You said, these crows in the skies are all dark as night

On the floor are toads and leeches, they are everywhere

You said, even the purest silver ends up dark somdays

Whose heart is free of dept

-Crows in the skies dark as night, by Xiao Ran Tong Xue (translated)

The dial tone rings unpleasantly in his ears as he hangs up. That was Akashi there is no denying it, not the new one, not the other-Akashi, but the one he knew for two years and came to trust, respect and admire rather than fear. Shintarou barely finds it in him to suppress the tremor in his hand, as he lowers the phone, and locks the screen.

"Catching up with old teammates?" Takao chirps from next to him, and Shintarou glances up to meet his eyes. The teen has since finished packing, the projector turned off and the school laptop sitting next to him. He has a chin in his palm, languidly lazing across the bench, elbow on his knee, a smug little smile on his face. "Who was that, Akashi?"

"It's none of your business." He scoffs. Takao has always been like this, pushy and overly familiar with people, though sometimes he looks back and realise the boy is shockingly closed off about himself. Not that Shintarou would care to know more about him, of course.

Takao has siblings, that he mentioned. And from his patterns he likely works some kind of part time job that sometimes cuts into practice. He also takes a course elective that takes him off school grounds some days of the week, which isn't common, but hardly unheard of he had a few classmates in Teikou who were similar cases, but all transferred away.

It doesn't take long for Shintarou to pack up all of his own stuff, since he never scattered them around like Takao, that unorganised scoundrel, in the first place. The teen seems to be lost in his thoughts for a moment, as Shintarou approached him, waiting by the door.

"What," he raises a brow at the blank look on the teen's face, he snaps back, and laughs it off.

"Nothing," he grins, and it feels fake, "right, I think I forgot to mention it, but Seiho seems to hold some kind of special practice. Looks a bit like, well." He pauses. "Ah, never mind. But it makes their mobility exception. When you're talking about defence, they run the best in Tokyo." He glances up towards Shintarou again, something teasing in his eyes. "You said you didn't want to go against that Tsugawa guy?"

Shintarou makes a face, "why are you bringing this up again."

"How can I not? I haven't seen you back off like that before." Takao sniggers, sticking his hands back into his pocket, he waves. "I'm gonna go return the laptop, see you tomorrow?"

Shintarou makes a noncommittal noise. Takao only laughs, high, a little over the top, and sounding a little bit like a lie, as he always does. As he leaves, however, he finds it concerning that his teammate's departing silhouette felt particularly...

Lonely.

There is still blood on the ground.

The mercenary is gone. Escaped, or more accurately, Sasaki has let him go after doing basically what he did to Tetsuya back the second time they met, Secret keeper it's called? Tetsuya feels reasonably shaken about this, even though he shouldn't. He's known for a while that this is what life is like for his guardians and new... relative? Family friend? Well. Some sort of presence in his life that is likely here to stay. He has read about Yokai community, and knew that their way of being is wildly different from societal norms.

Sasaki seems to notice his discomfort anyways, and clicks his tongue. The metallic branches recede then, shrinking back into the ground with the blood splatters. "You might have to get used to this," he tilts his head, Tetsuya gives him a dirty look for it, "sorry. I don't tend to like saying this but kid you are kind of in too deep to back out. You're only going to see worse from here." He pauses. "I'm guessing you've never seen Hotaru fight."

"I've seen her deal with a whisp or two," Tetsuya protests. The fox just rolls his eyes.

"So you've seen her nuke two small small fries, but you've never seen her fight." The fox walks over to the blood polling on the ground, a golden branch form in his hand and he pokes the blood, face wrinkling in disgust. Something else colours the expression however, something more grave. He does something Tetsuya can't see, before the blood in front of him bursts into flames, burning out of existence. "Not saying you should, because by gods I hope you never have to see anything remotely in her league of strength."

Tetsuya just stares for a moment, recalling the fight, and the conversation. "Is it true?"

"What?"

"That mercenary spell."

"Ah," a complicated look comes over the fox's face, he doesn't seem to look too conflicted over this, more like he's contemplating how to explain, "I'm a primordial, you know that. But, more than that, I'm known as a weaponsmith. I make weapons." His eyes meets Tetsuya's, and he notices again the less human qualities of his irises. "So doesn't make sense that I'd invent a spell that turn people into weapons?"

Tetsuya's face is calm, but the statement feels wrong to him he shouldn't be surprised though. That spell sound very similar in principle to charm and secret keeper, both the man having used almost casually on him and didn't seem to think to much of it until Hotaru-san flipped out. "It just sounds..."

