"What is my reason…?" Higuchi recited his words as her mind gradually wandered, thinking of an answer as it required five seconds before she finally opened her mouth.
Does she have something to hide and reorganize her words carefully? Narukami speculated with uncertainty.
Right, I remember her brother mentioning controlling something, perhaps there is a connection? He recalled Hirohito's words and connected them with his speculation.
"I guess it's okay to tell you this as you gained my brother's trust. My grandpa left something for me, it is an ancient relic before the first shogun.
Our family could be traced back to the Heian period. Our family acts behind the scene and provides information. Assassinates dangerous people in the country."
Narukami was surprised yet his deadpan face remained unfazed.
Such a family with a rich background and history. I never heard of it and it is almost unknown but greatly involved in history, her family is more complicated than I thought. After this thought, Narukami had a single idea.
Don't involve yourself with them!
As of now, his standing in the city was a bit complicated and it would be a matter of time before the organization learned. Should he be involved regarding this secret family that played an important role in history, he believed it wouldn't do him any good.
However, he can't just bail like that. Not only that wasn't his style, but it was also going to crumble his image as a captain!
Furthermore, the moment he asked Higuchi's reason, he should know better something like this was going to happen.
"It's a relic that keeps us, Egasaki's family exists until now. It allows the descendants to not have a malicious intention which could end the family."
With his rich knowledge despite still being a rank two sorcerer, he knows what it did and thought inwardly.
A relic to drive away negative emotions. Its necessity to be active isn't small either, perhaps could suck dry ten people of rank four sorcerers and such sorcerers aren't common as people think.
Narukami fell silent as his mind followed this line of thought, he figured out something.
"How does the relic remain active?" Narukami asked.
He didn't say what he just thought to make sure what she was talking about was the correct relic in his mind because his intuition as a former god told him so.
"You're not going to ask what kind of relic it is?" She asked, puzzled. There were hundreds of relics out there! There be lots of misunderstandings should they talk about it, without knowing they have different relics in mind and when one noticed something was wrong, one would be so confused before turning silent, making the situation awkward and embarrassing.
"I've heard of such relics before, it is to drive away negative emotions, yes?" Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, Narukami had no choice but to say it, his words making her at ease knowing they were talking about the same relic.
Wait, he heard such relics before? She thought herself and chose to skip this to ask it later.
"Yes, although it needs unreasonable spiritual energy to activate, we only do it in dire situations. For instance, when the family is going to split into factions and most internal affairs actually, these very well could lead to Egasaki's family annihilation."
She let out a short sigh as if recalling an unpleasant memory within the deepest part of her mind, "it's not the best way to solve problems but the family still keeps it. Earlier, you must have heard from my brother, he intends to control it and seal it."
How Hirohito was going to seal it was of no concern to Narukami. His main goal was to look for his memories, there were remnants of it here, in this city. He wanted to know why this city has lots of clues to his lost memories.
"Narukami, where have you heard of such a relic before?"
"I have an informant. A trustworthy one."
Higuchi didn't probe much deeper as everyone has their secrets.
Silence fell for two seconds as the both of them didn't know anything in common. They also just met and this was their first appropriate conversation.
Can't bear with the silence anymore as her shoulders tensed being together with him which emanating an unsettling aura, "why did you become a sorcerer?"
"It's something you shouldn't know." His answer was simple and short but it was indirectly saying to her to not probe his private matters.
Higuchi wasn't surprised at all. From the first time they met, Higuchi got the first impression that he was a mysterious person with many secrets.
Then again, she just told him her problems but she had nothing to say as this was her act according to her will and he didn't force it.
"You're more talkative than I thought," she suddenly said.
"I leave that to your imagination."
Shortly thereafter, four dark petals formed beneath him. Each petal then closed on itself as though a video of a blooming flower played in reverse.
After his figure was engulfed by the unbloomed dark flower, it disappeared as it left black, tiny petals swaying about.
That wasn't the only thing, there was a humanoid shadow figure on Narukami's latest position.
Higuchi was at loss with words as her mind clouded with slight fear and extreme confusion.
Where did he go? Did he just teleport? Why is there a black version of his left here? Isn't this too exaggerated? Can't he just walk away and do it without anyone watching him?
Questions after another rushed into her mind with no definite answers, only speculations and it was a wonder what it was.
As she speculated, she saw the humanoid figure has a watch on his right wrist. It flickered with a small yellow light.
A tracking device… She quickly grasped what was happening!
.
.
.
In the middle of the city, at the highest peak of a skyscraper. A black flower appeared out of the thin air, the color blended in with the darkness yet the outline discernible upon attentive look.
With lights illuminated from nearby skyscrapers, the darkness' tone slightly downed a bit.
Next to the black flower which was reminiscent of a pure evil plant, was seemingly an antenna that let out red dots as it flickered.
After the flower bloomed and revealed a figure, the figure took a step forward and the dark, blooming flower quickly vanished.
The air hundreds of feet from the ground was fresh and had a hint of coldness. It left a chill sensation in his lungs.
The lights in the distance were like translucent gems, emanating different beautiful colors and pleasant to one's eyes.
However, he didn't have the luxury to appreciate the view as it was near midnight. He had to complete the agreement "She" proposed.
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath to control every emotion he felt and unhurriedly exuded it in a relaxed manner.
"Alright, it's time."
He opened his eyes and clasped his hands as he made a complex hand gesture. Fingers intertwined, some facing the sky, some the ground, some curved.
Simultaneously, black, spiral thread materialized around his right, pinky finger. As it materialized, the edge of the thread let out a spark as it extended itself, coiling his pinky finger and stopped after coiling one-fourth of his finger.
"Special Gesture: Purge." He calmly said as he spread out his spiritual energy and all at once, his spiritual energy began to form many creatures!
Eagle, cheetah, lion, tiger, wolf, a fox with six tails, and a giant serpent!
One flew to the night sky, one descending the building as though walking on land and one mysteriously walked on air! It was the fox!
Their bodies were made out of purple lightning and they spread to the city. Shortly thereafter, the eagle then swooped down and with its lightning claw, it grabbed a black creature that was jumping buildings to another.
After which, the black creature dissipated without much resistance.