Tokyo Ravens - Volume 3 - Chapter 4.2

Part 2 
As an effect of the spiritual disaster, the Shibuya street crowd was sparse even though night had just fallen, unlike usual. Though the streets weren't devoid of people, there were clearly much fewer than normal. But finding someone in a big place like Shibuya was still difficult no matter how few pedestrians there were on the streets. Harutora ran here and there on the streets, desperately searching for Touji's aura - investigating for the residue of a peculiar aura different from a normal person's. 
Tenma was currently searching for Touji's whereabouts as well, and Harutora had also ordered Kon to help investigate. In addition, there were also several Onmyou Academy teachers utilizing shikigami to search for Touji. However, the academy students' treatment hadn't completely ended, so there weren't actually many teachers who had come to help them search. 
...Damn, where exactly did that bastard run off to? 
The principal had said that Touji was still in a partially unconscious state, and the oni in his body had just had a row, and though it could be said that his body's condition had taken a slight turn for the better, his condition was still quite dangerous. 
Especially now when the spirit flow everywhere inside the city was chaotic, it was hard to tell whether Touji would receive some stimulation and become an oni again. 
"...Touji......!" 
The pedestrians who passed by Harutora cast suspicious glances at him one after another, and he had to gasp for breath many times, but he gritted his teeth and continued to search for his good friend. 
Unfortunately, he had no idea at all what kind of place Touji would go to, and could only search here and there like a headless chicken. He almost hadn't rested at all after the practical exam, but he didn't feel tired at all, or perhaps it should be said that he didn't have the leisure to feel tired. 
Moreover, besides Touji, he was also worried about Natsume. 
Though he had promised everyone in the principal's office, he still couldn't be at ease when he wasn't by Natsume's side in this critical moment. He couldn't help but think of the incident that happened in September, especially when he heard that the spiritual disaster this time was related to Yakou fanatics. At the time, the two of them had split up because of a fight, and as a result the Yakou-worshipping Mystical Investigator had taken the opportunity to come in and abduct Natsume. 
He understood in his heart that Natsume was in the middle of a group of specialized Onmyouji and that he should feel relieved, but the butterflies in his stomach went up and down without stopping. 
"......Damn." 
He couldn't control his fretfulness. As he ran here and there doubting whether this kind of mindless search could actually find someone or not, he couldn't help but look up at the sky. 
Just at that time, several drunks rushed out from the bar on the side of the road. 
He quickly came to his senses, but he still couldn't avoid them, and collided at the shoulder. Since he had been running, he fell backwards, managing to stabilize his body. The drunk who crashed into him screamed, tumbling onto the road. The faces of the other drunks who had come out of the bar with that person immediately went dark upon seeing this situation. 
"S, Sorry!" 
Harutora hurriedly apologized, but the others scolded him fiercely: "Hold on, you brat!" 
There were three males on the other side, seeming about twenty or thirty years old. From their exaggerated dress and roughshod attitudes, they seemed like a group of punks. The man sitting on the ground was furious, his face red from anger. After he stood up, he glared angrily at Harutora, stepping forward. 
"Hey, brat! Where are your eyes!" 
"Uh, I'm really very sorry, I have important business......" 
"Shut up! Who cares whether you have shitty important business!" 
Harutora looked down and apologized but the other party didn't appreciate it. The other two companions didn't stop the man, but instead surrounded them. They looked like they were dissatisfied with Harutora just apologizing verbally and with a completely unconsternated expression. 
...Oh wow, give me a break. 
In the end, he had just undergone a phase three spiritual disaster attack and then witnessed a vicious Divine General playing with the spiritual disaster in the palm of his hand, so honestly, he didn't feel scared of being angrily insulted by street punks. He didn't hesitate to lower his head and apologize to save time, and maybe the man only pestered him without giving up because he had seen through his attempt. 
Right now wasn't a time to get tangled up with others...... An irritable surge of emotions emerged in his heart, and maybe that surge showed on his face. "You want to die, brat!?" The man pulled at Harutora's collar. 
"......Let go." Harutora said reflexively. 
"What did you say!" 
"I said let go......" Saying this, Harutora forcefully knocked away the man's arm, glaring back angrily. 
The three men's gazes instantly turned vicious and they clenched their fists. Three against one. Touji who had originally been a juvenile delinquent might have a chance of winning, but Harutora really wasn't their opponent. 
But, he truly couldn't take it. 
