Miracle Summoner

In the past, during the spiritual disaster terror attack incident, Rozen had a conflict with Kagami Reiji.

No, rather than calling it a conflict, it would be more accurate to describe it as a direct confrontation.

Aside from Suzuka, Kagami Reiji was the first among the Twelve Divine Generals to clash with Rozen and immediately engage in battle without hesitation.

The root cause, of course, was Kagami Reiji's terrible attitude.

However, at the time, Rozen's unwillingness to back down and his aggressive personality were also contributing factors.

From that moment on, the two never saw eye to eye.

As a result, Rozen and Kagami Reiji ended up fighting not just once, but twice.

The first time was during their first year examination, when they directly attacked each other. However, their battle was interrupted midway by Kogure Zenjirou, causing the fight to end inconclusively. Yet, this also made Rozen catch Kagami Reiji's attention and put him on his radar.

The second time was after Rozen was arrested and imprisoned in the Onmyo Agency, only to escape later. Rozen then confronted Kagami Reiji, who had teamed up with Kogure Zenjirou and Yuge Mari to stop him.

The result?

Rozen nearly instantly defeated Kagami Reiji. From that point on, Rozen utterly overwhelmed him, leading Kagami Reiji to hold a deep grudge against Rozen.

Now, after so much time had passed, the two once again stood face to face.

"—In the dimness, the candle flickers, swaying unsteadily, flashing between light and dark, the force of the torrent, the undulating currents, behold the ritual array, violently trembling, ah mou—extinguish life, sever the light—"

This was a jujutsu from the Imperial Onmyojutsu Daoist lineage—The Art of Striking the Bull from Across the Mountain.

Back then, Rozen had used this very jujutsu to nearly instantly defeat Kagami Reiji.

And today, the chant of this jujutsu echoed once more.

However, the one chanting it was not Rozen.

It was Kagami Reiji.

Kagami Reiji had now mastered the very same jujutsu that had nearly instantly defeated him in the past.

"—!"

Kagami Reiji suddenly clapped his hands, channeling his jutsuryoku across space. The force transformed into a shockwave, blasting toward Rozen from a distance.

"————"

Rozen also clapped his hands, chanting a brief incantation. His jutsuryoku likewise transformed into a shockwave, surging from his body to counter the incoming force from all directions.

"Boom—!"

The two opposing waves of jutsuryoku clashed violently, like two explosive bursts colliding. The resulting turbulence distorted the atmosphere, sending hurricane-like gusts sweeping outward.

Rozen and Kagami Reiji's jujutsu neutralized each other, vanishing simultaneously.

Seeing this, Kagami Reiji smirked.

"How about that? I did a pretty good job replicating this jujutsu, didn't I? Surprised?"

Kagami Reiji spoke in a mocking tone.

Clearly, the experience of being nearly instantly defeated by this jujutsu had left a significant impact on him.

A year and a half later, Kagami Reiji had finally mastered this jujutsu.

And its power was in no way inferior to what Rozen had unleashed back then.

"You sure have some interesting hobbies, going out of your way to learn this jujutsu."

Rozen, however, showed no signs of surprise, his expression indifferent.

"Tch!" Kagami Reiji spat to the side in disdain. "Still as arrogant as ever, brat."

"Arrogant?" Rozen raised an eyebrow, speaking playfully. "If we're talking about arrogance, no one can compare to you, Independent Officer Kagami."

"Is that so?" Kagami Reiji sneered. "Then, are you planning to teach me another lesson, just like back then, Genius of the Onmyo Academy?"

Hearing this, Rozen smirked.

"If possible."

That was his simple response.

And it was understandable.

Rozen no longer cared much about the Onmyo Agency's warrants and pursuit.

This was partly because he had grown significantly stronger through his experiences in multiple worlds and had come to terms with his own situation. More importantly, Rozen knew very well that the real enemies targeting him were not the Onmyo Agency itself, but the Kurahashi and Souma clan. Most of the Onmyo Agency's exorcists were merely being used as pawns.

Because of this, Rozen might teach his relentless pursuers a lesson, but he did not truly see them as enemies or threats.

But Kagami Reiji was different.

Even though Rozen was no longer the reckless kid he once was—no longer easily provoked by mere taunts—his feelings toward Kagami Reiji remained unchanged.

That arrogant personality, that ruthless attitude, that unrelenting hostility toward everyone—who could possibly like someone like that?

Rozen knew that Kagami Reiji might look like a delinquent punk, but in reality, he was highly calculating and rational. Beneath his aggressive demeanor lay a cautious mind and a strong ability to strategize.

His indiscriminate hostility toward everyone wasn't just a personality trait—it was his chosen method of survival.

By placing himself in a position of absolute isolation, making enemies in all directions, and constantly forcing himself into life-or-death battles, Kagami Reiji pushed himself to grow stronger.

That was his way of life.

Thus, while he might seem like a rabid dog that attacks anyone in sight, he was actually selecting his opponents—seeking out those who could resist him or even suppress him.

Through this method, Kagami Reiji whipped himself into shape, learning from his hardships and growing stronger with each setback.

Anyone who mistook him for a mindless berserker would end up dying a miserable death.

He was not just a wild dog.

He was a beast that knew how to lick its wounds in silence, rise back up, and challenge any adversary that had once brought it down.

Even so, no matter how well Rozen understood this, he still did not respect Kagami Reiji.

Likewise, Kagami Reiji felt the same toward Rozen.

Once he had sunk his fangs into Rozen, he had no intention of ever letting go.

Even as the spiritual energy surging from Rozen's body became increasingly terrifying—he refused to back down.

The two glared at each other—one with a smirk, the other with veins bulging in frustration.

"—!"

In the next moment, they clapped their hands simultaneously, pressing their palms together as jutsuryoku surged within them.

"————"

Both of them began chanting the incantation for Fire Realm Incantation.

Just like in their first-ever battle.

Scorching flames erupted from both Rozen and Kagami Reiji, raging like a fiery tide, surging toward each other before colliding head-on.

It was a perfect reenactment of their very first battle.

However, the outcome this time was different.

Back then, when they had both chanted Fire Realm Incantation, their jujutsu had entered a stalemate, neither side overpowering the other.

But this time, Rozen's Fire Realm Incantation visibly devoured Kagami Reiji's.

The flames that Kagami Reiji released were absorbed into Rozen's, fueling them instead.

Rozen's fire grew even stronger, surging forward like a massive wave, engulfing Kagami Reiji's flames entirely—before rushing straight toward him.

"Tch!"

Kagami Reiji clicked his tongue in frustration.