“…from the look on your face… that’s the result of your doing isn’t it?”

  Elder Korpokkur threw a glance at the broadcasted news, and Ryohei's eyes furrowed in irritation. He covered his face and sighed.

  *Sigh…

  “Yes, the reason for all that mess would be me—I don’t know what happened to me, I just…”

  Ryohei clenches his hand as guild and regret starts to pile up, “I was frustrated at that Kappa and got caught in my emotion, afraid that it will escape. So I did what I could without thinking about the consequences.”

  “This is exactly what I was afraid of! I did it unconsciously, and that scares me.”

  “It's okay, as Yokai hold a tremendous power, these sorts of things are bound to happen. When a High Ranking Yokai clashed with each other, earth trembled as the forest got swept clean by either typhoon or burned to ashes. Thunderstorms span across the battlefield, sowing chaos everywhere. In fact, this is still considered normal compared to those.”

  “But that’s the thing, a part of me is still human… and that is not a normal thing to me.”

  Elder Korpokkur stood there in silence, he was trying to say something to comfort Ryohei but was interrupted by the station bell that rang to announce a train coming. Elder Korpokkur returned inside the bag.

  *Ding! Momentarily a train that will head towards Saitama will arrive, passenger please—

  Not long after, the train came. Ryohei stood up, he threw a glance at the television one last time, noticing a small thing about no casualty as he slowly breathed a sigh of relief before entering the train.

  Their journey started, from Nagano station to Saitama Station, then took a bullet train straight to Hokkaido.

  That morning, on the quieter side of town, the sun had already begun to rise, casting a soft golden hue over rooftops and trees. Birds chirped lazily outside, but in one particular room, the world remained blissfully silent.

  Yukari was still fast asleep, cocooned in her thick blanket like a caterpillar in its chrysalis. Only the tips of her dark hair peeked out from the fluffy fortress she had built for herself overnight. The faint sound of her breathing mixed with the occasional content mumble, her face smushed peacefully into her pillow.

  Hikari stood over her with a sigh, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed by her friend's absolute refusal to acknowledge the passage of time. She leaned down and gently shook Yukari’s shoulder.

  “Yukari, wake up. It’s morning,” she said, with the calm patience of someone who had done this many times before.

  A muffled groan came from the blanket.

  “Nggggggh... five more minutes~,” Yukari whined, dragging out the words in a dreamy protest as she wriggled deeper under the covers like a creature retreating into its den.

  “Nope. Not today,” Hikari said with mock cheerfulness. In one swift motion, she pulled the curtains open wide, letting sunlight flood the room in bright streaks. The next second, she tugged the blanket away with a practiced flourish, exposing Yukari to the sudden chill of the morning air.

  "Ack—!" Yukari curled up like a snail touched by salt, her eyes squinting against the cruel light. “You’re too cruel, senior sister...”

  Hikari smirked, hands on her hips. “I already told you—once you’re enrolled at the Onmyouji Academy, lazy mornings are a thing of the past. You wake up at this time, or you'll be late for class. Or worse—training drills.”

  Yukari groaned louder, burying her face in her pillow. “This isn't training... it's torture disguised as discipline...”

  Hikari rolled her eyes with a grin, already heading for the door. “Complain all you want, but if you're not up in five minutes, I will summon Mochiko and drag you to the dining room in your pajamas.”

  The moment she told her that, Yukari simply smirked beneath her tousled bangs.

  “Hehe... What can a bunny do to me?”

  Her defiance hung in the air for a second before she buried herself back into her pillow, mumbling something smug about being untouchable. Hikari was used to this routine, it has been more than three weeks since first Yukari came to her house for training. But every single day she tried to wake her up early, Yukari always dozed off again, as she was not a morning person.

  Usually, Hikari just brushed it off and let her sleep longer, but since there’s a chance that Yukari will be transferred to another clan, she’s just worried that other clans will be shocked by Yukari’s insubordination and perhaps will affect her future, that’s why this time she had no choice but to be strict with her.