"Evil? Not morally acceptable? Take your pick." Sasaki shrugs. "I'm hardly a good person, simply not much of a person at all really. But honestly I invented this at the Nanakasa's family's request, like, couple hundreds of years back? Eh, I don't remember how long but its got to be less than 500." He makes a face. "Thought it'd be fun to watch it flip the society over on its face. I mean, it's far from the worst I've done."

He sounds like a sociopath. Tetsuya stares at the fox for a moment. Who does that? He has no idea why Hotaru-san calls this guy her brother. He feels like he shouldn't ask, because he should probably be afraid of the answer. But he asks anyways. "What's the worst you've done, then?"

The almost playful look on the fox's face vanish. The levity replaced by something grim, even though he seems to try and keep it on his face. "Well," he pauses, "I've also made weapons, that were actually people." He doesn't elaborate on that, before he abruptly turns his direction, changing the topic.

"I've been meaning to ask, but say, mind if take you somewhere?"

This is not supposed to happen. Kazunari took a deep gasp for air- it was cold, and burned his already parched throat. His shoes skidded across the roof he just landed on and he almost lost balance. It was painfully obvious from the frantic instructions coming from his both his boss and director Edgarson. His teammates were a mess- screaming, shouting assaulting his ears over the earpiece. Panic barely held back by the presence of their superior officers.

It was rare for them to be included in major missions like these. It was usually regarded as a chance to prove yourself so the team wasn't really happy when they learned they'd just be patroling the outermost perimeters of the place where the mission would actually be going on. But they really should've just refused.

At first he thought it was fine, he's fought Shades before, they're simple so long as you're not stupid. Just bring a flashlight, or make light yourself because they're sorcerers and could just do that. But then one shade turned into two and then there is 400 of them and Kazunari realised why everyone was screaming because oh shit that was a Shadow Master, and every single competent and qualified professional were currently dealing with a threat level 12 poltergeist who also happened to be a war ghost, and they're locked inside its domain.

Well, every single fighter except one. Who was currently flying about a block down from where he is, baiting the main body away from them, as well as trying to be enough of a nuisance to the Shadow Master so its shades would stop hunting Kazunari and his teammates down- dammit. He very nearly tripped when 8 hands, several heads and a gaping maw busted out of the shadows making a grab for him, only to scream and retreat when Kazunari set off a flashbang in its face. Eat that.

Kazunari straightened, regaining balance as he looked around to confirm his location. He reported it to Edgarson, who gave him a brief acknowledgment as she then proceeded to shout the numbers of remaining, loose Shades at Esmeray. And judging by the light show and dwindling numbers, the situation was improving. Well that and the fact that there's less screaming. Or maybe his ears were just ringing so loud he can't hear it anymore. He looked around again, searching.

The street lined up, and the scorch marks and cuts in the concrete confirmed that this is where Esmeray has been, just a while ago. So Kazunari started looking.

It was a ridiculous concept. He wasn't sure it even works- or that Esmeray has been doing what he thought she was. But if she was, then the least Kazunari could do was get his his teammates where she needed them to be. He checked the walls- bending over the edge of the balcony to see any trace of blood- nothing. Then the other side-

Bingo. Holes in the wall, signs of the ghost having been blinded for a moment. A smear, starting with the shape of a hand- drawn out. It looked random, but positioned too deliberately. And that downward stroke at the end forcing it to resemble the rune- this was a part of a Script array. And judging from the path Esmeray had been leading that ghost in, and the runes he'd found and recognised along the way? Kazunari swallowed. 7 block radius. Any other sorcerer would had had a hard time doing that normally, she was doing it in the middle of combat. A containment and sealing ritual- and the checkpoints...

Judging from this location and the last, Kazunari thought he had a pretty good idea of where Esmeray was headed next.

He took a U turn and headed for the next street, sliding down the side of a fire escape. He needed to confirm that before he went ahead and did anything, but Esmeray's earpiece is apparently already damaged, while she can hear them- anything coming through from her is static. He stopped at a corner of a street, confirming his location, and took a deep breath.

Alright, the street is right, the angle is correct and Esmeray is currently ripping the ghost a new one two blocks to his right. He had gotten the right spot. Marking down the next runes were easy, afterwards- just a matter of getting to the location before the fight got there... and avoiding the occasional jumpscare.

