Please forgive my sudden letter.

Once again, I"m sorry for not sending any letters until now.

But I"m delighted to be able to write a letter like this.

I shed a few tears out of nostalgia.

It"s really a greeting after a long silence.

I"m sorry. Also, thank you.

I"m alright.

An oscillating sound of cicadas came from outside the room.

She returned to her childhood years, caught in her warm, hazy dream.

The backcountry residence was in the mountains. It was encircled by forests, and cicadas would be crying all day once it got to summer. Moreover, the sound of cicadas covered the world due to the sliding doors being opened for ventilation in the blazing hot days.

But to the young her, the so-called "world" was just like that. For instance, the air, the light, the time. Also, the aura. Naturally, the sound of cicadas was also there as something natural.

A s.p.a.cious, old, and yet cozy residence.

The hallway was lit by the dazzling summer sunlight and the smell of greenery floated in the air. In comparison to the hot and stifling weather outside, the cool touch of the floor absorbed the heat. She lay on the ground, fascinated by that comfortable sensation. She carelessly listened to the oscillating sound of the cicadas.

Sound and light, aura and time. They all mixed together and became one. She was in the world and could feel the presence of it.

Her young self was powerless and weak, and wasn"t even clear about the boundaries between the world and her "self". Hence, when she occasionally lost her sense of self, it seemed as if she dissolved into the world.

Her sense of self wasn"t yet well-developed, and in many situations her senses were overwhelmed. Her current phase of sense of self was similar to a sh.e.l.l-less egg. Even if it had a form, it was weak and easily changed. More importantly, if she was a spirit sensor who had the ability to "see" aura, then her senses tended to become overwhelmed even more strongly. Like a b.u.t.terfly blown around by the wind, her sense of self would easily cross the line between worlds. Her sense of self dissolved, mixing with the world. Aura and time dissolved and mixed in along with the sound and light, becoming one.

Her soul hesitated in between.

In order to keep that from happening, people would cast "magic" on others not long after they were born.

"Natsume."

A name.

She hastily rose after being called upon. Her sense of self that had mixed with the world returned to her body.

"Natsume."

A deep and gentle voice. Also, that voice contained a special emotion for her. She finally regained her sense of self after being called upon by her name with such emotion. At the same time, her young self grew distant - her consciousness surfaced inside the room.

She awoke in the room she had been in for a long time, slowly opening her eyes.

"......Natsume?"

Tsuchimikado Natsume slowly opened her eyes upon being woken up by that voice.

While her vision was hazy, she noticed a gaze focused on her body. It was the master of the voice.

A deep and gentle voice. Also, a motionless gaze watching her.

"......Harutora-kun......"

After her sleeptalking, she became conscious that the person wasn"t Harutora. Her mind wake up in an instant. Natsume"s eyes widened and she turned her body within the covers.

"F-Father......!?"

It was a kimono-wearing man who sat on the chair next to the bed. He wore gold-rimmed eyegla.s.ses and was an intellectual yet deeply shadowed man.

Natsume"s father and the current head of the Tsuchimikado family, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

Natsume tried to rise in a panic but couldn"t muster the energy.

Then, "That"s fine." Yasuzumi briefly said.

"Don"t move for now, you"re probably quite unsettled. Both your body and your heart."

A slow, flat tone. But it definitely wasn"t a cold tone.

Yasuzumi"s normal calm couldn"t be felt from his expression. In addition, a feeling of fatigue unlike usual had surfaced on him. However, even so, his body was still straight as he sat on the chair and no cloudiness could be seen in the depths of the eyes behind his gla.s.ses.

Natsume laid on the bed, gazing at Yasuzumi in a daze.

She didn"t understand what had happened. She couldn"t understand the situation. Also, where was this? Where was she right now? An unfamiliar room. An unfamiliar bed. Unfamiliar sheets. An unfamiliar pillow.

......No.

She knew. Right. Until recently, Harutora - Harutora ought to have been in the place that Yasuzumi sat right now.

Harutora"s left eye had been covered by a cloth. He had been extremely gentle. And he had held her hand.

Also, there was the business with Hokuto.

He knew about how Natsume had been the one controlling Hokuto. She had told Harutora about her love. Harutora had also smiled at Natsume--

...A dream?

No. Actually, she had recollections of this room"s scenery. She clearly remembered the sensation of their hands clasping tightly and their lips touching.

Then--

"......F-Father. Where"s Harutora-kun......?"

Yasuzumi"s expression flickered because of Natsume"s question. But the voice he answered the question with was always calm in order to keep Natsume"s unsettledness to a minimum.

"He - left after entrusting you to us."

"......Eh?"

"It was just now. A shikigami appeared in front of us while we were searching for you. That shikigami returned to a shikigami charm very quickly, but characters were appended to it. It was a message from Harutora with this place and some explanation written on it. It also wrote that he was entrusting you to us."

Natsume"s eyes widened as she listened to Yasuzumi"s reply. Then after she heard that, Harutora"s final words awoke in Natsume"s mind.

... "Sorry, Natsume. But someday...... I"ll definitely meet you again......"

She recalled it. In the end, Harutora had announced a "farewell" to Natsume.

But--

"W-What about his departure? Where did he go? Why? Why did Harutora-kun leave me--"

A restlessness that even she didn"t understand gripped her heart. Her consciousness back then had been vague and she hadn"t been able to understand the situation. Harutora had left? He wasn"t here anymore? Why? No, what were the circ.u.mstances? Why was she bedridden, and why had Harutora"s left eye been covered? Just the two of them in an unfamiliar location. What kind of story would lead to that situation--

... "Go, Raven"s Wing. Return to your master"s side."

"......Ah."

She remembered. Natsume"s body went stiff and her breathing halted.

Her memories immediately linked and exploded in her mind. A red-haired girl holding a birdcage. A three-legged raven shikigami. Scattered black feathers and golden particles of light. Also, the possessed, out-of-control Harutora. Herself, who had rode Yukikaze and chased after the flying Harutora.

The faint smell of gunpowder floating in the air and the black night sky embellished with fireworks. The sky and the wind howling, blowing her hair into a mess, and peeling away the summer heat. She clearly recalled her bucking as she sat on Yukikaze, her fretful heartbeat, and her depression at being backed into a corner.

Also, she had made a decision at the time.

The pain of her chest being pierced through and the numbness it soon turned into after surmounting her limits. Her body being wrapped by cold and filled with emptiness soon afterwards. The loneliness and feeling of discontinuity as if she had descended into an empty darkness. But she was held in Harutora"s arms and barely held on to her consciousness. She wanted to convey it. She tightly grasped those thoughts and wove words with her final strength.

