“This guise is convenient, de gozaru! Onmyou techniques, barrier techniques, and special abilities, I¹ can use all sorts of skills to my heart’s desire, de gozaru!

The man who took on Kousuke’s appearance dissolves the ground’s surface while releasing Scattered Flame Bullets at Kuro and the others all while keeping his distance from them.

“You won’t escape! Everyone, lend me your strength!”
“Oraa! Kuraeya!”

Sei cuts off the man’ escape by operating the remains of dead animals to surround him. From there, Koro transforms his wings into swords and has them rain down on him.

“It’s futile, de gozaru.”

The man glances up at the approaching swords and calmly invokes a special ability. By using [Reinforcement] to boost the speed of his nerve signals, he sidesteps the rapidly falling swords. He then incapacitates the animal remains surrounding him by releasing [Flying Slashes] at them with a knifehand.

“No copy house head—!”
“Kaka— ka!”

Rin and Shiro also attack, not missing the slight opening created when he avoided those attacks.

“[Triple Barrier] de gozaru yo.”
The man, however, isn’t perturbed by their assault. Using a triple barrier, he wards off the flying slash and shockwave.

“Fumu…”
Kuro reproduces the special ability [Perception] with his [Pseudo・Perception] and analyzes the man.

“His techniques are inferior in both precision and power in comparison to House Head’s, but… just like House Head, I can’t sense a bottom to his spiritual power.”
“My Shujin–sama was the same, wa. If he truly possesses an inexhaustible amount of spiritual power, this will be quite troublesome.”

From beside Kuro, Wako also calmy analyzes the situation. They both fail to notice the existence of 1 other person approaching them from behind.

“That’s quite the interesting conversation you’re having there, de gozaru na. If that really is the case, then those masters of yours might be the same as us, de gozaru.”
““!!””

The 2 immediately create distance from where they are upon hearing that voice. They then look back and forth between the man doing battle using Kousuke’s appearance and the man who approached them in his appearance before transforming.

“How are there 2!?”
“The special ability to create a second self also exists, de gozaru yo.”

The man proudly answers Wako’s question.

“Which reminds me, I still haven’t introduced myself, de gozatta na. At present, my name is Chrome, de gozaru. Right now, I am affiliated with [The Order of Twilight and Dawn] as a metamorphosis magician… is what I’m supposed to be, de gozaru yo.”
“What you are supposed to be?”

Kuro voices his doubts at the man naming himself Chrome.

“That’s right, de gozaru. Being a metamorphosis magician is only my front. My true form is an existence chosen by god and bestowed with a exceptional power. I am an apostle of god, de gozaru yo!”
“He doesn’t seem to be lying… impossible.”

Kuro ascertains the validity of Chrome’s words using [Pseudo・Perception].

“Even if you are telling the truth, I don’t understand what you mean, wa. What is your ability? What are your intentions!?”

Wako inquires such of Chrome while waiting for an opportunity to reclaim the evil god’s heart.

“My ability, or rather divine protection, is as I just demonstrated, de gozaru. It allows me to use all the techniques and special abilities of the person whose guise I assume, de gozaru yo.”
“Divine protection… you say?”
“That’s correct, de gozaru. Those loved by god can utilize a whole different dimension of power, de gozaru yo. Speaking of which, my divine protection is called [The Divine Protection of One Thousand Metamorphoses(Proteus)], de gozaru. It’s cool, de gozarou!”

Wako notices Kuro’s gaze during the conversation and calmly shakes her head.

Upon hearing the phrase, [A person loved by god], he considers the possibility that her Shujin was also someone with a divine protection. However, Wako, just like Kuro, is entirely ignorant to the existence of the power called [Divine Protection].

“After that—, right, intentions, de gozaru. Our intentions are simple, de gozaru. It’s to enjoy ourselves, de gozaru yo.”

Kuro and Wako, despite the eerie feeling they get from Chrome freely and without concern answering about his power and intentions, continue speaking.

“Enjoy yourself… you say?”
“That’s right, de gozaru yo. I had the thought that the present situation might get more interesting if this heart of an evil god was also added to the mix, so I came to steal it, de gozaru. That I am revealing my hand to you as well is also solely because that seems like it would be more interesting, de gozaru.”
“For such an absurd reason… [Thousand Needle Barrier]!”

Enraged, Wako entrusts the snatching back of the evil god’s heart to everyone else and launches a barrier of innumerable thin needles at Chrome.

“A needle barrier, de gozaru ka? You’ll miss by a hair’s… uoh!”
“[Pseudo・Melt].”

Kuro matches Wako’s attack. By invoking [Pseudo・Melt] to imitate [Melt], he liquifies Chrome’s footing. Then, while waiting for the barrier to make impact, he transforms himself into a golden shishi.

“I’ll eliminate him using close quarters combat.”
“Understood, wa.”

Should Chrome assume the form of the red-haired woman, he will be able to nullify Wako’s attack and the [Pseudo・Melt]. His legs, however, will remain buried. Kuro intends to use that opening to close in on him.

“Looks like, it ends here, de gozaru na.”

---

T/N: Does anyone want to guess what happens next??

<49. The History of Iron Manufacturing
50.2 A Pretty Bad Move>

1. When Chrome says “I,” he says せっしゃ. This method of saying I was primarily used by samurai.