Tokyo Ravens - Volume 8 - Chapter 5.2

Part 2 
The rumor that Natsume was Yakou's reincarnation had become more and more frequently heard when she came to Tokyo and entered the Onmyou Academy. Natsume's life had been immersed in Onmyoudou since her childhood, but she hadn't come in contact with the 'Magic Community' since she had always been secluded in the countryside. She originally had some level of understanding of her role in the world, but what she saw after actually coming into that role exceeded her expectations. 
The absurdities of the Yakou fanatics and the plans of adults. 
But now, Harutora stood beside Natsume. In addition, it wasn't just Harutora. There was also Touji, Kyouko, Tenma, and their former enemy Suzuka. 
Of course, friends weren't always good. Sometimes someone would annoy another, and sometimes someone would hurt another. 
But sometimes someone would help another, and sometimes someone would protect another. Each time, both sides would grow. Natsume had learned from Harutora and her other companions that she didn't have to only rely on herself. 
Of course, it was still hard to do away with her anxiety. Because she was rumored to be Yakou's reincarnation, often associating with them may at some point impact their future. 
The future was always shrouded in darkness, impossible to see clearly. 
But there was one thing she could be certain of. 
The days she spent with Harutora and the others were a clear-cut 'present' that illuminated her life in the darkness. 

 

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival. It seemed that there would be two fireworks-shooting areas set up along the river. They didn't have to walk to the riverside to be able to see it, but the towering buildings would block their vision, and there were very limited perfect observation points. Of course, good observation points had many people around, so there were also quite a few people who had taken seats and prepared to watch the fireworks while eating. Due to traffic control, vehicles couldn't come through, so many people occupied positions directly on the road. 
"In the end, everywhere is full of people. Should we just walk around while watching?" 
The experienced Tenma proposed this and no one opposed him. Fortunately, Suzuka had bought enough food. She charged them preposterous prices for it because of the matter of her name from before, but Harutora and the others obediently lowered their heads and paid, maybe because their stomachs had long since been empty while they walked on the road. Incidentally, what Harutora bought was a pound cake that Suzuka had eaten half of. It was so large that it was understandable that Suzuka didn't want to eat the whole thing, and though it was a bit cold, it was still extremely delicious. 
"Ah, I haven't eaten any of what Natsume has. Let me have a bite." 
"Eh? Ah, okay, go ahead." 
"Hey, Suzuka-chan, you're eating too messily." 
"Touji! That's a can of beer--" 
"You're wrong. It's a carbonated malt beverage." 
"If you wanted to get away with it, you should have at least said it was non-alcoholic beer." 
Harutora and the others walked along noisily. Right as they reached a crossroads: 
In the distance-- 
Bang! 
A noise resounded and the surrounding visitors started cheering. 
Harutora and the others quickly looked up. Then, the first firework bloomed on the other side of the crossroads into the night sky still colored in twilight. Then the second. The third. Fourth. The air shook as if from a festival taiko drum, and beautiful colors shone in the night sky. The blue-tinted sky was painted in gorgeous rainbow colors. The six of them stopped moving and silently immersed themselves in the same scenery. 
Enormous fireworks blossomed in the sky and scattered in the air. 
The constant, uninterrupted reverberations and brilliance repeatedly made dazzling performances. Upon seeing such a magnificent scene, everyone's hearts were slowly filled with simple wonder and joy. They temporarily forgot about the emotions that burdened them like resentment, pain, and grief. 
"......It's so pretty." 
Natsume quietly mumbled. Everyone present probably held the same thoughts. 
Suzuka's body shivered, her eyes sparkling. 
"Hey, hey! Let's get closer!" 
"You don't need to be in such a hurry. There are still a lot of fireworks, it's going to continue for a whole hour." 
"Tenma's right. Suzuka-chan, don't mix into a group of people, you'll disappear because you're short--" 
"Don't force on the 'chan'! And I don't need you worrying about me!" 
"Okay, okay, Suzuka. For now, let's all walk together while watching." 
"Yeah. If it's really no good, we just need to fly a simple shikigami into the air to watch......" 
"No, Natsume-chan. That's too boring. It's prettier when you watch with your own eyes." 
