55

.

There is the soft bell-ring of wind chimes swaying in the warm summer breeze. A light, lilting sound.

In Tsumiki's words, it's relaxing, although Shiki had never really managed to find it as such. Instead, whenever Shiki looks up and sees a set of wind chimes dangling from the corner of a roof, she's filled with a sudden, childish urge to break it. There's something about the decorative bell that makes such an act oddly… tempting, inexplicably enough…

But Shiki knows better than to give in to pointless urges. Discipline is important, she reminds herself.

"Alright," Kinji says. At the sound of her classmate's voice, Shiki allows her attention to be drawn back to her current company.

They've relocated from the alleyway to a slightly more populated area of the larger street instead. There was a lower chance of being suddenly ambushed again here in the midst of non-sorcerer civilians, and it would also be more difficult for Kamo Noritoshi-san to run. Not that the boy currently seemed to have any inclination to run, but that was no guarantee of anything.

"Start talking, Kamo," Kinji folds his arms across his chest and looms imposingly. "We've got an ojou-sama with sharp knives here, and she's not afraid to use it!"

Shiki gives her classmate a strange look. While she gets the general impression that the words are meant as a subtle threat, the odd phrasing of it… throws her for a bit of a loop in this moment. Because why on earth would Shiki be scared of using knives? It's not as if Kinji doesn't know about her clear preference for bladed weaponry.

"As I've been saying all this time," Kamo-san grimaces, "I am not the one who sent a shikigami to observe you, and I truly did not expect any of what occurred just now…"

The boy trails off into silence, likely as a direct result of the multiple suspicious looks trained upon him –Divine Dogs included. Kamo-san sighs tiredly.

"Here," he lifts his arm and hands over the small slip of paper that he'd picked up from the remnants of the surprise assault that they'd just experienced. "Perhaps this would lend more credence to my words."

Megumi accepts the note, and immediately scans the message with a blank face. Kinji peers over the younger boy's shoulder curiously, eyebrows raising progressively higher as he reads whatever is written on the paper.

"Dude, what the fuck?"

"Language," Shiki and Megumi both end up saying at the same time; Megumi glances up, and their eyes meet. No doubt, the younger boy is also thinking of Kiyohira-sensei's lecturing voice in this moment. Megumi snorts, shaking his head slightly, and looks back to the paper in his hands.

"… It's from the Kamos," he says. Finished reading, Megumi promptly passes the note over to Shiki. "They're warning Kamo Noritoshi to 'know his place,' apparently. There's also something about having 'removed' someone by the name of Kamo Shiroshichi."

Kirara sidles closer to her, and Shiki obligingly tilts the paper towards her classmate slightly as she takes a look at the message herself.

What Megumi just said is a concise summary of what's written on the tattered page.

"That's…" Kirara bites his lip, "Wait. If this note is from the Kamo Clan, then… no, hold up. That doesn't make any sense. He just introduced himself as Kamo Noritoshi, right? We're talking about the same 'Kamo' here?"

Her classmate's confusion is clear as day. To be fair, there is quite a lot of context regarding the situation that he's missing…

"I… I'm not on particularly good terms with the… newly-established main family," is what Kamo-san ends up explaining to them. His hands clench into fists, and loosen. In a quieter tone of voice, "It would greatly benefit them from a political standpoint if I were to be gone."

Kirara's mouth drops open slightly. "What?"

Shiki observes Kamo-san as he stands in front of them. He's uneasy, that much is obvious. But even so, he still forces himself to stand straight, shoulders squared and face lifted upwards in a posture that is meant to project confidence.

"I apologize," he says, voice level and controlled once more. "It was not my intention to involve any outsiders in the Kamo Clan's own internal affairs. I do not know who arranged for this situation to occur at all in the first place, but… I swear that I will do my best to ensure that there is no repeat of what happened."

The words themselves are nice and quaint, she supposes. But considering Kamo Noritoshi's nebulous status within his own clan… was he really in any position to be promising such things?

Then again, it's not as if Shiki has a clear understanding of the current state of the Kamo Clan's internal politics, and she has no intentions of involving herself in such headache-inducing matters. Perhaps Kamo Noritoshi did have allies within the clan supporting him, who eagerly sought to restore him to the position of clan heir that he'd formerly held –or perhaps even replace the current clan head entirely. Maybe he was fully capable of making such a promise to them.

