Eighty-First Spell: Stranger

"How many teachers are protecting the stone?" Haru asked Higa. "And how are they doing it?"

"They protect the stone with various spells, enchantments, and so forth," Higa said. "But I'm not at liberty to say which other teachers are involved. I've already told you guys too much!"

"We only want to know because if Shō-sensei does plan to steal the stone before the school year is over, we need to let Dōmeki-sama know right away," Hikari said.

"And where's your proof that Shō-sensei wants to steal the Jinsei Stone, let alone for Warumo-uragi?" Higa demanded.

So Haru and Hikari took turns telling Higa about their reasons for suspecting Shō-sensei as the would-be thief, from the times she was present when Haru acted weird to her sleeve being covered in slime following the Oni attack during the Mount Ōe field trip.

"I'm sure if those moments count as evidence," Higa remarked after Haru and Hikari finished. "They sound more like coincidences to me."

"But I saw her antagonize the oni that attacked us!" Hikari insisted. "She deliberately put our class in danger so she could try getting past your pet toad!"

"Even if you're right, Nuru won't let anyone get past her," Higa stated. "The only exceptions are me and Dōmeki-sama."

"Can Nuru be subdued in any way?" Haru asked.

"The only thing I can think of is mist," Higa said. "When Nuru was a tadpole, I used to spray her bowl with mist and she would instantly calm down. Now she loves it when she gets exposed to mist whether it's magically created or not."

Rui made a sudden cry of surprise. "What is that?"

Everyone looked to where she was pointing. There was a partially open window to the left of the fire pit where a cloaked figure was peeking in. Once the figure realized it was spotted, it immediately ducked from view.

"How long was that guy standing there?" Hikari asked Rui.

"I don't know, I just saw him," Rui responded.

"He was dressed like Warumo was when he attacked me in the forest," Haru said and became scared. "You don't think—

"Fuan and I will track that stranger down," Higa said as he got up from the floor. "You three should get back to your dorms before Ako catches you out of bed."

"What about the nobusuma?" Rui asked, still cradling the little creature. "You shouldn't leave him here all alone."

Gritting his teeth, Higa decided, "Fine, I'll go after the stranger while you three stay here and Fuan will guard the cottage until I get back."

In response, the bobtailed cat meowed.

"And just for extra protection, I'll put up a Ward." Higa then stepped outside and waved his Kurami Sword at his cottage. "Hikarishō Bìkai!"

An hour later, Higa returned not having found the cloaked stranger. He released the Ward over his cottage and escorted Haru and the girls back to their dorms. The next day, though, Higa requested Rui to come to his cottage where the nobusuma was squeaking loudly causing Fuan's fur to stand on edge. But the minute Rui started feeding the nobusuma milk, it calmed down.

"That's what I was afraid of," Higa grimaced. "It would seem the little nobusuma has imprinted on you, Wataka-chan."

"Imprinted?" Haru exclaimed, having accompanied Rui to Higa's cottage. "What is that?"

"When animals are very young, they will sometimes become attached to someone that acts like a parent to them," explained Higa. "The same is true of animal-like yokai."

"So what you're saying is the nobusuma thinks I'm his mother?" Rui guessed.

"More or less," Higa shrugged. "It means it'll be difficult to release the nobusuma back into the wild once he's fully recovered."

Rui looked down at the nobusuma, who stared lovingly up at her with its big beady eyes. "Would it be okay if I kept him? I've always wanted a familiar of my own, but my momma would always prioritize my older sisters over me."

"Dōmeki-sama will decide what's to be done about the nobusuma," Higa stated. "Because as far as I know, nobusumas aren't legal to keep as familiars."

"Couldn't Dōmeki-sama make an exception, like what she did with Heshi?" Haru suggested.

"The reason Dōmeki-sama made an exception for Heshi was because she could pose as a regular snake and not cause any fuss in the time it'll take for Dōmeki to get an uwabami license for you," responded Higa before he turned his attention to Rui. "But for the nobusuma, there's no way it can hide what it is and might cause problems for everyone including your family if you took the nobusuma home with you during Spring Break."

Feeling the pressure of the situation, Rui remained silent as she finished feeding the nobusuma. Then later, Haru tried to comfort her by letting her visit Heshi in her serpent form. But that didn't snap Rui out of her quiet state of mind.

"She seems nicer than the other girl," Heshi said to Haru after Rui went back to the girls' side of the Byakko Wing.

"Other girl?" Haru was initially confused until he realized who Heshi was referring to. "You mean Hikari?"

"Yes, that girl," Heshi confirmed. "She was mean to you after you saved her. This Rui girl didn't do that, so I like her better."

"Well, I'm glad you like her too. I just wish I could do something to make her feel better."

"Is that why she wasn't talking?"

"There's a nobusuma at my guardian Higa's place, and it's imprinted on Rui meaning it basically sees Rui as its mother. So Rui offered to keep the nobusuma, but Higa wants our school's headmistress to decide for her."

"How come?"

"Because like you, nobusumas can't be legally owned as familiars unless Rui gets a special kind of license."

"That sounds annoying."

While Haru nodded in agreement, he settled in for an anxious sleep. Because while he hadn't been visited by Warumo in his dreams again since he decided to wear the Omamori charm everyday, he still expected to see Warumo. Instead, he had a dream where he was being held by his birthmother again. There was a blade sticking out of her stomach, and she keeled over without making a sound. Over her stood a shadowy figure, who clenched his fists and then transformed into a shaggy-looking dog that took off.

To be continued…