Tokyo Ravens - Volume 11 - Chapter 5.3

Part 3 
The midsummer morning feel gradually drew stronger as quiet determinations formed one after another in the villa's living room. 
Kyouko and principal Kurahashi returned to the Kurahashi residence together and would start 'divination' training. 
Touji and Amami would hide underground and pursue Harutora and Ohtomo. 
Suzuka would return to the Onmyou Agency and spy on the goals of Yashamaru and the others from within the agency. 
It was easy for all of them to say, but they were harsh - and laborious - choices. All of them would throw themselves into brutal environments. Also, they didn't know when it would be over. 
Most importantly, it was also very painful for the friends to become scattered. Until now, they had compensated for each other's immaturities to confront various hardships. However, from now on they wouldn't be able to rely on their friends. Also, it would be difficult to help each other. 
"You basically won't be able to communicate with each other from now on. We'll definitely be exposed once you communicate. It won't just be you, the person you're communicating with will also be endangered. Keep that point in mind." 
From now on, all other than the two who were going into hiding would probably be placed under the Onmyou Agency's surveillance. If they acted rashly, they would quickly draw the attention of the enemy. 
Of course, they had decided on an emergency plan - though a very simple one. For example, if something changed about the situation, then the relatively-unrestricted Touji and Amami would move. The others couldn't take action and would only be able to accept this. Though that was quite one-sided, the priority for now was to feign normalcy. 
Even if they were alone, they had to finish their own battles on their own battlefields. That was the path these friends had chosen. 
"You all will definitely be fine even if you split up. But don't overwork yourself, alright? Mental fortitude is the most important thing in the face of adversity." 
The students nodded obediently to the principal's emotional recommendation. 
"......The next time we meet, we'll all be here. When that happens, we'll all gather to beat up Harutora and lecture Natsume." 
Touji spoke slowly while gritting his teeth. Though they hadn't said it, Kyouko and Suzuka had the same feelings. 
But. 
"......I......" 
Tenma, who had been silent for some time, couldn't help but speak up. 
As his friends' gazes focused on him, he said with an anguished look: 
"I...... I'm sorry. I don't know what to do. Although I thought about whether I could do anything for everyone......" 
Tenma spoke apologetically. 
Unfortunately, Tenma's power was clearly the lowest among his companions. He didn't have 'divination' ability, nor the strength of a living spirit, nor was he a Divine General. He was just a student. Though no one blamed him for that, Tenma blamed himself. He felt ashamed at himself for not even knowing how to help his friends. 
However. 
"Tenma, you wait on 'standby'." 
Touji declared assertively. "Eh?" Tenma looked at Touji in surprise. 
"I'm going to hide underground from now on. Kyouko's returning to the Kurahashi residence - maybe she'll be locked inside the house. Even if she isn't, she'll probably be closely monitored. If Suzuka goes to the Onmyou Agency like she plans, it's very likely that she'll be restrained. In other words, if Harutora and Natsume try contacting us, you're the only one they can turn to." 
"...!" 
Tenma's eyes widened in surprise from Touji's assertion. 
That was indeed true. Without knowing where everyone was or whether they were being monitored, Harutora and Natsume would be unable to plan for contacting them. Though it was unclear whether the two of them would come in contact or not, they shouldn't abandon that possibility. 
"So you go back to the Onmyou Academy and live the same life as you've had until now. Don't be concerned about us. That's your mission." 
"But everyone's going to suffer from now on, but I'm just...... I-If I'm not going to suffer like you all, then at least let me help you." 
"How?" 
"Well......" 
Tenma himself had declared at the start that he honestly didn't know how. The battles from now on were individual battles. There was almost no room for other people to help. 
Seeing Tenma with his head lowered, Touji moved to his side. He put his hands on his shoulders and said to the surprised Tenma in a firm voice: 
"Listen, Tenma. It's all because of you that we haven't been killed yet and are able to talk about the future like this. When Kyouko, Suzuka, and I charged recklessly, you were the only one to take a different action. That's why we were able to bring Harutora back." 
"T-That was Saotome-san......" 