But no matter what the case might be… "Regardless of your true intentions, we've already gotten involved in this mess."

"Huh?" Kirara looks towards Shiki in confusion. To the side, Kinji reacts similarly. Megumi frowns, eyes narrowing in thought.

Kamo-san exhales slowly. "… The Kamo Clan's affairs are for the Kamo to deal with among ourselves."

"It's not solely about your personal views on this matter, Kamo-san." Shiki also isn't completely ruling out the possibility that Kamo-san did know exactly how their 'unexpected' encounter was going to play out, despite the boy's own proclamations otherwise. It wouldn't be the first time that Shiki has seen someone masterfully feign ignorance while hiding other motives. "I'm sure you don't need me to explain the implications and potential repercussions from this encounter."

Kamo-san flinches slightly, wincing.

Kinji raises his hand as if he's still inside a classroom, "I'd appreciate an explanation over here, please and thank you."

Ah, in that case…

Shiki stops and thinks for a moment. Where does she even start with this, really…?

"It's about appearances," Megumi answers for Kinji instead. The younger boy scowls, and his displeasure is reflected in the low growls that emanate from both of his shikigami's throats. Kamo-san eyes the Divine Dogs warily.

"How so?"

"… You should probably know a bit of the background, first," Megumi pulls a face. "So, the Kamos. One of the Three Great Families, alongside the Gojo and the Zenin. However, the Kamo Clan's leadership has also been rather unstable in recent years. Kamo Noritoshi-san here was originally the clan heir, but he was driven out after the death of the last clan head."

Kirara's eyes widen at the new information. His gaze darts swiftly towards Kamo-san, who stiffens but does not deny those words, and then swiftly turns back to Megumi.

"Wait, so…" Kirara's next words are hesitant, halting. "You're saying that he's being targeted because… he used to be the heir? And we just got caught up in that? Is that what's going on?"

"There's more to it than just that," Megumi rubs his forehead in a way that's indicative of a budding headache. "… I don't know what the current situation is for the Kamos themselves, but it doesn't bode well that Shiki is getting dragged into this."

Kinji's eyebrows pinch together. "But… nothing actually happened, right? No one got hurt, and Kamo here even said that he doesn't want anyone to get involved with whatever is going on!"

"Yeah, but it's not about what Kamo-san wants," Megumi gestures towards the Kamo sorcerer standing among them. "It's about the message that this incident is going to send. Kamo Noritoshi, the former heir to the Kamo Clan, secretly met with Gojo Shiki. It doesn't matter that this was completely unexpected or not –that's all other people are going to see."

"So?"

"So," Megumi deliberately stresses the word, "There's already no way that we're going to be able to get rid of the association with Kamo Noritoshi, not when the first thing that anyone is going to focus on is how 'Kamo Noritoshi was discovered to have been in a secret meeting with Gojo Shiki when they were unexpectedly ambushed.' That means people are going to suspect that the Gojo Clan is backing Kamo Noritoshi in his challenge to the current head of the Kamo Clan!"

Kinji stares incredulously. "… Are you sure you're not overthinking things? It can't be that complicated."

"Shiki is the blessed child of the Gojo Clan. What do you think other people are going to make of her actions?"

Kinji opens his mouth, falls silent for a moment, and then flips around towards Shiki. "Hang on, are you a 'big deal' like your cousin, too?"

Shiki blinks innocently beneath the sudden scrutiny.

"Sort of," she says.

Megumi starts coughing, and both of her classmates look at her even more suspiciously.

… Shiki most certainly isn't a 'big deal' in the same way that Satoru-niichan is. But, it would also be a lie to say that her presence in the Gojo Clan is negligible. There might be those within the clan who aren't pleased with the direction that Satoru-niichan is currently leading the clan in, and thus aren't particularly pleased with Shiki either by proxy, but none of them would think to deny her. Not anymore.

No one has truly denied Gojo Shiki's existence ever since the day she was confirmed to possess a pair of cursed eyes.

"The Gojo Clan currently does not have a formally-named heir, but it's no secret that Gojo Shiki-san is Gojo-sama's favored candidate," Kamo-san adds helpfully. Which isn't really as helpful as the boy clearly thinks, since Shiki does not want the clan heir position…

Clan heir?

