Tokyo Ravens - Volume 16 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Part 1 

The old house along the Sumida River where Debuchi's group was hiding was almost completely destroyed. 

There was no need to go this far, but it was the result of Hokuto's "excess energy" at the last minute. It was fortunate that no one died. However, the enemy had already been captured, and it was hard to get those who were stuck in a hurry to get them out. Clearly, their escape was more chilling than a one-sided battle. 

"That dragon, it really is your shikigami, isn't it?" 

"There's no way a wild dragon is in Tokyo." 

"No discipline." 

" It is just a little mischievous." 

"It's called "undisciplined." 

Satsuki said with a budding smile, and Yakō showed no signs of discipline as he bricked his neck. 

"It will follow the instructions. Well there are some difficulties with how it does." 

"All right. Then it's the owner's problem. You don't know what to do. You really need to learn about common sense and moderation, you know." 

"Yes, Lieutenant? Aren't you being the least bit rude to an onmyoudou family head?" 

"Shut up." 

Satsuki said in a tossing motion, then took out a cigarette and lit it. Purple smoke trailed in the river breeze and melted away in the late summer evening. 

Yakō and Satsuki were standing on top of a collapsed house. The area was littered with roof tiles and stacked with broken posts and boards. It was a two-story house, but the second floor of it was already gone, and the first floor, too, had collapsed on the wall facing the Sumida River. It was in the shape of Hokuto, who had rioted on the river side and had scraped it off at an angle from above. Right in front of them, the damaged wall was floating on the surface of the river, floating up and down. 

Although no onlookers came to the site because of the exclusionary wards, the voices of nearby residents could be heard making noise. After all, a golden dragon suddenly flew in and went on a rampage. That's what all the commotion was about, huh? 

Debuchi's men, who were captured, were rolling the street. They had already reported by sending a shikigami to Takamitsu, but Hishamaru went to Kurahashi's house in a hurry, just in case. The reason the two of them stayed behind was partly to hold the scene, but more importantly because Satsuki asked them to take a break. It was Satsuki's strongest request that he didn't want to move one more step. 

"'This has to be the head of the Onmyoudou Dormitory? It hurts my head when I think about the future." 

"Hey. I didn't say I'd take it yet." 

"Still this? That’s enough.” 

"What do you mean? What I've been saying all the time…" 

"Yakō, I'm tired of hearing “the reason for refusing”." 

Satsuki interrupted Yakō with a sideways glance, still holding the cigarette in his mouth, and Yakō frowned, but did not argue further. 

The city lights on the other side of the river swayed on the surface of the Sumida River. 

In the darkness, the tip of the cigarette that Satsuki was puffing on flickered gently and quietly. 

"… Come to think of it, I didn't hear you earlier." 

"What?" 

"This new kind of magic you want to use. Why don't you tell me now? 

"…" 

Yakō didn't answer. In the silence, Satsuki turned to look at him. Then he looked slightly surprised; Yakō was blushing. 

But Yakō was staring at the river. 

"I…" 

Said with a feverish voice. 

"I'm not special when it comes to creating new magic. I just want to create an “ordinary spell”.” 

He rolled his eyes like a pigeon eating a bean gun. 

"Ordinary spell? …What? What's that supposed to mean?" 

"… I would like to live in a world where magic is commonplace. A world where magic is a normal part of life. I hope it will be." 

"… Wait. What's the difference between that and the universally accepted spell I was talking about. Isn't it the same?" 

"No, it's not the same. You're talking about giving a whole new meaning to a spell, especially one involving the military. No, I'm more interested in making magic more conventional. Something that can be suddenly chanted next to you and not be repelled and creeped out. Something sorcerers and practitioners won't be blindly afraid of." 

"… so there's nothing special about it, just ordinary magic, right?" 

"Yes. I want magic to blend in with the world. I want to make it possible for it to exist in harmony with the world of the future, which is why I want a new kind of magic." 

Yakō said and closed his mouth, while Satsuki mumbled a little, then silently smoked a cigarette. 

Then, this time Yakō glanced over at Satsuki. 

"You can laugh. You're so green." 

"I won't laugh. And you're more of a greenish…?" 

"What?" 

Yakō gives him a suspicious look; Satsuki turned his head to Yakō and grinned, holding a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. 

"In plain words, this is what you want, isn't it? You want a world where your shikigami won't have to hide the ears and tails of a fox when, where, and in front of anyone." 

"What…" 

Yakō was speechless. Then, in a hurry, he tried to deny it, but he couldn't get it right. Yakō's reaction was unbearable, and Satsuki couldn't help but let out a gulp of air. The cigarette he was holding in his mouth fell out, but he didn't care and continued to laugh, shaking his shoulders. 

"Oh, come on, what's with that face? Aside from being a figurehead, you need to mend it up a bit." 

"Ugh, shut up. You're laughing too hard!" 

"It's okay to laugh, right?" 

"I told you I'm not laughing!" 

At the childish exchange, Satsuki laughed even more, while Yakō turned red and yelled at him. Their voices gradually grew louder and lighter again. 

When Hishamaru returned, Yakō and Satsuki were desperately erasing the dropped cigarette fire. Hishamaru was confused and asked what had happened, but the two laughed and muddyed in a strangely friendly manner. 

This story was an absolute secret, only to Hishamaru. 

That was the first promise they made. 

The world was trembling. 

The atmosphere cleared, the earth trembled, and the spiritual veins rumbled. 

And then, the flow of spiritual energy circulating in the Temple of Heaven began to be disturbed in a thousand ways. 

Naturally, Hishamaru gulped. The heart and center of the Temple of Heaven, the god, was shaking with anger. Such a powerful and transcendent being was really angry. Neither the heavens, nor the earth, nor the spiritual veins could ignore his fury. Therefore, they resonate with "his" anger and rage in unison. 

This was the wrath of a god. 

"Damn you." 

Satsuki spat. Angry. Just like that, Hishamaru thought that her body would be blown away. Hishamaru raised her arms to protect her body and stepped on the stone stage with both feet. 

- Yakō-sama… 

Yakō, who was even closer to Satsuki than Hishamaru, propped himself up on one knee and tied a sign, enduring the storm of spiritual energy. 

"Satsuki!" 

He sang in his throat and called out to Satsuki. 

However, it was unlikely that the Lord's voice had reached him; Satsuki's eyes flared up like a fierce fire, his gaze set straight to the northwest sky. On the northern side of the imperial capital, where the air strikes continued. Even the Yase Doji's who showed up seemed to be fighting in fear of their master’s eye affliction. 

And then. 

"How dare you, kindred spirit!" 

The spiritual energy that erupted from Satsuki's entire body expanded explosively. The spiritual pressure increased at once. Hishamaru's consciousness turned white. The moment the tiny fox possessed prepared for death and annihilation, Satsuki waved his arms wide to the northwest. 

Spiritual energy popped. 

Pushing out by the heightened spiritual pressure, the dense spiritual aura played as a mass. 

It was like a giant shell of spiritual energy. It went northwest in a straight line. Blasting the surroundings with the impact, it engulfed the fire of the gomadan that was in the line of fire on the way, becoming a whirlpool of flames as it crossed the Sumida River in the blink of an eye and disappeared into the sky. 

- What? 

She desperately chased it with her eyes. The fox with excellent eyesight saw more than ten planes exploding together in the distant sky and peeled her eyes away. 

- From this distance! That's just like that… 

Moreover, this was not a spell. Satsuki just "waved" his arm. 

The stone stage was swirling with spiritual energy in the aftermath of the shot's power. The pedestal collapsed, leaving no traces of the divine brilliance. 

However, Satsuki's anger was not as if it had subsided. In the distant sky, the formation's movements appeared to be in disarray, but the bombing continued unabated, and Satsuki, not taking his eyes off the scene at all, let out a biting cry that made his shoulders furious. 

The figure of the Yase Doji and the others disappeared again. God had dismissed them. That is to say, it was nothing more than a divine intention to directly inflict divine punishment with their own hands. 

"Satsuki! Be still. Don't be consumed by anger!" 

Yakō raised his voice loudly. 

Yakō's voice was filled with a sharp spell power. It was a spell magic word. It was a powerful curse that would bind even a demon, but it was countered by the thick layer of spiritual energy that enveloped him before it struck Satsuki's eardrums. The skillfulness of the technique was of no use to the thing. It's a good thing that he was a good friend of his. 

Boom. 

Spiritual energy leapt. Dokunz, dokunz, dokunz pulsed. 

As Satsuki's anger thickened, the spiritual energy that had been circulating began to pop everywhere. The circulation was disrupted and began to go wild. It wasn't just the spiritual energy. The fires of the gomadan, which had been burning in the dark night, also erupted in some places, twisted in others, and turned black in others, causing the dark fire to flicker. The protection altar itself had been destroyed, and in some places the flames had spread to the flames; the vast vessels of the Temple of Heaven that Yakō had prepared were cracked and now about to shatter. 

Then the spiritual veins of the earth surged. 

The spiritual vein that had once been calmed by Yakō's technique was once again looming up from the depths of the earth. Hishamaru's entire body stood on end at this terrifying presence. 

It was different from what Hishamaru knew as miasma. A dense atmosphere of death. The magma of miasma, clad in a machine of decay, was about to overflow onto the ground. 

"…Oh no…!" 

- This is what happened during the great air raid…! 

More than 80,000 people died of atrocities, fear, regret, anger and resentment. Of course, these things hadn't disappeared. A chill ran up and down Hishamaru's spine at the fact that they were performing the ritual on top of a huge grudge. 

The miasma, concentrated in the depths of the earth, was emerging as if drawn by the wrath of the god who had descended to earth. At the same time, the earth trembled like an earthquake, cracking and cracking. The earth's surface would rise and fall, opening a hole in the depths of the earth, a hole that would lead to a different aspect of the spirit. 

Finally, the miasma dissolved. 

Like a starving demon from hell, the miasma crawled out and let out a voiceless scream. The earthly spirituality that had touched the vault's air was immediately deflected and transformed into a new miasma. The newly born miasma also changed the spiritual energy in the area into miasma. The magicians on the platform tried to quickly create a magical storage unit, but they were unable to do so. The infection of the "dirt" spread and a swamp of miasma was born in the scorched earth people. 

