Volume 3
Side Story 6
At Some Point,
They Will Clash
Translator : PolterGlast
If asked what was the
greatest benefit of being a student at Tenryō Academy, Akira would without
hesitation say the Rokkaku-kan (hexagonal hall), which was built as a separate
building at the back of the central building.
The building has an
elegant appearance with the exterior walls painted green, with an emphasis on
the Western Continent.
It was still bright in
the evening, and Akira was already standing in the building.
The window frame shook
as soon as the heavy door was opened, perhaps stirred by the autumn breeze that
blew in along with Akira.
Perhaps noticing the
visitor's presence by the creaking of the door, the receptionist, who has
become a familiar face over the past few days, turned her gaze toward him and
gave him a silent greeting.
Akira's vision was
greeted by a wall full of books.
These rare books, once
in the possession of the Onmyo Ministry, contained knowledge of Onmyojutsu,
which commoners were restricted from seeing.
The shock of seeing
the books piled up so carelessly was something Akira would never forget.
Since then, every
spare moment at Tenryō Academy was spent in this library in search of knowledge
regarding talismans.
Inside the
Rokkaku-kan, there were only a few students.
Although the place was
not completely empty, he walked past the rather deserted desks, and headed
towards the back of the room.
He didn't even look at
the shelf of offensive-type talismans that would usually stop him, but instead,
he went to the shelves further back.
Basically, no one
would ever pay attention to the shelves in this area.
Running his fingers
along the edges of the slightly dusty old books, Akira traced the words he was
looking for.
"[Tsonma Gods'
Genealogy], [The Ideology of the Immortals]. ......Perhaps somewhere around
here?"
Based on the
information provided by Kagura, he pulled out a book related to Tsonma's Divine
Pillars.
He returned to the
desk, relying on the unreliably flickering light source, and stacked the books
in his hand beside him.
Seeking the true
history of Nurarihyon, Akira picked up the top of the stack of books.
―Mantra is a syllable that interferes with the physical
world and is pressed into shape.
Mantra is a miracle of
reincarnation that recreates the destruction and rebirth of all creation by
describing this physical world in the form of a sentence.
The knowledge that
originated from Baratush is said to be able to freely create universal concepts
if it is mastered.
It is said to have
been spread by some unidentified deities, and some even claim that it is a kind
of sacred weapon.
Akira was listening to
the clamor of the people in the distance, training, and fighting, while at the
same time, he was tracing the sequence of letters.
"―Do you, garrison's protector, need something in
Rokkaku-kan?"
He lifted his gaze at
the voice that called out to him. A girl was sitting alone at the end of the
hall, looking at Akira with a doubtful expression on her face.
The ends of the girl's
hair danced lightly on her shoulders as the wind breezed by.
A senior. From the
collar color of her sailor's uniform, he could tell that she was a female
student enrolled in the high school division.
However, Akira could
not recall ever seeing her in Rokkaku-kan even after probing his memory.
Akira cast his face
down, as if trying to escape a gaze that was tinged with doubt rather than
reproach.
"...... I am a
member of the garrison, but I am also enrolled at Tenryō Academy for a short
period of time.
I'm sure that if you
contact my teacher Yotsukura, he will be able to confirm my status."
"I see."
Hearing Akira's unwavering reply, the girl's shoulders relaxed.
"My apologies. Most
of the people who used Rokkaku-kan on a daily basis were only familiar faces.
―I was just calling out to you because you looked
unfamiliar."
"No, I understand
that I am an outsider. ―Don't worry about it."
An exchange of
apologies in hushed tones. With the subject having been settled, Akira's gaze
fell once again on the book.
Where was I? His gaze
wandered to the book, looking for the continuation of the sentence.
―The girl, perhaps catching sight of the title in
Akira's hand, spoke to him again, this time in a reserved tone.
"Are you looking
for information on Tsonma?"
"...... Yes. I am
looking for information describing the Divine Pillar that has lost its Dragon
Den."
The knowledge in the
book was interesting, but not what he was looking for.
Half-heartedly
responding to the girl, Akira piled the books under his arm.
"Lost its Dragon
Den? Could you be referring to the descend of the Aragami?"
Divine Pillars reside
within the Dragon Dens. It is an unchangeable fact, a kind of truth that
everyone basically believes to be absolute.
In response to the
situation that deviated from the category of the absolute, the girl uttered the
greatest calamity she knew.
The phenomenon in
which a region that has suffered the wrath of a Divine Pillar sinks into a
miasma is known as the [Descend of Aragami].
There are not many
records of this event in history. However, in Takamagahara, there are records
of the fact that three times in the past, the land was transformed by the wrath
of the Divine Pillars.
