Vol 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7: Resurrection
That the other side had le move added all the more to the ominous atmosphere
In addition, the identity of the spirit who had possessed Yuiko was also still unknown Though there were no further signs of movement from the onryou, even that felt like the eerie calm before the storm Yuzuru’s «spirit bind» continued to weaken, and so it was inevitable that even a sen to break out of the «spirit bind»
Classes had ended for the day
Takaya watched over Yuzuru for a while at his club activities (a wind ense and turned the bodyguard duties over to Naoe while he himself went to visit Yuiko at the hospital
But the Takeda they were keeping such vigilance over had servants in places where they would never have thought to look
The announcement for the end of school had sounded, and the students participating in club activities had one home
Naoe waited for Yuzuru in the copse behind the deserted school Perhaps because of the intense tension his expression too was strained eariness He glanced at his watch—almost seven Probably about time for Yuzuru to be back
(If it could just end quietly like this)
He heard a rustle: the sound of a footstep on the grass behind him He turned
“!”
His eyes widened
At the base of a tree a little distance fro ly red lips in a pale, handsome face as obviously not a student at the school He stood with one hand against the trunk of the tree, looking over at Naoe attentively
“It has been a while, Naoe nobutsuna,” the youth called out his na stream
“”
Naoe replied quietly, “So it is you Kousaka Danjou”
It would appear that they were soht smile hovered at the corners of Kousaka’s mouth as they stared at each other for a while in silence
“I knew that you would show yourself, Naoe, and you have moved exactly as I’d expected”
Looking at Naoe gnash his teeth, Kousaka Danjou added, “So it seeetora”
“!” Naoe was flabbergasted “You knew? You didn’t!”
“Unfortunately, you’ve overesti you the whereabouts of Kagetora It was quite by accident that he was so close to the spiritual vessel we had chosen”
“—”
“I arievously wounded in the fight against Oda thirty years ago But still, it’s no wonder that Kagetora has become like this, is it?”
“” Naoe’s brows knit “It’s a miracle that he was even able to perfornitude”
Kousaka caletora’s amnesia on Oda’s «hakonha»?”
“!”
Naoe glared at him fiercely Kousaka continued in a low voice, “It is not because of the blow froetora doesn’t have his etora sealed off the memories himself”
“!”
“It’s not like you don’t know Who was it that kept driving him into the wall until he had nowhere left to turn? Who was it that forced him to seal himself away?”
“Shut up!”
“You were the one, Naoe!” Kousaka yelled “You were the hypocrite who forced Kagetora into a corner when he was mortally wounded in both mind and body You’re not worthy to show hihteous force’? You were originally just a lowly onryou!”
“!” Naoe inhaled sharply His coat flapped in a breath of wind as he stood speechless, at a complete loss for a response
Kousaka gazed intently at Naoe with cold eyes “humph,” he snorted with derision “It doesn’t concern etora can’t use his powers”
Naoe asked in a low voice, glaring at Kousaka, “Why did you release shi+ngen?”
“‘Why’? What a foolish question I too ae takes on the aspect of the Sengoku once more, then it is the duty of the vassal to help his lord rule the world”
“—truly?” Naoe’s eyes glittered at this glih I would never have iined you to hold such foolish ambitions”
“—”
Kousaka looked at Naoe without reply After a ht, Kousaka said only, “Like you, I have no wish to see nobunaga ruling ‘all under heaven’”
“! Kousaka!”
Kousaka turned away abruptly and lifted his face to the sky “Four hundred years ago, Lord Takeda shi+ngen died of illness while oku» can dispel the regrets of ain the rule of the country I will give ‘all under heaven’ to Lord shi+ngen and no one else”
“So you would revive shi+ngen no lowered at Kousaka “The existence of the «Yae No matter that the reason, I cannot allow the resurrection of shi+ngen”
“Hui” A terrible blood-lust seeped into Kousaka’s expression “Naoe I always thought that ould one day settle this, and it seems that day has come We will destroy all those who stand in our way!”
With a woosh a violent flame-like aura erupted from Kousaka’s body
“Your «choubuku» has no effect on ht me with your oers, Naoe!”
Biting his lips sharply, Naoe concentrated his mind An amber-colored aura rose from his body
“I will show you no mercy, Kousaka Danjou”
A terrible force warped the space between them
Kousaka yelled, “I will destroy you, Naoe!”
Yuzuru was still in the Year 2 Group 3 classroom It was after his club activities, and he was finally leaving around the tione home
It was probably because he’d put tooup that he was so late The corridors were already deserted
Sighing tiredly, Yuzuru went up to his desk to retrieve his bag
(Can I make it home?)
If he could have, he would have sunk to the floor right where he stood But then, he probably wouldn’t have been able to get up again
Yuzuru stared out thein a daze
(I’ll ask Naoe-san to takeas he staggered towards the classroom door Then—
“?”
Noticing the presence of another person in the entrance, Yuzuru lifted his head There was still someone here
The one standing there was—strangely, it was Morino Saori
Yuzuru’s eyes widened
“Morino-san”
Saori didn’t respond She only looked over at hi of which, he hadn’t heard her voice all day Usually energetic to the point of disruption, she had been strangely demure today And the Saori who stood there now also seemed far from her usual self
(Maybe she isn’t feeling well?), he thought, and forgetting about his own fatigue, walked up to her
“You’re still here? Morino-san”
Saori looked up at Yuzuru silently
Yuzuru was not on guard at all He asked, concerned, “You look pale Are you feeling unwell?”
Saori hanged her head To Yuzuru she looked quite ill
“If you’re feeling unwell, then you should hurry home and rest Should we call your house? If you like, I can ask for a car—” he started to say, when suddenly—
Morino collapsed into Yuzuru’s arms
“Morino-san!” Yuzuru shouted, holding onto Saori confusedly Saori cruround in Yuzuru’s arms
“Hey! Morino-san! Hold on!”
Propped up in Yuzuru’s eainst Yuzuru’s shoulder His left arm
His left wrist
“Morino-san! Are you okay? Hold on!”
The fingers of Saori’s right hand softly crawled up Yuzuru’s left wrist Yuzuru never noticed She touched the bracelet
Held within Yuzuru’s arhtly
“!”
On the streets, Takaya suddenly looked back over his shoulder
He’d been on his way to Yuiko’s hospital when he’d felt that vague premonition He unconsciously came to a halt, suddenly assaulted with the sensation of soh his heart
(What was that just now?)
An uneasiness he’d had from earlier Even more intense than what he’d felt with Yuiko
What had happened?
His gaze sharpening on his path, Takaya turned once an to run
Tremendous concussive denotations booko tree one after another
“!”
Naoe looked up reflexively and glared sharply In a ht fire and were reduced to ashes that poured down like rain
The ground began to shake vigorously
“What!”
The ground beneath Kousaka’s feet gave a ru roar, and in the next moment caved in!
“!”
Kousaka ju the spot by a hair’s breath Naoe released his will oncespot Collapse Kousaka continued to juround beneath his feet caved in Kousaka kicked off lightly and landed beneath the school’s eency stairs
“You!” His ferocious eyes ide Just at that moment—
“Ugh!”
A jarring sound ca nenpa enveloped hih to pulverize his bones
“Aaaargh!”
Naoe’s resisting will crushed thefralass
“!”
Then with a terrible sound the glass shattered