Tokyo Ravens - Volume 8 - Chapter 4.3

Part 3 
The blue sky dyed white with sunlight could be seen through the window. 
The principal's office of the Onmyou Academy building. The sedate, antique interior was furnished like a Taisho-era cafe. But the room was currently permeated with tension, solemn silence, and dense aura. 
The master of the room, the Onmyou Academy Principal Kurahashi Miyo, was sitting in a chair, focusing with narrowed eyes on a Liu Ren Board placed in the office. 
The small body in the kimono was nervous, unlike usual, and she looked highly focused from every perspective. Ohtomo, who was also seated, seemed to be spacing out by the bookshelves on the wall without even daring to breathe loudly as he watched the principal's divination. 
But...... 
"......No good." 
The principal sighed weakly. 
The aura loosened and diffused into the surroundings. Her aged expression clearly showed fatigue. She had severely exhausted herself. 
"I can't see it. I'm also getting old......" 
"Principal......" 
"Hoho. There's no helping it. 'Divination' is a heavenly gift. There's nothing you can do about it, no matter how hard you work. It looks like the duty I was made a 'diviner' for has already finished." 
Her words revealed a bitterness that only she herself could understand. Ohtomo didn't say anything, staying on the other side of the office with a serious expression. 
The calico cat curled up on the faraway sofa ran towards its master with a 'are you done already' attitude, climbing onto her knees. The principal plucked off her glasses, patting the shikigami's bright fur. 
"......Then." 
The principal checked with Ohtomo. 
"Harutora-san's condition is quite bad, right?" 
"Yeah. Extremely......" 
Ohtomo's reply made the principal’s expression darken. 
She had already heard that Harutora had performed extremely well in defeating Kagami Reiji's berserk shikigami during the Meguro incident. But this was the first time she had heard that his aura had been disrupted as a result. 
Since Ashiya Doman's attack, the principal had been running around busily day and night for the Onmyou Academy's reopening. Also, after the Meguro branch incident - the Twin-Horned Syndicate sweep operation - she had received the bad news that her old friend Amami Daizen had vanished, and had done all she could to find the truth. Particularly the latter, which had to do with the life and death of her longtime ally Amami. Even if she was the principal, that matter still had the greatest priority. 
But hence, it was true that she had moved her gaze away from the Onmyou Academy for a long time. The result of busying herself with the 'outside affairs' meant that she was 'uninformed' about the inside. 
"......I'm truly unqualified to be the principal." 
She muttered self-deprecatingly. The calico cat on her knees raised its head and mewed as if to cheer her up. 
Come to think of it, she hadn't even talked much with her granddaughter Kyouko since the Meguro incident. She had even tried to use divination to learn about anything at all. But just like before, she had basically been unable to see a thing recently. 
Her ability to interpret fate as a 'diviner' was currently declining. 
But her responsibility as the Onmyou Academy principal hadn't changed. 
"Anyway, I'm also worried about Harutora-san's condition. Maybe it's a side-effect from the magic battle like what you have?" 
"I can't deny that, but I've seen several examples of those conditions. Harutora's condition seems more like spiritual encumbrance from a curse or an extreme depletion of aura. You could maybe call it a curse, but the fine points make it more like a 'seal'......" 
"Seal?" 
"Ah, no. Sorry. I was speaking nonsense. There are a lot of problems with his body as well...... Anyway, we have to have an Onmyou doctor examine him as soon as possible." 
"But if it's related to a Tsuchimikado family secret art......" 
"Yeah. Of course, it would be the most logical choice to have Harutora-kun's father examine it. But he's currently vanished without a trace and we can't contact him." 
"Really......" 
After Ohtomo said that, the principal's gaze also drifted through the air. 
The principal's expression was solemn. The Tsuchimikado family was the master of the Kurahashi family. The principal had met Harutora's parents herself, and she probably knew them better than Ohtomo did. 
"But, I think nothing should have happened to Yasuzumi-san. That man was an incredible diviner much better than I, and he also has Takahiro-san and Chizuru-san with him. Though they've been out of active duty for a long time, they're truly very skilled. They won't be easily harmed." 
