Part 4
Though they had escaped the exorcists, it was just a matter of time. Spiritual disaster purification teams would spread out from the agency building soon. Yukikaze could only rise ten meters above the ground. It wouldn't be strange for a fugitive flying in the night sky on a white horse to be spotted at any time.
"Hey, Harutora."
"Yeah, let's descend for now!"
Since they looked particularly conspicuous in the sky, they landed in a dark, wooded park. Harutora and the others had Yukikaze lead the way as they passed through the trees, rapidly dropping into the park. Suzuka even put up a people-repelling barrier. But putting up a barrier would itself attract the exorcists' attention. Even if she carefully kept her magical energy to a minimum, it would be best not to stay for a long time.
First off, Harutora wasn't preparing to hide for a long time.
Touji switched his seal back on. He hopped off Yukikaze as he returned to his normal state. Harutora followed as well. Kon stayed a bit distant from her master, staying alert of their surroundings. In that time, Suzuka also jumped off her shikigami. Kyouko, who rode with her, was a bit shaky from flying in the sky on a shikigami. She borrowed Suzuka's hand to finally get off the shikigami.
Then was Tenma.
"Hey, hey, Tenma? Are you alright?"
Tenma was dropped to the ground by the yatagarasu - quite roughly. He slumped limply on the ground as if startled, at a loss. His glasses almost fell off, but it was actually a miracle that they hadn't fallen off from being tossed around like that.
He managed to turn his head and reply to Harutora's call. "......H-Harutora-kun......"
In any case, he didn't look hurt. Maybe the Raven's Wing hadn't treated Tenma like luggage, and maybe it had used a barrier or some other means to protect Tenma during the flight.
Then, the Raven's Wing beat its wings again after dropping Tenma and sat on a tree branch nearby. It stared at them. Was it waiting for its master's instruction, or trying to identify its master? Though the number of legs and eye color were different, it looked no different from a giant raven when it was perched on a tree branch like that. But the aura it gave off really was overwhelming. The spiritual pressure that could be felt from it made one think of Natsume's servant shikigami Hokuto.
Suzuka muttered and gulped as she looked up, and then lowered her gaze and glared at Tenma.
"......Hey...... hey, Glasses! You, what's going on!? Why is the Raven's Wing with you - didn't the Exorcist Bureau seize it? Even if was moved to the Onmyou Agency, it should have been sealed tightly, right? Why is it--"
Suzuka's words gradually gained in speed and in the end she shouted with a red face.
"A-Also, why are you here!? You didn't come to the meeting place! And you're with the Raven's Wing - W-What's going on!?"
Harutora was taken aback when he heard Suzuka's words. He had thought they had definitely all been moving together. But thinking carefully, it was strange that only Tenma had acted otherwise. After all, Tenma was the worst at first-class magic among them.
On the other hand, Tenma came to his senses because of Suzuka's questioning. "Right" He jumped up and faced Harutora before explaining.
"Harutora-kun. I have a message for you."
"M-Message? From who--"
"From Saotome Suzu-san."
Harutora along with the other three doubted their ears. "Hey, hey, Tenma." Touji spoke in confusion, but Tenma stared straight at Harutora, not moving his gaze. The intensity of his expression told them that it wasn't a lie or a joke.
"Harutora-kun, she said this. If you're preparing to challenge the Taizan Fukun Ritual...... she'll lend a hand. She said that she was waiting for you there."
"Wh--!"
Why - Harutora was unable to say it. The other three who heard this were the same. After all, Harutora had only decided to resurrect Natsume with his own hands when Kon had persuaded him in the executive office just earlier. Until then, it had been unimaginable that he would challenge the Taizan Fukun Ritual.
Tenma nodded deeply at the stunned Harutora.
"Yeah. You currently can't understand what she's talking about, right? But I met her."
"M-Met? Saotome Suzu?"
"Yeah, and she told me to bring that message. Also, she said that the Raven's Wing would be necessary for you."
"............"
What exactly was going on. Harutora inadvertently looked at the Raven's Wing that stared at them above their heads. Just like before, he couldn't read the Raven's Wing's thoughts. Moreover, he didn't even know whether it was a sentient thing.
"......H-Hold on, Tenma. So you're saying you obtained the Raven's Wing alone? After breaking into the agency building? During all that?"
"Kyouko-chan, that doesn't matter right now."
Tenma frowned and spoke to Kyouko who had inadvertently started asking questions from the side. Suzuka seemed glued to the ground. Touji also unconsciously let out a groan.
To be honest, Harutora had the same feelings. It wasn't something that 'didn't matter', regardless of how subtle. It was because he had been with Kurahashi and the others that Harutora had realized that the Raven's Wing's release had caused the 'collapse' of the fortress Kurahashi and the others had prepared. It hadn't been Harutora, it hadn't been Touji and the others, it hadn't been Ohtomo, nor had it been Doman. It had been Tenma who got the Raven's Wing and sent the signal for a counterattack.
But Tenma didn't have the time to be worried about the reactions around him. "Harutora-kun." He calmly continued.