And then--

"I......"

Died.

She should have.

Being saved afterwards - she didn"t feel that it was possible. But why was she living? Was there any link with the reason Harutora had left? He had entrusted her to her father - no, why was her father here? She didn"t know. She couldn"t understand. What had happened? How had it ended up? After that - after she stopped Harutora"s rampage, what exactly had happened--

"Natsume."

Yasuzumi spoke up. Natsume"s confused thoughts were immediately pulled back to the bed.

"It"s alright. So calm down."

Neither agitated nor pressuring.

But they were "powerful" words. As if they were first-cla.s.s spirit language.

"First, the room you"re in is a business hotel inside Tokyo. Though they"re out right now, Takahiro and Chizuru are here too."

"......Uncle...... and Aunt too?"

Yasuzumi affirmed Natsume"s meek words and then continued.

"Natsume. We don"t know everything that"s happened. Rather, all we know is a very small part of the current situation. Even so, I"ll explain as much as I know about what happened while you were unconscious. Perhaps it"s a situation that surpa.s.ses your imagination."

"But as I said before, you"re fine for now. Hence, settle down and calmly accept what I"m going to begin saying now."

Yasuzumi gazed into Natsume"s eyes and said that.

Yasuzumi"s tone wasn"t a kind of gentle, protective tone meant to comfort her. It wasn"t that kind. Rather, it was more like a tone with which he gave a necessary order, making her stand back up with her own strength. Moreover, it was completely supportive and not forceful.

Natsume stared straight at Yasuzumi.

How long had it been since she had spoken with her father face-to-face like this? Her father"s voice sounded slightly more aged than she remembered now that she hadn"t heard it for a long time. Moreover, his appearance was the same. She felt like her father ought to be a bit younger. In other words, that was probably proof that Natsume hadn"t truly looked Yasuzumi in the face for a long time.

Yasuzumi"s gaze pointed straight at Natsume. Natsume had never been good at dealing with that look of her father"s. It wasn"t just his look. She wasn"t good at dealing with her father in the first place. It definitely wasn"t hate, but she didn"t know how to interact with him. Moreover, that point was still unchanged now.

But Natsume suddenly realized as she stared straight at Yasuzumi.

Around the corner of his eye. She hadn"t immediately reacted since he was wearing gla.s.ses, but he looked similar to someone.

Who was it? Right as she thought about it, someone"s face emerged.

...Harutora-kun......

Right. Harutora-kun, the last person she had seen. His left eye had been covered by a cloth, but she still thought of Harutora-kun from back then.

Similar.

But that was natural. As for why......

... "Harutora. You were originally the main family"s child...... the child of Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi."

She couldn"t help but turn away. "Natsume?" Yasuzumi queried. But Natsume couldn"t respond.

Back then, she - Souma Takiko - had said it. She had said that Harutora was the reincarnation of Tsuchimikado Yakou, and Natsume was the "decoy" that Yasuzumi had prepared. And actually, the "Raven"s Wing" had chosen Harutora and possessed him. What she spoke of had been correct.

Harutora and Yasuzumi were true relatives. The progeny of the Tsuchimikado.

Then - what about her?

She couldn"t ask. The person who knew the answer was right before her, but she couldn"t ask about it. Natsume kept utterly quiet, frozen on the bed.

The silence wasn"t short. The silence itself seemed as if it were reproaching her. Natsume trembled slightly.

Yasuzumi said to accept it. But......

He stayed silent. But to Natsume, it was a silence that she felt would continue forever.

But.

"......I."

Yasuzumi opened his mouth. Natsume wordlessly and reflexively turned her gaze towards him.

"I have many things I have to say."

Yasuzumi"s expression was composed. He wasn"t angry, nor was he sad or smiling. He was unchanged from usual. Right, this person had always been like this. She never knew what he was thinking. Hence, she wasn"t good at dealing with him.

But right now, his calm and composed att.i.tude relieved Natsume"s stiffness bit by bit.

"You don"t need to be anxious. I"d like you to spend some time and slowly listen to me."

Natsume still couldn"t respond. But this time, she didn"t avert her gaze.

The room with just the two of them was covered by another silence.

After a period of time, Natsume slowly nodded slightly.

The sunlight outside the window had already reached its highest noontime point. The clamorous sound of cicadas rang out just like she remembered.

The population distribution of Tokyo changed greatly in a brief span as it welcomed the new year.

The business district and most of the commercial streets were deserted, and on the other hand, the residential areas were more packed than usual, and shrines and their surroundings buzzed noisily with a large number of people. The flow of people was also unlike normal. Because it was a city, the number of people moving around didn"t change by too much, but their routes and times were greatly different from normal.

The locations and change in actions of these people were also related to the spiritual aspect of the city of Tokyo. This was also because of the aura that every human more or less carried. Hence, the movements of large amounts of people would have an effect on the spirit flow that pumped through the ground - though temporary. A "change" in the movement of people would create "disorder" in the spirit flow.

The disorder of the spirit flow was linked with aura imbalance, and aura imbalance would give rise to spiritual disasters if it became serious. But because it knew of these tendencies, the Onmyou Agency had prepared countermeasures beforehand. It was a demonic aura purification that they performed every New Year. A large-scale magic ceremony with the goal of stabilizing the aura inside Tokyo.

The demonic aura purification would be carried out on the first days of the seasons along with New Year"s Day. Even among these, the ceremony held on New Year"s was the largest. The ceremony would continue until the last moment before the new year arrived, and the time from then until afternoon the next day would be occupied by the cleanup afterwards. The New Year"s vacation would follow right afterwards. In other words, the Onmyou Agency"s normal duties - other than those of the Exorcist Bureau responsible for purifying spiritual disasters - would mostly halt around New Year"s.

"Well, the Onmyou Agency"s also a "government agency"."

It was Tsuchimikado Takahiro, who had once belonged to the Onmyou Agency Mystical Crime Investigation Department himself, who said this.

In any case, to the fugitive Tsuchimikado clan, the New Year was a great opportunity when the Onmyou Agency"s manpower resources were shifted to the demonic aura purification. They had carefully hidden their traces and succeeded in slipping into Tokyo.

The Tsuchimikado family head Yasuzumi. Takahiro and his wife Chizuru of the branch family. Natsume. Also, Souma Akino who had moved together with them after the "dark temple" Seishuku Temple had been destroyed, for a total of five people.

The stronghold they had selected wasn"t in the western district. Rather, it was western Kichijoji[1]. Moreover, it was an old private home away from the station.

