98 – 98. What’s this, a dream?
Compared to the first day of unpacking at the lodging and casually strolling the streets, the second day of the school trip was more official.
We visited a theme park called ‘Universal Studios’ in the morning and rode the attractions.
It was a moderately cool period, and although there were other visitors, there was no discomfort.
The buzz of the amusement park mixed with the excitement of the school trip made it even more enjoyable.
It was a peaceful trip, so normal that it seemed okay.
“Kenichi, they say there’s a Mario Kart over there! Let’s go ride that after the roller coaster ends! Rio!”
Kitagawa Kenichi suddenly grabbed my hand and looked at the back of the friend leading us.
‘What’s this, a dream?’
It wasn’t like I was being led by my childhood friend, Ichinose Hotaru, like in a romance manga or a boy’s comic hero.
The brain, unaccustomed to the gradually seeping happiness, was obsessively on guard.
Just like a vacation in Okinawa turned into rigorous training for a month, could the 3-day math trip be a surprise exorcism training?
For instance, did the runaway ninja Ichimaru Shiki unfold an endless world of fantasy unbeknownst to me?
A math trip wouldn’t be this peaceful. It wouldn’t be just enjoyable.
Do we need to shatter the fantasy with strong will?
Kenichi, who endlessly doubted, only realized after the time at the amusement park passed, touring all of Osaka Castle in the afternoon and arriving at the inn.
He, in a yukata at the inn, sat on the floor and muttered.
“…Why was it just an ordinary math trip?!”
“Because it was just an ordinary math trip, right?”
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Kenichi looked up sharply at Ichimaru Shiki’s expression of course.
The man with a sharp eye who always brought events along waved the ping pong paddle thoughtfully.
“From the start, we said we’d see Kyoto, why are you already so tense? It’s a rare math trip, shouldn’t we enjoy it a bit?”
“…Every time something happens, I thought this time would be the same! It was supposed to be a normal trip after a long time, but I was so nervous I couldn’t enjoy it properly! It’s your fault!”
“hahahaha, but it was still enjoyable, right?”
“…Well, yeah.”
It was indeed enjoyable, but it felt like a loss to say it outright.
Therefore, Kenichi raised the ping pong paddle in his right hand somehow to make up for the loss.
Ah, in his left hand was a ping pong ball imbued with a black dragon.
The damn friend, teacher, and rival Ichimaru Shiki had been holding the ping pong paddle for a long time.
“…Shiki, let’s settle this!”
“Alright!”
And so, in front of a ping pong table set up in the inn, the showdown of two men unfolded.
With somewhat indifferent looks from the audience, including childhood friend Ichinose Hotaru or the fairly familiar Sawamura Sentora.
Pouring all their energy into the serve, Kenichi Kitagawa faced off.
“─Die, Shiki!!!”
“hahahaha, I don’t want to die at the hands of a fool.”
“Please die!!!”
The result of the fierce match that lasted a long thirty minutes.
Kenichi proposed conditions of nullifying abilities, magic use, and fighting solely with equal physical abilities, but in the end, he lost with a score of 21-2.
Afterward, he played two more rounds hanging on, but it just marked a streak of three losses in his life.
***
At the same time.
Kyoto, Hashimoto Mansion.
As the sunlight faded, under the dark sky filled with the grace of the full moon, in front of the shrine with a solemn atmosphere as if something was confined, the three major exorcist families in Japan, the Hashimoto family, were gathered.
They all gazed at the shrine sealed with various food offerings and chains with a worried expression.
“…Father, will things work out well?”
“…A renowned exorcist from Tokyo but only seventeen years old? He might be talented, but it’s too young.”
“Sir. Let’s try to exorcise it ourselves before the seal weakens further. In case the seal is broken, it might lead to a disaster for our Hashimoto family-“
“These guys are noisy.”
The head of the Hazimoto family, Shigekuni, closed his eyes in response to the family’s unrest.
He had lived for many years.
The family of Hazimoto in Kyoto.
A prominent family of onmyoji, managing the affairs alone.
They took pride in being the onmyoji of the Hazimoto family in Kyoto.
