-554- You, are you going?

In Tokyo, Onmyou Academy.

After leaving the director's office, Rozen walked down the corridor, reflecting on the series of events Kurahashi Miyo had just explained. He rubbed his temples and let out a sigh.

"I never expected that girl who talks about loving young girls would be one of Yakou's two main guardian, Hishamaru from the Tsuchimikado branch."

Rozen had some understanding of Yakou's two main guardians.

In fact, people in the industry, to some extent, knew about Hishamaru and Kakugyouki, knowing their deeds.

Among them, Hishamaru was the heir of the Tsuchimikado branch, destined to become Yakou's shikigami in the main family. Kakugyouki, on the other hand, was a Orge who had survived for thousands of years, subdued by Yakou.

The two of them had always been by Yakou's side, gathering all the jujutsu from around the world, compiling, summarizing, and deducing the basis of modern jujutsu—The "Imperial Onmyojutsu."

Such prominent figures disappeared when Yakou faced his end.

And because Kakugyouki was a Orge, the onmyouji in the industry still believed he was wandering somewhere in the world. As for Hishamaru, being a mortal, many people believed she had retreated to the mountains after Yakou's passing and had not been involved in worldly affairs since then.

Even if she was still alive, she would likely be an elderly person older than Kurahashi Miyo, no longer actively involved in the world of jujutsu.

Who would have thought that Hishamaru would have some connection with Ashiya Douman, and seemingly, like Ashiya Douman, had found a method to attain longevity. She had survived until now, even residing in Tokyo. She had been invited by Kurahashi Miyo to enroll in the Onmyou Academy, and had been a contemporary friend of Ohtomo Jin and Kogure Zenjirou. They had only parted ways after graduation.

She had even been a part of the Ministry of the Imperial Household's Spirit Control Division. Truly, she was a puppet master among puppet masters.

"The Three Crows of 36?"

Thinking about the complex expressions Ohtomo Jin and Kogure Zenjirou had when mentioning this nickname, Rozen sighed again.

"The once problematic trio of the Onmyou Academy, but now each of them is more formidable than the last."

Kogure Zenjirou was a rising star in the "Twelve Divine Generals," the elite among the elite of the Exorcism Division, seen as the future pillar of the organization, both in terms of strength and popularity.

As for Saotome Suzu, she had survived for half a century. Not only had she been one of Yakou's two main guardians, but she was also a capable assistant in developing the "Imperial Onmyoujutsu."

She possessed an extensive understanding of jujutsu throughout history. She had even been part of the Ministry of the Imperial Household's Spirit Control Division.

Although her actual strength remained unknown, from her effortless hypnosis of Natsume and Kyouko, and her ability to subtly erase everyone's jujutsu during the jujutsu battle, it was clear that this young girl, even if her power wasn't high, had an exceptional understanding of jujutsu and related aspects, not to be underestimated.

As for Ohtomo Jin,

"This is one deeply hidden individual," Rozen sighed.

At this point, even if Ohtomo Jin didn't reveal it himself, Rozen could guess his identity.

Since he was contemporary with Kogure Zenjirou and had entered the Onmyou Agency together, considering Ohtomo Jin's displayed abilities, qualifying for "Onmyou first class," being one of the "Twelve Divine Generals," was a sure thing.

Among the "Twelve Divine Generals," there was one individual whose identity was so concealed that not even a photo was available. Only a nickname and a duty were disclosed, and all other details were strictly prohibited from being reported.

He belonged to the Mystical Investigation Department and was a trusted aide to Amami Daizen, the head of the department.

Since jujutsu-related crimes often involved darkness and taboos, this onmyoji concealed everything about himself, becoming a shadow of the Mystical Investigation Department. He handled the work that needed to be kept in the shadows, a fearsome ghost within the underground jujutsu world.

People referred to him as the "Black Pawn."

Aside from that, people knew neither about him nor his appearance.

This person.

"It's undoubtedly Ohtomo-sensei, right?" Rozen recalled Ohtomo Jin's abilities during the night followers' attack.

At the time, Ohtomo Jin had displayed two abilities.

One was the "Invisibility Jutsu" that even Rozen barely noticed.

The other was the expertly manipulated shikigami, "SwallowWhip."

"Now thinking about it, the person capable of such a level of 'Invisibility Jutsu' must be skilled at operating in the shadows. SwallowWhip is also a specially crafted shikigami favored by the Mystical Investigation Department. This is enough to show that Ohtomo-sensei operates in the shadows of the Mystical Investigation Department."

Given this, Ohtomo Jin was able to confront Ashiya Douman and even confront that ambiguous being.

"To say 'confront' is an overstatement, I'm just being played by that old man. If he really wanted to leave, I can't say for sure if I could stop him. The proof is that he later appeared in front of you and took Saotome Suzu away."

During their time in the director's office, Ohtomo Jin had said this with a bitter expression.

However, judging by Ohtomo Jin's disordered aura, it probably wasn't as dire as he stated. Ohtomo Jin must have tried his best, but ultimately failed, right?

Otherwise, when the barrier in the Onmyou Academy disappeared, or when Rozen discovered Saotome Suzu, Ashiya Douman would have already appeared.

It was certain that Ohtomo Jin had played a part in preventing this.

As for why Ohtomo Jin became a lecturer at the Onmyou Academy,

"Probably because of me?" Rozen silently thought.

Ohtomo Jin started working at the Onmyou Academy shortly before Rozen enrolled.

And the rumors were that Rozen was the reincarnation of Yakou.

Faced with this situation, Ohtomo Jin, who was adept at handling covert work, came to the Onmyou Academy. His purpose was simply to deal with various issues related to Yakou's appearance, just like when the Yakou followers attacked, Ohtomo Jin immediately showed up. This was more than enough to explain everything.

In other words,

"Since the day I came to Tokyo, everything had been in motion behind the scenes."

Rozen mumbled to himself.

"What will happen next?"

Rozen needed to start thinking seriously.

However, the situation progressed faster than anticipated.

"Flap, flap!"

Accompanied by the sound of fluttering wings, a crow suddenly flew in from outside.

Rozen immediately looked over.

The crow flew above Rozen's head, hovered for a moment, and then suddenly turned into a paper talisman, drifting down.

On the talisman, there was a sentence:

"Meet me by the river."

Simple and clear.

Immediately after, the talisman ignited, turned to ashes, and disappeared.

Rozen, however, continued to look in that direction, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Interesting."

Leaving behind these words, Rozen prepared to leave the Onmyou Academy to meet the appointment.

However,

"You, are you going?"

When this sentence sounded behind Rozen, he stopped in his tracks.

Then, Rozen slowly turned around to look at his back.

There, standing without Rozen noticing when, was a person.

Someone Rozen had known for over a decade.

"You, are you going?"

The person repeated their words expressionlessly.

Rozen looked at the person and called out casually.

"Father."

It was indeed Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi.