessed faster than Harutora's group.
Turning to look at Ohtomo:
"You!"
"...Yes. I don't abide by the rules. I set you up."
With Ohtomo's words as a signal, stately auras emerged around the five fires.
The aura was infused into the flame and became magical energy, shooting into the sky and spilling forth mightily. Then, from one area to another, they drew out clear lines of magical energy as if to cut open the densely clouded sky.
These were the movable altars that the Exorcist Bureau had set up. The burning flame on the altar infused spiritual power into a line of magical energy. The magical energy lines formed by the five altars released a beautiful light, drawing a giant magic seal in the sky.
It reached a radius of several hundred meters with the academy building as the center. At the same time, the chanted incantation of an exorcist from a distant location even reached the academy roof.
" ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka ...On kirikushuchiribikiri tadanouun sarabashatorodashaya satanbayasatanbaya sohatasohatasowaka... Onshuchiri kyararoha unkensowaka"
This was a great magic of esoteric Buddhism system, the Yamantaka method, which was a prayer pledging oneself to Yamantaka [18] in order to bring calamity to one's worst enemies.
The magical energy released from five directions enlarged the pentagram, forming a strong magic. Then, by the lead of the Swallow Whips that Ohtomo used, the magic seal centered itself to face the academy building. Of course, it didn't aim at Ohtomo and Harutora and the others who were on the same roof. Rather it attacked Doman's group that had been 'touched by the swallows' feathers'.
Harutora and the others' visions were suddenly painted completely white by the magical energy.
The shikigami-turned-spiritual-disasters were purified.
Then, the bull-headed and horse-faced oni vanished like steam.
Then,
"I've blundered!"
Glass was scattered on the ground at the Onmyou Academy entrance around the destroyed automatic doors, as if there had just been a robbery.
The roof black sedan stopped in front of the door was caved in and the glass was shattered. On top of this wrecked sedan, a black-clothed old man - no, he was already a 'thing' that no longer looked like an old man - stood up slowly.
He looked at Ohtomo who had fallen with him along with the dragon that had saved him.
"......You observed this old man's true colors, and still chose to push me down? That kind of attack is meaningless. The suffocation attack that you didn't hesitate to curse me with just now should have been enough to prove that......"
The old man's body was already completely destroyed. But Doman's aura forcefully supported the movement of his remaining body.
Hokuto, who lay on the road, frantically rose to fly at a low altitude, baring its claws and fangs and glaring as if angrily roaring 'You'll regret taking advantage of me before!'.
But Ohtomo lightly stroked Hokuto's chin with his hand, as if to appease the giant huffy dragon.
He stood up shakily.
Ohtomo seemed to be at his limits. The movement method he had applied had vanished, so he forced his body to stand and face Doman. Doman muttered upon seeing Ohtomo like this.
"You pulled me away to protect your students? That kind of action is admirable, but your trump cards are used up. How pitiful. No, how regretful. You pulled this old man into such a crisis, but in the end it was as a teacher, not as a practitioner?"
Doman's voice was neither humorous, nor was it mocking. He seemed to be sincerely remorseful. But if he were a mitama or some kind of similar being, such an extreme attitude was understandable.
Mitama were the accumulated feelings of people. Only a soul that held desire could form the core of a mitama. If Doman's desire was 'magic', then everything else was trivial to him.
Ohtomo stared unmovingly at Doman.
Just like when they had first confronted each other, he wasn't angry, resentful, or scared. His penetrating look resembled a priest who was carrying out a ritual - a priest facing a 'god'.
"...No worries."
Ohtomo revealed a light smile, replying to Doman's regrets.
"You know, I was originally a Mystical Investigator. Human opponents are one thing, but it's really troublesome to face spiritual disasters. As the saying goes, use the right tool for the job - well, I'll let you enjoy the taste of my hidden trump card."
Then.
Doman also noticed it.
His neck twisted. In the other direction of the Onmyou Academy, on the other end of the paved road that extended straight into the distance.
