ch41-ch60 · 055-ch47
Chapter 47
After hearing the silver crow — Sōya's — story, Ichijō Hiyori decided to consult with Sensei together with Mio-chan.
He'd asked them to arrange a meeting, and it wasn't something she could decide on her own.
They talked it over on their phones and agreed to gather at Sensei's house.
Since it involved demons, she also contacted her father.
"A Majin... a tengu consultation. Understood, Hiyori-chan. Let's head to Sai-kun's house."
A demon — a tengu.
They treated it as a demon, but tengu were originally beings of high spiritual rank and immense power.
Particularly strong tengu were treated as gods.
They possessed tremendous magical power and lived for ages.
They were beings that humans like her were not meant to confront.
Sōya didn't seem to possess divine status, but he was called a Majin, and his physical strength was extraordinary. When they fought before, he didn't use his divine powers or immortal arts — basically magic — and yet he still had that much power.
Even now, she thought it was a miracle they won.
What kind of consultation would a being like that have...?
◇
They arrived at Sensei's house.
Whether by good timing or not, her father was also standing in front of Sensei's house.
He was making a troubled face.
"Hello, Ichijō-san. Thank you for coming."
"Dad, why are you standing in front of Sensei's house?"
"Oh, Hiyori-chan. Kuri-kun. Well... I was just amazed by the sheer level of the enchantment formulas."
"You mean the security around this house?"
"Yeah. I'd heard from Sai-kun that he'd set up security using magitech around the house, but I can't figure out how it's configured at all... I can tell that some kind of spell formula is deployed over a fairly wide area centered on this house... no, maybe he's deliberately made it visible to hide the real thing...? But as a decoy it's too..."
Her father wasn't good at fighting, but he was quite knowledgeable about magical formulas and similar things.
And even he was stumped...
Dad was well-versed not just in exorcist arts but also in Western magic.
Given that the system was based on the other world's "magitech," it was from a completely different framework, so some of it couldn't be helped — but she hadn't expected him to be this baffled.
She thought she already understood, but Sensei and Hexaria-san were several steps ahead of them.
As they were talking, a silver crow descended from the sky.
"I have arrived!"
"That crow is..."
"Hmph. A member of the Ichijō bloodline, I see."
Her father and the silver crow — Sōya — crackled with tension.
Her father remembered that when Hiyori fought Sōya, she nearly died.
Sōya also seemed somewhat hostile.
It was a tense situation, but the next moment...
The front door opened.
"What are you all doing in front of the house? Everyone, please come in."
The slightly exasperated old man — Sensei — stood there.
After brief greetings, they entered Sensei's house.
For her and Mio-chan, it was a familiar place — Sensei's home.
Inside, Hexaria-san was there with Sensei.
"Hexaria-san, excuse us for visiting so late."
Mio-chan politely greeted Hexaria-san.
"Hmph, it's fine. It seems something has happened."
Hexaria-san's eyes were fixed on the silver crow.
Hiyori didn't think Hexaria-san had ever encountered a demon before, but she'd noticed Sōya's presence and was staring at him with cold eyes.
Her expression was even colder than when she'd said "don't interfere with me" during the lecture.
But what was even more surprising was Sōya's reaction.
The silver crow was trembling.
Trembling, Sōya approached Hexaria-san.
His steps were like those of a condemned criminal walking to the execution block.
"O-our sincere apologies for this sudden visit. I-I am Ginreibo, a mere insignificant tengu. I trained under Sōjōbō-sama, and now reside in Kakuriyo..."
"I don't need an introduction. Sit down. Now."
She was stunned.
Her father next to her was probably stunned too.
That battle-loving tengu was completely cowed just by looking at Hexaria-san.
Mio-chan next to her whispered a question.
"Hiyori, Sōjōbō — isn't that..."
"The Kurama Tengu. The one who supposedly instructed Minamoto no Yoshitsune... Ushiwakamaru when he was young..."
She was shocked by the unexpected big name.
One of the Eight Great Tengu of Japan — that Kurama Tengu.
And Sōya had called himself "Ginreibo."
When they met before, he tried to reveal his true name but vanished before he could, so she hadn't been able to ask. Maybe this name was his true name.
◇
Once things had settled down, the discussion began.
The members were: Sensei, Hexaria-san, Mio-chan, her father, Hiyori herself, and the silver crow who'd requested this meeting — the tengu formerly known as Sōya, now calling himself Ginreibo.
Whether because of Hexaria-san's presence, the silver crow was strangely solemn.
Sensei was watching the crow.
"So, tengu. What business do you have with me?"
"U-um. First, let me confirm something: we fought at the end of last year, and it was you who annihilated Kinya, was it not?"
Annihilated...? He said "annihilated," not "repelled" or "sealed"?
Named demons were supposed to be unable to die.
That's why they had to keep fighting, and why sealing was considered the best option.
And yet... annihilated...?
She looked at her father.
Her father also looked puzzled by the words.
"...Yeah. That was me."
"I see... Then, is that technique — no, that magic — possible to activate again?"
Ginreibo asked Sensei.
"It's a trump card, but... what are you after?"
Sensei, normally mild-mannered, glared at Ginreibo with a tone he never used with them.
Ginreibo closed his eyes, and despite being a crow, neatly folded his legs and bowed his head.
"...I know full well that it's improper to ask this of a human like you. But I beseech you, prostrating myself like this. Please — could you save Kakuriyo... save the demons?"
"!!?"
At Ginreibo's words, they were speechless.
A Majin — a being of exceptional status among demons — bowing his head (which was surprising enough) to a human and asking him to save the demons!?
She was shocked by the statement, but also by the anger emanating from beside her.
"After hurting Hiyori-chan and Kuri-kun... after killing so many exorcists... you... you people dare to say that..."
Her father spoke quietly, but he was furious.
Like a bomb about to explode.
Her father stood up unsteadily.
"H-hold on, Dad...!"
She quickly grabbed hold of her father to stop him.
...Probably because she felt that if she didn't, her father would kill Ginreibo.
"Don't stop me, Hiyori-chan. You know well how many sacrifices there have been in the battles against demons. How much violence they've wrought... You and Kuri-kun — if Sai-kun hadn't been there that time..."
It was true. When they fought Ginreibo, Hiyori and Mio-chan almost died.
She knew how much anxiety her father and Yoshida-san had felt back then.
But that wasn't the time to lose her temper.
She didn't fully understand... but they had to hear why someone who'd done such bad things was bowing his head like this...!
"That's true...! That's true! But please...!"
Looking, Ginreibo was also hanging his head.
He knew this was an outrageous request — Ginreibo surely understood that.
What should she do. As if seeking help, Hiyori looked toward Sensei.
Sensei's expression was very serious.
"Uncle, let's hear him out first. We can decide after that."
"...Sorry. I lost my composure..."
Her father gritted his teeth and looked frustrated, but Sensei's words seemed to get through to him.
He appeared to have calmed down a little.
Prompted, Ginreibo began to speak.
"Something is rampaging through Kakuriyo... We don't know what it is..."
Something rampaging through Kakuriyo... Something so powerful that even demons and Majin were helpless against it...
"...That thing is not of this star's origin. It came from another world... all we know is that it is something from another world..."
Saying this, the silver crow hung its head weakly.
"Something from another world."
At those words, Hiyori's eyes went wide, and she stared at Sensei.
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Thank you for reading.