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Tokyo Ravens - Volume 7 - Chapter 3.4




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Part 4 
"Starting now, I'll be the only one asking the questions. ......So, first let me tell you something. It was my decision to have Kagami look after Tsuchimikado Natsume in the Meguro branch." 
A magical battle was going on in the outbuilding of the Shinjuku branch. The sound of magic incantations and peoples' cries sounded from all directions, but only one part of the passageway was separated from the commotion due to a barrier that repelled people. 
Hirata kept his expression calm, casting a cold, penetrating gaze from his eyes and aiming the gun at Amami. 
 
In comparison, Amami held a well-used fan in his hand. He stood there unpretentiously, with no intent at all of defending himself. 
"I also thought a lot about what to say in order to successfully trick him. I didn't think that he would unexpectedly volunteer on his own. I never would have even dreamed it." 
As he said this, Amami spread out his hands in exaggeration, making a snapping sound with his fan. 
Hirata didn't react to Amami's joking attitude. 
After a while, 
"......Then, why?" 
"This operation was in the end just to make the Twin-Horned Syndicate's Yakou believers go to Shinjuku. But with someone like you who had such a grasp of the Mystical Investigators' information, wouldn't the key people still be able to escape to the Meguro branch? Though I already placed people around you to constrict your movements, it's not an easy thing to watch you twenty-four hours a day. That's why I placed Kagami in the Meguro branch before the action started, I just wanted to ruin the possibility of the Twin-Horned Syndicate escaping there. Although the people there hate that person, from the point of the one mobilizing him, he was still useful. He's suitable for 'Twin-Horned Syndicate defense'." 
Heh. Amami laughed lightly. 
Right afterwards, he tapped on his shoulder with the fan, taking an attitude of treating his subordinate intimately, and continued explaining: 
"To be honest, I myself was very interested in how you would move. I wanted to see what sort of ability you had. Though I normally do things calmly, I couldn't help but wonder whether my instincts were wrong when you were still actively working for the Mystical Investigators after the operation started...... Actually, I was pondering how to apologize to you not long ago, and I didn't think--" 
Saying this, Amami's gaze pointed towards the ground. 
A shred of pity showed from his expression as he looked at Makihara fallen on the ground in a pool of blood. 
"Abandoned so easily like that, huh." 
Though his tone was steady, it was full of emotion. But who could tell whether that emotion was anger, pain, or a different emotion. Hirata was speechless and still pointed the muzzle at Amami. 
"Well, this is nothing you 'hadn't thought of' for you. After all, you're here because you got here by using the Twin-Horned Syndicate, relying on disposing of things after you used them. I only understood the reasons recently. I see that you had to produce some notable achievements as the person in charge of the Twin-Horned Syndicate. Though you could have just arrested your companions after you finished using them, it probably wouldn't have been an easy task." 
Amami put his hands on his waist and sighed, raising his head coldly and staring at Hirata. 
With an attitude as relaxed as usual, but a cold light emanating from his gaze: 
"......I could understand if it was just because your work was related to the Yakou fanatics. Once I think of how there are still scum like you in this world, I feel how naive I still am. Also, if even you were just a small fry, the roots of the Twin-Horned Syndicate are far too deep. I originally thought of using this action as a final warning...... It seems like I'll have to postpone my plans to partially retire." 
He showed a killing intent accumulated over many years as he stared into the depths of Hirata's eyes. Though he was old, Hirata couldn't be careless...... It was as if a giant monster were being spawned from the hells he had experienced and all of the years he had lived through. 
Though Hirata's expression hadn't changed, his body still couldn't take it and reacted. His shoulders shook, and he extended the pistol in front of him again as if he were forcing himself to hold on to the gun. 
However, Amami's gaze didn't waver a bit. 
"Put that vulgar thing away, Hirata." 
Amami said calmly as if he were chatting. 
"............" 
Hirata stared wordlessly back at Amami. 
Though he had already aimed the gun at the defenseless Amami, the fact that he had chosen to appear at this opportunity meant that he held the advantage. Hirata lost the initiative and could no longer keep disguising himself. Even if he killed Amami and fled, he would lose his current position. To Hirata, Amami's appearance at this time meant he had already failed overall. 
So, 
"......To be honest, it's hard to decide how to deal with you. So I'll just restrict your movement for now." 
Amami faltered momentarily upon hearing Hirata speak so seriously. 
"Hey hey, are you for real? Normally wouldn't you only be able to flee right now? Shouldn't you try to kill me if you're trying to protect your current position - though it might be difficult, you out to do me in like Makihara, right?" 
"How is that 'difficult', it's obviously 'impossible'. You should know that best yourself." 
