Chapter 3 - Time to Hunt 1 page

Part 1

"Let's think about the future."

Principal Kurahashi was the first to speak up after Amami announced this.

"I'll go back."

A calm, composed tone that didn't feel imposing.

"I have to go back in my position. Also, I need to talk with my son."

The principal explained to the students as if she was already done speaking with Amami.

"......Forgive my rudeness."

Touji immediately spoke up:

"I don't think you'll have any breathing room after you talk, you know? Even so, are you going to go back?"

"Yes, that's right, Touji-kun. That's my duty as a mother."

The principal smiled resolutely. "Grandmother......" Kyouko let out a sad voice.

"In the end, I have no other options. After all, I have no chance of winning even if I openly resist. The 'Kurahashi' is a famous family, but my son currently has all of its influence. I would have had some people I could secretly rely on if it were ten years ago...... But now, that's also difficult. With that, I'm essentially useless."

"......Isn't the principal's divination valuable fighting power?"

"Oh my, thank you, Touji-kun. But unfortunately, my strength as a 'diviner' has already vanished for the most part. The biggest proof is that I allowed these events to happen in front of my eyes. I'm truly no use."

The principal maintained her proper posture and spoke honestly.

The principal was a great astrologist who had been called the 'Kurahashi Diviner' in the past. In addition to the magic community, there had even been many people with faith in her from the financial sector, and although she had been in the politically-neutral position of the Onmyou Academy Principal, she had also assisted the development of the Onmyou Agency. She had that kind of a past. Her relationships from that time could be called her greatest 'weapon'.

But when her opponent was her son - Kurahashi Genji - the situation was very unfavorable. Even if she could use her connections for a brief period of time, once he realized them, he would intervene. And afterwards, the pressure of Kurahashi Genji was overwhelmingly more powerful than the plea of Kurahashi Miyo. If the 'positions' of the two people were made public, then the principal's relationships would undoubtedly become completely powerless.

Also, it was a fact that her fate-reading strength as a 'diviner' was already gradually drying up. With that, even the principal herself would have trouble becoming 'fighting power'.

"P-Please wait! If Chief Kurahashi was the mastermind behind the Twin-Horned Syndicate and involved in spiritual disaster terrorist attacks, then why don't we just report it to the authorities? Maybe the police or the government...... Rather, we ought to do that, right? He's a criminal after all, isn't he?"

It was Tenma who said this.

Why weren't they talking about that? Tenma's expression was confused about that. Indeed, that was reasonable - or perhaps even natural - if one thought normally.

But the situation wasn't that simple.

"Unfortunately, we have no evidence, youngster."

Amami spoke again from the sofa to address Tenma's doubt.

"You're Tenma, I believe. That guy's been careful in that regard. After all, even this Amami Daizen didn't catch him at all. Of course, I'm a witness right now, but the opponent will have taken countermeasures already in the time I've been fleeing."

"But not everyone's on Chief Kurahashi's good side. Even if we have no evidence, there are people who would listen to Amami-san's words--"

Amami shot Tenma a look he would give an immature yet pleasant subordinate as he desperately clutched at straws.

But he immediately returned to his stern expression and said:

"For example, Tenma. Supposing I were in the position of the Chief and was reported to the authorities. If I immediately portrayed that person as the leader of the Twin-Horned Syndicate, I would invalidate his credibility. I would fabricate heaps of evidence and witnesses. Also, I'd use magic."

"That--!"

"It's natural, since that man's a 'criminal' after all, right? Also, if magic is used to fabricate evidence and witnesses, the police and the authorities won't be able to see that they're fake. Only a fellow practitioner would be able to see through it - in short, those Mystical Investigators. And Chief Kurahashi is currently the Chief of the Mystical Investigators."

Tenma lost his words because of Amami's merciless proclamation. It wasn't just Tenma. Kyouko showed a look of shock when she heard, and Touji and Suzuka's faces grew bitter.

