-949- A battle of wits?

In the autonomous district of Rome, inside a luxurious suite at a high-end hotel, Natsuki sat casually on the sofa, instructing Rozen, who had just entered.

"Let's rest here tonight."

"Alright."

Rozen shrugged and then snapped his fingers.

"Buzz!"

In front of him, the space slightly distorted, releasing several suitcases neatly arranged on the floor. Clearly, Rozen used space manipulation magic to store his belongings, making the process incredibly convenient.

However, if advanced mages knew that Rozen and Natsuki used the highest-level space manipulation magic for such mundane purposes, they would probably be quite displeased.

Ordinary mages couldn't use it at all, and even high-level mages could barely activate space manipulation magic. In Rozen and Natsuki's hands, this powerful magic was used casually for daily convenience, showcasing their extraordinary abilities.

Only Rozen and Natsuki could wield space manipulation magic with such natural ease. Perhaps there was no one else in the world who could do the same.

Therefore, it became one of the distinctive traits of the Minamiya siblings.

"Black tea."

Natsuki tapped the table in front of her with a lace fan.

Rozen, somewhat helpless, crouched down, brushed a suitcase, and a set of neatly arranged tea sets appeared. Rozen directly retrieved them from the suitcase using magic.

Next was the tea-making process.

Facing Natsuki, who was extremely particular about black tea, Rozen brewed a flawless pot, allowing her to enjoy it.

While sipping tea, Natsuki started talking to Rozen.

"Rest while you can. Tomorrow, we'll head to the Demon Sanctuary on Gozo Island."

Saying that, Natsuki snorted.

"Now, call that black bird over."

At these words, Rozen felt a bit powerless.

"What do you mean by black bird?"

Sighing, Rozen stood up, opened the window, and let the wind in.

"Flap, flap, flap..."

Almost simultaneously, a pitch-black three-legged crow flapped its wings, descending from the sky and landing on Rozen's outstretched arm, standing there.

Besides Kinu, who else could it be?

"As expected, it followed us."

Seeing this scene, Natsuki displayed a hint of displeasure.

Witnessing this, Rozen found it somewhat amusing.

Whether it was the overwhelming arrival of Kinu that triggered Natsuki's antagonistic attitude or something else, since childhood, Natsuki had disliked Kinu. She even immediately peeled Kinu off Rozen and planned to use it as a tablecloth when she took Rozen back home. It was evident that this witch sister held some resentment.

Unfortunately, Rozen, not yet mature enough to recover his memories, couldn't restore Kinu's original form without magical power. It happened to be an opportunity seized by Natsuki.

Luckily, even though Kinu lacked power and couldn't return to its true form, its consciousness remained intact. When Natsuki intended to use it as a tablecloth, it escaped like a cloak blown away by the wind, denying Natsuki any chance.

So, until Rozen grew to the age when he could restore his memory, with his brain fully developed and capable of receiving memories, the two siblings engaged in a battle of wits at home. Rozen was left dumbfounded upon witnessing everything after regaining his memories.

Later, with persuasion from Rozen, Natsuki finally stopped targeting Kinu, though she didn't give up her dislike for it. She simply didn't let Rozen wear Kinu as clothing.

Helpless, Rozen had to keep Kinu in its original form, living around him.

Considering this, when Rozen was at home, Kinu would perch on the tops of nearby buildings or the apartment's rooftop. When Rozen wasn't at home, it would faithfully follow him, not as a transformed cloak but still guarding Rozen diligently.

As for Natsuki, she had long noticed this but chose to ignore it.

Essentially, Kinu could protect Rozen like this, and Natsuki seemed quite satisfied and relieved with it.

Recalling Kinu's powerful and divine display when it appeared in front of him, Natsuki, although still unaware of Kinu's origin, its continuous protection of Rozen, and Rozen's true identity, had already given up investigating.

Perhaps, Natsuki was also afraid?

Afraid that if she delved into this matter, exposing the secrets behind Rozen, their relationship as siblings might come to an end.

Therefore, Natsuki no longer bothered about it, acting as if she had completely forgotten about the matter, treating Kinu as a protector for Rozen. Besides that, she didn't care about anything else.

By the way, Natsuki only knew about Kinu's existence, not aware that one of the rings Rozen wore on his hand since childhood was a divine spirit named Gyokuto, paired with Kinu.

Seeing Natsuki's attitude towards Kinu, Rozen didn't dare reveal Gyokuto's presence, fearing Natsuki might make some more shocking moves.

On the other hand, Kinu, acting as if it didn't care about Natsuki at all, perched on Rozen's arm, flapped its wings while grooming them, pecked Rozen's cheek with familiarity, displaying an affectionate appearance. This made Natsuki's expression increasingly unpleasant.

"Alright, quickly make that stinky bird transform, at least turn it into something more presentable like clothes."

Impatiently, Natsuki ordered as if she had completely forgotten her former intention to use Kinu's coat as a tablecloth.

"You're really childish, Natsuki-nee."

Rozen couldn't help but comment.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Natsuki glared at Rozen.

"Nothing... nothing at all."

Rozen tactfully held back.

Just then...

"Hmm?"

Rozen's expression suddenly changed slightly, followed by a look of pleasant surprise.

"What's wrong?"

Natsuki keenly noticed the change and immediately inquired.

"It's nothing." Rozen shook his head but eagerly said to Natsuki, "I'll be right back. You don't need to wait for me for dinner, Natsuki-nee."

With that, Rozen's figure blended into the space, disappearing from sight.

"Wait!"

Natsuki couldn't help but be surprised, then angrily exclaimed, "The curfew is approaching! Come back!"

Natsuki's voice echoed throughout the hotel.

Unfortunately, it couldn't reach Rozen, who had already vanished.