“Narita-kun Narita-kun Narita-kuuuuuun!!”
On the street along Matsumoto
’s Parco , Yuzuru turned as a shrill voice suddenly called his name. Morino Saori, dressed in casual clothes, came galloping towards him.
It was the Sunday after final exams in Matsumoto City.
Narita Yuzuru smiled cheerfully.
“Oh, Morino-san. Hi!”
“Wh-wh-wh-what a coincidence, Narita-kun! Are you out shopping? Going to the bookstore? Or maybe the arcade?”
“I heard that there’s a new CD out, so I came to take a look. How about you?”
“I was applying for a part-time job. I thought I’d try the Mister Donut over there, but they said they’ve already found someone. Argh—... dammit...!”
Saori aimed a kick in the direction of the restaurant before remembering Yuzuru and hurriedly straightening.
“Aaaah, anyway, can I come with you? I wanted-I wanted to see the CD too!”
“Sure!” Yuzuru agreed brightly. “I’d like to take a look at some musical instruments too, so would it be okay if we walked towards Main Street?”
Saori, looking as if she would gladly follow Yuzuru anywhere, nodded rigorously.
The two set out down the street side by side.
Saori cast a strangely blissful gaze on the pedestrians going in the opposite direction.
(Oh no oh no! I wonder if they think I’m Narita-kun’s girlfriend...?)
She stole quick glances at Yuzuru’s left arm, thinking, (It’d be—it’d be sooo perfect if I could take his arm.)
Saori’s breathing quickened. Feeling the odd high-spirited vibes coming from beside him, Yuzuru involuntarily turned.
“Wh-what is it?”
“Eh? Ah, ahahah. It’s nothing.”
She quickly waved her hand in dismissal, but her face kept breaking out into a smile.
All the passersby were taking notice of them.
(Look, look! They all think we make a great couple!)
Actually, it was only because the expression on Saori’s face was rather creepy.
“Morino-san, so you work part-time?”
“Oh, not yet, but I thought I would during summer vacation. If I can save up some money, I can go visit Yuiko-chan in Tokyo.”
“Yuiko? ...you mean, the girl from the other day?”
“Yup. We’re writing to each other. Yuiko-chan is a fan of Ougi-kun’s, you know. I can’t believe she likes a pushy guy like him. I sorta groaned when I heard that...”
“Ah, but he’s really popular, you know. I lost count of how much chocolate he got on Valentine’s Day.”
“Urgh, no way! Wh-what about what about you?”
Yuzuru grinned without answering. “At first I thought you liked Takaya too, but maybe I’m wrong?”
Saori was totally stunned. Those words coming out of Yuzuru’s mouth...
“N-no I don’t! The person I like is the person I like is...!”
“Is it okay for you to tell me?”
Stunned again, Saori lost all her nerve.
(My feelings haven’t reached him at all, I guess.)
But was it really true that Yuzuru hadn’t noticed? If so, then he was beyond oblivious...
(Though I really like that ♥...)
Blushing, Saori looked quickly up at Yuzuru.
“How about you? Do you have anyone you like?”
“Eh? Of course. I like everyone.”
Saori gave him a blank look.
“...I mean, there’s not really anyone that I hate. Is that weird? There’re people who have faults, and there’re people who irritate me, but I don’t think there’s anyone that I really hate.”
Yuzuru didn’t appear to be talking about the same subject.
“I feel really fortunate to have the people around me that I do. I’ve been called the guy who’s everybody’s friend.”
“Everybody’s friend? Who called you that?”
“Takaya.”
Unforgivable! Saori thought with annoyance. Fists clenched, she was prepared to go for a surprise attack when she remembered—Oh right...
“What’s up with Ougi-kun? He even skipped out on the exams—is he okay?”
“Ah...yeah.”
The phone call from Takaya had reassured Yuzuru that he was all right, but he hadn’t learned much about what Takaya was doing or where he was. Though he had the general sense that Takaya had gotten caught up in whatever Naoe and the others were doing.
But...
“What in the world has he been dragged into?” Yuzuru came to a stop in front of the crosswalk. He murmured haltingly, “Isn’t there—any way that I can help him?”
Saori looked up at Yuzuru seriously. “Narita-kun...”