Things weren't so simple that every problem could be resolved by Amami telling the truth. After all, the opponent was a person who had manipulated Yakou fanatics, the people who used spiritual disasters for terrorist attacks. At this point, he wouldn't hesitate at framing his adversaries. Also, the opponent held the central influence in the magic community. There were no opportunities to defeat him face-to-face.

"Understand? That's what 'opposing the Onmyou Agency' is."

Amami's lecturing words seemed to become heavy. Tenma didn't say anything more, hanging his head in dejection and slumping his shoulders.

The principal smiled bitterly. "Anyways." She pulled the topic back.

"In these kinds of circumstances, even I have no last resorts. Hence, I'll run back to my son's side for now and wait for an opportunity."

This time Touji didn't say anything more. Just like the Principal had said herself at the start, she had no other options.

"......Is that alright?"

Suzuka, who had been silent for a long while, asked. The principal's mouth curved into a smile, never thinking that words of worry would ever have come from her mouth.

"Thank you, Suzuka-kun. But it's alright. I won't be killed even if I return. Yeah. At the most, I'll be forced into seclusion, right? Also, he should be extremely worried about my safety. At least at the current time. ......Isn't that right, Amami-kun?"

"......Yeah. Even the Chief probably doesn't mean to cause anything big. The most appropriate thing to do would be to have you withdraw from the world and obediently go into seclusion."

Amami also expressed agreement with the Principal's opinion.

Though she had given control of the family to her son, Principal Kurahashi was the current Onmyou Academy Principal. Also, although she had withdrawn from the frontlines, she was still viewed as an authority in the magic community. Her position in society was something that even the Chief couldn't ignore.

Also, it would easily raise relevant and unnecessary suspicions around them if the Principal immediately vanished after retiring. In the end, it would be ideal to have her secretly vanish without anyone knowing. With that, the Chief would probably 'guarantee' her life as long as she didn't rashly resist. In order to keep up appearances.

"But nothing will be guaranteed after a year. First off, your actions will be greatly limited - Or rather, you'll become unable to move freely. You'll have to prepare yourself for that."

"I understand. My son's not naive enough to allow me to obey on the surface but secretly strategize. However--"

Saying this, the Principal suddenly looked at Kyouko. Kyouko met her gaze, completely stiff.

"I'll definitely be permitted the small matter of meeting my granddaughter. Then I'll do the only thing that I can from now on - Kyouko-san, I'll train you."

"Train me?"

The principal nodded at the surprised Kyouko with a straightforward expression.

"Kyouko-san, you have to come home with me."

"B-But."

"Listen, Kyouko-san. Even if you want to do something now, it's not a situation where you can accomplish that just by thinking of something. Even you understand something of that level, right?"

Kyouko swallowed her words, unable to rebut because of the principal's strict voice.

"But you awakened your ability as a 'diviner'. As long as you hone that ability, it will become a powerful strength. It will become your strength to protect everyone and protect yourself."

"......I......"

Kyouko had divined a few short hours ago. That was the bud of an extremely rare ability even considering the entire magic community. The words of Kyouko's divination had pushed Ohtomo out of his confusion, and as a result, liberated their companions from a stalemate.

But Kyouko had immediately lost consciousness afterwards and had already been carried to a different location when she awoke. Though she remembered the strange feeling of divination, on the other hand, it didn't really feel real to her that she had entered such a state.

"Kyouko-san, you will go back with me and continue your past life on the surface while grasping the strength of 'divination'. That will be your 'battle'."

The principal announced resolutely. As if that were her final divination.

Kyouko stared at her grandmother with a face drained of blood.

Then, she clenched her fists in front of her chests and nodded resolutely.

Part 2

The feeling during divination seemed to vary enormously depending on the person. Of course, since there were extremely few people with the power of divination, that was very difficult to say, but at least there were huge disparities in the impressions that Miyo and Kyouko explained to each other.

Miyo's situation was apparently colors. She read the meaning of a bright, vibrant painting. It seemed to be that kind of feeling.