The power to manipulate the elements that make up the world: fire, water, earth, and wind, forces that touch all such as trees and lightning.
The cursed power that controls the light and darkness of the soul inherent in humans.
Each member of the family was a high-ranking exorcist capable of handling all of these.
Although there were times when tasks were delegated to external help due to busy schedules, they had never entrusted their power to others.
Dare they say the Hazimoto family’s capabilities were lacking… Could such a thing happen…!
Even the head, Shigekuni, felt a desire to intervene, but unfortunately, just as there was harmony in nature, there existed compatibility between yokai and exorcists.
An insurmountable, absolute harmony.
Despite the Hazimoto family’s ability to dominate affairs with curses and elemental magic, they could not use their power against yokai that devoured all magic and spells.
“Beyond Japan, in Chosun, there is said to be a monster called ‘Bulgalsali’ that eats iron. A calamity that defeated all armies. I never thought I would say such things, but the monster before us is not our destiny.”
“Father!”
“Our abilities are not lacking. Even the former head only managed to seal it. It’s just that fate has taken a different turn. We can’t reach the monster that devours all curses and spells with our Hazimoto power, so we have to call for external help. There’s no need to damage our pride.”
“…But.”
“Well, Seihei not only vouched for it, but even Kenju, a master of iron fists, endorsed the exorcist. He’s a talent carefully selected from the Kanto region, so you can trust and rely on him.”
Even the head of the Hazimoto family, Shigekuni, was actually somewhat doubtful.
Sending a mere seventeen-year-old against a monster he himself didn’t know how to deal with initially made him quite angry.
He had reached the point of seriously wondering if they were truly turning their backs on our danger and ignoring it.
─No, is this really our best effort?
But at the sincere plea of the other party, Shigekuni’s mood softened.
Even though he had doubts about Seihei’s head being a brash fellow, if Kenju, the old tiger, vouched for the young sorcerer’s skills, then…
“Even if they’re a bit lacking, we can be of help.”
Well, if things go south, they could just seal it again.
It had been a while since he requested the necessary materials for sealing to be sent along with the exorcist.
Even if the young sorcerer wasn’t particularly outstanding, the support was meaningful, so Shigekuni welcomed them regardless.
***
“…Just me going alone?”
Misfortune struck Kitagawa Kenichi on the third morning of the school trip to Kyoto.
On the bus to Kyoto, Kenichi glanced at Ichimaru Shiki, who occupied the adjacent seat like a stubborn gum.
Despite the deep questioning gaze, the man with ominous eyes simply nodded as if it were obvious.
“Yes, it’s just a simple errand.”
“…Not going with Sento or Eris, just me?”
“Hmm? Is running errands such a burden for Kenichi?”
“No, but saying it like that feels strange.”
Kenichi scratched his cheek stylishly and looked at the damn Ichimaru Shiki, who was a mentor or friend.
Most of the things Shiki had him do were harmful to his body.
Or it could be an excruciating experience to the point of death.
Spending a month on the sandy beach in Okinawa during summer vacation was a special event for Kenichi.
“Is it really that easy?”
“hahahaha, yes!”
“…Should I really believe this?”
Kenichi, who had such a perception, was honestly skeptical of the current situation.
Already feeling uneasy about the ordinary school trip, now being asked to do something so simple?!
However, realizing he could do nothing but doubt, Kenichi soon resigned himself to his fate.
“Well, then. Might as well be dead.”
For this reason, Kenichi reluctantly set off to run errands during the free time he was given.
If only the school dormitory wasn’t so far, he would have devoted all his time to the errand had it been a bit closer to the outskirts.
Muttering complaints in his mind, Kenichi felt something strange as soon as he arrived at the Hashimoto Mansion.
“…Is that kid the Baekyacha?”
“Kenju, the tiger of Kanto, vouches for the exorcist who looks like that kid.”
“Isn’t he too young?”
“No, Baekyacha. I just found out he has orange hair.”
“Doesn’t he look weak?”
…”
A sense of camaraderie.
Kenichi sensed the scrutinizing gazes he received when looking at Ichimaru Shiki.
Seems like they both misunderstood something.
“…Shiki.”
He already wanted to go home.