The shades were hardly difficult to avoid by then, as the mass of shadows gathering above them grew bigger by the second, lightning began flashing, splitting the skies, and Kazunari drew closer to his destination. The fatigue was starting to build up- this had been going on for 4 hours, now, all of them scrambling to keep the ghost contained within the region while other assisted in evacuation. He took a deep breath, slowing down his pace as he turned the last corner, sliding down from the fire escape to the ground, keeping his eyes locked onto the fight, now just above his head.

This was going to be the last location Esmeray needed to restrain the ghost to complete the array, afterwards would be the final runes. What would he do now, then? He winced as the mass of dark hands plunged towards the senior agent, slamming against a shield and sending sparks flying, before blue lit up the skies again, allowing the hands to skid to the side before-

They took a turn. The arms stretched, before the shield is down, and pierced through the other shield Esmeray put up in response, plunging-

"ESMERAY!"

A woman screamed- the sound bursting through his earpiece with static. And Kazunari broke into a run. His own panicked shout almost echoed through the empty street as he sprinted towards the falling figure, quickly being engulfed by the mass of black.

There was a splat. And Kazunari stopped in his tracks, his breaths too deep but not quite giving him enough to process, his lungs hurt. And he shook as he looks down at his feet.

A mangled black wing lied torn and bleeding, still twitching, severed from the body. His breath caught in an almost wheeze, taking a step back as he looked up- arm on the pipes, something on the AC units jutting out the building, and on the floor of the alleyway, a mass of red. The Shadow Master landed amidst the gore, a mass of writhing black limbs barely forming into the shape of a humanoid, before it reached.

Fuck.

Kazunari darted backwards, a shield erupting from his fingertips immediately. It shattered almost on contact, but had softened the blow enough that it didn't manage to grab him. He cursed himself as he felt something sharp graze his skin- athletes are strictly prohibited from obtaining a large assortment of enhancements that are popular in SSRA for a very good reason- defensive, speed and strength enhancement in particular, so he didn't have as much defenses as his peers. Kazunari is painfully aware that close combat really isn't his strong suit as the hands gathered into some massive black shape and stroke from his left- he dodged it, but it clipped the street sign to the side and the force ripped the metal out of the ground alongside a piece of the concrete, before the shadows wrapped around the cylinder, formed a hand, and came sweeping in.

A leap saved him from that, the blow glanced his feet instead of bisecting him- though not for long as Kazunari found himself slowly being forced backwards into the defensive, step by step, strike by strike. His arm stung from a block from the ghost's newly acquired weapon, and his left feet still throbbed with pain from not being able to avoid the swing earlier- he took another step backwards, only to feel the concrete beneath his feet sink.

His heart sunk with it. One of the first lessons in fighting a shade: watch your steps.

Shit.

He felt his leg sink into the shadows, his body tilting out of balance as hands reach up and out to grab him. Kazunari pressed his palm firmly to the ground as one attempted to force its way around his face and readied the flash bang, eyes darting back and forth between the slowly approaching Shadow Master and the hands creeping up his torso and claws threatening to dig through his skin. The ghost raised his weapon, and Kazunari detonated the spell-

Lightning splits the skies.

He wakes with it- body shooting off his bed in a cold sweat, throwing his sheets back to gather at his feet, dry air scouring his throat. He pants, eyes wide, trying to take his mind off of the bloodied scene in the alleyway. Sweat dripped off his forehead, and he looks down, realising belatedly that he's shaking.

Tremors shake his hands still as he clambered up onto his feet, stumbling a little as he opened the door, making his way down the hall and into the kitchen for a drink of water. At times like this, he's glad his family lives within Doten- he doesn't trust himself to not break something right now. The jug responds to his gesture as he reaches, sliding off the counter as a cup slides into place. His hand closes around the cool glass, and he sighs.

"Nightmare?"

Kazunari jerks backwards, and the water very nearly splashes against his shirt. The droplets catches themselves before they hit, however, suspended mid splash, and Kazunari looks over the short distance towards his dad, hand extended, before the man sighs and makes a gesture, and the water slithers back into the cup.

"I thought something like this would happen when Edgarson called us about the mission," his dad makes his way over, plucking the jug from the air as he places it back onto its tray, "do you want to talk about it?"

"I-" his voice comes out hoarse from dehydration, and Kazunari coughs, taking a gulp of water before he tries again- "sure." Kazunari is seldom quiet, but as he thinks of a way to put the incident, he comes up at a loss. "How much did they tell you guys?"