"No, it's the same. Tenma. You're the 'unique' one among us. Divine Generals, divination, and living spirits - and Tsuchimikado or Yakou reincarnations - we all gathered here because we have our unique strengths. On the other hand, we're a group of similar people who all share the characteristic of being 'abnormal'. But in a group of similar people, once one of us gets defeated, we'll all be destroyed the same way. That was what happened last night." 
In some sense, this was Touji's repentance. Last night, Touji had been the first one to mention sneaking into the Onmyou Agency. Though he hadn't invited others, he had ended up endangering his friends and almost getting them all killed. In this sense, Touji had been saved by Tenma last night. 
"We were able to keep from being destroyed because there was one person who was 'different' mixed in with our group. Because of a 'normal' student in a group of 'abnormals'. You don't have to do the same things as us. Even if you become a burden to us, we'll protect you. So you support us in your own way - in a way that none of us can do. That's the meaning of being a 'team'." 
"......Touji-kun......" 
Tenma murmured. Touji just nodded and let go after expressing that. 
Then, "Touji's right." Kyouko smiled at Tenma. 
"Actually, Tenma, you're the only one that Harutora and Natsume can reach. That's impossible for us." 
"......In the first place, even though you said 'everyone's going to be suffering from now on', even you're going to be marked by the Onmyou Agency in the future." 
Suzuka was the one who continued on with this. "Me? Why?" She sighed loudly at the wide-eyed Tenma. "You don't understand how big of a thing you've done? You were the only one who fooled the Chief and the rest during the events yesterday, you know? ......Well, that said, you're just a 'normal student' in the end, so you won't be monitored as much as we will...... But they won't ignore you like before." 
Tenma would be identified sooner or later as the one who had infiltrated the Onmyou Agency last night. The Onmyou Agency wasn't so incompetent that they would let that go. "Are they going to arrest me?" This time, Amami gave his opinion to the confused Tenma. 
"...No. It wouldn't be much of a feat to arrest an underage student. Right, if the Mystical Investigators are in charge, they'll deliberately leave you alone and observe the situation." 
"Eh. In that case, won't it be more dangerous for Harutora-kun and Natsume-chan to come to me--!?" 
"From now on, you'll frequently be in danger no matter what you try to do - or even if you don't do anything. Well, the enemies will also move cautiously in that regard. Otherwise it would be unsightly." 
"............" 
Tenma fell silent again. 
Though he wanted to do something for his companions, he didn't know what to do. Also, if even he was being monitored, acting rashly would endanger his friends even more. 
Standby. Touji had said this, and he also understood the meaning of leaving a channel [40] open. But he still felt uneasy about hiding away by himself. 
"Tenma-kun--" 
The principal was about to speak, but Amami raised his hand lightly and stopped her. 
Then. 
"......Do what you think you should do." 
Perhaps he had seen through Tenma's dilemma. Amami spoke extremely sincerely. 
"Boy, even though you're thinking hard now, there's nothing for you to do, right? Then don't do anything. Continue thinking later on." Amami spoke to the confused Tenma, then gazed at Touji, Kyouko, and Suzuka. 
"We're not going to be able to communicate like this in the future, right? So then what? All you can do is act as you judge according to your own beliefs, right? The situation might change in a flash. When that happens, you can only rely on yourself. Think hard and make your decision based on your thoughts. That's what 'standing up on your own' means." 
His words, bearing an inexplicably frivolous tone, unraveled the tension entangling Tenma. In But it also solidified the unstable ground beneath Tenma's feet. 
Indeed, 'standing by' was the only thing he could think of that his current self could do. But he couldn't be satisfied with that. He had to constantly continue thinking about whether he could do something else. 
More importantly, the situation would change. Even Amami couldn't predict how things would turn out after this. Later on, Tenma and the others who were along would only be able to rely on their own strength to grab hold of the best strategy. They would think for their friends in their own ways. 
Tenma and the others were a destined group. Regardless of whether the actions of any individual were good or bad, they would affect the others. 