The group chatted with each other, and the voices of even the members other than Suzuka became more and more excited. In that time, fireworks continuously exploded in the distant sky, shooting faint light into the surroundings. As the curtain of night finally fell, the gorgeous fireworks led the visitors into an excited mood. 
Harutora and the others all broke out into smiles and started walking again. Their gazes were directed at the sky, and their strides were slow and natural. 
Kyouko glanced at her phone. 
"......So slow. Is she really coming?" 
She quietly muttered to herself. Harutora noticed and asked "What is it?", but Kyouko just smiled and shook her head without explanation. 
Harutora and the others passed through one gap between buildings after another following Tenma's lead, searching for a suitable observation point. Though it was hard to focus on watching the fireworks with this method, it wouldn't feel crowded. Suzuka seemed to be in a hurry, but this wasn't bad. 
Then, 
"Oh, that overpass seems pretty good, doesn't it?" 
At their second crossroads, Touji looked up and mentioned indifferently. As they looked over, the lovers who had just been watching from the overpass had just decided to change places and had walked down. It happened to be empty right now. 
Suzuka's expression changed and she pointed a finger. 
"Bakatora, sprint!" 
"Me again, huh." 
Harutora helplessly charged up to the overpass, occupying a position in the corner. 
"Ah, we can see very clearly." 
He only realized when he reached the corner of the overpass that they could see the location of the shooting from a gap between buildings. Though they were a bit far, this was enough. In addition, this place had a light breeze and it was cooler than walking. Suzuka chased after Harutora, grasping the railing and leaning forward. She stared at the brightly-blooming fireworks while letting out childish cheers. 
The other four also walked into the overpass. 
"Ah, nice. We can see very clearly from here. Let's watch from here for a while before moving on." 
Everyone followed Tenma and lined up along the overpass rails, leaning in the same direction. 
Their smiles were dyed white by the light of the fireworks as they all watched. They wordlessly stared at the colorfully-blooming fireworks, and then pointed fingers in pleasant surprise like characters in an anime as a particularly bright firework exploded and dyed the night sky gold. They all held their breath in anticipation until the glittering sparkles of light vanished completely. 
Then, the continuous fireworks roused their laughter again. Every famous fireworks festival was stunning. 
"Also, the wind's pretty nice." 
Touji sighed. They noticed that Touji had taken off his bandanna at some point, letting the air brush his forehead. 
"It's really cool here, what a catch." 
"Yeah. Walking here was really sweaty. Kurahashi - no, Kyouko-chan must also be very hot since you're wearing a yukata." 
"Hehe. Though yukatas look cool [26] , they're actually not. T-shirts are more comfortable. But Natsume-chan, you're probably the hottest, right?" 
"I, I'm already used to these clothes." 
"Is that so? It's a rare opportunity then, let's go shopping for clothes together next time." 
"Really That would be great." 
"Hey! You guys! Hurry up and watch the fireworks! The fireworks! You can look at Kyouko in a yukata however much you want later!" 
"Oh, Suzuka-chan. Don't speak so coldly." 
"Haha. This place really has a good view though. It seems like we'll be able to enjoy it till the end--" 
"Ah, I'm out of coke. Bakatora, go buy some." 
"Why is it always me! Also, weren't you watching the fireworks!?" 
"Shut up, I even gave you the pound cake." 
Suzuka took out her wallet from her bag, thrusting a hundred-yen coin into Harutora's hand. Even though Harutora wrinkled his face and complained "That's not enough", she pretended not to hear. 
"Harutora." 
Even Touji also tossed him a coin. 
"Get me a bottle of carbonated malt beverage. The carbonated beverage the starts with a 'chu' and ends with a 'hai'. [27] " 
"Eh? Eh. ......Anyone else? I'm going anyway, so I might as well help everyone buy something, right?" 
Harutora made himself available for orders in resignation, and Tenma smiled and chose an oolong tea. Kyouko said "Then, I want lemonade"... 
She nudged Natsume with her elbow. 
She whispered to Natsume, who turned around: 
"......You have to fulfill your promise." 
She smiled and winked. Natsume immediately understood what she meant and blushed. 