In contrast, Kyouko was light. A different universe overlapped with the reality before her. Letting her spirit float in that universe, she 'saw' the light of her targets - stars.

First, she used the Liu Ren board to stimulate her consciousness.

It was an inexplicable feeling, as if her soul was floating away from her body. She heard the wind roar and was released from all her attachments to the earth, starting with gravity. Kyouko slowly floated in the truly empty world that seemed like a universe overlapping with reality.

An instinctive fear and a burst of liberation as she alone was pushed down from high up in the sky. Excitement and chills spread through her body as she was released from the cage enclosing her.

But Kyouko was as calm as if it were happening to someone else - as if she were in a trance watching a Kurahashi Kyouko whose mind was filled with the same sensations as hers was going through various oscillating emotions. It had that kind of dreamlike, unreal feeling. The room of the residence annex and the boundless, vast universe. Gaps floated between those two worlds, and Kyouko's standards, common sense and knowledge were all twisted askew because of those huge, large-scale disparities. Yin and yang merged.

What was true and what was mistaken? What should she do and what should she desire? Who was she exactly? Kyouko's consciousness expanded and became thin as the sound of the universe's wind swept through her heart.

But--

"Kyouko-san."

Kurahashi Miyo spoke.

Kurahashi Kyouko didn't respond. But Kyouko turned her attention to the voice that called to her. She solidified because of that attention.

"Focus your mind and firmly maintain your consciousness. You can't be swept away. You won't be able to return."

Kurahashi Kyouko and Kurahashi Miyo sat in a Japanese-styled room on the second floor of the annex. Kurahashi Kyouko was sitting in seiza^[9] before a small Japanese-styled desk, casting her gaze on the Liu Ren board with a half-awake expression. Kurahashi Miyo sat to her side, patiently speaking to her granddaughter.

"You don't place yourself in the flow, you create a flow. You can't be engulfed by the sensations that you feel. In contrast, you have to put them under your control. You can't just see things, you have to consciously 'look'."

Kyouko tried to respond to Kurahashi Miyo's instructions. She firmly maintained her 'sense of self' while further departing from the reality before her, turning her gaze towards the depths of the universe. Gaps of space had no meaning there, and even the concept of time was different from normal. Everything was spread out everywhere.

Kyouko's thoughts were reflected in the universe, and she allowed a shadow of the distant reality to appear before her. Perhaps one could say that she condensed everything in the real world and mapped a thumbnail of it. Kyouko gradually looked around the universe with a sensation similar to clairvoyance.

But it was a scenery exceeding human comprehension. Never mind words, it was even difficult to perceive them as images. An overly vague whirlpool of impressions outside of the scope of her understanding. Kyouko gazed at it, desperately trying her best to read the 'meaning' of it.

They should be there. Natsume. Harutora. The stars of the two of them were mixed somewhere in with the swirling universe that Kyouko summoned. But to the current Kyouko, finding them felt as impossible as choosing grains of sand.

The roaring wind of the universe suddenly gained in force.

This again. She was blown flying. Kyouko reflexively resisted, trying to stop, but the strong wind whipped mercilessly and slowly twisted the surrounding universe. Kyouko was also easily picked up by the wind and her consciousness started rapidly fading.

"......Ah."

When she came to her senses, Kyouko was in front of the Japanese-style desk where the Liu Ren board was placed. She was sitting in seiza with her hands on her knees, leaning forwards lightly and staring at the Liu Ren board.

She was dizzy and chilled. Also, her body was astonishingly stiff. But it seemed that she had only lost consciousness for a moment. A year and a half ago when she had divined for the first time, she had fainted and hadn't awakened for a period of time. Anyways, she was already 'used to' this.

Also, she had become able to quite consciously enter the divination state. It was evidence of progress as compared to before.

That said, it hadn't reached the level where she could call it a 'fighting power'.