  After seeing that Yukari crawled back into her futon, she just shook her head and left the room with a sigh, heading toward the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

  Yukari, however, had no intention of moving. She nestled deeper into the futon, humming with satisfaction. “She’ll forgive me,” she whispered to herself. “She always does...”

  Five peaceful minutes passed.

  Then—SLAM!

  The bedroom door burst open with a thunderous crack, shaking the floorboards. Yukari's eyes flew open. Her heart skipped a beat.

  She didn’t even need to look—she felt the air pressure shift.

  Still, cautiously, she peeked over her shoulder.

  Looming in the doorway was Mochiko—Hikari’s shikigami, towering over the entrance. With a size rivaling that of a rhino, her fluffy form rippled with unsettling authority. Her usually soft ears now twitched with judgment, and her crimson eyes narrows and locked at Yukari. Mochiko stepped inside with its massive paws thudded against the floor like drums that shook the whole room.

  Yukari’s face paled. “Ah... c–come on, Mochiko. I was just kidding...”

  Mochiko strutted forward without a word and bit Yukari’s pajama by her sleeve, like a mother cat carrying its baby. Then Yukari began to get dragged out of bed like a plush doll.

  “Wait—wait! Okay, I’m up! I’m up!” Yukari flailed, trying to grab onto anything she could—her pillow, the edge of the futon, even a stray sock on the floor. “Please, not the pajamas! It will stretch! This one’s my favorite—no, no, nooo—!”

  Her pleas fell on fuzzy ears.

  Down the hallway she went, slowly but surely—a half-asleep girl being towed by an overgrown rabbit with unwavering determination. Yukari’s heels thumped along the wooden floor with every pull, and her wails echoed through the house.

  “Aaaaaaaaah! Senior sister, help! Your rabbit’s gone berserk!”

  Hikari, standing in the kitchen with an apron tied neatly around her waist, didn’t even spare a glance and continued to focus on cooking.

  Mochiko reached the dining room and came to a stop in front of the table. With a decisive grunt, she rested her head on Yukari’s stomach to pin her in place.

  Then Hikari walks over, smiling at her with her eyes closed. “Good morning, sunshine.”

  Even though she was smiling, Yukari saw it differently. Her senior sister was rarely mad, she was a calm, kind and composed woman—and today was the first time she saw another side of her. A side when someone exploited her kindness.

  “Uh… ah, g–good morning. Senior sister… hehe.” She laughs awkwardly.

  “Good morning, have you had enough sleep yet?” asked her, Yukari immediately answered without delay.

  “Y—yes ma—, I mean! Yes, senior sister! I'm fully awake. So, can you like… unsummon Mochiko for me?”

  Hikari's eyebrow twitched, then she replied.

  “Nope, you should’ve gotten up when I told you to,” she said calmly, as she turned around and continued cooking.

  Mochiko began to lean down and started to vigorously lick her face with a wide, gooey, sandpaper-like tongue.

  “No—stop! Please! I’m sorry, Senior sister! I won’t do it again!” Yukari cried, squirming as the slobbery wake-up call continued. “This is psychological warfare! I can feel the bunny spit seeping into my pores! Nooooo.”

  By the time Mochiko was satisfied, Yukari was lying on the floor like a washed-up sea creature, her hair frizzed out in every direction and her cheeks glistening with a healthy coat of bunny saliva. She stared up at the ceiling in silent and utter defeat.

  Hikari placed a plate of eggs and toast on the table and gave her a quick glance at Yukari drenched in saliva. “Go take a bath, we’ll have breakfast after that.”

  “Right away!” Yukarii stood up and ran towards the bathroom, leaving a trail of saliva behind.

  Hikari sighed and clapped her hands together, “Mochiko, please clean up the mess you made.”

  With that simple command, Mochiko shrunken down a little and began rolling around the wooden floor. Any leftover liquid was wiped clean by Mochiko’s fur, then she began to run towards the bathroom, cleaning the remaining saliva.

  After Yukari finished her bath—hair still damp and smelling faintly of soap—she joined Hikari at the low wooden table for breakfast. The two sat comfortably, steam rising from their miso soup, and the gentle clink of chopsticks filled the air between them.

