Volume 5 Chapter 3 (1/2)

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A building covered the horizon and the sun gradually sank on the other side

In a corner of shi+njuku Kabukicho[1], a sic so that no nore sun dyed the surrounding scene,time

The brief period when day and night switched, Oatoki

”Begin”

A man silently listened to the brief coe van was stopped by the sealed-off alley and thehis feet down the narrow aisle and lying listlessly across the seat back

This man could be described with one word, which was 'inauspicious'

He was of a young age, about twenty years old His body was thin and gave off a proud air as if he had been carved out with a knife He had a head of short hair dyed silver, and his ears were pierced with s

A fur jacket was colasses whose lenses were plated with silver filant,smile looked as if it had been carved into his lips like an old scar, and the 'X' scar on his forehead made onlookers shudder even further

He was an independent exorcist - Kagami Reiji of the Twelve Divine Generals

Kaga in the seat and focused on listening to the aze shot froh the tinted carand staring intently at the office building it faced

Using his spirit-seeing ability, Kagami 'saw' the aura of at least several people enter the third floor, fourth floor, and fifth floor These people possessed a strange, abnor who noticed that there were threats 'invading' fro auras - hastily counterattacked

Magical energy spilled forth, foric constantly connected and traded

A ical battle

There was a group of practitioners battling in the building across him

Not long afterwards, the sound of shattering glass, things falling to the ground, screa chanted even reached outside the building The opponents were resisting stubbornly, and the reports that caitated

But-- ”We didn't get anything” Kaga with his nose

”Uh Reiji? Are we not going? If we don't go soon, the action will be over” A trepid voice sounded to confirami on

Other than Kagami, there was also one other person left in the van That person sat in the seat one row in front of Kagaly, his face almost pasted to the car

That person was a thin, slender younghair tied behind his neck, with a delicate appearance that looked like a beautiful girl's at first However, he gave off a childish air fro like a simple-natured, weak boy

The younga thin package to his chest It was a sword bag used to hold a katana

”Hey, Reiji” He turned his head to look at Kaga? Then should I go myself?”

His voice was high-pitched, his tone like a child begging his parents to let hiaain, Kaga, then forcefully kicked at the young

The youngdownhearted and looking across the seat at Kagaaze that seemed bored

The inside of the van sank into silence again The noise co that had beco ain

Thestill continued, but it seeroup of people in the building who had originally been fir a harder and harder tie

Not long afterwards, the driver's side door of the van opened

A suit-wearing young man walked into the van He sat in the driver's seat, shut the door, and turned his gaze to the ami behind him

”It's over Our side has no casualties, and no one on the other side was killed, but” The youngacross his lips ”We specially troubled an Independent Officer with co a waste The incident this ti to do with the 'D' file”

The young aic Criency Public Safety Division - the Mystical Investigators

Last ht about spiritual disaster terrorist attacks at various locations in the city The Mystical Investigators had received inforo, and Hirata, as responsible for investigating the Twin-Horned Syndicate, had i the authenticity of the intelligence, finding the hiding place of those people, and planning this raid

During the plan this time, they had been worried the most about a certain Onmyouji who had been proved related to the whole incident of the previous terrorist attacks - and who had ended up appearing at the end of the sequence of events known in the ic community as the 'Hinamatsuri Repurification'

A ators called 'D' for the moment

The existence of the On since been confirmed before, but his true identity had always been a h they had received information many times that he called himself 'Ashi+ya Doman', unfortunately the truth behind that information could not be verified All that they knew as true was that 'D' was indeed an On power and that he was often close to the Twin-Horned Syndicate

The Mystical Investigators viewed 'D' as a high-danger individual, and had been tracing hi for many years Since 'D' had been exceptionally active recently, the Mystical Investigators had specially requested the assistance of an Independent Exorcist fro with this raid The Exorcist Bureau agreed to this request, sending Kagami to join the attack operation

In the end, 'D' hadn't intervened in the operation this tied that the probability wasn't high, but it hadn't been out of their expectations

”Sorry for troubling you with co here, but thanks to your help, the operation succeeded sratitude on behalf of the Mystical Investigators”

Hirata thanked Kagaaze not leaving the rearview mirror

His honest, sincere appearance wasn't like an Onmyouji, more like a priest or even pastor However, the eyes reflected in the rearviewa firm will A red streak of hair was

However, Kagami seemed not to pay any heed at all to Hirata He stayed silent, no change in expression visible on his sunglasses-wearing face The two of the tilanced back and forth between the two

A light, wry sain

”Chief A to tell me He hoped you would also come meet him”

Kaga those words

When he had first entered the Onators for a while, so the Mystical Investigator Chief Amami Daizen counted as his past boss

Kaga up from the seat

”I' else”

”Please let me send you there”

”I don't need it”

