Tokyo Ravens - Volume 9 - Chapter 3.3

Part 3 
Click. The sound of the opening lock resounded through the room. Harutora's body shivered and he instantly tried to hide the window behind his back, turning around. 
The door had been opened from the outside. 
A voice came from the other side of the opened door. 
"...Come out." 
Harutora's face pulled taut. 
...They were here. 
Fortunately, the person who opened the door wasn't planning on entering the room. Though he had been surprised, Harutora used his hand to try wiping the bloody characters on the window's glass. He couldn't wipe off all of the sticky blood, but the characters were smudged for now. There was no helping it. There wasn't enough time. 
"......What's wrong?" 
The voice came again. An unexpectedly composed tone. Harutora slowly sucked in a breath and then cautiously walked out of the room. 
Even so, the room that Harutora had been held in wasn't directly linked to the corridor outside. There was a narrow space like a reception room in the middle. It was probably the space the people monitoring him stayed. 
Even so, his spirit-seeing ability returned the moment before he stepped outside the room, since he had walked out of the barrier. At the same time, he noticed the aura of the person who had opened the door and spoken. 
No, it wasn't a 'person'. 
"...You bastard!?" 
It was the shikigami with Takiko. He recalled that he was called Kumomaru. He had his hand on the opened door, seeming to be waiting for Harutora to come out. Perhaps his shikigami self couldn't enter the barrier of the sealed room. Kumomaru calmly closed the door in front of Harutora who had retreated and taken a stance. 
Then-- 
"......Sorry." 
"What?" 
"Even if I'm sorry, it'll just make you unhappy, but even so I still want to apologize." 
"............" 
His outrage at Takiko awoke in his mind. Just like Kumomaru said, his anger spilled forth. A compassionate expression emerged on Kumomaru's face as he silently endured Harutora's gaze steaming with killing intent. 
The first time he saw this shikigami was after Natsume and Takiko's mock battle ended. His messy hair was tied behind his head and he wore an M-51 military jacket, jeans, and laced leather boots. His lithe and trained figure resembled that of an ascetic athlete. 
He appeared to be of a similar age as him. But something thoughtful and composed could be felt from his deep eyes. 
Come to think of it, Yashamaru was Dairenji Shidou after awakening as a shikigami. 
Could this person be--? 
"......Were you also a human before?" 
"Yeah, my previous name was Mutobe Chihiro. I worked as Chief Dairenji's subordinate before. I was once in the Lingering Spirit Division of the Imperial Household Agency." 
Harutora tensed up even further when he heard of the Lingering Spirit Division. 
"In other words, you used to be a Twin-Horned Syndicate member too?" 
"Right. I was also related with the spiritual disaster terrorist attack this spring. I 'died' immediately after." 
"...!" 
Harutora was dumbfounded by Kumomaru's dull, indifferent words. Kumomaru wasn't particularly bothered by Harutora's speechless appearance. "Come." He stepped forward. 
"............" 
Harutora's alert gaze shot out to behind Kumomaru's back. But the opponent had the advantage. There was no meaning even if he resisted here. He should obediently comply for now. Harutora walked forward behind Kumomaru. 
In that period of time-- 
...Kon? 
He didn't speak, solely searching for her aura. She was there. Harutora was more relieved than he would have imagined. 
Kon was the defensive shikigami who was always with Harutora, protecting him. But when he had been bound by the Raven's Wing, he hadn't been able to see her, perhaps due to its influence. What's more, Harutora had been in an almost hysteric state then and he hadn't had the leisure to pay attention to Kon's circumstances. Then, he had been captured by the exorcists, his magic had been sealed during transportation, and he had been tossed into the room from before. He hadn't had an opportunity to speak with his shikigami. 
But currently, he could feel Kon's aura nearby. Since Kumomaru was here, it would be very difficult to hold a detailed conversation. Kon probably believed that and wasn't materializing for now. 
Then. 
...Just wait like that. 
Without speaking, he made a suppressive gesture with his palm. Then, as seeming proof of a response, aura swayed slightly under his hand. Harutora faced forward, raising his chin and nodding. 
Unlike the Exorcist Bureau, it seemed that there were almost no workers in the Onmyou Agency at this time. Kumomaru silently led the way, his footsteps not making noise even in the empty corridor. Harutora continued staring at the undefended back exposed to him. 
He wasn't carelessly negligent, but he didn't feel particularly guarded either. Thanks to this, communicating with Kon became possible, but was he not anticipating that he would escape from here or sneak away? Or was he confident that he could deal with anything Harutora could do? 