"…Ugh, uh…" 

The miasma swamp was condensing and trying to take shape. It was beginning to take on substance. The deformed ones who were craggy in the scorched earth of darkness. The miasma with substance was, in other words, the same as an ogre like Kakugyouki. How many sorcerers would it take to cultivate one of them, even if they did not have the same power as him? Also, how many time questions would it take and how many sacrifices would be made? It was about to appear before their eyes in countless numbers. Hishamaru shuddered, her heart crushed with fear and despair. 

But then. 

"One, two, three, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten…" 

Yakō's spell danced in the air amidst the stormy spiritual air. 

Hishamaru turned her head to Yakō's back as if bounced, and she thrust herself down on one knee toward Satsuki, fluttering the sleeve of her bundle belt, tying her hands together in a sign and chanting the incantation hard. It was an unfamiliar inflection spell. There were also multiple spells floating and spinning loosely around the fragile Yakō, surrounding him. The spells were pinned up like gold plates, trembling at fine and fast speeds, emitting a golden light. 

There were ten spells in total. Each of them was a model of the "ten divine treasures" called the Breathless Mirror, the Hentsu Mirror, the Eight-Handed Sword, the Raw Jade, the Foot Jade, the Deadly Jade, the Dao Jade, the Serpent's Ritual, the Bee's Ritual, and the Ritual of the Goods and Things. Normally, a “jade” would be used for the form, but Yakō substitutes a spell for it. 

- This is … a spell of requiescats! 

Before Hishamaru could open her eyes to him, Yakō's spell was crotch to crotch. 

"Furube, yura yura to, furube." 

- After all, "Furu's words"! But why do you use "jade swing" here? 

The requiescast spell was a mysterious spell and Yakō himself has not yet been able to explain its structure. It may be old in origin, but above all, it was a mystical ritual that dealt with the soul, which had yet to be defined. 

Like many of the older spells, this spell was said to be extremely powerful, albeit difficult to handle. According to detailed descriptions, it was sometimes said that even a dead man could be brought back to life. 

"Aah!" 

Hishamaru shouted involuntarily. 

At that moment, Satsuki's back, which was looking to the northwest, trembled loudly, as if he had been electrocuted. And then. 

"Satsuki, listen!" 

Yakō shouted, catching a moment's notice. 

He arrived. 

Satsuki looked back over his shoulder. His wide open eyes glance at Yakō. There was still a thick hint of god in his eyes. But beyond that, deep within the eyes, a "soul" that Hishamaru knew well dwelt. 

"… Yakō…" 

Satsuki answered. 

Yakō used this to his advantage. The spell of the Onmyoudou Head reached Satatsuki's soul, which had been united with the god, and called him back to this stone stage, to this world. 

"Satsuki, can you subdue him?" 

There was no time to choose a word. At last, Sakuki squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth, as Yakō was in desperate need of help. A look of anguish passed over his face. 

Hishamaru couldn't imagine what kind of state Satatsuki was in right now, “the state that god possesses”. She could not guess what he was feeling. Was it ecstasy or pain? Was it a sense of omnipotence or inferiority? Or was it all of them? Maybe even the person in question didn't know. 

But at least Satsuki was willing to comply with Yakō's request. 

He raised his hands and stared at his own palms. 

"… Ma… Masakado…" 

Satsuki raises his voice. That voice, also different from the angry voice that roared into the northwest sky earlier, was the voice of Sōma Satsuki, the one Hishamaru knew. 

“Power … no … no. This is my … now I'm … Masakado?…” 

Suddenly, the spiritual energy that had been growing and raging chaotically became rigid and tense with a bleep. The movement of spiritual energy stopped. It was as if the world had stopped time. 

Satsuki let out a yell. 

An elaborate spiritual energy erupted from Satsuki's body as he cried out. A noble and powerful spiritual aura that couldn't belong to a human being. 

That, dignity. 

“…Taira no… the new emperor, Taira no Masakado commands!" 

Satsuki glistened at the scorched earth and unleashed a great blackmail into the dark night. 

"Refrain!" 

The divine authority was shown. 

The spiritual energy in the vicinity was instantly inspired by the divine power and flashed all at once like the flapping of a group of cranes. The sacred spiritual energy swelled up and burst out, radiating around the stone stage. 

The divine aura flowed through the scorched earth like a tsunami, sweeping the land in the blink of an eye. Hishamaru could barely keep up with the scene in front of her. 

God's anger called out miasma. Each time the present world and the hidden world appeared and disappeared, the state of the world changed at a dizzying pace with a single god. At times like this, one has no other option but to pray, right? 

Confirming that miasma has faded, Yakō breathed out for a moment. 

- This is a possession! 

Hishamaru scolded herself and jumped up to her master to support his shoulder. “Yakō-sama", she called out, and Yakō took one look at Hishamaru and gave her a quick glance. 

Hishamaru's fox possession made her stronger than an ordinary person. But Yakō, no matter how powerful his spiritual power was, was still a flesh and blood human being. He didn't wear "Raven's wing" at the moment. It was not just a matter of time before he'll get away with it. Even so, there was a spiritual pressure on the stone stage that forced him to wear out just by being there. 

On the other hand. 

"… not yet…" 

Satsuki was not distracted. His entire body was clothed in divine majesty, and his eyes were set on the void with a glorious spiritual energy. 

"… The Temple of Heaven…the protection altars formation? …Can you throw it out in a place like this…“ 

An enormous amount of spiritual energy rose up again. The spiritual energy dived through the torii in all directions and was fed into the fire of the altars. The circulation of the vanishing spiritual energy was revived and the Temple of Heaven began to regain its spiritual presence. 

It was truly at will. It seemed that the feats performed by man were nothing more than child's play to the gods. However. 

"Wait, Satsuki! The technique is already half destroyed. If we force it back on, we don't know what kind of hindrance it will cause! If it's not good, it will go out of control!" 

"Then… fix it now!" 

"Impossible. You don't even know what part of the world is crazy? It's too late for you to go out of control!" 

Yakō desperately pleaded with Satatsuki as he continued to release his spiritual energy. 

However, Satatsuki didn't stop. 

"With this much output… I can support it, with my strength, I'll push through…" 

"It's reckless, the second you can't keep, settle down. Now, you just focus on keeping this place spiritually stable. And after that, I will send back Masakado." 

At the last word, Satsuki opened both eyes. 

A tremendous spiritual pressure surged in the air. A tremendous spiritual pressure came over him. Hishamaru closed one eye and sheltered the Lord behind her as if to protect him from the spiritual air. Yakō let the shikigami lean back, but kept his gaze on Satsuki. 

"Satsuki. The gods are made. The second coming is possible. So back off now. At this rate, you'll lose control of your technique. Your spirit is going to go wild." 

"If you're not strong enough, you'll have to use praise!" 

"Satsuki!?" 

Yakō let out a screaming voice. But still, Satsuki showed no signs of retreating. 

"Calm down? The Second Coming? Yakō! Don't you see the fire from that air strike? Right now, this country is being trampled and the people of Tokyo are being burned to the ground! If you don't save them now, what kind of magic is this?” 

Once again, the spiritual energy was raging around Satsuki. The spiritual energy was disturbed like a storm, and the clouds in the sky undulated at high speed. God's anger directly moved the heavens and earth; even now that Satsuki's soul was called back to the surface, it seemed that Satsuki was still united with the god. 

Yakō turned pale. 

"No, Satsuki! Don't be consumed by the fury of god. You can't endure it with a human spirit. Your heart will be broken!" 

"What about it! I've told you. I would rather die a martyr to this plan than live on in vain for nothing! Yakō, by setting up a perimeter around the imperial capital, setting up a court and shooting down every last one of those bombers. We will defend this country. Lend me your strength!" 

"…What!" 

Yakō contorted his face and bit his lip. His profile was filled with anger, impatience and frustration as a fierce conflict sliced through Hishamaru's chest. 

What was the right thing to do? Without having an answer, Hishamaru put her strength into her arms to support her master. There was only one thing she could do. That was to protect Yakō. Hishamaru could protect Yakō's body, but she couldn't protect Yakō's heart. What a miserable thing. 

"Yakō!" 

"…Satsuki." 

The gazes of the god and the onmyouji crossed each other. The shikigami waited with bated breath for the Lord to make a decision. 

But fate did not give them a choice. 

"I'm not good enough! Run!" 

It was a magician who was away from the stone stage who shouted. The moment Hishamaru reflexively turned her head, a bright white flash of light popped out of the corner of her eye, near the Sumida River. 

The sound of an explosion echoed in the dark night. 

A shudder could be felt beneath her feet. 

Then, with a high-pitched sound that cut through the night air, a rain of fire rained down on the protection altar beside the Sumida River. They were incendiary bombs. After landing, the rain of fire bounced off the ground again, forming innumerable fireballs and spreading, burning the area. The flame spread as if a cast net had been thrown, illuminating the scorched earth violently. 

The sound of the engines reaching from overhead. She looked up and saw planes in the sky, B29s. It was impossible to count them all in a flash. 

- No! What are they doing here? 

The area around had been burned to the ground. There was nothing to target, not even a target. 

No. 

Hishamaru has gone pale. They had a target. The Temple of Heaven. In the darkness of the light control system, there were hundreds of red-burning protection altars. They were no doubt targets for attack from above, as if to say "take aim”. In addition, Satsuki's attack. It was also possible that the attacker was heading back in the direction it was launched. In any case, it must have been a maneuver that wasn't originally planned, but the enemy hadn't missed the Temple of Heaven. 

"Damn you!" 

Satsuki exploded his spiritual aura again. A series of spiritual energy cannonballs were launched in rapid succession. Several B29s above exploded as they lost control, as if fueled by a gust of wind. They were destroyed and crashed to the ground with a plume of black smoke. Hishamaru clicked her tongue, "I'm sorry", she said. 

"Yakō-sama! We're retreating!" 

"Nonsense! We can't just leave it like this!" 

