-520- Just one thing

"Yakou's follower."

Only these individuals would display such exceptional respect and reverence upon recognizing Rozen's identity.

Thus, Rozen first suspected the man to be a follower of Yakou.

However, upon careful consideration, the man didn't resemble a Yakou's follower at all.

Because...

"You don't possess that distinctive madness and frenzy of the followers of Yakou. What is the meaning of this?"

Rozen confronted the man with a relentless demeanor.

Despite appearing much older than Rozen, the man calmly withstood Rozen's pressure and slightly lowered his head, forcing out his words.

"You have keen insights. I am indeed not of the same kind as the Yakou's followers you're familiar with. But from your perspective, I'm hardly different from them. We are all insignificant figures, pouring our admiration and devotion towards your grand cause. From that angle, even labeling me as a follower is not entirely inappropriate."

The man spoke with a voice full of intellect, composure, and enlightenment, making Rozen's eyes begin to shimmer.

There were many things he didn't understand.

Many things that couldn't be comprehended.

However...

"Your presence here, it can't be a mere coincidence, can it?"

Rozen calmly presented this point to the man.

Indeed.

Even though there were many things he didn't comprehend, the most crucial question at the moment was this.

To which the man simply lowered his eyelids and spoke with a very faint voice.

"You have keen insights..."

That was all the man said.

Rozen stared intensely at the astonishing man before him.

"Can you tell me the reason?"

"...I cannot disclose that."

"What about your purpose?"

"...I cannot disclose that either."

"In other words, everything is classified?"

"...Although it's very impolite, I have to admit, yes."

Rozen posed sharp questions, and the man responded in a low and submissive tone, yet the discussion never managed to smoothly progress from start to end.

From the surface, Rozen seemed to hold the advantage in presence and familiarity with the environment. Despite the respectful and humble demeanor of the man, he didn't exhibit the irrationality typical of the Yakou's followers Rozen had encountered in the past.

This made Rozen realize that this man before him was the truly threatening type, not in terms of power but in terms of stance.

In the past, Rozen had encountered many Yakou's followers, but he had never taken them seriously, considering them at best as crazies that suddenly appeared on the roadside, devoid of any value in serious consideration.

However, this man before him was different. If this man was indeed a true Yakou's follower, pursuing Yakou with reason and intellect, then this was the type that could truly be considered an enemy.

So...

"Swish!"

Rozen decisively retrieved a talisman from the pouch at his waist.

"...!"

The man immediately reacted, swiftly stepping back without hesitation.

The spiritual energies of both parties surged instantly.

"Order!"

Rozen unleashed the talisman in his hand, causing it to emit a dazzling light, transforming into sturdy vines that writhed towards the man like agile serpents.

It was the Wood Element talisman.

However, facing the vines rapidly approaching, the man reacted swiftly.

"————————"

The man formed hand seals astonishingly fast, chanting an incantation.

With the resonance of the incantation, the magical energy suddenly surged and then vanished.

No, it wasn't just the magical energy that vanished; even the man's figure disappeared. The vines, which were approaching like agile serpents, fell into empty space, completely losing their target.

"Invisibility Jutsu!"

Rozen's eyes narrowed. He immediately concentrated his magical power, focusing it in his eyes, activating the Spirit Vision and then the Heaven's Eye skills, scanning all around.

The next moment, Rozen immediately detected the man's trace.

"There?"

Rozen quickly formed hand seals, manipulating the jutsu he had just used, making the vines come to life again. They swiftly twisted and, at an astonishing speed, swooped through the air, entangling in one direction.

"Snap!"

With a crisp sound, the vines entangled an invisible figure, and one after another bound the figure.

The man's Invisibility Jutsu was immediately dispelled, revealing the man's figure.

However...

"Not right!"

The moment Rozen saw the man's figure, he had a slight change.

The man's spiritual energy was the same as Rozen had just seen, without any issues. His appearance was also entirely identical to Rozen's memory. But how could Rozen not see what this man, bound by him, was?

"Shikigami!"

Yes.

It was just an emergency creation, possessing the same spiritual energy and appearance as himself, a simple Shikigami used as a substitute.

Rozen immediately used Spirit Vision and Heaven's Eye once again, scanning in all directions.

In this split second, one after another simple Shikigami with the exact appearance as the man began to appear in the surroundings.

"Clap!"

One simple Shikigami clapped it's hand powerfully.

"Clap!"

"Clap!"

"Clap!"

The remaining simple Shikigami also successively clapped their hands, resonating with magical power.

In this moment, the spiritual energy in the surroundings went into chaos, making Rozen, who was using Spirit Vision to observe his surroundings, feel as if he were staring at the blinding glare comparable to the sun.

It stung his eyes, which were used to seeing spirits, and the magical waves emitted by Heaven's Eye also became chaotic. All that came back were dizzying images, like staring at a kaleidoscope.

"Ugh...!"

Rozen immediately covered his eyes, stepping back several steps instinctively, and subconsciously canceled Spirit Vision and Heaven's Eye.

And it seemed like this was the purpose of the other party, to obstruct Rozen's exploration of himself.

To do such a thing, all for a single action.

That is, to escape.

"O King."

As Rozen instinctively closed Spirit Vision and Heaven's Eye, the other party's voice slightly rang out, reaching his ears.

"There's just one thing I hope you remember."

The other party's voice was filled with sadness and determination.

"My name is Mutobe Chihiro, and I hope you can at least remember this insignificant matter," leaving behind these words, the other's presence vanished completely.

Rozen remained silent, and after a while, he slowly opened his eyes, looking around. There, the simple Shikigami imitating the other's spiritual energy and appearance had already disappeared.

It was as if nothing had happened, leaving only Rozen in the surroundings.

As for the man's figure, it had naturally disappeared completely.

Rozen silently gazed at the place.

"Mutobe Chihiro..."

Repeating this name aloud, Rozen closed his eyes again.

Perhaps this encounter was just a coincidence and an accident. But this coincidence and accident told Rozen something.

"It seems like something is really about to happen..."

Rozen muttered to himself in this manner.

As the sun set in the west, it gradually called forth the night.