Tokyo Ravens - Volume 7 - Chapter 1.3

Part 3 
Extremely unfortunately, the influence of the 'Child Prodigy' of the Twelve Divine Generals was no use towards the Exorcist Bureau. 
"We're very sorry, our training is part of our work. Never mind students, even professional Onmyouji and even National First-Class Onmyouji are not permitted to join in." 
They were refused like that, with no wiggle room. Though they had long since expected that they might be refused in the end, they hadn't thought it would be this cold. 
Come to think of it, the other party was really in the wrong. 
There were actually many current exorcists who had come from the Onmyou Academy. Onmyouji was an industry that was governed by talent to a great degree, and people who possessed outstanding talent and had the will to become Onmyouji would set their sights on entering the famous Onmyou Academy from an early age. As for the exorcists, who were stars of the industry appointed from only the most outstanding people, obviously many had graduated from the Onmyou Academy. 
But that was just 'many', and not all exorcists had come from the Onmyou Academy. Hence, the people who didn't belong to the largest faction were in a vulnerable position. This kind of situation came up in all organizations. These people obviously harbored resentment towards the largest faction, and even felt excluded. 
Last night, the ones who had obtained permission to use the training room was the thirteenth spiritual disaster purification team belonging to the Exorcist Bureau Meguro branch. 
Though they had only learned afterwards, Captain Eto of the thirteenth team was a famous member of the branch's anti-Onmyou Academy faction. 
Of course, though they opposed the largest faction, they didn't hate the Onmyou Academy or the students. During the day, most of the members would turn a blind eye to the special case of the students entering their professional area. But of course, there were also people who questioned it, and a group that had come from outside the Onmyou Academy was particularly prominent among the opposition. Eto was one of them. 
"Though the Bureau decided to share this facility, we definitely have priority. You just need to focus on your lesson plans." 
It was completely true and irrefutable. 
Suzuka, who had brought it up first, was thoroughly discredited, but she, who pretended to be an idol-type Onmyouji on the surface, couldn't release her anger. "Well, but, I'm also a National First-Class Onmyouji......" She just showed a twitchy, dumbfounded smile and continued her clumsy negotiations, but was completely ignored. Never mind her true personality for now, it was very refreshing to see the 'Child Prodigy' Dairenji Suzuka being treated like a child. 
But just as Harutora and the others were about to give up, unexpected help appeared. 
The Onmyou Academy practical skills teacher, Fujiwara. 
"Don't say that, Eto. Even if it's just for a limited time, 'helping out the Onmyou Academy students' is a duty of the branch." 
He seemed to have heard about Harutora and the others' request from somewhere. After seeing Fujiwara appear, Eto muttered "Fujiwara-san" as if he had eaten a bug. 
Fujiwara had originally been an exorcist, and recently he had been guiding Harutora's group's individual training together with Ohtomo. Probably because of his character, he was highly respected all-around, and still had influence in the Exorcist Bureau even after leaving. He clearly knew Eto, and from the conversation of the two, one could speculate that he had once been Eto's boss. 
"Fujiwara-san. Even if you vouch for them, disturbing the team's discipline is......" 
"Well, listen to me. Even if it's just for your work, learning about their power wouldn't come without benefits. After all...... it's possible that you'll have a mission like protecting them." 
Eto showed a surprised reaction, and Fujiwara leaned in to whisper quietly. Eto looked at Harutora and the others, stunned - especially Natsume. 
It seemed that they were talking about Natsume's true identity. "That's him?" He murmured quietly. 
Fujiwara's lobbying had obviously shaken Eto's attitude. Though in the end they felt like he still regretted about their training time, he still bitterly accepted Harutora and the others' request. 
But what happened after that was completely different from what Harutora and the others predicted. 
The training Eto allowed them to participate in was mock battles conducted between exorcists. 
"Don't force yourself...... Though I want to tell you that, at the least you have to show off for us as someone who's coming in and disturbing them." 
"I'll do my best......" 
Harutora replied gripingly to Fujiwara's relaxed tone. 
Harutora and the others and three team members were currently divided off into two sides of the training room. They were going to carry out one-against-one mock magic battles. Though the exorcists didn't use magic much outside of purifying spiritual disasters, it wasn't that they didn't use magic at all. It wasn't rare to hold mock battles like this to refine their skills. 
As a result of drawing straws, Harutora was the first to take the stage. His opponent was Captain Eto. 