"But…" 

"It’s useless, Hishamaru, Satsuki!…” 

Around the area where the bombing occurred, the spellcasters were fleeing. Some of the stiffs were firing spells at the enemy aircraft, but they were soon caught in the explosion. Looking around, the black smoke from the incendiary bombs landing on the scorched earth rose in multiple streaks. Memories of the past month parked in his mind. But now, at Yakō's side, there was no "Raven's wing," no Kakugyouki, no Hokuto. 

There was no one but her. 

If. 

"I'm sorry!" 

Hishamaru, using her fox's replacement power, picked up Yakō. “Hishamaru!" yelled Yakō, and that's when the light came on. 

A light shone above his head. 

He looked up and saw a white, elbow-shaped fireball falling with a wisp of white smoke. Right above the stone stage. And the countless rains of fire. 

Hishamaru froze. 

At that moment, Yakō shook off the shikigami's arms and held his head in reverse, causing them to fall to the ground. Immediately after that, they were blown away. 

Light and roar. Impact. Just before his consciousness was forcibly cut off, she heard the raging scream of a raging god, fangs bared against the sky. 

This was death. Hishamaru thought that in her slowed down head. It was a dreamy state of mind. She was happy to think that she had escaped from that place. 

The churning habit that soaked her whole body receded little by little. In turn, she felt pain all over her body. The receding disorientation began to fade away. 

She was alive. What was happening? Light and sound and shock. That was right. She was hit by an air strike. 

"Yakō-sama!" 

With a bang, Hishamaru raised herself up. As she did so, Yakō, who had been draped over her, threw himself to the earth. 

Hishamaru rushed to the ground and called: 

"Yakō-sama! Yakō-sama!" 

Yakō camped and jerked at the mournful cry that seemed to cut him down. He opened his eyelids and: 

"… Hi, Hishamaru…?" he replied with a sooty face. 

Hishamaru said, "Ah," with tears of relief, and buried his face in the Lord's chest. 

The warmth of Yakō's body on her cheek brought Hishamaru back to his senses. She immediately looked up, both ears standing up sharply to assess her surroundings. 

The air strikes were still going on. Although a short distance away, the roaring sound of the explosions struck her ears and the earth's tremors came directly to her. Hishamaru tried to escape carrying Yakō, but the danger had not left them. 

With a gobble, Yakō spat out blood. 

For a moment, she couldn't understand what had happened. After understanding, her eyes went dark. 

Streaks of reddish-black blood dripped from Yakō's forehead, slickly. His east belt was covered in dust, with its sleeves shredded and its hem torn. His left leg was bent in a different direction, and blood had drained from his face. 

She recalled. The Lord had taken a risk to protect Hishamaru, holding her in his arms, and Yakō had protected her at the moment of the bombing. The fury against the Lord and herself boiled over in an instant. 

Why did he do that? 

How could he do such a thing? 

Perhaps it was an anger to hide her fear. But now she could not allow herself to give over to anger. The Lord was still alive. Nothing could be more important than that fact, and Hishamaru would do her best to attempt to heal Yakō through magic. 

"…Satsuki?" 

Yakō mumbled, his voice sounding even innocent, as if he was still unconscious. 

Hishamaru looked up. 

Yakō and Hishamaru had been thrown to the earth, flung off the stone stage. The stone stage should have been hit by an air strike, but its center had escaped destruction. And on top of the stone stage, where the shape remained, there was the shadow of a man. 

It was Satsuki. 

The left half of its body was on fire. 

It must have been covered with incendiary devices. The flames flickered and flickered, but the figure was staring at the heavens and stuttering, not moving even slightly. A tremendous divine energy emanated from his entire body, suppressing the flames from spreading with his momentum. 

Supposedly, Satsuki had prevented the incendiary bombs that were supposed to hit the stone stage. But he wasn't able to prevent it completely, and Yakō and Hishamaru were blown away by the impact, leaving Satsuki covered in flames, throwing light onto the stone stage like a living torch. His fiercely fluttering red hair seemed to have become one with the flames. The unusual scene made Hishamaru gasp for a moment. 

It was already clear that it was not "Sōma Satsuki". The "human" had completely disappeared. As if to prove this fact, his left arm, which had been burning, turned to black charcoal and fell to the ground. The arm shattered on the stone stage and continued to burn into a fine mass, but Satsuki did not pay any attention to it. 

With his divine aura, he could have put out the fire and even regenerated his left arm. But it no longer showed any pretense of caring about human form. 

A flame crawled from the left shoulder to the neck, scorching the left cheek. There was no expression on its face. Only what lay behind that face, the will of what resided in Satsuki's body could be felt, not reasonably. 

Anger. 

It's a huge, deep, impersonal anger and hatred. 

And then suddenly Yakō, who had fallen, grabbed Hishamaru's arm, which she had placed on his chest. 

“It’s useless." 

His voice was weak. But his consciousness was clearly awakened, and there was a clear will in his voice. "Yakō-sama!" and that's when Hishamaru tried to focus more on healing. 

Satsuki's emanation of divine energy was reversed. 

She didn't know if they could call it a reversal, exactly. But to Hishamaru, at least, it seemed as if the nature of the divine energy had changed completely opposite. However, the output did not change. Rather, it seemed as if the output had increased even more. 

The changed divine aura drifted under Satsuki's feet like a gas with a heavy specific gravity and spread out over the stone stage, covering his charred left arm and the puddle of blood. Then, in the blink of an eye, it covered the stone stage. 

They flooded the earth. 

Hishamaru was not sure if she should stop at the moment. 

But she changed his mind when she saw the Lord's tight expression, lending a hand to Yakō and raising his upper body. By then, Satsuki's divine energy was in front of her like a lapping wave. 

"… Ban un taraku kiriku aku…" 

With trembling fingers, Yakō tied the five curse marks, and the five basestones emerged in front of Yakō, stopping the divine energy in the nick of time. However, the divine aura flowed from left to right and behind him, leaving behind the curse wall that Yakō had put up, as if the two of them were invisible to him. 

"Ya… Yakō-sama, this is…" 

Yakō did not reply to Hishamaru's question as he supported both shoulders from behind. But the Lord's answer. 

She didn't need to ask. She knew the answer right away. 

Behind them. Three times, miasma crawled up from the depths of the earth. It was also Satsuki's divine energy, the anger-filled divine spirit energy, that was priming and sucking up miasma. 

The divine energy increased in speed and spread across the scorched earth as far as the eye could see. The warehouse aura mixed with the divine aura and exploded in density. It swelled, argued, flailed, and then swelled and stretched wide and wide. 

To the sky. 

"N…Tha…canno…" 

At that time, miasma had already materialized more than halfway through the occupation. Then, like a tornado in the scorched earth, like a serpent with several heads, it twisted and rose into the night sky. Its height, even by visual inspection, was well over a hundred meters. On the contrary, two or three miasma pillars were tangled and twisted together into a single pillar, some reaching several hundred meters in height. 

The clouds that stood low in the sky and the bombers that flew below them. The gas of miasma covering the earth and the flames of incendiary bombs dimly lit on the scorched earth. And the pillars of warehouse air like huge towers rising up from the ground. The Temple of Heaven, which Yakō had prepared, had already been completely transformed into the Otherworld. 

And the top of the miasma's pillar, which rose up while swaying, was puffed up. 

It popped. 

All at once, countless monsters flew out from inside. 

The strange shapes of these things let out strange sounds that made one's hair crawl. The strange voices mixed with warehouse air were spotted between heaven and earth. 

The strange shapes were scattered across the sky and poured onto the ground. Yokai. Scarecrows. Demons. Each one was a mass of materialized miasma. Those that flew in the sky clung to the bombers, laughing, and those that landed on the ground were screaming and crying as they plowed through the swamp. In the meantime, the tops of the pillars of air were swelling and bursting, creating new forms one after another. 

Hell. 

There was no other way to describe the scene before them, and Hishamaru was unable to think of anything else, as if her core was stuck in her head. She was vaguely afraid that she would lose her mind, and she almost sought salvation there. 

Demons and monsters. 

One thousand shadow demons. 

Rattling and trembling, she clutched Yakō's shoulders for support. Gently, Yakō placed his palm over his fingers. 

"…Hishamaru." 

"Yakō-sama, I'm sorry, I don't… what do I…" 

"…" 

Yakō grabbed Hishamaru's hand and closed his eyes. 

"… Use Masakado." 

He declared sharply. 

"Quiet Masakado's anger and plead for miasma's reprint. This is the only way." 

"Well, are you going to call on Colonel Sōma again?" 

"… Yeah. However, that guy's consciousness will have already been completely swallowed up by Masakado. So, with the help of Taizan Fukun, I will work directly on that guy's soul. For that purpose…" 

Yakō broke off the words once and continued after a few beats. 

"Taizan Fukun, I'll descend him to me." 

"Yakō-sama?!" 

"…Only for two moments. I'm well aware of what's going on with Taizan Fukun. You know, I have Seimei-sama over there too. Of course, it's a matter of course or not, but I can't think of anything else to do." 

After uttering the word nonchalantly, Yakō turned to Hishamaru over his shoulder. 

There was a faint smile on Yakō's profile that she had seen some time ago. A troubled, weak, crying face. A smile of acceptance of fate, a smile of determination. 

"Forgive me. I ended up bringing you to this place." 

"What do you say? I will be by Yakō-sama's side the whole time." 

"Ah. If you die." 

Hishamaru's courage was ignited in her body, and her eyes burned deeply. 

Hishamaru lent him a shoulder and together they stood up, Yakō supported by Hishamaru as they walked step by step to the stone stage. 

Half clothed in flames, he went to Satsuki. 

"…Onmyouji, Tsuchimikado Yakō… I humbly submit to you, Taizan Fukun, and the various gods of the underworld…" 

Yakō's incantation was a mouthful. The breathless, interrupted chanting was approximately not a spell that the Lord could cast. He was on the verge of exhausting his spiritual power, not to mention his physical injuries. His mental power must have long since passed its limit as well. Nevertheless, Yakō did everything in his power to compose the Tsuchimikado secret art with all the skill he has. 

The flames that burned Satsuki bathed them in light and heat as they climbed onto the stone stage, Satsuki's twin eyes pointed at them, Yakō stepped forward, further, Hishamaru supported him. His right hand sluggishly reached into his pocket and snatched out a spellpaper. The last aura was concocted into spell power and released as a magic. 