  Midway through her rice bowl, Yukari glanced up curiously.

  “So… what’s our agenda for today, Senior Sister? More training?” she asked, poking at the egg with her chopstick and joyfully throwing it in her mouth.

  Hikari set down her chopsticks and dabbed her lips with a napkin. “Not yet. You’re still recovering. I don’t want to push your body too hard.”

  Yukari gave a quiet sigh of relief.

  “But” Hikari added, pulling a tightly rolled scroll from her sleeve, “we do have something else on our plate today.”

  She carefully unrolled it on the table between them. The wax seal had already been broken, but the crimson emblem of the Onmyouji HQ still shimmered faintly on the paper. Yukari leaned forward, squinting.

  “Wait… isn’t this a task scroll? Did someone ask you to help clear up this task?”

  Hikari shook her head, “Not this time, this isn’t a regular task,” Hikari replied, tapping the surface of the scroll with her fingertip. “This is an official request—one of the rarer types that come directly from the upper ranks of HQ. We’ve been granted permission to take it on and earn merit points if we succeed.”

  Yukari’s eyes lit up. “Merit points? Already? Whoa… that’s kind of a big deal.”

  “It is,” Hikari nodded, “My father managed to include our names within the task.”

  “I see. Then, what is it about?” Yukari asked, already straightening her posture.

  “Investigation. And we’re not the only ones who received it,” Hikari explained. “This came in late last night. The task is to investigate the collapsed bridge on Chikuma River, last night."

  Yukari blinked. “Wait—collapsed? As in... fell apart?”

  “Yes,” Hikari said gently. “It happened just before dawn. The bridge collapsed during the quiet hours, and since it’s a rural area, thankfully no one was around, meaning no casualty. But the timing raised a suspicion. Some locals even mentioned hearing strange sounds in the night….”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Yukari leaned in, intrigued. “So, we investigate if the bridge collapsed because of some Yokai?”

  Hikari nods in agreement, “That’s what the HQ suspects too. Possibly a planned attack by Yokai.”

  She took a deep breath before continuing, “Either way, it’s our job to confirm it. And if it really is a yokai threatening the locals, we’re expected to identify the perpetrator.”

  Yukari swallowed the last of her rice, already sensing the weight of responsibility creeping in.

  “I didn’t think our first real assignment would come this soon…”

  Hikari offered a calm, reassuring smile. “You’re not doing this alone. I’ll be right there with you the whole time. And don’t worry—it’s just an investigation task, besides… we move at day, Yokai are a Creature That's more active at night. And our job is just to observe, gather clues, and identify any signs of the culprit. So stay sharp… and trust your instincts.”

  Yukari gave a small, nervous laugh. “Right. Trust my instincts. Got it.”

  As they finished breakfast, a quiet resolve settled between them. They packed the necessary tools for it and headed directly towards the investigation area.

  “Whoooa, Senior Sister! Look over there—there’s a limited-time dessert at that shop! And that café’s having some kind of special event—see the decorations? That sounds so nice~ I wanna try that too!”

  Yukari’s voice practically sparkled with excitement as she darted from one side of the street to the other, her eyes wide like a child at a festival. The quiet morning streets of southern Nagano were lined with charming wooden storefronts and small, modern cafés tucked between old buildings; their windows fogged with warmth and the smell of fresh pastries spilling out. A gentle breeze carried the scent of roasted chestnuts and sakura mochi from a nearby vendor.

  She skipped a step, spinning toward a sweets shop window where a poster of a seasonal parfait—layered with pink petals, jelly, and gold flakes—was plastered beside a smiling mascot. “Ahhh, it’s the autumn limited edition! This is fate, Senior sister! We have to get this!”

  Behind her, Hikari walked at a steady, composed pace, face palmed and ashamed. She exhaled through her nose, the corners of her mouth tightening—not in anger, but in that resigned way a mother might when her child starts chasing pigeons in the middle of a shrine visit.