If you pick up the position, I want it to be by your own choice, and not because it's yet another responsibility that's been shoved onto you.

Do what you want to.

… but despite her reservations, if it would be of assistance to Satoru-niichan, then it's… something to think about, at the very least.

Satoru-niichan has made it clear that he doesn't intend to force her into anything, and Shiki is happy that he's being considerate of her. But at the same time, if it would help with the burden of the Gojo Clan that falls squarely on his shoulders…

…

Then again, it would be a disservice to the members of the Gojo Clan at large if their clan heir accepted the role simply because they wanted to be helpful to their cousin. Moreover, the clan heir should also be someone who actually cares about the Gojo Clan. About its many members, and about the clan's future. Shiki fits neither criteria.

Come to think of it, why does Satoru-niichan think that she would make a good heir, anyways? Just because she's been doing a decent job as a branch head? But half the credit there goes to Kiyohira-sensei, who's been helping Shiki in many, many aspects of that role.

Or… is it because she's a good sorcerer? Competency as a sorcerer does not equate to competency in management skills, but it does go hand in hand with authority, and Shiki has observed a notable correlation between stronger sorcerers and other clan members being less disagreeable –superficially, at the very least. Which has its uses.

Ah, her thoughts are starting to wander away from the topic at hand.

Shiki sighs, "I don't like clan politics."

"Does anyone?" Megumi mutters under his breath. Kamo-san seems to catch it, though, if the startled cough that he attempts to cover up is any indication of things.

"Wait, wait, let's just back up here real quick for a moment," Kinji briefly holds a hand to his head, then points at Kamo-san. "So… we got attacked just now because your clan is trying to get rid of you. Since you used to be the heir?"

Kamo-san nods shortly, "Kamo Einosuke, the current clan head, was formerly of one of the Kamo Clan's branch families. The easiest way for him to legitimize his claim would be ensuring that his is the only legitimate bloodline that remains."

"The only…?" Kirara sucks in a sharp breath. "Wait, you mean you're the last one? They killed your entire family just so they could be clan head?!"

Kirara sounds aghast at the very prospect.

"No, no, that's not…" Kamo-san trails off for a moment, clearly trying to summon up the proper words to explain himself. "There are still surviving members of the main family. But none of them possess cursed techniques aside from me, which makes them ineligible for headship. Einosuke-san was also not the one responsible for my father's –the previous clan head's– death."

"But if he wasn't responsible for it in the first place, then why is he hunting you down like this?" Kinji frowns. "… Do we even know who was responsible, actually?"

Kamo-san hesitates, eyes flickering toward Shiki briefly.

"Kamo Teruichi brought about his own downfall with his actions," Shiki answers neutrally.

The pressure from the Gojo Clan from Shiki's kidnapping was what had eventually resulted in the former Kamo Clan head's death sentence. But in the first place, it was the Kamo Clan's –Kamo Matsuhime's– kidnapping plot that had incited the Gojo Clan's ire.

Kinji pauses and side-eyes her, "I'm sensing a story here."

"It's not important," Shiki shakes her head. The kidnapping incident and encounter with Araya isn't really relevant to their current situation.

"'Not important?' What do you mean, not important–"

They've strayed quite far from the original topic, haven't they?

"In regards to the matter at hand," Shiki says, ignoring her classmates' spluttering as she forcibly steers the conversation back towards the point they'd started out from, before they'd gotten sidetracked by smaller details regarding the Kamo Clan. "Being seen with Kamo-san… as Megumi mentioned, most would view it as Kamo-san having the approval of the Gojo Clan."

"Yes, that would be the case," Kamo-san winces. "And with the mess from that exploding shikigami just now, it's highly doubtful that this incident has gone unnoticed. That means most sorcerers are all going to be aware of it."

"And if people think that Kamo-san is being backed by the Gojos…" Megumi frowns in concentration. Kuro snuffles lightly and nudges at the hand that hangs loosely by his side. "That's bad for Kamo-san, if he intends to reclaim power within the Kamo Clan. Because the Kamos are never going to accept a clan head whom they see as being in another clan's pocket –especially not if it's the Gojo Clan. It's also bad for Shiki, who's going to be associated with the Kamo Clan again because of this."