"… Satsuki. It's the last" 

Yakō closed his eyes and held the extracted spell in front of his face. 

"My wish, grant it… Hidden decree." 

Quickly, the spell was cast above his head. 

At that moment, it pierced the cloudy sky and light came in from heaven. 

Hishamaru's eyes widened. Her body was wrapped in warm air. Hishamaru had already reached her limits both physically and mentally. She was fascinated by the comfort that was unintentionally extended, without having to resist. 

Something huge and noble touched the body of the Lord who lent his shoulders. 

What Hishamaru felt at that time was somehow nostalgia. 

Hishamaru's consciousness melted into white. 

The voice of Yakō interacting with God was heard somewhere far away. 

Part 2 

That's a lie, the shikigami is being punished for it. 

As he said this, the one-eyed boy laughed back with a look on his face as if he was trying to hold back tears, and he clasped her hand against his cheek with his own. 

Then a girl at a distance, a girl with rabbit ears, called out something to the boy. At the girl's side, a woman was lying on the ground. She looked at them, letting out a painful cry. Then she said. 

"… Harutora-sama…" 

That, she got confused. 

- Why, how could I be there? Then who is "me" here now? 

While her thoughts got distracted, the world around her became more and more hectic. The boy left her side and went to the front. The girl with the rabbit ears walked diagonally behind him, that was Raven's wing. Finally, she realized that she was sitting on the stone stage of the Temple of Heaven. 

But which Temple of Heaven, then? The place where the Temple of Heaven was located was quite high. Also, the night view overlooking it was something she had never seen before. She had never seen this place. This was… Before that, who was the boy in front of her? A boy with his left eye covered. She's never seen him before. The one she just saw, the one lying on the ground in the distance, looked at him and called him "Harutora-sama”. Harutora, a name she's never heard of. 

And yet she knew. She knew him. And she knew the one in front of the boy. And the one who was lying apart. They both knew her well. 

Confusion reigned. 

"Now, we shall conduct the "Taizan Fukun Sai." 

The moment the boy declared, she said, "Oh". 

A faint memory, far away. She had remembered the same memory when she was a child. The same time she had snooped on the "Taizan Fukun Sai". It was just a momentary daydream. She didn't understand it then, but she understood it now. 

She was sent from here. 

The girl with the rabbit ears shouted something. The word "God" flashed through her mind. The surroundings were filled with light. The boy uttered her name. 

"No matter how many times it takes, no matter how long, we’ll definitely meet again! Because I am your shikigami!" 

That's right. The journey wasn't over yet. Her journey didn't end there. 

Ton, was thrown off. She was puzzled by the emptiness of the situation, and she was confused. 

The Lord was looking at her with a smile. 

Dear child, have a good journey. 

A small blessing from the old and the great. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she was being "blessed". 

Something out of time and omnipresent, she was once again… 

"…Huh." 

The first thing Hishamaru felt was a cold, hard sensation under her body, and as she settled in, she lifted her heavy eyelids. 

Perhaps it was because she was looking directly at the light up close, but her eyes were unable to see in front of her. But as her consciousness surfaced, she was aware of the clear air that surrounded her body. It was like being in a deep forest in the village of Tsuchimikado, fresh and clean. The sensation she was suddenly given was enough to cloud her memory. She felt as if everything she had done so far was just a dream, as if she was still in the village of Tsuchimikado. 

In a tranquil time, left behind by the world, she was still in the village of Tsuchimikado, feeling the changing seasons, the days of guarding the last fire of the dying magic with Yakō. 

Kokage, Toshiyuki, and Kakugyouki were there, and the number of followers was dwindling. The energy of the past was gone, but occasionally Takamitsu and Hisateru come from Tokyo to visit, and Yakō was always bored. 

Yakō always seemed to be bored and sometimes he gave up his job to visit the temple. He would get bored and try new spells in his spare time, and each time he would get a big eye-roll from Kokage and be spared by Takamitsu for his talents. Hishamaru grimaced, taking care of the Lord day in and day out, while complaining about the rigid rules of the Lord, complaining about the lack of change in his life, and lamenting the decline of magic. 

Her chest tightened up. 

- Ku, get a grip… 

Hishamaru shook her head violently. 

A scene that might have been possible. A path that could have been taken if the times allowed it. But this was not the time to be trapped in a delusion. 

It seemed as if she had been unconscious for a moment, and it seemed as if a much longer time had passed. Similar to when she woke up from a long sleep, her memory was still muddled. Of course, the peaceful days in the village were just a dream, a wish. But what about the boy with the one eye? Hishamaru tried desperately to scoop up the memory, but the glimpse slipped through her fingers. An unexpectedly strong sense of loss hit her, but instead, a more certain memory came furiously to her. 

"Yakō-sama!" 

There was a presence right behind her. Remnants of the divine spirit. It was also two pillars. He had succeeded in bringing down the god, Taizan Fukun. Hishamaru tried to stand up and was surprised to find that she couldn't put any strength into her limbs, and her spiritual power was on the verge of being depleted. Was this also an effect of the ritual? Hisamaru staggered and poked her hands, looking back hard. 

When she finally came back, she saw two men standing in her field of vision. Hishamaru was relieved to see that Yakō was safe and sound, but she gasped when her vision became clearer. 

Yakō's hair had turned as white as snow. 

"Ya… Yakō-sama…?!" 

Yakō didn't respond to Hishamaru's voice. She couldn't see his expression because his back was turned, and he didn't seem to hear Hishamaru's voice. 

Meanwhile, Satsuki's left half of his body was still engulfed in flames. The fire was still in the left half of his body, probably due to the strong divine energy in his body, and it did not appear to have spread. However, just like Yakō, he did not seem to notice Hishamaru. 

On the contrary… 

Suddenly, Satsuki staggered and fell on Yakō as if a thread had snapped. 

Yakō didn't dodge; Satsuki's flames burned into Yakō's sokutai, and Hishamaru screamed and tried to run out, but her limbs wouldn't move, and she couldn't even stand up. 

At that moment, “bam” and a dry ripping sound rang out. 

Satsuki's body tilted as if it was going to be poked from the side and fell under Yakō's feet as he stood there. Yakō, too, was pushed by Satsuki's body and staggered, losing his stance. 

Once again, Hishamaru jumped out. It was still not as strong as before, but this time her body moved, and just before Yakō fell to the stone stage, she slipped in and held his body. 

She knocked out the fire that had burned into the sokutai in a selfless manner. Fortunately, the fire was quickly extinguished, and Hishamaru crawled back from Satsuki's burning body, holding Yakō in her arms. Satsuki closed both eyes and didn't move a bit anymore, but he was still in the middle of the fire. 

"Yakō-sama! Yakō-sama!" 

Hishamaru shook Yakō's body, but there was no response. The Lord's face was completely drained of blood. His body temperature had dropped and his pulse was faint. His breathing was also terribly shallow. But in spite of that, the half-lidded twin eyes remained unfocused and had a strange color to them. 

It was horrifying. They were still connected. 

"-Are you alive?" 

The voice that was suddenly called out was from outside the stone stage. Hishamaru turned with a start, and was even more stunned to see the man there. 

"Lieu… Lt. Col. Debuchi!?" 

“Former Lieutenant Colonel." 

"What are you doing here? 

"Colonel Sōma's orders." 

Debuchi replied flatly and was covered in dust all over. She wondered if he had also participated in the ceremony. He couldn't hide his fatigue, but his eyes remained sharp as he looked at them. She could sense that he was tough enough to act unwaveringly even in a difficult situation. And then Hishamaru noticed that he had a gun in his right hand. The sound of a split earlier. Hishamaru understood and became alarmed. 

- This is the man who shot Colonel Sōma. 

Thanks to this, the fire on Yakō was averted. But she couldn’t thank him for that. Even if it was only a formality, Debuchi should have been Satsuki's subordinate. 

"… What do you mean by that?" 

Hishamaru asked sternly while protecting Yakō. One hand reached for the hidden spellpaper, but she didn't even have enough spiritual power left to manipulate the talisman already. 

Debuchi looked back at Hishamaru expressionlessly for a while. However, when he eventually averted his gaze, he relaxed his shoulders. 

"The colonel's orders." 

And repeated. 

"Colonel and Onmyoudou Head, if both of them go out of control and there's nothing you can do to stop them, shoot. Well, that’s why I messed up the mission. The point is, I didn't make it in time." 

He put the gun back in its holster, explaining plainly. 

Debuchi's argument didn't seem like a departure. 

However. 

"… Then why did you shoot now?" 

"I'm a guy who never fails to read things inside out.” 

And Debuchi twisted his lips sarcastically. 

"The Colonel ordered me to “shoot” him. One of his intentions was to stop him from going out of control, even if it meant killing him. The other was to protect the Onmyoudou Head, even if it meant to kill him. Because the person I killed was strict with "me".” 

"… the colonel…" 

Muttered back Hishamaru. 

"That's why I asked you first. Are you alive, I said. If he's alive, I'm running away. If that guy can escape… well, the Colonel will tolerate me a little better." 

With that, Debuchi turned his attention to Satsuki's body, which was still tingling with fire. The emotions in his eyes were too complex for Hishamaru to decipher. 

But for the time being, she couldn't feel any harmful intent. 

If Debuchi wanted to get rid of a grudge from four years ago, there were plenty of opportunities to do so. Then there was no point in being more cautious than necessary in this situation, Hishamaru bit her lip and stretched her neck with Yakō in her arms to check the surroundings. 

The clouds that had covered the entire sky were clearing around the stone stage, as if they had been blown away by the blast. Even the moon was showing itself, although it was covered by a thin layer of clouds. Therefore, the scorched earth that served as the stage for the Temple of Heaven could be seen by moonlight. 

That hellish view had been subsided. 

The top of the stone stage had been spiritually cleansed and miasma had been swept away. The spiritual energy around the area had also returned to normal. Yakō's plan of rejuvenation had paid off beautifully. The spiritual catastrophe that seemed to be the end of the world was now hidden, at least from Hishamaru's eyes. 

