Part 2
"Harutora-sama!"
Kon cried out, crashing into Harutora. She pushed Harutora along with Natsume behind him over. At the same time, she grabbed the arm of Kyouko who stood next to them, forcing them down.
In that moment, the magical tool that Shaver had destroyed spewed out an intense miasma.
Fortunately, the miasma didn't spew out in all directions, or else the people closest to the spewing miasma would probably have died immediately. But even so, the miasma instantly made one feel like vomiting and made them almost lose consciousness. It was far removed from when they had fought the Nue. Everyone felt their body temperature drop several degrees in a flash.
They still didn't know what had happened. However, Natsume had already chanted "Order" as if screaming and put up a protective charm defensive wall as she lay on the floor. Harutora also gritted his teeth, pulling Natsume and Kyouko away.
All around them were people who had collapsed after being hit by the miasma and people who screamed loudly but didn't know where to flee. It was a hellish scene. After Natsume put up a protective charm, she cast magic on Harutora, Kyouko, and Kon, apparently a magic that raised their miasma resistance. Everyone felt that their breathing smoothed out quite a bit. Harutora didn't have time to thank her, hastily trying to 'see' the source of the miasma.
Fearsome, high-density miasma was being spewed into the air, and moreover it also seemed that it wasn't just miasma there. It was also mixed with some kind of manmade magical energy. The magic cast on the magical tool had been destroyed, leading to the entire magical tool exploding.
Shaver, who had destroyed the magical tool, was completely covered in the spewing miasma. His entire body was engulfed in miasma, and they could barely see his outline. It was as if he were standing on top of a geyser.
"Damn! Natsume, Kyouko, are you alright?"
"That was dangerous! Thank you, Kon!"
"What's going on? What is this?"
Someone had been killed right in front of him, and now a storm of miasma. It was very difficult to remain calm, but his life would be in danger as soon as he panicked. Right now, the most important thing was to escape as soon as possible and reach a safe place.
But,
"H-Harutora-sama! This miasma seems like it will go underground. Please be careful! If this goes on, the spirit flow will--"
Right as Kon said that, a rumbling noise sounded from underground and their footing became unstable. It seemed like an earthquake, but it wasn't an earthquake. Harutora's group had had a similar experience before.
As the underground rumbling continued without stopping, the earth split in two and a large amount of aura burst forth from below the bricks, soil, flower garden, and courtyard pond. Aura also poured from the bureau building floor where they had originally planned on fleeing into. Geysers of aura sprang up one after another, at least within the confines of the branch.
Though on the other hand, it was like they were being bathed in fire. The scene before them lacked a sense of reality. It felt like a Hollywood film.
Then, the aura bursting upwards merged and coagulated with the miasma pervading the surroundings, spawning a new miasma.
A spiritual disaster.
The spiritual disaster grew and swelled rapidly. In a flash, the spiritual disaster's level had already quickly risen from Phase One to Phase Two to Phase Three. The situation rapidly deteriorated. It was like salt crystallizing in a supersaturated saline solution.
After the miasma materialized, it started moving. It birthed 'demons', mobile spiritual disasters. Moreover, it wasn't just one. There was a monster like a snake merged with insects, along with a giant bent-horned spider. Finally, there was a moving clod of earth with one eye. The first two were a 'Type-Worm' and a 'Type-Spider'. The final one was a 'Type-Cyclops'. All of the mobile spiritual disasters were more than five meters tall. Three in total, and moreover three spiritual disasters with different forms had appeared in the same place.
In normal circumstances, such a scene would be impossible. Though each one was on a slightly smaller scale than a naturally occurring spiritual disaster, that fact wasn't enough to feel thankful for. There was only despair before them.
...No way......
Harutora's breath stopped because of the scene before him and he went speechless.
His mind was paralyzed and he couldn't think normally. He knew that he should move, but he couldn't think of how to. Moreover, it wasn't just Harutora. Natsume and Kyouko were the same. In addition, everyone in the branch had about the same feeling for a moment.
But,
"Come, Hokuto!"
Natsume called out.
Though her voice was clearly terrified, she desperately mustered as much courage as she could and bravely stood forth. Then, a dazzling golden line of light appeared with an awe-inspiring sound. As if lighting the fire of hope, it appeared in the sky carrying a vibrant energy.
The golden scales over its body bathed in the sunlight like gems, burning like fire. Its ferocious roar sounded like a warrior's in the miasma-filled courtyard.
A dragon.
