Tokyo Ravens - Volume 6 - Chapter 1.4

Part 4 
"...Om marici sowaka... Om marici sowaka..." 
He was on one knee, the fingers of his hands crossing in a complex pattern. They formed the Vajrapani mudra. He chanted the incantation, blessing his heart, forehead, left shoulder, right shoulder, and the top of his head, checking that the spell had formed while repeating the seven-syllable incantation. 
"... Om marici sowaka... Om marici sowaka..." 
A continuous stealth seal. He single-mindedly refined aura, gradually weaving the magic using magical energy. 
This was stealth magic used in actual battles that they had learned today. Tenma had returned to the magic practice field, wanting to practice again alone. 
"... Om marici sowaka... Om marici sowaka..." 
Eliminate the self-consciousness, the two teachers had explained. 
They wanted him to solve that difficult problem, but he couldn't form the magic. Maybe 'solving that difficult problem' entailed getting over distractions. 
He didn't think about anything at all. His mind was blank, but it was hard to stop thinking about 'not thinking about anything at all' itself. Then, he would notice that he was still 'thinking about not thinking about anything at all', which would repeat ad infinitum. 
He released himself from the chain reaction of thought, heading to a territory of no distractions. 
But stealth magic was also a magic, a magic that concealed even the magic concealing his aura itself. Delicate adjustment was required - it had to be controlled. Could he simply eliminate his self-consciousness while maintaining that kind of control? 
He didn't understand. 
But he could only do it. 
Stealth magic seemed to have its subtleties. No, it wasn't just stealth magic, all first-class magic had their own key tricks. In the end, the strengths of magic were greatly defined by the perception of the practitioner. Other field were mostly the same, but magic relied the most on the subject's talent. The closure of the world of magic symbolized that, and it was an indisputable truth that most practitioners through the ages had been born in families related to magic. 
Nature and talent, bloodlines and genes. Hard work was naturally a pre-condition, but the people who were able to reach the 'top' were limited very early on. In the end, true practitioners were only those people who could reach the 'top'. 
He could only do it. 
But he was clueless. 
What should he do? What was the key? Could he even do it?" 
"... Om marici sowaka......" 
As if suddenly becoming discouraged, Tenma released the hand seal. 
He stopped chanting the incantation and then let out a heavy sigh. Propping his hands on his knees, Tenma slowly rose. 
His body was incredibly heavy. Had he used too much aura, or was it because of his mood? Tenma had lost the will to continue training. He stood still, dejected. 
Just then, 
"......Yeah, what a pity." 
Tenma rapidly turned his head in surprise upon hearing the chatting voice coming from behind his back. His homeroom teacher Ohtomo Jin leaned next to the entrance of the field, smiling as he watched Tenma. 
"Sensei......" 
"What's wrong, you don't need to be that shocked. I didn't use any stealth, I've been here the whole time. That proves how concentrated you were in your magic before." 
Ohtomo said this, walking next to Tenma while holding a short cane. 
He was a young yet haggard-faced man wearing a rumpled suit and old-fashioned glasses. A wooden fake leg could be glimpsed coming from his right pants leg. "You worked very hard." Ohtomo smiled at Tenma. 
"You're really a hard-working person. But you worked a little too hard, you know? Haste makes waste." 
Ohtomo advised him nonchalantly with a relaxed smile on his face like always. But the current Tenma was extremely moved by Ohtomo's gentleness. 
"......Am I really too hasty?" 
"Well. As far as I can see, I can't help but think that way - I guess." 
"I see...... You saw through me really easily. My grandfather always scolds me when I show an expression unbecoming of a practitioner." 
"Haha. He's very strict because he holds great expectations of you." 
Ohtomo seemed as if he were encouraging him, but his smile vanished when he saw Tenma's expression afterwards. He carefully observed the boy's reaction. 
Actually, the moment he said 'great expectations', Tenma's expression became rather gloomy. 
"......Sensei. Is first-class magic...... Is Onmyoudou really an ability of geniuses? Is it really true that it's a quality that can't be made up for with any amount of hard work?" 
Tenma looked up at Ohtomo, asking pleadingly. His cornered expression didn't fit Tenma's style. 
