-100- Please accept this..

The battle ended within a few minutes, and there was hardly any suspense.

When the fight was over, only a few puppets manipulated by telekinesis remained on the empty ground.

As for the puppets turned into Shikigami, the miasma around them had dissipated, leaving scattered debris everywhere.

"Heh... heh... heh..."

Exhausted, Kamo Subaru sat on the ground, gasping for breath, and his magical power seemed to have depleted, showing signs of fatigue.

"How about that? Admit defeat?"

Rozen grinned at Kamo Subaru. Although he wasn't overly smug, there was a sense of satisfaction, which annoyed Kamo Subaru to no end.

Not only Kamo Subaru but also Yuge Mutsura and Domon Hinowa were surprised by the one-sided outcome.

"Is... is it really one-sided?"

Yuge Mutsura couldn't believe it.

"Amazing, Nuragami-sama."

Domon Hinowa's eyes began to glitter with respect as she looked at Rozen.

None of them had expected the battle to turn out this way. Even though they had witnessed some of Rozen's abilities during their time in the forbidden area, they had still anticipated a more competitive match against Kamo Subaru. The clear-cut victory took everyone by surprise.

"After all, Nuragami is on par with Ten-nii."

Smiling wryly and with mixed feelings, Akabane Raishin made that remark.

As the second most prominent figure in the Izanagi clan after Domon, the Kamo family's heir, Kamo Subaru, naturally possessed remarkable talent. However, when compared to the two prodigies of the Akabane Clan, known as the "Heaven Child" and the "Divine Child," he still fell short.

To be blunt, Rozen and Akabane Tenzen's talents were of an unparalleled level, even when compared on a global scale. That's why the Akabane Clan considered Rozen, who lacked the "Crimson Wing's Blood," to be on the same level as Tenzen, someone capable of changing the course of the clan's history.

Such extraordinary talents were capable of influencing the physical body, causing Rozen's physique to become so frail. As Rozen had mentioned, this might indeed be a case of "heaven envying the gifted."

Having such two brothers constantly compared by their family, it's easy to imagine the immense pressure that Raishin endured. His decision to give up magic and pursue martial arts was undoubtedly influenced by this comparing.

Thus, even though Kamo Subaru possessed extraordinary talent, the gap between him and Rozen remained significant.

A one-sided outcome was only natural.

"Don't... don't get too cocky!" Kamo Subaru gasped for breath, unwilling to accept defeat. He shouted, "Even if I can't win this time, I will become an amazing Onmyouji and defeat you in the future!"

"Is that so?" Rozen shrugged and replied, "Then you better work hard, because I won't wait for you."

Hearing this, Kamo Subaru glared at Rozen, displaying a mixture of fighting spirit and a hard-to-describe sense of refreshment.

Though he wouldn't admit it, Kamo Subaru must have developed some respect for Rozen by now, right?

"All right," Rozen held back his magic and pulled Kamo Subaru up from the ground, speaking calmly, "We should be leaving now."

With this sentence, Kamo Subaru fell silent, and even Raishin, Yuge Mutsura, and Domon Hinowa, who were coming over, paused.

"Leaving already?" Yuge Mutsura sighed.

Today was the day when the Akabane Clan would set off on their journey home.

Naturally, Rozen and Raishin would also leave Tengu Mountain along with the rest of the group.

This parting meant they wouldn't see each other for a long time.

This made Yuge Mutsura feel somewhat sentimental.

From being adversaries to cooperating, from cooperating to acknowledging each other, and finally playing together, it had only been a few days, but it felt like they had known each other for a long time.

Perhaps if someone had told Kamo Subaru and Yuge Mutsura in advance that they would become friends with Rozen and Raishin, those two would have dismissed it disdainfully.

How could this not be a cause for reflection?

Although Raishin was feeling sentimental too, he remained open-minded.

"Let's play together again when we have the chance," Raishin patted Yuge Mutsura's shoulder and said with a smile.

Rozen smiled slightly, about to say something, when he heard a faint voice.

"Nuragami-sama..."

Standing to the side, Domon Hinowa looked at Rozen with eyes full of reluctance.

Just as Rozen was unsure of what to say, Domon Hinowa seemed to have thought of something. she mustered up courage and took the initiative.

"Nuragami-sama, please come over here."

Saying this, Hinowa grabbed Rozen's hand and pulled him to a distance before Rozen could react.

"What is Hinowa planning to do?" Akabane Raishin asked in surprise, a playful glint in his eyes.

It seemed that Akabane Raishin had been asking obvious questions.

However, this didn't ignite any anger from Kamo Subaru and Yuge Mutsura, and instead, they simply ignored it.

"It's quite peculiar, Subaru?" Yuge Mutsura remarked with astonishment, looking at Kamo Subaru, who remained silent. "I thought you'd definitely stop him."

This remark prompted Kamo Subaru to give a cold snort but didn't turn his head. "I'm not that petty. If Ojou wants to do something, I won't stop her."

Kamo Subaru's tone held no trace of stubbornness.

Apparently, it was genuine.

But...

"I really don't want to lose to that guy."

That was genuine as well.

Regarding this, Yuge Mutsura laughed heartily, showing great pleasure.

"Then let's practice harder in magic. Next time we meet him, we will definitely defeat him."

Yuge Mutsura made a promise.

"Of course."

Kamo Subaru responded without hesitation.

Both of them failed to notice the longing and agony in Raishin's eyes as he watched them from the side.

"If only I had the talent for magic..."

Raishin kept this thought to himself.

And once again, he confirmed it.

"I can only pursue martial arts."

Raishin silently thought, completely against the expectations of Akabane Kuukan.

And one day, Akabane Raishin would also come to regret his decision.

...

On the other side...

"For me?"

Rozen looked at the object in his hand, feeling somewhat dazed.

It was a bell in Rozen's hand, not the one that Domon Hinowa used for prayers, but a decorative bell attached to a ribbon, meant to be used as an accessory for the hair.

Domon Hinowa had given this to Rozen.

"Could it be...?"

----------- [ Token of love ]?

The words flashed in Rozen's mind, and his expression became rather peculiar.

Domon Hinowa kept her head down for a moment, then raised her eyes to look at Rozen.

"Please accept it and keep it with you."

Domon Hinowa made this seemingly insignificant request, yet there was an unprecedented passion in her eyes.

"Oh... okay."

Rozen showed an embarrassed expression and felt a bit absent-minded.

At this moment, Rozen had only one thought without any sense of shame.

"It was worth this trip."

With that, Rozen left the Izanagi clan, accompanying Akabane Raishin and the people of the Akabane clan on their journey back home.

Little did he know that when he met Domon Hinowa again, both of them would have undergone significant changes.