But there was no meaning in being a team if he shrank back out of fear for affecting them badly. That was why Amami said what he did. He had said to keep thinking. He had told him to think on his own and make a decision. 
It wasn't just limited to his own self. He had to act while being responsible for the well-being of his friends. Only then would a 'team' be useful. 
"............" 
Amami grinned, confirming the resolve forming in Tenma's eyes. Then, Tenma faced Touji, Kyouko, and Suzuka, and nodded wordlessly. 
Their battles were starting at this moment. 

The basis of a fugitive life was not to make a move. Though things would get extremely busy when something happened, life was just a waiting game otherwise. That definitely wasn't a bad thing to Akino, who disliked bothersome things. Even if Akino wanted to space out for several hours, it wasn't a big deal. And since there was food for three meals a day, in some sense it was a dream world. 
But that was limited to when she was by herself. 
The difficulty of a fugitive life was that there wasn't much personal time. If Akino were by herself, she would be fine with looking up the sky idly the entire day, but when there were others around her, she couldn't slack off like that. 
"Akino, let's practice stealth magic today." 
"Ehh--, again?" 
She had finished breakfast and was sitting on the tatami watching television - the only working appliance that had been left behind in this house. Natsume, who had finished washing the clothes and cleaning, came from the kitchen and spoke to Akino. 
Akino turned her head back from where she sat on the ground and looked up at Natsume. "Akino?" Seeing her unhappy upward gaze, Natsume held back a smile and reproached her. 
"Do you understand our position? If you take the time now to properly master stealth magic, it'll definitely be useful during an emergency." 
"I-It's alright. I'll run away if it's an emergency. I run very fast......" 
"No. Running and stealth are used in different situations. You have to be able to do both." 
"I won't go near anywhere dangerous......" 
"No. Danger will come to you." 
"T-Then after dark, I'll......" 
"No." 
Uuu--. Natsume let out the wry smile she had been suppressing as Akino's chin furrowed with strange wrinkles. 
Akino had realized after living together that this first friend of hers was an incredibly diligent girl. In contrast to Akino, who wouldn't do anything at all if she weren't instructed to, she would diligently finish the things she ought to do even if no one told her to. Also, once she got free time, she would ask Takahiro and Chizuru to teach her and refine her magic power. Never mind playing around, she didn't even get any good rest unless the people around her reminded her to. Akino found it hard to believe. She was practically a saint. 
Also, Natsume had turned her godsent diligence towards Akino. Though Akino had gone with her at the start because of how refreshing it was to be with a friend, Natsume's training was strict and didn't feel at all like having fun. It became uncomfortable and tiring very quickly. But Natsume never abandoned it. 
"Come on, the weather's good too, let's do it in the courtyard. Akino, your spiritual power's not weak, so you'll be able to do it very quickly once you get the hang of it." 
"......Okay..." 
Though she still looked a bit unhappy, Akino was urged by Natsume out to the courtyard. 
Regardless of what Akino said, she was very obedient as she had been grown up in a monastery. Also, being with Natsume was extremely fun. Of course, it was difficult, and she would occasionally want to play around. 
"Uuu, so cold." 
"Then let's start with a review of last time. Do you still remember the hand seal?" 
"Uh......" 
Akino crossed her fingers together. 
They trained for an hour like that. 
When Natsume mentioned that it was time to rest, Akino was already exhausted. 
Though stealth magic wasn't a magic that really stood out, she had to maintain mental focus for a time she wasn't accustomed to, and so it really exhausted her mind. Lasting an hour was quite hard to do for a beginner student. 
Akino had often seen the ajari and seniors training when she had been at Seishuku Temple. Although Natsume's training looked easy based off that experience, she realized that it was quite harsh after actually trying it. It was definitely because she never let up and was always using full power. Natsume looked so gentle, but she was merciless when doing things. 
"I'm already completely exhausted...... Natsume, you're too strict......" 
"Hoho. But Akino, aren't you keeping up well?" 
"Maybe, but I'm already at my limits, okay? I can't continue, alright?" 
"You look like it. ...They're coming out, you know? Your ears." 
