Without a doubt, the power displayed by Hokuto shocked everyone present.
Along with their shock, many also trembled in fear.
For example, Kurahashi Genji.
For example, Yashamaru.
And for example, Kumomaru.
As they watched the dragon soaring freely in the sky, and then looked at Rozen—who remained calm as ever, gripping the Holy Sword of the Sun that was stabbed into the ground, continuously injecting his astonishing spiritual energy into the leyline to suppress its turbulence while chanting a spell to channel the leyline's energy into Souma Takiko's body—everyone, including Kurahashi Genji, Yashamaru, Kumomaru, and Tsuchimikado Harutora's group, couldn't help but tremble.
This young man before them had shattered everyone's expectations time and time again. After a year and a half away, he returned not only with vastly increased spiritual energy but also with an entirely transformed level of strength.
He revived the Hyakki Yakou, commanded legendary yokai and demons to overrun Tokyo, reduced the Onmyo Agency to ruins overnight, nurtured the Tsuchimikado family's dragon to such an overwhelming level of power, and now, using only his own strength, he was suppressing an entire leyline while attempting to take control of a divine spirit. These feats sounded utterly unbelievable—yet, he had achieved them one by one.
What's more, ever since his return to Tokyo, Rozen had always adopted a passive stance. Despite possessing such overwhelming power, he neither responded to provocations nor resisted capture, only erupting in the final moment and turning Tokyo into a demonic domain. If he had been hostile to the Onmyo Agency from the start, the Divine Descension Ritual would never have succeeded, and the Kurahashi and Souma families' schemes would have been crushed long ago.
The terrifying part was that even at this point, Rozen still remained composed, showing no signs of urgency. His response to the Onmyo Agency's actions was still passive.
If he had truly wanted to destroy them, he could have simply unleashed the full power of the Hyakki Yakou, allowing the great yokai to demonstrate their incredible abilities. But instead, most of them merely observed the battle, unwilling to take action, and even when they did, they weren't taking it seriously.
At the very least, if Rozen had summoned Hokuto earlier to engage in battle, the current one-sided massacre would have happened much sooner, and this chaotic struggle wouldn't have lasted until now.
In other words, from start to finish, Rozen had barely taken them seriously. Even when he acted, it was more like toying with them rather than making a genuine effort.
Everyone now realized this undeniable truth. There was no way they wouldn't tremble in fear.
At this moment, a single thought dominated their minds:
"Perhaps, all this time, we never truly understood what kind of monster this person is."
This thought arose naturally.
After all, when they really thought about it, none of them had any idea just how strong Rozen truly was.
Of course, no matter what they speculated, they would never be able to grasp the full extent of his power.
Rozen's strength had already surpassed their understanding—it was beyond anything they could comprehend.
And even if they somehow managed to understand it, it would make no difference.
Because in this world, Rozen was already unmatched.
That much was indisputable.
"Buzz!"
Spiritual energy radiated from Rozen's body like divine light, shaking the atmosphere as it poured into the leyline. Through the ritual, the leyline's power continued flowing into Souma Takiko's body. Under Rozen's incantations, it formed layers of shackles that bound the very essence of the divine spirit residing within her.
"Aaaaaah.....!"
Souma Takiko finally let out a scream of intense agony.
However, it was immediately clear that this was not Souma Takiko's voice.
That cry, which resonated deep into the hearts and souls of those who heard it, was not human—it was a roar as if descending from the heavens themselves.
The one screaming was not Souma Takiko but Taira no Masakado.
The spirit of Taira no Masakado, which had descended into Souma Takiko's body, was finally being forcefully extracted, as the jujutsu bindings pierced into the deepest part of its spiritual essence.
"Lord Masakado...!"
Witnessing this, Yashamaru and Kumomaru could no longer remain idle.
"Stop this!"
"Cease immediately!"
No longer trembling in fear, no longer maintaining their composure, Yashamaru and Kumomaru threw themselves forward in one final desperate struggle, launching toward Rozen like two bullets.
Even though Hokuto was standing guard beside Rozen, even though Kinu and Gyokuto were protecting him, Yashamaru and Kumomaru had no choice.
As Souma Takiko's Shikigami, now that her body was possessed by Taira no Masakado, the two Yase Doji were gradually being transformed into divine attendants, akin to subordinate deities. Their power had risen dramatically.
Previously, Yashamaru and Kumomaru were merely at a tactical level of strength, but now, they had reached the pinnacle of that level, on the verge of stepping into the realm of strategic-class beings.
If they continued to receive divine energy nourishment, it was only a matter of time before they transcended into full-fledged strategic-class entities—existences on the level of the Three Great Yokai or the Four Great Vengeful Spirits.
Furthermore, the descent of Taira no Masakado was the Souma family's thousand-year aspiration. Emotionally and logically, Yashamaru and Kumomaru had no choice but to stand their ground.
"You will not control Lord Masakado!"
"Even if it's you, doing this is absolutely unforgivable!"
With those declarations, Yashamaru and Kumomaru shot forward at high speed, charging directly at Rozen.
Despite this, neither Hokuto nor Kinu intervened.
The reason was simple.
"You will not take another step closer to Akikan!"
"I won't let you advance even a single step further!"
With these determined words, two figures rushed forward to intercept Yashamaru and Kumomaru.
In that instant, Yashamaru and Kumomaru clearly saw their opponents.
"Tsuchimikado Natsume!"
Kumomaru called out the name of the girl whose entire body was wreathed in foxfire.
"Suzuka...!"
Yashamaru's expression darkened as he recognized the girl clad in a traditional water-colored robe, now bearing demonic horns and razor-sharp claws.
The newcomers were none other than Natsume and Suzuka.
Sensing the fox aura and demonic energy radiating from the two, the Yase Doji had no choice but to halt their advance.
Natsume and Suzuka landed in front of them, standing opposite them in a tense standoff.
"At last, we stand face to face, Yase Doji!"
Natsume exhaled, her expression tense.
"..."
Suzuka, meanwhile, fixed her gaze on Yashamaru. Her eyes flickered with emotions—hatred, fear, but above all, unwavering determination.
"Suzuka." Yashamaru's expression darkened further as he spoke in a low voice. "I never thought that in the end, the one standing in my way would be you."
Indeed, Yashamaru had never anticipated such a scenario.
How could he?
"...To you, neither I nor my brother were anything more than test subjects for your experiments—tools to validate your forbidden theories. So, of course, you never imagined that your test subjects would one day rebel against you."
Suzuka spoke with a mocking tone after a brief silence.
"I certainly didn't expect it." Yashamaru sneered. "Even more unexpected was that you'd gain the power to defy me."
Yashamaru stated this matter-of-factly.