The night sky was filled with stars. Within the inside of the motor
sedan which was racing along the highway in the heart of the city,
views of the outside came as 3D imagery as neither sound nor
vibrations transferred through.
"...Sensei."
Sitting in the back seat of that quiet cabin, Miyuki hesitantly opened
her mouth.
The person she was addressing was the Ninjutsu user sitting next to
her, Kokonoe Yakumo.
"Nn, what is it?"
Yakumo opened his eyes, and turned to face Miyuki.
"Why at this time...are you helping? If I remember, your rule had
always been to not get involved in the real world."
It was caution, or rather observance of Buddhist principles. The
meanings were different, but the results were similar. And the
commandments Yakumo had imposed on himself involved both.
"Well, there are some circumstances involved."
Yakumo's tone was frivolous as always, and it was difficult for Miyuki
to see through to the true intent beneath.
"Though I discarded all earthly bonds when I took up my ordination, I
did not discard my work as a shinobi. It wasn't my call alone to make
after all.
Not that he couldn't, but that he *didn't*. There was no sense of regret,
but rather the feeling that Yakumo considered it to be perfectly
natural...that was what Miyuki read.
"There are those who call it the responsibility or obligation of those
who have inherited skills...it may be considered the height of
worldliness, but even in Buddhism, authority is not free from tradition
so it should be acceptable I guess?"
Although he had technically asked a question, Miyuki had no answer.
Nevermind Miyuki, it wasn't something you'd ask a 15 year old girl in
general.
"Haah..."
The best she could do were ambiguous words of support. It seemed
that Yakumo's disciple in the driver's seat was sending signals
reminiscent of raised eyebrows, but that may have been just her
imagination.
"The thing is, I heard from Kazama-kun that the enemy Tatsuya-kun
was facing may have been using the Kudou's 'Parade'. If that really is
the case, we'll have to give them a warning. The one who taught the
Kudou 'Matoi', which they developed into Parade, had been my
predecessor after all."
The whole thing's such a pain, Yakumo sighed.
That indiscreet remark however passed Miyuki by.
"The precursor to the Kudou's secret technique 'Parade', was taught by
Sensei's master..."
If it had been Tatsuya, he would probably have just said 'ah, so that
sort of thing happens' and simply accepted it. But for Miyuki, it wasn't
as easy to swallow.
"Oh? You didn't know? The purpose of the Ninth Institute had been to
develop magicians who could implement streamlined and resystematised
Ancient magic into modern magic. To that end, the Ninth
Institute gathered many Ancient users. My predecessor was amongst
them."
Naturally, Miyuki had no idea.
Rather, the idea that a high school girl would be knowledgeable about
the dark side of modern magic, the sealed miseries which were the
Magic Ability Development Institutes, was more absurd. Even
Miyuki, an inheritor of the results of the most infamous Fourth
Institute, would be clueless as to what the other institutes had been up
to.
"...Then could it be, Sensei's family name[1]?"
Miyuki's eyes widened as she gasped, and she inquired with a pale
expression.
"No, you're just overthinking things."
He probably guessed what Miyuki was thinking immediately.
Laughing bitterly, Yakumo shook his hands in denial.
"The name Kokonoe is merely something I inherited from my
predecessor."
The air in the car eased up a little. But that warmth plunged back
down almost immediately