"You're forgetting yourself as well, Megumi." If it was just Shiki who'd been found suspiciously present on the scene with Kamo Noritoshi fresh out of an ambush, then there would be a little more room for denial. Shiki and Megumi, though? People were going to take one look at them and automatically think of the titanic looming shadow behind them: Gojo Satoru.

The boy's eyes widen, then narrow as he immediately catches on to what she's implying.

"So are the culprits behind this really the Kamo Clan, then?" Megumi asks. "They're scared of Kamo-san making a comeback now that he's a student at Kyoto Jujutsu Tech, so now they're trying to discredit him in any way they can. Including forcibly associating him with the Gojo Clan in a way that's difficult to deny. With all the sorcery clans that are present in Kyoto for Obon… people are going to gossip."

"It's possible." It would be a perfectly reasonable, logical explanation for what they'd just experienced. "But that would also imply that the Kamo Clan still has many useful eyes and ears within the Gojo Clan, even despite Satoru-niichan's work."

Satoru-niichan had played the Gojo elders against each other while also rooting out spies within the Gojo Clan in one fell swoop, several years back. Considering the amount of time that's passed since then, Shiki supposes that there would've been opportunity for those damaged information networks to rebuild again by now. But surely that would've been a noticeable change if they'd already expanded to the point where it was simple for them to keep track of Shiki's whereabouts like this. When she'd only just arrived in Kyoto, and hadn't really interacted with any notable persons aside from her cousin.

She would definitely have to ask Choki to take a closer look and double check things later. But for now…

Shiki takes a moment to reassess the situation.

Considering the fact that it was rather unlikely that the Kamos had well-positioned spies within the Gojo Clan reporting back to them, this meant it was improbable that they'd immediately known of her arrival. Shiki hadn't taken the bullet train for this trip, so it would've been impossible for them to predict her movements by watching the station. She and her classmates had been preoccupied with taking care of a few assignments in Gifu before Choki had driven them to Kyoto together.

With this in mind, then, one had to consider what it meant that Megumi's Divine Dog had caught a surveillance shikigami lurking unusually closely around them during a spontaneous visit to a local conbini.

Because if the Kamos had not been acutely aware of their movements in detail, then it didn't explain why Shiki and her friends had found that suspicious shikigami with such coincidental, impeccable timing. Just in time to encounter Kamo Noritoshi when they'd naturally decided to investigate, subsequently getting involved in a messy ambush tactic that was highly unlikely to go unnoticed.

Which meant there were two possibilities:

One, Kamo Einosuke's faction had staged this entire act. There were untrustworthy elements embedded within the Gojo Clan –likely one of the servants that Shiki and her friends had encountered, or someone close to them– who reported directly to the Kamo Clan. They'd informed their masters of Shiki's arrival in Kyoto and subsequent trip to the nearby conbini with her friends, whereupon the Kamos then enacted their plan: Lure Kamo Noritoshi into the same area, arrange a public encounter that no sorcery clan would overlook, and then reap the benefits that the resulting rumors would bring.

If they were lucky, then there might even be a minor conflict between Kamo Noritoshi and Gojo Shiki. Kamo Noritoshi was a Grade Three sorcerer; Shiki was Grade One. If she humiliated Kamo-san in a fight, then it would negatively impact on his reputation, and thereby play even further into Kamo Einosuke's hands.

Even if Shiki discovered that it was the Kamo Clan that arranged this –so what? It was no secret that Gojo Shiki did not look fondly upon the Kamo Clan, due to her prior experiences. In this, the Kamo Clan had nothing to lose. Obon was upon them, so it was unlikely that she would cause a scene within the next few days. Afterwards, Shiki would return to the Tokyo school, which lowered the chances of any significant retaliation even further.

It's easy enough to follow their line of thought here. The higher-ups and elders among the various sorcery clans really aren't so different from each other.

As for the second possibility…

In the case that the Kamo Clan had been unable to deliberately track Shiki's movements and engineer such a scenario with Kamo Noritoshi to their own ends, whether or not it had to do with loose-lipped servants or by other means… this meant that they weren't the ones who'd sent that surveillance shikigami. The Kamos weren't responsible for luring Shiki here.

That meant there was a third party who'd kept a careful watch on the Gojo Clan without raising any alarms. Who had known immediately when she'd arrived in Kyoto, and deliberately sent a shikigami to attract their attention and lead them to Kamo Noritoshi at the earliest opportunity.