"Natsume? What do you want?" 
"Eh? Ah, I, I'll go with you. You won't be able to carry it yourself." 
"Ah, there won't be a problem. I'll just put them in a bag--" 
"N-No! I haven't decided yet, so I'll go! I-I'll go with you!" 
Natsume pulled on Harutora's arm and forced him to walk at a brisk pace. Harutora staggered and followed Natsume away from the guardrail. Do your best. Tenma, the only one who heard Kyouko's quiet encouragement, tilted his head. 
Harutora walked down the stairs to the overpass as Natsume dragged him. 
"Hey, hey, Natsume! That's dangerous!" 
"Ah! S-Sorry!" 
Natsume let go in a panic after seeing Harutora almost fall down. Harutora walked next to Natsume with a wry smile. 
For the time being, the two of them strolled around looking for a convenience store. Though they couldn't see the fireworks behind the buildings, the sound still came to them from afar. The warm air swayed, mixing with the cheers of the visitors. Such a high temperature should have been very unpleasant, but his mood was inexplicably relaxed. 
"Natsume, aren't those clothes hot, like Kyouko said?" 
"I, I'm fine. Because I'm drinking water properly." 
"And your hair's so long. Summer must be uncomfortable for you." 
"It is compared to Harutora's...... But you really don't need to worry. I don't hate the summer." 
They chatted to each other about meaningless topics, passing through the sightseers. They had thought there were already enough people when they had entered Asakusa, but they hadn't thought that even more would squeeze in after the fireworks started. Things would be tough when they went back. Harutora inadvertently sighed. 
He glanced at Natsume next to him. 
"......It's great." 
"Eh?" 
"The fireworks. It was great that we came here." 
"......Yeah. It was." 
Natsume smiled at Harutora. Harutora realized even more that it had been the correct decision to come see the fireworks when he saw her smile. 
"Kyouko's so cool." 
"Is that how you should praise a girl?" 
"But you understand too, right?" 
"Yeah, I admire her a lot." 
"Touji, Tenma, and Suzuka. Everyone's good people." 
"Yeah, I think so too." 
"It's great that I was able to come to Tokyo. I'm glad I could live with everyone like this." 
"......Yeah." 
Natsume fidgeted upon hearing Harutora's somewhat exaggerated feelings. 
"I think it was great that you could come to Tokyo too. My hard work paid off." 
She said a bit proudly. 
"Huh? What hard work?" 
"Eh? Ah, um! ......Um, the ema [28] ...... and other things......" 
Natsume lowered her head in panic, mumbling. She was almost completely silent at the end and he couldn't hear what exactly she had said. Harutora looked at Natsume a bit strangely, but she stammered with her head still lowered. 

"What's wrong?" 
"N......Nothing......" 
She replied with a blush. Harutora knitted his brow, but soon relaxed and continued looking for a convenience store. Natsume repeatedly glanced at Harutora out of the corner of her eye, starting to check on him. 
"......" 
The expression she watched Harutora with seemed like she had something she wanted to say. But Harutora didn't notice her gaze. 
Natsume hesitated for quite a long time. 
"H-Harutora-kun." 
"Hmm?" 
"Um...... well......!" 
"What? What is it?" 
"W-Were the fireworks fun?" 
"Ah, yeah. We really have to come see this when in the summer!" 
"I-It's already been a year." 
"Yeah. Well, although we didn't have the time to watch last year's fireworks......" 
Just then, Harutora suddenly thought of something. 
Suzuka's joyful appearance emerged in his mind. Come to think of it, Suzuka's eyes had been sparkling in Harutora's countryside fireworks festival too. Suzuka's life had been completely immersed in magic before, and it seemed that she had no experience with fireworks or summer festivals. 
Natsume was probably the same, with just a difference in degree. Thinking back, his parents had once led him and Natsume to a festival together. But that was already a childhood memory from quite a long time ago. 
"Come to think of it, Natsume. The last time we watched fireworks was a long time ago, right?" 
"Th-That's not true. Last year......" 
Natsume suddenly went silent when she reached that point. 
"Last year? Huh? Did you see fireworks in Tokyo last year?" 
