Convergence

Part 2 : chapter 7

The next morning, when Utahime woke up, 

she was surprised to find Satoru's apartment already empty.

She hurried to check the clock, but it was only seven in the morning.

Satoru was nowhere to be seen.

It was as though he had vanished into thin air once again.

Where had he gone so early? She had not known him to be an early riser.

The sheets in his room were still untouched; it looked as though he had not slept at all.

Utahime quickly got ready to leave and join the others for their first mission together.

On her way to school, she kept replaying the events of the previous evening in her mind: her painful confrontation with Kashimo in the rain, and then that strange night with Satoru.

Far too much had happened in the space of a single evening.

In the end, Utahime decided not to tell the others about her encounter with Kashimo. What would be the point of worrying them? They all had enough on their minds already. Perhaps it was better to let them believe that Kashimo had simply left school and gone on to lead a quiet life elsewhere.

She felt slightly guilty about the way she had been judging Professor Gakuganji. In his own way, perhaps he had only been trying to protect them. Knowing the truth was not always a blessing.

..........

As she approached the main school gate, she saw her classmates waiting for her.

Satoru was with them.

Geto Suguru: "Are you alright, senpai? You left so suddenly last night..."

Shoko: "Where were you? I tried calling you more than twenty times!"

Mei Mei: "I was beginning to hope nobody had stolen your phone."

Utahime: "I'm really sorry for worrying you. My battery died, so I couldn't answer any of your calls."

Shoko: "But what happened exactly?"

Satoru: "I don't think we really have time for that right now. We have a mission to complete."

Everyone stared at him in surprise.

Utahime herself did not understand the sudden change in his attitude. Satoru was not exactly known for his diligence.

Geto Suguru: "(clears throat) Yes... you're right, Satoru. We should get going. Professor Gakuganji gave us the address in this envelope..."

............

Their first mission together took them to the Tokyo Grand Court of Justice.

And really, was that so surprising?

How many vengeful cursed spirits must have been born in a place like that—where parents watched their child's murderer receive only ten years in prison? Where women saw their rapists walk free for lack of evidence? Where innocent people were condemned through some cruel combination of bad luck and human error?

The very walls of the courthouse seemed to shimmer with all kinds of malice.

Mei Mei: "The most important part of this mission is setting up a barrier."

Utahime: "Barrier techniques are not innate techniques. Anyone with access to a sufficient amount of occult energy can create one, though the difficulty varies. To erect a barrier, you must first form the spell inside yourself using sacred words. Then—"