"That's why you want to restrict my movement? You want to tie me up and then brainwash me into a Yakou fanatic?" 
"I didn't say I would make you into a Yakou fanatic, but......" 
Hirata paused, and then said with a voice filled with enthusiasm: 
"I'd value greeting you as a companion above all else." 
An extremely serious tone. 
Amami didn't know what to say for a while. The fan in his hands made a snapping sound. He wordlessly looked for Hirata's true intent - or perhaps it should be described as estimating his 'character'. 
"......I'm honored." 
Amami's reaction seemed indifferent. 
"Well, in any case, everything you're saying is nonsense. Let me arrest you and see what you're thinking in that brain of yours." 
Amami spoke naturally. At the same time, he made a snapping noise with his fan. 
Hirata quickly thrusted the pistol. 
"Please don't move." 
His index finger was already placed on the trigger. Amami's smile had deepened as if being carved out. 
"...Idiot." 
His murmur carried a bladelike sharpness. 
"Let me say this again, Hirata. ......Put that crude thing away." 
In that moment, Hirata loosened his right hand and the pistol fell to the ground. 
Hirata suddenly retreated backwards, his eyes wide - but even that retreating movement stopped partway. 
"Wha!?" 
The movement of his feet became slow and his body was no longer nimble. He lost his freedom of movement, as if his entire body was being bound by countless invisible wires. 
"Order!" 
Hirata resisted desperately, throwing out a protective charm with half-paralyzed hands. This should be some kind of magic, so he first tried to break the magical energy. 
But, 
"Give up, give up." 
Amami smiled and spoke. As he finished speaking, Amami's magical energy didn't change, but instead Hirata's magical energy rippled, leading to the collapse of his own magic. After the guardian whose magic was incompletely activated shone for a moment, it burned out and fell to the ground. 
Very calmly, Amami said: 
"Why do you think I flapped my tongue so much...... I took the initiative to strike first." 
"First-class spirit language!? But--!?" 
Like its name, so-called first-class spirit language was spirit language classified as first-class magic. It belonged to Imperial Onmyoudou, referring to words containing coercive power that directly infused magic into the enemy's mind. 
But normally, first-class spirit language had to include strong magical energy, and that kind of magical energy should carry an 'invasive' will. Moreover, the side that heard the magical-energy-containing voice would instantly trigger their defensive instincts. They could unconsciously form a defensive wall of aura to block the foreign invasion. 
The reactions of Onmyouji, who often used magical energy, would be even more significant. Hence, if one wanted to successfully use first-class spirit language, one had to destroy the defenses that they instinctively created. Though there were very few people who could use first-class spirit language, on the other hand, it wasn't difficult for an Onmyouji to defend against first-class spirit language. In any case, if one wanted to effectively wield first-class spirit language in actual battle, one had to be able to instantly form a strong magical energy that could render the opponent's defensive ineffective. Moreover, they had to be as unexpected as possible - only then could they take advantage of it. 
But what Amami had just done did not fit either of the two items. 
"......Speaking of first-class spirit language, if I remember correctly it should be Independent Officer Kagami's special skill...... This is!?" 
Hirata had seen Kagami's first-class spirit language many times. Kagami's spirit language could be described with a template, powerful and instantly effective. If it had hit him, then the freedom of his limbs should have already been completely gone. 
But the type of first-class spirit language that Amami had cast was different from this. Its might was slightly weaker - it felt like sinking into mud - and his body still had some freedom. 
However, he hadn't noticed the instant the technique activated. It had been the same when Hirata had released his pistol. The weak magical energy contained in his voice couldn't be first-class no matter how he looked at it. 
To Hirata, who was gritting his teeth: 
"Kagami's spirit language? Hah, don't mention it." 
Amami smiled without much goodwill, saying this. 
"True 'spirit language' should be even more fine and elegant - a sophisticated job." 
He snapped open his fan as he said this, covering his mouth. In that instant, Hirata also suddenly noticed. 
Every time the fan that had never left Amami's hand opened, it would release slight aura in that instant. So that fan had been a magical tool. Presumably, the paper of the fan had incantations written on the inside of it. Amami had used that fan to cast first-class spirit language. 
But, if that was it, it would have been a very difficult magic to aim correctly. Why had Amami mentioned flapping his tongue? In other words, during his monologue at the start he had already infused magical energy while Hirata was unaware. But the strength of this magical energy was extremely miniscule, so much that even a professional Mystical Investigator in a guarded state would be unable to notice it. It was like dripping a few drops of transparent yet toxic venom. 
"Well then." 