Natsume had been in the Onmyou Academy alone until Harutora and Touji had come to Tokyo, and she probably hadn't had any friends to go see fireworks with. Could she have gone alone? Harutora looked at Natsume, waiting for her reply. But Natsume stayed silent. 
...Huh? 
Something was a bit strange. Just as Harutora noticed something, their surroundings changed. 
Harutora and Natsume had arrived in the neighborhood parking lot. There were several shop stands here. 
"Oh, perfect. We'll buy the drinks here." 
"Y-Yeah......" 
These weren't dedicated commercial stores. Several long folding tables were set up underneath a tent that one would commonly see at an athletic competition, probably set up by the town council or some kind of local organization. They were selling fried noodles and corn, and cold drinks inside an industrial ice box filled with ice. Also, there was a household inflatable water pool and a small balloon-fishing game inside. 
"Eh. It feels homemade, but this isn't bad." 
To put it nastily, this kind of shop was set up to trick children and rarely had patrons. But it was fortunate that there were few customers. Harutora came to the tent to ask about prices and Natsume followed behind him. 
Harutora suddenly stopped in front of a certain tent. 
There was a shelf set up inside with several objects lined up on it in intervals. There was a long table in front of it with a group of toy guns. 
A shooting game. 
"Hey Natsume, look, this is--" 
Harutora thought of last summer and excitedly turned towards Natsume. 
He met Natsume's gaze. 
His childhood friend seemed to be a bit disoriented, staring at Harutora with her lips pressed together. Her eyes showed a similar understanding. As he was about to speak, it unconsciously flashed through Harutora's mind that she had an expression that showed she already knew what Harutora was going to say. 
Seeing the same scene-- 
Remembering the same memories-- 
That kind of expression... 
Harutora, his head turned, didn't continue speaking. His body was firmly convinced before his mind, and his heartbeat accelerated. 
Natsume, last year. 
Fireworks festival. 
Shooting game. 
Harutora's gaze turned from Natsume's eyes to the pink ribbon tied in her hair. 
His first time trying a shooting game. The cork bullet that hadn't been able to hit at all. Finally getting a bubble-blowing set. The pink ribbon decorating the box, which matched her Yukata. Her tying it in her hair-- 
Hokuto's pink ribbon. 
"......Natsume, you......" 
"......" 
Time twisted for the two of them. 
Natsume, dressed in a black uniform, overlapped with Hokuto in her black yukata in front of Harutora's eyes. The pink ribbon in Hokuto's hair connected with the pink ribbon also tied in Natsume's hair. 
In Harutora's mind, the eyes in which had emerged embarrassment and tension melded together with the eyes of Hokuto as she wept and shouted that night. Harutora's perception of time instantly staggered. 
Bang. A firework bloomed in the night sky. 
Beautiful light illuminated Natsume's body. 
Harutora stood still wordlessly. 
Natsume stared at Harutora with moist eyes. 
In this moment, Natsume seemed like someone that he would think of as 'how beautiful' at first glance...... 
"......Found you." 
Their world shattered. 
Harutora momentarily felt like he was drowning as he was pulled back into reality. He came to his senses at the same time as Natsume and then turned towards the direction of the voice at the same time. 
"......Takiko-san." 
Souma Takiko stood at the entrance to the parking lot. 
An awe-inspiring, resolute expression appeared on the girl underneath the illumination of the fireworks. Her determined, piercing look made them unable to help but think of a young priest about to face her god. 
Takiko wore the same clothes as yesterday, a white Onmyou Academy uniform. She seemed to be carrying something, which was very strange and didn't suit the atmosphere here. At first glance, they couldn't recognize what it was. After a few seconds, as the shock created from Takiko's sudden appearance subsided, they finally realized it. 
It was a birdcage. 
Takiko was carrying an old birdcage made of brass. The interior was empty, with nothing at all...... 
No. 
There was something. A big bird that didn't match the birdcage's size. A raven was shut inside, he just hadn't seen because it blended in with the darkness. 
A raven. 
Goosebumps rose on Harutora's skin. 
"......Tsuchimikado Harutora." 