"You worked hard, Kyouko-san. I'll go make tea right now, so please relax for a while."

Miyo gently patted Kyouko's shoulder, rising and leaving the room. Kyouko's expression was still dazed as she started slowly relaxing her legs from seiza.

After a while, Miyo walked back from the first floor with a tray. Kyouko finally came to her senses when she heard her grandmother sigh after climbing the stairs.

"Ah, sorry. I should have made it......"

"It's alright, my body will quickly become bad if I don't even do this much activity."

After Miyo replied brightly, she returned to Kyouko's side and placed the tray on the tatami. Kyouko hastily pushed the Liu Ren board aside from the Japanese-styled desk and poured green tea from the teapot into the cups that were set out.

Kyouko gingerly pursed her lips and blew the steam from the green tea.

The fragrant green tea seemed to seep into her body. Kyouko's entire body relaxed with a relieved expression.

"Kyouko-san, how was it today?"

Though Miyo asked that, she seemed to have noticed as well. Kyouko shook her head listlessly with a bitter smile.

"No good. It really is difficult to see the stars of people who aren't here."

"Yes. I think it will become easier in the future once you grasp the feeling...... But that alone is something that can't be taught by others."

Miyo spoke regretfully, but she the eyes that stared at her granddaughter smiled serenely. It was so that she wouldn't put any pressure on Kyouko. But to Kyouko, it wasn't very helpful. It had already been a year and a half since Miyo had started giving her special training. She was embarrassed at still being unable to freely control her 'divination' strength.

"Maybe I don't have any talent for astrology."

"Hoho, is that so? The way you think and decide for yourself no matter what is the personality of an astrologist."

"Believing or not believing in astrology has nothing to do with divination, right?"

"Really? Though you can't get fanatic about astrology, isn't it pretty similar how you can feel certain things from the results? Like a hunch about how successful you'll be in the lottery."

"Well, second-class astrology can only be used as a topic for chatting."

"Or like being able to see at first glance what kind of person a guy you meet is--"

"......That can also be called 'instinct'."

Kyouko's shoulders drooped in a dull mood. Miyo smiled at that granddaughter of hers.

"After all, you're very smart, Kyouko-san. But you won't be able to take the last step if you always say only pessimistic things, you know?"

It could be seen that Miyo was still healthy and vigorous from the way she brought up such harsh things with a harmless smile. It felt like the green tea she sipped rapidly increased in astringency.

"It's about whether you can always keep your intuition honed. About how much you can trust that intuition. Divination isn't rational, you know."

Kyouko replied "Yes yes" out of boredom to her grandmother's words.

But the intimate and unreserved conversation still alleviated her heart. Even if it was trivial - no, maybe it was surprisingly touching because it was trivial.

...Honestly, I'm not cut out for this......

She wanted to hurry up and talk like this with everyone. With Harutora, Natsume, Touji, Tenma, and Suzuka.

For this, she hoped to use the power of divination to find everyone's stars. That feeling was so strong, but......

"You can't be too desperate, you know?"

Her grandmother rebuked her as if seeing into her heart. Kyouko came to her senses, her face awkward. When performing divination, it was ideal for the body and mind to enrich each other. Being overly pressured or too emotional were counterproductive.

Her emotions had been unstable recently. It was because she was feeling such a long isolation. Even if she understood that unstable feelings would only affect her divination negatively, she couldn't resolve it on a fundamental level. It was difficult. She could only deal with it by being tough, cheerful, and forward-looking like she had thought while returning home.

"Kyouko-san, you have a good feeling of magic as a whole, so you'll immediately become able to use it feely once you get the hang of it. You don't need to be obstinate, nor do you need to be careless instead. Let's continue training."

"......Okay."

Miyo nodded gently to her granddaughter who was slightly embarrassed yet replied sincerely.

But maybe because she had touched her granddaughter's toughness, this time it was Miyo's turn for her expression to darken.

The mood that she had kept uplifted settled down and she inadvertently muttered some words.