"It"s a house managed by an "acquaintance" of an "acquaintance", but it seems that their renovation plans stopped, so it"s become an empty house for the year. They left right after the renovation plans were decided, so we can borrow it without worry."

"......Though you say that, those two "acquaintances" have their own hidden secrets, right?"

"No one in this world has no secrets."

Takahiro casually waved away his wife"s accusation while announcing their new hiding place.

It was Natsume"s first time experiencing a "nuclear family".

This was a two-floor wooden building. Allegedly, it had been built more than fifty years ago, and it could accidentally be mistaken for an abandoned building from its external appearance, so no wonder they had decided to renovate it. A small courtyard was built into it, but it was barren inside. It was a marvel that there was running water and electricity.

Chizuru shook her head, dumbfounded:

"We"re going to have to clean up first."

With that, the Tsuchimikado family began an early spring cleaning in the beginning of the first month.

If they used shikigami, it would save trouble with their work, but they were fugitives right now after all, so they wanted to use as little non-stealth first-cla.s.s magic as possible. Of course, they couldn"t call on any relevant professionals, as they wanted to avoid attention from nearby residents if at all possible. With that, all they could do to avoid others" attention was secretly do it by themselves.

As a result, the cleaning that accompanied their moving in took two whole days.

"Honestly, it would be a waste if we have to move locations right away again."

Though Chizuru muttered that, she had deliberately rectified the living environment because they were antic.i.p.ating that they would keep this hiding place for a long time - at least, it wouldn"t end in a few days.

Though it had been an event from last year, the Tsuchimikado family had suffered an attack from the Onmyou Agency higher-ups trying to take back the Raven"s Wing. As a result, the Raven"s Wing had been stolen and the main family residence had been completely burned down. Since then, Yasuzumi and the others had moved around, continuously living fugitive lives. They had constantly been hiding in local cities since Harutora had lost control and taken Natsume back from Tokyo. That was because it was a bit harder for the Onmyou Agency to monitor things away from Tokyo.

But this year, they had slipped into Tokyo at the Onmyou Agency"s doorstep. This was basically a decision made by Yasuzumi"s divination. He had predicted that there would be huge movements in Tokyo in the near future, and they had braved danger and come to Tokyo in order to be able to deal with the situation. In other words, it had been predestined that they would be living in this house until the "huge movement" that Yasuzumi predicted happened.

Of course, if the Onmyou Agency learned of this, they would have to change locations immediately.

"Anyway, we"ll end here today. Let"s eat. There"s no gas here, so we"ll use a grill in the courtyard."

It was Chizuru"s style to never be lacking in food everyday even if they were living a fugitive life. Today"s dinner was on a charcoal grill. Natsume and Akino brought cardboard boxes to the courtyard to use as chairs, Takahiro sat on the porch, and Chizuru headed over to light the grill.

The sun set rather early in this season, and it was already dim around. It seemed like dining in the courtyard would leave an impression on the neighbors, but fortunately, the courtyard faced a wall of a nearby warehouse. Hence, they were in a particularly cluttered area. But in these circ.u.mstances, they wouldn"t be seen by those around them, so it was very convenient.

"Where"s Yasuzumi?"

"He"s on the second floor looking around. I already called him anyway, he"ll only come after he"s done."

"He does whatever he wants, huh. Well, we"ve known that. ...Ah, Natsume-chan, Akino-chan, I"ll leave the chopsticks and plates to you."

"Okay."

"O-O-Okay."

Following Chizuru"s instructions, Natsume and Akino helped to carry out the dinner"s preparation work.

Akino was very happy when she heard it was mealtime. Natsume couldn"t help but smile at that Akino. Their new resident since last winter always loved to eat. Though she herself denied making it, her blissful expression while eating had even been teased by Takahiro and Chizuru before.

Natsume was currently eighteen. On the other hand, Akino seemed to be unclear about her actual age. It was because she had been left at Seishuku Temple while still a baby. However, she had said "probably twelve or thirteen". She was as tall as Natsume, and her face was still childish. Similar to how Natsume tied up her long black hair with a pink ribbon, Akino tied her hair into two pigtails. She wore slightly large gla.s.ses and looked like a rather timid girl.

No, she didn"t "look like" one, she was actually very timid. She was always cautious, soft-spoken, and didn"t voice her opinion. She was shy and didn"t have much confidence in herself, and hence her self-esteem seemed to have unconsciously become low. After all, Akino"s living environment until now had been extremely peculiar, and she also possessed a peculiar spiritual nature. Because of that, she had become withdrawn and counted as a helpless case on some level.

Recently, she had stopped adopting her cautious att.i.tude in their daily life, but that probably stemmed from Takahiro and Chizuru"s clever communication abilities. Actually, it looked like it took all her effort to greet the reticent Yasuzumi. Maybe Yasuzumi currently hadn"t shown his face at dinner out of a sort of goodwill, to keep Akino from feeling tense.

"I"m thinking today"s dinner will be a barbeque. Anyway, grill and eat as much as you want."

"Your best dish, honey."

"Oh my, dear, what did you say?"

"No, no, the fire"s masterfully done as always."

Takahiro with a composed smile and Chizuru going "Right?" with a smile of warning. Takahiro was a large man who resembled a wrestler, but he carried a gentle atmosphere that made one a.s.sociate him with a huge herbivore. In contrast to him, Chizuru was small and lively, like a carnivorous hunting feline. They were a starkly-contrasting yet well-matched pair of spouses.

"Then, Akino-chan, what do you want to eat? I"ll help get it for you."

"U-Um, meat!"

"Hoho, you"re as straightforward as always when it comes to food."

"Eh?"

"Because Akino"s interests are eighty percent focused on meals."

"T-That"s not true, you know? There are other things like...... W-Well, then I"ll start with vegetables......"

Akino"s face was so sad when she proposed this that Natsume couldn"t help but laugh out loud as she sat next to her.

"It"s alright, Akino. Auntie said to eat as much as you wanted, right? Here."

She placed beef on the grill"s grid. Akino"s face immediately lit up. That straightforward readiness and carefreeness was part of Akino"s adorable personality.

Akino stared at the beef on the grid. Smiling wryly at how serious she was, Chizuru also started grilling the cut ingredients with a happy expression. "Natsume, do you want some too?" Chizuru spoke and Natsume answered with an "Okay". Takahiro planned on letting the children go first and still sat on the porch, casually drinking tea while looking at the female group surrounding the grill.

It was a scene like a true family. However, actually, not a single person of the five in the family were blood-related. Though Yasuzumi and Takahiro were both Tsuchimikado family members, the Tsuchimikado main and branch families had allegedly been separated for a long time. Maybe they could be called relatives, but they weren"t really blood relatives.

A traditional Onmyoudou family. The Tsuchimikado that had been famous since ancient history.

But they were actually like this. It felt empty - but that said, it was unavoidable that she would find it unusual.

A bashful smile surfaced on Akino and she carefully used her chopsticks to turn over the beef on the grid several times. "That"s poor manners, you know." Even though she reproached that, Chizuru still arranged chicken on it. It was bitingly cold oustide, but the crackling charcoal grill and the familiar people surrounding it warmed her heart and body.

Natsume raised her head to look at the second floor of the house. Light shone out of the second-floor gla.s.s windows. The lights that Yasuzumi had turned on.

She suddenly remembered her origins.

Natsume had been raised as the heir to the Tsuchimikado. As the son of the current head Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

However, Yasuzumi"s true child was Harutora and not Natsume. Then where had Natsume been born? Who were her true parents?

When Harutora left and Yasuzumi came to welcome Natsume, her adoptive father had told her the answer himself before she opened her mouth.

"Natsume, do you still remember the Wakasugi family?"

Yasuzumi had posed this question first. His calm, steady tone was just like always. Natsume nodded on the bed.

The Wakasugi family was the maiden family of Natsume"s dead mother - or more accurately, her adoptive mother - Tsuchimikado Yuuko.

Like the Kurahashi, the Wakasugi family was an old branch family of the Tsuchimikado. It was a powerful traditional family on the level of the Kurahashi, and they had been even more influential with regard to the not-yet-declined main family during the Meiji period. But unlike the Kurahashi that a.s.sisted Tsuchimikado Yakou and the Tsuchimikado family in recreating and reviving the magic community, the Wakasugi family had stayed out of things. They chose to keep a distance from the central powers and meticulously guard the traditional systems. In the end, although they were fortunate enough to avoid the chaos of the Pacific War, they were overwhelmed by the waves of the era and gradually declined.

Tsuchimikado Yuuko, whose maiden name had been Wakasugi, had been born in that family.

Yuuko had died as a twenty-year-old woman after giving birth to Harutora. Allegedly, she had recovered poorly after the birth, but it seemed that she had been very frail to begin with. Naturally, Natsume - and perhaps Harutora as well - had no memories of her. She was a gentle woman, as her name implied[2], that she had only seen in photographs in the residence. The child Natsume had once gazed patiently for several hours at the photographs she had left behind.

But the first person Natsume thought of when she heard "Wakasugi" wasn"t Tsuchimikado Yuuko, but rather her mother.

When Yuuko married Yasuzumi, her father had been near the end of his life. After her daughter died, her left-alone mother had often visited Yasuzumi"s residence to help him, as he wasn"t used to raising a child. The childhood Natsume had once admired her as the "Wakasugi granny". Though she had died of illness before Natsume reached elementary school, Natsume remembered what she had heard from the mother very clearly.

But......

"You aren"t looking for comforting lies or vague explanations right now. Therefore, I"ll speak plainly. Natsume, you were placed on the Wakasugi"s doorsteps not long after you were born. That almost never happens anymore...... But such things happened in olden times. The Wakasugi family was very famous in that era as a traditional Onmyoudou family."

It would be a lie to say that she wasn"t unsettled. In other words, she was an abandoned child.

Maybe Akino was also an example of this, but there weren"t many examples of children being abandoned by their parents after displaying spiritual abilities. Such tendencies were particularly notable outside of those who were born in families related to magic for generations. Normally, talent as a pract.i.tioner was decided to a great extent by bloodline, but naturally there were also exceptions. That was where the "receptacles" of pract.i.tioners with no positions, like the Seishuku Temple where Akino had been - and along with traditional families of magic - were effective. There was a history of that.

"You were dropped off several days after Yuuko died. The Wakasugi mother who noticed the child placed next to the entrance seemed to feel that you were the reincarnation of Yuuko. But she was already old. It was very difficult for her to raise you, but she didn"t plan on entrusting you to an orphanage, so she spoke to me about it. Then...... When I saw you, a child the same age as the just-born Harutora, a thought flashed through my mind like electricity. Natsume, that was...... the matter of raising you as Harutora"s subst.i.tute."

What Yasuzumi spoke of were things that she had half-antic.i.p.ated. Even so, Natsume couldn"t stop her body from trembling.

The world that she had so naturally lived in was slowly crumbling from pure words. What was this if not magic? The truth that Yasuzumi spoke of was a reconstruction of the world to Natsume. Out of everything she had experienced to this point, this was the cruelest and most merciless second-cla.s.s magic.

Yasuzumi continued.

"The reasons for which I chose to do that are too complicated to explain right now. But what I can say is that I had no choice at the time. It wasn"t just depression from the difficulty of raising a child alone as a man. I was overwhelmed by the special destiny that the child was burdened by - his final fate - because I couldn"t completely antic.i.p.ate it. I didn"t know what the correct answer was or what to do as the head of the Tsuchimikado or as that child"s father."

Yasuzumi remained calm as he said this. Perhaps he had understood for a long time that the day would come when he would finally confess the truth to Natsume.

"That"s why I understood the thought that flashed through my mind after seeing you as divine intervention. Fortunately - perhaps it"s wrong to say that, but Takahiro and Chizuru had been unable to have a child for a long time. Because I knew the two of them wanted a child, I decided to entrust Harutora to Takahiro and Chizuru...... And to raise you."

Yasuzumi"s eyes looked straight at Natsume - but he spoke with a look as if gazing far away.

Hypothetically--

If Natsume"s relationship with Yasuzumi had been extremely good since before, then the shock Natsume received might have been far more than her current unsettledness. After all, it was a confession from the man she has always trusted as her "father" ever since birth. Maybe she would have been irreversibly hurt by the rebuilding of her world into a dissimilar dimension.

However, ironically, Natsume herself understood that the relationship between the two of them was indifferent and businesslike. Hence, Natsume could accept the truth that she heard as simple facts. Maybe Yasuzumi had only treated Natsume the way he had because he had considered this. Natsume couldn"t speculate about his outstanding "divination" ability.

Of course, she wasn"t unaffected.

But her chat with Yasuzumi afterwards saved Natsume"s "heart".

Just then, Natsume raised her body from where it lay on the bed. Yasuzumi didn"t stop her this time.

"......One thing."

Natsume turned her face away and asked.

"Please tell me one thing...... Father, did you ever think of using me as "Harutora-kun"s subst.i.tute"?"

Even if she didn"t look that way, she felt Yasuzumi"s slightly shivering presence.

After a brief period of time, "......I can"t say I didn"t think that way." Yasuzumi replied.

The brief period of time until the moment he replied could be taken as proof that Yasuzumi was being truthful.

"But my primary goal wasn"t to make you into Harutora"s subst.i.tute. ......To be honest, it wasn"t only Mother Wakasugi who felt that you were Yuuko"s reincarnation. I was the same. She was smiling and coming to help the useless me who was terrified and stunned in front of fate. That"s how I felt when Mother Wakasugi brought you."

Natsume turned her face towards Yasuzumi when she heard those words with such an uncharacteristic tone.

At that moment, a bitter, self-deprecating expression had surfaced on Yasuzumi"s face. It was Natsume"s first time seeing that expression. It wasn"t an expression of the Tsuchimikado family head, nor one of her father. It was just the expression of a man expressing his feelings.

Then--

"Natsume."

Yasuzumi spoke in a flat voice.

"Would you carry the Tsuchimikado burden together with Harutora? When Harutora faces his own fate, will you be able to become his strength? The reason I raised you...... were those prayers."

Those words - desires - calmly and swiftly tinted Natsume"s heart. The twisted world that had crumbled had been reconstructed inside of Natsume. The several cracks and voices that had formed in the middle of that world were filled and supported by them.

Of course, Yasuzumi"s desire was a one-sided exhortation, that was probably the truth.

Even so, Natsume felt that she had been "acknowledged" as a person when she heard Yasuzumi"s confession. She wasn"t purely being viewed as a being constructed for use as a replacement, but rather as a person who had been raised with the future in mind, entrusted with a desire.

Tsuchimikado Natsume had died once.

And then in that business hotel room where she couldn"t even remember her own name, she had awakened - in multiple senses - to the world. She wasn"t of the Tsuchimikado, but she was undoubtedly part of the Tsuchimikado family. Even if she wasn"t Yasuzumi"s daughter, she was a direct disciple of his.

By the time she noticed it, Natsume had already been staring at the second-floor window for a long time.

Just then--

"Natsume-chan? Are you not hungry?"

Chizuru"s voice called Natsume back from her memories. Upon careful inspection, all of the food on the grid had been changed.

Akino was also sequentially adding salt, soy sauce, and miso and then eating the grilled food with so much momentum that it seemed she was unwilling to let the grill go. Natsume smiled while reaching out her own chopsticks. Even Natsume was hungry.

The fire of the grill crackled and warmed her hands and cheeks. Akino opened and shut her mouth while chewing a grilled year cake[3]. The aromatic smell of the fat dripping from the meat and the soy sauce sprinkled on the mushrooms made her nose itch.

No matter how shocking the truth placed in front of her was, she would feel hungry as time went by and meals would taste delicious. That was probably something to be extremely grateful for.

"......Ahh! Delicious!"

Akino looked enraptured, an ecstatic smile surfacing on her face. It was probably rare to see such a straightforwardly joyful expression. Chizuru, who had prepared the food, was also satisfied.

Possibly seeing that it was about time, Takahiro rose from the porch.

Suddenly--

"Right. Natsume, it"s time for the incense again."

"Ah, you"re right. Alright."

Natsume nodded at Takahiro"s words, also about to finish eating. Akino turned to look at Natsume, shooting her a look of nothing other than sympathy.

"You have it tough, Natsume. You can"t let that incense run out, right?"

"It"s not that I can"t...... It"s just in case. It"s not too much effort."

Natsume smiled and replied to Akino"s question.

The incense on Natsume"s clothes was something called "soul-forging incense". It was believed to be a spiritual medicine that called back the souls of dead humans. But in modern Onmyou law, all "soul"-related magic was designated as forbidden magic, and hence there were very few users. It was a magical drug used in ancient magic.

When Harutora had been possessed by the Raven"s Wing, Natsume had sacrificed herself to stop her out-of-control childhood friend. At that time, Natsume had lost her life once.

But after that, Harutora had performed the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual on the dead Natsume after awakening as Yakou - though it was still a mystery whether he truly was Yakou or not. The secret soul art pa.s.sed down by the Tsuchimikado family had allowed Natsume to reawaken in the world.

But it seemed that the resurrection wasn"t complete.

The details were unknown to her. All Natsume knew was that the connection between her body and soul was in an extremely unstable state. Natsume"s physical body, which had been wounded by the Raven"s Wing, had been treated by Harutora"s magic. Even if diagnosed by an Onmyou doctor, the current Natsume"s body ought to be declared as in a completely normal condition.

But, she hadn"t been fully treated "spiritually".

It didn"t need to be said that the current systems of magic couldn"t explain what souls were. Natsume herself didn"t even concretely understand what it meant by having an unstable connection between the body and the soul. But the explanation that "the connection between the body and the soul is unstable" was very appropriate to anyone who "saw" Natsume"s spiritual condition.

Of course, Harutora, who had performed the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual, seemed to understand that Natsume"s resurrection wasn"t complete. So, Harutora had cast a peculiar magic in order to forcefully keep Natsume"s soul in this world. He had used Natsume"s shikigami Hokuto - a dragon that was the Tsuchimikado guardian beast - as a magical link between Natsume"s soul and body. He had used Hokuto to connect Natsume"s soul to her body. Hence, Natsume was currently in a state of being spiritually "possessed" by Hokuto. In other words, she was in a state of being a "dragon living spirit".

The magic that made use of Hokuto was Harutora"s original creation, and the structure of the magic was confusing even in the eyes of the Tsuchimikados. But they knew that it was quite a powerful magic. Because of that, they used the spirit-forging incense to stabilize Natsume"s spirit as the lowest level of aid.

"Though I say that, it"s certainly inconvenient the way it is right now. It would be better to think of something else......"

"Please don"t worry, Uncle. Though it"s inconvenient, it"s nothing much. It"s like regularly taking medicine, I don"t really mind."

After all, it was a miracle that she was still living now. Being unable to let the incense run out didn"t even count as a hardship if it was to maintain that miracle.

Rather, she was more concerned about Harutora"s intent.

"Honestly, that kid"s as unpromising as always, dropping the ball at the crucial moment. He was dipping his hand into forbidden magic anyways, so why not resurrect someone skillfully?"

Chizuru muttered some very radical and forthright things. "Honey." Takahiro mediated wryly and Natsume couldn"t help but smile.

Harutora had resurrected Natsume. But she was in an incomplete form. Was that deliberate on Harutora"s part or not? Most importantly, why had Harutora entrusted her to Yasuzumi in such a state and hidden his traces? Natsume was currently in this kind of condition...... Then, what about Harutora? Was Harutora currently truly "Harutora"? At least the "Harutora" that Natsume was familiar with shouldn"t be able to call back a soul with the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual or use a dragon to tie it to a body. In that case, might the current "Harutora" already have become a "Harutora" that Natsume didn"t recognize?

It was unclear no matter how much she thought. Then all she could do was meet the person directly and confirm things. Hence, Natsume chased after Harutora.

No matter how long it took, she would definitely catch up to him. Being unable to let the incense run out wasn"t a big problem for that.

"On another note, Uncle. Is there any news about everyone from the academy?"

Natsume gave up her seat next to the grill as she asked Takahiro. Actually, Takahiro hadn"t partic.i.p.ated in today"s cleaning. He had taken different actions from everyone, doing his best to gather information.

Takahiro was a former Mystical Investigator. Possessing individual information channels and outlets could be called a necessary skill to a Mystical Investigator - especially an outstanding Mystical Investigator. Takahiro had worked at the Onmyou Agency almost twenty years ago, but several channels were still usable. Even this house had been arranged through those outlets.

Even so--

"I investigated that too. But there hasn"t been any significant progress from the investigation before we came to Tokyo."

Takahiro spoke apologetically. "I see......" Natsume"s shoulders slumped in dejection.

Naturally, Takahiro had gathered all the information he could before they had entered Tokyo. That included things related to the Onmyou Academy"s circ.u.mstances and information about Natsume"s past cla.s.smates. Also, now that they were hiding in a nearby city, Takahiro had accepted Natsume"s request to look up on the present situation of those cla.s.smates to the extent of his information.

A huge incident had happened with the Onmyou Agency on the day of Natsume"s death. The famous Onmyouji with the moniker "D" - Ashiya Doman - had attacked the agency building. In addition, Harutora, who had lost control because of the Raven"s Wing and been confined in the agency building, had escaped during the commotion. Harutora had used the Taizan f.u.kun Ritual to resurrect Natsume soon afterwards.

But that incident was not known to many, and even among the related people there were very few who grasped everything that had happened. It appeared that several larger and smaller incidents were intricately involved with each other, and the Onmyou Agency"s official explanation had held a great deal of doubt. Hence, various conjectures had risen on the inside.

But one thing that could be said for certain was that in addition to Harutora, his other cla.s.smates seemed to have been involved in the incident.

"Touji-kun"s whereabouts have been unknown since that incident, the Kurahashi family daughter temporarily took some time off from the academy, but later returned to school around the time of Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi"s retirement. Also, Momoe Tenma is still in the academy. In contrast to him, the "Child Prodigy" Dairenji Suzuka, who entered a year below, withdrew from the academy after the incident and returned to the Onmyou Agency."

Takahiro moved to sit in front of the grill, deliberately mentioning the situation of Natsume"s friends again.

"Outside of Touji-kun, the others appear to be "the same as before" on the surface. But take the Kurahashi family girl for example - Kyouko, I believe. She is being monitored quite openly. Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi - or more accurately, former princ.i.p.al - is also cooped up inside the Kurahashi family residence and cannot come out. In truth, she is in a state of house arrest. And the "Child Prodigy". The sudden reversion by the Onmyou Agency was a request from the higher-ups, but it seems that she is performing research a.s.signed directly by the Chief. Her media exposure from before has completely vanished and she cannot be contacted from the outside."

The "changes" that had happened consecutively to Natsume"s cla.s.smates could be taken as "indirect evidence". Perhaps they had partic.i.p.ated to some degree in Harutora"s escape from captivity, or had a.s.sisted him. Although they had succeeded in letting Harutora escape, Touji had become a fugitive afterwards and the others had been arrested and then put under surveillance by the Onmyou Agency. Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi"s sudden resignation probably had something to do with it as well.

In any case, they had confirmed Kyouko, Tenma, Suzuka, and Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi"s locations. It seemed that they were alright for now.

However, the concerning one was Touji.

"......Is Touji-kun moving together with Harutora-kun......?"

"Hard to say." Takahiro replied cautiously to Natsume"s question.

"That guy has a clear head, and he"s wise to the world even though he"s young. But I don"t think he would be able to escape the eyes of the Onmyou Agency alone for this period of over a year. I believe he"s probably staying in some group or organization, or has gotten close to people used to "those kinds of things". ......But it"s doubtful to say that person is Harutora. Judging purely by that guy"s movements, it doesn"t seem like Touji-kun"s with him."

After that incident, Harutora had taken actions equivalent to declaring war against the Onmyou Agency. He had caused various situations within Tokyo and clashed with the Onmyou Agency. He had even been called a terrorist among the magic community.

Needless to say, Takahiro had also gathered information on that area, but as he saw it, there were no signs expressing that Touji was with Harutora. Of course, that was purely speculative a.n.a.lysis - or perhaps something closer to "instinct".

"......Then is he with Ohtomo-sensei like we talked about before?"

There was also someone other than Touji who had vanished after that incident. It was Ohtomo Jin, the homeroom teacher of Natsume and the others.

At the time, Ohtomo had been wounded from his magic battle with Ashiya Doman and had been recuperating outside the academy. But the day before Natsume"s death, he slipped out of the hospital and appeared before her. At the time, Natsume hadn"t been getting along well with Kyouko and had successfully mended their relationship by accepting Ohtomo"s proposal. Natsume still vividly recalled Ohtomo"s powerful words of a.s.sistance that had pushed her from behind.

But Ohtomo had vanished after that.

Allegedly, he had given Princ.i.p.al Kurahashi a letter of resignation the day that he helped Natsume out. That probably expressed that he had truly determined to "act". Also, the princ.i.p.al had definitely already approved of it since she had taken care of Ohtomo"s resignation. Or it was also possible that it was a request from the princ.i.p.al.

In that case, she didn"t feel that he was unrelated to the commotion that had happened at the Onmyou Agency building. Just like her cla.s.smates, they ought to believe that he had a connection to Harutora"s escape. Then were Touji and Ohtomo, who had vanished at the same time, currently moving together and hiding underground? ...That was the conjecture Takahiro had brought up after a.n.a.lyzing the information.

But--

"No, come to think of it......"

Takahiro"s face suddenly turned uneasy, and he scratched his thinly-haired head.

"I"ve also been careless...... That teacher named Ohtomo, he has a fake leg and carries a cane, if I remember correctly?"

"Eh? Yes, that"s right."

Natsume replied perplexedly to the unexpected question.

Chizuru had run into Ohtomo three times before, but Takahiro had never met him directly. Still, his appearance and peresonality had been described to him several times. Why was he only confirming now? She didn"t understand the reason.

