Night fell without anyone realizing it.
However, for Tokyo, a day that could only be described as a nightmare was still not over.
Even though the Onmyo Agency had retreated, and Harutora's plan to take Souma Takiko had failed, the chaos continued.
The fear of Tokyo's citizens, who had been attacked by both the Hyakki Yagyō and the Spiritual Disasters, could not subside—especially since the disasters caused by Souma Takiko's rampage were far beyond what Rozen's Hyakki Yagyō could compare to.
This was not to say that Rozen's Hyakki Yagyō was weaker than the Spiritual Disasters triggered by Souma Takiko.
In terms of power, spirituality, and rank, the true Hyakki Yagyō was unquestionably superior to those newly spawned spiritual disasters.
But unlike Rozen's Hyakki Yagyō, the Spiritual Disasters showed no mercy—their threat to the citizens was undeniable.
The Hyakki Yagyō, following Rozen's command, would not harm humans, whereas the Spiritual Disasters would attack and devour anyone they encountered without hesitation.
Thus, for the people of Tokyo, the true danger only began after Souma Takiko's power went out of control.
Fortunately, in order to capture Rozen, Kurahashi Genji, acting as the head of the Onmyo Agency, granted the Exorcism Bureau permission to deploy large-scale barrier formations. Prior warnings had also been issued, instructing many citizens to evacuate. Additionally, the Hyakki Yagyō had already driven the crowds away beforehand. Because of this, when the Spiritual Disasters appeared, the casualties were minimized. Otherwise, this disaster would have turned Tokyo into a living hell.
Of course, while the civilian death toll was low, the damage to Tokyo was catastrophic.
The city had first been ravaged by the Hyakki Yagyō and then devastated by the rampant Spiritual Disasters, leaving it in utter ruin. High-rise buildings collapsed one after another, entire structures burned to the ground, and roads were reduced to rubble. The destruction was beyond imagination.
In addition, the Onmyo Agency suffered devastating losses.
Under the onslaught of Shuten-Douji and his demon army, the Exorcism Bureau's headquarters ultimately fell. One by one, the exorcists were overwhelmed by the demons. Even Yuge Mari was defeated by a powerful oni, and Miyachi Iwao was struck down by Shuten-Douji himself, leaving him with no choice but to retreat with the remaining exorcists.
The Onmyo Agency's main headquarters also did not escape disaster. Countless onmyoji were overwhelmed by the relentless attacks of demons and spirits. Kurahashi Genji himself was defeated by Tamamo-no-Mae. If not for his two guardian shikigami enabling his timely retreat, he might have fallen victim to a curse from the Nine-Tailed Fox—despite Rozen's orders to spare lives, an enraged Tamamo-no-Mae was not one to be taken lightly.
At the same time, Emperor Sutoku, the Great Tengu, led his tengu forces and systematically obliterated one Onmyo Agency facility after another. Many branches of the Exorcism Bureau also fell in rapid succession.
In the end, the Onmyo Agency had no choice but to retreat entirely. They abandoned their bases, gathered all remaining forces, and broke through the Hyakki Yagyō's encirclement, forsaking both the Onmyo Agency and the Exorcism Bureau.
For the first time since its establishment, the Onmyo Agency had been completely overrun.
As a result, its members were now scattered, with some going their separate ways and others remaining with Kurahashi Genji and the Twelve Divine Generals, struggling to survive in a Tokyo that had become a demonic domain.
With the Onmyo Agency unable to handle the crisis, the Hyakki Yagyō and the Spiritual Disasters began clashing as if fighting over territory, ensuring that the chaos in Tokyo continued without end.
Even though night had fallen, the sounds of battle and the roars of demons echoed throughout the city, making it clear that Tokyo was still a battlefield.
Reports suggested that the government could no longer ignore the situation. The military and even the Self-Defense Forces had been deployed to surround Tokyo, making multiple attempts to break through. However, lacking the expertise to deal with such supernatural threats, they were repelled each time.
This was the conclusion drawn by Kurahashi Kyouko after observing the stars.
"I can only see things vaguely since everything in Tokyo right now is either a Shikigami or a Spiritual Disaster," Kyouko said with a bitter smile.
The art of star-gazing primarily allowed her to read the fates of humans, making it difficult to discern the fates of spiritual beings like Shikigami.
This was because Shikigami, being spirits, had an inherently ambiguous existence, making it nearly impossible to read their star signs. Additionally, human fates were deeply intertwined with the world's fate, allowing their destinies to be observed through celestial movements. While other existences also had star signs, detecting them was no simple task.
For this reason, Kyouko had only been able to sense that Harutora was accompanied by two guardians but was unable to discern anything else. Even living humans like Natsume, Suzuka, and Ato Touji had their fates obscured due to the presence of spiritual entities attached to them. It wasn't until Rozen provided his assistance that Kyouko was able to glimpse the stars of Natsume and Suzuka.
In light of this, it was nothing short of a miracle that she had been able to track Rozen multiple times in their previous game of hide and seek.
After all, Rozen himself was accompanied by numerous familiars, as well as Kinu and Gyokuto, making it theoretically impossible for his star to be observed.
Thus, Kyouko had paid a considerable price for her ability to track him.
Of course, part of the reason she succeeded was that Rozen had not actively tried to block her observation.
He had anticipated Kyouko's star-gazing ability in advance and deliberately chose not to interfere, allowing her to observe his star freely. His familiars, along with Kinu and Gyokuto, followed his will and suppressed their spiritual energy, giving Kyouko a rare opportunity.
Still, as Kyouko put it, even if Rozen had tried to obstruct her, it likely wouldn't have made much difference.
"Your star shines too brightly—so bright that I'm starting to wonder why I couldn't see it at all over the past year and a half."
Those were Kyouko's exact words.
In other words, Rozen's star was so radiant that it was actually easier to read than others.
This was probably one of the key reasons why Kyouko had been able to track him so many times.
In any case, due to these circumstances, Kyouko had no clear grasp of the current state of the Hyakki Yagyō or the Spiritual Disasters.
On the other hand, Rozen, using the vision of his Hyakki Yagyō, had a complete understanding of Tokyo's current situation.
After some thought, he decided not to recall his Hyakki Yagyō, allowing them to continue occupying Tokyo—fighting the Spiritual Disasters while also clashing with the surviving onmyoji.
With his current level of jutsuryoku, even maintaining the summoning of the Hyakki Yagyō indefinitely was no issue.
Later, Rozen and his companions gathered on the rooftop of Onmyo Academy.
"I didn't expect this altar to still be here."
Harutora looked at the altar atop the academy's rooftop, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
Not only him—both Kakugyoki and Hishamaru seemed similarly sentimental.
The Onmyo Academy had originally been founded as Yakou's private school. Naturally, this altar within the academy was one of Yakou's creations.
"Unfortunately, now is not the time for reminiscing."
With those words, Harutora turned toward Rozen.
Then, with utmost seriousness, he spoke.
"I'm at my limit."
"So this time, I'm going to ask for your help."
"Akikan."
This was why Harutora had brought Rozen here after the battle—to discuss their next move.