He spoke brusquely,door Hirata finally said the words: ”Thanks for your work”, but Kaga the van

The young lancing back at Hirata, but left the area with Kaga at all in the end

The opened sliding door slowly slid and closed by itself

Hirata quietly reached his hand out to the rearview ami's back in the mirror as he left

He stayed silent, thinking, his gaze staying intently on the mirror

★

Kaga Kabukicho

The pedestrians who passed by hi as far from him as possible Even if they didn't knoas a practitioner, they could still feel the inauspicious air he carried Even if they were interested, they felt scared just by looking at him

The young ami followed behind him There were about five or six strides of distance between the two

When the two of the ami Because his body type was slender, he looked like a stalk of bamboo, and actually he was one hundred and ninety centimeters tall with quite a slim frame

But his shoulders drooped and his back was hunched, so his presence was far less strong than Kagaaly, he just wore jeans and a shi+rt that could be seen anywhere He carefully held the sword bag the whole way

He stared at Kaga so to show his irritation, cos become different from as said at first?” His tone sounded unhappy ”I haven't had an opportunity to do anything in a long time You don't need me at all for that kind of situation”

”Really, I was happy for no point Reiji, you've changed a lot since you got that 'X' carved on”

”Ahh, it's so stupid, I'm so disappointed”

The young h he lowered his voice, it wasn't so low that it didn't reach Kaga around at all

Hence, the youngKagaetting carried aith venting the dissatisfaction that was normally pushed inside him The expression on his face became more and more confident

”Also, you're too arrogant--”

”Shaver”

Upon suddenly hearing his own na forward, he saw that Kagami, alked ahead of hi back

Kagaer to call Shaver up Shaver's face lit up, like a puppy being called to its owner's side, and hurried over--

And was hit

Kaga his fist Shaver held his beaten head, treround in a kneel and unable to even cry out Kaga it in his pocket, then raised his right foot, kicking at Shaver's head with the sole of his engineer boots and sending hi out

The pedestrians passing by were all shocked, looking at the two Shaver - still tightly holding to the sword bag - let out pitiful, sad cries, tu on the cement

”Th, That's too , Reiji!”

”'Sama'”

”What? What are you saying-- Ah! N, No o, Reiji P, Please don't kickyou, Reiji-'sama'!”

Shaver pleaded bitterly and tearfully, and Kaga away Shaverhis nose, chasing after Kagami

The pedestrians watched the pair leave, stunned Not a single one of them had noticed that when Shaver had been hit, his body - his contour - had ih his body Of course, no one there probably knew that it was a pheno'

Shaver hastily caught up to Kagaain

The distance between the tas even closer than just before Shaver stared tearfully at Kaga resentfully

”Hey, Reijisas as hard as rocks on your hands? Honestly, those rings are weapons, they're like brass knuckles If you hit soht have already died from it”

”You can't die anyway”

”No no no! That's not the proble you, don't randomly make deadly attacks!”

”There would be no proble stupid”

Reiji spoke extrenantly at his back

Then, as if having a flash of epiphany, Shaver asked: ”Could it be that you're actually very annoyed because that 'D' person didn't appear?” He had obviously not learned a lesson at all fro beaten just now

Like always, Kaganore it

”Hhed coldly ”I already knew that person wouldn't appear Though I'm not sure what drives him, at least the place just now didn't have that kind of 'atmosphere'”

”Atmosphere?”

”My intuition tellswith the Nue, several people who should be interesting bait gathered in 'that place'” Kaga to hi to Shaver ”Anyway Even if that person appears, it'll just be a fight But it's better for me if he hides behind the scenes for now”

”Why?”

”The hounds are eaten after the hares are killed[2] - that's plausible Moreover, the opponent is a wild beast, not a hare, so there was no choice but to loosen the collar on this ”

”I don't understand at all, what exactly are you saying?”

”I' about you”

”Me?”

Shaver asked back, his eyes widening blankly Kaga at Shaver - the shi+kigarin

By the fact that Kagami had received permission to sumators - along with the Onators' requests - viewed the existence of 'D' Hence, they had especially lifted the ban - though they had added lia 'D'

Thethe ending of the spiritual disaster attack last ure Zenjirou had crossed paths with 'D' The two Divine Generals had verified 'D's existence first-hand, and they had expressed that the opponent's strength wasn't soency to take urgent and definite counterh they understood the risks, they could only allow Kagami to use Shaver as a last resort

”So, we don't need to put all our effort into hunting these wild beasts Rather, we should take this opportunity to increase our 'bargaining power'”

”Bargaining power?”