"......Aragami
does not lose its dragon den, so it is different.
Loss of faith or
invasion by other Deities. There are many reasons for this, but in the literal
sense of the word, when a Divine Pillar is expelled from its domain, it becomes
known as a Maroudōgami (guest god)."
Rustle. He answered
the girl's question as he flipped through the pages.
"I've been
researching the history of the Divine Pillars that were banished from Tsonma's
domain, out of necessity."
"But isn't
that......, a matter that should be handled by the Onmyou Ministry?"
"Maybe. ―But now
that I have learned about it.
I think it's wrong to
just leave it to someone else when I can do something about it."
Flip. The page went on
and on, and Akira picked up a pencil.
The sound of the
dancing pages resumed again as he scribbled the names of the few Deities.
The girl nodded her
head at the gesture, and her voice trailed off further.
"I understand
that you yourself cannot remain silent about it.
......But if I may be so presumptuous, I would
like to offer you one piece of advice."
"?"
Hearing the girl's
serious tone of voice, Akira raised his gaze once again.
At the other end, the
girl was looking at him with sincerity.
"Although it is
hard to believe that there is a Divine Pillar who was expelled from the Dragon
Den, however, I have a reasonable understanding of the history of mankind.
History is woven by
the victors. If that is the case, then it is always better to hide the history
of the losers."
"Can we trace it?"
"At least, since
it is from Tsonma, it is difficult to get accurate information in Takamagahara,
which is located across the ocean.
But one cannot
completely erase the history in order to make the Divine Pillar's achievements
known.
......In that case,
you should consider it as a legitimate history, with convenient alterations."
The feats that make
the Divine Pillar a Divine Pillar. ―Myths are always associated with a mighty
tribulation.
It may be a calamity
or a malevolence, but there is one thing in common.
These tribulations would
always be destined to be defeated.
―If it was used to conceal the name of the Divine
Pillar, it is understandable that what they are looking for is something
different.
Akira nodded at the
girl's advice.
Her words, which were
delivered in an orderly and logical manner, were so convincing that it was
impossible to refute them.
In fact, the documents
that he was currently reading contained only the facts that were convenient for
Tsonma's Divine Pillars.
He proceeded to just
roll up the documents in his hand and pick up a new one.
"Thank you.
―I now have a better idea of what I'm looking
for."
"I would be happy
if I could be of some help to the Protector-dono."
The girl happily
nodded her head in response to Akira's words of gratitude.
That was the only word
that was exchanged.
Perhaps concerned not
to disturb Akira, who was looking at a new document, the girl quietly left her
seat without introducing herself.
―――――
It was late in the
evening when the girl returned to Tenryō Academy.
In the twilight of the
Central Capital, which itself is a basin, the sun goes down very early. As the
shadows on the red sky grew more vivid, the first thing the girl did at the
academy was to knock on the door of the Rokkaku-kan.
With a slight creak,
she stepped into the building and bid farewell to the familiar face of the
librarian.
She, who is usually
strict about her work, smiled and welcomed the return of the girl with whom she
had formed a friendship.
After the silent
exchange of greetings, the girl went to the long desk in the back of the
library, where she was always seated.
―At that moment, the spirit that resided within her
sent a faint whisper.
It was a rare
attention from a spirit that rarely expressed emotion. The girl, intrigued,
turned her gaze toward a desk, where a protector was sitting.
The boys and girls who
gather at Tenryō Academy are generally from the high-ranking members of the
nobility.
However, the
high-ranking members of the nobility, who are generally the owners of fiefdoms,
tend to devote themselves to martial arts in order to protect their
territories.
Therefore, the
Rokkaku-kan was adequately provided, but unfortunately, the students rarely
used the library except during the examination period.
Nevertheless, the
Rokkaku-kan, which even contains materials from the Onmyou Ministry, is as
well-supplied as the university itself.
Moreover, the
knowledge stored in Rokkaku-kan includes rare books containing the secrets of
talismans.
She knew that no
matter how unprotected the building looked, it was not allowed to be entered by
anyone who was not registered with the academy without permission.
The boy sat there as
if blending in, but it was clear that he had some kind of permission.
Perhaps sensing her
presence, the boy lifted his eyes.
The boy's voice was
calm and his reply was clear. The girl, with her suspicions lowered, shifted
her attention to the book in the boy's hand.
After a brief
conversation, the girl turned her back on the boy, who had returned his gaze to
the book, and left to return to her own work.
She walked through the
darkness without hesitation. Moving between the shelves she knew well, she
pulled out one of the books that were lined up without any gaps.
As if imitating the
boy, she made the pages of the book dance, relying on the faint light source.
As she followed the sequence of letters, the
boy's profile passed through his memory.