There was no sign of the bombers in the sky. The incendiary bombs that had fallen to the ground were still burning the earth and spewing black smoke, but in the scorched earth where there was nothing to spread the fire, it was like a wolf smoke that signaled the end of the attack. 

But if she strained her eyes, she could see that there was still something in the distance. The deformed ones were not wiped out either. Considering that it was springing up like a cloud haze, the number has decreased sharply, but even so, it could be seen that it was materializing and walking in the midst of the stagnation. Perhaps the gods who descended on the stone stage were the center of it. Therefore, the farther away from the stone stage, the deeper the spirit remained. 

There was not a single spellcaster standing, at least not in passing, except for Debuchi, who was nowhere to be seen. 

The storm has passed. But it was not all over, it seemed. 

Hishamaru turned her attention to Satsuki, who was still lying on the ground. 

It was not a situation in which she could indulge in sentimentality, but there were no few things that come and go. They've known each other for six years. She's seen many sides of Satsuki and she's had many conversations with him, and most importantly, he's had countless conversations with the Lord. More than anything else, she's been the closest witness to his countless interactions with the Lord. 

"Satsuki is another me." 

The line she heard just before the ceremony began passed through her mind. One after another, the thoughts bubbled up. However, Hishamaru shook them off and looked up decisively. 

"… I will withdraw soon" 

Hishamaru said and Debuchi framed silently. 

"… Hishamaru…" 

The faint, snarling voice pierced through Hishamaru as it turned into a lightning strike. "Yakō-sama!" And as she held the Lord in her arms again, Yakō looked up at Hishamaru's face with still unsettled eyes. 

His hair turned white and his skin was pale and bloodless. Hishamaru felt something "not good" about the dead man's appearance, and was driven by intense impatience. On the other hand, Yakō, as soon as his eyes met Hishamaru's, a faint smile appeared on his face. The Lord's smile, which would normally be a joy, made Hishamaru uneasy for some reason at that moment. 

"Yakō-sama!" 

Hishamaru spoke to Yakō in a strong tone, trying to deny the anxiety she felt, even unconsciously. 

"Well done, the miasma has been generally cleansened, and Yakō-sama has won a bet or two. However, it appears that there is still some danger. Please be patient for a little while, I will take you to the Onmyoudou Dormitory. Is that alright?" 

She quickly told him only what needed to be said and tried to pick him up without asking whether or not he was there. However, her arms were not strong enough. Apparently, her body has really reached its limit. In this situation, she must rely on Debuchi. 

When she thought that far. 

"… I'm sorry." 

A word like a breath fell on Hishamaru's chest. "Yakō-sama!" she said, to silence the next words, but the Lord continued with a small smile. 

"It's not the end … I'm sorry … I just dived again …" 

Yakō said sluggishly. The focus of his eyes was still unsteady. The connection between him and the god, Taizan Fukun, also seemed to be unbroken, although it did not seem to reside in Yakō's body, his spiritual energy was mixed with the divine energy. 

Nevertheless, she could tell that it was Yakō himself, Hishamaru's master, who was speaking now, and that the words he was uttering consisted of his will. 

"Masakado has returned…" 

Yes, Yakō whispered quietly. 

"I had the remaining miasma…Taizan Fukun, equalize it. Not in space… but in time. The spirit phase in Tokyo has changed… although we have been able to slow down the changes… there will be several spiritual disasters in this place in the future. We'll have to deal with them one by one…" 

"… a spiritual disaster? Is it a miasma disaster?" 

Hishamaru asked to the unfamiliar words. 

But Yakō didn't answer. 

"After this… the first spiritual disaster will happen… we'll all work together… and then we'll organize… for the sake of… for everyone…" 

Yakō's words trailed off and Hishamaru nodded her head unreservedly. If there was going to be a disaster in the future, that information was enough for now. In short, it was the right policy to evacuate immediately. 

"Okay, I understand. Anyway, let's move on…" 

"… Hishamaru." 

Yakō stopped Hishamaru gently as she urged him, "I'm sorry. Sorry." 

And again, he repeated. 

"I… have to go… 

"So, I'll take you right away." 

"No. Here… anymore." 

He said and Yakō closed his eyes. 

A deep regret was etched between his eyebrows. It was a painful and sad expression. 

A face biting back numerous regrets. 

But when he opened his eyelids again, Yakō had a ready face, and Yakō's eyes finally and firmly focused on Hishamaru. 

"Hishamaru, my life is already running out." 

"…" 

She couldn't understand what the Lord was saying. However, the body reacted without permission, and the blue eyes were wide open to the extent that the outer corners of the eyes were torn. 

When the shikigami shushed him, Yakō continued as if to admonish her. 

"I was prepared for this, but I guess it was still reckless. …But it's not over yet. I…I caught a glimpse of the world ahead of me in Taizan Fukun. Masakado will return to this land. I am the one who has the responsibility to stop him. Just as this time, in exchange for my life…" 

"…Ya, Yakō…sama?" 

"Therefore, I have petitioned Taizan Fukun to send it to the future. My soul, in the blood of Tsuchimikado. From now on, I am going to…" 

Reincarnate. 

Hishamaru listened intently to the Lord's voice telling her that, biting her dry lip with both eyes wide open. 

His voice was clear, but the meaning of his words was clear. But the meaning of the words didn't enter her mind well. She was confused, or rather, her mind had stopped working. Reincarnation. Reborn. Moreover, it said that he would be reincarnated into the future into the Tsuchimikado clan. She didn't know what that meant, but she could sense that it was a matter that had already been "decided". 

But what was hard to accept was the fact that Yakō had first told her that his life was running out. 

The denial came from the heart. It was an overwhelming refusal that tore all reason into pieces and filled all reason. 

- No… 

I don't like it. I don't like it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. 

Her heart was beating loud in her chest, hitting her ears. Her body wouldn't stop shaking. She couldn't think of anything else to say no to it. And as if reading the shikigami's thoughts, Yakō called out painfully, "Hishamaru…" 

He knew that the god-possession was an uncommon spell. It was also how unbelievably rough it was for a non-relying Yakō to perform it. He was well aware of the danger to his life. 

But this was Yakō. 

He was a genius onmyouji who has overcome so many obstacles to achieve what no one else has been able to do, one after another. He was Hishamaru’s master, prouder and more important than himself. 

Even if she were to hear from the mouth of Yakō himself that his life was running out, there was no way she would be convinced. 

In fact, just before he went to call down the god, Yakō smiled at Hishamaru. He smiled at her. 

He smiled even thoughYou laughed at me, yet… 

"Hey! That's not very good!" 

Debuchi's warning made her return to her senses. At the same time, a stinging miasma blew on her. 

East of the stone stage. Two deformities were chasing the scorched earth in the moonlight. A beast resembling a four-legged boar, and a great centipede with a long body and hundreds of legs. The former was over four meters tall, while the latter was a huge deformity with a body length that could almost reach Hokuto. Both of them have materialized, but their shapes were undefined, and every time they moved, their body surfaced, bubbled and popped, spewing out a dense amount of air. 

- Oh, no! 

Hishamaru immediately switched her attention to combat. The two deformed forms, as if they had already set their sights on Hishamaru and the others, rushed to the stone stage in a straight line without any pretense of hesitation. Quite a bit of speed. From the intimidating feeling and the density of the exhaled air, it could be seen that the two bodies were individuals with strong power. She was not the one who could fight and win now. But before that, the current Hisamaru didn't even have the power to escape. 

"Kuu!" 

Hishamaru managed to get up with all her strength. She went out in front of Yakō. Debuchi pulled out the gun, but it would be inferior to a water gun against the two approaching variants. Hishamaru desperately seeked a way out, but long before the answer was found, a narrow variant kicked the ground and jumped up. 

A miasma-tinged yell rained down from above. Hishamaru summoned the last of his spiritual power to at least deploy the curse wall. 

But that's when. 

Three powerful demon auras arose behind her. 

As soon as one of them leapt up powerfully, he drew his sword from his waist and slashed at the boars in the air. The boar's deformity was flung off and crashed out of the stone stage, scattering screams and miasma. While it did so, another demon aura flew out and slipped past Hishamaru, slipping past Debuchi's side and slamming into the great hundred-footer that was stomping the ground. He stopped its rush from the front. 

Two armored warriors like ghosts saved Hishamaru and the others from danger. Hishamaru turned around, stunned, to see two armored warriors in front of her. There, the remaining one, the Yase Doji in the form of a girl, stood on her knees beside her master. 

At Satsuki's side. 

"… Colonel Sōma…?!" 

Satsuki raised his body. 

He sat down on the stone stage and leaned back with his right elbow on his upright right knee. The body still has a flame on the left half of its body, the one that had been on the verge of extinguishing a moment ago was now covered in more fire. Debuchi, who turned to Hishamaru's cry, also took his eyes off as if it had frozen. 

Satsuki's will, which never yielded to the clear black eyes on the right, and the ferocious god's will, which was in the left eyes over the shimmering flames. 

In front of Hishamaru, who was standing there nostalgically: 

"… It’s coming." 

It was right after Satsuki told them. With a thump, Hishamaru's body jumped up. With a dull sound, a crack appeared on the stone stage. It was as if a huge hammer had struck it from underground. Moreover, the impact continued after that. The earth sways sporadically. It was an earthquake. But it was clearly different from a normal earthquake. 

"Hey, hey, what the hell is this?" 

Debuchi, who had been startled by Satsuki as he got up, stumbled back to the earth shaking and shouted out loudly; Hishamaru hurriedly crouched at Yakō's side and hugged the lying Lord or upper body to his chest. 

"Here it comes…" 

Hishamaru remembered the words of the Lord that he had heard earlier. After this, the first spiritual disaster would occur. 

Then, as if to fulfill the prophecy, miasma erupted from all over the desolate scorched earth. It was not a natural disaster like the one that had resonated with Masakado’s rage. Moreover, the spouted miasma created a new variant, and above all, the remaining variants were bathing in miasma and trying to increase their power. The two bodies in front of them, the narrowly large centipede variant, absorbed miasma and became a little bigger. 

- This is a spiritual disaster? 

A spiritual disaster. Indeed, it was the only way to call it. 