”Increasing the cards in our hand Right, I still should properly retaliate against that tricky bastard of a teacher” He spoke quietly, killing intent as sharp as a blade spilling frolasses

When Kagaure had happened across 'D', there actually had also been another Divine General present That person was a forami - an Onmyouji named Ohtomo Jin At the tiami's actions

After that, Kaga that the 'curse' Ohtoic - also known as a 'lie'

Kagami had noticed froami knew extremely hat kind of person Ohtomo was, so he couldn't assert that the curse was one hundred percent lie Hence, even if he believed there ninety-nine percent of it was harmless, he could only back off

Siami had been played They had bet their lives and carried out a trick involving life and death Since Ohtoami naturally refused to let it rest and obediently admit defeat Moreover - ”It shouldn't be only 'D' ants to taste that bait” He thought of the people from back then - the Onmyou Academy students Ohtomo had tried to protect

Tsuchimikado Natsume

Tsuchimikado Harutora

Ato Touji

Not only had the first two been born in the famous Tsuchimikado family, the main family successor Tsuchireat Onic and the culprit who caused a calamity of spiritual disasters Actually, Yakou fanatics were suspected of having tried to find and directly contact him two or three times

The other person, Ato Touji, was a living spirit with a demon housed in his body, and that de' that the prime suspect Dairenji shi+dou had used hi the spiritual disaster terrorist attack - the 'Great Hinamatsuri Purification' The demon was sealed now, and the person who had done the seal was another Tsuchimikado, the father of Tsuchimikado Harutora

Most interesting of all, he heard that even the 'Child Prodigy' of the Twelve Divine Generals had entered the On Her nahter of Dairenji shi+dou who had ht, the more he felt that fate was quite fickle

After inquiring, he had learned that the 'Child Prodigy' entering the Onher-ups as punishment for the incident she led to last year

With that, a new question einally specialized in researching 'Imperial Onmyoudou', and the Imperial-style was founded by Tsuchiic system of modern Onmyoudou Even the incident she had led to was based on that research - in other words, it was an incident 'related to Yakou'

Since there was such a connection, why had the higher-ups decided to have her enter the Onmyou Academy where Natsume, rumored to be 'Yakou's reincarnation', was? It was said to be a si about the next incident - preparing the stage to let her research further

”But to be honest, Dairenji shi+dou also belonged to the Twin-Horned Syndicate - fanatics orshi+pped Yakou”

Dairenji shi+dou was the one who had brought about the first spiritual disaster terrorist attack, causing the Yakou fanatics to be notorious culprits in the hter of such a man research Imperial Onmyoudou? Even if she wasn't allowed to stand on the frontline and had to do research work behind the scenes because she was a minor, it was still hard to understand why she was permitted to carry out research related to Tsuchimikado Yakou

”It's too suspicious”

Now, these people bore a burden that even they didn't know about It was as if people expected that they would produce so into each other

Most importantly, Ohto on this stage and becoency work

The Onmyou Academy

Right now, that place had becoaency as well Anyone in the 'industry' ell-informed and who had keen senses would definitely treat the Onh interest

Kaga brain behind his proud expression wasto scrutinize

Shaver, who had long since been ignored, looked at his master from the side, and quietly said: ”Reiji looks really happy”

After saying that, he slooer visible in the slimpse a deep, bottomless darkness underneath his pretty appearance That hat kind of smile he revealed

Shaver was Kagaami like a slave However, no one forced Shaver He had aami

He had seen what kind of a ami was and decided that only he was suitable to be his master

As they walked, Shaver's eyes suddenly widened and he hastily turned around, looking at a building in the distance across the street like a dog hearing an extraordinarily high sound that humans couldn't hear

Kaga He looked in the sa his keen eyes frolasses

”A spiritual disaster It looks like its phase is pretty high”

He couldn't see the co blocked it, but he could still see the distorted aura low to the ground in the distance, signs that it was about to transform into miasma

There was a spiritual disaster happening in the distance It looked like it had already developed into a phase two Its location was also quite tricky, right on top of an aura flow After ninety more minutes - or maybe it wouldn't even need that much time - the spiritual disaster would soon enter phase three

”It's here again this chaotic world”

Since the spiritual disaster terrorist attack last month, the aura flow inside Tokyo had been disturbed, and the rate of spiritual disaster occurrences had accelerated Presently, a phase two spiritual disaster was no longer unusual, and even phase threes - ed one after another

While Kagami coldly looked at the spiritual disaster in the distance, Shaver's reaction was completely different from his

”Reiji”

His thin shoulders rose excitedly, and the eyes that stared at his a about him

”Who cares about a spiritual disaster, the agency hasn't given orders yet either”

Work tione to assist by request of the Mystical Investigators He had already reported before leaving, and had directly left work after the incident was resolved Even if the spiritual disaster had happened closer, he had no obligation to go purify it

”Let's go” Kagami spoke coldly and was about to stride ahen-- ”Reiji” Shaver called out to hi to sound a bit wrong Kagaa still with his head lowered, his shoulders constantly shaking The ar, the atmosphere clearly different from before