“It was when I got possessed by Takeda Shingen that all these weird things started happening to Takaya. He’s been dragged into all this strangeness just because of that. That power...I don’t know why he can do things like that, but I know that he’s changing right in front of my eyes. I know that his senses have grown sharper and sharper since then. Even though he’s probably not aware of it himself...”
“—”
“Before, Takaya had almost no sensitivity to spirits, but now he’s probably more sensitive to them than I am.” Yuzuru smiled a little. “I guess it really doesn’t have anything to do with me, and Takaya probably wouldn’t want me to stick my nose into it either. But I—” Yuzuru’s eyes fell quietly. “I’m worried about him...”
The signal turned green. But Yuzuru didn’t move.
“I want to help him, but I don’t know what I could do. I don’t have anything like the power that he has, so I probably can’t do anything for him anyway, but I’m uneasy when he’s not around. At least, I’m not this anxious when he’s where I can keep an eye on him. ...That idiot...”
“Narita-kun...”
Yuzuru bit his lips, pain in his downcast eyes. His gallantry was irresistible, and Saori gave in to her sudden impulse to hug him. Yuzuru closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled at her.
“Sorry. I should stop whining, shouldn’t I?”
“Ah, you’re not...”
“Oh, the light.”
Yuzuru walked forward. Saori rushed to catch up.
“Narita-kun!”
“?”
“When...when you’re feeling...” Saori cried after him, “when you’re feeling sad, don’t keep it all bottled up! I’m an idiot, so I probably won’t be able to help you or anything, but I can listen to you. I’ll listen any time you want!”
Saori’s words, though trite, came from the heart, and Yuzuru smiled gently.
“Thank you.”
The sudden blare of a car horn stopped them just as they were about to enter the instrument shop.
“Huh?”
They turned to see a gungray metallic Leopard parked next to them and someone familiar waving at them from the window.
Yuzuru exclaimed, “Chiaki!”
“Yo!”
It was Chiaki Shuuhei—Yasuda Nagahide. Yuzuru and Saori ran up to the car in surprise.
“Wh-what’s with the car?! Should you be driving? Do you even have a license?”
“What, you didn’t know? I’m nineteen.”
“Kyaaah, Chiaki-kun! A Leopard, a Leopard! You’re like Shibata Kyouhei or something! Does it belong to your parents? Or is it yours?”
Yuzuru was dumbfounded. Apparently for Saori the fashion freak, having a license didn’t matter as long as the car was a good one.
“But it’d be bad if you got found out at school.”
“Doesn’t matter. Anyway, Narita. I came to pick you up.”
“Huh?”
Yuzuru and Saori both blinked. Chiaki jerked his thumb in the direction of the car.
“We’re eloping, Narita-kun.”
Ack! The two retreated. Chiaki pointed at the huge bag on the back seat.
“See? I’ve already brought the luggage. Hurry up and get in.”
“Wh-wh-what the heck? And that! You got that from my house?”
“Yup.”
“What—you—wait just one minute! What the heck are you thinking?!”
“You wanna run away with me, just admit it.”
“Argh, look here!”
Saori was clamoring happily in the background. Yuzuru looked at Chiaki wearily.
“So where are we going?”
“Sendai.”
Seriousness abruptly returned to Yuzuru’s face.
“Sendai?”
“There’s somebody who grumbles and whines too much when you’re not around.”
“Grumbles and whines? You don’t mean—”
“So hurry up and get in.”
Chiaki dragged Yuzuru to the car by the arm and shoved him inside. Saori panicked.
“Ah, wait, Chiaki-kun! You’re not—are you really going to take Narita-kun?”
“Sorry, but lemme borrow him for a bit.”
“Th-that’s not fair! I want to go I want to go I want to go too! Take me with you!”
“Sorry, see you,” Chiaki said, and his Leopard sprinted off with Yuzuru inside.
“Wa-wait! Chiaki-kuuuun!” Saori, left behind on the sidewalk by herself, stared after them blankly. “Aaack. Narita-kun got kidnapped by Chiaki-kun...”
She pressed her hands together in involuntarily seriousness and said to the sky, “Oh God. Please don’t let my Narita-kun get AIDS...”
“Wa-wait! You’re not really planning to drive to Sendai from here, are you?”
“Sure I am.”
“No way. But I...!”