However, the Yase Doji and the others who were taking on the two deformed forms did not falter at all and did not step back. They cross each other proudly with their gigantic enemies. 

Against them and the other one serving by their side, the protection method: 

"Thank you for all the hard work you've done." 

Satsuki announced gravely. 

The voice sounded like a bell waning and echoing, even though it was supposed to be Satsuki's fleshly voice. Combined with the sound of flames scorching the atmosphere, it reminded him of the judgmental voice of the demon king. 

"Guard this place until Yakō leaves. After that, go to the next head of the Sōma." 

The two armoured warriors fighting the deformity took the final instructions that their master had given them on their backs without a second thought. Only the submissive woman beside them hung her head deeply to him. 

Then Satsuki didn't even blink. 

"…Yakō." 

He called out to him. 

Yakō slowly tilted his face as Hishamaru held him. 

The flames gained even more momentum, finally spreading out all over his body and enveloping Satsuki whole. Within the red-hot flames, Satsuki's red hair danced vigorously as if it were the center of the flames. It must have been the imagination, but in the midst of the flames, Satsuki seemed to be smiling thickly. 

Yakō grinned slightly and said: 

"…Satsuki, farewell." 

Satsuki didn't answer, but was swallowed by the red flames and became a black shadow. Yase Doji, in her miko outfit, slammed her head even deeper into the flames, and Hishamaru stared wordlessly at the burning Satsuki. 

While he did so, the earth continued to tremble. Another crack appeared on the stone stage, part of it shattering and cracking down. At the same time, a thin gasp of air escaped from Yakō's body, and Hishamaru, driven by fear, shouted "Yakō-sama!”. 

Yakō's breathing started to become erratic. Rapidly, the spirit energy began to melt out of his body and diffuse into the night air, and Yakō squinted his eyes, "Yakō-sama!” 

"Tell everyone… to be prepared. And then… sorry…" 

The words that spilled from his lips were almost inaudible to Hishamaru's hearing. His eyes burned and tears suddenly welled up around them. 

Her face was crumpled. There was nothing she could do about it. The reality of this reality came to her naturally, without anyone telling her what to do. She was forced to confront it. 

Yakō was going to go. 

Hishamaru had tears in her eyes and said in a confused voice: 

"I… what do I… what do I…?" 

Wet with the tears of Hishamaru's, shikigami's, childhood friend, Yakō opened his nearly closed eyes once more. 

With a troubled, wry, but somewhat proud smile on his face he said: 

"Hishamaru… I love you…" 

Then he closed his eyes. 

Those eyes never opened again. 

Hishamaru blinked once, twice, with tear-stained eyes. 

"…Yakō…-sama?" 

The question that passed through grief and pain was in a tone that was even innocent; Hishamaru touched Yakō's closed-eyed cheek with her trembling finger. The feel of skin on her fingertips. Yakō was no longer "there". But how could she believe such a thing? Because it was here. She could touch it. A hug. 

And yet… 

"…uh…Ah. ah, ah… ah… ah…" 

A voice leaked out from deep in her chest, directly from the heart. Hishamaru clung to Yakō's body and let out an explosion of emotions with a sobbing sound. 

Perhaps it was because the last two remaining divine spirits had been removed. Debuchi shouted something, but his voice was drowned out by a roar from the depths of the earth. 

Hishamaru's sobbing drifted like falling flowers amidst the rumbling of the earth like a muddy stream. 

Then, with a single loud shudder, the entire stone stage was ripped in half. 

The flames that burned Satsuki slipped down to the bottom of the fissure, trailing a tail of light. Hishamaru reflexively threw herself out and held Yakō's body in his arms. The body was held by the claws of gravity. 

He was dragged into the darkness. 

Her mind was blank, and she had no idea what was to come. Die. Such were the Lord's lines that snatched at her ears. 

But shortly after the fall to death had begun, boom. 

And she was roughly pushed to the ground. 

At the same time, Yakō's weight rested on both of Hishamaru's arms. That weight, which usually didn't bother her, mercilessly took away Yakō's body from Hishamaru. 

- No! 

"Yakō-sama!" 

Yakō's body slipped through Hishamaru's arms and was engulfed in the darkness of the crack, Hishamaru flailed about half-consciously, but the force holding her up didn't budge. 

A lecherous right arm was put around her waist from behind. 

"Calm down, Hishamaru!" 

A thick, low, familiar voice that echoed in her ear brought Hishamaru back to her senses. With tearful eyes, Hishamaru looked back behind. 

"… Kakugyouki." 

Jumping into the crack himself, and holding Hishamaru, stepping over the slightest gash in the middle of it, it was Kakugyouki, with a caustic, fire-breathing gaze that Hishamaru had never seen before. 

He glared at the bottom of Yakō's missing crack. 

Eventually. 

"Shit." 

And then, with a grim expression on his face, he re-holds Hishamaru and leaps toward the ground. 

On the ground, two deformed forms were being cultivated. The wild boar's deformity had crumbled to the ground, and the remaining giant centipede had just been cut in two by two Yase Doji. Perhaps Kakugyouki, who had rushed to the scene, joined the attack. 

However. 

"… Why… are you here?" 

She asked in a ragged state, and the demon bared his fangs wildly. 

"Why, you say? With miasma swirling around so loudly, it wouldn't matter if there was an increase or two of demon auras. In the first place, the crucial Temple of Heaven has already collapsed in the first place. At the very least…" 

Kakugyouki was about to say something, but eventually swallowed the words. 

From the one-armed demon, she could see a rough appearance, as if it was the remnants of a fierce battle. There must have been many deformities left on the outer edge of the Temple of Heaven. He must have forced his way through it and rushed over. 

But he couldn't make it in time. 

The two guardians had both lost their lord. 

"Kakugyouki, I…" 

"Later." 

With Hishamaru mercilessly interrupting Hishamaru's speech, Kakugyouki turned away from the crack and, with Hishamaru under his arm, turned to face the direction he had come from, to the west, where the Onmyoudou Dormitory was located, and Hishamaru shouted again, "Kakugyouki!” 

"Listen to me. And let me go. I'm going to be right here." 

Hishamaru tried to appeal further, but Kakugyouki didn't even glance at her. 

"What about Hokuto?" 

"…What?" 

"His owner is dead. Who's going to take him to Tsuchimikado? I'll tell you what, I'm not going to be there. And there's only one person in the Onmyoudou Dormitory who can give that guy orders, even if it's just for a while." 

She was struck with a false sense of security. The dragon Hokuto was the guardian beast of the Tsuchimikado. The shikigami has served the Tsuchimikado family for generations, but now that the Lord was dead without leaving any orders, the dragon would be left behind in this land. That would never be Yakō's intention. 

But… 

Hishamaru's face contorted again. Kakugyouki closed his mouth for a moment, probably aware of the trembling of her body. 

"If you want to cry, cry. Cry as much as you want. I think he… wants it." 

Having said that, the demon ran forcefully out of the scorched earth, holding Hishamaru up, running and taking great leaps. 

Hishamaru couldn't hold back, and turned around to look back at the crack, Yakō's disappearing crack growing farther and farther away. 

Yakō said he was going to the world beyond. He would reincarnate, he said, and Satsuki must have gone to the gods, too. So it was just a shell of the two of them that fell there. Vessels of souls that lived in this world for more than twenty years. A modest history for each of them. 

Hishamaru's ears fluttered in the wind. Tears were sucked into the night sky. 

Hishamaru kept looking at the dark crack in the soaring moon. The buried past, just forever and ever. 

In the early dawn, the deformed things that had arisen in the ruins of the airstrike overflowed from the scorched earth and swarmed all over the imperial city. The threat of these deformities did not end even after dawn, when the sun's rays weakened the atmosphere. The people of the imperial city fought and fled in fear at the first time they encountered a group of deformities. Not only the air raids, but also the ricocheting of the odd shapes caused the imperial city to suffer even more devastation. 

The next day, in the middle of the night of April 15, the situation finally showed signs of returning to normal. The trigger, ironically, was an air raid by the U.S. military. The large-scale air raids that took place in the Jonan and Keihin areas burned down many of the deformed buildings in the southern part of the city. 

Taking this opportunity, the Onmyoudou Dormitory, which had finally regained its footing, began to shurage the deformities with all its strength. However, many of the Onmyoudou Dormitory's onmyouji had been caught up in the catastrophe of the earlier "Tenchiyuu Chifu Sai" and lost their lives. The few remaining personnel were willing to use their deadly force to repair the damaged spirits, and as a result, they sacrificed more than a few lives. It was only seven days after the night of the ritual that all the deformities were repaired. 

It was the biggest incident in the history of magic, later known as the Great Spiritual Disaster. 

All the deformed forms that were released at that time were repaired, but from this point onwards, there were many disturbances and deflections of the spiritual energy, and the disaster known as the spiritual disaster began to occur frequently in Tokyo. The hell that appeared that night in this world transformed the metropolis of Tokyo into a spiritual and cursed "demon city". 

History condemns Tsuchimikado Yakō, the head of the Onmyoudou Dormitory and the organizer of a massive magical ritual, as the great perpetrator of a spiritual disaster in Tokyo. The magical world, too, inherited the skills he left behind, while slowly burying his name from the public eye into the darkness. 

Part 3 

The noisy cicadas seemed to have passed their prime. Although the sunshine was still strong, the painful heat in the sunlight was slightly decreasing and softening. The spiritual energy that had mastered the sun was leaning slightly toward the yin. 

The long, hot and deadly summer was finally coming to an end. 

Hishamaru was in the wooden "Kikyou room" (chinese bellflower) with an altar in the alcove of the house. 

She was sitting on the floor next to the cushions prepared for her, with her head bowed and her forehead on the floor. She didn't move at all in that position. The room faced the garden, and now its wooden doors and shoji screens were open. Kakugyouki sat on the porch, his right hand propped up, looking at the garden in silence. 

It was still hot, but the shade had become quite comfortable. The occasional breeze from the garden played comfortably in the room. 

There was a woman sitting on the upper seat of the room. She was in her early twenties. She wore an old, lustrous kimono that looked very natural. Although she was petite and childish, her tall, living posture gave her an air of maturity and serenity that was much more than her actual age. There was also a baby who had just started to walk standing next to the woman, holding onto her. His innocent black eyes were wide and round, and his overflowing curiosity was focused on Hishamaru's ears and tail. 

