-458- [ Hokuto ]

Under the night sky, a radiant light streaked and extended gradually, appearing like it was swimming in the air, rolling and dissipating its brilliance.

"That's...!?"

Even Rozen, who witnessed this scene, couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Beneath the night sky, the light streak gradually revealed its true form.

It was a dragon.

Not the wyverns Rozen had seen in the France Singularity, and certainly not the Western-style evil dragons like Fafnir.

It was an Eastern dragon, akin to the ones found in East Asian mythology, like a serpent or a sea serpent, with two deer-like antlers on its head and long flowing manes. Its entire body was covered in golden scales, with short limbs underneath its long body and hooked claws resembling those of a hawk on top. As the dragon's tail swayed gently, it stirred up intense air currents in the sky.

This formidable dragon appeared in the sky above the Tsuchimikado family, exuding an astonishing spiritual energy—dragon aura.

The dragon aura was so powerful that even from a distance, Rozen could feel his Spirit Vision warming up, indicating its immense strength and dreadfulness.

Yet, paradoxically, this fearsome dragon had a pair of innocent-looking eyes.

It blinked lazily, resembling a child who had just woken up, then stretched its body in mid-air before starting to leisurely swim through the sky as if it were in water.

The vivid scene confirmed to Rozen that what he was witnessing was real.

A dragon had indeed appeared before him.

Not some other similar creature, but an actual dragon—the mightiest being in fantasy, a legendary divine creature capable of traversing both the skies and the seas, a dragon with the power to control the force of nature.

Naturally, since this dragon appeared in response to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's call, it affirmed its identity.

"A Shikigami..."

That's right.

The dragon before his eyes was undoubtedly Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's Shikigami.

Moreover, it was definitely not an artificially created Man-made shikigami, but a natural spirit beast formed in the same manner as gods, demons, and other supernatural beings.

— A servent type shikigami.

The dragon before Rozen's eyes was indeed Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi's servent type shikigami.

No, to be more precise, the dragon did not entirely belong to Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.

"It has been our Tsuchimikado family's guardian beast since ancient times, a shikigami passed down from generation to generation to the head of the Tsuchimikado main family."

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi gazed at the joyfully soaring divine dragon in the night sky, reminiscent and somewhat nostalgic as he spoke these words.

"Its name is Hokuto. I inherited it from my father many years ago."

— "Hokuto."

Indeed, that was a fitting name for the divine beast before his eyes.

In Onmyoudou, the belief in celestial bodies, particularly stars, was profound. Ancient onmyouji would often offer prayers to the stars with great devotion, almost like deities themselves.

Among the celestial bodies, the Big Dipper, or the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, symbolized the Heavenly Dragon constellation.

So, as the head of the Tsuchimikado clan, they referred to their dragon shikigami as Hokuto.

From Hokuto's name, Rozen felt the authentic presence of dragon aura. This was undeniably the real deal.

If this had appeared in Chaldea, it would undoubtedly be considered a miraculous and mysterious phenomenon, capable of driving magus crazy.

However...

"It hasn't reached adulthood yet, has it?"

Rozen couldn't help but say these words.

It couldn't be helped.

Despite being a genuine creature, this dragon clearly didn't match the terrifying power of the legends.

In Chaldea, if such a dragon from Eastern mythology were to appear, it would undoubtedly be classified as a divine beast, the mightiest being among the Phantasmal species.

Even top-tier Servants would find it difficult to contend with, and heroes and legends from history would be left awestruck.

Currently, the spiritual energy Rozen sensed from Hokuto was only at the level of a upper-level familiar, far from the awe-inspiring might described in the legends.

In addition, in legends, divine dragons were said to be colossal, capable of covering the sky and blotting out the sun. They were certainly not of the size Rozen currently observed, which was less than ten meters. Rozen could only conclude that this dragon had not yet reached adulthood.

However, Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi seemed puzzled by Rozen's statement, furrowing his brows.

"Hokuto has been the guardian beast of the Tsuchimikado family, passed down through generations, for over a thousand years."

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi said this, apparently perplexed by Rozen's mention of Hokuto not having reached adulthood.

But Rozen didn't explain further.

Even if it had been passed down for a thousand years, a dragon of the legends should be much more powerful than this. (Is it because it stopped growing after becoming a shikigami? Or is there some limitation in this world?)

Shikigami, in general, were spiritual entities. They didn't have a physical form, similar to Servants, consisting of pure spiritual bodies. They could materialize or be dismissed. When the summoner infused them with magical energy and controlled them, their power was greatly influenced by the user's abilities.

Perhaps because of this, Hokuto's size might be smaller than the legends suggested.

As a spiritual entity, it didn't continue growing, and there might not be users in this world capable of providing it with sufficient power, resulting in its current power level being that of a upper-level familiar.

Understanding this, Rozen's heart swelled with excitement and enthusiasm.

If it were him...

If it were him, could he nurture Hokuto into a true divine dragon? Just like when he raised Saichou and Hanachou.

The thought filled Rozen with a rare sense of passion.

"Father,"

Rozen looked at Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi and asked, "Do you want to give Hokuto to me?"

At this moment, even Rozen couldn't hide the hint of anticipation in his voice.

Getting a shikigami with such immense potential was an irresistible temptation for a summoner.

Moreover, Rozen was a magus, and he had no resistance to such miracles and mysteries.

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi also looked at Rozen, perhaps sensing Rozen's tone.

"While young, your abilities are considerable. Even if you can't control Hokuto, summoning should not be an issue."

Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi made this declaration calmly.

"Starting from today, Hokuto will become your shikigami. You shall inherit this precious legacy from our ancestors as the next head of the Tsuchimikado family."

Upon hearing this, Rozen smiled.

He smiled like he had never smiled before.