Akino's face rapidly reddened when she was told this and she raised her hands to try concealing the top of her head. But it wasn't very effective. The two ears that had suddenly extended from Akino's head were materialized on the other side of her raised hands. 
Rabbit ears covered with white fur. 
And a small, round rabbit tail also grew from her rear. Normally, the two were dematerialized and hidden, but when she was shaken, careless, or completely exhausted like right now, they would come out before she realized it. 
Akino was an extremely rare 'rabbit' living spirit. That was the reason why her foot speed was extremely fast and her spiritual power was quite strong. 
"It's been a while since I saw Akino's ears." 
"Ugh. It's all because Natsume's training was so Spartan." 
"Sorry. But it's still cute. They match you very well." 
Natsume smiled and praised Akino with a sincere expression. The eyes beneath Akino's glasses slightly reddened because she still wasn't used to being praised by others. 
Though Natsume called them cute, those ears were the root of Akino's inferiority complex. Just being a rabbit living spirit made her feel like a rare animal, but having rabbit ears growing from her head made her look very stupid. Hence, even with other living spirits, she would normally keep them hidden. 
That said, she hadn't been as concerned as before recently when it was around Natsume. At this point, hiding it immediately was a bit pointless, so she decided to let them show for a while. 
The two of them sat on the porch together. Natsume was taller height-wise, but when Akino was taller counting her ears when they were showing. Natsume smiled happily, looking at the constantly swaying rabbit ears. Though it was as embarrassing as always, Akino also felt sincerely happy if Natsume was happy. Akino extended her ears of her own free will, saying: 
"Um, Natsume." 
"What." 
"Do you think these ears are related to my parents?" 
"Well......" 
Akino felt a bit dispirited by Natsume's pause. 
Akino had grown up in Seishuku Temple since she was small, but it seemed that she had distant relatives in Tokyo. Allegedly, they were part of an ancient great family that had old connections with magic. Though Akino was currently being cared for by Tsuchimikados, it was supposedly until she met those relatives. 

The name of those relatives was 'Souma'. Accordingly, Akino's full name was Souma Akino. 
But the Tsuchimikados - including Natsume - became inexplicably vague about Akino's relatives past the name Souma. Although they were helping her look for now, that explanation was still essential. After all, Akino had been all alone since birth, and hence she became very interested after learning that she had relatives, albeit distant ones. But everyone reacted the way they did, so she normally didn't mention it on her own. 
Natsume looked bleak right now as well. "S-Sorry. You don't know even if I ask about it." So she hastily terminated the topic. 
Though she was interested, she had never met them, and they were distant relatives that she hadn't believed existed until recently. Her friend Natsume and the Tsuchimikados who took care of her were decisively more important of the two sides. 
Also, although she still wasn't good at dealing with Yasuzumi, both Takahiro and Chizuru were nice and cheerful. There must be various reasons that they were keeping her in the dark. Then there was no need for her to actively poke at things. That was what Akino believed. 
"Ah, yesterday was great." 
"Eh? ......Ahh, you mean the letter?" 
After she diverted the topic somewhat forcefully, Natsume also - although maybe it was her imagination - was relieved. 
"Is that person going to properly read it?" 
"Tenma-kun will definitely read it. Because he's extremely nice and thinks for his friends." 
"Oh. He was a good person, although I only talked to him a bit." 
"Really? According to what Uncle said, you were incredibly nervous and closed your eyes, so you didn't even see his face properly......" 
"T-That's not true!? Though I was a bit nervous...... But I did see his face and talk to him properly, okay? Didn't I get him the letter?" 
Akino's ears fluttered as she made excuses for herself. Natsume's eyes were a bit wicked, but she smiled gently. 
Though Akino had been the one to deliver the letter with her own hands, Takahiro had gone with her at the time as well. Takahiro had been in the shadows on guard for prying eyes and ears in the surroundings. It seemed that he had prudently observed Tenma after school and checked whether he had any contact with the Onmyou Agency after they delivered the letter as well. In contrast, Natsume hadn't followed along. Though she had been quite hesitant, she had said 'I won't know what to do if the enemy notices us' and had stayed at home. Akino thought that she should at least see his face even if they couldn't meet, but it seemed that Natsume's feelings were very complicated. 