But who else aside from the Kamo Clan would benefit from such a thing? Who would hope for them to benefit like this, and benefit from Kamo Einosuke's faction being strengthened in turn?

… Or was there some other ulterior motive for arranging this situation? One where the impact on the Kamo Clan's internal affairs was merely a secondary goal, instead of the primary purpose?

"I don't think there's anything certain we can say on that front for now. But in the case that it's not the Kamo Clan, then… maybe it's the work of one of the smaller clans eyeing the Kamos' position as one of the Great Three Families?" Megumi suggests. "Kamo Einosuke isn't exactly doing a great job as clan head so far. So if they want to prolong the instability in the Kamo Clan, then getting him to stay in charge would be a good idea. Means that they'll still have more opportunities in the future."

"But if instability within the Kamos is what they're aiming for, then they could achieve that purpose far more directly by simply assisting Kamo-san here." Shiki muses with a light hum. "He's the one who's in a weaker position, after all, and a new element challenging the current balance of power in the Kamo Clan. And if the one behind the shikigami that Shiro caught is perfectly aware of our movements–"

"–then it doesn't exactly sound like something within the capabilities of just any minor sorcery clan, especially if they're somehow able to circumvent the Gojo Clan's wardings. Assuming that's how they knew when and where we were headed…" Megumi clicks his tongue in faint frustration.

Kirara looks between the two of them, evidently lost by the conversation. "I… thought we already established that it was the Kamo Clan behind this entire thing? Why are we talking about third parties now? Isn't everything complicated enough already?"

"The Kamo Clan appears to be the most likely culprit," Megumi clarifies, "But there are still a few things about the situation that don't quite add up with each other in that case, so we can't completely discount other possibilities."

"Okay, but… correct me if I'm wrong," Kinji says slowly. "Wasn't that note Kamo-san picked up a warning message directly from the Kamo Clan? Are we just going to overlook that?"

"The message could be a lie," he offers.

"Unlikely," Kamo-san immediately shakes his head, then hesitates. "… I would have to contact Elder Shino in order to ascertain the contents of the message that was left for me in this ambush."

"It would be best to confirm things on that front," Shiki tells the Kamo sorcerer, then turns back towards her classmate. "Even assuming that the message is genuinely from the Kamo Clan, and it was a shikigami from the Kamo Clan that we were just attacked by… that doesn't necessarily mean that they were also the same ones who sent the shikigami that Shiro caught. Which is why we're even here in the first place."

Kinji blinks, "Not even with that suspiciously convenient timing of everything that just went down?"

"Everything was very well-timed," Shiki agrees with him. So, "It really makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

Her classmate's eyebrows promptly twist and scrunch together.

"… Man," he finally says, "I think I'm starting to get a headache from this. Is this what the clans are always like?"

"Unfortunately." Yet another reason why Shiki does not look upon that clan heir position with any fondness. Being the heir would undoubtedly mean even more political maneuvering than she already has to deal with in her life.

Kinji nods once, firmly.

"This sucks," he declares.

Megumi rolls his eyes, "Thank you for that profound insight."

"You're welcome," the older boy responds without skipping a beat, then turns towards Shiki. "So in short, we've got a shitty situation on our hands. Is there anything we can do about it?"

"Language, Kinji," Shiki gives the boy a pointed look. "And as it happens, yes, there is."

Her classmate grins back at her, "Oh yeah? Do tell, then."

There's nothing that they can do right now about the immediate rumors that would undoubtedly arise, about Kamo Noritoshi seeking the Gojo Clan for assistance in his struggle against Kamo Einosuke. But…

"The shikigami that Shiro caught," she reminds Kinji. "I stopped it from self-destructing, so we can bring it back to the Gojo estate to take a closer look at it, and see what we can uncover from there."

Realization dawns in her classmate's eyes. "Right! Right, I completely forgot that for a moment here. Good thing that you still have… it…"

The boy trails off, staring quite obviously at her empty hands. Shiki huffs in amusement.

"I left it behind with Choki," she explains. "Tsumiki is still waiting with him. Shall we be off now, then?"

She'd texted Choki earlier to let him know that everything was –mostly– alright when she suspected that the conversation would take a little longer than expected. But, it wouldn't do to keep him and Tsumiki waiting for too long. Shiki is well-aware that both of them were the type to worry about others.