The Tsuchimikado guardian spirit as well as Natsume's shikigami, Hokuto.
Though it was normally playful, idle, and willful, not like a shikigami at all. But right now, it readily revealed its fangs and attacked the twisted humanoid mass of earth below it - the 'Type-Cyclops' - the moment it was summoned.
Then, the shikigami crashed into the spiritual disaster.
"Hurry, take shelter!"
Natsume called out.
"This is the Exorcist Bureau. Though it's chaotic right now, there will be exorcists here right away to eliminate the spiritual disaster. The first thing we have to do is ensure our own safety! Hurry and group up with Touji and Tenma. Then, if there are still students left behind, get them to evacuate. Harutora, Kurahashi-san, do you understand?"
Natsume's voice shook slightly. Her eyes were full of anxiety and panic.
But Natsume still suppressed her fear, forcing herself to act.
...Yes.
The attack that the academy had received last month awoke in his mind. It had been Natsume who commanded Harutora's group when they had been surrounded by Doman's shikigami. At that time, Harutora's group had gathered together to fight under Natsume's instructions.
"......Okay!"
Harutora urged himself on.
Just as Natsume said, they should leave eliminating the spiritual disaster to the professionals. Even if he flailed around here, he would just hold back the others.
"Kon, sorry, but go find Touji and Tenma quickly. Especially Touji. The oni in his body might go out of control again in this kind of miasma."
"Right, we have to be concerned about that too. We should hurry too. Kurahashi-san, use your defensive shikigami."
"G-Got it!"
Harutora commanded Kon while Kyouko summoned her two defensive shikigami after hearing Natsume's instructions.
But,
"Harutora-sama!"
Harutora turned to look upon hearing Kon's cry. The spiritual disaster that had formed in the courtyard pond was approaching Harutora's group.
Its body, like a small mountain, was covered in wet black fur and it grew a number of legs segmented like knuckles. Its entire body looked like a big spider, but it had a protrusion like a face on which there were two curved horns.
A 'Type-Spider', a mobile spiritual disaster also known as an ushi-oni.
"H-Hakuou! Kokfuu!"
Kyouko shrilly ordered her guards to defend. Kyouko's defensive shikigami were 'Model G2 Yaksha'. They were more slender than 'Emperors', and although they looked like reliable knights when they stood next to Harutora's group, they seemed exceptionally small in front of the giant mobile spiritual disaster. Like infantry facing off against a tank. Though Kokfuu's spear pierced into the ushi-oni's body and Hakuou cut apart one of the ushi-oni's legs, its giant body didn't stop approaching.
"Damn, get away!"
After the three of them ran towards the corridor in a panic, the spiritual disaster's giant body crashed into the wall of the bureau building. Dust scattered and the ushi-oni broke through the corridor while chasing Harutora's group. Though Harutora tossed a protective charm behind him, the ushi-oni broke through the barrier directly. The ushi-oni broke open the walls with a rumbling sound as the spiritual disaster pursued Harutora's group.
"This is bad! Hokuto! Hurry up and come here--!"
Though Natsume shouted into the air, Hokuto was still locked in combat with the 'Type-Cyclops'. It was in a bitter struggle because it didn't have its master's instructions. Though Harutora and Kyouko did their best to fight with charms, the ushi-oni didn't even look hurt.
"N-No good! Dodge it!"
Harutora's group changed directions, dodging into the courtyard to avoid the ushi-oni's charge. The moment they dodged, Harutora brushed into the miasma brought by the spiritual disaster and was momentarily assaulted by chills. But Harutora still 'watched' the enemy without dropping his guard. He watched the miasma that the spiritual disaster gave rise to.
His left eye hurt again. But Harutora saw through it. Though the yin and yang were extremely unbalanced, it was water aura that formed the ushi-oni's body. He couldn't judge by its outer appearance. The true body of this spiritual disaster was a turbid, chaotic swirl of water aura.
"...Stop! Order!"
He threw out a fire-element charm along with an earth-element charm. When the earth-element charm absorbed the flame of the fire-element charm and activated, he made the earth-element charm burst open. This was the Five Element Mutual Generation that he had used in the mock battle the day before. Then, he used the earth aura to suppress the water aura. Five Element Conquering.
It was effective.
The things that covered the surface of the ushi-oni's body, the things that looked like wet hairs, were actually flowing strands of sewage like jellyfish tentacles. When the hairs were hit by the charm's earth aura, they slowly dried up. Then, they flaked off like dried-up bits of earth. The turbid water in the ushi-oni's body flowed out with a squelch. The ushi-oni's body shuddered and its spider-like legs began to twitch.