"That's true, but we can't contact them right now." 
"Yeah. This is now my personal opinion rather than my opinion as a diviner, but they probably deliberately cut off communication to hide." 
"......" 
"What are they hiding from?" 
"......" 
The principal didn't answer that. Ohtomo didn't continue asking either, changing the topic slightly. 
"What do you think of the fire itself? You don't have any detailed information on it either, right?" 
"Yeah. It's very unfortunate. The Onmyou Agency seems to have started moving already, but I don't know much about their plans." 
The principal sighed bitterly as she spoke. 
"......There are movements in many different areas. From small to large. These movements might have a hidden pattern, but that's unclear from the outside. ......In addition, the people on the scene are probably very confused too." 
"I feel the same." Ohtomo flatly expressed his agreement to the principal. 
But, they definitely couldn't relax here. 
"...Principal." 
He questioned her thoroughly in an indifferent voice. 
"Chief Amami's disappearance. And the burning of the Tsuchimikado main family home. Chief Kurahashi...... Your son hasn't responded much to those incidents, right? Or did he make his move long ago?" 
It wasn't a reproachful tone, nor was it a complaining one. His composed voice sounded calmer. 
But all extraneous emotion had been eliminated from the eyes underneath his glasses. It was a look that demanded answers, whether the other party was his boss or someone close to him. He remained calm while being a bit intimidating. 
The principal stiffly closed her eyes when she heard her subordinate's question. Deep wrinkles were engraved between her eyebrows. 
"......Of course he's responding to them. But that son is also the Exorcist Bureau Chief and the Mystical Investigator Chief as well as the Onmyou Agency Chief. There's no helping it that it's hard to keep hold of everything when incidents occur continuously like this." 
"So you say that there are things he 'overlooked' because he's burdened with so many responsibilities? I'm sorry, but I never heard that your son was such an idiot. I've heard the opposite a few times though." 
Ohtomo made this sarcastic remark and a heavy silence fell between the two of them. 
The calico cat curled on the principal's knees batted unhappily at the silence pressing down with its tail. But the two of them still didn't make any reaction. 
Not long afterwards, the principal slowly sighed as if to relieve herself of a burden. 
"Up till now, I always lived as the Onmyou Academy principal and the Kurahashi family head, and I never did anything I could be proud of for that child as a 'relative'. I'm probably a bit guilty." 
She slowly muttered. 
She closed her eyes, tightening her expression. She straightened her spine, her elderly body tensing like a rope that had suddenly been pulled taut. 
"But - that's too idiotic. It's been a while since I met my son. I'll go to the Onmyou Agency, meet him, and talk to him. ......Ohtomo-sensei?" 
"Yeah." 
"I'm extremely sorry, but could you write a letter of resignation? It's fine to leave the date blank." 
Ohtomo's gaze instantly sharpened like a blade. 
"......You mean to 'release my chains'?" 
The voice he responded in had the same tone as the former Ohtomo - the Mystical Investigator him that had been named 'Shadow', whom the principal definitely didn't recognize. 
Sharp, modest, and strong. Even commonly-used words would feel like a flitting blade. 
The principal smiled. 
"It's to protect my position - it's fine if you interpret it that way. Separating you from the Onmyou Academy may be the best way to protect me, the Onmyou Academy, and the students in the future. But no matter what, it's just one layer of insurance. I'm not saying that you can act freely. Please don't pull a reckless stunt." 
Ohtomo returned to his original state when he heard the same advice as from his former coworker and smiled wryly. Though he was a calm and composed former Mystical Investigator, he always felt that the way he saw himself was a bit different from what the people around him knew him for. 

"I'll keep that in mind." 
It was a serious promise, not a lightly given reply. 
"Then, the letter of resignation will come later, Principal. There's still a matter I'm concerned about. We mentioned her before, the matter of the visitor Souma Takiko." 