That boy was Natsume's past classmate, one of her important friends. To Akino, whose only friend was Natsume, he was one of Natsume's friends other than herself, and she had been quite concerned before they met. No, she was still concerned now. What kinds of conversation had Natsume had with that boy before? When she thought about that, she became very uneasy. Maybe she was jealous. 
"Well, I was finally able to help Natsume with something." 
"What do you mean, finally? Akino, you've always...... been helping me out." 
"......You paused for a while there." 
"Ah, no, I was just thinking about specific examples." 
"......Couldn't think of any?" 
"T-That's not it. Uh, didn't you help fold the washed clothes yesterday? And the day before you helped clean the house with everyone......" 
Natsume's smile stiffened because of Akino's glare and frown, and she secretly averted her gaze. In any case, she still didn't have anywhere to go after coming down from the mountain. That was why she was particularly concerned about Natsume's friends. That was definitely it. 
"What will that person think when he reads your letter, Natsume?" 
"Well. I'm also very interested. ......But, I hope he doesn't get involved with any trouble because he accepted the letter." 
"That talk again. ......It's alright. Takahiro-san said nothing happened too." 
After he had returned yesterday, the letter had been quite a hot topic. But the letter was today's topic as well because to Akino - and to Natsume even more - this matter wasn't finished because they had handed over the letter. 
That letter ought to tactfully convey Natsume's current circumstances. Natsume's feelings were also conveyed to some degree. 
But Natsume's longing for her friends didn't end there. 
As for why-- 
"......But it's really sad to finally manage to write a letter but not be able to get a reply." 
Akino said that as if to console her, but Natsume lightly nodded her head. Though she smiled at Akino, it was a lonely smile. 
Even if it could be surmised from the letter Akino had given that Natsume was the sender, all other information had been carefully kept hidden. That was to avoid any leakage of information in case the letter fell into hands other than his. Of course, they hadn't written about the house they were currently living in, and so he couldn't make a reply even if he wanted to. 
Also, though Akino hadn't read the words of the letter, Natsume had told her about the contents to some degree. 
It was almost all apology. For bringing him huge troubles that night a year and a half ago. For being unable to come in contact for a long time after that. For possibly making them very worried. For only sending this kind of letter and not going to meet him. 
If he got involved with her, he would be troubled even further, and so, sorry. It seemed that Natsume had apologized like that several times in that short letter. She had said she was doing fine. 
Natsume had said she had always wanted to apologize. She had used yesterday's letter to apologize for the moment. 
But Natsume's feelings couldn't progress. Although Takahiro had warned her beforehand and although she had already realized that - it didn't change the anguish of it. 
"......Maybe I've troubled Tenma-kun." 
"Eh?" 
"After all, I suddenly apologized to him for something a year and a half ago by letter...... Tenma-kun has his own life right now......" 
Natsume spoke in a quiet tone like normal, but even Akino understood that she was forcing herself. No, rather than forcing herself, maybe she was deliberately talking about negative things to balance out her feelings. 
Akino often did similar things. People would put up defenses beforehand when they predicted pain. Doing things to hurt themselves beforehand to get used to pain was one of those defenses. 
Akino wanted to say 'that's not true', but she didn't give it voice. Because Akino didn't understand the boy Momoe Tenma. She didn't understand Natsume's other friends either - her companions. It was meaningless if Akino, who didn't understand anything at all, frivolously consoled her with words. 
......Or was a simple consolation better than nothing? She didn't know. Natsume was the first friend Akino had ever made. Akino still hadn't learned what to do when her friend was in pain. 
But, at the least...... 
"......Ugh." 
She turned her consciousness towards the top of her head. The rabbit ears sticking out. She slanted her head towards Natsume who sat next to her and stroked Natsume's head with one ear. She kept her face pointed towards the courtyard because she was embarrassed. But she looked sideways to see whether she was surprised. 
Natsume's eyes widened in shock at the sudden touch. 