But he couldn't even feel anything comparable to Harutora's personal animosity and malice. Even his apology from earlier - though it had made him quite mad - hadn't been empty. It felt like a true apology. Even as Takiko's shikigami, he was completely unlike Yashamaru. 
"......Hey." 
"What is it?" 
"What's Takiko doing now?" 
"We gave her medicine and had her sleep, because she lost her composure after she learned that Tsuchimikado Natsume died." 
"............" 
Even if he understood, Harutora's limbs reflexively stiffened. Even he didn't know how to deal with the multitude of emotions that swirled inside him. 
"One thing that I hope you believe is that this outcome definitely wasn't what my master desired - or what we did. I won't say something selfish like 'please forgive me', but my master wanted to become friends with Tsuchimikado Natsume from the bottom of her heart. That's the truth." 
"......Because she thought she was Tsuchimikado Yakou's reincarnation?" 
"..........." 
Kumomaru stayed silent to Harutora's question. 
But. 
"......No, that's wrong. She's just - alone." 
It was still inexcusable. Yes, Kumomaru who said it knew this the most - it was that sort of tone. 
There were other questions he wanted to ask. But Harutora couldn't bring himself to speak with Kumomaru anymore. 
The two of them silently advanced. 
They took the elevator, changing floors. The highest floor. The instant he left the elevator, he noticed a faint incongruity. 
It was a people-repelling barrier. 
...Finally...... 
The final destination Kumomaru brought him to was the executive office. Gulp. He couldn't help but swallow. 
"Here." 
Kumomaru walked straight into the executive office. There was a seat for the secretary in the room ahead. Kumomaru momentarily stopped in front of the door deep inside and knocked on the door. He opened the door and turned to Harutora. 
Starting now was the stage where the victor would be decided. Harutora resolved himself again, stepping into the room deep inside. 
The room was more spacious than he had imagined. 
Interior decorations that gave off a sedate impression. There was a carpet on the floor, and the buildings of Akihabara could be seen through the giant windows on the walls deep inside, eye-catching because of their nighttime illumination. 
There seemed to be a sofa and table used for receiving guests. The teenager lounging on the sofa rose along with Harutora's entrance into the room. It was Yashamaru. After seeing Harutora, he grinned as if to say 'sorry for bothering you before'. 
Then-- 
The person sitting in front of the desk also stood up slowly. 
He wore a robe, a hakama, and an obi. Formal wear. An Onmyouji's outfit that made him think of Ohtomo when he had confronted Doman. Actually, though it was their first time meeting, Harutora had seen him in professional journals several times. Moreover, he had heard about him from his daughter many times. Just like he had imagined, he was stern and had an atmosphere that made other people nervous even when he was just standing still. Also, he had a strong aura that felt hidden deeply inside him. 
Kurahashi Genji. 
The head of the famous Kurahashi family and the chief of the Onmyou Agency. 
The leader of the Twelve Divine Generals, hailed as the most outstanding modern National First-Class Onmyouji. 
Principal Kurahashi Miyo's son - also, Kurahashi Kyouko's father. 
...This man is...... 
The man at the apex of the modern magic world. The moment he thought that, he felt his hair rise. 
"Good to meet you, Tsuchimikado Harutora-kun. I am Kurahashi Genji." 
"............" 
He had a steely expression. His entire body went stiff for some reason. 
But after seeing the speechless Harutora, Kurahashi's expression softened slightly. 
"You're unsurprised. You're unshaken, even when you realized you were being brought to the executive office. Or perhaps you vaguely noticed from Princess Souma's words." 
His voice held unadorned praise. 
But the praise was undeserved. Harutora was extremely shaken, but he didn't let it show. It was because he had already heard his name during his conversation with the spider before. 
Needless to say, it had been through the conversation through letters of blood on the window. The information he had heard was only an extremely small, incomplete portion. Everything from then on was unknown territory. 
Kurahashi stood up from his chair and walked around to the front of his desk with steady steps. 
"You won't ask about my daughter?" 
Harutora first took a slow breath. 
Then-- 
"......Don't look down on me." 
He replied. 
"I don't need to ask in the first place. Kyouko would have told us if she knew anything, even if it was only a little bit." 
"......I see." 
Kurahashi nodded slightly. Perhaps it was a mistake, but he seemed to be smiling. Then, he stood still in front of the desk and confronted Harutora. In comparison, Yashamaru didn't get any closer, lazily laying back on the sofa as if he were watching a show. Kumomaru was the same, silently moving to Yashamaru's side. 