"Harutora-kun, tell me, what are you going to do? Are you going to resurrect Natsume-chan?"
The instant that question was raised, he felt the air around them tense up.
Kyouko's and Suzuka's expressions stiffened as they waited for Harutora's response. Touji was the same. He had brought Harutora out of the agency building after questioning his determination, but he still hadn't asked what he decided.
Then, before his friends who waited with bated breath for his answer.
"Yeah, I'm going to resurrect Natsume."
Harutora replied readily.
Tenma, who had raised the question, was the first to gnaw his lip after hearing the answer. But not long afterwards, his expression - perhaps through conscious willpower - slowly bloomed.
Then.
"......I see."
He nodded with an open-minded expression.
"But, since you're here, that means that you didn't accept the proposal of that Yashamaru shikigami that Touji mentioned?"
"Right. ...Everyone, listen to me. I'm going to resurrect Natsume with the Taizan Fukun Ritual. With my own hands. ......Of course, I'm not sure how to use the Taizan Fukun Ritual. Even if they say I'm Yakou's reincarnation, I don't understand at all. But...... I've decided. This is how I'll repay Natsume."
Harutora looked at his friends after he said this. Touji's expression was serious. Kyouko's lips were taut and her eyes were wide. Suzuka's eyes were red and her body trembled.
Harutora smiled at the three of them. Then, he noticed.
He had experienced endless despair after Natsume's death. However, he was able to smile like this again. He was able to show his friends a smile. The words Kon said might have been correct. Maybe Natsume's smile also waited ahead of him.
Next, it was Harutora's turn to question Tenma.
"Hey, Tenma. That Saotome person, did she know I would make that choice? Is that why she'll help with the Taizan Fukun Ritual--"
"Maybe. But...... Harutora-kun. You should understand better than me."
"Eh?"
Harutora's face became astonished because of Tenma's strange words, and then he understood.
...As expected.
He had felt a slight premonition the first time he had heard the name 'Saotome Suzu' from Ohtomo. Then, after he thought of her expressionless face, he inadvertently grimaced. He was worried. He instantly became restless.
Then--
"H-Hold on! The Taizan Fukun Ritual's forbidden magic, right? And it's a secret ritual! Saotome Suzu was a Yakou researcher, but it's the first time I've heard that she knows about the Taizan Fukun Ritual, you know? First off, how do you even know we can trust that Saotome person more than the Onmyou Agency!?"
It was Suzuka who made this rebuttal. What she said was right, but her voice and expression reflected the girl's emotions more than her thoughts.
"......Suzuka. I heard from Natsume. The 'one-armed oni' that stopped me from going out of control left Natsume with the advice 'Ask Saotome Suzu for help if there's an emergency'."
"S-Still! We might not necessarily be able to trust that oni either!"
"That's true, but I'd much rather choose that oni and 'senpai' over taking Yashamaru's hand."
Maybe those were somewhat cunning words. Because it had been Suzuka who proclaimed Yashamaru's danger the loudest. Suzuka couldn't make a very strong rebuttal if he used those words.
She said in a whimper:
"D-Didn't Natsumecchi say as well. Back then with me. S-She said that soul magic was a territory that humans weren’t supposed to tread......"
"......Indeed."
"Even though she said...... Even though she said......!"
"I really don't think I'm worthy of being a shikigami. Natsume will probably complain angrily after this."
Harutora gently replied to Suzuka’s protest. Forced back by his expression rather than his words, Suzuka closed her mouth and hung her head.
Touji quietly stared at Harutora without saying a word.
Kyouko seemed like she really wanted to say something, but wore an expression of not knowing what to say.
Then, Tenma said:
"......Harutora-kun. Saotome-san said this. She said don't fear the Raven's Wing but don't be consumed by it either. Though I don't really understand what it means, I share your opinion. Maybe as expected of one of Ohtomo-sensei's classmates, that person's also weird...... But just like Ohtomo-sensei, she feels very trustworthy."
After saying this, Tenma smiled and apologized "Sorry for saying that without any evidence at all." A sad smile, yet kind-hearted, just like him.
Harutora turned his head to the side, looking up at the silhouette of the Raven's Wing perched on the tree branch.
Natsume had died because of the magic of the Raven's Wing when it had been entwined around Harutora's body. That was the harsh 'truth'. Just like Kon said, although he understood that that was an action Natsume herself had desired and not the Raven's Wing, as expected he still emotionally disliked the Raven's Wing. He detested it.
At that time, Harutora and the Raven's Wing hadn't been in their normal conditions. Natsume had set things right. Hence, he had lived on. Because of Natsume's desire, he and the Raven's Wing had returned to their original states. That was probably also a 'truth'.
Saotome seemed to be 'waiting there'.
Where?
That kind of thing he could instantly realize after thinking for only a moment.
"...Touji, Kyouko, Suzuka, Tenma."
After Harutora gazed at each of their faces, he spoke clearly.
"I'm going."