Not only could he not stand this group of men, but also the Nue, Kagami, Yakou fanatics, and Natsume being unable to relieve herself of her arduous burden, and the fate that Touji bore. Various emotions were bottled up, and he could no longer swallow the fact that he and the people around him were met with all of these unfair encounters. 
But just then-- 
"Fighting isn't good." 
A gruff voice chipped in without warning. Harutora and the men all jumped in surprise, turning to look at the person who spoke, and then their eyes all widened at once. 
It was a huge man, about six feet tall. Moreover, not only was his physique large, but his body was quite robust as well. The man had come forward at some point, but once they noticed him, it was difficult to not be awed by his strong presence, as if turning around and noticing that a wild beast stood right there looking straight back - the impact the man brought to Harutora was that large. 
How the three men felt was another matter, but the brawny man didn't give off a threatening feeling to Harutora, but an inexplicably elegant and shrewd air instead. 
His deep features and his eyes, practically narrowed to slits, didn't seem strict at all. The man's golden short hair flashed like a crown under the illumination of the nighttime streetlights. The man wore a suit without a tie, and he didn't look like an average person, but he was definitely not the same as that group of drunks. 
"Fighting isn't good." The brawny man repeated again. 
"Especially this kind of silly fight where the people fighting don't feel any meaning and the people watching from the side also feel disappointed. Why don't you stop here, or I'll help you guys out and make it so that the fight isn't so stupid." Saying this, he smiled at Harutora and the others. 
His body still didn't give off any threat, but he carried a kind of presence that couldn't be ignored. 
The three drunks had long since been scared silly, and they quickly glanced at each other. "Let's go." They immediately and quickly left the scene after saying this, not even daring to drop any angry words. 
"......It seems like their minds were pretty clear even though they were drunk. They saved themselves the trouble." The large man murmured after silently watching them vanish into the nighttime Shibuya street. 
Harutora looked blankly at the large man, his original feelings that had been on the verge of exploding having cleanly dissipated at some point in time. 
"Thanks for helping me out." He hurriedly lowered his head and gave thanks. 
"......Are you looking for someone?" 
"Huh?" 
"Just now, I saw you running here and there nearby. Who are you looking for?" The man asked the surprised Harutora with a calm tone. 
"Though I don't know who you're looking for...... If you're looking for a youngster who's wearing an uniform similar to yours, I just ran into one. His appearance was quite unusual, so I remember him very clearly." He continued speaking as if they were quite acquainted, not waiting for Harutora to reply. 
"R... Really?" 
Harutora hurriedly asked for clarification, and the man told him everything. Once he heard the location, Harutora almost moaned. It was near the place where they had held the practical exam today. 
Harutora immediately got ready to move, but before that, he spoke to the man again: "Th, Thanks! Thank you very much!" 
"Don't worry about it, go quickly." 
"Yes!" 
Harutora bowed his head deeply in thanks, then ran off. But as he ran, he felt like something wasn't right. 
With suspicion in his heart, he quickly noticed the abnormality. 
When he had lowered his head in thanks and rushed away, something had caught his eye. The left sleeve of the man's suit. It swung gently in the breeze like an empty sleeve...... 
Harutora quickly turned around, but the big man was no longer there. 
He felt strange, not understanding why his chest felt inexplicably impetuous. But finding Touji was the first priority, and he hurriedly pushed his doubt and suspicious feeling out of his mind, mustering all of his strength to sprint towards the place where the practical exam had been held in the evening. He fully believed that Touji was there, not even suspecting that the man could lie. 
Run, run, run-- 
He ran forward single-mindedly. 
Once he reached that place, and upon noticing that figure, Harutora instantly yelled: "Touji!" 
Touji was in the plaza in front of an office building, where they had held the practical exam. 
After the Exorcist Bureau arrived, they had stretched caution tape nearby, prohibiting normal people from entering. However, maybe because their manpower was insufficient, there weren't any people staying behind to monitor the area at the moment. The spiritual disaster area was close to silent and the traces of destruction were still shocking. It was really hard to associate this place with the downtown Shibuya in the Tokyo metropolis. 
Harutora shouted, passing over the caution tape, and the solitary boy instantly turned his head around listlessly. 
Touji was the boy standing within the caution tape. 
But, it wasn't the normal Touji. 
"......It's you, huh." He muttered, his voice abnormally cold and emotionless. 
Harutora's body momentarily tensed up, memories of the past awakening in his mind. This wasn't the first time he had faced this kind of Touji. 