A strong aura was suddenly rapidly approaching.
With the rumbling noise of an engine, a motorcycle whipped up the air, spewing heat and approaching fast over the asphalt road. The sound of exhaust near the ground even reached the front of the Onmyou Academy.
A young man with sharp eyes and a sword on his waist sat on the motorcycle. He was the Independent Exorcist Kogure Zenjirou. Kogure, who had been contacted by Ohtomo beforehand, had left the Onmyou Agency on his own and was the first to come to the Onmyou Academy. The Onmyouji who had resolutely performed the Yamantaka method were the squad members that he had brought.
After Kogure saw Doman, his hands left the handlebars of his motorcycle and he drew the sword on his waist. The flashing white blade reflected the light, as if the blade were on fire. This was Kogure's beloved sword 'Second Norimune', also named the 'Demon Sword'. It was the divine sword that the first of the eight great tengu - Tarobo of Atago [19] - guarded.
Kogure grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands, looking at Doman without any hesitation.
He breathed in sharply:
"Oh great tengu, small tengu, twelve tengu, umana tengu, thousands of tengu. First the great tengu, Tarobo of Mount Atago, Jirobo of the Hira Mountains, Sojobo of Mount Kurama, Hoshobo of Mount Hiei, Kakukaibo of Lake Yokokawa, Daranibo of Mount Fuji, Tokobo of Mount Nikko, Konkobo of Mount Haguro, Nikkobo of Mount Myogi, Tsukubahoin of Hitachi Province, Buzenbo of Mount Hiko--" [20]
This was the 'Tengu scripture' of the 'Secret Mantra Prayer'. The motorcycle accelerated again. Kogure's motorcycle was a mechanical shikigami that could transform, and the shikigami housed in the motorcycle - a crow tengu - echoed the incantation, raising its strength.
Of course, the 'Demon Sword' was no exception.
He didn't just use magical energy from his own body. Kogure even received the magical energy of Yamantaka from the pentagram in the sky, taking it into his blade.
Yamantaka had dealings with the legendary tengu - especially Tarobo, who guarded the 'Demon Sword'. In the distant past, when Empress Somedono was possessed by Tarobo who had fallen into the Tengu realm [21] , a renowned monk Souou subdued it using Yamantaka's magic. After that, it was said that Tarobo converted to the Buddhism that had liberated him. The divine sword guided the magical energy that gathered to its blade as if it knew this legend.
The blade of the 'Demon Sword' released a white light.
The gathered magical energy was refined, burned, and beaten, finally forming a giant blade longer than Kogure's height. Even if a true oni stood ahead of him, it would probably flee in a panic.
Kogure Zenjirou of the Twelve Divine Generals was known as the 'Heavenly Sword'.
His fierce sword magic greatly complemented that name. It scattered grains of light, splitting the air. He and the motorcycle raced towards the Onmyou Academy.
"...One hundred twenty five thousand five hundred in total, all of the tengu arrive to scatter demons at their will. On aromaya tengu sumanki sowaka, on hirahiraken, hirakennou sowaka! [22] "
Doman quickly put up a barrier.
Kogure cut towards the barrier and Doman inside it.
He swung the 'Demon Sword' from the motorcycle. The slash containing all of the 'Heavenly Sword's strength easily cut open Doman's barrier, cutting into the black-clothed Onmyouji and the sedan beneath him. The magical-energy-carrying wind following the blade swept into a whirlwind, and Doman was caught in the whirlwind as it violently rushed towards the academy building.
The giant magical energy that was released threw the surrounding aura in disarray. The sedan was cut in two, with the bottom of the car falling onto the ground. Doman, who stood on the sedan, was battered back and forth by the storm of aura.
Kogure turned the front of the motorcycle, stopping it in a position where he and Ohtomo could pincer attack Doman. He lifted his blade and dismounted.
"...It ends here, Ashiya Doman."