"Not much. I expected that, since Esmeray is involved," his dad shakes his head, he doesn't look angry or particularly disappointed, just exasperated, "with her close connection to Shinsha, Constella wouldn't let too much of her information to the public. Anything her-related seems pretty sensitive." He turns around, making his way over to the dining table and gesturing for Kazunari to follow. He pauses for a moment, before trailing after to take a seat. "You can start from the beginning. What happened?"

"It was- a Shadow master. It escaped from the domain." He starts, recalling the details of what they were briefed about the poltergeist. "The poltergeist it belonged to- it was a war ghost."

He starts with when things went south- the hands, and when his teammates separated, and Esmeray's involvement, then afterwards, what he did when he realised what Esmeray was doing. His dad gave him a long stare as he recounted searching for the runes Esmeray had drawn to confirm his thought, before he went to find the woman, and thus-

"It was staring right at me. And there was-" his words fail him, as he recalls the scene, "so much blood." He has seen this kind of gore before, any of them has, seen it from a ghost. Be it a whisp, a poltergeist, or for the rarer few, a ghoul. But to see it fall from a living person, to witness someone turn into that. The broken, crooked wing at his feet, and the pale white bones jutting out of its flesh, barely hidden beneath the feathers.

And that shape, standing amongst it, pale eyes staring into his soul.

He was so sure that he was going to die that night.

Then lightning split the skies, and a broken, crooked form stood in front of him, joints snapping back into place, blood pouring from her mouth as all the gore around them answered her call, pinning the Shadow Master against a wall with several dozen blood chains. A wing sprouted from her back, grotesque.

He has never seen healing done like that before.

It shouldn't even be possible. Enhanced healing exists but regeneration should be impossible. Nothing human could come back from that, even for yokai- it should be damn near impossible. Kazunari remembers that in his panicked state he had looked around to look for something, anything to help him against the ghost, and her head is sitting half smashed against the side of a pipe. It's unheard of.

His father falls silent. At what he describes. "I knew she could regenerate," he murmurs, "but never to what degree."

"You worked with her before, right?" Kazunari meets his dad's eyes, getting a little desperate. "Esmeray. She... Mentioned."

"Mentioned?"

"She asked to speak with me after the medics cleared her. And... Offered, to take me as a student." He admits, it's an easy thing to say, but difficult to believe. "A personal, student."

"A personal student?" His dad has straightened in his seat, fingers tightening around his mug, a frown on his face as he sinks into thoughts. "With the recent situation within Karasuma... Taking a student now is logical." Kazunari looks away, so it didn't had to be him. "But, yes, I have worked with them in the past, both Shinsha and Esmeray. Back when she was starting out. And, I can see why she chose you."

Kazunari looks up at that. "No, wait. That's impossible." He half laughs, "I'm not nearly powerful enough to be her personal student," he stresses, personal students are in line of inheritance. Outside of direct bloodline, they often take priority, "Unless, unless she names her nephew heir, that'd make me first in line. She has all of Shinsha's stuff. Dad, Shinsha was a literal monarch."

His dad nods, like what he just said made perfect sense. "You should ask more about it," he encourages, "since the Nanakasa are in a... Bit, of a situation, think carefully before you decide. But whatever you choose, Kazunari, know that your mother and I will always support you."

Something in Kazunari seizes. He purses his lips. "Thanks. Dad." He looks away, "but, my point still stands. I'm not powerful. Not nearly so."

And he's not. It's not being humble or anything else, but fact. He's a ways above average, but it'd take years before Kazunari would start to consider himself anywhere close to being 'powerful'. He grew up in the outskirts of Doten, far from the magically nurturing, ancient caves where the ancestral homes of the Karasuma, Nanakasa, and Tatsuake alike lies. He knows that isn't the sole determining factor, but the difference is stark.

Much like within the field of basketball, Kazunari has always had his realm of expertise, and thrived in it. He knew his way around shields, and his 'third eye' had always helped him against unpredictable situations. He has excellent control over his Echo, and while his perception isn't necessarily the best at detecting hidden objects, it is precise, and had one of the widest ranges in his age group.

He has a place, and deserves recognition. That he knows and strives for. But there are some things people like him just doesn't even dream of, much less reach for. It's as ridiculous as a team ditching any of the five known Generation of Miracles for him. And now it's smack in front of him on a silver platter.

This will change the course of his life.

"Neither was she," his dad states, and Kazunari looks up, incredulous, "Esmeray, I mean. She spent the majority of her early years in SSRA handicapped." His father's face darkened with something Kazunari recognises as disgust. Why? "Something, happened. And her core was so severely damaged that at one point, she barely had half your current amount of power." Kazunari's face twists, that's barely grazing the amount of being 'usable'. "It continued for years. Ten, I believe it was ten years."