But, that was all the effect it had.
The turbid water that flowed like blood instantly stopped. The wound solidified like a scab. The water that dripped out became black hairs, quickly blocking the wound. "Damn!" Harutora cursed and gritted his teeth.
Moreover, the other spiritual disaster was also charging at Harutora's group as they escaped to the courtyard.
It resembled a long belt upon which a giant mouth had been attached. The snakelike and insectile monster crashed into the trees in the courtyard while crawling around the ground, its mouth large enough to swallow the standing Harutora whole. Its body, covered in decaying moss, vines, and weeds, also released a stench separate from its miasma.
A nozuchi, also called a 'Type-Worm'.
"N-Natsume-kun!?"
Kyouko shrilly called forth Hakuou and Kokfuu. But as expected, two defensive shikigami couldn't stop a mobile spiritual disaster. The difference in mass was too great.
"You two, hurry up and retreat! ...Order."
Natsume brought forth her aura, throwing out four charms as if striking the ground. Metal-element charms. Long, pointed pieces of metal burst from the ground one after another, becoming a fence that blocked the nozuchi. He saw with his 'vision' that the nozuchi was a spiritual disaster of wood aura. The metal-element charm was effective according to the concept that metal conquered wood. Actually, the nozuchi also reacted as if it didn't want to touch the metal aura fence.
But, that was only temporary. The nozuchi instantly twisted its body, going around to pursue Harutora's group. Though Harutora threw a protective charm at its nose to try drive it off, the nozuchi still slowly yet surely shortened its distance from Harutora's group.
Moreover, the ushi-oni behind them had already recovered and was eyeing Harutora's group, once again adjusting its direction.
"Ah, Damn! Why are they all focused on us!?"
Could it be the Twin-Horned Syndicate's resentment for being chased by the Mystical Investigators? What a resentment it was, if that were true. Anyway, it was extremely bad to be pincered from the front and back like this. The grieving Harutora ran while gasping roughly for breath. But it was difficult to escape the branch just running for their lives like this.
"Really! It was like this with the Nue too, why does a student like me have to deal with Phase Three spiritual disasters!?"
Hokuto had been their main fighting force when they faced the Nue, and Kogure's crow tengu shikigami had also helped them out. It had been Natsume's charm magic that decided victory, and Harutora had basically been just throwing charms.
...Come to think of it, I don't even know methods of dealing with spiritual disasters!
Harutora ran while looking at Hokuto. Hokuto was currently still battling against the one-eyed spiritual disaster. Though it definitely held the advantage, it still wasn't free to help them.
Just then,
"Aah!"
Kyouko's foot slipped. "Kyouko!" Harutora instantly picked up Kyouko. As he turned around, he saw that the trees in the courtyard were rustling as if they were alive. It seemed that they had transformed into spiritual disasters after becoming tainted by miasma. Moreover, they had almost reached the Phase Two stage.
Though Kon immediately threw foxfire at the trees, only a few branches caught flame. If they just let them be, they would definitely become spiritual disasters later. Moreover, it wasn't just the trees that were transforming to spiritual disasters. If this went on, there would be more spiritual disasters occurring. The spiritual disaster chain reaction that was appearing before them had already reached Phase Four, the Hyakki Yagyou.
Natsume also instantly paused upon seeing the two of them stop. Tossing her hair behind her back. Natsume readied charms in her hands while revealing a nervous expression.
She probably planned on using charm magic to check the pursuing ushi-oni and nozuchi. At least she could delay them for some time. But if this repeated, her spiritual power would be exhausted very quickly.
...Damn. Spiritual disasters...... With mobile spiritual disasters as opponent......
Harutora suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
He had a magic meant for spiritual disasters. He had heard that incantation and then secretly investigated and memorized it. He had also seen the magic first-hand before. Of course, he hadn't tried it yet - but he could only learn if it could work by trying.
"Natsume! Make a pentagram with five charms!"
Releasing Kyouko from his arms. Harutora shouted at Natsume.
"...Ban, un, taraku, kiriku, aku! Connect the five elements, Order!"
Natsume moved stiffly but quickly answered Harutora's request and changed her magic. Metal, wood, water, fire, earth; all of the five elements were released alongside the chanted incantation. The charms instantly released light. The lights merged together, drawing a dazzling pentagram in the air.
This incantation itself was already a strong defensive charm magic.
But Harutora had other intentions.
...Will it work......!?