"It seems like you fought with that Yakou Fanatic Mystical Investigator on your third day after entering the academy. Even an exorcist can't compare to a professional Mystical Investigator in a magic battle - in magic against other people. Don't be afraid, even though your opponent is the team captain." 
"No, no, no, I wasn't fighting alone at the time! Also, that person was originally Fujiwara-sensei's subordinate, right? Do you have any advice?" 
"Yes. He's undoubtedly far stronger than the current me." 
"That's not advice at all!" 
Harutora warmed himself up - strictly speaking, it was mainly to let himself calm down. At the same time, he breathed deeply. 
The rules were basically that anything goes. In order to mimic a real battle, charms were obviously allowed along with magical tools and shikigami, and they could use everything that they were able to. Harutora's extended hands grasped a shakujou. This was a specialized magical tool that Ohtomo had made for him. He had brought it before coming to the training area just in case, and it seemed that he had made the right choice. This shakujou could help Harutora control the magical energy he wasn't too good with. As long as he had this weapon, he could perform in mock battles - at least, that should be the case. 
"Don't falter, Harutora. You defeated a Mystical Investigator, you also defeated a Nue, and you just battled Ashiya Doman's shikigami a while ago." 
"Ah, y-yes, that damn living spirit! Bastard." 
"Harutora! Keep your calm and carefully observe the opponent. It'll be fine if you keep the mentality as if you're taking a test!" 
"Understood. ......Alright, let's go, bastard!" 
After replying to Touji's calls and Natsume's cheers, Harutora gave himself a push. Tenma shouted "Do your best!" at him, and Kyouko watched him uncharacteristically quietly. 
The only exception was the troublemaking Suzuka. 
"Uwah, senpai, do your best~ Show everyone your coolest side~" 
She cheered for Harutora in a completely indifferent tone, not a whit of enthusiasm audible in her voice. This kind of cheer made Harutora lose his vigor instead. He hoped that she would at least shut up. 
The members of the thirteenth team sat on the bench that had been pulled out from them, shooting them curious gazes. They seemed to already know that Harutora was a Tsuchimikado family member, and their expressions were as if unexpected show were about to start. Maybe they were secretly gambling. Of course, that was if they had been able to set the gambling ring up. 
...For now, I have to focus. 
He wanted to challenge himself as much as possible. Harutora had said this during lunchtime, and they hadn't been empty words. Anyway, he was an idiot, and even if he thought about the problem of what magic was, it would be hard for him to come up with anything. 
He had been groping around since entering the Onmyou Academy. He had developed his skills somewhat, but his fundamental position still hadn't changed. Just putting it into practice. He had turned the truths he had felt from his stumbles, falls, and injuries into his own flesh and blood. One drop at a time, he had slowly accumulated them. 
That was all he could do. 
With a booming voice, Eto asked: 
"Are you prepared?" 
"Yes!" 
He replied loudly in order to disperse the feeling of tension, swiftly walking forward and confronting Eto. 
"Then let's begin." 
Eto proclaimed concisely. 
"Kon!" Harutora immediately summoned his defensive shikigami. 
A small figure appeared in front of Harutora, swiftly kicking off the ground to approach Eto before him. The girl wore a suikan and hakama, and had foxlike ears and a tail. Kon had already reached behind her back, gripping the hilt of her blade Kachiwari. 
Ohh? The exorcists let out sounds of praise. There weren't many practitioners who could use defensive shikigami among professionals either. Their gazes suddenly gained some anticipation, as if evaluating what kind of level Harutora was on. 
But the opponent Eto didn't even bat an eyelash. 
Kon, who charged straight ahead, swung her tail as she was in front of him, using the recoil force to step sideways. She didn't lower her speed as she changed her path, leaping agilely. 
Her small body flew through the air and her sword left the scabbard. Kachiwari's blade flashed in a line, cutting towards Eto. 
But just as Kon was about to hit him, she suddenly suffered an impact in midair and was knocked flying with a cry. 
Slight lag appeared on Kon's body from the force of the impact. At the same time, she spun her tail and twisted her body like a cat to land on the ground. Then, she turned her body to momentarily pull away from Eto. On the other hand, lag also appeared in the space that had sent the shikigami flying, and then a giant figure clearly contrasting with Kon appeared. 
