Tokyo Ravens - Volume 3 - Chapter 5.5

Part 5 
In the darkness, a man chanted incantations without distractions. 
An altar was laid out before the man, a candle flickering on a candlestick. It was the only light source, and the only audible sound was the man chanting incantations. The firelight swayed along with the incantation, casting complex shadows across the man's face. 
The man continued chanting incantations. 
Other than the candlestick, there were also two charms on the altar. One of them was spread out, but the other was wrapped up in paper, sealed up. 
The incantation written on the opened charm was dried up, the text and design visibly cracking. The incantation on the charm wasn't written with ink, but with blood instead. 
In front of the charm was a sheet of neatly-folded paper like a scroll recording a rite. 
The man continued chanting incantations. 
Dawn would be approaching soon, and there was little time left to secretly carry out undercover actions. But the man wasn't concerned at all, and he didn't have the leisure to worry about those distractions. 
The man continued chanting incantations. 
After a moment, his tightly shut eyes suddenly widened. 
"I humbly ask to consult Taizan Fukun, the lord of the underworld--" 

The scroll on the altar gave off magical energy, floating in midair, and then flipping open and suddenly igniting in a lightly blue flame. The scroll burned in an instant - and disappeared. The surroundings momentarily sank into a deep darkness where one couldn't see their outstretched hand. 
"......Mutobe-san?" The man asked in a whisper in the darkness. 
The spread charm gave off a weak light like it was replying to his question. The light immediately vanished, but the man's face had a satisfied smile. 
"......You worked hard. Leave the rest to me." 
The man murmured, respectfully taking up the charm and wrapping it up with the paper he had prepared in advance, carefully and cautiously sealing it. Then, he put it and the charm he had sealed beforehand into his clothing. 
He stood up, dismantling the altar, continuing to chant incantations, and carefully eliminating all traces of the altar. The man's movements weren't visibly hesitant in the expansive darkness. 
After the clean-up work had ended, the man took out a phone from his suit pocket, turning on the battery. 
As he had expected, there were several missed calls on it. Though the aftermath would be troublesome, they were just chores anyway, and it wouldn't be hard to properly deal with things without arousing suspicion. 
Now, he had to inherit the will of his comrade and become the messiah. For this, he had to deal with things cautiously and accurately no matter what kind of situation he encountered. The man had the self-confidence that he could do it. 
He opened the folding phone, checking the phone's screen. The liquid crystal screen gave off a slight light, illuminating the man's face in the darkness. 
His black hair blended with the darkness, mixed with a strand of bright vermilion [67] . 
Like blood dripping in the darkness.