-1064- [ Sekkaro ]

"————!"

At that moment, a sharp intake of breath escaped the girl's lips, freezing her body to the extreme, as if she had turned into stone in an instant.

Behind the girl, Rozen appeared silently, looking at the girl whose back was stiffened, and smiled faintly.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to sit down and rest? There's a nice café over there. Shall I introduce it to you? Or do you want me to accompany you?" Rozen teased lightly.

With that remark, the girl finally reacted.

"...!"

Almost immediately, the girl leaped away like a startled cat, changing her posture midway, positioning herself to face Rozen, and creating some distance between them.

Only then did Rozen get a clear look at her face.

She was exceptionally beautiful, with a touch of youthfulness still lingering on her pretty face, but she was undoubtedly a beauty in every sense.

The girl was slender and delicate, yet she didn't appear frail. Instead, she resembled a finely crafted rapier, exuding a sense of strength amidst her softness.

Although she couldn't contain her astonishment at the sudden situation, the strong gleam in her eyes overshadowed any hint of uncertainty, indicating that she was a person of strong spirit and will.

She wore the uniform of Saikai Academy, with a bow tie at the collar, indicating her affiliation with the central government.

Behind the girl was a guitar case, almost like her trademark.

However, at this moment, the girl had the guitar case in her hands, lowered her body, and reached for the zipper of the case.

With just one glance, Rozen could tell that her movements were not those of an amateur. They required years of rigorous practice to achieve such fluidity.

The girl, filled with vigilance, stared at Rozen intently.

"The Divine Child of Origin...!"

She addressed Rozen by that name.

"Oh?"

Rozen raised an eyebrow.

Anyone who used that nickname to address him was almost certainly extraordinary.

After all, it would be impossible for an ordinary person to know this title in the current situation where information about the Blazing Banquet was sealed.

Rozen also learned about this title from Natsuki, so he narrowed his eyes.

"Are you the transfer student from the central government?" Rozen said confidently. "What business do you have with me, miss transfer student. Are you here to deliver a love letter to me?"

"No...! That's not it!" The girl immediately responded, overly loud. "I'm not planning to give you a love letter!"

"Is that so?" Rozen looked indifferent. "Since that's the case, why did you follow me from school all the way here? Are you planning to give me something?"

"I..." The girl opened her mouth but didn't say anything, still staring at Rozen with caution.

Seeing this, Rozen didn't make any further gestures. He just looked around.

This was the entrance plaza of the Foundation Stone Gate, with a constant flow of pedestrians. Seeing the standoff between Rozen and the girl, they cast strange glances and murmured among themselves.

"It's a bit conspicuous here." Rozen remarked. "Let's go somewhere else."

With that, Rozen didn't bother to ask for the girl's consent. He simply extended his hand and snapped his fingers.

"Buzz——!"

With a buzzing sound, the surrounding space distorted suddenly.

"What...!?"

The girl reacted to this, but she couldn't stop Rozen. She felt a whirlwind sensation, and suddenly found herself in a strange place.

The summer sky stretched overhead.

Below, the modern cityscape of Itogami Island spread out before her.

The howling wind blew fiercely, causing the girl's hair and skirt to flutter vigorously.

This place was the rooftop of the Keystone Gate.

There were no guardrails to prevent falls.

That was because ordinary people were not allowed to enter here; it was a platform located at the highest point of Itogami Island, offering a panoramic view.

Rozen stood before the girl.

"Nobody can disturb us here, right?" Rozen smiled at the girl.

But the girl was left speechless.

"Space Manipulation Magic...!"

It seemed the girl finally recognized the truth behind the power that brought her here against her will.

Because of this realization, the girl couldn't find her voice.

"The highest level of Space Magic... to use it without the need for incantation or preparation..." 

This was unheard of.

At least, the girl was certain she had never encountered anyone like this before.

Realizing this, the girl understood.

The person she was monitoring turned out to be a individual beyond her expectations.

If she wasn't cautious, she might be killed at any moment.

Facing the boy who stood before her, seemingly smiling yet holding such power, she decided...

"Sekkaro!"

The girl drew something from the case on her back.

It wasn't a guitar but a silver spear emitting a chilling aura.

The spear seemed to have a variable design, very avant-garde. When the girl took it out, it was in a compact form, almost the size of a badminton racket.

However, as the girl held it, the silver spear seemed to react to her spiritual power and began to transform.

"Clang!"

The handle extended and shifted in an instant.

"Click!"

The main blade, previously retracted, protruded out, exposing its sharp tip to the air. On either side of the spear tip, a pair of secondary blades unfolded like wings, resembling the wings of a fighter jet.

The girl held the weapon, now fully expanded into a sharp silver spear, pointing its tip towards Rozen.

"Clang!"

A brilliance and fluctuation simultaneously shimmered on the spear.

Rozen saw, on the silver spear, a divine aura emanating from it, along with inscriptions composed of mysterious ancient characters, interconnecting and forming a geometric pattern on the spear tip.

Seeing this scene, Rozen was astonished.

"That's..."

After murmuring, Rozen's gaze towards the girl changed.

"I see, you are..."

Clearly, Rozen recognized the girl's identity.

This made the girl's expression even more tense.

The purpose of taking out this weapon was solely to guard against Rozen's Space Manipulation Magic, to prevent him from silently manipulating space to her disadvantage.

As long as she had this silver spear in hand, the girl could withstand any magic. That's why she brought it out.

But as the saying goes, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." The weapon she brought out was recognized by her opponent, revealing her identity.

Since that's the case...

"Please refrain from making any suspicious moves," the girl's voice, laden with suppressed emotions, said coldly. "If you take any suspicious actions, I have the right to incapacitate you first."

In other words, the girl was warning Rozen not to act recklessly.

But...

"Incapacitate?" Rozen smirked. "Well then, let me incapacitate you first. It should count as self-defense, right?"

As his words fell...

"Buzz——!"

Accompanied by a tremor in space, ripples of space appeared around the girl.

Within them, white chains flew out, heading towards the girl.