Chiaki give Yuzuru on the passenger’s seat beside him a quick glance and said quietly, “Don’t worry about your family. I’ve given them the proper suggestion. I’ll do something about school, too.”
“Are we going to meet Takaya in Sendai?”
Chiaki nodded. “That idiot. He’s not really being difficult, but he can’t use his «powers» at all right now. He’s not much use as he is, so I was told to go and help.”
“... What should I...what should I do?”
“—”
Chiaki replied after a moment of silence. “Just be by Ougi Takaya’s side. You’re probably the only key to awakening him. If my guess is right, he doesn’t want to use his «powers» for anybody but you.”
“? What do you mean?”
Chiaki was silent. He didn’t think that it’d been coincidence that Kagetora had performed kanshou so near Narita Yuzuru. Had Kagetora done so intentionally? In other words—
(Can it be that Kagetora knew Narita’s true identity before he sealed his memories?)
That was how he saw it. That was why Takaya’s «powers» could manifest themselves so easily when it came to Yuzuru. If he had imprinted the command on himself to open the doors to his «powers» only when he was protecting Yuzuru—wouldn’t that also explain why they were so unstable?
When Chiaki didn’t respond, Yuzuru glared at him fiercely. “... Are you planning to use me to make him do something?”
“Something like that, I guess.”
Yuzuru asked the poker-faced Chiaki, not bothering to hide his distrust, “What the heck are you guys?”
A smile curved the corners of Chiaki’s mouth. “You really wanna know?”
“Tell me what’s going on around him. What is that power? Takeda Shingen and Mori Ranmaru. What’s happening?”
Chiaki said, spinning the wheel left, “If I tell you, will you help us?”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you’re probably the most dangerous of them all.”
Yuzuru had no idea what he was talking about. He peered at Chiaki dubiously.
Chiaki repeated, “I can’t set you loose until I know why Kagetora would go so far to protect you. Here’s the deal, Narita. You help us. You don’t give a hand to anybody else. If you swear that, I’ll tell you.”
“? I don’t really understand what you’re saying, but...” Yuzuru said simply, “I’m Takaya’s friend. I’m on his side.”
“...”
Chiaki turned his gaze forward again and muttered after a moment of silence, “You guys are really something.”
“?”
“Why do you accept each other so totally and completely? It’s very commendable.”
“I guess so.”
“You’re not really thinking about this at all.”
“I don’t know anything, so I can’t really be on anyone’s side. And I don’t think about it when Takaya’s involved. Anyway, you’re going to tell me, right? About you guys and Takaya.”
“...Yeah. If you’ll swear,” Chiaki nodded seriously. “It’s gonna be a long drive to Sendai. I’ll talk ’til you’re satisfied, Narita Yuzuru.”
The car headed straight for the Matsumoto Interchange .
Meanwhile, back on the Sendai stage, at the sleeping Jikou Temple on the same day at dawn...
Ayako had set out by herself to stand watch at the university barrier point that day, leaving Takaya behind to get some rest. Successfully defending even that single spot meant that the barrier could not be completed, so Ayako had thought it better to leave Takaya out of it, since he was still unable to use his «powers». She was determined to hold up until Nagahide, whom she had called for help, could get there.
But there was someone targeting the powerless Takaya: the woman he had confronted at the collapse site last night.
She had thought to creep into the premises to catch him sleeping, but a voice suddenly spoke from behind her.
“You behave like a thief in the night, Lordling.”
“!”
The woman whirled with inordinate surprise. Behind her stood a man whose presence she had not sensed.
“I don’t suppose you’re here for a night visit to see your sweetheart?”
It was Kousaka Danjou.
White coat flapping, Kousaka walked towards the woman.
“So you’re Mogami Yoshiaki’s son, Mogami Yoshiyasu? You were killed on the road to exile at Mount Kouya in your previous life, weren’t you?”
The woman glared at Kousaka with naked hostility.
“Who are you?”
A slight smile curved Kousaka’s lips.
“Someone who declines to leave his name. I’ve only come to see the arrogant, foolish general try to take on Uesugi Kagetora over there.”
“...!”
A pale shimmering haze rose from the woman’s body. Hostility transformed into murderous intent, and the air around her became ominously stifling.
“On dakini sanhaharakyatei sowaka.”
“!”