As the remains of the magic he had just used, a holy aura still filled Kogure's body as if he were a descended war god. Though the magic in the blade of the 'Demon Sword' in his hands had already disappeared, there was still a strong magical energy left, and its strength overflowed outwards. The shining blade took aim at the enemy.
The 'special forces' of spiritual disaster purification and the proud elite of the Exorcist Bureau.
This was his true power.
On the other hand, Ohtomo stood unsteadily across from Kogure, his body leaning on Hokuto's head. Hokuto was therefore unable to move, and though it wanted to charge forward and rend, in the end it could only roll its eyes, looking back and forth between Ohtomo and Doman. Probably failing to notice the dragon's dissatisfaction, Ohtomo didn't move his gaze from Doman for a moment.
After the storm of aura ended, Doman still hadn't fallen.
A giant new gash had been cut from his shoulder to his chest. Moreover, Kogure's strike just now hadn't just harmed his flesh. It had even dispersed the ancient aura floating around Doman in a flash.
But the wounds to the aura were different. The aura that formed 'him' slowly dispersed from the area of the wound like needlework being undone.
"......Nnn......"
A voice like a damaged flute came from inside the old man's body. Kogure readied his sword and Ohtomo's lips tightened, his face solemn.
But,
"......I've......lost......"
Doman admitted his defeat.
It was probably an illusion, but his weak voice seemed to show a feeling of satisfaction. At the same time, it was the first time up to this point that his expressionless face revealed a smile, as if to seal that illusion in place.
Kogure looked at Ohtomo. Ohtomo nodded lightly, leaving Hokuto's side on wobbly legs and expending his last energy to stretch his back.
He bowed to Doman. After seeing his companion's actions, the fighting spirit burning in Kogure's heart vanished into thin air.
But unlike the ordinary teacher Ohtomo, Kogure's work wasn't finished after defeating the enemy. Doman had been designated as the dangerous individual 'D' by the Onmyou Agency, and there were many things to ask of him.
Kogure didn't get careless, taking a step while facing Doman.
"......Ashiya Doman. There's something I'd like to confirm with you. After you admit defeat, I'd like you to give up resisting and surrender peacefully. If you can accept magic binding, you can be treated immediately - the safety of your spiritual body can be ensured."
Kogure encouraged Doman to surrender. Ohtomo also watched for Doman's reply with a tense expression.
Doman didn't respond immediately.
But,
"......I suppose so...... The winner should do as he pleases...... Then......"
Kogure showed an expression of incomprehension for a moment, then smiled unconsciously. Ohtomo was a bit astonished, but was immediately relieved.
In the next moment.
Light came from behind the sedan--
The car exploded.
The sound of the explosion rumbled and flame scattered in all directions. The two cut halves of the car flew into the air. The shockwave spread out in a circle, and Kogure and Ohtomo were sent flying. The motorcycle housing a shikigami and Hokuto grabbed Kogure and Ohtomo respectively.
"What--"
"...!"
When the two of them looked ahead again, the ground was shaking and dust was flying.
Kogure and Ohtomo were dumbfounded. The smell of gasoline filled the front of the Onmyou Academy, and black smoke rose from the exploded sedan.
The explosion clearly wasn't caused by magic. Someone had installed a bomb on the sedan. Doman had been above the point of the explosion, and his body had already become ashes. Without flesh to act as a vessel, Doman's aura had probably scattered at the same time his body had been destroyed.
"H, How can that be. ......Why?"
"......"
Kogure couldn't figure out, and Ohtomo didn't say a word, his eyes also wide.
The two who had taken the shockwave head-on were hurt all over, but it was a fortune among misfortune that they still lived. Deducing from the facts before them, the explosion just now hadn't been aimed at the two of them, but had targeted Doman instead.
They realized that he wouldn't possibly have committed suicide from his attitude just now. He had been killed by someone.
But, who? Who exactly was it?
"......Could it be......"
Ohtomo, being supported by Hokuto, murmured quietly.
But he had already reached his limits. Ohtomo slowly lost consciousness as he looked at the burning remains of the sedan in front of him.
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