Kamo-san steps forward as they are about to leave, hand outstretched, and opens his mouth as if to say something –but he appears to change his mind, when Shiro growls at him. Not menacingly, but the note of warning is clear. The Divine Dog leaves Megumi's side and pads around Shiki's legs, eyeing Kamo-san pointedly as it does so.

Shiki idly pats Shiro on the head, "There's no need for that."

For one, Kamo-san was the one whom the attack had been primarily targeting to begin with. Regardless of whether or not it was Kamo Einosuke's faction plotting in the background, or some other party who'd orchestrated everything, Kamo-san was in a similar boat to them –forcibly associated with the Gojo Clan regardless of his own feelings on the matter.

Were he the potential heir-candidate to any other sorcery clan, then perhaps it would be seen as good to have closer relations with the Gojo Clan. But considering the frosty relations between the Kamo Clan and the Gojo Clan, and Kamo Noritoshi's own unstable status within the Kamos, his continually-questioned legitimacy…

Well, that would be something for Kamo-san to sort out on his own in the future.

"I apologize," Kamo-san says quietly. "I… I genuinely have no desire to make an enemy of the Gojo Clan. As I've said before, this all came as a surprise to me as well. Please believe me, Gojo-san."

"Why would it matter to you if I believed you or not?" Shiki thinks that she's starting to see how Kamo-san was driven out of his own clan. This kind of personality… it's no wonder that he'd nearly been assassinated, as harsh as that might sound.

"I…"

Kamo-san bites his lip, hesitating.

… Given his decision to attend the Kyoto school, anyone would look at Kamo-san and see him as someone who intended to challenge Kamo Einosuke in the future. The Kamo Clan's roots in Kyoto ran deep, and if Kamo Noritoshi could successfully build up his own base of supporters through his time at the Kyoto school, then that would undoubtedly be a strong point in his favor.

But now, Shiki is starting to wonder if it was really the boy's own choice to contend against the current head of the Kamo Clan like this. Because from what she's gleaned from his character and personality thus far… Kamo Noritoshi does not seem like the kind of person who seems ambitious.

Someone who was in a disadvantageous position and intent on seizing power within the Kamo Clan would've definitely attempted to use the current situation to their advantage. For all that the current relations between the Kamo and Gojo clans were rather strained, a connection to the Gojo Clan through Shiki would've been useful. It would've made far more sense for Kamo Noritoshi to try to make the most of a bad situation and at least try to recoup his losses by attempting to form some manner of connection to Shiki.

Yet all he'd done was repeatedly apologize, and say that he didn't mean for any of this to happen.

…

"You sure it's alright to just leave Kamo-san there?" Megumi asks, once they eventually part ways with the former Kamo heir, leaving the boy behind on his own.

"What else could we have done? Did you want to invite him back to the Gojo estate?" Shiki asks reasonably.

"… No. Ugh, that would've only made a bigger mess out of everything, wouldn't it?" Megumi makes a face. By his feet, Kuro sticks out their tongue with impeccable timing. "It's just… maybe he could've looked into things on the Kamo side, regarding what happened?"

"If we specifically requested him to do so, then it would be a favor that we owe to him." Shiki is not particularly enthused by the prospect; judging by the look that Megumi makes, he isn't very fond of the idea, either. "Kamo-san didn't offer to investigate and share information with us. So he is either incapable of doing so, or he simply does not wish for us to be involved any further with the Kamos' affairs through him."

"… Kamo-san seems like he has it rough."

"And?"

"And… nothing, I guess," Megumi stares at her for a moment, then shakes his head sharply. "Well. Maybe we'll be able to get some more insight into this from Satoru-san, once we get back?"

Shiki hums in agreement. At the very least, Satoru-niichan's Six Eyes would definitely be able to glean more information from the suspicious shikigami that Shiro had caught, far more than any of them could discern on their own.

.

.

"I see that you've kept yourselves busy," Satoru-niichan drawls. Although his words are directed towards them, his gaze is clearly fixated on the half-disintegrated shikigami in his hands. He tilts his head, and carefully turns it between his fingers.

"It's not as if we went looking for trouble on purpose," Megumi mutters under his breath.

"… Technically, didn't your dog find trouble for us?"