No one stopped him. Each of Harutora's dear friends now held their own attitude, but they weren't prepared to stop him again.
That was just how Harutora's 'friends' were.
But.
"......Sorry, but no."
"H-Harutora-sama!" Kon, staying alert to the surroundings, gave a delayed warning as her ears and tail stood up. Yukikaze neighed. Harutora and the others took stances, shooting their gazes towards the direction of the voice.
A man entered the park that originally should have had a people-repelling barrier cast on it.
A young man with an eagle-eyed gaze and whose body was intertwined with a sharp aura. He had a highly-trained air and a katana on his waist that seemed like a part of his body. The at-ease and reliable expression from several hours ago now seemed tense as if he were another person.
Independent Exorcist Kogure Zenjirou.
But was this the same Kogure? Harutora and the others held their breath because of the solemn, mighty sense of presence.
"......No matter what reasons you have, I can't stay silent if a practitioner is about to taint their hands with forbidden magic. I'll capture you all. Harutora-kun, Touji-kun, Tenma-kun, Kyouko-chan and Suzuka. ...Listen up, your selfishness stops here."
Harutora's hair stood on their ends.
Kogure had a 'serious intent' that had never appeared on Kurahashi and that he had never felt from Yashamaru. A strength that would make the opponent surrender without a word. A whole different power than magical energy and aura.
How would it be if the customarily cordial and reliable adult seriously wielded his strength?
Kogure showed them an intense 'will' that the mere thought of it made them cower. To Harutora and the others, this was something instinctively difficult to resist.
But what Kogure was conscious of before him wasn't actually Harutora and the others.
"Of course......"
Kogure's confirmation was aimed behind Harutora and the others' backs.
"Even your homeroom teacher would agree, right? Right, Jin?"
Harutora and the others simultaneously turned around in surprise.
The darkness of the park at night, surrounded by the people-repelling barrier.
Thunk. In the middle of that came a crisp sound as Ohtomo's figure appeared. His expression was tinted with bitter and entangled colors that the students were seeing for the first time.
Kogure Zenjirou and Ohtomo Jin quietly confronted each other across Harutora and the others.
Harutora and the others were bound by tension, rooted in place. Needless to say, Kyouko was the same. But Kyouko also felt a mysterious sense of apprehension unrelated to the confrontation.
An apprehension she had felt in the lounge of the Exorcist Bureau and behind the agency building when she had said 'wait' to Touji and Suzuka. Right now, it was trying to resurface for the third time. No, it was even more serious than before. She had the feeling from somewhere that if she let go, her consciousness would immediately dissociate from her body and she would fly into the distance. She was losing control her body. Her body and mind were splitting apart. She had that kind of strange impression.
...What's going on!?
Right now was clearly not the time for this. Kyouko desperately stabilized her aura while pulling her consciousness back to the scene before her.
Kogure and Ohtomo were former coworkers in the Onmyou Agency. Their relationship had continued since their time in the Onmyou Academy. Come to think of it, although she had never seen the two speaking directly, according to what they said about each other, it could be seen that the two had quite a close relationship.
It definitely wasn't collusion, but it was certainly the proof of a deep trust. Even after becoming adults and after their occupations changed, their relationship hadn't changed. That kind of old relationship was beautiful and admirable.
However, now, Kogure and Ohtomo were revealing a grim side that Kyouko and the others didn't know about and were facing each other with a paralyzing feeling of tension.
Their voices weren't rough, nor did they show anger. In comparison, the two seemed calm and composed.
But the atmospheres the two gave off turned into astounding pressure, making them feel like they were being crushed. That pressure was as if the entire park were submerged under a deep sea.
But their atmospheres weren't equal. That was also reflected on the expressions of the two.
Wearing the katana as part of his body, Kogure's expression was sharp and resolute. He didn't have a shred of hesitation.
In comparison, Ohtomo was currently hesitating. Perhaps he had heard Harutora's words just now. He had learned of Harutora's determination and of the actions he had chosen after resolving his confusion.
"Jin."
Kogure spoke with a composed, unwavering tone as if stepping out and slashing forward.
"The agency building. You were the one who brought Ashiya Doman there."
He wasn't asking, nor was he confirming. Unable to immediately understand what he meant, Kyouko looked at Ohtomo - and became certain that Kogure's accusation was the truth.
"It was a feint very like you. You're merciless in the end. Was your goal to take back Harutora-kun? Do you have so little trust in the agency?"
"............"
Kogure's expression towards the silent Ohtomo suddenly softened.
"Anyway, you hid it from me out of consideration for my position, right? You would free your student and then become wanted, and everything would be resolved, right? You're as maddeningly considerate of others as always."
"......That's how I am."
Ohtomo finally opened his mouth. Though he had his usual sour tone, it wasn't his normal elusive attitude.
Kogure stared at Ohtomo with narrowed eyes and then suddenly turned his gaze to Harutora.
"Harutora-kun." He spoke without politeness to the tensed Harutora.
"Forbidden magic is magic that's not limited to yourself. It's a game you play that bets 'part of the world'."
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