No, it had to work. Harutora desperately thought of the magic he had seen that day in his mind.
"...G-God of the east sea, Amei! God of the west sea, Shukuryou! God of the south sea! Kyojou! God of the north sea, Gukyou! Gods of the four seas, fend off a hundred demons and drive back the fierce disaster! Order!"
Natsume abruptly turned her head. Kyouko suddenly gaped.
That was the Imperial-style incantation that Harutora had laboriously searched for information about and managed to find in specialized exorcist books. It was like a little boy doing his best to memorize the name of a hero's certain-death technique. Though he was embarrassed, he still remembered it. Harutora had heard this incantation at that time.
Ohtomo had used this against Doman. A magic to fend off the Hyakki Yagyou.
An intense pain like nails digging into him came from his left eye as well as deep in his brain. But, Harutora endured it, desperately focusing his consciousness on developing the magic.
Focus.
But,
.........No good!?
The magical energy he had gathered should have been enough. He hadn't developed the magic incorrectly either.
But, it wasn't accurate enough.
The details of the magic were extremely fuzzy.
It was finally Harutora's first time using Imperial Onmyoudou. Though there was some distance from the constantly approaching ushi-oni and nozuchi, they had already slowed somewhat.
But that was it. The magic's balance had crumbled long ago, vanishing as if it dissolved. The five charms Natsume had prepared also fell to the ground.
"......Ugh."
It was too hard to use right away in a real battle. It was a magic from the Imperial-style, not even from the General-style.
But,
...No. I used it wrong.
Harutora blamed himself again. He hadn't 'seen' the magic clearly. He hadn't clearly felt the nature of the magic. He hadn't thought that 'not seeing clearly' would make him feel this bad.
"Harutora-sama."
Harutora felt faint because of the effects of wasting his magical energy. Kon hastily supported her master's body.
On the other hand. The two spiritual disasters moved again. They could only flee. Flee, flee...... But how long could they flee for?
Just then.
The nozuchi's actions suddenly stopped. It stopped as if it were afraid of something.
But the ushi-oni started spasming dramatically.
Slash! The ushi-oni's body suddenly split and the filthy water they had just seen gushed out.
It was completely incomparable to when it had received Harutora's attack. Its body was almost cut into two halves and the water aura composing its body almost all spewed out. The swirl of muddy, dirty water aura had been completely cut apart.
The water aura that formed the ushi-oni crumbled.
A figure appeared as it nimbly jumped on that giant body.
The figure landed in a crouch. Because the cord that had tied his hair together had been cut, his unkempt hair was scattered messily. His slender figure was covered with blood and dust, and one long arm held onto a sharp katana as it dangled lazily by his side.
Red, girlish lips were curved joyously below the bangs that stuck to his forehead.
It was Shaver.
But this appearance was different from before. The shikigami's shoulders swayed, his entire body shaking like a stumbling drunk.
"......You, you......"
Just as Harutora spoke in a low, shaking voice, Shaver suddenly raised his head to look at Harutora.
Everyone in Harutora's group trembled.
Shaver was smiling. Moreover, it was an incredibly happy smile. His eyes swam around and his lips trembled, his smile looking so strange that it gave them chills. That was the smile of a slavering wolf. The smile of a wild beast drunk on fresh blood.
Harutora and his companions were scared stunned by this daring violence that seemed as if might gush out at any moment.
Shaver stared intently at Harutora and his companions, saying in a high-pitched voice:
"No! How could you play with this kind of thing? It's so boring, so weak! It won't do! I waited so long! Play with me first if you want to play!"
Shaver leaped like an excited monkey, landing on the ground. The force of his landing made the ushi-oni under his feet vanish as if it had been stomped on. Though that slash had also been a reason. But in the end, the ushi-oni had been crushed to death by Shaver's spiritual pressure. Though Shaver's body was slender and his body type was far removed from the ushi-oni's, the aura released from Shaver's body was too strong.
And now, this aura turned fiercely in another direction. He was like a cup that was being tilted enough for the water inside to pour out. That kind of almost-bursting, spine-chilling feeling of unease was the embodiment of Shaver's madness.
This servant shikigami was currently transforming into a spiritual disaster.
"This guy!?"
He remembered the magical tool that had brought about this spiritual disaster. Shaver had been showered in the high-density miasma that gushed out of that magical tool from a close distance. In the first place, servant shikigami were spiritual entities almost identical to spiritual disasters. It wasn't anything strange for his nature to change upon being hit directly by miasma carrying that kind of magical energy.