"... isn't she most famous for what she did in the her first 5 years?"

"Exactly. Why did you think she invented armillary coins?" His dad stopped for a moment, letting his words sink in. Why would someone invent something that could perform spells with the barest minimum amount of magic? Kazunari's eyes widen. "And Shinsha might had been known for her power, but she never quite valued it much. She actually preferred the company of non-sorcerers, I remember she even taught basketball at your school at some point." Okay that is getting a little crazy. "it wouldn't make sense for her successor to choose anyone based on that."

"She does need a student right now. But Esmeray is not the kind of person to choose at random. If she chose you, then there must be something about your skills, or your way of thinking, that got her attention."

"Wouldn't she want me to do the enhancements, then?" Athletes are strictly prohibited from a large assortment of enhancements. That much, anyone knows. Kazunari thinks of the upcoming semi-final and final, then of his teammates, and finds the idea of leaving them like bile in his throat.

"Kazunari..." his dad sighs. "No, it's against Constella policies, so I don't think so, at least. But keeping this decision is going to become harder and harder as you go on within the SSRA."

He started in Karasuma at 14. It's easy- apply for an area, and they pay you to be in it, just being a civilian. Easy money, he gets a cool badge by walking around somewhere he already frequents, and gets to buy more trading cards which he liked. It's not their responsibility to deal with ghosts, either. Saw any? Pop into a contact's location and give them the coordinates. Most kids start like that.

Then he made friends. Then he stuck around. Even when it turned from 'being a civilian' to active patrol where they had checkpoints. Even when patrol moved out of the area.

Afterwards, people started dying. People several years older than them, people several ranks higher than them with more responsibilities, people their age who got unlucky. People they knew of, people that the people he knows knew, people he knew personally. Poltergeist freak accidents, people getting lost to unmonitored barriers.

Contracts ran out about the same time- and people start quitting. Many like him who didn't continued in the same rank, and those who chased after promotions found themselves kicked back into training. It's standard procedure. Kazunari never said it out loud, nor did he admit it, but he didn't like those who quit much. It doesn't feel right.

He understands, now.

But then should would he make of last night, then? What should it mean? "Doesn't make you kind of a coward to, like. Quit, after something like this?"

"No." His father reassures, firm. "That was something horrible to witness and experience. Just because it's commonplace in our would doesn't make it right. You can quit patrols whenever. No one will blame you."

It feels like a sigh of relief, even though he doesn't actually make any sound at all. "I thought I was going to die," Kazunari half jokes, but it falls flat and makes a hollow sound as it hits the ground. The corners of his lips are starting to strain. "I saw- the blood, that thing- and I thought," he swallows, "everyone was going to die."

His dad reaches out, closing a hand around his shoulder. It's a solid weight, and it ground him like the drying moisture in his throat. Kazunari takes another swig of water. Quiet.

"Let's think about it tomorrow." Finally, his dad breaks the silence. "There's some Kimchi left in the fridge, do you want some?"

"Yeah, sure."

The weather is nice, despite the constant thunderstorms the past week seems the skies have exhausted the rain supply. There still puddles on the streets, little patches blue and whites of the skies. Ryota digs through his pockets for his headphones, enjoying much of the good weather for the first time in days.

It's afterschool, and late enough into the year that the skies are blue around this time of the day. Kurokocchi's match is today, and pleasantly the stadium is close enough to Kaijo that makes it convenient enough for him and Kasamatsu-senpai to get to the place on foot. Senpai seems to be getting a little annoyed from his constant rummaging, though.

(Travelling has gotten much, much easier these days, however, since he knew Doten existed. It took a while, and a lot of nagging, but he managed to wrangle a lot of short cuts through that magical part of town. Though he couldn't really do that with Senpai with him, eh.)

He finds them soon after, and was putting the case in his back pocket that Ryota spots them just a few paces behind and talking amongst themselves. His eyes light up at that familiar Aominecchi coloured woman and her ridiculously taller husband. The woman spots him almost at the same time, beaming as she meets his eyes.

"Kise-kun!" Her husband looks up at that, and offers him a polite nod. He stops briefly, taking a headphone out as the duo catches up in several strides. "On your way to Tetsuya's match?"