Harutora glared at Kurahashi, grasping their positions with a corner of his vision. He had experienced Yashamaru's skills earlier, and he had understood Kumomaru's strength to some degree because of his spat with Natsume and the others. As for Kurahashi, he didn't even need to make a detailed comparison. The current him didn't have a chance of victory no matter which one of them was his opponent. 
But, even so, his position should be comparable. Because the one they wanted was no other than Harutora himself. 
"......So?" 
Harutora continued speaking completely unyieldingly. 
"Let me confirm this first, can you resurrect Natsume with the Taizan Fukun Ritual?" 
"We can." 
Affirmation. Harutora lost his keenness because of Kurahashi's matter-of-fact assertion. 
"......Is that true?" 
"We can do it. Of course, we'll break the law." 
"Th, Then would it be the same as Yashamaru over there - would she awaken as Takiko's shikigami, like how Dairenji Shidou awakened as a shikigami?" 
Kurahashi didn't reply directly this time after he tossed forth the doubt in his heart. He turned his head slightly in Yashamaru's direction. 
Yashamaru spoke as he sat with both hands on the sofa: 
"No, it's different." 
A mischievous smile emerged on him. Perhaps he had long since expected Harutora to harbor those doubts. 
"Though it's all called the Taizan Fukun Ritual, there is a range of types. Strictly speaking, that's a name referring to a whole group of similar magics and rituals." 
"What does that mean?" 
"In other words, the Taizan Fukun Ritual refers to an overall system of magic - linking with the spiritual entity known as 'Taizan Fukun' and then manipulating human souls." 
"System?" 
"Yes." Yashamaru nodded with a slight smile at astonished Harutora after he asked back. 

"Also, what you can do with the Taizan Fukun Ritual increases dramatically according to your understanding and ability to control that system. The results depend on the usage. For example, though Suzuka was able to use the Taizan Fukun Ritual, all she knew was the method of 'trading her life for the life of a dead human'. If you use the Taizan Fukun Ritual, that kind of thing is 'possible', but it's not 'all there is' by a long shot. Rather, it's just an extremely small part of the system." 
"......Really?" 
"Of course. Naturally, the Taizan Fukun Ritual isn't all-powerful, you know? ......Ah, no, it's unclear whether 'soul manipulation' might actually be all-powerful, but at least it's hard to do for us. It's like the ruins of a mysterious computer to an ancient civilization. No matter how we analyze and analyze, we can't see the whole picture. Even Tsuchimikado Yakou was probably unable to understand the complete system. We just connect with the 'understood portion' and use its effects." 
"............" 
Harutora was speechless as he listened carefully to Yashamaru's explanation. 
Then, although he was generally clueless, he felt that he understood the reason the Taizan Fukun Ritual was viewed as forbidden magic. 
Something that could never be understood and was only used within the range that was understood. There might be a smart method, but it was probably a method that always carried 'danger'. After all, if some abnormality happened in the system, there would be no way to deal with it. In addition, it was extremely possible for a problem in the 'still-unknown range' to affect the 'known range'. 
Even though they spoke of the 'known range', since they couldn't understand the complete system, then it wouldn't be too much to call it the 'range that they believed to be known'. The Taizan Fukun Ritual was far more of an ambiguous and undefined magic than Harutora imagined. 
...That's right, because actually...... 
Yakou had failed. 
No, more accurately, maybe 'reincarnating' already counted as a success, but in comparison, he had brought about huge spiritual disasters. Spiritual disasters continued happening in Tokyo until this day because of the Taizan Fukun Ritual that Yakou misused. Such a dangerous magic couldn't possibly be left unregulated. 
However-- 
"......Aah, right, right, there's something I especially need to tell you--" 
Yashamaru smiled as if reading Harutora's thoughts. A strange light came from the eyes beneath his monocle. 
"What Yakou failed at wasn't the Taizan Fukun Ritual." 
A surprise. It was like the monologue in his mind had suddenly been intruded upon. 
"...Eh?" 
"Because, you see, Yakou reincarnated properly." 
He somewhat understood the meaning in Yashamaru's words. Indeed. If he was truly Yakou, that meant that Yakou hadn't failed at all. But, then what had caused the huge spiritual disasters? 
"......I, I see, it's because Yakou didn't pay the 'price' of the ritual......" 
"And hence the great spiritual disasters happened? Is that something Suzuka told you? What a joke! How could Yakou make that kind of low-level mistake? Obtaining lives was a trivial task back then, especially since there were plenty of people who wanted to dedicate their lives to Yakou." 
"Th-Then......" 
Why? Yashamaru spoke with a light tone to the staring Harutora. 
"Think about it. If it were just a human controlling a magic involving a single soul, do you think it would lead to those kinds of devastating spiritual disasters? It's very unnatural, right?" 