Amami took out two charms from the inside pocket of his suit. After tossing them out with a whoosh, the two shikigami transformed into the outline of huge blue cats. 
The binding shikigami 'Model WA2 Catbandage' created by the Witchcraft Corporation. Unlike the conventional 'Swallow Whip' product which was a binding shikigami mainly aimed for outdoor use, this kind of binding shikigami was developed towards indoor use. 
Two blue cats gracefully tread over the ground. One of them jumped in front of Hirata, and the other circled around behind his back. Hirata, who couldn't move at all, was encircled in the front and back by shikigami with no last resort. 
"Well, what was I saying? Now that it's come to this, I should hurry up and capture you." 
Amami proclaimed with a businesslike and clear-headed expression and voice. 
As he said this, the two shikigami simultaneously pounced on Hirata from the front and back. 
Hirata clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, as if giving up completely. 
Then, 
"...Sorry, I beg of you." 
With a hum, noise sounded in the space surrounding Hirata. 
Lag. Immediately afterwards, two figures completely covered with lag appeared in front of the two cats that jumped at Hirata. 
Shikigami. The two shikigami stood in the front and back of Hirata, standing to guard him like Emperors and extending their right palms. 
Aura formed a swirl, blowing the two cats flying. They collided with the wall and floor, instantly turning back into shikigami charms. Just that one strike had completely blown away the magical energy they carried. 
"Defensive shikigami?" 
Taken aback, Amami instantly put distance between them, but his gaze still stared at the shikigami. 
The two shikigami that had knocked back Amami's 'catbandages' advanced a stride with heavy steps. Just from that kind of movement, the surrounding aura became unstable. Goosebumps covered Amami's body. 
These two shikigami were very strange. They looked like men, but for some reason the rumble of their spiritual power was very powerful. In short, the shikigamis' appearance resembled fugitive warriors, and one of them had hair like an unkempt mane while the other one was bald. Their two physiques were both very burly and they wore tattered armor, with old katana at their waists. 
However, the most obvious feature was that the lag assaulting their bodies hadn't disappeared at all. Their aura was unstable and it seemed like their materialization could break at any time. 
But even so, the aura that the shikigamis' bodies carried was one that ordinary shikigami couldn't match. 
"...Servant shikigami? Hold on, no way, could these things be......!?" 
Carefully observing the shikigami, Amami suddenly thought of a certain possibility, exclaiming out in surprise. 
"They're Yase Doji [21] !? How can that be! Hirata, you, who exactly......!?" 
"............" 
Hirata's expression didn't relax, because summoning these two shikigami - these Yase Doji - hadn't been his original intent. 
"......Since even these two got called out, I can't fight a long battle anymore. Chief Amami, sorry, but I'm going to have to be a bit rough with you." 
As he said this, Hirata waved his wrist horizontally. At the same time, the Yase Doji's armor made noise with a crash as they charged towards Amami. 
Amami normalized his surprised expression and his gaze became sharp. 
"Scatter!" 
Amami said as he took out a charm from his clothing. 
A water-element charm. 
"On birobakisha nagya jihata ei sowaka." 
Amami simultaneously chanted a mantra and formed a seal as he released the water-element charm. The hand seal he made was a Virupaksa seal. 
Virupaksa, the member of the Four Heavenly Kings who guarded the west, was the leader of the Nagas - the water gods. The released water-element charm turned into a raging torrent of water, spilling towards the two shikigami with a force as if it wanted to flood the entire corridor. 
The samurai-like Yase Doji received the impact from the torrent, giving rise to the intense noise of spiritual power. It seemed like continuously maintaining their external form was a bit difficult. 
But even so, the shikigami didn't falter. 
The bald shikigami blocked in front of Hirata, straightening its body to block the water flow and becoming Hirata's shield. Although the movements of the other messy-haired shikigami were disrupted by lag, it still cleaved the torrent spilling forth - by drawing its sword. 
A giant spiritual power burst forth the instant it drew its sword. The slash first cut Amami's water flow into two, and then even the magic itself was sent flying. "What!?" Even Amami felt dumbstruck by this overly huge power. 
That Yase Doji that had drawn its sword swiftly took a step towards Amami. 
"Tch. ...Kinji, Ginji!" 
Along with Amami's summons, two 'Emperors' with splendid gold and silver exteriors appeared in front of him. The exteriors of these shikigami were a size larger than the original. They were customized for Amami. 
Amami used his own Emperors to deal with the opponent's shikigami, immediately and swiftly taking out charms from his clothing and throwing them behind him as he retreated. Then, he started a focused chant. 