Megumi scowls at Kinji; Kinji raises both hands in front of himself in exaggerated surrender. Kirara snorts, and tries to cover up the sound. Tsumiki hands him a tissue.

Shiki leans forward to peer at the shikigami that her cousin is currently examining for them. Red lines glisten thickly, flickering and twisting. "What do you make of it, Satoru-niichan?"

"It's definitely a surveillance shikigami," he responds. "The craftsmanship… I've seen it from the Kamos before."

"So it's really the Kamos, then?" Megumi straightens. "They're still involving Shiki in their plots?"

Kinji also straightens, "What do you mean, 'still?'"

Satoru-niichan ignores the byplay. "On its own, this isn't really enough to prove anything. The base template for simple shikigami of this type is more or less the same, so it's not as if it varies all that much between different clans."

Tsumiki tilts her head, "So there's a chance that it's not the Kamos?"

"Considering what you've told me about the situation that you ran into, though, I agree that it would benefit Kamo Einosuke's faction if Kamo Noritoshi were to be implicated in collaborating with the Gojo Clan." Satoru-niichan hums consideringly. "The timing is also very, very suspicious."

"… So it is the Kamos?"

"However!" Satoru-niichan brandishes the shikigami that he's holding, "Luckily for us all, my eyes are sharp enough to decipher the minuscule flow of cursed energy remaining inside this thing's core. I also happen to recognize the cursed energy, so we don't have to keep guessing aimlessly."

"You sure seem to enjoy keeping us guessing," Megumi grouses.

"Hmm? What was that?" The white-haired young man cups a hand around his ear. "You want to take a few more guesses? Oh in that case, then be my guest–"

"Who's the one behind it, Satoru-niichan?" Shiki interrupts. Judging by his reaction…

Her cousin drops the playful mask and lifts his gaze towards her.

"Someone you recognize," he says, voice deliberately light. Without any further ado, "Remember Araya Souren?"

.

.

Extra.

.

Kamo Shiroshichi steps inside the hidden room, and swiftly closes the door behind him. Seals for privacy light up and flicker along the threshold that he'd just crossed, before disappearing with a low hum of cursed energy as the wards activate.

"You're late," a gravelly voice rumbles, and Shiroshichi bows deeply in deference.

"Honored elder," he greets. "My sincerest apologies. There was a new report that I received on my way here, and–"

"No need, I already know what it was about," Elder Shino cuts him off. "Kamo Einosuke's supporters attempted to attack Noritoshi."

"… Yes," Shiroshichi nods. Their esteemed clan head had grown increasingly wary of Noritoshi's progress as a student of the Kyoto school over the past few months. To the point that his supporters decided that it would be a good idea to try and assassinate Noritoshi, again, this time using suicide-bombing shikigami to ambush Noritoshi, and–

There was absolutely no way that Shiroshichi could just stand aside and let that happen to the young boy whom he'd watched grow up. That earnest, heartfelt boy who was kind, and would make for a far better clan head than opportunistic, manipulative Kamo Einosuke, who only knew how to hide behind others.

Elder Shino snorts, "Fools. We already destroyed all of the shikigami that they were planning to ambush Noritoshi with after summoning him into the compound. To think that they would attempt an attack anyways, even with only a single shikigami remaining… one that was specifically left as a warning for them…"

The elder shakes his head.

"Kamo Einosuke and his supporters are growing restless," Shiroshichi agrees. That much has been made abundantly clear. Soon, Noritoshi's time would come. But until then…

"They are, indeed," Elder Shino pauses, and gives Shiroshichi a long look. "… I suppose that it was a good thing that you sent an additional shikigami to lead Gojo Shiki to Noritoshi-kun. The rumors that will inevitably arise from Noritoshi-kun being associated with the Blessed Child will be… difficult to deal with, but not impossible to manage, if done correctly. At the very least, it will ensure Einosuke's good behavior for the duration of Obon. He is far too cowardly to risk the Gojo Clan's ire, so it will buy us some time."

Shiroshichi's mouth drops open. "I… weren't you the one who sent that shikigami?"

Elder Shino stills, and frowns deeply. "You mean to say that it wasn't you?"

"… No."

Both men stare blankly at each other. The terrible ensuing silence that falls between them stretches empty and yawning, speaking far more for them than any words could.

.

.

…

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