"Ah, I'm also very concerned about that child. She showed an impressive power in the mock battle." 
"Yeah. Also, she didn't lose to Natsume-kun, and her techniques are more refined. She will stand out even more in a real battle. But no matter what she herself says, the shikigami she brought along is definitely abnormal. It's undoubtedly a servant shikigami type, but I've never seen such a shikigami before. Also, the thing that puzzles me the most is how she called herself 'someone with ties of lineage to Tsuchimikado Yakou'......" 
Ohtomo repeated the information he had heard from Touji. 
To be honest, the fact that she had approached Natsume after mentioning Yakou was enough of a reason to be on their guard against her. Moreover, Takiko herself was full of mystery, and her true identity was intriguing. 
"But what's extremely interesting about what I said just now is that she came to observe the Onmyou Academy's studies by the 'Onmyou Agency's introduction'. After some investigation, it seems that it wasn't just any ordinary guise, it was an instruction from the 'higher-ups'. Maybe it was an order made by the Chief. Don't you think it's a bit suspicious?" 
The Onmyou Agency very rarely introduced observers here. Moreover, most of them were agency members or qualified specialized Onmyouji. Since Takiko had appeared after a formal introduction, there was naturally someone else involved. 
The principal honestly acknowledged Ohtomo's doubts and speculation. 
"The probability that child is related to my son is definitely high. If she's truly someone from the 'Souma family'." 
"Eh? Do you have some clues?" 
"The Souma clan and the Kurahashi clan...... More accurately, it's like that child said, they once had connections to Tsuchimikado family." 
Ohtomo expressed interest as he heard the principal's unexpected reply. 
The principal's gaze returned to the board on the desk again. 
"......It was something from quite long ago. During the war. At the time, Tsuchimikado Yakou accepted the backing of the Imperial Army and was elevated to the top of the Onmyou Bureau that they revived. Did you know about that?" 
"Most of it." 
"Don't you think it's a bit strange?" 
"Eh?" 
"After all, at the time, the Tsuchimikado family - or more accurately, Onmyoudou itself was already abandoned, forgotten, and had retreated from the stage of history, right? In an era where we could construct huge battleships, tanks, and fighters, they unearthed the almost-vanished magic and even supplied funds, manpower, various political favors, and their full support. Is that what a modern country's army would do? Normally, wouldn't that be impossible?" 
The principal's question confused Ohtomo. Now that she asked, that was indeed the case, but Ohtomo had never thought about the problem from that perspective. 
"Well, it's indeed as you say, but that's history after all...... The army higher-ups probably saw Yakou's magic ability, I guess? Or maybe he had support from the nation’s religious elements or the faction swayed by Hitler's ideology?" 
"......The military faction that supported Yakou was the Souma clan." 
"!" 
Ohtomo's expression changed drastically for the first time and his body twitched. The principal continued speaking seriously. 
"They weren't purely religious, they had unique skills passed down since ancient times. They were a group of true practitioners. That was why they gave such a high appraisal to Yakou's excellent skills. They supported Yakou from within the military. Yakou's Onmyou Bureau was also established by the Souma clan." 
"......I see." 
Ohtomo listened extremely seriously to the principal's explanation. At some point, a fearless, provocative smile had shown up on his face. 
"'Ties of lineage', huh...... Then I can understand. Souma Takiko came in contact with Natsume and Harutora before, and at the time she talked about Yakou's private school. With that background, she would indeed be able to know about those details. That shikigami is more like a shikigami serving that Souma family than that kid's own shikigami. Moreover, the fact that she has contact with the Chief is also......" 
"......Yeah." 
The principal admitted with a bitter expression. 
"At the time, it wasn't only the Souma family that supported Yakou. We, the Kurahashi family, were first among the ranks of Tsuchimikado Yakou's - the Tsuchimikado family's support. After the war ended in defeat, the Kurahashi family remained, but the Souma had almost completely vanished. But......" 
"......They were still tied together?" 
"Maybe they kept contact in other ways. In any case, this is all hypothetical for now. But if my son and Souma are connected in some way, then we have to make plans quickly. There's only one reason that these two would be together." 