The magic he prepared to cast was a curse. The opponent's shikigami was powerful, so he needed to use tactics targeting the practitioner. Moreover, he cast three things at once. He took out charms again, preparing to cast charm magic. Then, he lowered his center of gravity to crouch down, sliding his fingertip over the ground. Through the sliding of his fingertip, a pattern formed from magical energy refined separately from the incantation rose from the ground. 
At the same time, he ordered his strengthened Emperors to attack. Amami's defensive shikigami charged from the left and right with the momentum to crush the enemy. 
However, as Amami saw the scene before him, he paused his chant out of surprise. 
To think the onrush of the two heavy-duty defensive shikigami was blocked in place by the Yase Doji - how could that be! 
Namu Great Bodhisattva Hachiman... 
After a brief chant by the Yase Doji, spiritual power burst out accompanied by tremors and a boom the instant it stomped on the ground. The explosion produced stopped the Emperors' attack. 
Though servant shikigami that could cast magic themselves indeed existed... 
Even so, this level of power was far too exaggerated. 
Then, the Yase Doji took advantage of the gap where the Emperors were unable to move to charge forward, beginning to counterattack. He thought it would cut into the chest of the golden shikigami - Kinji - but instead, it just tossed the giant body of the Emperor away with its empty left hand like magic. Its footwork, posture, and low center of gravity completely resembled a skilled martial artist. 
Kinji's giant body crashed into the wall. The still-remaining Ginji didn't give up, attacking the Yase Doji, but with a metallic sound, the drawn katana easily stabbed through the Emperor's armor. Its forward right leg had taken the attack, and lag ran through Ginji's body like electricity as Ginji's movements were forcefully stopped. 
"......Oh my, this flashy outer appearance is all just a show......" 
Amami inadvertently griped upon seeing his proud defensive shikigami defeated so easily. 
But Amami's magic was also already completed. He'd deal with the shikigami later, but anyway, he had to prioritize managing the master for now. 
He simultaneously released three curses. 
"One, two, three - Order!" 
The charm, his hand seal, and the magical pattern drawn underneath him. The curses circled around the forward Yase Doji, flying rapidly towards the other Yase Doji and Hirata that it guarded. 
However, 
"......It's no use." 
The bald Yase Doji guarding its master acted at the same time as Hirata said those words. 
It lightly chanted an incantation, and, 
Clap, 
Loudly brought its hands together. 
Immediately afterwards, another explosion of spiritual power occurred, wiping out Amami's three curses, just like the ground-stomping attack from just before. More basic than using magic formed from magical energy, this directly blew away the curses through the spiritual power and spiritual pressure produced from aura. 
But, 
"...Four!" 
Amami slashed out with a blade seal. At the same time, the fourth curse attacked from right behind Hirata. 
He had already set up this charm magic when he had retreated back before he had prepared the first three curses and summoned the Emperors. He had made the charm itself into a simple shikigami, and then cast stealth magic on it and guided it behind the enemy. The first three curses were a feint to thoroughly throw off the Yase Doji. 
Hirata turned around, noticing something was wrong, but at that point the charm had already activated before his eyes. It was a beautiful sneak attack that he could no longer guard against or avoid. 
That should have been how it was, 
But... 
"......Hey, hey." 
The third Yase Doji that appeared was unlike the previous two. This one seemed to be female. Although it was still covered with lag and so it couldn't be observed in detail, it seemed to be a shikigami in an ancient miko outfit. 
It calmly held out its palm as if it were feeling a wall, freezing the already-activated charm together along with its magic. The moment after Amami's curse was completely broken, the frontmost Yase Doji that had defeated Kinji and Ginji swung its katana straight down at Amami's head-- 
"--Stop!" 
Hirata ordered. The katana suddenly stopped. But the spiritual pressure produced by the katana swing already forced Amami onto the floor. 
Amami was on his knees, supporting himself with one hand on the ground. The Yase Doji's drawn blade flashed with an ominous light above his head, and although the blade didn't move, the spiritual pressure it released had already locked down Amami's movements. 
"......Ugh!?" 
Amami gritted his teeth, raising his head to glare at Hirata. 
Even if his movements had been restrained, a surprising strength could be felt from his burning gaze. In fact, Hirata even paled as he confronted him. 
"......I've lost. How shameful, as one of the Twelve Divine Generals......" 
"......You're a pure Mystical Investigator. When it comes to magic against people, no one can compare to you. But...... you chose the wrong opponent." 
Amami uttered a "tch" at his subordinate's taunt. 
"Though I hate to admit it, I have to agree with your opinion. Where did these monsters come from? Could they be the genuine Yase Doji?" 
"......That's right, but their origins are a bit different from the Yase Doji from legend." 