The boy left only a
mediocre impression.
He seemed to be
well-trained, but his physique did not look like that of a protector.
―But why does his appearance give me the impression
that I have seen him somewhere before?
With this question at
the bottom of her mind, she reached for the book beside her.
She opened one of the
tomes containing the secrets of Onmyoujutsu.
While listing the types
of talismans to be prepared along the way, she went further to the next shelf.
Beyond her
outstretched fingers, she caught a glimpse of the boy's back.
With this in view, the
girl's mouth slightly parted.
Her gaze wandered to
the back of the shelf a short distance away.
Rokkaku-kan, is often
thought to be only for reference materials, but it also contains a small number
of other books, some kind of entertainment.
There are some
imported original poetry collections, misleadingly catalogued in the literature
section.
Just like her, even
her Master has to prepare for the long process of Shōjinkessai (cleansing
ritual) that is about to begin.
Days of constant
vigilance. It would be a pleasure to prepare the entertainment books for a
short rest and healing.
With this in mind, the
girl turned on her heel to the shelf she was looking for―.
"―Akira-kun."
The girl's toes froze
before they touched the floor upon hearing this voice.
A familiar voice. As
she turned her attention back to the desk where the boy was sitting, a familiar
ponytail danced across her field of vision.
―Rindō family's daughter, the fifth of the Eight
Families. Saki.
"Did you find
it?"
"Unfortunately
not yet. But I've received some advice, so I'll try to look for them
accordingly."
From their casual tone
of voice, it was easy to tell that they were quite close.
As Akira pointed to a
spot, she brought her face close to it and softly lowered her voice.
Their shoulders leaned
toward each other with a hint of hesitation. It was easy to guess that the two
of them had spent some time together.
"I'll look for
the documents on my end, what about you, Ojou-sama?"
"I've made a
visit to the Onmyou Ministry. The prestige of the Eight Families comes in handy
in times like these.
―The library over there should have information that we
don't have here, so let's hope that the Onmyoji has the right we need."
Although she hushed
her voice, it was inside the Rokkaku-kan, where only silence prevailed. Her
voice was clear.
The girl watched them
leave the building together, keeping in mind the content of what she heard.
"What's wrong,
Sonomi?"
How much time has
passed since she put her back to the shadow of the shelf?
The voice of her
friend, the librarian, pulled her back from her dazed thoughts.
While suppressing her
emotions, she turned her gaze toward where her friend was.
She had several
questions she wanted to ask. But above all, Dōgyou wanted certainty.
While stifling her
clinging thoughts, she asked a question to the girl standing in front of her.
"Who is this guy
I was talking with just now?"
"Aa~. He's a
protector from Shumon Province who has been attending our academy for a few
days now.
He's amazing, you
know. And he's favored by Kihoin,
―Just Between you and me, he got the highest score ever
in the competency test a few days ago."
Such a prodigy will
always come out when the time comes. Muttering in a tone that was filled with
every echo of admiration, the librarian put a book back on the shelf after it
had been spruced up.
"What's his
name?"
"Yotsururugi,
...... as I recall, Akira-san.
I heard he received
his surname one month ago for his great achievement, so he must be a highly
promising young man.
"........................"
Perhaps not knowing
anymore, she spoke in halting tones about what had been going on at the
Academy.
Leaving the librarian,
who was mumbling to herself in a relaxed manner, Sonomi strode toward the door.
"Are you leaving
already? Didn't you come here to borrow a book?"
"I have to get
ready.
There is something
urgent to do."
Her reply was quick.
Sonomi pushed the books to her acquainted friend.
The books were piled
on top of the books she was holding waiting to be returned.
Three thick books and
two additional thick books on the arms of an untrained girl.
The books were shaking
with each vibration as if they had become unstable.
"Hey, wait a
second, Sonomi!!"
"―Sorry. I'll be
right back."
The panicked
librarian's voice was heard to stop her, but Sonomi disappeared behind the
door.
What was I supposed to
do in this situation? The topmost book crumbled and fell to the floor from the
arms of the librarian, who stared off in a daze.
♢
After parting with
Saki, who had some business to attend to in the right-wing building, Akira
hurried down the corridor leading to the left-wing building.
After this, he was
supposed to go to the garrison for the night shift, but he concentrated too
much on his books and found that the evening was getting later.
If he was late to the
garrison, it was not hard to imagine Genji's thunder.
Even though the
distance between the Tenryō Academy and the garrison to which Akira was heading
was not that far, it would still take him ten minutes to run.
If he wanted to escape
from Genji's fist, he would need to force his way through with Aragamioroshi.
With this resolution in mind, Akira picked up a pair of sandals from the shelf.
But at that moment,
"―Excuse me, Yotsurugi-kun.