But when she saw Akino who was trying to console here even while she looked straight ahead with a reddened face, she smiled warmly. Akino was relieved. 
Of course, Natsume's melancholy [41] wouldn't go away from just this-- 
"Natsume-chan!" 
Suddenly, Chizuru's voice came from the house, and then she sprinted to the porch. 
She spoke to Natsume and Akino who turned back in surprise: 
"The Onmyou Academy's performance is being broadcasted on TV! The girl they're showing right now was Natsume-chan's classmate - a girl called Kyouko? The Kurahashi." Natsume was dumbstruck. Then, she rose and jumped up onto the porch. She passed by Chizuru's side and went into the house. Akino also hastily followed afterwards. 
The television was placed in the living room. When Akino caught up, Natsume was standing motionless in front of the television. Takahiro was sitting on the tatami next to her watching the broadcast. 
On the screen was showing an idol-like, pretty girl wearing a similar kind of uniform as Momoe Tenma's - but a white one instead of a black one. A white and a black shikigami were materialized to either side of the girl and were elegantly slashing their katana and spear. 
Returning, Chizuru said from behind them: 
"Oh? That girl's Kyouko-chan, right?" 
Natsume didn't immediately reply. She couldn't. She stared blankly at the screen as if her entire body were frozen. But her eyes suddenly became moist and she nodded to affirm Chizuru's question. First in a whisper, then louder, and then finally in a trembling voice, she answered: "......Yes." 
Akino also stared at the girl shown on the screen with wide eyes, then looked back towards Natsume. Natsume stared straight at the girl. Various emotions spilled from her face. 
She looked to be smiling and crying, and even angry. But if the expression that emerged on Natsume's face were to be expressed in a single word, it would be 'moved'. It was the first time in Akino's life that she saw an expression as deep and intensely emotional as the one that emerged. 
"......Kyouko-san...... Looks like she's doing very well......" 
Natsume muttered tearfully. 
Akino returned her gaze to the television again. This girl was Kurahashi Kyouko. A name she often heard from Natsume. Natsume's friend, like Momoe Tenma. An extremely pretty person. And cool. Also, since Natsume kept talking about her, she was definitely a good person. A jealous pang twanged deep inside her heart, but she didn't care about such things after she saw Natsume's current expression. 
"Natsume. That's great, you saw your friend's face." 
After Akino said that, "Yeah." Natsume nodded. For some reason, Akino became slightly happy. Behind the backs of the children, Takahiro and Chizuru glanced at each other, smiling slightly. 
But maybe because they had run here halfway through, her dance ended soon after. The girl bowed amidst the applause and walked offstage. In her place, other students moved forward in large numbers. 
What was starting next? Akino stared intently at the screen. 
"Ah. Natsume. Maybe they'll show that Momoe Tenma person from yesterday? Maybe you can see him, even though you can't meet each other!" 
Natsume's depression would probably fade somewhat if she were able to see the face of her friend who had received the letter. Akino spoke believing this, but Natsume smiled tearfully for some reason. 
"Yeah. But there's so many students...... Also, Tenma-kun's...... not really someone who stands out." 
When Natsume replied, the sound of the students chanting incantations came from the television. Akino hastily prepared to look back at the screen-- 
But she stopped halfway through when she noticed Natsume's expression change. 
Natsume's expression, which had calmed down slightly after seeing her friend's figure, suddenly went pale. All of its emotion vanished as if her soul had escaped. 
Akino was taken aback by the abrupt change, but she had seen Natsume's current reaction at the monastery once. She would show that kind of expression when she was truly shocked from the bottom of her heart. 
Akino said-- 
"Natsume... are you alright?" 
Though it seemed like Natsume heard Akino's worried voice, Natsume couldn't respond. 
"Hmm?" Chizuru felt confused as well. 
"What's that? Is it the group dance? The movements aren't consistent at all - wait, that's completely wrong. Did one of them lose control?" 
She spoke out of shock, surprise, and later worry, but even if those words reached her ears, they didn't reach her heart, and her mind didn't understand. Takahiro muttered "Hmm--" and stroked his bearded jaw. His eyes were sharper than before as they watched the screen, but it just entered a corner of his vision, and he wasn't conscious of it. 