  “Yukari,” she said in that calm, warning tone laced with an ever-so-gentle smile—one that somehow felt scarier than a scolding. “Focus on the task at hand. We’re approaching the investigation site soon. Save your sugar rush and sightseeing after the work is done.”

  Yukari gave a dramatic pout but obediently slowed her steps, falling in beside her senior. “Eeeeh… You’re no fun, senior sister. I’m just saying, if we’re already out and about, might as well enjoy the vibes…”

  “The only vibes you should be focusing on are spiritual disturbances,” Hikari replied without missing a beat. “Keep your senses sharp. This isn't just a stroll—we're walking into a potential yokai site.”

  Yukari let out a long, exaggerated sigh but kept quiet as the two continued down the path.

  The streets gradually gave way to open space, with fewer buildings and more nature. In the distance, the remnants of the Chikuma River bridge came into view—its once-sturdy frame now lying in fragmented pieces along the riverbanks. The wind carried the scent of wet soil and broken timber, and the sound of rushing water echoed louder the closer they got.

  As they arrived at the scene, their path was blocked by a police officer.

  “I’m sorry, the road is closed ahead. Please take another route if you need to get across,” he said politely.

  Hikari stepped forward and leaned in just slightly, her voice soft but deliberate.

  “The cicadas sing, even when the wind holds its breath.”

  The officer’s eyes widened slightly with recognition. “Ah, my apologies. You’re one of them... Right this way.”

  He stepped aside, guiding them past the barrier. As they moved from his post, another officer silently took his place and resumed blocking the road. As they continued forward, Yukari suddenly felt a faint tingling on her skin. A moment later, they passed through a barrier—thin as a sheet of water—so delicate it shimmered like a warped mirror.

  Startled, Yukari glanced around, confused. “S–Senior sister, what just happened?? What did you say back there? Was that… a secret code or something?”

  The officer chuckled, overhearing her. “Oh? You’re a new member?”

  “Uhh… kinda? I don’t really know my status yet,” she admitted sheepishly.

  Hikari smoothly stepped in. “Yes. She’s a student who will soon enroll in the Academy. She’s still in training.”

  “I see, I see. Haha, keep up the good work then.” The older officer smiled warmly before continuing, “And yes, you’re absolutely right—that phrase is a secret code. Used only between Onmyouji and those affiliated with them.”

  Hikari nodded. “The phrase is: ‘The cicadas sing, even when the wind holds its breath.’ It means, ‘We are Onmyouji, and we’re always watching.’ ”

  “Oooh~ does that mean you’re an Onmyouji too, uncle?” Yukari asked innocently, only to get a light smack on the back from her senior.

  “Hey! That’s rude, Yukari. I sincerely apologize for her behavior, sir.”

  But the officer only laughed it off.

  “Haha, it’s okay. I am old, after all.”

  Then he added with a gentler tone,

  “But sadly, no. I’m not an Onmyouji, I’m just affiliated with Onmyouji. My wife was one.”

  “Oh, really? Is she here too?”

  “Sadly no, she’s not part of the Investigation team. She’s at the hospital today, busy checking on her patients.”

  “Hospital?” Yukari blinked. “Wait… can an Onmyouji be a doctor too?”

  “Of course! Mainly those Onmyouji with low rank who're not making enough just being a full time exorcist. That’s why they have side jobs to support themselves.”

  Yukari narrowed her eyes. “A doctor who isn’t making enough money? Hmm… I find that hard to believe, uncle.”

  “Haha, well in her case… my wife used to be just a regular person.” His tone softened.

  “A few years ago, she got caught up in a Yokai incident and was saved by an Onmyouji. Grateful for the help, she formed a connection with the Onmyouji community. As a doctor, she developed an interest in researching how to harness spiritual energy and the healing properties of spiritual herbs.”

  He sighed before continuing, “That’s what ultimately drew her to become Onmyouji—her desire to integrate those practices into her medical work… so she’s there not because of the money, but because—"

  “It’s her passion.” Said Hikari quietly, “I see, so your wife joined the medical unit…” Hikari straightened and added quietly.

