The outskirts near the hotel in the Roman Autonomous District, away from the airport.
"Buzz!"
Under the fluctuation of space, Rozen appeared here like a mirage, causing the air to tremble.
"Clap!"
As soon as he appeared, Rozen clapped his hands abruptly.
"————————————"
Chanting from Rozen's mouth was the mantra of Ucchusma, capable of purifying impure tangible entities.
This mantra could construct and enhance the power of barriers, making it a rare art for spellcasters preparing to use barriers. Rozen often used this technique in the past to set up barriers, making it one of his favorite spells.
However, this time, Rozen didn't intend to use it to set up a barrier but rather to strengthen one.
"Order!"
While chanting the incantation, Rozen simultaneously played eight Shikigami talisman.
These eight Shikigami talisman transformed into simplified Shikigami resembling Rozen. Under Rozen's space manipulation magic, they were sent to eight directions around the outskirts, forming eight corners.
"Clang!"
Not long after, the simplified Shikigami on the eight corners formed seals, releasing magical power, creating an octagonal column-shaped barrier. An invisible wall rose, enveloping the area where Rozen was.
This was the highest-level barrier among Common-Style, the unparalleled skill of barrier arts, the "Eight Array Barrier."
Originally designed to deal with powerful spiritual disasters, Rozen had now placed it around himself. Moreover, he used the Ucchusma mantra to enhance its effects to the limit.
In this way...
"Unless it's a power like a Grand Servant or someone capable of destroying everything, no one can break this barrier from the inside, right?"
Rozen suddenly smiled, speaking in this manner.
"Go ahead and wreak havoc, Hokuto."
As soon as he finished speaking...
"Clang!"
A dazzling light shone around Rozen, turning into a beam of light soaring into the sky.
The sky suddenly darkened.
Dark clouds gathered abruptly.
Countless flashes of lightning floated within.
Then...
"Roar!"
A resounding and excited dragon roar echoed from the clouds, revealing a golden divine dragon.
It was none other than Hokuto.
"Roar!"
Hokuto opened his eyes, waking up as if from a long slumber, emitting an extraordinarily excited dragon roar.
A majestic aura unlike anything before surged from Hokuto's body.
At this moment, Rozen could feel a terrifying power about to erupt from within Hokuto.
Seeing this, Rozen's eyes began to shine.
"As expected, Hokuto is breaking through the limits."
That's right.
Hokuto was about to break through his own limits.
Since losing to King of Madness Cu Chulainn in the Fifth Singularity, Hokuto, as if wounded in his pride, very rarely showed a fighting spirit, actively absorbing the dragon aura provided by Rozen to achieve faster growth, entering a rapid surge of power.
Originally, Hokuto was on the verge of becoming a strategic-level beast, and after coming to this world and being nurtured tirelessly by Rozen, he recovered from the damage suffered in the Singularity in just a few days.
Then, he actively absorbed and digested the spiritual energy, boosting his strength, finally reaching a point where he was like breaking through the limits, surpassing the barrier between tactical and strategic levels.
However, Hokuto didn't immediately experience growth. Instead, he fell into a deep slumber.
With the contract and the knowledge in his mind, Rozen, after a slight surprise, understood what was going on.
"Hokuto is accumulating power, huh?"
Yes.
Hokuto's slumber was not due to any abnormalities but was a method to accumulate power, to accumulate power to the limit, and then erupt in one go, allowing himself to transcend the limits and achieve growth far beyond normal circumstances.
In other words, Hokuto was not satisfied with just reaching the strategic level; he was preparing to take a big step forward in order not to lose to King of Madness Cu Chulainn, aspiring to become a strategic-level peak capable of competing with him.
Recognizing this, Hokuto entered a dormant state, simultaneously accumulating power, awakening the spirituality accumulated over a millennium, aiming to break through his own limits.
After all, as mentioned before, Hokuto's rapid growth was attributed to the spirituality that had existed for a thousand years. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to absorb spiritual energy so unrestrainedly, enhance his strength, and continue growing without limits.
In this situation, Hokuto had his own limits. Once reaching this limit, even with absorbing more spiritual energy, his growth would slow down significantly, relying on time to gradually accumulate strength.
However, Hokuto was not content with this. He planned to use this breakthrough to surpass his limits in one go.
In doing so, when the time came, Hokuto would experience incredible growth. Over the years, Rozen had continued to purify spiritual energy while Hokuto was asleep, injecting suitable dragon spiritual energy into him, allowing Hokuto to accumulate strength at a faster rate and achieve a breakthrough.
Now, after many years, Hokuto had finally awakened from his slumber.
This meant that Hokuto had accumulated his power to the limit and intended to cross his own peak in one go, achieving the most significant growth since now.
Rozen felt that Hokuto was about to wake up, so he ran out of the hotel, both surprised and delighted.
Now...
"Breakthrough! Hokuto!"
Rozen's entire body erupted with astonishing magical power.
Although his physical age was only twelve, since the activation of Mind's Eye reaching the Divine Realm, Rozen had accumulated a vast amount of knowledge.
The opening of magic circuits in his body was no longer difficult for Rozen. With the activation of Crimson Wing Formation, it would take only a day and a night for Rozen to open all his magic circuits.
Therefore, unlike the past, Rozen could now bring out all his magical power at any time, no longer limited by his physical age.
Now, in order to assist Hokuto in breaking through his limits, Rozen released all his magical power to support Hokuto's breakthrough.
Not only that...
"Boom!"
With the command spell lighting up in Rozen's left hand, his eyes turned deep red, and blood mist spewed out behind him, forming a pair of stretched and open red wings.
For Hokuto's breakthrough, Rozen spared no effort and even used Crimson Wing Formation. Although using a hundredfold amplification would undoubtedly strain Rozen, and until the burden issue was resolved, Rozen should refrain from using Crimson Wing Formation, he had sealed it on himself to limit the output and transformation to only ten times the original.
In this way, Rozen could harness the power of Crimson Wing Formation.
In this situation, Rozen extended his hands towards Hokuto, allowing ten extremely hot magic lines to reach out and connect to Hokuto.
"Boom!"
The power accumulated to the limit in Hokuto's body erupted instantly with the support of Rozen's tenfold magical power.
"Roar!"
Hokuto roared ecstatically towards the sky.
His body, which was only a kilometer in size, continued to extend and grow under the erupting power.
Even Hokuto's sharp four dragon claws, which originally had only three claws each, grew a fourth and fifth claw under the influence of the increasing power.
Terrifying power erupted from Hokuto's body.