...This is bad!
The moment Harutora thought that, Shaver kicked off the ground and leaped towards them.
The intense fighting spirit and destructive impulse became a blast and assaulted Harutora and his companions. Harutora thought he was dead for a moment. The approaching smile and the aura that touched his skin. The trail of the katana slash flashed in the corner of his vision.
But,
Bang!
A different blast came from the other side.
A golden light caused the blast - Hokuto. Shaver was struck violently by the dragon and was sent flying before Harutora's group. If they turned around, they would have seen the one-eyed spiritual disaster Hokuto had been locked in combat with collapsed there. Though it hadn't been eliminated completely, it was already close to half-destroyed. Hokuto had broken out of the fight to come save its master from her crisis the moment it had been giving the enemy the final blow.
The shikigami's aid made it right on time.
But, Shaver defended against this surprise attack.
"Uwah! How powerful!"
Shaver blocked Hokuto's fangs with the blade of his katana to defend against the ferocious collision. His left arm pressed against the sword back and his legs were braced firmly against the ground as he forcefully resisted Hokuto's impact head-on.
Craaack. Two long trails were carved into the ground by the time the two finally stopped moving.
The humanoid Shaver had defended against the giant dragon's attack head-on. This scene was so abnormal and inexplicable. Even Hokuto, who had given that blow, went wide-eyed from surprise.
"Hah!"
Shaver kicked Hokuto's chin from below.
Crash. Hokuto's head flew up at the same time as an intense crashing sound rang out. Then, Shaver hacked horizontally at Hokuto's chin as it experienced 'lag' from that impact.
"Hokuto!?" Natsume screamed.
Fortunately, Hokuto dodged the killing blow at the last second by twisting its body. Though this led to even more intense lag, it escaped Shaver's attack. The forced movement proved that Hokuto had already been pushed to its limits. That guy was so strong!
Shaver was also at a point where he was using all his strength and couldn't continue attacking. But though he hadn't gotten a finishing blow, Shaver's blade still easily cut apart Hokuto's scales. In other words, even Hokuto would have been in extreme danger if that strike had hit just now.
"Th, This bastard......! What the hell is Kagami doing!?"
Shaver was completely out of control. But what was Kagami, as the shikigami's master, doing in this crucial moment. Even if he was an Independent Exorcist, he shouldn't just spectate in front of this kind of spiritual disaster crisis.
Moreover,
"N-Natsume-kun! Behind you!"
Kyouko screamed.
Because of Shaver's appearance, the hesitant nozuchi once again approached Harutora's group. The 'Type-Cyclops' that Hokuto had defeated once also moved again.
The courtyard was still filled with miasma and spiritual power. Even the ushi-oni that Shaver had slaughtered would revive again if it wasn't completely purified.
No, the situation was already getting worse.
A whirlwind suddenly whipped up on the roof of the branch, slowly becoming a fierce, rumbling, snakelike tornado that sprayed miasma in all directions. The monster that acted as the core of the tornado emerged inside it. It was a 'Type-Tornado'. The fourth mobile spiritual disaster had finally appeared.
"D-Damn. What the hell should we do......!?"
Harutora cried out agitatedly, and Natsume gritted her teeth with an ashen face. Kyouko was frozen in place, her whole body trembling.
But the situation didn't only one-sidedly worsen.
"H-Harutora-sama! Look over there!"
Kon pointed to the bureau building.
Then,
"You students over there, hurry up and leave!"
After that warning, several shikigami appeared between Harutora's group and the ushi-oni.
Eight 'Emperors' in total formed a shield of defensive shikigami. The row of heavy-duty shikigami stopped the ushi-oni's advance.
At the same time, countless charms assaulted the ushi-oni's eyes. The charms swarmed like a flock of birds, forming rings in the air and simultaneously beginning to attack the spiritual disaster. This careful joint attack caused every single charm to produce an effect several times stronger than normal. This was an effective strategy for when humans faced spiritual disasters. The ushi-oni retreated in a panic.
Black-clothed Onmyouji rushed out of the bureau building.
Spiritual disaster elimination teams.
"Teams eleven and twelve, wipe out the 'Type-Cyclops' over there! Next are the 'Type-Spider' and 'Type-Worm'. Cleanse the area afterwards! Team thirteen, have your members work together to lead the civilians to shelter! The fourteenth and fifteenth teams are responsible for the 'Type-Tornado' on the roof. We are responsible for the spiritual disasters in the courtyard!"
