-497- I'm going to act

In that moment, the spiritual energy emanating from Dairenji Suzuka seemed to transform into a sinister miasma, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

Of course, miasma doesn't manifest without a reason.

Miasma only emerges when spiritual energy becomes distorted.

Even when Dairenji Suzuka was emotionally stirred, her spiritual energy wouldn't turn into miasma.

However, at this moment, her emotional turmoil seemed to influence her spiritual energy, causing it to twist and create the eerie miasma sensation.

This proved just how agitated Dairenji Suzuka was.

"Whether you are the reincarnation of Yakou or not, I'll personally test it!" Dairenji Suzuka shouted.

"While I'm not interested in doing the same disgusting things as those detestable Yakou worshippers, if you want to stop me, use your strength!"

With these words, Dairenji Suzuka leaped from Ashura's body, jumping downward.

During this process, the massive waters engulfing the hills seemed to vanish like dispersed gleaming lights, as if welcoming Dairenji Suzuka's descent.

As for Ashura, like a suddenly activated machinery, it swiftly moved and lunged in their direction. Out of its six arms, apart from the two central ones, the remaining four grasped different weapons—blades, daggers, swords, and wheels—all appearing in its hands, enveloped in a halo-like layer of light, covered in dense curses.

The one to react to this was not Rozen, but Natsume.

"Please! Hekireki!"

Natsume finally invoked her shikigami.

"Bzzt!"

Accompanied by a flash of lightning and a peal of thunder, the shikigami of thunder magic materialized in front of Natsume and merged into her.

Natsume's entire body surged with a dazzling golden lightning. She extended her hand towards Ashura, utilizing Hekireki's abilities. Without incantations or symbols, she directly released dazzling lightning towards Ashura.

Reacting to this, Ashura extended the two hands that weren't wielding weapons forward, and from the mechanism's motion, two curse symbols popped out of its palms.

Those were two Metal Seals.

Thunder energy is a derivative of wood energy, and metal restrains wood. Choosing to use metal seals to counter the lightning was undoubtedly the correct choice.

The two Metal Seals immediately activated in front of Ashura's palms, transforming into two metal shields, blocking in front of it.

The lightning, breaking through the sound barrier, struck heavily upon the shield Ashura held up.

"Boom!"

Amidst the thunderclap, the lightning hit Ashura, creating explosive gusts and smoke, enveloping Ashura within.

"Akikan!"

Natsume shouted towards Rozen.

However, Natsume didn't need to shout; Rozen had already taken action.

"Hokuto!"

Rozen commanded the true dragon beneath him, causing Hokuto, who was curiously observing the situation from below, to react. After letting out a dragon's roar, it swiftly changed direction and soared towards Dairenji Suzuka below.

After all, Dairenji Suzuka had stated herself that Ashura was merely a shikigami used to buy time.

In other words, during Ashura's battle, Dairenji Suzuka, who was in the rear, could begin preparing her own lethal shikigami.

Once again landing on the torii, Dairenji Suzuka took out an item as Ashura started to fight.

It was a holy scripture.

"The mass-produced general-purpose shikigami should not provide you much entertainment, should it?"

Dairenji Suzuka revealed a wicked smile.

"Now, let me serve you the main course, a shikigami I personally crafted."

Saying this, a far more immense curse power burst forth from Dairenji Suzuka's body than when she summoned the flood that submerged the hills.

"I won't let you!"

Natsume extended her hand towards Dairenji Suzuka, preparing to unleash her thunder.

Unfortunately,

"Hokuto! Evade!"

Rozen abruptly gave the order, startling Hokuto, who was rushing downward. Its body, following Rozen's command, naturally started to turn and spiral like a whirlwind, gliding swiftly to the side.

"Whoosh!"

Almost in the next second, Ashura's figure appeared like a mirage, and the weapons in its hands were swung down simultaneously, slashing over the position where Rozen and the others had just been.

This shikigami had actually phased out of corporeal form, hiding until this moment to launch a surprise attack.

Seizing this opportunity, Dairenji Suzuka completed her curse technique, channeling all her curse energy into the holy scripture.

"Formula release! Summon shikigami! Order!"

Dairenji Suzuka chanted the incantation loudly, causing the pages of the holy scripture in her hand to move, as if invisible hands were flipping through them, suddenly opening.

Page after page flipped and flew out, scattering in all directions.

Rozen, relying on keen vision, immediately discerned the true nature of the pages.

They were custom-made runes filled with complex and arcane symbols.

Supported by the enormous curse power, the folded origami papers moved once again, folding automatically into origami figures.

Among these origami, some were folded into cows, some into horses, some into bears, some into birds—every imaginable creature, like an origami zoo.

Under the support of immense curse power, these origami papers all enlarged. Following that, as if gaining life, they transformed into a shikigami army formed from origami.

The shikigami army roared like wild beasts, rushing in all directions in a frenzy, leaping and flying, converging towards Hokuto, evading Ashura in the sky.

Just like the simultaneous use of numerous spells before, this time, Dairenji Suzuka utilized a large number of specially crafted shikigami seals, forming a shikigami group, surging towards her enemies like an avalanche.

Witnessing the dense shikigami army before him, combined with the flood that was enough to submerge mountains earlier, Rozen and Natsume once again realized the scale of this curse.

Facing such a massive assault, even an entire squad of Onmyouji would be defeated, wouldn't they?

In the face of such an opponent, Rozen had only one reaction.

"Natsume."

Rozen called out to Natsume.

His voice was extremely calm, but it carried a determination and vigor that others couldn't ignore.

Natsume, who understood Rozen well, naturally knew what this meant.

It meant...

"I'm going to act."

Facing this rare formidable foe, Rozen's voice resounded with vigor and determination.

Hearing this, what else could Natsume do?

"Go!"

As a shikigami, Natsume wholeheartedly supported Rozen.

This brought a smile to Rozen's face.

Then...

"Boom!"

A volcanic eruption-like surge of curse power erupted from Rozen's body, burning slowly like flames.

The scale of this curse power even surpassed Dairenji Suzuka's.

"?!?"

Dairenji Suzuka's face changed drastically.

"Hokuto!"

Rozen, while commanding the true dragon below him, injected all of his curse power without reserve into Hokuto's body.

The dragon energy on Hokuto immediately erupted like a volcanic eruption, blasting through the atmosphere.

Feeling the wildly escalating power within them, Hokuto let out a joyful dragon's roar, bolting downward towards the oncoming avalanche-like shikigami army.