Yakō's sister, Tsuchimikado Kokage, and her son, who was around two years old. 

Kokage smiled weakly at Hishamaru as she continued to bow her head in silence. 

And. 

"Hisha-san? I think it's time for you to raise your head." 

"…No. I'm the one who came late with shame to report and transfer Hokuto to you." 

Hishamaru replied stubbornly. Her voice, too, was heavy and hard, and Kokage exhaled with a troubled look on her face. 

"It's the same as always. …But it's hard to talk to you. Besides…" 

And Kokage smiled a little nastily and said: 

"Hisha, you think I blame you? That I will punish you severely?" 

"… If you can do that, please do so. It makes sense, and it will make me feel a little better." 

"Oh? Isn't making life easier on Hisha not a punishment? After all, isn't the best way to "punish" someone for their labor and forgive their mistakes?" 

"…" 

Kokage chuckled a small smile at Hishamaru, who tenses her neck, unable to retort. 

"Besides?" When it comes to “punishment”, Hisha is the one who gets it. I'm sure Hisha has been crying a lot more than I have, hasn't she? I don't think there is a worse punishment for you than taking my brother away from you." 

With that, Kokage's eyes narrowed gently as she looked at Hishamaru. 

"Hisha, thank you for not following in my brother's footsteps and coming back. I am so happy to see you again." 

"…" 

Hishamaru's shoulders, which had been lying face down, trembled loudly at the urge within. Hishamaru struggled to keep her voice from leaking out. 

Five months had passed since Yakō's death. 

In less than half a year, the country had changed a lot. 

Seventeen days after the failure of the Twin Walls Project. Germany's ally, Führer Hitler, committed suicide after being cornered. The following month, in May, Germany surrendered unconditionally. Japan continued its war against the rest of the world with only one country. And in June, the three-month-long Battle of Okinawa was decisively defeated. The choice of "deciding the war on the mainland", which had been thought to be a last resort, was now not a matter of "someday" but of "next”. 

July 26. The Potsdam Declaration, which recommended surrender to Japan, was issued, but the Japanese government silently suppressed it. 

Then, on August 6, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This single bomb wiped out more lives than were lost in the air raid of March 10. 

On August 9, at dawn on August 8, local time. The Soviet Union breached the border of Manchuria and declared a unilateral war on Japan. 

On the same day, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The news reached Tokyo in the middle of the Imperial Conference. In the end, the government decided on the spot to accept the Potsdam Declaration. The end of the war was declared six days later at noon on August 15 by the Emperor's radio broadcast. 

This was a dizzying turning point in history. You could call it the end of an era. 

But to Hishamaru, it was already a story of some distant country that had nothing to do with her. 

Hishamaru returned from the Temple of Heaven to the Onmyoudou Dormitory after escaping from the deformed crowd, and after telling them what had happened, she fell into a coma for two whole days. After waking up, she overcame the opposition of the people around her and immersed herself in fighting the deformed form. She was so successful that even with Kakugyouki's help, she was able to master more than 80% of the remaining xenomorphs at that point in time, all by herself. It was far more comfortable to be at the site where life and death intersected than the reality without Yakō. 

After Yakō's death, the Onmyoudou Dormitory was forced to deal with the sporadic outbreaks of abnormalities, with Takamitsu as acting director. Of course, the failure of the plan and the subsequent disasters were heavily scrutinized by the military and government. However, even if left unchecked, only the Onmyoudou Dormitory was able to deal with the deformities that occured. The winds were terrible, but they couldn't mess with it. Even in the dormitory, there was no room for them to get bogged down in politics. In the end, until the end of the war, or even after the signing of the surrender ceremony, the Onmyoudou Dormitory devoted itself to cultivating the aberration with all its deadly force. 

Hishamaru, who was originally an Onmyoudou Assistant, was still in the dormitory and had to fulfill her duties. 

However, Takamitsu dismissed Hishamaru from her position as an assistant and expelled her and Kakugyouki after they finished the first group of deformed. There were many who disagreed with Takamitsu's decision, both in terms of the strength and in terms of holding the Onmyoudou Dormitory to account for the tremendous damage they had caused to the dormitory through their failed rituals. However, Takamitsu silenced all objections and "freed" Hishamaru. He ordered her to become her own master after Yakō's death. 

She couldn't forget Takamitsu's reaction when she told him of Yakō and Satsuki's death right after the ceremony. 

Takamitsu didn't say a single word as he told them of their final moments and Yakō's last words. Then, after Hishamaru had said everything, there was a long, long pause. 

"… I see." 

That's all Takamitsu said. 

At that moment, Takamitsu looked as if he had aged ten years. Something that had made him the head of the prestigious Kurahashi family seemed to be slipping away. Nevertheless, Takamitsu replaced Hishamaru, who later lost consciousness, and in her absence for two days, he personally spearheaded the effort to restore a different form. 

At that very moment, Takamitsu must have been leading the remaining people to rebuild the Onmyoudou Dormitory with all his might. From then on, Japan was supposed to be ruled by the Allied Forces led by the United States, but even the Allied Commander in Chief would have difficulty in censoring the deformity that consisted of miasma. This was even more so in occupied territories, not in war zones. So, as long as the variant occured, the Onmyoudou Dormitory, spellcasters and magic, would remain. That was Takamitsu's view. 

After losing Yakō, Takamitsu must have made it his mission to protect the onmyoudou art left by the head and pass it on to future generations. 

With Takamitsu's determination, Kurahashi chose to "remain". 

On the other hand, Sōma, who lost Satsuki, chose to "leave". 

After the failure of the Twin Walls Project, the Ninth Division of the General Staff, which had been in charge of spellcasting, was drastically downsized. With that, the Sōma clan, which had infiltrated the military, gradually distanced itself from the army, and many people elbowed their way out. It was the same in the Onmyoudou Dormitory as well, and those who had the blood of Sōma in their veins left the Onmyoudou Dormitory one after another, and Takamitsu allowed them to do so. Originally, the Sōma were a clan that hid underground for a thousand years to keep their lifeblood together. They would have to go into hiding again until the day they achieved that long-cherished goal. An exception was the brothers Akiharu and Akisuke, who remained until the end of the war, but the day after the emperor’s broadcast, they greeted Takamitsu and resigned from the dormitory. 

By the way, Akiharu kept the "Moon ring" entrusted to him by Yakō with his own hands, and did not give it to the Sōma elders. “I’ll take care of it”, Akiharu said, a little embarrassed and sad. The "Raven's wing" and the "Moon ring" were part of Tsuchimikado's secret spellbook, but Hishamaru and Takamitsu did not ask for them to be returned. 

They haven't seen Debuchi since then and couldn't imagine where he was or what he was doing, but it was one sure thing: he was a brazen survivor. 

Everything had changed since that night. And everyone was trying to adapt to the changes, little by little. 

And speaking of changes, so has the Kokage in front of her. She was now the head of the Tsuchimikado family. Who could have predicted such a future? 

As Hishamaru continued to keep his face down, she heard a strange sound in her ears. It was a soft, terrifyingly light, unreliable thumping sound. 

What was more, it was getting closer. 

"Wawa!" 

Along with a young tongue-tied voice, a surprisingly small hand tugged on Hishamaru's fox's ear. 

She looked up in surprise and saw the baby standing in front of her. After being surprised by the sudden movement of Hishamaru and making his eyes round, he shouted "Wow" happily, sticking out his hands, and hugged Hishamaru. Hishamaru made his whole body tense. 

"What, eh?!" 

"Oh dear." 

And Kokage laughed. 

"You shouldn't do that, Mitsuyasu?And it's not a doggie, it's a concon." 

"Ko-Kokage-sama!" 

“The boy was ready, wasn't he? You know, he's seen the stubborn face of a shikigami. He easily showed it to his mother.” 

Hishamaru blushed at Kokage's amused remark. Hishamaru didn't know what to do and didn't want to take it lying down. 

Suddenly, Hishamaru overheard a low chuckle and glared at Kakugyouki on the edge with a snap. 

"What's funny." 

"Do you want an explanation?" 

"Don't laugh at me, I'm telling you." 

"Fine. They've missed you. You should be honestly happy." 

Kakugyouki looked over his shoulder at Hishamaru. Then he shifts his gaze to Mitsuyasu. 

"It's his nephew." 

With a huff at being told, Hishamaru looked back at the baby who was engrossed in her own tail. 

Yakō's nephew. She didn't recognize him until she was told. And as she looked at Mitsuyasu after she was told, a strange feeling came over her. 

Yakō said, reincarnating in the blood of Tsuchimikado. Those tiny hands touching Hishamaru's hips were also connected to the Lord's return one day. 

After playing with Hishamaru's tail for a while, Mitsuyasu now showed interest in Kakugyouki. But he didn't show the same ease of approach as Hishamaru did. Perhaps he sensed the danger the demon was in, even at such a young age. 

He stopped moving and noticed that Mitsuyasu was staring at Kakugyouki as if devouring him. 

"No, Mitsuyasu-sama. It's impossible to know what kind of spiritual disturbances you may have if you approach such people. Above all, it's bad for your education." 

"Yeah. They might take it off your head and eat it." 

"Ka-Kakugyouki, you can't be kidding me!" 

She yelled out in anger, and Mitsuyasu jolted and shook his body. Then he opened his mouth slowly and cried out in a great big gulp, and Hishamaru immediately panicked and said, "No, no, I didn't mean to scold you, Mitsuyasu-sama!” 

Kokage laughed and said: 

"It's all right, Hisha; just fuss over it with a shibboleth and he will stop crying in no time. Besides, I'm sorry, Kaku-san. This boy doesn't have any grown men like you around, and it seems to bother him." 

Hearing Kokage's casual line, Hishamaru's face became serious again. 

"Kokage-sama. Then is Toshiyuki-sama still…?" 

"Yes… There is still no news. That's a problem. I don't know where he is…" 

Kokage jokingly replied that she hadn't completely concealed the anxiety in her heart at the time. 

