"Th-That's Hokuto?"
When Hokuto roared and appeared in mid-air within the underground space, Harutora was utterly shocked.
And it wasn't just Harutora. Even Hishamaru and Kakugyouki were stunned.
"That's Hokuto?"
"The change is too drastic!"
Hishamaru and Kakugyouki couldn't help but voice their disbelief.
It was understandable.
Both Hishamaru and Kakugyouki were extremely familiar with Hokuto. And Harutora? Even more so.
In his past life as Yakou, Harutora was the head of the Tsuchimikado main family and had naturally inherited the dragon that had been passed down through generations.
Hokuto had once shone brilliantly under Yakou's command, assisting him countless times. Though pure and naive by nature, Hokuto's contributions were second to none—even if it couldn't quite compare to Hishamaru and Kakugyouki, it was undoubtedly on par with Raven's Wing and Moon Wheel.
Thus, Harutora was incredibly familiar with Hokuto and considered it an outstanding shikigami—one of his top three without question, a true guardian. Hishamaru and Kakugyouki had also worked alongside Hokuto as fellow shikigami, and they deeply recognized its strength.
Because of this, after so many years, seeing Hokuto again left them all in shock.
Hokuto had changed too much.
Though its appearance remained largely the same, the difference in its dragon aura was like night and day.
Hokuto had always been strong, but that was it—it had still been a step behind Hishamaru and Kakugyouki, Yakou's two great guardian shikigami. Yet now, Hokuto's dragon aura was as vast and ferocious as a raging storm. Even Kakugyouki, who had accumulated a thousand years of power to become an ogre king, was far inferior. As for Hishamaru, whose strength lay in technique rather than raw power, there was simply no comparison.
More than that, Hokuto's gaze and presence had completely transformed. It was no longer just pure and innocent but carried an air of majesty and valor. It was as if it had suddenly matured overnight, exuding an awe-inspiring dignity that even suppressed the divine energy filling the space.
Upon closer observation, subtle physical changes could also be seen.
For instance, Hokuto's scales gleamed more brilliantly than before. Its horns had grown thicker and more robust, its fangs sharper, and its four claws had evolved from three digits to five.
"A five-clawed golden dragon?"
Harutora was utterly incredulous.
Had Hokuto ascended from a spiritual beast to a true divine beast?
Had it undergone true growth and transformation—not only in strength but also in spirit?
Harutora couldn't shake the feeling that this was Hokuto's true form, a matured divine dragon. The Hokuto of the past had merely been a youngling, still yet to reach its full potential.
"Is this because of that substitute brat?"
Hishamaru turned to look at Rozen.
"This is just…"
Kakugyouki couldn't even form a coherent sentence.
Unlike Harutora, Hishamaru and Kakugyouki had secretly observed Rozen since his early days at Onmyo Academy. They had seen him command Hokuto in battle.
And back then, Hokuto had not been like this.
This was proof that under Rozen's command, Hokuto had undergone true growth. Its spirit had transformed. It had been utterly reborn.
Naturally, Hokuto had also noticed Harutora, Hishamaru, and Kakugyouki, recognizing its former companions.
Then—
"Roar!"
Hokuto suddenly let out a thunderous roar, spiraled through the air like a soaring dragon, and shot forward.
Its target was Shaver, who was relentlessly attacking Kakugyouki with its spirit blade.
"Huh?"
Sensing the incoming threat, Shaver turned its head in bewilderment—
Only to be met with a dazzling dragon tail.
"Boom—!"
A deafening impact followed as the tail, charged with terrifying dragon energy, slammed into Shaver. Shaver's entire form flickered with distorted static, its core fracturing in a burst of light.
With a pained scream, Shaver's body shattered, leaving only a single spirit blade floating in midair.
Hokuto extended a dragon claw and seized the blade—Higekiri.
Then, with a forceful squeeze—
"Crack!"
Hokuto crushed Higekiri on the spot, shattering the spirit blade that had been passed down for centuries. Its fragments scattered across the ground.
"Shaver!"
Losing his shikigami, Kagami Reiji's eyes burned with fury. He immediately abandoned his fight against Natsume and Suzuka, forming hand seals to attack Hokuto.
But Hokuto was faster.
Without hesitation, it turned and unleashed a blast of icy breath toward Kagami Reiji.
"—————"
Kagami Reiji's face twisted in panic. He hastily chanted the Fire Realm Incantation, summoning raging flames to counter the incoming ice.
Unfortunately, the fire was instantly engulfed by the freezing breath, evaporating into steam without even disrupting the frost.
The icy mist consumed Kagami Reiji.
"N—No…!"
Kagami Reiji let out a final cry of shock and anger before being completely frozen solid.
His body turned into an ice sculpture, seated in place—never to move again.
Hokuto had effortlessly eliminated both Kagami Reiji and his shikigami, aiding not only Kakugyouki but also Natsume and Suzuka.
Then, curling its body, Hokuto sped through the air, charging toward the enemies attacking its master.
"Boom—!"
With a thunderous collision, Miyachi Iwao was sent flying before he even had time to react. Blood spewed from his mouth as he crashed into the ground, his fate uncertain.
"Splurt!"
"Splurt!"
The sound of flesh tearing echoed as Hokuto streaked past Shikigami Byakua and Kurobou, raking its claws across them both.
One had its back ripped open.
The other had its body slashed apart.
Both let out agonized cries before vanishing in bursts of fracturing energy.
"Miyachi! Byakua! Kurobou!"
Kurahashi Genji was in utter disbelief.
The most powerful onmyoji of the current era, along with the two guardian shikigami of the Kurahashi family—
All defeated in a single instant?
Even Kagami Reiji had been frozen, his shikigami destroyed?
"Impossible…!"
Kurahashi Genji's voice trembled in shock.
"This… this is Tsuchimikado's dragon?"
"It's too… too powerful…!"
Yashamaru and Kumomaru were equally stunned.
As for Harutora, Hishamaru, and Kakugyouki, they were already speechless.
A warrior gone for three days should be seen with fresh eyes.
Now standing at the threshold of a true divine beast, a power surpassing even strategic-class, and just a step away from a Grand-level existence—
Unlike Rozen, who held back in battle, unlike the great yokai of the Hyakki, who never fought seriously—
Hokuto had no reservations.
To demonstrate its growth, it wielded its full strength, unleashing its dragon might upon the world it had once belonged to.
"Roar!!!"
With a high-pitched, thunderous cry, Hokuto soared through the air.
It was overwhelming. Terrifying. Unstoppable.