"But, there really were huge spiritual disasters in Tokyo--" 
"Yeah, because what Yakou failed wasn't the Taizan Fukun Ritual, but the system above it." 
"Wha--" 
...What? 
Harutora couldn't speak. 
But, at the same time, he felt something flit through his mind. 
An extremely ominous, but unsullied thought. Ideas. Faith. Something sleeping deep inside Harutora that he didn't know of. 
A chill ran through him. 
"......Yashamaru." 
Kurahashi exhorted dully. Yashamaru shrugged comically. 
"Ah, whatever. ...Anyway, Harutora-kun. In regard to Tsuchimikado Natsume's resurrection, it's just as promised. Leave it to us. Of course, it depends on your attitude." 
Yashamaru ended his long explanation with those completely deliberate words. Harutora bit his lip. 
...Damn. What exactly is the situation...... 
The continuous, unanticipated information that he had been told in torrents practically obscured the important facts. But, he couldn't sincerely trust what they said about Natsume. 
"......Depends on my attitude, huh......" 
The words of a cheap villain. He had never thought the day would come when he actually heard those sort of words. 
Harutora stared straight at Kurahashi again. Wiping the previous conversation out of his head for now, he focused on the negotiations that were to follow. 
"......Could you 'explain' to me a bit?" 
"Of course." 
He didn't know how far Kurahashi had seen through his bluff, but Kurahashi didn't mind his arrogant manner of speech and agreed straightforwardly. 
"We hope to join hands with you. You've already heard everything from the Souma princess. We would like to invite you as a 'comrade'." 
"......You're inviting Tsuchimikado Yakou, not me, right?" 
"No, it's 'you', Tsuchimikado Harutora-kun. Though we see you as Tsuchimikado Yakou's reincarnation, the way we think won't change even if you aren't Yakou." 
"Liar." 
"It's not a lie. Naturally. Because to me, you're the next head of the family." 
"...!" 
He was taken aback. Too many things had happened, and he had forgotten about that for a moment. 
But come to think of it, Takiko had certainly pronounced that Harutora was a main family member and Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's son. Tsuchimikado Harutora's position would change greatly, not purely because of the possibility that he was Yakou's reincarnation. 
...Calm down...... I have to calm down. 
He couldn't do anything if he wasn’t calm. He had to think and act objectively and calmly. 
"......In any case, why do you want someone like me? Indeed, I might be Yakou's reincarnation, but I don't have any memories of my previous life at all, nor am I a genius like Yakou. Or do you think that I'll become like Yakou in the future? That I'll become an incredible Onmyouji like Yakou?" 
When Yashamaru had appeared before Harutora, he had asked about his 'former' strength and memories. Judging by that, would he become Yakou in the future? If that were true, then what would become of 'Tsuchimikado Harutora' at that time? 
"First, what do you want to do by making Yakou into one of your own? Y, You're the chief of the Onmyou Agency! You're already at the top of the Onmyouji, isn't that enough? Tell me what else you want to do!" 
Their 'goal'. That was something the spider also wanted to know. He didn't believe that it was a crazed desire like the so-called Yakou believers. It was unreasonable to view the 'enemies' arranged before him as pure lunatics. Being unable to see their goal was like being unable to see their true appearance. 
He was driven to indecision by his anxiety, but he resisted on the surface. The actions of an arrogant 'brat' who truly didn't know anything. 
They probably weren't acting, but they weren't reacting truthfully either. But in any case, the more they viewed him as unskilled and immature, the more openings that would make, and the opportunities would gradually increase - hopefully. No matter how it was acquired, information was information. 
"Did you know?" Then, Kurahashi abruptly opened his mouth as he stared at Harutora desperately trying to stand his ground. 
"During the Pacific War, Tsuchimikado Yakou headed the rebuilt Onmyou Bureau and merged all Japanese systems of magic to establish a new system of magic. An extremely powerful, extremely practical and useful magic from which religion was removed. That was the Imperial Onmyoudou that became the foundation of today's General Onmyoudou. ...However, it wasn't something made by Yakou's achievements alone." 
"Eh?" 
Kurahashi continued impassionately speaking in response to the sudden widening of Harutora's eyes. 
"That's natural. You also learned a bit about the greatness of magic at the Onmyou Academy. Yakou didn't limit himself to Onmyoudou, he even roped in other sects of magic. Most of them were techniques that were already lost at the time or techniques that were disappearing. Moreover, they were techniques with jumbled and unclear authenticity. He had to completely investigate, select, and add them to build the system of magic. It wasn't an amount of work that could be realized by a single person." 
"............" 
