At this moment, Koyomi understood exactly what had happened to her.
She had experienced the same thing as Rozen.
"An attack..."
Yes.
She had been attacked.
But...
"When...?"
Koyomi hadn't noticed the attack at all.
Just like all those who had fallen victim to her Silent Destruction in the past.
"Confused?"
Rozen's voice rang out.
"At its core, your Silent Destruction is just another form of time manipulation. Did you really think you had a monopoly on that?"
His words made Koyomi realize immediately.
Time manipulation was certainly not unique to her.
For example, the grimoire No.014 could steal accumulated time from individuals, turning capable adults into powerless children while absorbing their knowledge and experience—a form of personal time manipulation.
The Blazing Banquet ritual, which could revive the Fourth Primogenitor, also extracted memories from people to replenish its own accumulated time, gaining vast magical power in the process—another application of temporal manipulation.
Even the Fourth Primogenitor's eleventh Beast Vassal, Sadalmelik Albus, had time-related abilities, capable of reverting all existence to its original state as if reversing time. Though fundamentally an ultimate specialization of vampire regeneration, it too could steal accumulated time.
Koyomi's Silent Destruction was merely one of many time manipulation abilities.
And Rozen...
"During those two months I was gone, I obtained time manipulation magic from an enemy in another world. While I haven't fully deciphered it yet and am far from applying it in actual combat, I can still use some time manipulation spells indirectly."
Rozen revealed a secret that would shock the world.
"Your Silent Destruction is indeed formidable, but the more powerful an ability is, the more fatal its weakness becomes when exploited. I simply interfered with the nonexistent time you manipulated, allowing me to act in that silent world just like you. And just like that, your life was nearly forfeit."
Rozen raised one hand.
Blood dripped from his fingers.
Not his own blood—but Koyomi's.
While Koyomi thought she had successfully attacked Rozen, he had simultaneously struck back, nearly slitting her throat.
The wound on his chest? Merely a feint—Rozen had allowed her to land that hit.
In that silent world where no one else could intervene, once Rozen gained the ability to move, deflecting Koyomi's attack was child's play.
"Time manipulation... magic?"
Koyomi was utterly stunned.
Even Yukina looked dumbfounded.
While time-related abilities were exceedingly rare, they weren't unheard of. But time manipulation magic? That was something no one had ever encountered.
There might be one or two time manipulation spells in existence, but complete time manipulation magic that allowed free control over time? Searching the entire world would likely turn up no one capable of wielding such power.
Of course, Rozen was no exception—while he possessed time manipulation magic, he was far from mastering it and couldn't yet apply it in real combat. He could only use a few basic spells. But his words implied he had complete knowledge of this magic—it was only a matter of time before he fully mastered it.
Rozen was already a master of space manipulation magic. If he added time manipulation magic to his arsenal, granting him dominion over both space and time, he would become virtually invincible with just these two abilities alone.
Against Rozen, Koyomi's abilities were insignificant.
And so...
"If you thought you could force me into submission, you're sorely mistaken."
Rozen flicked the blood from his fingers, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Koyomi.
"I'll give you two choices."
His declaration was absolute.
"One—tell me everything."
"Two—I'll go to Shinjin Lake myself."
"Think carefully. Don't make this difficult for me."
The very words Koyomi had spoken moments ago were now thrown back at her.
Staring at the blood on her hand, Koyomi was left speechless.
"Three."
Rozen gave her no time to think, starting the countdown immediately.
"Two."
The emotionless counting made Koyomi's heart tremble.
"One."
The final ultimatum.
Yukina's breath hitched.
Just as Rozen was about to reach zero—his magical energy surging like a volcano on the verge of eruption—Koyomi sighed deeply, as if surrendering completely.
"Forty years ago, in the Shinoda region of Tanzawa, there was a small village of fewer than three hundred people."
Without warning, Koyomi began her explanation.
"It was slated to be submerged for a dam project. But three years before the dam's completion, the village vanished."
Rozen stopped counting. Yukina perked up, turning to Koyomi.
"All the residents disappeared without a trace. No clues, no reasons—as if they'd evaporated into thin air or been dragged into another dimension. No one could find any leads."
Here, Koyomi paused briefly.
Then she looked directly at Rozen.
"After investigation, multiple organizations—including the Lion King Agency—concluded the villagers' disappearance was caused by a spiritual entity."
She revealed the truth.
"A spiritual entity?" Yukina blinked in surprise.
"A spiritual entity?" Rozen frowned, then understood. "So the Shinjin Dam was built to seal a dangerous spiritual entity?"
"Correct." Koyomi nodded. "The artificial lake with a capacity of 65,000 tons—Shinjin Lake—is in truth a seal for that entity."
This wasn't hard to believe.
Just as Avrora had once been sealed by the Fairy's Coffin and an entire tomb, many large-scale seals used ruins, graves, lakes, or even entire mountains as their foundations.
"The Shinoda Shrine serves as the guardian of Shinjin Lake. Akatsuki Hisano has watched over that seal since her youth."
Hearing this, Rozen could guess what had happened.
"I see."
His voice was thoughtful.
"The seal is about to break?"
Koyomi responded with a bitter smile.
That reaction told Rozen everything.
The spiritual entity sealed within Shinjin Lake was on the verge of awakening.