In his tension, he gradually put on a splendid smile. Since the moment he heard that Touji had slipped out of the academy building, he had already prepared himself. No, more accurately, he had prepared himself to face this scene even longer ago, from the moment when he had been acquainted with and became friends with Touji. 
"What do you want?" Touji asked. 
"Does it need to be said?" Harutora replied. 
He desperately regulated the breathing that had become chaotic from his running, and then straightened his back, speaking sincerely to his good friend: 
"Let's go, Touji, let's go back together." 

Natsume didn't head to the Exorcist Bureau main department, but the Meguro branch instead. 
The person who had come to welcome her brought her directly into the branch office. The office was in a state of turmoil, pervaded by a tense, stormy atmosphere and everyone there having taut expressions. Even so, no one in the office seemed panicked, as expected of a department that had long since gotten used to sudden situations. 
A group of black-clothed people - Onmyouji wearing the pitch-black miasma protection clothing that was the symbol of an exorcist - walked here and there in the corridor. This place could be named an active gathering of ravens on the absolute frontline. 

Natsume and Kyouko, who had come along with her, were brought into a meeting room. The meeting room wasn't very large, with a slim folding table and a few folding chairs placed inside and a whiteboard hung on the wall. 
Honestly, the two of them had originally thought they would be brought to an operational headquarters where a group of higher-ups would be sitting side by side. It was hard to conceal their disappointment when they noticed that they were entering such a small meeting room. But, once they noticed the people waiting inside the meeting room, they couldn't help but gasp in shock, hurriedly standing upright. 
The Divine Generals couldn't help but laugh. 
"Alright, alright, don't be that formal. We were busy before and I wasn't able to introduce myself properly. I'm the Independent Exorcist Kogure Zenjirou. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tsuchimikado Natsume-kun, and Kurahashi Kyouko-san. Chief Kurahashi is usually always taking care of me." 
Kogure spoke casually. He sat down in the chair, simultaneously pointing to the folding chairs and saying: "Go ahead and sit." The two bowed their head in thanks somewhat awkwardly and sat down alongside him. 
Kogure's dress was the same as on the scene of the spiritual disaster, but he didn't have the tense feeling from back then, and looked rather leisurely. In particular, there was a wooden bowl of pastries on the table and a plastic bottle of Pepsi, and there was even an opened, half-read manga on the side. Yet the katana that had been strapped to his waist before was also to the side. These objects seemed odd when they were randomly put together. 
"It's not very good to drink on the job." He shrugged his shoulders after he noticed the gazes of the two, completely mistaking their meaning. Then, he asked again: "Want some?" and proffered the entire bowl of pastries. They hastily shook their heads as soon as they heard that. Seeing Natsume and Kyouko decline, Kogure took a pastry himself. 
"Sorry for suddenly calling you out here. It's a desperate situation after all, so please forgive me." 
Kogure explained, chewing the pastry with a crisp noise and making them unable to help but want to ask whether the situation was actually all that desperate. 
"Sorry, Kagami gave you lots of trouble before. That guy is really able, but he loves to stir up trouble and he makes heaps of it. I'm not asking for your understanding, but I hope that you will be able to put that matter to the side first during this operation." 
"No, don't say that, the incident already passed." 
"It's really a great help to hear you say that. Don't worry, I won't let that person have a chance to approach you during the operation." 
Kogure chewed the pastry, promising readily. 
Natsume felt extremely grateful when she heard those words. Before she had come to the Exorcist Bureau, she had always been a bit resistant in her heart, not wanting to run into Kagami again. She didn't say anything like 'that's great', but her expression relaxed greatly. 
Then, Kogure stuffed the entire pastry into his mouth, munching on it and then washing it down with Pepsi. 
"Alright." He clapped his hands and said: "I think you two have already heard most of the explanation, you'll be working alongside the Exorcist Bureau for this operation. I should first warn you that the mission this time is quite dangerous. For the most part, you'll be moving with me, or in other words I'm responsible for protecting you. I want you to listen clearly to my words and act according to my instructions, understood?" 
Kogure spoke like the commentator of a game, but Natsume and Kyouko couldn't help but exchange a glance upon hearing that remark. 
The principal had said that the Exorcist Bureau was relatively safe, but they hadn't even thought of something like having one of the Twelve Divine Generals protecting them. That way of doing things was certainly quite reliable, as with a Divine General by their side, they wouldn't have to be alarmed even if Yakou fanatics came forth to intervene. 