  “As you know, us Onmyouji can’t heal ourselves. That’s why medical support is crucial to our survival… I can’t thank you enough for the contribution your wife has made.” Hikari bowed deeply.

  The officer waved it off, looking a bit shy. “It’s nothing, really.

  They continued walking, passing several figures at work—one man in glasses inspecting the broken railing, a pretty woman standing silently by the river’s edge, and a bald, muscular man down by the riverbed, eyes scanning for clues.

  Hikari and Yukari passed by, and as their eyes met, the man with glasses glared at them with judging eyes, then clicked his tongue and turned away—clearly underestimating them, especially Yukari, who with her small frame looked barely older than a middle schooler.

  “Why you—!” Yukari growled, starting forward. —but Hikari calmly pushed her head down into a bow as they passed.

  “Pipe down. We’re not here to argue.”

  Yukari has no choice but to let it go.

  They finally reached the base of the bridge, where the damage was most visible.

  “Excuse me, sir,” Hikari called to the officer accompanying them. “Do you have any preliminary findings you can share with us?”

  “Sure! My job here is to assist you guys, after all. Let’s see…” He pulled out a small notepad from her back pocket.

  “We’ve done some local interviews. Some witnesses reported hearing a high-pitched sound, followed by a strong gust of wind. Others mentioned seeing a strange glow over the river, then several water explosions.”

  “Hmm…” Hikari’s brows drew together. “A high-pitched tone, a gust, and water-based blasts with spiritual residue… sounds like a battle broke out along the river. The combat may have moved northward, with this bridge caught in the crossfire.”

  The officer nodded. “Exactly. And as you can see here,”—he gestured toward the break—“both ends of the collapse are clean. Too clean.”

  “We told the public it was an aging bridge that collapsed under stress,” he added, “but we all know better. There were no explosives, no signs of rust or weakness… this wasn’t natural.”

  Hikari crouched by the edge of the shattered bridge, running her fingertips along the cut. “No residue… no heat marks… If this was caused by a Yokai, they had incredible control—and cutting power.”

  “Senior sister, are there any Yokai known for blade–like attacks or slicing abilities?” Yukari asked curiously.

  Hikari rose, folding her arms. “A few. But if we factor in the glow and water explosions, the attacker might’ve been airborne, striking at something inside the river. That limits our suspects.”

  She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Flying Yokai… perhaps Ittan-momen, a flying cloth spirit. Although it can spew out wind bullets, it was not known for its offensive power… As for slicing attacks, the only one that comes to mind is Kamaitachi—a sickle-wielding weasel that rides the wind.”

  Hikari tapped her temple thoughtfully, a frown tugging at her brow as she sensed something wasn't quite adding up.

  “But Kamaitachi is a low rank yokai, it was considered rank 3 if I’m not mistaken—as they don’t usually cause fatalities.”

  Yukari tilted her head, “Don't cause fatalities? So, it's not dangerous?”

  “As I said, they're territorial and mostly live in the mountains. If you barge into their territory they will most likely attack you. They attack its victim with a group of three, first one slashes its victim legs, the second one lets out hundreds of fast cuts while the last one will collect its victim's blood and heal their injury instantly. Making anyone who barges into their territory have phantom pain in their legs without any wound… Onmyouji doesn’t mark them as dangerous, as they did mischievous things at most.”

  “Ooh so that's why…”

  “H–help!!”

  The scream snapped their focus. Both Hikari and Yukari, along with the remaining exorcists nearby, bolted toward the source of the cry.

  It was the bald Onmyouji stationed by the riverbank, as the remaining exorcists rushed towards the riverbanks. Then, everyone except the officer and Yukari froze at the sight unfolding below.

  W-what? What happened? Is he okay?” the officer asked, his voice trembling.

  “Why’s he screaming, senior sister?”

  Hikari glanced at her, momentarily confused, then sighed and turned Yukari’s head back to the river. “Focus. Imbue your eyes with spiritual energy and look again.”

  Yukari obeyed, closing her eyes. A warm sensation spread across her eyelids as she channeled her energy. When she opened them again—

  When she opened her eyes again, what she saw was a Swarm of Kappas emerging from the River, staring at them from below.