Takiko called out to him directly. Her attitude was clearly different from yesterday. 
"Please believe that what I'm doing is for your sake. It's the best choice, for both you and us." 
"What are you saying?" 
Harutora started becoming alert and took a stance. Though that was an expected reaction, Takiko had a hurt expression she couldn't hide, as if her only friend had shot her a hateful glance. 
She hung her head sadly, but didn't give up, looking at Natsume instead. Natsume also confronted Takiko with a stiff expression. 
"Natsume." 
Takiko spoke politely. 
"I'm sympathetic to you. But if I make Harutora awaken, you'll definitely also become our 'companion'. Though you'll be lost and confused at the start, in the end you'll definitely--" 
"Takiko!" 
Harutora shouted, interrupting her words. Takiko started shaking. 
"That's enough. I clearly told you that you weren't worthy of trust." 
"......" 
Takiko's face paled. Harutora knew that what he said had hurt the girl, and painful feelings also spilled forth in his heart. But he had to say it, he couldn't just let it go. 
"......You understand the reason we can't trust you too, right? To be honest, we know that you have various problems and that you're a bit strange, but you shouldn't be a bad person. Though I'm not too sure why, I truly think that I like you. Normally, we would have become good friends a long time ago. But......" 
Harutora's eyes were full of energy. 
"But that's impossible. If you keep doing as you did before, we can only reject you. Be honest and tell us everything. Everything, from the beginning to the end without concealing anything. We'll listen seriously until you finish. If you say you can't do it...... then there's no helping it. Please don't appear in front of us like this." 
"......Harutora......" 
Tears welled up in Takiko's widened eyes. Her listless appearance as she stood there was frightening and defenseless. A pang ran through Harutora's chest again, but he didn't change his attitude, staring motionlessly at Takiko. 
The sightseers nearby noticed the strange conversation between Harutora and the others and deliberately stopped. 
"......Takiko." 
Natsume returned to her male voice. 
"It's like Harutora says. We might be able to help you. I hope that...... you'll be able to tell us the truth." 
Her tone was full of sincerity. He thought of what Natsume had said yesterday, that Takiko resembled her former self. These were probably Natsume's honest feelings. Even Natsume wanted to approach Takiko as much as possible. 
But-- 
Upon hearing Natsume's sincerity-filled words, Takiko showed a resigned smile instead. She made her decision. 
"Thank you." 
Takiko announced. 
"I'm very happy, Natsume. But telling the truth won't do. I can't do something like facing you honestly without concealing anything. Even if I could do it, it would be no good for you either. After all, you're...... a girl, right? You've already been cursed to disguise yourself like this." 
Stunned, Harutora and Natsume went speechless. Takiko smiled coldly upon seeing them. 
"Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi--" 
She let out a hateful voice, still wearing a smile. 
"...I'll let you watch me break your curse." 
Harutora and Natsume instinctively took stances. At the same time, Kon materialized in front of them. The sudden appearance of the girl frightened the surrounding visitors, but Kon gripped her blade without paying them any heed. 
A battle was about to break out. But Takiko was almost indifferent to their reactions. Her body's aura swelled and she inhaled powerfully. 
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten--" 
She stared at Harutora, slowly chanting an incantation. The incantation he had never heard before resounded with a buzz-- 
"...Furube, yura yura to, furube." 
Takiko's hair danced and rose from her head like snakes of flame. At the same time, the ornaments scattered in her hair resonated with her aura and started shaking at a high speed. 
There were ten in total. 
"Lingering Spirit Calling!" [29] 
Natsume shouted dumbly. But the voices around them slowly distanced themselves from Harutora, and that shout became the final sound he heard. 
His vision narrowed and his perception thinned. His heart accelerated - he seemed to feel that, but the feeling also began becoming murky. These were the same symptoms as during the mock battle. But their force was on a different level. He couldn't resist, as if his consciousness was being forcibly stripped from his body. He didn't know if he was standing or if he had already collapsed. All of his senses left him, and the only thing left around him was the buzzing, resounding incantation and the aura surrounding him. 
Natsume-- 
Would that word he wanted to give voice to be able to become sound? 
In the next moment, Harutora's aura burst forth.