บท 105: -103- Changes as time goes on
When one is focused on their tasks, time passes by the quickest.
Upon returning to the clan, Rozen resumed his former life, dedicating himself to improving his magical abilities. He hardly left his confines, turning into a complete recluse.
The clan members often marveled at Rozen's dedication and immersion, gradually changing their opinions of him.
"Young Master Nuragami is already working very hard."
"In terms of talent, Young Master Nuragami is definitely not inferior to Young Master Tenzen."
"Unfortunately, Young Master Nuragami isn't a descendant of our Akabane family."
"That's right."
"It's really a pity."
The clan members' initial astonishment and praise for Rozen were slowly transforming into pity and regret.
The reason was simple.
"Since Young Master Tenzen mastered the 'Crimsom Wing Formation,' Young Master Nuragami couldn't compete with him anymore."
"In the past, their puppetry exercises always ended in a tie. But now, Young Master Nuragami hasn't had the upper hand in a long time."
"If it weren't for Young Master Tenzen holding back, Young Master Nuragami would likely have lost quickly, right?"
"Nothing we can do, the 'Crimsom Wing Formation' of our Akabane clan is the pinnacle technique, and even the advanced puppet manipulation methods revolve around using the 'Crimsom Wing Formation.' The difference between having and not having the 'Crimsom Wing Formation' is immense."
"So, it's not Young Master Nuragami's fault either."
Such discussions among the clan members were common.
Indeed, Akabane Tenzen had completely mastered the secret techniques of the 'Red Wing Formation,' the clan's ultimate technique.
As a result, Rozen had never been able to match Akabane Tenzen again. In each puppetry exercise, Rozen was consistently suppressed by Akabane Tenzen. If not for Rozen's skills in 'Telekinesis,' 'Spirit Vision,' 'Rigid Body,' 'Magic Defense,' and 'Heaven's Eye' becoming even refined, more precise, and more potent, facing Akabane Tenzen's use of the 'Crimson Wing Formation,' Rozen would probably not even stand a chance.
This was the strength of the 'Crimson Wing Formation'—not only did it increase magical power tenfold, but it also employed various puppet manipulation techniques handed down through the family.
This allowed for intricate group battles, enhancing formation, tactics, and countermeasures to achieve an all-around improvement. Thus, the fighting power surpassed the sum of its parts, and the more puppets one controlled, the more pronounced the power increase.
Because of this, Akabane Tenzen progressed even faster after mastering the 'Crimson Wing Formation,' making Rozen start to fall behind imperceptibly.
Of course, the secret technique called the "Crimson Wing Formation" wasn't something that could be casually employed. It required not only complete control over magical power to prevent an uncontrollable surge but also the consumption of a large amount of blood to convert into magical energy.
Furthermore, due to the immense magical power output from the "Crimson Wing Formation," regular puppets couldn't withstand such force; they would shatter. Therefore, during puppetry exercises, Rozen could still mount some counterattacks, but this wasn't Akabane Tenzen's fault. The regular puppets simply couldn't endure his power.
This was a process that every Akabane clan member who mastered the "Crimson Wing Formation" would experience.
Given this, the clan began discussing whether they should provide Akabane Tenzen with specialized puppets. If they equipped him with dedicated puppets, Akabane Tenzen's strength would undergo a remarkable transformation, making him almost unbeatable.
However, when this matter was revealed, Akabane Tenzen hesitated for a moment and raised a question.
"I wouldn't object if we could have automaton puppets."
In other words, Akabane Tenzen wasn't content with the puppets made within the clan. He was interested in automaton puppets—those with built-in magical circuits, capable of using magic and possessing lifelike qualities.
This indicated that Akabane Tenzen was considering delving into "Automaton Magic."
Naturally, if Akabane Tenzen did acquire automaton puppets and combined them with the "Crimson Wing Formation" secret technique and his own abilities, he might possibly undergo a drastic transformation, becoming the foremost individual in this far eastern island nation.
After all, something significant had happened in these past years.
Rumors had it that a puppet craftsman had made contact with the nation's military.
If we consider "puppeteer" as someone who controls puppets, then the "puppet craftsman" here refers to the master who crafts the puppets.
In this context, "puppets" naturally refer to automaton puppets.
In other words, a master capable of creating automaton puppets had established contact with the military.
Legend has it that he was the first in the field of humanoid automaton puppets and the most advanced puppet craftsman in the country.
Legend has it that he was someone who enjoyed drinking, women, and leisure, and he had never created puppets for the nation before.
However, now, in line with the changing times, this master had finally received an invitation from the military to create an extremely powerful puppet.
The puppet's name was "Oborofuji."
That's a creature capable of employing incredibly terrifying magic, even when manipulated by ordinary magicians, capable of altering the landscape itself.
The appearance of such puppets completely changed the situation in this country.
People finally started taking the existence of automatons seriously, and under the military's endorsement, they began forming automaton corps.
If such puppets were to fall into the hands of someone like Akabane Tenzen, who could use the "Crimson Wing Formation" to amplify their magical power tenfold and had exceptional qualities, one could only imagine the extent to which their strength would skyrocket—chilling to think about.
Rozen, who had heard about this, was envious back then, and Akabane Tenzen naturally couldn't remain unaffected either. He grew disinterested in the clan-made puppets and started contemplating the idea of automaton puppets.
"If it's not possible, I'll create them myself."
With these words, Akabane Tenzen turned down the idea of the clan providing him specialized puppets and began concentrating on studying puppet-crafting techniques.
As a result, the expectations of those within the clan for Akabane Tenzen soared.
"If Young Master Tenzen can create powerful automatons and combine them with his abilities, there won't be a single person within the clan who can match him."
"We don't hope for the creation of monsters like 'Oborofuji'; a first-rate automaton will suffice."
"Yes, Young Master Tenzen indeed has boundless potential."
The clan members were pragmatic, with their attention gradually shifting towards Akabane Tenzen, leading to somewhat diminished expectations of Rozen.
These clan members were unaware that while Rozen hadn't mastered the "Crimson Wing Formation," he had extensively researched it. Over these years, he had also learned several spells and could summon intermediate familiars endowed with various abilities.
Today, Rozen was on the verge of achieving two more breakthroughs.
...
In the courtyard of the Akabane clan, a teenager of around fifteen or sixteen was seated in meditation.
"Hum..."
A surge of powerful magical energy emanated from the youth, growing turbulent and intense.
The teenager opened his eyes, casting a glance at a wooden sword beside him.
The wooden sword immediately lifted into the air, as if held by an invisible hand. After a spin, it came down in a powerful strike.
In an instant, a dazzling halo of light erupted from the wooden sword, sweeping across the ground.
"Bang!"
Amidst the explosion, a staggering sword mark appeared on the ground, creating a potent shockwave.
Witnessing this, Rozen suddenly smiled.
"Seventh Tier—'Magic Resilience'."
Accomplished.
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