Chapter Text
Tamamura Tamao was taken in by Asakura Mikihisa, becoming a Shugenja who will eventually overpower her mentor. When Asakura Yohmei witnessed her potential, the old man taught her divination. Living inside the Asakura household, Tamao worked under them like a servant. It was the least she could do for her benefactors.
"I don't mind if you come over," A child smiled, unaware of how his expression warmed the girl's chest. Wearing a strange contraption close to his ears, the heir of the Asakura clan held a brush in his hand as the female sat next to him. He doesn't wait for her response, speaking in his usual cheerful tune. "I'm making lucky scrolls under grandma's orders."
Asakura Yoh was like the sun, surrounded by spirits and deities wherever he went. The brunette was warm to everyone, understanding, and approachable. Yoh allowed her to examine his lesson books, teaching her the importance and application of such information. Public school knowledge is the standard information for all the residents of Japan, specifically those without shamanic powers. As shamans shrink in population, they must learn to adapt to the times. Yoh is an excellent teacher, passionate about Science and history.
...
Sometimes, Tamao wondered if Yoh truly cared about studying the stuff in school. The gods around the brunette desensitized the latter too much. If not for Anna, Yoh wouldn't be bothered by the fate of humanity under Hao's hands. That's right. Asakura Mikihisa told her about the Asakura clan's greatest threat: Asakura Hao. In the eyes of the Asakura Clan, Kyoyama Anna is the ideal candidate as a powerful shaman to motivate Yoh to defeat Hao. Tamao was... She understood the decision.
'But that doesn't mean I will stop loving him!' The pink-haired ascetic clutched her kokkuri board, following the directions of her spirits. Accidentally hearing the decision of the Asakura clan members, Tamao discovered Yoh was facing punishment in one of the caves of Izumo. The best Yohmei could do is prevent the execution of Yoh. However, Yoh is currently bleeding and starving for who knows how long?! Tamao can't stay still and pray! She needs to pave a road for Yoh to step on once he escapes the cavern! 'Yoh-sama is alive. I'm sure of it!'
"Don't forget. The small one and the long one will bring calamity," Conchi warned her, and she could not forget her mission. Because Yoh is focused on the overall picture, she must help alleviate his problems alongside Mistress Anna. She is currently handling the controversy surrounding Yoh's Guardian spirits.
'She will be here soon,' Tamao does not doubt the capabilities of the itako. Anna is one of the best students of Asakura Kino, so the former must be powerful enough to contain Yoh's contracted spirits. 'Once I deal with the intruders, I'll buy curry udon and wait by Hinomiksa lighthouse for Master Yoh's safe return!'
"There they are!" Ponchi pointed, and Tamao saw a man riding a motorbike and a child. Tamao almost thought she got the wrong pair of people until she heard the child say Yoh's name. She clenched her hands, glaring at the threat to her childhood friend, crush, and master.
"Leave this place at once!" Tamao barely spoke to anyone outside the Asakura household, but these people would bring ruin to Yoh. The kokkuri master can't let that happen. "I won't let you ruin Yoh-sama!"
"Yoh-sama...?" The child might suffer the same height problem as Asakura Yohmei, so Tamao shouldn't underestimate them. "What do you mean?! Do you know where he is?!"
"You're cute!" The man on the motorbike got off and pointed his finger at her. Tamao took a step back, intimidated by this tall person's voice. "You wanna go out with me?"
"Eh?" Both Ponchi and Conchi spoke at the same time.
"What?" Tamao shares the same confusion, and the tall man with the strange hair grabbed a flower out of nowhere.
"I'm 'Wooden Sword' Ryu!" The man's voice blocked the small human's question. "My hobby is searching for my happy place! Will you date me?!"
"U-Um..." Tamao raised her hands in front of her chest, having never encountered such a bizarre intruder. The male took a set forward, offering a sole flower. Yoh told her people to give flowers as a sign of respect or affection. 'How can I react to such a proposal towards one who will hurt Yoh-sama?!'
"No!" Tamao refused, and her guardian spirits rushed against the creepy human. Tamao vowed to protect Yoh from these two, but the stranger's fixation on her was too much. Tamao cried, "Stay away from me!"
"Get lost, Pompadour!" Conchi cut the man's hair off, working alongside Ponchi, who kicked the man's crotch. Ponchi declared, "If you touch Tamao, you'll answer to us!"
'You guys!' Tamao rubbed her eyes, standing at the entrance to prevent these two from reaching the lighthouse. The two struck a pose, declaring their names and titles. 'At least the weird man is knocked out.'
...
..
.
"I thought you were Manta for a second," the Hao lookalike muttered, spotting the intruder exploring Izumo. This must be Asakura Yoh with his large mana reserve. "I wonder if he's alright?"
"???" Opacho was curious and worried about this Yoh person. Every time the pyromancer hears the name of Yoh, Hao grows agitated. Opacho hears from Zen and Ryou that Yoh looks like Hao. Kōji also said Yoh was facing punishment. While Master Hao was out of the camp, Opacho went out to research Asakura Yoh. She isn't in any immediate harm. This isn't the first time she performed Astral projection to gather information about the other shamans.
"Are you okay?" Opacho asked, not physically present to touch the mimic. If not for his furyoku, Opacho would not have noticed someone staggering in this darkness. 'Strange. Why can't Opacho read his mind?'
"A bit hungry," Yoh sounds like Hao but with a tired and slightly lighter tone. He shouldn't be able to see her, having probably sensed and listened to her voice as he struggled to leave the cavern. Despite being stripped of all his senses, Yoh kept moving without a guide. Opacho considered him quite amazing to transverse through the darkness, having only wandered at the entrance after exploring near the Asakura properties. It was a sheer chance for them to meet. Yoh asked. "Why are you here?"
"Opacho is curious about Asakura Yoh," Opacho finds herself trusting this Hao doppelgänger but will keep a certain distance from the entity. "What are you to Hao-sama?"
"What am I to Hao?" Yoh repeated her inquiry, taking a break and sitting down. He takes deep breaths, his voice somewhat trembling in the cold. "Hmm~ I don't want to think about it."
"Why not?" Opacho asked, pouting. She knows Yoh is at his weakest, vulnerable to the elements. All alone. People don't lie in their final moments. Opacho knows that. She witnessed a lot of people facing such a despairing scenario.
"Just because..." Yoh shrugged, and Opacho caught a glimpse of numerous adults staring down at someone. Yoh somehow learned to close his mind from Reishi. Opacho remembers Hao telling her and Luchist about the Asakura clan trying to kill him.
"There's no point in thinking about Hao," Yoh sighed, refusing to make judgment. "I'll deal with Hao when he comes."
"Opacho is confused," Opacho doesn't believe his words, but Yoh is moving towards the exit again. "Yoh doesn't want to think?"
"There's a time and place for everything." Yoh rambled, reassuring the confused child. "Don't worry. Everything will work out."
"Opacho doesn't get it at all," Opacho shook her head, choosing to return when she sensed a foreign energy signature nearby.