-1180- The abnormalities

"————"

At this moment, everyone present felt a chilling magic power.

The source of this magic was Rozen.

Rozen halted his prepared attack and gazed at Tokoyogi Yuuma.

Unprecedented coldness gathered in his eyes.

"So you've indeed made a move against Natsuki-nee?"

Rozen's words sent shivers down everyone's spines.

The atmosphere of magic emanating from Rozen completely changed, no longer quietly burning like flames but undulating like malice, instilling a terrifying sense of impending doom.

"Nichiyo...?"

Even Kojou himself trembled at this version of Rozen.

And the others, naturally, changed their facial expressions. Especially Emma and Octavia, their faces pale with fear. If not for fear of provoking Rozen, the sisters would probably have fled already.

"Nichiyo!?"

Even Avrora, captured by No. 6, began to tremble.

Perhaps this was the first time Rozen had shown such behavior?

Previously, Rozen had a somewhat lazy demeanor, exceptionally diligent in studies, emotionally rich with others, and fiercely loyal to himself, always pursuing miracles, mysteries, and progress. Even though he could be childish at times, he always maintained a perfect image outside, impeccable. But never like now, becoming so cold and violent.

But at this moment, Rozen seemed like a completely different person, emanating an astonishing sense of horror.

This made Tokoyogi Yuuma and No. 6's expressions change drastically.

However, No. 6 didn't retreat because of this. Instead, she looked at Rozen as if seeing him anew, examining him.

Tokoyogi Yuuma bit her lip and spoke up.

"We did not make a move against the Witch of the Void."

Tokoyogi Yuuma said so.

"Because, no matter how we deal with her outside, it's meaningless."

Meaningless?

What does that mean?

Tokoyogi Yuuma just stared at Rozen.

"I think, if it were you, you would have noticed, right?"

"If it's you, who spends time with Minamiya Natsuki day and night, who is not only clever and powerful, but also has rich knowledge and skills in magic, it's impossible not to notice her abnormality."

Tokoyogi Yuuma's words made Rozen's eyes flicker slightly.

"Natsuki-nee's... abnormality..."

Such words finally shook the thorn in Rozen's heart that had been there since before.

In fact, Rozen had indeed sensed abnormalities regarding Natsuki more than once.

For example, it had been mentioned before that there was never a shortage of money in Natsuki's account, and she had the ability to let Rozen live in the top floor of a high-class apartment, spending a lot of money to let Rozen study various things, living a luxurious life. For a national attack mage, it was obvious that such extravagance was impossible to sustain.

Moreover, Natsuki's authority on Itogami Island clearly exceeded that of an ordinary national attack mage. Not only could she deal with the Artificial Island Management Cooperative, protect Rozen from various forces, but she also gained La Folia's recognition, becoming the princess of Aldegyr, i.e., Kanase Kanon's guardian.

Astarte was also effortlessly kept by Natsuki, the only human in the world who could coexist with a beast vassal. Even four years ago, in the Demon Sanctuary in Gozo, Natsuki could unilaterally decide to bring Kojou and Nagisa to Itogami Island for the best treatment.

At that time, it was Natsuki who handled Avrora, who was sealed.

And Nagisa, who was originally possessed by the original, could receive treatment without incident, without being targeted by anyone. All of this, without Natsuki's arrangements, would have been impossible.

In addition, there were various other signs. Even though Natsuki was a feared demon killer among European demons, her ability to accomplish so much was not solely explained by her strength; there must be some other reason.

Just as Tokoyogi Yuuma said, Rozen was a smart person, and he could not have failed to notice these abnormalities.

And that's not all.

Most importantly, there were also abnormalities on Natsuki herself that could not be ignored.

That was when Rozen was still young, when Natsuki had just graduated from school and started working as a national attack mage.

Rozen remembered that day when Natsuki told him she was going on a long journey and would be back in a few days.

And when Natsuki returned, Rozen almost immediately noticed her abnormality.

First, Natsuki had no heartbeat.

Second, Natsuki had no body temperature.

Moreover, there were no signs of any life activity on Natsuki's body, just like a doll, without any vitality.

Rozen could notice all of this, thanks to the Mind's Eye power that reached the divine realm. Such abnormalities couldn't possibly escape Rozen's notice.

Furthermore, the demonic aura emanating from Natsuki was also different from before, and there were unknown magics at work on her body, all of which Rozen could not overlook.

Then, based on these signs, Rozen understood.

As a person with extremely rich knowledge of magic, Rozen almost instantly understood what was going on.

"Natsuki-nee didn't come back. The one who came back was just a puppet controlled by Natsuki-nee."

That's what it was.

And it seemed that Natsuki had also realized that Rozen had noticed these things. After that, every time she went out alone and came back, there were gradually signs of life on her body. The puppet controlled by her became more and more human-like, becoming completely indistinguishable from Natsuki's abnormality.

Even the Mind's Eye that reached the divine realm could no longer detect any abnormalities. It's imaginable how much effort Natsuki put into this and how much effort she put into mastering the technique of controlling the puppet secretly, making the puppet almost identical to herself, without any difference.

Everything was done to let Rozen know that she was by his side and had not left.

Gradually, Rozen began to blur the distinction between the Natsuki he interacted with daily, whether she was the original or a puppet.

If the Natsuki who was constantly by Rozen's side was indeed a puppet and not the original, then her puppetry skills must have reached the divine realm, surpassing even her mastery of space manipulation magic.

For Rozen, it was evident that Natsuki had surpassed her limits for his sake.

Rozen could feel Natsuki's sincerity, so he couldn't bring himself to ask her about the situation.

Natsuki must have been reluctant for Rozen to inquire.

"You just need to know that I will always be your sister. That's enough," Natsuki had once told Rozen, putting the matter to rest.

But this issue was like a thorn lodged in Rozen's heart.

Rozen obeyed Natsuki's every command and strived not to disappoint her, constantly improving himself, learning various abilities at the fastest pace possible, making others aware that Natsuki had an outstanding brother who made her proud, and feeling the impact of this incident on him.

Now...

"I'll tell you where Minamiya Natsuki's original body is and why she's so special."

With those words from Tokoyogi Yuuma, No. 6's beast vassal suddenly descended and struck down towards the prison barrier below, finally shattering the seal.