Hirata replied with this. At the same time, his shoulders finally relaxed. Then, he nodded a signal at the male and female Yase Doji guarding him. 
Lag even larger than their bodies appeared on the two shikigami. Then, the miko-outfit shikigami and the bald shikigami vanished. Hirata, left with the shikigami suppressing Amami's movements, slowly walked towards him. 
Amami muttered irritably, 

"Origins, huh...... It seems like the Twin-Horned Syndicate was just a disguised identity for you. Or was it just a useful piece? ......Hirata, who exactly are you? You're not a normal Yakou believer, are you." 
"......No, I'm a Yakou believer, a successor of Yakou's will." 
Hirata announced clearly. 
His pride and conceit were audible from his words. Amami slightly raised his eyebrows at these significant words. 
"......I don't get it, are you trying to say there's a difference between you and the Twin-Horned Syndicate group?" 
Amami asked this, but Hirata revealed a disgusted expression, saying "Of course". 
"That group just stupidly looks at Yakou like a god, and then one-sidedly embraces and worships him. With their methods, it's like they want to say that only they understand Yakou. To them, they will be repaid as long as they can awaken the reincarnated Yakou - they truly believe that they will return to their past glory under Yakou's leadership. In the end, they make all sort of blame for being unable to realize their beliefs, putting all the blame for their mistakes on Yakou. That group of...... shameless hacks." 
"......I thought that was the kind of organization the Twin-Horned Syndicate was." 
"It's not!" 
Hirata reacted overly agitated to Amami's mocking. 
"The Twin-Horned Syndicate was originally an organization formed to accept believers of Yakou's teachings and to succeed Yakou's will, definitely not just to make use of his name! That was why it was called the 'Twin-Horned Syndicate' and not the 'Yakou Syndicate'. Those ignorant fools who fanatically follow Yakou are the least fitting people for the Twin-Horned Syndicate. I don't know when it started, but the Twin-Horned Syndicate forgot about its own mission and degraded itself." 
"......So that's why you abandoned your former comrades?" 
Hirata tossed his hair, starting to speak passionately with a serious expression. He cast a sharp gaze at Amami who quietly said that sentence. 
Then, in contrast to his previous passion, 
"Yes, that's right." 
He affirmed Amami's question. 
"If they were also members of the Twin-Horned Syndicate, they obviously would have been resolved to sacrifice themselves for its original meaning. More importantly, if they deified Yakou, then it was their desire to become stepping stones to realize his will. Isn't that right?" 
Hirata spoke with certainty, and his hidden beliefs could indeed be seen in his expression. However, that belief was different from fanatic worship. Instead, it contained an iron will and zeal resembling a seeker of truth. He completely understood his own words and deeds and acted on the basis of his understanding. 
Amami was overcome by his ardor and stared unmovingly and wordlessly at Hirata. 
Just then, Hirata's expression became a bit gentler. 
"......Of course, I'm not perfect. For example, Makihara's sacrifice wasn't the outcome I had anticipated, and I'll carry this burden for the rest of my life. However, Chief Amami, I still wish to invite you to become my comrade - this is no joke. Originally, I had planned on contacting you, who have a position of influence, in various ways. Though in the end it became this form outside of my predictions - an error of this level can be completely corrected, depending on your and my efforts." 
Hirata's torrential manner of speaking didn't have a feeling of wanting to vanquish an enemy. In fact, he was completely exposing his inner feelings to Amami. That was because this was a heartfelt request rather than his attitude being pulled around and interfered with by Amami's calculations. 
Hirata wasn't joking. Instead, he truly wanted to welcome Amami as a 'companion'. 
"......I couldn't become your companion even if I wanted to while I'm kneeling like this." 
Amami said with a wry smile. 
But, that wry smile was more like a self-deprecating one. His voice didn't have its former vigor, and at some point, the strength in his gaze had been snuffed out. 
"The Twin-Horned Syndicate, huh......" 
Amami murmured lightly. 
"......Hirata, what exactly is the so-called Twin-Horned Syndicate? Is it a society established by those who accepted the old teachings of Yakou?" 
Amami asked this and Hirata nodded. 
"Actually, the successors of Yakou's will separated into two groups. Did you know that?" 
"......I didn't know." 
"One of the groups is the Twin-Horned Syndicate, and the other group was the Onmyou Academy." 
Amami was astonished. Hirata continued speaking with a serious tone. 
"Chief, you should have known, right? The Onmyou Academy was an organization developed from Yakou's private academy. But it wasn't just the Onmyou Academy that was developed from the Yakou Academy. Just like how the Onmyou Academy succeeds Yakou's will of 'cultivating new Onmyouji', the Twin-Horned Syndicate succeeds Yakou's 'other will'. In other words, we're all actually students of Yakou." 
