Chapter 19 : Clairvoyance?
"Arata-sama! Arata-sama!" Shiro called out to Arata, gently shaking him.
"Huh~, Huh~, Huh~" When Shiro shook him, Arata regained clarity in his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you alright, Arata-sama?" Shiro asked, concerned, as she stared at Arata, drenched in sweat.
"Are you okay?" Suzuka asked, showing obvious concern as she looked at Arata.
"Shiro, Suzuka," Arata murmured upon seeing them standing nearby.
"..." Seeing Suzuka alive in front of him, Arata felt puzzled, especially after witnessing her apparent death during the summoning of the Evil God.
"Let me think for a moment," Arata said, closing his eyes without waiting for Shiro and Suzuka to respond.
'What's happening? I'm certain the Evil God killed Suzuka, but she's alive. Plus, what was that strange feeling of darkness and coldness before I woke up?' Arata's mind raced, searching for an answer.
"..." Observing Arata's serious expression, Shiro and Suzuka exchanged glances, falling into silence.
After considering numerous possibilities, only one explanation seemed plausible.
The Eye of Aeon.
What Arata had witnessed earlier must have been a glimpse into the future revealed by the Eye of Aeon's power.
Upon reaching this conclusion, Arata opened his eyes, and his previous confusion vanished.
"So, what happened?" Suzuka asked the moment she saw Arata's eyes open.
"I will not participate in the Taizan Fukun Ritual, and if you attempt it, I won't hesitate to kill you to prevent its completion," Arata said firmly, his intent to kill not hidden.
Allowing the Evil God to descend into this world would be extremely dangerous, especially after sensing such an incomprehensible spiritual power.
Arata knew that he was currently unable to confront the Evil God and would be defeated without a fight. Therefore, he would do everything in his power to prevent the Evil God's descent.
"Why?!" Suzuka exclaimed, her face a mix of confusion and anger.
"..." Hearing Arata's words, Shiro remained silent, her gaze fixed on Arata, taking his words seriously.
Shiro knew her master well and understood that he wouldn't back down from the Taizan Fukun Ritual unless something unexpected occurred. Hence, she was eager to hear his explanation.
"Don't worry, I'll explain everything," Arata said, pulling out the Spell and continuing, "Well, perhaps I'll show you more precisely."
"Order!" Arata exclaimed, throwing the Spell into the air, projecting all his memories of what would transpire if Suzuka Taizan performed the Fukun Ritual.
"..." Shiro and Suzuka watched Arata's memories calmly, but terror gripped their faces upon sensing the incomprehensible spiritual power of the Evil God.
Although the memories lasted only a few minutes, Shiro and Suzuka remained still, their eyes fixed in amazement.
"As you've witnessed, this is what will occur if you attempt to revive your brother using the Taizan Fukun Ritual," Arata said, pointing to the corpse on the altar.
"..." Suzuka didn't respond to Arata but silently stared at her brother's lifeless body.
"I won't interfere with what you wish to do, but..." Arata said, taking the Spell out of his pocket and aiming it at Suzuka. "If you intend to bring that thing into this world, I cannot ignore it. Order!"
At Arata's command, the Spell emitted a golden light and struck Suzuka's heart, vanishing with it.
"This Spell will lodge in your heart, causing your Spiritual Strength to spiral out of control and kill you should you attempt the Taizan Fukun Ritual," Arata explained, surprised by Suzuka's lack of resistance.
"I will leave now and advise you to do the same, as the members of the Onmyou Agency outside the barrier are attempting to enter," Arata said, summoning Yukikaze and then turning to Shiro. "We're leaving."
Upon hearing Arata's command, Shiro transformed into her spirit form and disappeared from human sight.
"Take care of yourself," Arata said, snapping his fingers, causing the barrier to disintegrate. Yukikaze soared into the sky with incredible speed, soon vanishing from view.
"..." After Arata departed, Suzuka stared at the spot where he disappeared, silent, but confusion lingered in her eyes.
Once the barrier shattered, the members of the Onmyou Agency quickly rushed to the altar, surrounding Suzuka.
Compared to the last encounter, where there were only around ten individuals, there were now nearly a hundred people, including over eighty onmyouji of second-rate caliber.
"..." Despite being surrounded by several Onmyouji, Suzuka showed no reaction, allowing them to arrest her without resistance.
_
"..." At that moment, Arata rode through the sky on Yukikaze's back, deep in thought.
Arata realized that the Great Soul Ritual consisted of 108 Taizan Fukun Rituals, but it appeared that the Taizan Fukun Ritual requiring self-immolation was a fabrication. Despite extensive searching, he couldn't find any Taizan Fukun Ritual apart from the one Suzuka had used, which meant that even if he obtained the special Taizan Fukun Ritual by Yakou, he wouldn't be able to perform the Great Soul Ritual.
"I have to find the Taizan Fukun Ritual that demands the user's sacrifice once again," Arata murmured, anticipating the daunting task of searching through countless books.
"There's only one important place I haven't searched," Arata muttered, recalling that he had scoured the Tsuchimikado Family Library and the Onmyou Academy Library, leaving only the Onmyou Agency's library unexplored.
"I might need to ask the manager or visit the head of the Kurahashi family," Arata considered, thinking of Kyouko's father.
"True, there's also Ootomo-sensei," Arata quickly remembered his class teacher.
Ootomo Jin had previously been one of the Twelve Divine Generals and likely had access to the Onmyou Agency's library.
"Now that I think about it, there are several families with their own libraries," Arata mused, recalling that the Kurohashi, Souma, and Dairengi families held numerous unique Spells hidden in their collections.
"Looks like there's a lot of work ahead," Arata sighed with annoyance and instructed Yukikaze to return home.
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