"......I'm sorry. I even involved you in such a situation."

"It's nothing. What are you saying at this time, Grandmother. First of all, I was completely implicated from the start whether you involved me or not."

They were unembellished words of truth, but Kyouko also understood that Miyo's troubles weren't about that.

After that incident, Miyo had brought Kyouko back to the residence just like she had said in to everyone in the villa. Afterwards, she and Kyouko's father had a long, one-on-one discussion. Though she had summarized the contents of the conversation to Kyouko, there were probably a good amount of things that she hadn't told Kyouko.

On the other hand, Kyouko almost hadn't been able to speak with her father at all.

Of course, it wasn't that she hadn't been able to meet him. She had met him directly after the incident and thrown out several questions there. That was natural. It was probably the first time since she birth that she had felt so conflicted towards her father.

However, her father hadn't seriously answered Kyouko's questions. Moreover, he had one-sidedly forced her into this state of 'seclusion'. If she hadn't decided to behave obediently towards father for the special training, Kyouko might have been kicked out of the house right there. Of course, she didn't believe she could escape from her father's hands.

Anyways, her father seemed to plan on completely keeping Kyouko from coming in contact with Harutora and Natsume's matters. He expected that she would forget everything about the Onmyou Academy and continue living on as the 'Kurahashi family daughter'. Hegemony ought to have a limit, but it was the truth that Kyouko had no means of opposing him right now. Also, she had no opportunity. Her father didn't ask for his daughter's understanding, nor did he put on a good face.

That was probably the reason Miyo's expression was dark.

Miyo had been thinking in her heart. Thinking that maybe things would have been happier for her granddaughter another way. Thinking that maybe she should have listened to what her father said instead of walking this thorny road, that it might have ended up bringing her to happiness in the end even if she were agonized at the start.

To Kyouko, that was downright ridiculous. She flatly rejected that way of life.

But it seemed that from the point of view of a 'grandmother', Miyo was repeatedly visited by moments of indecision. Her current self was giving off that kind of pathetic atmosphere. If that situation itself were the second-class magic that her father had cast, then it could be called quite the insidious magic.

Also, there was another item related to her father to worry about. Kyouko's divination.

Needless to say, Kyouko hadn't told her father that her 'divination' had awakened. The ability of 'divination' was the greatest and the only trump card of Kyouko and the others. It was the thing that they had to keep him from knowing about the most, the thing that they couldn't let other people know about the most. Also, judging from an observation of her father's attitude, her father still hadn't realized her daughter's awakening - that was what Kyouko and Miyo judged.

But there was a possibility. Amami had warned them of this when they had discussed in the villa. After Amami heard the ins and outs of things from the students, he had confirmed this.

'In other words, that guy Kogure witnessed the moment of Kyouko-chan's divination on the scene, right?'

The National First-Class Onmyouji, Kogure Zenjirou. He had transferred from the Exorcist Bureau to the Onmyou Agency Mystical Crime Investigation Department after that incident. And the current Chief of the Mystical Investigators was her father. In other words, the probability that Kogure had reported on Kyouko's situation to her father was not small. Of course, Kyouko and the others had only judged that her father still hadn't realized after considering that point......

'You have to be extremely careful. If 'divination' somehow falls into the Chief's hands, it would be hard to deal with.'

Though Kyouko had been restricted in various ways, she had been permitted to meet with Miyo every day. That was why she was able to continue the special training to practice her 'divination' every day.

But if...... What if her father knew about the special training? What if they were playing into her father's hand? That thought was a terror that plucked the tiny bud of hope.

Her father was too powerful an opponent.

"......Ah, right. I had a rare craving for sweets yesterday, so I bought some yokan^[10]. There's still some left, we can have them as sweets to go with tea."

Miyo smiled and rose. Stopping Kyouko who hastily rose halfway saying "Let me", she left the room and went down to the first floor.

She wanted to change the atmosphere because of the sudden words of discouragement she had let out. Kyouko also patted her cheeks with her hands, motivating herself again.