"Of course, it was an undertaking only possible because of Yakou's ability. I have no plans on belittling his greatness. But the achievements Yakou left behind were only completed because of the work of the nation and the military's strength behind the scenes." 
Kurahashi narrowed his eyes. 
Boiling heat could be glimpsed deep within his sharp, profound eyes, on the other side of his steely impression. 
"And...... The people who acted as his left and right hands were the Tsuchimikado family's most powerful branch family, the Kurahashi family, along with the Souma family that had influence deep within the Imperial Army's higher-ups." 
"Souma......" 
Harutora, finally comprehended, moved his gaze from Kurahashi to Yashamaru. Yashamaru smiled unreservedly, welcoming his friend's introduction. 
"As Kurahashi says, if Hishamaru and Kakugyouki were the left and right hands of the 'Onmyouji' Tsuchimikado Yakou, then the left and right hands of him as the Onmyou Bureau Chief - the 'Onmyou Head' Tsuchimikado Yakou were the Kurahashi family and the Souma family." 
Harutora stared at Yashamaru in disbelief, then he returned his gaze to Kurahashi. 
...Yakou's left and right hands...... 
Until now, Harutora had only had the impression that Yakou was an extraordinary practitioner. For example, a genius superior to 'strong Onmyouji' like Kagami Reiji, Ohtomo, or Kogure. He had believed him to be a legendary Onmyouji who controlled powerful magics and shikigami. 
But, on the other hand, he was also the head of the Tsuchimikado family, as well as the executive responsible for the Onmyou Bureau organization, a position where he was in command of a large number of people and supported by many comrades. 
He wasn't alone. 
He had been accompanied by people of the same age who possessed the same will. 
"...In the past, the king of the magic world 'Tsuchimikado' led the 'Kurahashi' and 'Souma', reviving the 'Magic' that was facing the crisis of destruction. Then, the next 'great development' that they pursued...... wasn't realized. That is all." 
Kurahashi continued speaking. Harutora was absorbed by his words. 
"However, the will of the 'Tsuchimikado' was send through time by Yakou's reincarnation, and was continually inherited by my bloodline. All the way until now." 
Thump. Harutora's heart beat. 
It wasn't Onmyoudou. Nor was it an illusion or first-class spirit language. 
But there was indeed a 'curse' in Kurahashi's words. A 'curse' woven to carry distant history. A 'curse' that would send the thoughts of the ancients, the desires of the dead, and communicate them to the living descendants. 
A 'curse' from the ancient dark underbelly of Onmyoudou. 
"Tsuchimikado Harutora." 
Kurahashi chanted Harutora's name, saying: 
"The 'Kurahashi' and the 'Souma' now crown the 'Tsuchimikado' as king again, inheriting Yakou's legacy. We ask for your assistance. I wish for you to walk the path of Onmyoudou with us." 
He instinctively understood. 
The 'Kurahashi' he spoke of didn't refer to Kurahashi Genji alone. Kurahashi Genji was just of the 'Kurahashi family' - part of the huger, more ancient, and more powerful 'Kurahashi'. 
Then, what he spoke to and requested assistance of wasn't Harutora alone. 
The 'Tsuchimikado'. 
He tried to reach out to the 'King' of the nation's magical world that spanned a thousand years. 
Harutora stopped breathing, frozen in place. 
His mind was paralyzed. His heart was overwhelmed and impressed on a scale that he had never experienced. 
But-- 
On the other hand, he suddenly noticed. A thought that was completely different. 
...I see. 
"That's why--" 
"What?" 
"That's why I was raised in the branch family." 
Kurahashi showed uncertainty for the first time because of those simple words that he let out. 
His current self. His sixteen-year-old self that had gotten by without doubting anything. 
Harutora had finally noticed several hours ago that he was actually at the center of a long-running 'conspiracy'. But it was unclear whether that 'conspiracy' was purely to fool the eyes of the 'enemies'. Maybe there were completely different reasons, reasons of a more intimate and personal nature. 
The faces of his parents emerged in his heart. 
Takahiro's face. Chizuru's face. 
And the face of Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi. 
It wasn't fully formed, as it was just a vague, general understanding, but-- 
They had tried to protect Harutora 'in various ways'. 
Just then-- 
"...Kurahashi." 
Yashamaru said. 
Glancing back, Yashamaru had stood up from the sofa at some time. Kumomaru next to him also wore a collected expression. 
Maybe Kurahashi had also realized, as the uncertainty from before instantly vanished from. Eh? When Harutora thought this, the phone on the desk rang ominously. 
An ice-cold smile emerged on Yashamaru's face as he said: 
"We have guests."