A heavy-duty warrior that wore a suit of heavy armor. This robust, inorganic figure was the defensive shikigami 'Model G1 Emperor' created by the Onmyou Agency. This kind of standard defensive shikigami was the most widely used among exorcists dealing with spiritual disasters. In addition to in front of Eto, another one appeared behind him as a guard, motionlessly checking Kon, who prowled around threateningly like a cat, and preventing her from coming close. 
But just then, Harutora charged towards Eto himself. 
A slight commotion sounded among the exorcists, and Eto was also surprised. It had always been Harutora's way to attack himself as the practitioner, but it wasn't a normal strategy in magical battles. It was even more unexpected because the opponent was an experienced exorcist. 
Of course, even if he were surprise attacked, he wasn't so naive that his heart would falter. 
The 'Emperor' in front of him quickly aimed at Harutora. Kon across from them loudly warned "H-Harutora-sama!", but Harutora didn't pay her any heed, continuing to approach. 
Eto revealed a serious look, believing that this was just the recklessness of a newbie. He reached out, attacking Harutora by using the Emperor whose movements were linked to its master and intending to capture him. This kind of manipulation might have seriously wounded Harutora if he had been just a little bit careless. The exorcists all sighed. 
But Harutora's thinking was the opposite. 
...Alright, success. 
Kyouko had once done the same thing. Because the opponent was a flesh and blood human - especially a newbie - one would unintentionally hold back when the practitioner was about to directly collide with a shikigami. Harutora infused the shakujou with magical energy as he had practiced, sweeping sharply at the Emperor's legs. Of course, he didn't hit. But though he didn't hit, he also defeated its attack. 
...Think, keep thinking. 
A magic battle involved guessing the opponent's intents, not just a simple clash of strength. Harutora had clearly learned the importance of 'strategy' in magical battles from Ohtomo and Doman's battle. There weren't many magics that he knew, and his skill in using them was also very rough. But how he combined the cards in his hand was more important than what level the cards in his hand were. Hence, he had to first clearly 'see' the aura and magical energy. 
He 'saw' the opponent, 'saw' the situation, and simultaneously 'saw' himself objectively, controlling the battle. 
Just like what Ohtomo had done before. 
"Shikigami, arise. Order!" 
The charms he threw out were simple shikigami charms. The things he had used in the morning coursework. 
Two crows flew at a low altitude. One of them was struck by the Emperor that had raised its fist. But the other passed by the Emperor's body and arrived in front of Eto. 
...How will he respond? 
He focused his attention on Eto's body. Would he take priority on defending his body? Would he continue to manipulate the Emperor? 
It was both. 
Eto's fingers moved without hesitation, throwing a protective charm at the simple shikigami that attacked from the front. During his brief chant of "Order", his consciousness turned to the Emperor. This level of attack couldn't make him falter. 
But Harutora wasn't so immature that this would make him panic. He stabbed out with his shakujou at the approaching Emperor, the rings infused with magical energy on the front end of the shakujou rotating intensely. Magical energy was Harutora's strongest weapon. The Emperor was suppressed by the magical energy and its giant body was pushed back. The team members exclaimed one by one upon seeing lag produced on the team captain's defensive shikigami. 
But Harutora's target was always Eto. 
Harutora saw the crow simple shikigami that had been knocked aside by the protective charm flashed with lag and stopped in midair in the corner of his vision. Eto still hadn't noticed the 'trap'. No, he had actually already realized? Focus. He 'watched' Eto's aura for his next move. Focus-- 
But, 
"...Ah! Kon! Fire!" 
Unable to read the outcome, he set down some insurance. Kon understood her master's intent, shooting out exaggerated foxfire. It was a feint. He wanted to draw the opponent's attention behind him. 
But this was a poor choice. The obvious feint made Eto's movements clearly change. Harutora clicked his tongue, avoiding the Emperor's attack and leaping to the side. As he dropped to the floor, he extended his index and middle fingers. 
"Bind! Order!" 
The target of the released magical energy was the simple shikigami that had recovered from its state of lag - no, it was the wood-element charm approaching the enemy hidden in the crow's wings. Using the shikigami to activate charms was a tactic that he had learned in the practical skills camp...... 
...No good. 
Eto, who had just realized the trap, was already ready for it. Though he was burdened by the foxfire feint, he still didn't falter. He let the Emperor behind him fend off Kon, and the Emperor in front of him pursued Harutora. He himself easily dealt with the wood-element charm. Calm and composed. The power of a professional exorcist who had experienced hells. How should he attack? Rolling on the ground after landing, Harutora 'looked' at Eto again. Focus. A slow feeling of pain suddenly passed through his left eye. 
