-537- Don't touch it

"Hum..."

Within the Onmyo Academy, the rampant miasma seemed to be getting more severe, tainting the air, making it heavy and pitch black.

"Ugh..."

"Ugh..."

Running through the corridors of the academy, Natsume and Kyouko made slight distressed sounds due to the increased miasma in the air. Their delicate faces turned a bit pale, clearly showing their discomfort.

Running ahead with them and worrying about his stamina, Rozen watched the two girls closely. He furrowed his brows slightly and then emanated his jutsuryoku.

"————————————"

Chanting the mantra of Ucchusma, the purifying barrier swept over Natsume and Kyouko like light, relieving them from the oppressive miasma. They were no longer affected by the dense miasma.

However, even Natsume and Kyouko were affected by the miasma. One could imagine how dense the miasma within the Onmyo Academy had become.

"Be careful."

The black cat, running at the forefront, turned back and cautioned the group.

"The Onmyo Academy was originally built on a special spiritual vein, utilizing the power of that vein to gain a geographical advantage. The strength of the academy's barrier is also based on this. However, on the flip side, once the spiritual vein is distorted, the miasma density will become high. Even specialized Onmyoji can be affected. You need to constantly guard your spiritual essence. Don't let the miasma waver your spiritual bodies."

Kurahashi Miyo explained to everyone in this manner.

The group now understood that the reason for the dense miasma within the Onmyo Academy lay in this.

Rozen felt somewhat relieved.

"No wonder there are signs of Nue evolving into Phase 4. Is this one of the reasons?"

Due to Nue's successful invasion, the spiritual energy in the Onmyo Academy was distorted by the miasma, starting to turn into miasma. This, in turn, enhanced Nue's power.

Moreover, the Onmyo Academy was built on a special spiritual vein, and the spiritual energy here was undoubtedly powerful. Once distorted, the resulting miasma would be extremely potent.

"Nue's power has been amplified by this powerful miasma, hence the signs of its potential evolution to Phase 4 just now. Otherwise, how could it evolve so quickly into Phase 3 right after forming?"

In other words, within the Onmyo Academy, Nue might become even stronger as Phase 4 than initially imagined.

Natsume and Kyouko seemed to grasp this, their expressions turning more serious.

"Since there's this reason, we should hurry and stop Nue from getting stronger," Natsume proposed, a very valid suggestion.

"Yes, Grandmother, why ask us to go somewhere else at a time like this?" Kyouko, agreeing with Natsume's normally opposing view, expressed her confusion to Kurahashi Miyo.

"Please go to a certain place and retrieve an important item," this was the task Kurahashi Miyo had just assigned.

To be honest, now is not the time for such a task.

More important than whatever that important item is, is to drive Nue out of the Onmyo Academy.

Kurahashi Miyo should not be ignorant even to this extent, yet she had the group abandon dealing with Nue to go and retrieve something. It was truly baffling.

But Kurahashi Miyo had her reasons.

"Now, the Onmyo Academy has already been affected by Nue. The spiritual energy and spiritual veins inside the academy have begun to distort, becoming extremely unstable. This could have a significant impact on that item."

The black cat continued running forward, and Kurahashi Miyo's heavy voice echoed.

"It is a forbidden item, designated for sealing by the Onmyo Agency. If left unattended, it might be affected in the end, causing something abnormal to happen. This might lead to very serious consequences. Therefore, though we can't neglect dealing with Nue, it is more urgent to first retrieve that item from the Onmyo Academy. That's my judgment."

Based on this reasoning, Kurahashi Miyo prioritized fetching the item over the threat Nue posed and let the Shikigami come out.

However, this black cat wasn't a particularly useful Shikigami; it couldn't fight and had no special powers. At best, it was a simple Shikigami used to act as Kurahashi Miyo's eyes and ears. Even if it was sent out, it wouldn't be able to retrieve that item.

So, Kurahashi Miyo had kept her Shikigami on standby outside, waiting for someone to come and assist the Onmyo Academy. Then she would entrust someone she trusted to do this task.

Unexpectedly, Rozen and his group were the first to arrive.

In such a predicament, Kurahashi Miyo had no choice but to entrust them.

"Now, the instructors are trying to hold off Nue. I've also released Alpha and Omega. With their power, even if Nue shows signs of evolving into Phase 4, it should be enough to resist it for a while."

Kurahashi Miyo revealed this news, astonishing everyone.

"Alpha and Omega?" Kyouko exclaimed in surprise.

"The two high-level mechanical Man-made Shikigami in front of the academy gate?"

Natsume recalled this.

"Those two Shikigami seem extraordinary to be used against Nue."

Even Rozen, who was considering using telekinesis to hasten their escape, nonchalantly shared his thoughts as their breaths grew more hurried.

Unexpectedly, this thought brought forth an unexpected revelation.

"Those two were Shikigami created personally by Yakou, the former head of the Tsuchimikado family. I inherited them from Yakou."

Kurahashi Miyo calmly revealed this astonishing information and then spoke directly without allowing the group time to be amazed.

"Alright, we've reached our destination."

Hearing Kurahashi Miyo's words, everyone looked ahead.

What appeared in front of them wasn't anything else; it was the director's office.

It seemed like the dangerous item was in the director's office.

"When Nue appeared, I was consoling the students with the instructors, not in the director's office. Otherwise, I would have taken it away at the first opportunity."

The black cat said this and accelerated towards the director's office's door.

"Kyouko! Open the door!"

"U-understood!"

Prompted urgently by Kurahashi Miyo, Kyouko hastened her pace and moved to open the door.

The group rushed into the director's office.

Upon entering the director's office, the black cat immediately went to a bookshelf.

"Jujutsu release! Open!"

The black cat chanted the incantation in Kurahashi Miyo's voice towards the bookshelf.

"Clang!"

Immediately, a spiritual light shimmered across the surface of the bookshelf. It then automatically moved aside, revealing a hidden compartment.

The compartment had two seals covered with inscriptions. Inside, it was densely inscribed with runes, handled with exceptional caution concerning the nature of the Jujutsu.

Within this compartment, there was a box.

A box that was almost big enough to fit a basketball.

The box also had two seals covered with inscriptions.

While Rozen was catching his breath, he looked at the box with an automatic activation of his ability, Spirit Vision, trying to see what was inside.

However, perhaps due to the careful application of the seal, Rozen's Spirit Vision couldn't see anything.

"This is it."

Kurahashi Miyo first confirmed if there was anything unusual with the box. Once she was sure it was fine, she heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Rozen's group of three.

Then, Kurahashi Miyo hesitated for a moment and spoke with a rare nervous tone.

"Kyouko, go and get the box."

Kurahashi Miyo said so.

"Akikan, don't touch it under any circumstances."

Kurahashi Miyo emphasized this solemnly.

This made everyone confused.

"I can't touch it?"

Rozen also blinked, then looked at Kurahashi Miyo thoughtfully.