As the woman chanted, a pale spherical light surrounded her.
The pale light took on the shape of animals dancing in the darkness—animals that looked like foxes...!
(The mantra of Dakini...! Are ‘koko’ being used?!)
The woman formed the mudra of Dakini with her hands, chanting loudly. The dancing ‘koko’ snarled at Kousaka and attacked.
“Mumph!”
Kousaka released a «nenpa». A few of the ‘koko’ wrenched their spirit bodies away and turned in midair between the two combatants, swinging their tails of light. The woman didn’t pause in her attack.
The ‘koko’ charged again, baring their teeth to tear Kousaka’s arm apart. Kousaka poured out his will as he dodged. His conjured bullets slammed mercilessly into the ‘koko’, but these spirit beings could not be finished off so easily without Uesugi’s «choubuku».
“Feh!”
He met the endless charges of the ‘koko’, but one slipped through a break in his «nenpa» to snap at him, tearing his coat and sinking its teeth into his shoulder.
“Ugh!”
He gathered «power» into the palm of his hand and threw it into the ‘koko’ at his shoulder, sending it flying. Still they continued to snap at his flank—and then they charged, aiming for his throat!
(You...!)
Serious now, he released a «nenpa» that scattered the ‘koko’ in all directions. Bloodlust tinted Kousaka’s eyes.
BAM!
«Nenpa» exploded, slamming all the ‘koko’ still snapping at him to the ground. His hands formed the symbolic gesture of Dainichi Nyorai in counterattack.
“On abokyabeiroshanau makabodara manihandoma jinbaraharabaritaya un!”
“What!”
The aura of rage surrounding the ‘koko’ instantly faded, and Kousaka took the opening. Before the woman could rush to continue her mantra, Kousaka threw everything he had into a «nenpa» and sent it flying at her.
“Gyaaah!”
The woman somersaulted through the air and hit the asphalt with a strange scream. The foxes, deprived of their energy source, disappeared at the same time.
“Ugh...”
Kousaka walked towards the woman with a hand pressed against the ragged wound at his shoulder. Mogami Yoshiyasu moaned with pain. Eyes glinting, Kousaka sneered, “Humph. So the Koumyou Shingon is indeed omnipotent. Its power is impressive even when used by one such as I. Or should I say—perhaps the problem lies with the curse-caster.”
He lifted the woman’s chin.
“Even if you are using ‘koko’, your power does not yet appear to be equal to the task of killing a kanshousha, Lordling.”
Yoshiyasu glared at him with resentment.
Kousaka’s gaze sharpened, and his smile disappeared.
“The usage of Dakiniten-hou means... that as I expected, the curse-barrier around Sendai is a «jike-kekkai» using ‘kinrin no hou’, hmm? It’s quite interesting that the kinrin no hou, performed at Tou-ji at the Emperor’s enthronement in the ceremony of kanchou for his royal protection, has spells of hypnotic suggestion at its core. Which means that it’s a spell that grasps peoples’ hearts, I suppose?”
Dakiniten, who was also said to be a fox spirit, could foresee a person’s death around six months in advance and was a terrifying yasha who devoured the bodies of the dead. Those who worshipped her gained extraordinary powers. The incantations of Dakiniten (goddess of foxes) were also among the most potent of spells, and from time to time those with influence or power would label these ‘most secret of secret spells’ the ‘black arts’ to absolutely prohibit their usage by any save themselves.
According to the ‘Chronicles of Tranquility’, the emperor Go-Daigo had personally studied the kinrin no hou, a spell with Dakiniten-hou at its heart, and placed a curse on the Bakufu of the Kamakura Shogunate.
It was also said that the spirit foxes used by Dakiniten-hou had the power of hypnotic suggestion and manipulation over peoples‘ «energies» (apparently the origin of the phrase ’deceived by a fox’); Mogami was evidently making use of this special quality.
Mogami Yoshiaki was using invocations of the dead to gather spirits to serve as the energy source of the small barrier erected at the center of Sendai, and then leveraging mastery of the kinrin no hou to cast a curse from within the large barrier erected upon the ‘platform’ formed from the small barrier. He would then be able to manipulate the «jike» with Dakiniten’s magical power by using fox spirits (shikigami).
