Forty-Seventh Spell: Mikoto Shinabe

After sitting down with Higa in the library, Haru told him about the time he fainted in Flying Class that led Popuri-Dono to suspect Haru's frequent chest pains were caused by the magical seal on Haru's chest reacting to someone using kotodama on him. Haru also talked about times Daichi appeared in front of him, including the most recent one where she showed up in the boys' bathroom bleeding from the throat and mouth.

"I can see why Popuri-Dono thinks you might be suffering from an Onryō Curse," Higa said thoughtfully. "Because it wouldn't make sense for Warumo to keep Daichi alive to taunt you."

"Why is that?" Haru asked.

"Anyone who isn't an ally of Warumo's typically ends up dead," replied Higa. "I know this because my father was one such person."

"He died because he defied Warumo?"

Nodding, Higa explained, "My father was a Kōsen detective who had been investigating Warumo's true identity for many years. But then one day, he was found dead—presumably because he got too close to the truth. So I made it my mission to track down Warumo and kill him, even going so far as to joining his followers the Shimono."

"The Shimono?" Haru glanced at the black hilt on Higa's katana. "Is that were you got—

"My katana? It is. Unlike the Hikagi Swords the Kōsen have, where the wand is placed inside the hilt of the sword, the Kurami Swords the Shimono possess have the wand infused to the top of the blades."

"You were willing to go that far…just to get back at your father's killer?"

"Sadly yes, and that was my downfall. It's why many people don't trust me anymore, including Ayane—even though we used to be really close."

Thinking about Ayane and Higa being a romantic couple made Haru shutter from how gross that sounded. And so he decided to change the subject.

"If you were part of Warumo's followers, then you must know what he wanted me for."

"No, I didn't. I was removed from the Shimono by a double-agent years before you were born."

"What about my mother? Did you know about her?"

"She was a few grades younger than me when I was attending Mahoutokoro. But I didn't know her too well until the night you were born, when I tried finding her."

"Did you ever meet Jiro Tanai?"

Higa looked surprised. "How do you know about him?"

"I did my own research," replied Haru. "When I saw his face in the school yearbook, I recognized him as the guy I saw at the Kyoto Zoo on my eleventh birthday who turned into a dog. So I think he's an Inugami, based on what I learned about them in Remedial Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"That was when the zoo's Ferris wheel malfunctioned, right?"

"Yes," Haru answered nervously. "Were you there when it happened?"

"No, I read an article about it in the Maichi Yosoku the week before your adopted father Uenō asked me to come over to talk about you," Higa corrected. "The article didn't say what caused the malfunction. But if what you're saying is true, it was most likely Jiro's doing."

"According to the Maichi Yosoku, Jiro killed my birth mother because she betrayed Warumo and that's why he went to Azkaban Prison. Do you know if that's what happened?"

"To tell you the truth, no one saw who killed your mother. It could have been anyone. So the Maichi Yosoku pinned her death on Jiro because he was the jilted fiancee who lost Kiku to Taka."

"But why did the newspaper claim he worked for Warumo?"

"Jiro had been seen in the vicinity of several incidents caused by Warumo, leading many to think he was one of Warumo's followers. Though like Kiku's death, that connection was never officially proven. But since Jiro is an Inugami, it may have been the dog yokai possessing him that compelled him to kill Kiku and you—hence why he showed up at the Kyoto Zoo on your eleventh birthday."

"Could he have also cursed me with the ability to talk to snakes?"

"Talk to snakes? When did you start doing that?"

Haru paused before saying, "At the zoo, I went to see my favorite tree python Moriko."

"Right, you've told me about her before."

"Well, I was talking to her like always. Then she suddenly talks back to me, which has never happened before. So naturally I'm confused, but all she had to say was snakes can talk to 'Arukus'—whatever that means."

Upon hearing the word 'Aruku,' Higa's face tensed up.

"Is that a bad thing?" Haru asked, not liking the way Higa looked at him. "Do you know what Arukus are?"

"An Aruku is—

"Ryuji!"

Looking back, Haru was surprised to see Hikari standing in the library with an irritated frown. But just as Haru was about to speak, Inku the Kyōrinrin floated in his papery serpent form over to where Hikari stood.

"Excuse me, Genma, but there will be no shouting in my library!" Inku said firmly.

"But you raised your voice just now," Hikari pointed out. "Aren't you breaking your own rule?"

Growling, Inku raised one of his wooden handle hands back toward the library entrance. "You're testing my patience, little girl. So leave now before I permanently ban you from using this place."

"Fine." Hikari walked away. "I just wanted to tell Ryuji-Kun something important pertaining to a 'certain someone.'"

Taking the hint as a reference to Tamanoya, Haru got up from his seat in the library and followed Hikari down the hallway.

"When did you get back?" Haru asked once he caught up to her. "I thought you didn't have summer classes."

"You're right in assuming that," replied Hikari. "But I came back today to let you know that Tamanoya isn't a registered name."

"Registered name? What do you mean?"

"I was in Tateroji doing some shopping the other day, when I got the idea to head to Gaikin Bank and look at their list of clients to find Tamanoya. But obviously I couldn't do it without getting in trouble, so I cast the Earworm Jinx Komushi Jiàn on one of the goblin bank tellers to temporarily show me the list against his will. From what I saw, Tamanoya's name was not on the list. But I did find another name next to Dōmeki's for Vault 824."

"That's the vault Higa and I went to, where he got the sachet from! What was the other name?"

"Mikoto Shinabe."

To be continued…