"You actually sent two Shikigami to deal with me?"
Looking at Natsume and Suzuka stepping forward from Rozen's side, Kagami Reiji let out an angry laugh.
Compared to Kagami Reiji, Natsume and Suzuka were undoubtedly far weaker.
Although both were geniuses who surpassed Kurahashi Kyouko, with Natsume being more outstanding than Kyouko since a year and a half ago, and Suzuka already holding a position among the Twelve Divine Generals, they were still lacking. Even though a year and a half had passed and even Kyouko had barely reached the level of the Twelve Divine Generals, Natsume and Suzuka were certainly not weak. They might not be as strong as the veteran Twelve Divine Generals, but they were at least on the level of Yuge Mari and Yamashiro Hayato.
However, compared to Kagami Reiji, they were still far from a match.
Previously, if Kagami Reiji were in his sealed state, Natsume and Suzuka working together might have stood a chance at defeating him.
But now that Kagami Reiji had unsealed himself, his power was second only to Miyachi Iwao, making even veteran Twelve Divine Generals unlikely to be his opponents. Under normal circumstances, no matter how much Natsume and Suzuka had grown, they wouldn't be able to defeat him.
Of course, that was assuming they had progressed normally.
Unfortunately for Kagami Reiji, Natsume and Suzuka possessed inhuman trump cards.
Thus—
"First Seal! Release!"
Natsume suddenly clasped her hands together and loudly declared.
"What...!?"
Kagami Reiji's expression changed instantly.
At that moment, Natsume's spiritual energy erupted like a volcanic explosion, shifting into something beyond human—no longer spiritual energy, but miasma. More precisely, it was fox aura.
By releasing the first seal within her body, Natsume had unlocked the power of a Living Spirit, and foxfire ignited around her.
The foxfire transformed into a hunting robe draped over her body, and her long black hair gradually turned into a pure snow-white shade. A pair of fox ears emerged atop her head, and a fox tail extended from her back. She had transformed into a fox maiden, exuding the pure and sharp aura of a valiant female warrior.
Natsume had always been beautiful, but now, in her fox form, she had become incredibly bewitching and enchanting. A mesmerizing fragrance surrounded her, making her beauty even more breathtaking—reminiscent of Tamamo-no-Mae, the legendary fox yokai of unparalleled charm.
At this moment, Natsume had taken on the form of a Fox Sage, inheriting the power of Abe no Seimei's mother, Kuzunoha.
Suzuka's transformation was even more astonishing.
"First Seal! Release!"
A deep growl, unlike her usual voice, came from Suzuka's throat, followed by an eruption of terrifying demonic energy.
The surge of this demonic aura instantly caught the attention of the battling Shaver and Kakugyouki.
"That aura...!"
Shaver's eyes widened in shock, his expression twisting.
"I never thought she would actually become a Living Spirit for that guy."
Kakugyouki, on the other hand, had a nostalgic look on his face before letting out a bitter smile.
After all, he had already sensed that presence within Suzuka a year and a half ago. However, he never expected that Suzuka would seal that demon within her body and directly become its Living Spirit.
That demon was none other than the byproduct of Rozen's Divine Descent Ritual—and more than that, a figure Kakugyouki was very familiar with.
"After a thousand years, to think you would return in such a manner... You really are as restless as ever, Shuten."
Kakugyouki finally revealed the identity of the demon within Suzuka.
Yes—
Inside Suzuka resided one of the Three Great Yokai—Shuten Doji.
This was not the Shuten Doji summoned from another world by Rozen, but rather the Shuten Doji of this world—the one who had been slain by Minamoto no Yorimitsu a thousand years ago, and the Ogre King whom Kakugyouki had once served.
Since Rozen had summoned Kinu and Gyokuto—messengers of Amaterasu Omikami and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, respectively—another related spiritual entity had been drawn into the ritual as an unexpected byproduct.
This entity was not a god but was an ancient being of great spiritual nature.
And why was it Shuten Doji?
The reasons were simple:
Firstly, while Shuten Doji was not a deity, he was the child of a Dragon God and possessed divine traits, making him compatible with the Divine Descent Ritual.
Secondly, some legends claim that Shuten Doji was the son of Ibuki Daimyojin—in other words, the son of Yamata-no-Orochi.
And Yamata-no-Orochi was the very being slain by Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the last of the Three Noble Children.
Thus, due to this spiritual connection, Shuten Doji was resurrected as a side effect of the ritual.
However, Shuten Doji had been slain once before, and the ritual was not a true resurrection ritual. Though his spirit was ancient, it was incredibly weak—until Suzuka sealed him within herself, nurturing him with her own spiritual energy, allowing him to recover.
That was why Kakugyouki had always paid close attention to Suzuka, and even Rozen's own Shikigami, Shuten Doji and Ibaraki Doji, had taken an interest in her.
Now, Suzuka had released the first seal within her body, bringing this ancient Ogre King's power back into the world.
As her overwhelming demonic energy swelled, a pair of sharp horns appeared on her forehead. Fangs extended from her lips, and a ceremonial robe draped over her shoulders, making her resemble a mischievous yet dangerously powerful little ogre.
The Fox Sage and the Ogre King had both manifested, their fox aura and demonic energy swirling into a storm.
"You two...!"
Bathed in the surging aura of fox and demon, Kagami Reiji's expression twisted several times before finally breaking into a crazed grin.
At this moment, his blood was boiling.
He knew he was no match for Rozen.
But—
"Are you telling me I can't even handle two Shikigami?"
Kagami Reiji roared, bringing his hands together in a seal as his entire jutsuryoku surged outward, transforming into a third storm.
"————!"
Kagami Reiji chanted the short mantra of Fudo Myo-o, his jutsuryoku igniting into fire energy, forming fiery serpents that lunged toward Natsume and Suzuka.
In response, both the Fox Sage and the Ogre King lifted their heads. Their delicate features, illuminated by the raging flames, were adorned with excited smiles.
For a year and a half, they had stood by Rozen's side, only able to watch him fight.
Now, they stood at the center of the battlefield, fighting for him.
For this, they had trained tirelessly for an entire year and a half.
"Don't embarrass yourself, Suzuka!"
"You think I would?"
With those words, Natsume unleashed a torrent of foxfire, while Suzuka expanded her demonic energy, unleashing it in a devastating blast.
Another fierce battle erupted in the underground space.
Only Rozen remained still, scanning the battlefield before setting his sights on the altar.
There, the vortex of divine energy was growing stronger—
And from Souma Takiko's body, an overwhelming divinity was beginning to emerge.