Could you hold on a moment, please?"
Shudder. The voice
sent an unbearable murderous intent down Akira's spine.
Calm and intelligent
voice. But to Akira alone, it sounded like the epitome of arrogance, and he
gritted his teeth, forgetting even to move.
Although he felt the
urge to scorch the entire area with Jakuen Gayou, Akira still ignored it,
concentrating on overcoming the gnawing pain.
"...... Can I
help you? ―Ugetsu-sama."
The expression on his
face as he turned around was an unnaturally welcoming smile itself.
Somehow ignoring the
emotions that were about to engulf him, Akira caught sight of Ugetsu Souma, who
pursued behind him.
Seeing Souma standing
smiling with several of his followers in tow, Akira averted his gaze and raised
the intensity of his concealment to a higher level.
"Instructor
Yotsukura has asked me to arrange for you to participate in the morning
exercises.
I know that
Yotsurugi-kun is participating in the garrison's training, but that won't earn
you any credits."
"The way things
are is good enough for me, and I'm satisfied with the way I'm being treated.
I appreciate
Yotsukura-sensei's thoughtfulness. ―But I am under the guidance of Master
Asogi. Climbing a mountain with more people on board is meaningless, no matter
how great the people may be.
"That's true. But
I hope you understand that Instructor Yotsukura is sincerely thinking of
Yotsurugi-kun.
The academy's training
program is―."
Souma's feet took a
step forward, possibly in an attempt to block Akira's escape.
Akira glared at the
toe that was about to step forward unprotected, without averting his gaze.
―Don't come any closer. The moment that toe falls to
the floor, I'll make you pay for that step with your neck.
Offensive
step. Twist into the blind spot on the left half of my opponent's body, and
while hiding my palm with my own body, I'll draw my sword.
A reverse
diagonal slash and a slash to the torso. While severing the upper arm and half
of the body with the returning strike, I'll finish him off with the neck―!
"―My bad,
Ugetsu."
As if to restrain the
raging Akira, a familiar voice came along with an arm that went around his
shoulders.
Akira was being held
down from above so that he could not exert his strength.
Having lost the
initiative at the first move, Akira glanced behind his shoulder.
Beyond his vision,
Kuga Ryota, with an emotionless smile on his face, was exchanging fearless
gazes with Souma.
"This guy belongs
to my group (Shumon Province faction).
Are you trying to walk
past me, the class representative? That's completely out of line."
"I'm aware of
that. ―But Kuga-kun, you've dismissed the teacher's requests repeatedly.
Since he can't get
your cooperation, I guess it's inevitable that he would turn to me for
help."
Apparently, Ryota had
stopped the discussion before it became a source of trouble.
Tch. Ryota's gaze
intensified as he clicked his tongue in a way that only Akira could hear.
"We decided it
was unnecessary.
I'll give Yotsukura a
warning later, so he won't have to bother you again.
―You're in a different class anyway. As for this guy,
his scores are probably nothing more than a number for him."
"It doesn't
matter to me.
―The reason I helped to persuade him was because I was
concerned about the pain that Instructor Yotsukura was going through."
Souma turned his toes
toward the rear as he straightforwardly responded to Ryota.
"I'll leave the
persuasion to you then, Class Rep.
―You'll do me a favor, won't you?"
"I can't promise
that, though."
You can go now. Souma
shrugged his shoulders at Ryota, who brushed his palms away, and walked away
without a trace of regret.
The corridor of the
left-wing building became quiet once again. Ryota and Akira stared at the other
end of the hallway where Souma had gone to.
―And then,
"You missed your
morning training because of me.
My sincere gratitude,
Kuga-dono."
"It wasn't for
your sake. It's because your reputation is connected to Saki's reputation.
Whether her dreams
come true or not depends on you, and that's why I spoke up.
―Now that it's come to this, you'd better show up at
the training hall a couple of times. Yotsukura will be satisfied with
that."
"Thank you......."
A sincerity that had
never been heard before came out of Ryota's mouth.
Faced with this fact,
Akira gave up on the idea of running away and returned his consent.
It was already ten
minutes away.
He was definitely
going to be late. With a slumped shoulder, Akira changed into his slippers.
"Wait."
Ryota's voice
interrupted him.
"Just in time.
Just stay with me for a little while longer."
Not knowing what Ryota
intended to do, Ryota began to walk to the back of the school building.
Akira had owed him a
favor. So he could not refuse, and Ryota didn't seem to have any intention of
letting him refuse either.
―Based on what just going on, two fists might be a
certainty.
Akira followed behind
him, inwardly lamenting.
―By the way, four fists were dropped on Akira's head.
The only thing he
would like to note here was that it was extremely painful.
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