Eto's counter - his aura was of the metal element. That meant that Eto intended to use a metal-element charm for Five Elements Mutual Conquering. Metal conquers wood. Then, if he could suppress it - he could still make it in time-- 
"Order!" 
He stood up using the momentum of his roll and threw out a fire-element charm from the charm box on his waist with the speed of lightning. It was a childish charm quickdraw, but this was also experience that Harutora had obtained. The metal-element charm that Eto used to offset the wood-element charm was stopped by the fire-element charm. Fire conquers metal. 
Eto's expression changed for the first time. 
He chanted an incantation and formed a hand seal. Harutora completely focused his mind. But he still couldn't 'see' everything. The pain of his left eye became more intense. Was this a magic he didn't recognize? Should he continue attacking? ......No, he couldn't. If he couldn't judge Eto's next action, continuing to attack had a very low chance of success. He changed his target with an instant judgment. 
Immediately afterwards, magical energy suddenly roared as if shot from Eto's entire body. Never mind Harutora's wood-element charm, his own metal-element, the fire-element charm that attacked immediately after, and the crow simple shikigami were sucked in and wiped out in unison. 
He finally knew what Eto's magic was. It was a barrier. He had put up a barrier centered around him, but he hadn't made it firm at the end, swiftly scattering it outwards. It was Harutora's first time seeing barriers used this way. 

In that case, battling while targeting the practitioner would be a complete failure. But while marveling at Eto's skill, Harutora had already changed his target and was forming the next strategy. While Eto's attention was away from him, he should at least render the Emperor in front of him ineffective, even if it were only temporary. 
The plan was...... Right, he would first use a water-element charm, followed by a wood-element charm. He would let the wood-element charm absorb the magical water flow produced by the water charm, thereby allowing the vines produced to increase in strength. This was a technique that had been shown while Ohtomo was facing Doman as well. Five Elements Mutual Generation. Actually, the other crow simple shikigami just now had already been fitted with a water-element charm. If it hadn't been struck down by the Emperor just now...... No, he had to think about his next strategies. 
Focus. 
"Go - Order!" 
He threw two charms at almost the same time. He depicted different magics in his mind, refining his aura and turning it into magical energy. Throwing charms was originally something that Harutora, who had plenty of spiritual power, was good at, but for some reason, his mind was hurting as if it were being torn right now. No, the reason wasn't unclear. It was because the 'nature' of every magic was different, and also because Harutora seeked a higher precision and a higher quality. He understood how 'rough' the magic he used now was, and did all he could to control the magic from getting out of hand. 
To be honest, he was too naive. His charm magic was far from the precision and quality that he imagined. Even so, he still forcefully formed it. Connecting charm magic to strengthen the five elements. After the vines produced from the wood-element charm swelled several times, they covered the Emperor like a net, sealing its movements. But the intensely swelling vines rapidly started to flake and crumble, and could only hold for a while. But buying time was also very meaningful. 
...How will the opponent react? 
He rapidly turned his attention towards Eto. But the opponent's speed was faster. The Emperor's movements had been locked down - after he noticed he was too late to stop it, he immediately started chanting an incantation. At the same time, he fluidly formed a new hand seal. First was a dharmacakra [2] seal, then - a seal of magic binding. 
...Unmoving Golden Chains? 
Damn. Harutora took a stance, infusing magical energy into his shakujou. He couldn't stop it, he was too late. Dodge - no, Unmoving Golden Chains couldn't be dodged. What should he do? He couldn't think of it. He could respond by 'looking'. 
Focus. 
"Ah......" 
Just keeping his left eye open was incredibly painful. His vision began becoming fuzzy. Before he noticed it, he felt a scorching heat beneath his left eye. It was the pentagram mark that had been placed on Harutora as proof when he had become Natsume's shikigami. But right now wasn't the time to pay attention to the pain and the heat. He forced himself to concentrate his on his fuzzy vision, wanting to see through the opponent. He unconsciously gritted his teeth, and the hand that tightly grasped the shakujou was also shaking. 
"...On bishibishi karakara shibara sowaka!" 
Eto's Unmoving Golden Chains magic. It was coming - the moment after he 'saw' it, a paralyzing impact hit Harutora's entire body. 
"H-Harutora-sama!" 
Harutora heard Kon's wail, but couldn't respond. He lost control of his body as if he had been knocked over by a raging gale. 