"............" 
Amami listened carefully to Hirata's explanation. After he thought silently for a while, in the end he voiced the brief thought "I see." 
Then, he looked up as if asking Hirata for guidance, asking him. 
"But...... I still don't understand. In that case, what exactly is Yakou's other will? And what's your goal?" 
Hirata couldn't help but show a gentle smile at Amami's inquisitive question. His smile made it easy to associate him with a priest or pastor. His tolerance was deeply impressive. 
Hirata got on one knee in front of Amami, matching his gaze in height. 
"Chief Amami, if you don't mind--" 
He said this, full of sincere enthusiasm and planning on continuing. 
But-- 
A sense of wrongness. 
He noticed it. Why did he want to talk with Amami in the current situation? He was revealing his originally secret thoughts to him on this battlefield of the operation against the Twin-Horned Syndicate, and more importantly, this person had been his enemy in a magic battle until just recently. 
In the first place, he needed to make extremely complex political judgments when it came to the Mystical Investigator Chief Amami. That was why he had first announced 'I'll just restrict your movement for now' in the first place, right? But in the end, what exactly was he thinking...... 
"......Hirata?" 
Amami called out, feeling something strange. Hirata came to his senses after hearing that, staring straight back at him. 
His body was stiff and his breathing stopped, but his heartbeat rapidly accelerated. 
Amami stared at Hirata. 
"What's wrong? Please, tell me......" 
A request with no other meaning. 
This became the crucial factor that decided the outcome. 
The Onmyou Agency Mystical Crime Investigation Division's chief asked with no other meaning. 
That kind of thing definitely couldn't happen. No matter what situation the Mystical Investigator Chief was in, he wouldn't be this straightforward. Because someone in his position wasn't permitted to have naive thoughts. 
Only after his brain started spinning again did Hirata think of what he had said in a torrent. He was momentarily stunned and broke out into a cold sweat. "Hey." He heard Amami's voice again. "What's wrong?" "Speak." Amami's words resounded in his brain. 
"...Damn!" 
Hirata stood up abruptly, moving back from Amami's side. "Restrain him!" He made that order to the Yase Doji who still hadn't lowered the katana. 
However, the shikigami didn't move, nor did it even react. 
How could this be? Hirata's eyes widened in surprise. 
"......Oh my, does it end here?" 
Amami put his hand on his knee, standing up with a stern demeanor. 
"Though I had confidence in my glib tongue...... I'm guess I'm not too good when it comes to acting. ......Ahh, ordering that shikigami is no use. That guy no longer 'sees' you. That won't change no matter what you say. One has to deal with the practitioner when faced with a troublesome shikigami." 
"Wh, When?! No, why, how did I--!?" 
"It's nothing, don't concern yourself over such little things. Instead, Hirata, why don't you pick up my fan from over there for me." 
As he said this, Amami revealed a majestic smile. Only after the reminder did Hirata think of the spirit language fan. At some point, it had vanished from Amami's hand. 
Hirata turned in the direction Amami pointed in. 
He saw the opened fan standing on the ground. 
The opened fan moved by itself - Hirata's vision was completely absorbed by it - and closed with a snap, somehow becoming two fans. Then, they opened again by themselves - becoming four fans. 
"......This." 
Hirata inadvertently staggered. A dry sound came from his feet, and when he looked, his foot had stepped on an opened fan. He retreated in a panic, noticing that there were fans dancing in the corners of his vision. He chased them with his gaze - but then he noticed fans flitting across from the other direction. Hah, hah. Hirata's breathing accelerated. 
Before he noticed, his vision was already full of dancing fans. 
One layer over another. He was dazzled by fans, fans, fans-- 
Hirata gritted his teeth. He had heard that the 'Divine Fan' Amami Daizen was a specialist in illusion magic against humans. 
"......You got me." 
When he groaned in regret, 
"Don't worry, things went pretty well." 
As he said this, Amami tapped Hirata's forehead with his fan. 
Hirata lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground right there. Of course, everything he 'saw' - the fans that only he could see - had already vanished without a trace. 
Amami gazed at his collapsed subordinate and sniffed lightly. 
"Didn't I say at the start that I would be the only one asking questions?" 
Afterwards, Amami dematerialized the final Yase Doji that had been in a standby state for the whole time. It seemed that though they were servant shikigami, they almost had no sense of self - or perhaps, they were the type whose self was worn down and already close to disappearing. That was fortunate, or else it would have been dangerous. If those three Yase Doji had been the type of shikigami that acted independently off of their understanding of the state of battle, the current situation would probably have been reversed. Amami stretched his neck as he said "that scared me" to himself. 
