Rushing back into the library I barely looked at the sleeping monk other than grabbing another candle. I found the Astronomy section and quickly located a book on seasons and seasonal signs.

This was it. A cold sweat gripped me. I took the book and rushed to the section on spells. Located a book on rituals and curses for seasons. Four, four murders? A drought. That was it.

Why would someone want to create a drought?  Destroy the harvest?

I wasn’t sure how to answer Ikiru. But the rituals were the same. Blood magic at the time of the summer solstice would bring in a drought lasting the next four years. It only required two more sacrifices.

That you know of. Ikiru’s voice was like a whisper in my head which sent a shiver down my spine.

Searching through the rituals, I tried to find references as to how one would stop or counter such a ritual. You won’t find it. The only counter for this kind of magic is to stop it before it happens, and for that, you need to find who is behind this.

“Easier said than done,” I replied out loud, slamming the book shut. Every lead we’ve had has blown up in my face, for all I know there’s been more murders, and I just don’t know about it. The only way I know about the second is Oro-

The old lady was such a coincidence, wasn’t she?

There was no so such thing. Was it a setup? My mind raced. A click from behind stopped it suddenly. “Don’t move, Yashimuro-san.” The voice of a woman. How did she get in? I hadn’t seen anyone…

“Who are you?” I answered, not daring to move a muscle. I knew what that sound was. She had a blasting cannon from Albion. Whoever, “she” was.