Ohtomo looked at his student, nodding. 
"Of course." 
He asserted. At the same time as his homeroom teacher said that, Tenma's body suddenly went stiff. 
"You ought to have thoroughly understood that kind of natural thing from class. After all, there definitely aren't many people in the world able to see spirits. Needless to say, only a small portion of those people are able to become professional practitioners. The world of magic is probably the only profession that's 'decided' from the very beginning." 
Ohtomo's light tone was as if he were having a nice chat. But his tone, as unconcerned as usual, made Tenma feel battered by a storm. 
"Sensei." After he came to his senses, Tenma interrupted Ohtomo's words as if unburdening himself of his grievances. 
"I've already studied under Sensei for a very long time. I'm continuously studying first-class magic with Harutora and the others right now." 
"......Yeah." 
"Can I become a professional Onmyouji?" 
Tenma watched Ohtomo motionlessly, his eyes showing a powerful will. 
Ohtomo readily accepted his student's pressing question. 
Then, he smiled softly. 
"I don't know." 
"Please explain!" 
"Well, I really don't know. I know of your current power, but I can't predict your future. I'm not that kind of clairvoyant." 
"But isn't an individual's ability already decided at birth?" 
"Ability, yes. But, practitioners don't only need ability." 
This was Tenma's first time strongly retorting to a teacher since he had entered the academy. But Ohtomo seemed not to mind, slowly explaining for him without mincing his words. 
The cane in his hands made a soft noise. 
"Well, Tenma-kun. Magic is unexpectedly deep. You could even say that it's an entire distinct world. Moreover, it's probably in a completely different direction from what you currently vaguely imagine." 
"What does that mean?" 

"Yeah. Anyway, there are many differences in the abilities required in Onmyoudou. To put it differently, any kind of ability that you possess can be used as a weapon. For example, like your parents." 
Tenma's face suddenly twitched. Complex emotions flashed by the eyes of Ohtomo as he watched him. 
But Ohtomo feigned ignorance and continued speaking. 
"There's no denying it, your parents didn't have outstanding abilities as practitioners. Even so, those two left behind incalculable achievements. I always used the 'WA1' since I started Mystical Investigator work, and a friend of mine still treasures the motorcycle he rides that your parents made especially for him. They made huge contributions that surpassed their abilities, but does that meant they're not outstanding Onmyouji?" 
"......" 
Tenma lowered his head and fell silent. Ohtomo smiled wryly upon seeing his appearance. 
"Come to think of it, it might have been a bit dirty to use your parents as examples. It might to be hard to retort when you're lectured with those examples." 
"......That's not the case. Thank you." 
Tenma replied, his head still lowered. Ohtomo watched Tenma with a sincere expression, walking next to him a short while later and putting his hand on his shoulder. 
"......The Onmyou Academy only accepted you because we had faith in your talent. I hope that you could trust my judgment a little." 
Tenma still didn't raise his head after hearing his homeroom teacher's encouragement. 
But after a long silence, he finally nodded lightly. 

 

"......What's happened?" 
The foggy windows were opened in the principal's office as they so rarely were. The cloud-filled sky could be seen outside from the opened windows. A wet-winged eagle was stopped by the windowsill. 
The Onmyou Academy principal Kurahashi Miyo sat on the chair next to her desk, looking at the eagle by the window. She had taken off her reading glasses, and her expression was showing a look of rare shock. 
"Truthfully?" 
"It's probably easy to take as a joke. But at least I didn't want to be startled by the 'Kurahashi Diviner'." 
The eagle said this as it faced the principal. Moreover, its expression and its small movements were mysteriously like a human's. 
The eagle showed the age of its master through its lecturing tone. It was the voice of the Onmyou Agency Mystical Crime Investigation Department's Chief, Amami Daizen. This eagle was his shikigami. 
Amami's shikigami seemed to be nonchalant, but the message it had conveyed was extremely serious. Actually, the information he had conveyed made one wonder whether to take it seriously. 
"......An announcement of Ashiya Doman?" 
"Yeah. Specifically, it's a 'letter of challenge'. Thanks to him, the Onmyou Agency's currently in an uproar." 
