Tokyo Ravens:ShortStory Reincarnation

Short Story - REINCARNATION

Harutora is a nice name.

But what do you think about “spring” and “tiger”?

“Spring” is part of the wood cycle within ying, yang and the five elements. It’s direction is equivalent to the “east” and the color “green”. In that case, don’t you think it’s a good idea to apply a character of the “dragon” from “Azure Dragon of the East” and name him after the ideology of the four Taoist gods?

If you say so, the woman sat on a bed as she giggled and laughed.

It’s still top-heavy as usual, she said amusingly.

Hey dear? 春は我が子のためなら、千里往って千里還ると言うでしょう？たとえ私がどこに行こうと、この子の元に帰ってくる。そんな願いを、込めたいの。

Speaking with a fickle voice, he couldn’t immediately reply.

To see him not able to reply, the woman smiled and laughed.

You’re having that troubled face again.

But, I like that kind of face of yours.

…Huh?

After all, you instantly showed a troubled face, it shows your kindness is real. She said, smiling and laughing.

From her sickbed, furthermore, she was bright, beautiful and had a straightforward look into the future. Blossoming in full glory on a summer day, she looked similar to a sunflower.

And that’s how the child’s name became Harutora.

☆

"--Master."

"....."

"Master."

A voice repeatedly called out and only a faint sigh leaks from Yasuzumi's mouth. He stopped writing.

"What is it this time?"

“Harutora-sama looks unsettled and is crying. Please come as soon as possible.”

“What about my mother-in-law?”

“Changing clothes, she is returning to the Wakasugi house.”

Yasusumi took a deep breath once more and placed the fountain pen on the desk. He stood up and left the room, “It’s no time for milk yet. I have also replaced the diapers a while ago…”

“But he will not stop crying.”

“What is the cause.”

“I don’t know. But Harutora-sama is still crying.”

“………”

Yasuzumi has been appearing unaffectionate on a regular basis, but just around the temple on his forehead, his muscle twitched a little. While correcting the position of the mirror in silence, he walked down the hallway.

Yasuzumi was dressed in regular kimono. He was slender and looked intellectual, although he also appeared rather nervous. On the other hand, the body of the voice speaking to Yasuzumi couldn’t be seen.

It was a shikigami.

Yasuzumi entered a room of the mansion. A small futon laid out in the middle of the straw-matted room. The baby’s face looked wry as he moved his hands and feet while crying.

“………”

Yasuzumi showed a difficult expression and then kneeled in front of the horizontal positioned futon with the tops of his feet flat on the floor - sitting in seiza. With that, he motionlessly stared at the baby.

“Master.”

“…I know.”

Yasuzumi extended his hands, holding the baby in his arms. His facial expression was calm but his hand movements were somewhat “fearful” to say the least. The baby cried, although not loud as slobber ran at the baby’s mouth. In brazenness, the colors in Yasuzumi’s eyes weakened.

“Master. Harutora-sama doesn’t stop crying.”

“I understand such a thing without being told.”

“Please make it stop somehow.”

“What should I do?”

“Aren’t you the parent?”

“Yes, but…”

“Then, as it’s urgent, please comfort Harutora-sama.”

While holding his child, the baby appeared tedious as its mouth turned down at the corners. Since there was no other way, he checked the diaper. However, the diaper was not in a state in which it was dirty. He might’ve been hungry, so he brought a baby bottle near the baby’s mouth but instead it made him increasingly unsettled.

“About what time did my mother-in-law leave?”

“Half an hour ago.”

“Then she won’t be coming back for a while…”

“Harutora-sama is still crying. Please do something one way or another quickly.”

“………”

Yasuzumi frowned. The shikigami’s devotion to its master couldn’t be helped but he was in dire need of silence for at least a bit longer.

No, instead, “You hold him.”

The shikigami was greatly upset at the sudden remark.

“T-t-that sort of! I-I can’t!?”

“Well then, so you’re planning on letting Harutora cry as it is?”

“B-b-but..!?”

The shikigami’s dismay was intense. Yasuzumi sighed once more, “I’m asking you, Hishamaru.”

It was not a command but a request.

The aura next to Yasuzumi became unstable and a young woman materialized. Even so, he looked at the person without being surprised. It was a peerless beautiful woman. But she was wearing a military uniform of the Imperial Japanese Army. Perhaps because of that, contrary to her bewitching beautiful face, she was like a sharp and dignified young warrior.

Above all, she had a couple of ears on her head that were similar to an animal, and also, on the mat below and in the form of a leaf, was a tail.

Hishamaru became nervous and froze as Yasuzumi held out the baby, recalling some ill-natured memories.

“Ha-ha-harutora-sama..!?”

Blue penetrated from her eyes as she motionlessly looked at the baby in her arms.

She was dawdling until the voice of the troubled baby stopped crying.

With a start Hishamaru’s ears revealed tension.

After that, like the size of maple leaves, a small palm straightened and reached out. Apparently, it seems to stretch towards Hishamaru’s ears.

Whenever the nervous Hishamaru twitched and stirred her ears, tiny hands shook and chased it, and finally laughter rolled.

“Ha, Harutora-sama... how adorable...!”

Hishamaru revealed a sigh as the baby in her arms had become cheerful.

Yusuzumi showed a very small surprise, and became relaxed.

――時は違えど主徒の絆は健在か…。

At the time of the Pacific War, the fallen onmyouji Tsuchimikado Yakou revived the Tsuchimikado house.

He reorganized the magic of Japan, while establishing a new magic system, but passed away after failing at a large-scale ritual.

After that, his failure caused many spiritual disasters in Tokyo that has left a scar to this today.

However, instead of being just dead, Yakou had used his outstanding magic and reincarnated himself into a later era.

In fact, he reincarnated himself as Yasuzumi’s only son, Harutora.

Hishamaru used to serve Yakou as his shikigami. She had always been there at his side and was renowned as “matchless” together with Kakugyouki, another powerful shikigami.

☆

The crying baby raised its voice.

The Wakasugi was an branch family of the Tsuchimikado.

It was that residence.　The birthplace of Harutora’s mother, Yuuko.

☆

He remembered her smile.

And when he looked at his child. That look was bright, beautiful and carried a straightforward look into the future. Blossoming in full glory on a summer day, she looked similar to a sunflower.

Therefore, he had named the child Natsume.