At the same time as the orders were given, the exorcists spread into formations in the courtyard. The chain of command had finally recovered - at least, it had already returned to a level where they could deal with the current situation. Upon careful inspection, the exorcists' equipment was incomplete and the team members were insufficient. But the exorcists had stood up bravely against the sudden crisis of a Phase Four.
The ushi-oni twisted and wailed in front of Harutora and the others. After an intense lag, it started to retreat in a panic. Harutora watched the escaping spiritual disaster in a daze. He inadvertently clenched a fist, clenching his teeth.
...Right.
We aren't alone. Right now, we're in the headquarters of spiritual disaster elimination, an Exorcist Bureau branch. Countless professional Onmyouji are standing in the same crisis as I am.
I can't give up.
"Natsume, let's use this opportunity to--"
"Yeah! Kurahashi-san, we're going!"
Taking advantage of the fact that the exorcists were holding back the spiritual disaster, Harutora and his companions ran towards the bureau building.
But, it wasn't just the spiritual disaster that was tough to deal with.
"Where do you think you're going!? Come play!"
Shaver.
The crazed shikigami held his katana and blocked Harutora's path. Though Hokuto immediately attacked Shaver from behind, he calmly twisted his body to avoid it. Then, he swiftly used the force of his spin to smash the dragon's body. Hokuto's body stiffened.
The dragon's giant body was actually a weakness. The agile Shaver had Hokuto dancing in the palm of his hand.
"This dragon moves too slowly! The master's teachings aren't enough. Let me teach you - come, play some more!"
Shaver showed his teeth, smiling exaggeratedly with wide eyes. "Bastard." Harutora took out charms.
"Natsume! Let's stop this crazy shikigami's actions!"
"Okay! Kurahashi-san, use Unmoving Golden Chains!"
"Y-Yes!"
Harutora first let Kon advance and use foxfire from outside his katana's attack range to check him, blocking Shaver's vision. Then was Harutora's water, fire, and wood-element charms. He used them disorderly one after another without any regard to Five Element Mutual Generation.
"Haha!" Shaver happily danced with his blade, cutting apart Harutora's disorderly thrown charms with slashes invisible to the eye.
But, in that period of time, Natsume and Kyouko started a chant. They formed Dharmacakra seals and then magic binding seals.
"With the mortal world under my control, I subdue this evil spirit in the name of Acala's oath! On bishibishi karakara shibari sowaka!"
The chant and magical energy of the two of them overlapped. The Unmoving Golden Chains binding technique. Natsume's magic was cut down by the spiritual pressure of Shaver's dancing katana. But Kyouko's magic binding, which shot out at the same time, restrained Shaver's body.
In the instant all of them thought the magic had succeeded.
"Hah? What is this? Do you think I'm an idiot!?"
Shaver, restrained by the magic, broke apart the invisible net using brute force.
The magic recoiled and Kyouko moaned. "Damn." Harutora gritted his teeth.
But the Golden Chains magic of the two of them hadn't been meaningless. Hokuto, who recovered from its lag, didn't pass up that opportunity, sweeping at Shaver with its tough tail. Even Shaver was sent flying like a doll upon receiving the dragon's full power strike. Shaver's body crashed into a pillar in the corridor, breaking the pillar into pieces and becoming buried in the rubble caused by the collapse of the corridor.
"Now."
Harutora grabbed the unsteady Kyouko's hands, escaping into the bureau building together with Natsume and Kon.
There wasn't a single person in the bureau building. It looked like everyone had already taken shelter outside the branch. Harutora's group ran towards the exit. There was a set of stairs leading to the second floor in front of them. They could reach the other side of the bureau building if they went around it.
But,
"Ahahahaha! Well done!"
The wall facing the courtyard was easily cut open and a beaming Shaver jumped into the corridor.
With his messy hair, Shaver looked like a dirty vagrant. But aura constantly poured from his body, and the internal pressure of it could almost send someone flying. Just by being next to him - No, even if Harutora's group was some distance away from him, they could hear a low bursting sound. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably. It was as if they were in a nightmare.
This wasn't a human. Harutora thought this again.
This was just a powerful thing with the external appearance of a human.
Shaver roughly wiped his mouth with his sword arm. Still smiling, he slowly approached Harutora's group with a pace that could turn into a charge at any time.
...Is it over!?
His brain was only thinking of escaping the branch as soon as possible. Summoning Hokuto into the bureau building would make it hard for it to move. Though he reflexively grabbed charms, his brain was almost white.
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