Natsume's soul was nailed to the television image. 
The shikigami group dance performed by the students. The ones dancing on stage were 'M1 Attendants' and 'M3 Asura'. Both were commercially available general-purpose shikigami. There were fifty in total. The movements for the dance performance had probably been originally coordinated expecting a group of fifty shikigami. 
However, the shikigamis' movements were completely uncoordinated. Maybe it was because of the shared spell, but when they tried to make the same movement, the movements of each of them were stiff, and there was even one in the center that was experiencing lag [42] . The anchors covering the broadcast were also confused and excited. 
Takahiro stared at the screen for a while, and then muttered, "......I see, it's someone's prank." 
"What do you mean, prank?" 
"Yeah, it looks like a shikigami charm that originally wasn't intended was mixed in with the group spell. Therefore, the supply of magical energy isn't enough. Also, the base spell went out of sync too because of the extra shikigami. It was added nicely to the spell, but some of the minor adjustments failed. ......But if it's a prank, then the culprit is probably quite outstanding, since he wasn't able to test the spell before it activated. 
My, my. Takahiro voiced his thoughts with that kind of expression. Chizuru, hearing the explanation, furrowed her brows in suspicion. 
Then. 
"But...... It's extremely pretty." 
Akino said as she watched the screen. 
Those words also reached Natsume. Natsume had the same thought. Right. It was extremely pretty. She hadn't seen that beautiful scene since that summer night. 
Takahiro and Chizuru looked at each other, perhaps surprised at Akino's naive thought. "A prank, huh." Chizuru murmured. 
"Why would someone do this kind of thing?" 
"Who knows?" 
"Who did it?" 
"Hey hey, kids. I'm not clairvoyant or a detective--" 
"It was Tenma-kun." Natsume asserted as if to cover Takahiro's wry words. Takahiro, Chizuru, and also Akino looked back at Natsume in surprise. 
Still engrossed in the scene on the television, Natsume said: 
"Tenma-kun's replying to the letter." 
On the other side of the screen, the 'Attendants' and the 'Asura' moved stiffly. 
On the stage. 
But if one surveyed the entire arena, they would notice the small figures of beautiful, free, and agile shikigami flying through the vast space. 
A group of blue swallows. 
The manmade 'WA1 Swallow Whip' shikigami manufactured by the Witchcraft Corporation. 
Unlike the general-purpose shikigami, the 'Swallow Whips' weren't all moving the same way as they flew. Certain ones traced out strange paths, often turning and often rapidly descending as they flew freely through the air. However, there was an overall coordination. Their movements looked unrestrained, but actually they were flying while considering the movements of the other bodies. They moved individually, but became one entity. As if it were a message. 
Then, the exteriors of the 'Swallow Whips' changed slightly. All of the swallows held a certain object in the front of their beaks. 
Something thin and fluttering in the wind-- 
A pink ribbon. 
? 
Natsume's expression instantly crumpled. 
How far out had he thought this? Were the insufficient magical energy and the disorderly spell really mistakes? Maybe he was extremely anxious and pale-faced right now. Or did he not mind it? [43] 
It was as if her friend's unadorned voice reached her from the other side of the screen. 
Welcome back. 
Also, I won't let you get away. 
'Swallow Whips' were binding shikigami. 
These shikigami were second-class magic that Tenma released at Natsume, who had tried soaring into the night sky alone, magic to keep her close to her friends. Even if they couldn't meet, even if they couldn't communicate, it tied Natsume to her friends' sides. 
Kyouko, who in the same place, also saw the same scene. Maybe Touji and Suzuka were watching through the broadcast. Also, maybe Harutora was as well. Maybe the friends from a year and a half ago were watching the same scene and receiving the same message. That would be nice. She hoped it were true. 
Tears trickled from Natsume's eyes. Even so, Natsume couldn't blink as she continued watching the same scene with her friends. 
The grand flurry of 'Swallow Whips' joyfully continued with no end in sight.