As Amami said, a shikigami had appeared before the Onmyou Agency building two hours ago. The giant owl-shaped simple shikigami had stayed in front of the building, loudly proclaiming its message, and then the contents of the message had become a letter that dropped to the entrance of the building. After the Onmyou Agency inspected the message to see whether it had magic, they had immediately taken it in. 
The contents were-- 
"'Ashiya Doman will come to take the 'Raven's Wing' tomorrow.' ...Honestly, there's been no news for the long time we've been investigating him, and suddenly there's this big movement. Thanks to him, the Mystical Investigators are thoroughly discredited." 
Amami rattled off a complaint, but his voice sounded more excited instead. Since a long time ago, he had been the type to become more invigorated the stronger the opponent was. But this time, she couldn't just smile and observe Amami's bad taste. 
"Is it really him?" 
"It's a bit too much to be the prank of a fake. The 'Raven's Wing'... It's extremely realistic indeed for him to mention that tool in such an unlucky time. Even if it isn't 'D' himself, we can't just ignore this." 
"......But why this, so suddenly." 
"To be honest, I have no clue. It's really a shame as the Chief of the Mystical Investigators. But the Twin-Horned Syndicate hasn't made any visible motions since the Nue incident. This is just my instinct, but judging by their strategies before, those people won't take direct action on their own. But if this is just a single criminal, then I can't understand his reasoning." 
"......How unreliable." 
"You're too harsh. But I can't deny it." 
Amami readily laughed back up hearing the principal's ice-cold assertion. The principal sighed unconsciously. 
In the next moment, the joking attitude vanished from the eagle. 
"...Ah, from now on this is just me talking to myself...... Tsuchimikado Yakou's relic, the 'Raven's Wing', is currently tightly sealed in an Onmyou Agency warehouse. Miyo-chan, you know that, right?" 
"......Yes." 
"Nnn. Of course you ought to know. After all, the Onmyou Agency once publicly announced that. 'D' ought to know this too, and 'according to normal logic', that guy's shikigami appearing in front of the Onmyou Agency building can be taken as evidence that he knows this. Most of the Onmyou Agency should believe that he's announcing that he wants to steal the Raven's Wing that's sealed in the building." 
"......" 
"But. There's some strange news circulating among a group of people regarding the 'Raven's Wing'. An extremely absurd rumor. It says that the 'Raven's Wing' kept at the Onmyou Agency isn't the original, but a fake. Miyo-chan, do you know about that news too?" 
"......Well." 
The principal's tone didn't change a bit as she replied carefully. But the expression she watched the eagle with suddenly sharpened like a drawn blade. 
Amami's malicious laughter came from the eagle's beak again. 
"Probably no one's sure whether that guy knows the news or not. But - as I mentioned before, his current objective is hard to pinpoint. In my position, I want to make complete preparations so that we won't get into trouble anywhere...... Well, that's hard to actually do. Miyo-chan, at the least you should get a firm grip on the situation." 
"......Understood." 
The principal said indifferently. 
Then, her voice immediately became softer. 
"......Amami-kun." 
"Yeah?" 
"Thanks." 
The eagle didn't respond for a while. 
The principal's figure was reflected in its avian eyes. After the silence, it spoke in a voice completely different from before, 
"......Sorry. I'll do everything I can too." 
After leaving those final words, Amami's presence vanished from the eagle. 
The eagle's body shook, spreading its giant wings and flying into the overcast sky while paying attention to not splash any water around. The principal watched the eagle vanish in the shadow of one of Shibuya's buildings and rose to close the fogged-up window. 
She sat back in her chair, closed her eyes, and regulated her breathing. What currently surfaced in her mind was the scene that had happened last month when she had sent her shikigami to the training camp like Amami had. 
... 'I heard the original was in the Onmyou Academy.' 
"......" 
The principal opened her closed eyelids. 
She picked up the phone on the table and rapidly dialed an internal phone call. 
Then, 
"......Hello, thanks for your work. It's Kurahashi. I'm very sorry, but please call Ohtomo-sensei and Fujiwara-sensei over. ......Yeah, that's right, it's an emergency."