"......'Tsuchimikado Yakou'." 
Ohtomo spoke heavily. The principal silently nodded. 
"Indeed, we need to prepare ahead of time." 
The eyes beneath Ohtomo's glasses flashed like the bared fangs of a wild beast. 
Things would be much easier if it were just Souma Takiko. But the support of the Souma clan was behind her, so they definitely couldn't be careless. Moreover, just judging by the shikigami that Takiko carried around, there was undoubtedly a group of practitioners behind her - strong, skilled practitioners. 
Or, 
"......Maybe the roots of the Twin-Horned Syndicate are unexpectedly related to them." 
Ohtomo's speculation made the principal widen her eyes as if she had been struck. 
She pressed her lips together, not refuting him. She felt that Ohtomo's speculation wasn't impossible. 
If Souma was related to the Twin-Horned Syndicate, then they were very likely to be involved in Amami's disappearance. Along with the fire at the Tsuchimikado family residence. In that case, various mysteries would be answered in an instant. After this would be the time for the former Mystical Investigator to shine. 
"......Well, it's very fortunate that we've identified our opponents, but if I go act over there, the defenses around Natsume-kun will be reduced. Principal, can I leave it to you?" 
"True. It's better to just place Natsume-san next to me altogether. If Natsume-san's by me, then they probably won't dare to mess around. Also, we have to find where their parents are as soon as possible." 
"I'll leave it to you. I'll resolve that as soon as possible. For now, say that I'm still 'recuperating' to explain my job as a teacher. Well, actually, uh, you could also talk about workers' compensation or overtime......" 
The principal smiled brightly as she watched Ohtomo playing the fool. 
"We'll treat it as 'paid leave'." 
"Ah, that's still a bit unsatisfactory...... Whatever. Tell Natsume to be extremely aware of her surroundings too." 
"Of course. He should understand this very well." 
The principal guaranteed that seriously, but Ohtomo suddenly raised an eyebrow when he heard those words. 
Revealing a somewhat mischievous expression: 
"Oho, 'he', is it? Principal. Could it be that you still don't know?" 
"Huh? About what?" 
"Haha. Tenma-kun really was right, there really is an information gap between students and teachers. If the principal didn't know either, then I must be the only teacher who knows about this. How annoying. Everyone needs to build better relationships with the students." 
Ohtomo laughed exaggeratedly, speaking pretentiously. The principal's face tightened in surprise, and even the cat on her knees scratched its ears as if it were trying to say 'what's wrong with this guy'. 
"Ohtomo-sensei? What are you trying to say?" 
"No, I only learned of it yesterday too." 
Ohtomo finally put away his comical expression, explaining Natsume's matter to the principal. 
He didn't know how serious his expression was. After all, once he said the truth, it wasn't something he could take back. Though disguising one's gender shouldn't lead to punishment, Natsume's Onmyou Academy life would have to change in the future. 
But-- 
The principal's reaction after hearing this greatly exceeded Ohtomo's expectations. 
"......What did you say!?" 
After she gasped, she said nothing more. Her face paled. This was Ohtomo's first time seeing the principal with such a stunned expression, and he couldn't help but unconsciously correct his expression. 
After being astonished for ten seconds by this shock: 
"Is...... that true? Natsume-san is a girl? But how is such a thing possible......" 
Her eyes widened and her body shivered. This wasn't a trivial matter. Ohtomo also immediately did away with his playful attitude from before. 
"No, it's not wrong. She herself admitted it. But...... principal? Is it that shocking?" 
Ohtomo's eyes sharpened and he stared at the principal in a ready stance. But the principal, dumbstruck and motionless, didn't look at Ohtomo. 
Understanding and uncertainty emerged on her intelligent face. 
"Yasuzumi-san, did you......" 
Behind the principal's back was set frosted glass decorated to match the principal's office interior. The summer sunlight that tinted the sky was slowly becoming a soft dusk. 
The board in the office moved slightly.