"......But, is that alright?" 
"What do you mean?" 
"After all...... It's a phase three spiritual disaster that has to be purified, right? But...... if Independent Officer Kogure is stuck protecting us, your fighting strength......" Natsume asked gingerly. 
Kogure laughed openly upon hearing that, raising his legs and making a tapping sound with his sandals. 
"You don't need to worry, the Exorcist Bureau is going all-out this time and there won't be any mishaps. If we don't resolve this situation tonight, a state of emergency will definitely be announced tomorrow, and maybe there will be a few government officials who have to step down to take responsibility. This could really lead to a situation similar to what happened two years ago...... Right, do you two know about the spiritual disaster terrorist attack two years ago?" 
"Yes, we know." 
"Okay, well anyways it's pretty close to that time. The Exorcist Bureau will do all they can to deal with the spiritual disaster. You don't need to worry, as the Chief will visit the scene himself if the situation is disencouraging. The biggest problem is actually whether we can successfully lure the Nue - but the Exorcist Bureau is the one studying this plan of action, you don't need to be concerned about such things, Natsume-kun." Kogure still spoke leisurely. 
In some sense, those words sounded like he was treating Natsume and Kyouko like children, but since he was an Independent Exorcist of the Twelve Divine Generals, it was really hard to oppose his words. More importantly, the inexplicable weight on their shoulders had vanished because of this, and Natsume had relaxed instead. 
"But, like I said just now, the mission this time is extremely dangerous, and I should want you never to grow careless...... Though I say that, there won't be any spare time to be lax after we arrive at the scene." 
Kogure smiled as he spoke, holding the plastic bottle in his hand. In that moment, a bit of 'fighting spirit' seemed to peek out from Kogure's lax attitude. 
"To say more, you are the linchpin of this plan of action, Natsume-kun. We'll assume full responsibility, but please remember this and stay careful." 
"......Alright, I'll do everything I can." 
Natsume had originally came to join the operation being burdened by the name 'Tsuchimikado'. Since she didn't have any intention of slacking, it was just as Kogure had said, she didn't believe she would have any spare time. She would have to work as hard as possible in order to keep from holding the exorcists back. 
"Yeah." Maybe seeing Natsume's resolve, Kogure nodded his head in satisfaction. Then - "You really don't want any?" - he offered the pastries to Natsume and Kyouko again. 
This time, Natsume spoke honestly: "Then excuse me", reaching her hand out. Kyouko also reached to take a pastry upon seeing this. They hadn't eaten anything since morning today, and seeing Kogure naturally made them think of the ancient proverb 'the Emperor doesn't send hungry soldiers'. Maybe it was the calm and composure that he showed - or on the other hand, it could be the firm self-confidence that he faintly showed that gave off this feeling. 
"Honestly, though you are Onmyou Academy students, I'm truly very sorry for pulling ordinary people - and even underage people - into this, even if you're a Tsuchimikado. I'll definitely return this kindness, so I'm counting on you this time." 
"Oh no, I should be the one saying that." 
"Right - I heard that Jin was your class's homeroom teacher, right? How's his performance? Is he a proper teacher?" 
Kogure asked spiritedly, and Natsume and Kyouko were dumbfounded for a while, unable to understand what he was asking. They only realized after a long while that 'Jin' was Ohtomo's name, and their eyes inadvertently widened. 
"Huh? Y, You know Ohtomo-sense-?" 
Come to think of it, they had indeed heard from somewhere that Ohtomo had been a Mystical Investigator in the past, but they just couldn't immediately associate that useless teacher with one of the Twelve Divine Generals. Kogure's response surprised them even more. 
"We didn't just know each other, we were companions." 
"I, I see, so you entered the Onmyou Agency at the same time--" 
"Wrong, wrong, we indeed entered the Onmyou Agency at the same time, but we were classmates since we were in the Onmyou Academy." 
"What? O, Onmyou Academy classmates?" 
"Right, and come to think of it, is there a reason why it was so unexpected? There are Onmyou Academy graduates all over the Onmyou Agency." 
Kogure spoke in incomprehension. From his words, Kogure - and Ohtomo - were actually all Natsume and the others' senpai. 
"Right, what class of students are you guys?" 
"Th, The forty-seventh class......" 
"Oh, there are so many classes that's a big shock...... Jin and I were the thirty-sixth class, and people called us the 'Three Ravens of the Thirty-Sixth'. At the time, we were notorious for always bringing headaches to Principal Kurahashi." 