Kokage's husband, Tsuchimikado Toshiyuki, formerly known as Wakasugi Toshiyuki, was recalled by the army six months after Kokage was conceived and left for the war zone; Yakō and Takamitsu had recommended that he be registered in the Onmyoudou Dormitory and become a member of the army, even if only provisionally. Toshiyuki laughed and turned down the offer. In other words, Toshiyuki hadn't even seen his son's face yet. 

His older brother was dead, and her husband was still unaccounted for. Not only her parents who died early, but also her grandparents, who took care of her. On top of that, she has been elevated to the position of head of the family at this time with an infant in her arms, so it was not hard to imagine how anxious Kokage must have been on a daily basis. Even with the help of the gatekeepers, Kokage was still in a position of responsibility to them as well. Her words of happiness to see Hishamaru must have been her unmistakable truth. 

Hishamaru couldn't find a single word to call on and bit her lip in silence. 

Beyond being the Lord's sister and daughter of the Lord's house, Kokage was the second most important person in Hishamaru's life, second only to Yakō. If she was in distress, she wanted to support her to the best of her ability. And more importantly, it was only natural for the shikigami to serve Kokage now that the Lord was gone, and it must be her preferred choice. 

But… 

Hishamaru already had a determination in her heart. She couldn't do it by Kokage's side. 

"If this is the way to go, it looks like it's over, huh?" 

Suddenly, Kakugyouki said, "Huh?" And Hishamaru and Kokage turned to Kakugyouki at the same time. 

"Surprisingly, maybe it was the right decision to bring Hokuto along. You are indeed the guardian beast of Tsuchimikado. It's a great blessing." 

Yes, that was when the demon laughed lazily. 

Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the corridor. The gatekeeper, who opened the sliding door before he could speak to the demon, didn't even try to hide his excitement as he shouted to Kokage. 

"Now… right now, your husband has returned." 

Hishamaru gasped; Kokage sliped every expression from her childish face and stood up silently. 

Soon, another sound of footsteps could be heard running down the hallway. 

"Kokage!" 

Appearing behind the open sliding door was Toshiyuki, whom she hadn't seen in four years. The glasses he wore had a crack in one lens, and the national dress he wore was smeared with dirt and dust. He used to be slender and stocky, but now he was a scrawny, thin man. 

He looked at Kokage, smiled cheerfully, and called her name again, "Kokage”. 

Kokage jumped out of the way. 

She rushed to her husband in a breath, ruffling the hem of her kimono, and hugged him as if to hit her body. Then, with a gasp, she cried out. 

She opened her mouth so big and wide that even little Mitsuyasu couldn't match it, and cried loudly as if shaking her whole body, spilling large, ragged tears; Hishamaru didn't know it, but it was the first tears Kokage had shed since she'd come in contact with Yakō's plan. 

"… Kokage-sama." 

Hishamaru whispered softly, sitting upright again and falling face down. Kakugyouki turned back to the garden, looking disinterested, not to apologize, but to hold back tears. Mitsuyasu, who had stopped crying with a runny nose, looked at his mother, who was crying loudly, with a pouting face. 

For Tsuchimikado, the turbulent era was over and the days of gradual decline were just around the corner. 

"Are you going?" 

Night. 

There was a beautiful moon in the sky, just like the one Yakō had watched with her the night before his reincarnation. 

Tsuchimikado's mansion stood on top of a high plateau. There were steep stone steps on the slope of the hill, and at the top of the steps there was an outer gate. 

It was when she was approached that she left the mansion, ducked under the gate, and descended the stone steps a bit. 

On either side of the gate were lanterns depicting the Five Basestones. Hishamaru replied briefly to his partner, who appeared in the light, "Oh." 

She turned back . 

"Let’s go." 

After losing Yakō, Takamitsu set Hishamaru free and told her that she would be her own master. 

Then, what kind of life should Hishamaru give to herself? 

She also thought about following in his footsteps. That was the first thing she considered. However, Yakō did not just die. He had reincarnated into the next world. Then Hishamaru's suicide would not be of any use to Yakō. If the reincarnated Yakō ever knew about Hishamaru's last days, he would be heartbroken. 

The next consideration was to reincarnate herself: if Hishamaru could be reincarnated into the same time period as Yakō was reincarnated, she could become a shikigami again in the next world and serve him. It was a terribly tempting idea, but it was difficult to achieve. 

"The Taizan Fukun Sai” was able to control people's souls. It seemed possible to reincarnate artificially, but unfortunately, Hishamaru did not have the ability to control the ritual, and not only Hishamaru, but also for the students of Tsuchimikado. Although the "Tazam Fukun Sai" was the secret festival of the Tsuchimikado, because of Yakō's sudden death, he has not been able to pass on the spell to Kokage, the next head of the family. Until someone revived it, the ritual was to be lost. 

Then what should Hishamaru do? 

Then, she remembered the conversation she had had with Yakō on that beautiful moonlit night. “I'm waiting for you.” 

It was a line she said aloud to express my unshakable feelings. She said it half-heartedly, as if I was trying to follow the flow of our conversation at the time. But now that she thought about it, those words were like a prophecy uttered without knowing it, emitting a strong magnetic force. 

The choice to wait. 

The path of waiting for years of time. 

Hishamaru has no idea when the Lord will be reborn. Yakō said that he would be reborn as the youngest son of Tsuchimikado. So, if only he had waited and waited for this world to come to him… 

It should have been possible to run into Yakō again. 

"I've been east about it, you know. Waiting, beyond the ages…" 

"… it's a long story." 

"What does a thousand year old demon say?" 

"You did not live. It was. There is nothing to be done." 

Hishamaru braced her shoulders and looked up at the demon at the top of the stone steps. 

"That's exactly what I need to do from now on. Any advice for me? 

"…" 

"Kakugyouki!" 

"… not really." 

After answering in a blur, Kakugyouki shook his head lightly and gave his usual sarcastic smile. 

"What. I'm just bored. If it's a hundred or two hundred years, it'll go by in a flash." 

"Yeah… That's reassuring." 

Hishamaru smiled honestly at Kakugyouki's words. She stood up to listen and wagged her tail. 

She only stayed at the mansion for two days and left a note for Kokage and Toshiyuki. So this was the last time she was going to say goodbye. 

"I'll say goodbye to you here. Take care of yourself." 

After telling him this, his partner left him without a single look back. Kakugyouki watched her back as she descended the stone stairs with an unhurried gait, until the end. 

Her straightforward dedication must have annoyed him inwardly and made fun of him to his face, but now, standing under the moonlight, Kakugyouki saw her back to the end. 

And yet now, the back of the fox possessed who had left the moonlight remained in the back of his eyes, and Kakugyouki smiled bitterly. 

"… You're a righteous human, you…" 

If Hishamaru had heard that whisper, she would not have believed her ears. The demon's voice was as gentle as another person's at that moment. 

After stopping under the moon for a while, Kakugyouki also left the place. The days of exile would begin again for him as well. It had been less than a decade, but it was a short time that was hard to forget. 

And so the two shikigami who served the same onmyouji began to go their separate ways. 

North Star Hill Temple. 

Hishamaru was fragile in front of the main hall. There was a lone monk in the main hall, and a thousand figures following at his side. 

Shinra looked like he had bitten down on a bitter worm as he brittle foxed his way up to herself from the bottom of the short stairs to the main hall. Sen, standing beside him, was also unusually grim. However, Hishamaru was unwavering. She looked straight at Shinra in the main hall with an iron will in her eyes. 

She told him the whole story. 

She also told him of her own determination. 

"To the Dark Temple's pears, who pursue the curse, there should be no reason to refuse.” 

In fact, after a long silence, Shinra let out an "ah" and a sigh that seemed to be overtly annoying. There was no sign of a will to dismiss Hishamaru's wish. 

"… It looks like you're serious." 

"Of course, I don't offer this as a joke." 

"Oh no, dear. I don't care if you're there or not.” 

"That means we can do it now. There is no reason to delay." 

"No, no. I don't want to say that, but…" 

Shinra almost took a mouthful more, but eventually swallowed it. 

He was a pale, sluggish-looking man with a pair of glasses. He was not a high priest of the infamous Dark Temple, which was known as the training ground of magic. He wore the most elegant monk's robes in the village, but he'd be much cooler to be called the master of a prodigal shop. 

However. 

"Oh dear. … well… good." 

It only took a moment for such an impression to change. 

"A guardian who tentatively served Tsuchimikado Yakō. It's tactless to say anything about that resolve. That's fine. I suppose a fox is not likely to die so easily… shall we try one?" 

The half-eyed look in Shinra's eyes is that of a priest watching an offering. The dim-witted smile that usually sticks around disappears and is replaced by a grin, a monstrous smile that devours its prey while laughing. 

"… Shinra-sama. Please think about it." 

Sen interrupted from the side, but then, "Sen?" 

A very plain word that was returned without a single glance, and conversely immediately silenced Sen. Thrilled, Hishamaru got goosebumps. This must be another face of Shinra, the feared "Yokai of the Dark Temple". 

But that was exactly why. 

Hishamaru's plea to Shinra was to give herself the "spell to abandon her body and become a spiritual being" that he practiced. 

Hishamaru choosed to wait. However, a person's time to wait was limited, and Yakō may not be reincarnated within Hishamaru's lifetime. She has a "will'' to wait for years, decades, even hundreds of years. Then the body was a hindrance. 

"When I say it, is it a foreign law?" 

"… the difference between right and wrong is what you make of it." 

"You may be in the way of something you didn't expect. 

"I was born a fox possessed. What hindrance do I have to deal with now?" 

"Even if you will not be able to remain as you are?" 

"… As long as my loyalty doesn't change, the change in me is a trivial matter." 

"Very well." 

Shinra turned over the hem of the priest's robe and looked down at Hisamaru coldly. 

"You see, let's start in three days. It will take nine days to prepare and nine days to administer the spell. Even if you can't seem to endure it in the middle of the process, I can't stop you, so I'm going to do that." 

"Thank you." 

Hishamaru bowed deeply, Shinra quickly went to his room and Sen wordlessly clasped his hands together and bowed. 

Twenty days later, Hishamaru left the Dark Temple. 

Her journey through time finally began there.