"Come to think of it, I didn't expect Yase Doji. ......Really, this will be a headache again." 
Amami spoke to himself with a solemn face, staring grievously at the subordinate who had brought him so many problems. 
Just then, 
"......Wh-What?" 
Hirata, who had lost consciousness and collapsed by his feet. 
His body started being covered in faint lag. 
The lag encased Hirata's body like a thin film. It shone like a dawn mist and slowly dissipated, thinning until it vanished. Afterwards, Amami was dumbstruck - a very rare expression for him - and wondered whether what he was seeing was real. 
The collapsed Hirata had vanished and become a girl who lay there. 
An underage girl who wore a white uniform - seemingly only fifteen years or so old. Moreover, that uniform looked very familiar. It was the uniform of the Onmyou Academy. Finally, she had that unforgettable crimson hair. No, more accurately, it was red hair the same color as the impressive lock around Hirata's forehead. 
Amami stared at the girl lying at his feet, hugely stunned. He had never thought the day would come when he himself would be dumbstruck. 
"......Give me a break. What exactly is going on?" 
For once, the 'Divine Fan' Amami Daizen spoke his true feelings without a single lie. 


 

"What - North Star King?" 
Harutora and the others were stunned the instant they heard those last three words. 
North Star King. That was the nickname that Yakou fanatics used for Yakou. Harutora knew that, but he couldn't understand the meaning behind using that phrase here. 
On the other hand, Eto didn't waver. Although something about him felt wrong, he still stayed calm. 
"You......" 
Natsume's body trembled somewhat as she spoke quietly. Only then did Harutora come to his senses. He instantly grabbed Natsume's shoulder, pulling her forcefully behind him to shield her. 
"You, are you!?" 
The Twin-Horned Syndicate? In response to the shocked Harutora, 
"......No." 
Eto calmly shook his head and said this. 
"Wasn't I completely uncaring of you during the mock battle? Wouldn't that be too disrespectful if I were truly a Yakou believer? I'm not from the Twin-Horned Syndicate, nor am I a Yakou believer. ......At least not anymore." 
Harutora and the others looked speechlessly at Eto. "But--" Eto continued speaking as if monologuing: 
"Their thoughts aren't completely impossible to understand. The thoughts of those 'weaklings' who follow you - Tsuchimikado Yakou." 
"............" 
Harutora continued to guard Natsume behind him, putting distance between him and Eto. 
Eto didn't care even though he was being treated this way by academy students. As expected, he had already looked past it. From Eto's attitude, it was visible that he seemed to feel many things meaningless and past the point of no return. That attitude didn't come from the past few days. Rather, it had come from despair he had experienced bit by bit over long years until finally all he could do was resign himself. 
"Have you heard the name Mutobe Chihiro? He's the prime suspect of the spiritual disaster terrorist incident this spring. There's also the Makihara Yoshitaka who's currently fighting with the Mystical Investigators in the Shinjuku branch right now. Those two people were my coworkers in the Onmyou Agency. For some reason, they got along very well and were always together." 
As he said this, Eto seemed to be truly giving a speech. His words carried a nostalgic tone. 
"At the time, the Lingering Spirit Division still hadn't been established, and no one knew the name 'Twin-Horned Syndicate'. The meaning of believing in Yakou was hugely different from what it is now. The three of us would often hold late-night talks about Yakou. At the start, I was mostly critical of Yakou, so the two of them joined hands to refute my opinions. Everyone felt more pride about their profession as an 'Onmyouji' than Yakou...... Everyone loved Onmyoudou, whether Imperial or General." 
"Eto-san?" 
A bit of sweat beaded on Harutora's forehead. Natsume spoke quietly from behind him. 
Outside of consternation and indecision, a bit of confusion was also audible in his childhood friend's voice. It was sincere confusion about Eto and confusion at Eto's attitude itself. 
No intention of harming Natsume could be felt from Eto. There was no animosity, but on the other hand there was no reverence or respect. It seemed that Eto hadn't lied when he proclaimed himself not to be a Yakou fanatic. 
Eto met Natsume's gaze again, a pained smile showing on his face. 
"It's troublesome for you, I know that. But...... I still have to beg you for this. I hope that you can understand that there are still people dreaming of you. Please appreciate those who sincerely yearn for you." 
As he said this, Eto slowly put the down the backpack that had been on his shoulder. 

He took out a slender rod from within. 
It was a gohei, but the tip of it had been whittled to a point, and the paper hangings were charms patterned with red and black that they had never seen before. The large amount of charms were tied in a bunch with rope, but it looked more like the corpse of a snake that had been bound by charms. 