Kogure spoke elatedly. Natsume and Kyouko listened with wide eyes and gaping mouths, surprise written from ear to ear. From Kogure calling him 'Jin' directly, their relationship was probably pretty good, but the two were really incredibly different. They couldn't imagine such a straightforward and reliable Divine General being good friends with that strange teacher. 
"......Kogure-san seems very amicable, so he probably gets along well with everyone." Kyouko whispered quietly into Natsume's ear. 
"On the other hand, Ohtomo-sensei probably didn't have any friends other than Kogure-san." 
"Uh, it's very possible." 
"Right? But it's really an unexpected combination...... Huh, weird, the thirty-sixth class? That means...... Ohtomo-sensei isn't even thirty? No way!" 
Kogure looked at the whispered conversation of the two in confusion and incomprehension. Maybe he was recalling past events from when he had still been an academy student. 
Then, Kyouko made a 'huh?' sound. 
"'Three Ravens' means that there was still another person, right? Then, who was that friend--" Since the atmosphere was right, Kyouko asked unhesitatingly. 
Kogure's face tensed up once he heard this, showing a shocked expression like he had made a tactless remark. 
"Uh, well...... It's not really something to talk about......" Judging from that demeanor, he was quite unskilled at concealing his own emotions. He looked awkward in Natsume and Kyouko's eyes, clearly avoiding the question. Since he was showing this kind of attitude, they decided to suppress their curiosity and didn't pursue the question. 
Just then, a door knock sounded in the meeting room. "Excuse me." A suit-wearing young man walked in. 
The young man had two sharp eyes and a gentle face. His hair fell to his shoulders, and for some reason a lock of it had been dyed red. 
"I'm sorry for making you wait, Independent Officer Kogure." 
"Oh, you're here." 
Kogure seemed to relax because the topic had diverged, waving his hand and greeting the young man. Natsume and Kyouko stood up respectfully, and he also stood up alongside when he saw that, unable to help but smile wryly. 
"Let me introduce you, he is the Onmyou Agency Magic Crime Investigation Department's Hirata Atsune. He's going to be acting along with me. The reason is...... I shouldn't need to say it, you both know it well, right?" 
Upon hearing of the Mystical Investigators, Natsume's expression instantly went stiff. Normally, there would be no opportunity for Mystical Investigators to show up during a spiritual disaster purification. As Kogure had said, she could think of only one reason why he was participating in this operation. 
"Hello Tsuchimikado Natsume-san, I'm the Magic Crime Investigator Hirata. Maybe you don't want to hear this, but I know about your matters very well, including the difficulties you're facing. A coworker of mine did something to damage our reputation last year, and as a Mystical Investigator, please allow me to offer you my deepest apologies." Upon seeing Natsume's reaction, Hirata spoke with caution. After he spoke, he bowed deeply to Natsume even though she was just a student, lowering his head to express his apology. His attitude was refined and courteous, and his clear and flowing voice gave an even deeper impression. 
"I know that it's very difficult to ask you to immediately have faith in me, but it's an indisputable fact that the difficulty you face is too much to burden a single person with. I won't force you to trust me immediately, but you and I stand on the same side, so please allow us to do what we can and resolve things together with you." 
"......Yes......" 
The first time they met he suddenly said these kinds of things. Natsume was dumbfounded as she listened, and Kyouko's eyes also widened. Kogure was even more amazed. 
"Hey, Hirata, it's good to have manners, but isn't that a bit too polite." 
"There's no such thing, we have truly given him quite some trouble." 
"But you're a specialized Onmyouji and the other party is a child, right? Look, you've even confused Natsume-kun." 
"No, I, um......" 
Natsume originally wanted to help smooth things over, but her tone was indeed full of confusion. On the other hand, Hirata was unaffected, still firmly maintaining that 'this is proper courtesy'. 
"Well, I never thought that there would be a rare type like you in the Mystical Investigators, though old Amami and Jin aren't very normal either." 
After Kogure muttered a few words with a wry smile, he said: "Let's all sit down first", taking charge of the situation. 
He put his hands on his lap, showing a firm gaze and looking at Natsume, Kyouko, and Hirata in succession. With just that small movement, the atmosphere in the area instantly turned serious. 
"We still have some time before the operation starts. So, I'll explain and confirm the contents of the operations, is that alright?" 
Natsume and the others nodded their heads somberly. Then, Kogure began explaining what role Natsume was assuming in this plan of action in more detail.