After Harutora left with his two guardians, Rozen's shikigami tactfully dispelled their material forms one after another.
In an instant, only Rozen, Natsume, Suzuka, and Kurahashi Kyouko remained at the scene.
The four of them exchanged glances, creating an atmosphere of awkward silence.
There was no helping it.
Natsume had a lot she wanted to say to Rozen but didn't know where to start, so she remained silent, unable to utter a single word.
As for Suzuka, she had even less to say. Instead, she simply glared at Rozen, her expression fierce and unfriendly.
Kyouko, on the other hand, felt particularly uneasy.
In the past, Kyouko and Natsume had not gotten along at all. At Onmyo Academy, they frequently clashed, constantly competing to determine who was superior. Over the course of their first year, they had already engaged in countless jujutsu battles, making their relationship rather complicated.
Now, Kyouko had also become Rozen's shikigami, just like Natsume. From now on, they would both serve Rozen in that capacity. Kyouko had no idea how Natsume would react to this.
Moreover, when she recalled how she had stripped herself bare in order to become Rozen's shikigami—letting him see her entire body—Kyouko felt her cheeks burn uncontrollably. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone.
Suzuka found Kyouko's behavior puzzling, while Natsume, just as Kyouko had suspected, felt somewhat conflicted about the situation.
Her gaze toward Rozen carried a hint of grievance, as though she had been abandoned by a heartless lover.
Faced with this atmosphere, even Rozen felt a little guilty and instinctively avoided Natsume's eyes.
This only earned him Suzuka's disdainful scoff and Kyouko's wry smile, making him feel even more uncomfortable.
(If Artoria and Jeanne were here to see me like this, they'd definitely make fun of me...)
Rozen could only sigh inwardly.
However, he quickly adjusted his mindset.
(They are my shikigami. Why should I feel awkward about it?)
Rozen resolved himself.
As a magus who prided himself on his summoning abilities, how could he fail to control his own shikigami?
That was simply impossible.
With that thought, Rozen regained his composure and looked at Natsume and Suzuka.
"So, how have you been these past one and a half years?" Rozen asked tentatively.
Natsume was about to answer, but Suzuka spoke first.
"We've been running and hiding the entire time, constantly hunted by the Onmyo Agency, all while risking our lives in training as Living Spirits. How do you think we've been?" Suzuka retorted irritably.
"What about the Tsuchimikado family?"
Rozen rubbed his nose awkwardly and changed the topic.
Natsume opened her mouth, but once again, Suzuka answered first.
"They've been doing just fine. Takahiro and Chizuru flaunt their affection in front of us every day, completely forgetting about our existence. The head of the Tsuchimikado main family, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, hasn't been particularly close to us either. He only shows up during training or stays in his room stargazing. Compared to us, they've been living quite comfortably."
Suzuka spoke with biting sarcasm.
"I see..."
Rozen, stung by Suzuka's sharp words, found himself at a loss. He could only smile wryly and raise his hands in surrender.
Seeing this, Natsume actually softened a little.
This past year and a half had been incredibly difficult for her and Suzuka.
Rozen had been able to leave for another world, continuing his carefree adventures, but Natsume and Suzuka had no choice but to stay behind, fleeing from the Onmyo Agency while training their abilities as Living Spirits. They constantly faced the risk of being consumed by their own power.
As their master, Rozen had not been by their side. It was only natural that they harbored some resentment toward him. Even Natsume couldn't deny feeling a little bit of it herself.
That was why Suzuka was acting so prickly now.
Natsume had once thought that when she found Rozen again, she would definitely give him a piece of her mind.
But now, reunited with him, she found herself overwhelmed with nothing but excitement and relief.
All of her grievances had vanished without a trace.
With her heart softening further, Natsume actually spoke up in Rozen's defense.
"Suzuka, don't be too harsh on Akikan." Natsume said, "This past year and a half couldn't have been easy for him either. Otherwise, he wouldn't have changed so much. His spiritual energy has grown immensely, he's subjugated the Hyakki Yakou, and his strength has reached terrifying levels. I'm sure the effort he put in was no less than ours."
"Is that so?" Suzuka snorted coldly. "Then now that he has so many powerful shikigami, we're completely useless, right? Should we just go find a place to fend for ourselves?"
"..."
Natsume fell silent.
Truthfully, she had wondered the same thing.
Rozen had already gained so many powerful shikigami. Did he even need the two of them anymore?
Natsume felt a pang of uncertainty.
Until...
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Rozen rolled his eyes, exasperated. "I never said you were useless. Why are you belittling yourselves?"
Suzuka, however, was unconvinced.
"Then explain why that cow over there became your shikigami." Suzuka pointed at Kyouko, speaking aggressively. "She's your shikigami now, right? Isn't it because we're useless that you took in a new one?"
Before Rozen could respond, Kyouko hurriedly spoke up.
"I was the one who asked to become Akikan's shikigami. In fact, I was a little forceful about it. Please don't blame him."
Her words made it sound like a mistress taking all the blame to protect her lover.
At least, that was how it felt to Natsume.
She couldn't help but look at Rozen with a hint of sorrow in her eyes.
Rozen was at a loss.
"I'll explain why Kyouko became my shikigami later." Rozen sighed. "But no matter what, you're all my shikigami now. Since that's the case, I hope you can accept each other. Otherwise, how will we fight alongside one another in the future?"
That was an undeniable fact.
As Rozen's shikigami, they had a duty to protect him. Internal strife was not an option.
Even Suzuka understood this, so she fell silent.
Only Natsume hesitated for a moment before looking at Rozen seriously.
"Does Kyouko know the truth about the Kurahashi family?"
Her words made Rozen pause, while Kyouko blinked in confusion.
"The truth about the Kurahashi family?" Kyouko asked instinctively. "What truth?"
Her reaction alone was enough to answer Natsume's question.
Thus...
"Natsume." Rozen spoke softly. "Tell Kyouko everything."
It was time for her to know the full truth.
"...I understand."
Natsume turned to Kyouko and, after a brief pause, nodded.
With the decisive battle coming tomorrow, they could no longer keep Kyouko in the dark.
Rozen and Natsume both understood this.
And so, Natsume revealed everything about the Onmyo Agency, the Kurahashi family, and the Souma family to Kyouko.
Kyouko's eyes widened, and her face paled.