  A swarm of Kappa was emerging from the river, their glossy heads poking out one by one, silently staring up at them.

  Yukari flinched and instinctively stepped back, but a steady palm on her back stopped her—it was Hikari’s. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

  Reassured, Yukari took a deep breath and calmed herself. “So… what do we do now, senior sister? Do we attack?”

  She shook her head, “No, remember what I said yesterday? They hold grudges, once you kill one of them, the rest will hold grudges. For now we observe, but once they attack, we will cast a barrier on the Exorcist below.”

  Yukari nodded, readying her talisman paper.

  The Kappa kept surfacing, one after another, scanning each of them silently. Then, just as quietly, they began slipping back into the river.

  The tense silence dissolved, but the exorcists remained speechless, trying to process what had just happened.

  “W–what was that?!” Yukari finally shouted, breaking the tension. But the other exorcists ignored her and went back to their investigations like nothing had happened.

  “What did you just see? Was something down there?” Asked the officer, but Hikari immediately calmed him down. “Yes, there’s something there. So you might want to keep your distance, let us handle it… Oh and thank you very much for the information, sir.”

  “No problem. Take care,” he replied, heading back to his post.

  “Senior sister, why were they staring at us like that? Are they planning to ambush us?” Yukari asked anxiously.

  “I’m not sure… It felt like they were searching for someone. But one thing’s clear—the Yokai that fought here before was a Kappa.”

  “Oh! The grudge–holding turtle Yokai! But then… Why look at us? Do they think one of us is the culprit?”

  “Good thinking. That’s also possible. Or perhaps… they’re searching for a human–like Yokai... Let’s investigate the opposite riverbank.”

  Hikari began chanting, forming a glowing rectangular barrier that stretched across the river like a floating bridge.

  “Uhh, senior sister… Is this really safe? What if someone sees us walking in the air?”

  “Don’t worry. There’s an array already in place. This area is completely sealed off from the outside. A compound isolation barrier—like the one you tried to cast before—combined with an illusion array that makes others see this bridge as a collapsed structure.”

  “Ooh… so that’s the tingling I felt earlier when we walked in.”

  Hikari paused mid–step and glanced back at her. “You… felt that? The sensation of passing through an array?”

  Yukari, who was still confused nod innocently, “Yup, it felt somewhat similar yet different from the one in your house…”

  Hikari continued walking, as Yukari kept chattering behind her. She was keeping her expression calm, but inwardly she was quietly impressed.

  ‘Yukari might have an unusually high sensitivity to spiritual energy… That kind of intuitive perception is rare—something you can’t even train. It’s not like the typical spiritual sense all exorcists have. It’s more like a sixth sense…’

  As they safely cross, Hikari starts to investigate more, on the riverbank and nearby street. While Yukari on the other hand roams around, as this was her first investigation task, she doesn’t know anything to do.

  Eventually, she drifted beyond the array’s boundary. That’s when she spotted a man leaning against a postbox across the street. Hands in his pockets, black cap pulled low—he looked suspicious.

  Grinning to herself, she stepped up and cleared her throat with mock confidence. “Uh… the cicadas sing… even if, uh… the wind’s… shy?”

  The man blinked, slowly raised an eyebrow, and even blinked several times in confusion. “Uuh… Cicadas sing? Are you okay, miss? This is autumn, not summer. There aren’t any cicadas right now.”

  Her face flushed a deep red. “Ah—uh, never mind! Just, um, seasonal poetry appreciation! Haha… sorry!”

  She backed away like a malfunctioning robot and brisk-walked back toward the others, muttering to herself, “Why do I even try to be cool…”

  Not far off, Hikari had seen the entire thing and couldn’t hold back a laugh.

  “Senior Sister!”

  “Why are you trying to act cool and ask a random pedestrian about that?”

  “I didn’t know he was a pedestrian! He looked classy—like an undercover agent or something! I thought he might be one of us!”

  “Pfft…”

  “Stop laughing!” she pouted, tapping Hikari on the outer arm with annoyance.