This was obviously some sort of magical tool. Moreover, it was a magical object with a dangerous air. 
Harutora and the others tensed up. On the other hand, Eto also revealed a disgusted expression at the magical tool he held. 
"This isn't a good thing." 
Eto said to himself, 
"But...... The fact that I have to use this thing in the end means that we're not good people either. ......That's right, North Star King. Though I know that this isn't very suitable...... If you could, would you please put a bit of your magical energy, just a small bit, into this thing." 
"Wh, What are you saying? Also, what exactly is that thing?" 
Harutora roared angrily. 
Eto shrugged his shoulders. 
"This is the end." 
He said this. Natsume made an inquisitive "Eh?" sound. 
"Anyway, those guys can no longer be saved. Of course, I'm the same. So this could be proof that we're cutting off our relationship, or as a farewell. Could you please reconsider?" 
Eto spoke sensibly. He didn't seem to be forcing them at all. In addition, his tone seemed more like he was pleading with them, but at the same time waiting to be rejected. 
It seemed that Eto wasn't pleading them for his own benefit. It was for someone else - for one of his friends - that he had come to beg Natsume. Eto's goal itself was to come plead in someone else's place. 
When he saw Harutora and the others standing blankly and not knowing how to respond, he revealed a wry smile and looked to the side. That was the best proof. It was a feeling as if he had been freed from a curse. 
Then, 
"...Sorry for bothering you." 
Eto smiled at Natsume. Not the slightest bit of resentment was visible. 
Then, he took the magical tool with his hand and turned around to leave. Surprisingly, his back was completely unguarded, and maybe he had already - no, it seemed like everything was already 'over' for him. 
"......Eto-san." 
Harutora spoke blankly, still not understanding the situation. 
But in the next moment, 
Kon suddenly appeared in front of Harutora, her hair standing on end. 
At the same time-- 
Shaver, who had suddenly appeared, slashed his blade horizontally at Eto. 
Then, he landed and lowered his center of gravity again. After that strike, fresh blood spewed forth like an explosion. Neither Harutora, Natsume, nor Kyouko screamed. They just stared dumbfounded. 
Shaver's expression looked unchanged after he dropped down. He maintained a half-crouching stance, looking at Eto who had collapsed as if dead like he were looking at a tree that he was trying to cut down. His right hand indifferently held on to a katana, but his left hand always held onto a bag - the bag holding the scabbard that the sword had been in until now. 
Fresh blood dripped from the katana blade onto the ground. 
Eto didn't move again after collapsing. That was natural, as after all his body had almost been cut in half. Time seemed to come to a halt as if it had completely ended. 
"......" 
Natsume and Kyouko's gasps from behind Harutora's back could no longer form words. 
Shaver slowly stood up. His movements combined with his slender limbs gave off an insectile feeling. His body was covered with spilled blood, like an alien organism that looked like a human on the outside. Kon held her wakizashi in a reverse grip with a tense expression, taking a stance again. However, Shaver didn't pay her any heed at all. 
Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound rang out. 
It was the female branch member who was passing by in the corridor. The books in her hand fell to the ground when she saw the bloodied Eto collapsed on the ground. Harutora and the other three shivered as if they had been jolted away by the scream. Their stopped breathing recovered and their heartbeats instantly accelerated. 
On the other hand, Shaver wasn't concerned about the surrounding reactions at all. He just indifferently flicked his sword after glancing briefly at Natsume, flicking the blood off the sword. After that, he returned to his usual hunchbacked posture, leaving the scene and leaving behind the frightened Harutora and the others. 
But, 
He suddenly stopped and turned back. The object of his gaze was the magical tool that the fallen Eto held in his hands. 
"............" 
It was visible from the eyes between the gaps in his bangs that he was very interested in it. Shaver turned around again, quietly approaching Eto. Harutora and the others retreated while matching his pace. The other branch members poked their heads into the corridor one by one after hearing the female member's scream. By the time a commotion rapidly spread among the group of people, Shaver was already standing next to Eto. 
"......What is this?" 
That was the first time they had heard this shikigami speak. A thin and quiet voice, like a child's. He lowered his head to look at the magical tool grasped in the hand of the corpse he had killed, his expression like a child looking with interest at a toy. 
Right in front of Harutora and the others' eyes, Shaver drew his bloodied katana again. 
"...Ei." 
With that sound, he swung the blade. 
The gohei-like magical tool was cut into two just like that. 
And then-- 
A shocking miasma spewed forth as if from a ruptured gas pipe. 
 



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