"Ah!" 
He endured the pain, getting a grasp on his current situation. His body wasn't at the level where it couldn't move at all. He could still struggle on the ground if he forced himself. The shakujou that he had been continuously infusing magical energy into had reacted to Harutora's unconscious defensive instincts, putting up a defensive wall of magical energy just in time. But Eto's Unmoving Golden Chains simultaneously suppressed the defensive wall and Harutora himself. Harutora tried with all his power to undo the magic in the gap between the Unmoving Golden Chains and the defensive wall. 
But he didn't get it. 
He couldn't see the flow of the magic and couldn't understand the magic. When he realized it, he noticed that his breathing had become chaotic like a storm. Though he poured magical energy into his shakujou and made every effort to escape, Eto's magic didn't show even the slightest weak point. 
...No! 
It couldn't have no weak point. He just hadn't 'seen' it. He couldn't accurately recognize the form of the Golden Chains. Ohtomo's shakujou had given Harutora a rare opportunity, but he hadn't been able to use it successfully. "Bastard!" He cursed unconsciously. 
Just then, 
"......The victor is decided." 
The Emperor broke free of the wood-element chain's bindings and swung a fist down at the curled-up Harutora, who was below it and couldn't rise. Harutora clenched his teeth, a burning resistance instantly flaring up-- 
It vanished. 
He had lost. This fact sank into his chest, making Harutora unable to help but admit it. 
"......Hah......Hah......" 
The roughly-breathing Harutora turned his head to look at Eto. Eto hadn't shed a single drop of sweat. 
Behind the team captain, Kon's tail was bristled from frustration of inability to break through the Emperor. In the end, the two-sided battle hadn't been able to make Eto panic. In addition, Eto had basically beaten Harutora back while withstanding Harutora's surprise attacks. It could be called a complete, flawless victory. 
...It really still wasn't enough...... 
Feelings of admiration rose in Harutora's heart. On the other hand, it was more of a deep remorse and impatience at his uselessness. Kon rushed over worriedly with a "H-Harutora-sama", but he couldn't respond. 
A shameful magic battle. Harutora felt deeply embarrassed at himself. 
But, 
"Hey, not bad, kid!" 
"How powerful. Tsuchimikado really isn't just a title." 
After the victor of the mock battle was decided, the exorcists clapped and cheered with expressions full of expectations. Unreserved praise flowed from their evaluations of the academy student's fight. Harutora, who still hadn't risen, widened his eyes. 
Hah, hah. He panted. 
"......Huh?" 
Of course, not only the exorcists were clapping. Fujiwara also nodded, showing a surprised smile. Tenma clapped vigorously, moved. Touji was also smiling. Kyouko spaced out while staring at Harutora, and even the disgruntled Suzuka looked over without turning away. 
Then Natsume. 
"Bakatora!" 
With a flushed face: 
"I said to use protective charms! And it definitely won't work to rush forward yourself against a professional defensive shikigami! You're my shikigami! At least listen to your master's opinion!" 
Natsume reminded him with an exhausted tone. Her eyes were also moist. After she muttered "protective charm" to Harutora, he finally realized it. Eto's Unmoving Golden Chains. Right. It would have been fine if he had used a protective charm. In that case, even if he couldn't completely defend against it, the magic would have been weakened and there would have been the possibility of breaking through it. 
Moreover, that didn't seem to be all of Natsume's proposal. Her voice was a bit hoarse. It seemed that she had been continuously shouting throughout the mock battle, reminding him. But he hadn't heard it at all. So that was how deeply engrossed he had been in the mock battle. 
The applause still hadn't stopped. Harutora didn't understand why. 
Then, 
"Quiet!" 
Eto barked. The exorcists suddenly stopped moving and the training room became silent. 
Eto slowly looked at Harutora in this silence. At some time, he had released the Golden Chains and the two Emperors had also dematerialized. Harutora moaned quietly, finally sitting upright. 
"Do you get it?" 
Eto calmly announced. 
"I see. Though I can understand your reason for being arrogant...... Let this be something of a warning to you. Being an Onmyou Academy student and being from a famous family have nothing to do with this. If you want to be treated like a professional, you have to follow the appropriate order of things and come after receiving qualifications. Don't think about selfish things like skipping steps and special treatment." 
His solemn tone formed a clear contrast with his subordinate exorcists. I don't care about that - Harutora took his words back before they left his mouth. "You--" The glaring Kon wanted to draw her wakizashi, but after noticing the complex expression on her master's face, she forced herself to endure it and flicked her tail. 
