-460- Different paths

Spring came and went, and time continued to pass like flowing water.

Several years had gone by, bringing change to Rozen's tranquil days and immersing him in new experiences.

During this period, Rozen continued to grow, following the flow of time. Although he remained a youth, he moved on from elementary school to junior high school and graduated from each successfully.

At first glance, everything appeared ordinary and typical. However, over the course of these years, Rozen's life had subtly shifted.

"Is that him?"

"The one from the Tsuchimikado family?"

"The reincarnation of Yakou..."

"I wonder if it's true..."

Voices like these started to appear in Rozen's life, spreading at a surprising pace. Rozen first heard these rumors when he entered elementary school.

Before that, he had rarely ventured outside the Tsuchimikado estate, and he had virtually no interactions with people outside the Tsuchimikado branch family. Consequently, he had been unaware of these rumors.

However, as Rozen entered elementary school, people around him unknowingly began to spread these rumors, casting unusual glances in his direction.

Clearly, just as Kurahashi Genji had mentioned, the information about Rozen being the reincarnation of Yakou had circulated within the onmyoji community and had even reached the general public.

Thanks to this, when Rozen moved on to junior high school, he found himself largely isolated, with no one approaching him. He didn't make any friends, and he couldn't even remember the names of his classmates.

"Well, maybe it's better this way."

Rozen didn't mind. With a sense of boredom and indifference, he spent his days alone. To others, it seemed like he was doing nothing, but in reality, Rozen dedicated his time to honing his abilities, pushing himself to improve continuously.

During this time, Rozen managed to unlock all of his magical circuits, restoring himself to his prime within just two years.

He also learned various jujutsu from Tsuchimikado Yasuzumi, focusing his efforts mainly on the part related to familiars. The other aspects of magic he quickly learned but left aside without much practice.

However, with his naturally powerful magical energy and skills, even in the realm of jujutsu, Rozen's abilities were impressive. This was especially true for the part that he dedicated himself to: familiars.

Naturally, whether it was Summoning Arts, Puppetry Arts, or the eight levels of a magus, Rozen diligently trained and continuously improved their levels.

Apart from these changes, Rozen continued his research in various other aspects, resulting in a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills. He was far from idly passing the time.

As the outside world underwent transformations, Rozen continued to live his life just as he always had, unwaveringly dedicated to self-improvement.

However, there were some notable changes worth mentioning. With age came shifts in Rozen's relationships with the children of the Tsuchimikado branch family.

Natsume, as promised, began learning jujutsu under the guidance of the adults and displayed remarkable talent. She steadily improved herself, becoming a proficient jujutsu user.

On the other hand, Harutora, due to his inability to see spirits, gradually grew apart from Rozen and Natsume, who were deeply involved in the world of jujutsu.

After entering school and making new friends, his visits to the Tsuchimikado estate became less frequent until they eventually ceased altogether. He had taken a completely different path from Rozen and Natsume within the realm of jujutsu.

Natsume had expressed her feelings about this to Rozen.

"Lately, my brother hasn't been talking to me much. Instead, he seems quite close to his school friends, and he even struck up a friendly conversation with one of the patients who came to our house."

Although Natsume looked somewhat forlorn, she eventually came to terms with it.

"There's nothing we can do about it. My brother can't see spirits, and maybe it's for the best that he doesn't spend too much time with us."

Rozen didn't express much emotion about this but had a wry smile.

"These things happen, especially in prestigious families."

Rozen could only think back to his time in the Akabane clan. After all, didn't Akabane Raishin, due to his lack of interest in magic and his passion for martial arts, grow distant from his family, and ultimately, get expelled from the clan?

As harsh as it sounded, this was the reality of prestigious families. People with talent and those without it were on entirely different paths. It wasn't a matter of fitting in or being worthy; it was a stark reality where both sides inevitably followed different courses.

Just like in modern society, where high-achievers entered prestigious schools and those with lower grades remained in regular classes, where capable individuals secured positions in top companies while those lacking skill faced societal elimination. Both paths were predetermined.

Harutora couldn't see spirits, so it was only natural that he had no connection to the world of jujutsu, and his eventual path was quite normal.

Rozen was grateful that Tsuchimikado Takahiro and Tsuchimikado Chizuru were reasonable individuals who didn't force their son to display talents befitting their family's status.

Instead, they allowed him to enter the world of ordinary people, which was indeed fortunate.

However, Rozen and Natsume were different. Both of them were destined for the world of jujutsu, making it clear to the public that the Tsuchimikado family, even if it had declined, still persevered in the realm of onmyoudou.

Given these circumstances, even though Rozen and Natsume attended different schools, they often met at the Tsuchimikado estate for their jujutsu studies and practice sessions.

Today, the two of them had arranged to practice jujutsu together.

"Please guide me."

In the Tsuchimikado main family's training grounds, a young boy and girl stood at a distance, exchanging polite greetings.

Both the boy and the girl were around fifteen or sixteen years old.

The difference between them was evident in their appearances. The boy had a lazy expression, while the girl wore a solemn demeanor. Both of them were dressed in athletic attire, as if they were preparing for warm-up exercises.

However, their warm-up routine was quite extreme.

"Well then..."

The boy held up a talisman and hurled it forward.

"Order!"

As he chanted the incantation, the talisman he had thrown emitted a bright light.

"Boom!"

Flames erupted and burst into a rolling wave of heat.

This scene was identical to the beginning of their previous jujutsu competition at this training ground several years ago.

However, compared to that time, the current eruption of flames was undoubtedly much larger, symbolizing the user's increased power, as if it were a volcanic eruption surging forward.

Confronted with this searing wall of fire, the girl maintained a serious expression, her entire body pulsating with magical energy.

Then, the girl began forming hand seals.

It was the Indra Seal.

Indra was considered the god of war in Hindu mythology.

Indra was the ruler of the heavens, capable of freely manipulating thunder and lightning, with his weapon, the Vajra, being a symbol of thunder.

The girl formed the Indra Seal with her hands and solemnly chanted an incantation.

"—————"

Under the solemn incantation, the girl's body emitted dazzling flashes of lightning.

//// I just put —— in the incantation, don't know if it's better than the previous incantation where I put actual words. Y'all decide. ////