"Uncle? Do you have any news on Ohtomo-sensei?"

"......Uh, I heard some dangerous rumors...... Well, I heard the contents of them long before......"

Takahiro spoke vaguely in a bitter tone.

Then, he went silent, staring at the sky. But, "...Dear." He noticed Natsume"s anxious gaze because of Chizuru"s reminder and hastily put on a wry smile.

"Ahh, sorry, sorry. ......Anyway, I don"t know any definite information. I"ll tell you clearly after I get a bit closer to the truth."

Saying this, Takahiro regained his normal att.i.tude and started adding shrimp to the grill. His face turned to avoid Natsume"s further questioning.

At the same time, it was Chizuru"s turn to sigh this time and say:

"It"s been more than a year, but we"re still unclear. What in the world happened that night."

"People who weren"t there probably won"t clearly get it no matter how much information we collect. Maybe even the people who were there don"t completely understand."

"The people who were there, huh...... It really would have saved us some effort if that kid explained in a bit more detail......"

Chizuru frowned as she spoke. The "kid" she spoke of obviously referred to Harutora.

When Harutora had entrusted them with Natsume, he had sent a message-bearing shikigami to Yasuzumi. But the contents written on the message were mostly related to Natsume. It seemed that Harutora hadn"t had much time either, but they still wished he could have given them a more detailed message.

"Ah, right. Hey dear? About that Momoe Tenma boy you mentioned before. That boy"s currently attending the Onmyou Academy normally right now, right? Could we at least hear some information from that boy?"

"I won"t say we couldn"t...... But we can"t act recklessly."

Takahiro still replied cautiously to Chizuru"s proposition.

"According to what Natsume said, the Momoe boy seems not to be good at practical skills. Even for his friends, for him to take part in actions provoking the Onmyou Agency would be...... Also, if he were there and knew the ins and outs of the situation, he ought to have been harshly interrogated by the Onmyou Agency. He"ll probably be punished if he leaks any information. Supposing that things truly played out that way, we wouldn"t be able to protect him."

"You"re saying we"ll trouble Momoe-kun? Won"t it be fine as long as it doesn"t get exposed?"

"If you really want to say, then it"s true that he won"t be punished if it doesn"t get exposed...... But as another possibility, consider what if he"s being monitored. After all, the opposition ought to have investigated the small matter of Momoe-kun being on close terms with Harutora-kun. It"s very possible that the people who might run off to contact Harutora-kun have been marked in order to forestall Harutora.

"Even if a year has already pa.s.sed?"

"Actually, Kyouko"s being closely monitored. Also, as we said right now, it"s quite open. There"s a tight perimeter kept around her, yet Tenma-kun looks completely open at first glance. That could be viewed as their trap."

"That"s why I said it would be fine if it didn"t get exposed, no matter what traps or other things there are, right?"

"Don"t make it sound that simple, I retired a long time ago, you know?"

The husband smiled wryly at the forceful wife, his large body shrinking back from the grill. Even so, Takahiro"s reply could be called humble. It was a fact that he had been inactive for a long time, but Takahiro"s power as a Mystical Investigator was still first-cla.s.s. Actually, the Tsuchimikado family had continued to escape from the Onmyou Agency"s hands for more than a year. Even Yasuzumi"s outstanding "divination" was inherently ambiguous and unclear. The biggest reason they had been able to continue living as fugitives was none other than Takahiro"s outstanding ability.

"......I"m very sorry."

Natsume interjected the exchange of differing opinions with a gentle att.i.tude.

"I"ve made you all worry about a lot of things...... But it"s alright. No matter what kind of situation Tenma-kun is in, I"ll just become a source of trouble if I approach him right now. I don"t want to give Tenma-kun trouble."

Tenma was a good person, a boy who thought about his friends. Even if he were pressured, he would respond to her if a friend was relying on him. Even if that would put him in a bad situation.

Tenma, whose parents had died when he was young, lived together with his grandparents from his mother"s side. She had heard before that he aspired to become a professional Onmyouji to respond to his grandparents" expectations. If Tenma was also related to this incident, then he was probably being watched by the Onmyou Agency. It would be tragic if something happened to worsen his position and cut off his path to his profession.

Tenma was currently a third-year student in the Onmyou Academy. It was an important time where graduation was upcoming in the spring. She didn"t want to trouble him with her own matters.

More importantly...... It had already been close to a year and a half since then.

"Natsume, is that alright?"

Akino suddenly asked. Since she had remained silent up to this point, Natsume as well as Takahiro and Chizuru showed expressions as if they had been caught off guard.

"Is it alright if you can"t see your friends, Natsume? You finally managed to return after so long."

She was just speaking her doubts, a simple question. Because of that, Natsume was unable to swiftly reply and had nothing she could say.

She searched for an appropriate answer but couldn"t think of anything. Akino"s straight gaze gradually melted Natsume"s exterior, loosening her stiffened heart.

In the end, Natsume shook her head, looking lonely.

"I want to see him." Then, she spoke frankly.

"I really want to see him, since he"s a friend. I don"t know whether Tenma-kun still thinks of me as a friend, but Tenma-kun is a precious and important friend to me. Of course, I want to ask him about Harutora-kun and the others and have him tell me. But before that, I want to meet him and apologize. Also, if he"s worried about me...... I want to tell him that "I"m alright"......"

Akino became more and more sympathetic to Natsume"s words of confession. Natsume was the only person Akino could call a friend. She could intensely sympathize with Natsume"s feelings of wanting to see an important friend.

"......Dear?"

Chizuru looked at her husband as if wanting to say something. Takahiro scratched his head uneasily again.

"......I understand your feelings, but I"m still opposed to you meeting ......In the end, it"s just a potential problem...... But even if the point of contact isn"t exposed directly, there is the possibility that Momoe-kun might inform them "on his own". It doesn"t have to be that Tenma resents you or something, it"s definitely still possible that he has to due to certain reasons."

Perhaps as expected of a former Mystical Investigator, Takahiro was very calm. Also, his outlook was very broad. He deliberately went so far as to mention the possibility of Tenma"s betrayal to urge Natsume to think about things again objectively.

Natsume didn"t plan on underestimating the year-and-a-half of time either. Natsume still trusted Tenma now, but there was no helping it if perhaps her cla.s.smate"s feelings had changed.

"......T-Then what about a phone call? Is that no good either?"

"Thank you, Akino, but this is enough. I already knew that we can"t meet. Please don"t concern yourself."

"But...... At least a letter......"

Akino seemed not to have given up. A bitter, difficult expression emerged on Natsume as she prepared to appease Akino.

But--

"......Well, if it"s a letter."

"Eh?"

Natsume inadvertently turned to Takahiro who mumbled that sentence. After all, his att.i.tude had been negative until now. She didn"t know how to react to his sudden flip in att.i.tude.

But Takahiro shrugged his shoulders and said with a plain face:

"Meeting directly is very dangerous. But if we send a letter - a.s.suming that the contents are of the sort that don"t really matter even if they"re exposed - then there"s no problem. In any case, the Onmyou Agency knew about our existence a long time ago. Of course, it"s just "sending a letter" in the end. A one-way path from here to there--"

Is that okay? Natsume nodded her head at Takahiro, who seemed to be asking this.

"B-But, is that really okay? If that"s inconvenient...... Like if it gets traced back to us......"

Even though she was deliberately mentioning her worries, Natsume"s expression rapidly brightened. "I won"t make that kind of blunder." Takahiro smiled and guaranteed.

"But let me inspect the wording, alright? Also, there"s a possibility that the mail will be intercepted. If possible, a method to send the message directly would be more reliable.""Eh? Wait, dear. In that case, won"t she end up meeting Momoe-kun?"

"Of course Natsume won"t send it. We"ll have to ask someone else."

"You"re going to entrust it to someone unrelated? But who?"

"That"s true, choosing the person would usually be a lot of work in the first place. But fortunately, there"s someone suitable."

Takahiro spoke devilishly and mysteriously.

"......Though the Mystical Investigator Yamashiro knows her face, I don"t think that a Divine General would be following Momoe-kun around. There were no photographs either, so the Mystical Investigators ought to have gotten practically zero information. Moreover, even just in case, her escaping speed is top-notch. I don"t think there will be any problems."

Takahiro nodded, stroking the stubble on his chin. Because of Takahiro"s words, Natsume and Chizuru"s gazes sharply changed directions to follow his.

"......Huh?"

Akino, who had suddenly become the center of focus and who still hadn"t understood those words, tilted her head in surprise and puzzlement.

"......Uwah, it"s so cold......"

The moment he walked out the entrance, the chilly outdoor air made Momoe Tenma"s body shiver.

His breath was faintly white. After Tenma tucked his chin into his scarf, he stuck his hands into the pockets of his coat and quickly left the house.

The house Tenma lived in was around Gokoku-ji[4]. It was an old area with narrow, complicated, criss-crossing alleyways. There were transfer routes in Nagata-cho and Ikebukuro to Shibuya where the Onmyou Academy was, but Tenma normally always walked to Zoshigaya Station and took the train all the way to the central lines. Though the distance was longer by foot, he deliberately chose to walk because he liked walking through the alleyways. But he couldn"t help but regret his choice in this kind of frigid morning. Of course, since he did this regularly, he wouldn"t change his course because of the cold.

In any case, his body would warm up quickly if he was active. Tenma quickly headed to the station at his normal pace.

A disappointingly dim day was above his head. Around him was a winter scenery lacking color. Maybe the scenery had become dim because he had returned to a plain, ordinary feeling after the "happy" days of Christmas and New Years. Tenma"s brief winter break had ended a few days ago.

But he would have to get used to this ordinary feeling very quickly. After Tenma glanced at his wrist.w.a.tch to check the time, he hastened his pace.

After walking for a while, he ran across the Arakawa Line track. His view expanded, his vision broadened, and he was able to see the buildings of Ikebukuro. He turned along the track and the entrance to the subway was immediately visible. But at the same time, the wind increased in intensity. Tenma drew back and furrowed his brow at the cold, gusting wind.

At that moment.

"E-E-E-E-Excuse me!"

Tenma stopped in surprise at the sudden, loud apology from next to him.

The one apologizing was a girl about middle-school age. A coat covered her sailor-type uniform and her hair was tied into two pigtails. A rather cute girl who wore gla.s.ses like Tenma. But she was an unfamiliar face. Moreover, she was red-faced for some reason.

Tenma couldn"t help but look left and right, checking that there were no other people nearby. In other words, this girl was apologizing to Tenma. But why? Of course he had no idea. Rather, his mind couldn"t keep up with the abruptly changing situation. "Um......" After Tenma let out an insecure voice, he just stood there, dazed.

Then--

"Um, you are M-Momoe Tenma-san, right?"

"...Ah, yes......"

He replied immediately, feeling shocked this time out of something other than reflex.

After all, this was an unfamiliar girl. But why would she know his name? Or had they met once before? But he ought not to have forgotten metting a girl from another school. Or had she been in ordinary clothing when they met? No, but......

Confused, he desperately dug through his memories.

However, while Tenma was unsettled--

"U-Um! T-This! P-Please read this!"

That girl thrust her hands straight forward, not looking properly at Tenma"s face either.

She gave him a letter. Even Tenma realized the situation when he saw this. But his confusion worsened even further.

"Eh? E-Ehh?"

He looked left and right for no reason again. After all, it was the first time in his life that he faced this kind of situation. Also, they were close to the station. There were people going to work and cla.s.s pa.s.sing by at this time. Actually, although the people pa.s.sing by didn"t stop, they all shot Tenma and the girl a glance without exception. One of them - a woman who looked like an office lady - smiled mischievously with an "Oh my, hoho." His chill from before had vanished like an illusion and his face rapidly heated up.

"P-Please! H-here!"

"O-Okay--!?"

The girl suddenly pushed forward the letter. Tenma couldn"t help but take it, swept away by her momentum.

Immediately, the girl turned around and ran off down the asphalt road.

"W-Wait--"

Tenma spoke up in a panic, but lost his words there, his eyes wide. That was also because the girl who had given him the letter had instantly slipped into an alley and vanished. An astonishingly fast sprint. Truthfully, Tenma was dumbstruck.

"......W-What"s going on?"

He stood there blankly for a moment. A bolt from the blue. In any case, he was more shocked than happy or embarra.s.sed.

His face red, Tenma moved his gaze to the letter dropped in his hands.

A name was written on the pink letter. But he felt inexplicably tense just by holding it. Tenma decided to put it in his backpack for the time being. Then, without any deep intentions, he flipped it over and saw the other side of the letter.

Tenma"s expression tensed up, and a tension different from the one before flashed through the eyes behind his gla.s.ses.

A small mark was written on the other side of the flipped letter. It was a simple mark. Not one of the heart-shaped marks that were commonly used in love letters.

A star mark. A five-pointed star drawn in one stroke.

Tenma was extremely familiar with this mark - the pentagram.

Tenma put the letter into his backpack, then walked down to the subway station entrance as if nothing had happened at all.