...How can I let myself lose......

Not just her. Tenma, Touji, Suzuka, Harutora, and Natsume were definitely continuing to fight in their own ways. Thinking that way, Kyouko couldn't feel like she was the only one in a poor situation. Kyouko had to continue fighting until the days came when she could leisurely chat and smile with everyone.

But......

Would that day come?

If she continued fighting, would Kyouko's desire truly become reality? Miyo had wavered just now because she wasn't sure - because she didn't have confidence.

"............"

Kyouko put down the teacup, lowering her face. Her gaze dropped to the tatami, and she blankly stared at the pushed-aside Liu Ren board.

Normally she would be fine.

But occasionally she would hope for 'help'. She wanted to rely on someone who would support her. Someone that she could rely on and have faith in from the bottom of her heart.

Someone who definitely wouldn't succumb to any kind of difficulty, who could accurately break out of any crisis--

In addition, someone who wouldn't lost his calm even in plight--

Someone who could watch and guide their immature selves--

"............"

Just then--

At that moment.

...Huh?

She suddenly noticed. Her consciousness was floating upwards. A vast universe was gradually overlapping with the scenery before her. It was divination. She had unconsciously entered her divining state.

But it didn't have the feeling of the skewed world that she had felt divining up until now. Also, it was too fast. A smooth transition as if she were being absorbed into the universe. It was as if she were being integrated into a series of complicated gears and just happened to fit and turn consistently. She could hear the sound of wind rushing through the universe. But it wasn't the usual roaring sound, but instead a leisurely breeze.

Also, she would 'see' a star.

A star that she knew. A star she had seen once. One of the stars that had been there when Kyouko saw stars for the first time. Ohtomo-sensei, Kyouko called out. "......Ohtomo-sensei." Kurahashi Kyouko murmured. Kyouko desperately focused. Joyful and nostalgic tears welled up in Kurahashi Kyouko's eyes.

But.

...Huh? What?

Like clouds obscuring the moon, hazy darkness covered that star. Darkness that closely followed Ohtomo's star. A huge darkness that completely enveloped the light of the star, yet still had more darkness left over.

An ancient darkness that Kyouko couldn't see through with her eyesight.

...Wait, how......!

She tried looking again, but she failed. She felt that her condition itself wasn't bad. It was the best up till now. But Kyouko had depleted her spiritual power because of her first divination. She couldn't stop here again.

...Ugh......!

The star and universe grew distant. Her consciousness was forcefully pulled backwards. Sensei, Kyouko called out. But her voice also dissipated in the wind--

"Kyouko-san! Get a grip!"

When she came to her senses, Kyouko's strengthless shoulders were being held by Miyo.

An unprecedented feeling of certainty lingered inside her body.

Also, the ominous feeling she had observed from the other part.

"......Just now, that was......"

Miyo revealed a relieved expression, understanding that Kyouko's consciousness had successfully returned.

But Kyouko collapsed where she was, unable to move for a period of time.

Part 3

Barstools were messily strewn around the shared Roppongi building.

That man twisted his back, looking behind him several times with an unsettled expression.

Though he wore a plain suit, he had no tie. Also, he hadn't changed his clothes in several days, and he was overall unkempt and somewhat dirty.

But that suited the shop atmosphere even more.

The shop was vast and crowded. Though it was called a bar, it was actually more like a dive. Low background music played in the dimly-lit shop interior, and the laughs of drunken patrons resounded nonstop. The customer base seemed quite delinquent as well. The smell of cigarettes, hair gel, and various other odors filled the area, warmed by the building's ancient heating system. It was a low-class bar that fit the word 'trash heap'.

The man twisted his body several times with an unsettled mood, slowly sipping the beer he had ordered. The man had entered the shop for fifteen minutes already. The workers at the bar brazenly shot unfriendly gazes towards his listless face, but the man didn't seem to be about to leave.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 662