Sousei no Onmyouji: Reborn.

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Sousei no Onmyōuji (Twin Star Exorcist), all rights belong to the goat Sukeno, not every I write is cannon and true to the original.

"Kuh."

Rokuro gritted his teeth. This is why…. No, he just had to slip up and say that.

However, at that moment, Benio, who had been sitting silently, suddenly stood up.

She recalled their encounter in Magano and the words he had spoken.

He was strong, unrealistically strong. All it took was a single hit for him to eviscerate an Impurity of that size.

A newborn Ja-rank was gone in an instant. That kind of strength was unbelievable.

And now, the words this person named Aya had spoken just now, they contrasted with what Rokuro had said earlier.

Immediately, the room fell into absolute silence. It was as though everyone was waiting for one of the two to speak up.

However, Rokuro couldn't refute Ayato's words. He couldn't exactly say, "What do you know?"

Because he knew—Ayato also knew loss. Shortly after the Hinatsuki Tragedy, Ayato had suffered loss as well.

Old man Zenkichi was an influential figure on the Mainland, and he had received news from the Exorcist Branch overseeing that area.

Naturally, that meant Ayato also knew about Old man Zenkichi and Mayura.

And not to mention, he had been there (Hiinatsuki Dormnitory) with them.

He couldn't say anything. 

He couldn't refute his words.

"Why don't you talk, Rokuro? Let me take a guess. It was back then that you tossed that aspiration away, wasn't it? Yet… I can't find it in me to blame you."

Ayato said those words as he turned his head away. Perhaps he shouldn't have spoken like that.

But while he said that, Rokuro cursed, Ayato was as sharp as ever, no. It was because he had experienced the same loss as Rokuro…

That was why he could sympathize with him. 

To an extent.

However, he, on the other hand, wasn't clear why he kept on moving forward. 

Yet, he didn't hold much of a grudge against the male, after all, even without years of combat or training, he looked like Rokuro could effortlessly overwhelm him. 

That made him wince, a dry yet annoyed smile painting his lips for a moment before turning over to Ryogo.

"Please, I need to change, where can I do that?"

"Oh, ahh, just go down the hall, by the left, you should see it."

"Thank you."

It was only after Ayato slowly turned away that Rokuro finally noticed the grime and dirt on Ayato's clothes, along with the weapon case he carried behind him.

He—

Rokuro's eyes widened. 

Had Ayato continued being an exorcist despite everything?

Not only their friends, but his parents too… yet, why had he continued? He wanted to ask that, however, he couldn't.

He couldn't muster up the strength to.

But he hated it. The way the deadweight of back then looked down on him.

And also, he could feel it that Ayato had grown stronger over the years.

The first time they had met Ayato was when they had just moved over, joining the Kanto Branch Association.

Exorcists like them always participated in either programs or campaigns once in a while. 

And so, like that, Ayato, along with his parents, had come over.

A woman with a warm smile, one that seemed like it could cure anything with just that expression alone, and a man who looked like a gangster with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

With them was a kid—Ayato.

However, the first thing that pissed Rokuro off was—"He looks so much like Seigen!"

That demonic teacher of his.

The only thing Ayato was lacking was a dead-fish stare.

No, no, he would have been completely convinced if someone told him Ayato was that man's illegitimate child.

Not to mention how extremely blunt the guy was, much like Seigen.

Because of that, he got along far too well with another guy—Yuuto—and together, they would always bully him.

In fact, the two of them cooked up countless schemes that had gotten Rokuro into trouble so many times.

And for some reason, it always worked.

However, outside of that, Ayato wasn't really the fighting type. He would lose spars, obviously.

But when it came to hide and seek, they all hated him. Yuuto included.

The reason?

Even the faintest trace of Spell Power—he could detect it. He used that "cheat ability" so much that they banned him from using it.

Yet, he still found them unfailingly.

What's worse was that he was always first. The reason? Out of spite, dammit! According to the male, "since you say I suck at fighting, I'll always find you first," and he always did!

He would always find Rokuro first, then proceed to find the rest effortlessly, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

According to Seigen, Ayato had an absurd sensitivity to Spell Power, something that was incredibly rare for someone not on the Twelve Guardian level.

However, that was all he had which was exactly why Seigen would always discourage him.

"Runt—no, ant. You are not fit to be an exorcist. You should work in logistics instead."

"You're wasting your talent. Give up."

"A runt who doesn't know his place needs to be punished."

Those were the words Seigen would always tell Ayato back then, and for some damn reason, he always roped Rokuro into it too.

Which, of course, led to Seigen beating them up in the guise of training.

His parents, however, didn't seem to mind at all. They would just laugh it off.

Ayato Kamika. An existence that Rokuro disliked for the reasons above.

Yet, seeing that same fragile Ayato walking the path he had abandoned gnawed at him. 

No. It pissed him off. It made him feel weak. It made him feel guilty.

As Ayato left, Rokuro suddenly dashed out of the living room straight to his room.

SLAM!

He locked the door behind him.

"O-oi, Rokuro—!"

Ryogo before Rokuro had left had reached out, attempting to stop him, but, surprisingly, Rokuro shrugged him off.

The rest of the room fell silent, confusion lingering in the air. It was Atsushi who finally voiced it.

"What just happened…?"

"Hohoho, as expected. Bringing that boy here, Arima-sama is indeed wise."

Zenkichi Otomi entered the room, stroking his beard.

They all turned toward the old man who had just arrived, he hadn't been here until now.

"Gramps, did you know him?"

Ryogo asked as the man walked further inside, nodding sagaciously while still stroking his beard.

"Why, yes. He only appeared shortly after you left. It's only natural that they would have an history with each other."

They spoke cryptically.

However, earlier today, Atsushi and Shinnosuke had already heard details about Hinatsuki Dorm from Ryogo—so they suspected it must have been related to that.

But their thoughts were interrupted when they heard a low, dark chuckle from the old man.

"Though I'm surprised he's grown into such an exorcist… Now I see, I see. Why don't we put them in the same room, as Arima-sama suggested?"

Of course, the original directive had come from the Exorcist Head, but at first, Zenkichi had been skeptical of it.

But after seeing their interaction just now, he finally understood. Arima's words were the right call.

Of course, Arima, like a certain Sorcerer Supreme, had seen different variations of the future—ahem.

Regardless of that, at this point, the old man didn't deny the possibility of what the Exorcist Head had predicted coming true.

Ayato really would push Rokuro back into exorcism, though he had no idea why the Exorcist Head would pull such a move.

However, unbeknownst to him, everyone in the room had shuddered when they heard his dark chuckle.

Seeing their reaction, the old man suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hohoho~"

The old man simply laughed, ignoring their reactions. And, true to his words, he had already arranged for both males to live in the same room.

"...."

"...."

"No fucking way!"