"It's just like I said at the start. You should focus on your own lesson plans. You're ten years early to 'imitate professionals'." 
Eto coldly looked down at Harutora. Though Harutora felt regretful about it, his words were indeed quite heavy. This weight caught in Harutora's chest, making him unable to speak. 
"......You're as strict as always." 
Fujiwara spoke to his former subordinate. His tone was a bit stunned. "Of course." Eto's reply was still extremely cold. 
Harutora, still sitting on the ground, lowered his head and bit his lip. 
Just then, 
"......Captain!" 
A vibrant voice unbefitting the situation rang out. 
It completely ignored the tense atmosphere - more accurately, the obviously provocative voice came from Touji. With one hand stuck in his pocket, he leisurely raised his other hand, staring at Eto with a grin - but with a sharp light flashing in his eyes. 
"Then, could you warn me next? I have nothing to do with the Tsuchimikado, just some special circumstances. As for special treatment, please be sure to let me enjoy it too. I'm pretty confident even with a 'pro' as my opponent." 
It completely sounded like he was picking a fight rather than asking to participate in the mock battle. "Hey, idiot!" Harutora quietly warned him, but Touji didn't change his attitude at all. His dangerous, combative smile was the same type as his expression when he was annoyed. 
Moreover, it wasn't just Touji. 
"......How~ power~ful. Though I count as a 'professional' for now, exorcists feel more powerful than normal pros~ Ah, but isn't it alright if we're all pros? I never participated in a mock battle, so could you be my opponent?" 
Suzuka said this, slowly rising from her seat with a business smile on her face. Her tone was polite, but the contents of her words was more provocative than Touji's. Moreover, an unconcealable anger showed in her eyes that stared at Eto. 
"Hey, hey, Touji-kun......!" 
"S-Suzuka-chan. Calm down a bit......" 
Tenma and Kyouko hastily stopped them from behind, but the two didn't listen at all. 
Both staring at Eto: 
"What? Revenge for darling? I'll suppress my personal grudges." 
"Hah? Don't misunderstand, idiot. I just want to scare that guy posing as a 'pro'." 
The two of them were no longer complimenting him on the surface. They seemed about to charge at Eto. 
"Touji, Suzuka, stop!" 
Harutora rose in a panic. But the two of them didn't want to look at Harutora, staring daggers at Eto instead. Harutora's face twitched. 
Eto silently tightened his expression as he faced the challenges of the two students. 
He looked at Fujiwara, seeming to want to say something. But Fujiwara pretended to be oblivious, lightly shrugging his shoulders. 
Eto sighed, turning towards Touji and Suzuka again. 
But just then, Natsume walked forward from between the two of them, holding them back. 
"Natsume?" 
"Hey, you!" 
Touji was taken aback and Suzuka also shouted out, but the two of them shut up after seeing Natsume's face. 
Natsume had become so cold she couldn't become any colder, an icy expression emerging on her face. But the heat under her expression even more fiery than the two of them. 
"Let me say this first so that you don't misunderstand--" 
She announced this with a voice seemed to contain some frightful, slippery emotion that would explode on contact. 
"If 'pros' could do their job perfectly, it wouldn't have come to Onmyou Academy students coming to borrow your facilities in the first place, right? When the Onmyou Academy was attacked, where were you 'professional exorcists'? The reason we're asking for training above our level is because we decided that we have to. We want to protect ourselves by relying on our strength." 
Touji's and Suzuka's challenges seemed too childish in contrast to her words. Eto's expression clearly changed and the other exorcists also gasped. 
"Natsume-kun, you said too much." 
Fujiwara immediately remonstrated Natsume. Natsume didn't rebuke him, nor did she look at Fujiwara, still watching Eto. Touji whistled admiringly. Suzuka seemed to want to complain that Natsume had taken the good part, but she finally just pouted without speaking up. 
Tenma was also speechless. Harutora missed the opportunity to stop her as he watched his childhood friend's unexpected response. 
Then, 
"......" 
For some reason, Kyouko stared at Natsume's back, showing an expression as if her chest hurt. 
"Natsume-kun." Fujiwara warned her again, but Natsume finally looked at Fujiwara and said: 
"I won't use Hokuto." 
After briefly announcing that, she turned to face Eto again. 
Proposing with a tone that didn't permit refusal: 
"Could I have a bout?"