He s different from what you said at the start? Weren't you the one who called for et it I stay with you because you need me If you don't need me Why do you call for me?” His spasm extended to his entire body as if he were desperately suppressingto move by themselves His e addict

He slowly raised his head

”That can't be, right, Reiji? I'ami You're my master”

The shi+kigaaze filled with a strange sense of 'hunger' Kagaaze head-on, just like when he had faced Ohtoh fro with death

”That's true” He looked back at Shaver, replying readily, a savage, bestial s on his lips

”Alright, let's go It's been a long time since I've tried your 'sharpness'”

Towards the evening, the stately tip of Mount Fuji appeared between the dilow of the sunset was reflected in the lake, which unwittingly became tinted deep blue

The first day of the practical skills training camp curriculum ended and the students returned to the auditoriu

Dinner was Yamanashi+ local cuisine, houtou It was a kind of thick soup where udon noodles, squash, and other vegetables were boiled withand tasted simple and delicious But what moved the to work the since exhausted theain at this tiht not be very many people ould be able to have a meal

The ca at cainning, and the contents of the curriculum were as difficult as ruic of a high difficulty, but rather to perfor

For exa an incantation one hundred tiy at first and then controlling it, gradually releasing all of the h iterated, boring, and difficult trainings one after another

The curriculuy transformation The aulated to the point where even the effects of one's breathing andy was just a moination was especially ie e what kind of structure theused had

There was also traditional training like letting a waterfall pour onto their bodies, exercising their spirit, and chanting incantations on an altar These contents werethan class - like 'exercise' After the whole day of class, neverdinner, there were quite a few people who couldn't even s their food

”I really underesti”

”Yeah I'y”

Harutora lay spread-eagled on the tata area

There was a ti The students could essentially do whatever they wanted before sleeping, but even in this rare trip outside, not only was he not in the mood to have fun, the other students were just as quiet and deathly tired

Natsume sat next to Harutora She exhaled

Natsurade, but even she also believed that the training cained But compared to the other students, she looked coic-related training since she was small, she seemed adept at the contents of this curriculum

There was actually also another reason why she could be this 'at ease'

”But how should I put it, it's fortunate that girl Suzuka didn't have the energy in the afternoon to come over and make trouble That's the only reason ere able to have a peaceful afternoon” Harutora s quietly Natsu: ”Yeah”

The practical skills training cainally planned for the first-years, but she had specifically co since prepared the she wouldat all, so they were also happily relaxed

”Even though she's ah for her to follow the curriculum”

”Yeah Even though she's a National First-Class Oner than us, and today's curriculum was a test of stamina as well as mentally stressful”

Suzuka hadn't coing from that, maybe the situation was as Natsume said and she was deathly tired as well She would probably sleep in the girl's rooht, so she probably wouldn't bother Harutora and Natsuht

”All that's left is to bathe and sleep Ah! Natsuht of that aze at Natsume

Natsu in thesingle shower stalls Though this auditorium was co furnishi+ngs were unfortunately only large bathhouses separated by gender

Natsu Harutora's question, carefully keeping the other students fro what she said

”I brought the siami from before”

”The one froami?[3]”

”Yeah, but there's actually no reason to risk using the shi+kigami I'll just not bathe today”

”I, I guess, that's much safer”

Natsume actually very irl posing as a guy, so she couldn't risk that kind of danger

”Anyway, it's just a day, it'll be over if I just endure a little”

Natsuhtly at Harutora who lay on the floor Harutora stammered a reply: ”Yeah”

Since he had long since gotten used to it in his daily life, when he happened across this kind of moment outside the dorms, it reminded him of the various inconveniences of Natsume's life and made him sympathize for her misfortune He believed that Natsume had definitely encountered quite a bit of 'trouble' in places he hadn't noticed as well

Just as Harutora thought of these things, Touji walked into the room

”Harutora, Natsume, come here for a bit--” He called out to Harutora and Natsu into the corridor ahead of them Harutora and Natsume looked at each other cluelessly Anyway, there was still a bit of time until bathti the roo after Touji

”What is it, Touji?”

”I have so to talk to you about”

”So to talk about? Ah, could it be your new seal?”

”That's included, of course Come with me first”

Touji casually replied to Harutora and Natsuue and exhaustion of the day's ca speed at all

Touji walked straight out of the auditoriuh the courtyard and walking behind the auditorium

There was a mixed forest behind the auditoriuround underneath their feet by the faint illu from the auditorium The sun was behind the rass exuded the heat that it had absorbed during the day The noise froradually became distant, and what sounded like the hoots of owls came from the mountain behind the shrine

After they walked towards the forest a little more, there was a warehouse surrounded by white walls on all sides Harutora and Natsuht next to the warehouse