“Hmm. The onshou of the «Yami-Sengoku» have laid their schemes very nicely indeed. I had thought that they were incapable of anything but fighting, but this one is rather skillfully done.” Kousaka Danjou smiled faintly. "Did you come to kill Uesugi Kagetora? Heh. What a reckless fellow you are, to attack Uesugi’s Yasha-shuu with your level of power. Those ‘koko’ of yours. They would be destroyed in the blink of an eye in their «choubuku».
“...!”
As the woman’s face stiffened, Kousaka added, “Are you afraid of their power? Are you afraid of being sent to that other world? What makes you cling to this world with such tenacity? Revenge on the father who exiled you in your previous life?”
“Shut up!” Yoshiyasu shouted. “I only want to have my father acknowledge me. If I should succeed him as head of the clan, I only wish to bring peace and security to Mogami and be recognized!”
“The assassins who killed you were sent by your father, did you know that? Do you not think that, after being alienated and murdered, you’re still just being used now that you’ve been resurrected?”
“Shut up shut up!” Yoshiyasu wrenched violently away. “When I succeed in the mass-brainwashing of Sendai, Father will certainly look at me in a new light. Then he’ll regret having attacked me!”
“Humph. What stupidity.” Kousaka snorted a laugh and released Yoshiyasu. “With the level of Dakiniten-hou you have at your command, there’s no reason for you to hand Sendai over to your father.”
“!”
Kousaka smiled charmingly. “Have you never wanted to rule?”
“Wh...!”
Kousaka said to the speechless Yoshiyasu, “In this «Yami-Sengoku», those with strong spiritual powers will win. You don’t have to carry these burdens any further—you needn’t just helplessly surrender Sendai to your father, do you? If you wanted, you could use Sendai as a pretext to attack Mogami Yoshiaki.”
“Y-you bastard! Are you from the Date?!”
There was malice in Kousaka’s eyes as he smiled innocently.
“Heh. Well, in any case, your mass-brainwashing will not succeed. It looks like Uesugi’s Yasha-shuu have you by the tail. Once they’re involved, it’ll only be a matter of time before you’re smashed to pieces.”
Yoshiyasu’s breath caught.
“After all, they received the power of onryou-extermination from Lord Uesugi Kenshin, God of War. They also once fought Oda Nobunaga to a standstill.”
“! Fought Lord Oda to a standstill!”
“Some big shots have already been eliminated. Well, I guess it would not be so simple for mere onshou to take their heads.”
“Wa-wait, will I fail as well? Can I not destroy them with my power?”
Kousaka stood. “It would be difficult with your level of «power».”
“I-I must destroy them at any cost. I must accomplish Father’s commands. If I cannot do that, I will disappoint him again, and he’ll just write me off this time as well.”
“That does not concern me.”
“Wait a minute. Wait! You’re kanshousha, aren’t you? You’re stronger than I am. You’ve shown me your skill and your considerable «powers». Let’s make a deal! You want me to do something for you, don’t you? I’ll listen. I’ll listen, so don’t go yet.”
Kousaka paused and half-turned, waiting. “Will you hear my request?”
“I will. What is it? What is it you want?”
“I was waiting for you to ask,” Kousaka said, facing him squarely. Yoshiyasu braced himself.
“Yo-you’re not going to ask me to transfer Sendai’s barrier to you, are you?”
“I’m not asking for anything so grandiose. It’s a simple matter. I want information about those who are allied with Mogami. Especially—” Kousaka’s eyes glinted “—information concerning Oda.”
“!” Yoshiyasu recoiled. “Oda...!”
“Can you or can you not do it?”
“That’s—”
For a moment he wavered in consternation. The matter of Oda was one of absolute secrecy for Mogami. If this leaking of information was discovered, Yoshiyasu would certainly not be allowed to get away with it.
“All right.”
Kousaka chuckled.
“Provided that.”
“?”
“You hear my request as well.”
Yoshiyasu’s tone was serious. Kousaka nodded firmly.
“Very well.”
“I will pass information regarding Oda to you. And in return.” The woman’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “I would like you to deal with Uesugi’s kanshousha.”
For a moment Kousaka’s expression was sincere.
But it immediately blurred, and he answered with a terribly cold smile, “Fine.”
The stars slowly disappeared.
The sky began lightening to an indigo blue from the east.