"Yep! You two as well?" Lysandra-san nods, at that, "I thought you'd have work, you two seemed busy." He hadn't seen the couple in a while, whenever he does they'd either be buried in documents or maps, or are on their way to doing so. The woman only shrugs.

"Oh, I was. We just wrapped up like, a few days ago." She waves the question off. Right, her work isn't exactly something you can go into detail about. Then she turns, meeting Kasamatsu-senpai's inquisitive look. "And this is?"

"Kise," his senior also directs his question at Ryota, "who are they?"

Right, introductions! He tend to love doing these. "Right! Senpai," he gestures at the two adults, "Nanakasa Lysandra-san and Mafuyu-san, they're Kurokocchi's guardians."

"Not his parents?" Kasamatsu-senpai raises a brow, and Ryota winces a little. Well, a flinch may be more accurate but he likes to think that he's better at hiding it. Thankfully Senpai doesn't ask for an elaboration, and turns instead towards the Nanakasa couple. "I'm Kasamatsu, Kise's captain."

"Nice to meet you," Lysandra-san smiles, Mafuyu-san only nods. The man is hopeless in social situations. They resume asking then, "Kise-kun, I heard you've been visiting Tetsuya at school a lot."

Ryota laughs, he has, since that fox decided to follow Kurokocchi home daily. But he can't exactly say that in front of Senpai. Kasamatsu-senpai seems annoyed, though, and jabs him in the ribs. "So that's where you've been running off to all this time, huh?"

"Ow, senpai..."

Lysandra-san laughs at their interactions. Next to her, Mafuyu-san clears his throat, and speaks up, "thank you," he nods, "we have both been busy. So having company outside of Sasaki is nice."

"Ahh, he's so annoying!" Now that the other had bought up the topic of that fox, Ryota feels like a vent had opened, and now he needs to complain. "He'd try to drag off Kurokocchi before I arrive, and he'd try to sneak him off when I wasn't looking!" He glances at Lysandra-san, who looks back with amusement on her face.

"You sound like a guard dog," Kasamatsu-senpai deadpans.

"Am not!" Ryota protests, it's all necessary precautions against that fox. That devious yokai seems hell bent on messing with him. "Your brother is also kind of mean."

"Sorry about him," the woman chuckles. Ryota opens his mouth to say something, but then the Ohaasa radio recording crackles to life, and Ryota turns his attention to his phone- he probably hit play by accident. Kasamatsu-senpai notices, and glances at his screen.

"What is this?" He makes a face at the cartoony font popping up on his screen, "what are you listening to?"

"A recoding of this morning's oha asa their morning horoscope specifically. When this thing is good, Midorimacchi is good."

The name seems to catch all three of his companions' attention. "The Teikou guy?" Kasamatsu-senpai frowns, looking up from Ryota's phone, "what's his sign?"

"Cancer, and Kurokocchi is Aquarius."

"I didn't-" Kasamatsu-senpai stops himself there, glancing at Lysandra-san and Mafuyu-san, then opts for silence. Ryota turns his focus again on the horoscope, listening attentively.

'First place goes to Cancer! Congratulations! You'll have no complaints today.' The cheery host's voice delivers the news he winces. There might still be hope though. 'Last place goes to Aquarius.'

"Ah," well never mind that then.

'Play it quiet today-' he didn't have to listen any more after that, pausing the recording.

"What is it?" Kasamatsu asks, a few paces behind him. Ryota just sighs.

"This is the worst." Lysandra-san tiptoes to see the results on his phone, and he angles it so she can take a better look. Right. He's got people who are kind of experts on this stuff right next to him, doesn't he? "by the way, since, you know." Ryota makes a vague gesture in the air, hoping the woman would get his question, "are horoscopes real too?"

"Well." The woman pauses, mulling over the question, "answering it is a little more complicated than you think, there's no definitive answer either."

"Huh," Ryota makes a face, he kind of expects it. Horoscopes have never been really that accurate for himself. Mafuyu-san, however, cuts in this time.

"There's a degree of faith connected to this kind of thing," he notes, "and there are a lot of people and a lot of history behind reading stars."

"Right," Lysandra-san nods, a little awkward, "honestly fortunes are a muddled subject for us as well. Not my department. Just, not everyone is accurate at star reading, so don't bank on it too much, think of it as, say, a suggestion."

Huh, not her department. So what is? Ryota wonders briefly. Then again, he doesn't think he actually know what Kurokocchi's guardians do.

What kind of ghost patrol takes up literal weeks and makes you look like a walking corpse the full duration?

A/N

Wanted to write a fight scene.