Throughout history, jujutsu practitioners have always pursued the mysteries of jujutsu.
This is because they believe that jujutsu is a power that reveals the truth of the world.
In this field, they are relentless—obsessively, greedily, and endlessly seeking knowledge and understanding. This is the duty of a jujutsu practitioner.
From this perspective, jujutsu practitioners share similarities with magus. At their core, both strive to pursue and unveil the mysteries of existence.
The difference, however, lies in their goals—magus have always sought the Root, while jujutsu practitioners have always pursued the divine.
After all, in this world, the divine is a part of the spiritual energy that fills the world—or rather, it is the very essence of it. The pursuit of the divine is akin to seeking the mysteries of the world itself. Any true jujutsu practitioner would be captivated by this pursuit.
Of course, there are fundamental differences between jujutsu practitioners and magus.
Especially modern jujutsu practitioners—unlike their ancient predecessors, who sought to coexist with the divine, communicate with gods, merge with nature, sever yin and yang, and transcend life and death, modern jujutsu practitioners have long abandoned religious faith. They study jujutsu purely for its practicality and universality, using it for tasks such as exorcising spiritual disasters. Compared to magus who would go to any lengths to uncover mysteries, modern jujutsu practitioners resemble Magicians (Mahotsukai).
Magicians are those who treat magic as a tool, using it for their own benefit—such as for profit—rather than for the pursuit of truth.
Traditional magus have always looked down upon them. Yet, in nature, they share many similarities with the jujutsu practitioners of this world.
Even so, in modern times, there are still those who seek the profundity of jujutsu.
For example, Tsuchimikado Harutora, the reincarnation of Yakou. Though he is the creator of modern jujutsu and the key figure behind the emergence of modern jujutsu practitioners, it was his efforts in unifying almost every jujutsu system throughout history that led to the development of the militaristic jujutsu system, Imperial Onmyoudou. Without Imperial Onmyoudou, the Common Onmyoudou would not have come into existence, and jujutsu would not have lost its religious essence, becoming what it is today.
And yet, Harutora himself remains a highly traditional jujutsu practitioner—his devotion to jujutsu is unmistakably sincere. Otherwise, he would not have shown divine reverence toward Kinu and Gyokuto.
Then there is Yashamaru, once known as Dairenji Shidou. He, too, was a traditional jujutsu practitioner. Even though he strayed from the righteous path, going so far as to experiment on his own children with forbidden techniques, he did so in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate truth of jujutsu. He was a cold and ruthless madman, but his dedication was genuine.
For this reason, when Harutora appeared, Yashamaru gazed at him with burning admiration. As the father of modern jujutsu, Harutora was revered by all modern jujutsu practitioners. More importantly, he was a reincarnated soul and a living testament to jujutsu history. If the circumstances allowed, Yashamaru would undoubtedly have sought every opportunity to engage with Harutora and glimpse into the abyss of jujutsu.
But now, someone even more astonishing than Harutora had emerged—Rozen.
Not only had Rozen successfully performed the miracle of divine descent a year and a half ago, but he had also single-handedly recreated a true Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of a Hundred Demons), claiming all of the hundred demons as his shikigami and becoming their Master. This was an unprecedented miracle.
After all, among the hundred demons, many had deep ties to the divine.
For example, Momijigari—the incarnation of the Sixth Heavenly Demon King. During the Warring States period, she even took on the form of Oda Nobunaga and ruled over the mystical. If not for her descent in the form of the Togakushi Oni-Woman, she would have been an authentic deity.
Then there was Suzuhiko-hime, who was a fusion of a divine maiden and a sacred artifact, revered as a type of divine spirit—a demi-god. If her divine essence was strong enough, she could become a true god at any moment.
Beyond them, many other beings among the hundred demons possessed divinity.
Some were Tsukumogami, some were mountain gods, and others were aspects, incarnations, or avatars of divine beings. They all possessed high spiritual power—divinity itself—and under the right conditions, they could fully ascend.
Take Shuten-douji, for example—he was said to be the son of the Ibuki Mountain Deity, or in some legends, the son of the Togakushi Nine-Headed Dragon, making him the genuine offspring of a dragon god. His divine essence was undeniably potent.
Or Tamamo-no-Mae, whose true form was the White-Faced, Golden-Fur Nine-Tailed Fox. She was once worshipped as the Inari Kami, a divine spirit of Amaterasu Ōmikami. She could even be considered Uka-no-Mitama-no-Kami—an earthly manifestation of the sun and another aspect of Amaterasu. She was a fully-fledged deity, and not just any deity, but one of the highest-ranking ones. Had she not been summoned in her evil spirit and yokai form, she would undoubtedly have been far beyond the pinnacle of strategic-class beings.
Even Ōtakemaru was considered another aspect of Susanoo. Susanoo was a multifaceted god—on one hand, a wrathful deity and a violent destroyer; on the other, a hero who defeated monsters, a protector of Izumo, and a sea god. He was also linked to Gozu Tennō of Buddhist lore and had roles as the god of the underworld. In legends, Ōtakemaru once rose from death and rampaged madly, wielding divine power and sacred swords, making him recognized as the Oni God aspect of Susanoo.
Among the hundred demons, many possessed divine connections, standing only a step away from godhood.
To revive, nurture, and create such beings with divine essence, divine power, and divine nature, and to claim them all as shikigami—if this wasn't a miracle, then what was?
Frankly speaking, even those capable of divine descent could never achieve such a feat.
But Rozen had done it.
So, as a true jujutsu practitioner, was it not only natural to pay tribute to such a miracle, such a great achievement?
At this moment, Yashamaru's gaze burned with fanaticism as he stared at Rozen. Even Kumomaru could not contain his excitement, and Harutora, Kakugyouki, and Hishamaru now looked at Rozen with newfound intensity, an admiration they had not displayed before.
Unfortunately…
"Regrettably, discussions about this will have to wait for another time," Harutora suddenly declared.
The atmosphere in the room immediately shifted.
Rozen looked at Harutora.
Yashamaru and Kumomaru's expressions darkened.
The reason was simple.
At this very moment, Harutora's gaze had shifted to the unconscious Souma Takiko, his eyes carrying a faint killing intent.
Everyone instantly understood why Harutora had come.
After all, a year and a half ago, Harutora had already attacked Souma Takiko.
And now…
"Hand over the Souma family's shrine maiden, Yashamaru," Harutora demanded.
His tone left no room for negotiation.
"What does he intend to do?"
Kurahashi Kyouko was stunned.
She clearly had not expected Harutora's true objective to be Takiko.
But that was precisely Harutora's mission now.
"My reincarnation exists to prevent past tragedies from happening again," Harutora stated firmly.
"I will never allow the Souma family to perform divine descent again."