Yabuki Bujinzai couldn't comprehend what had happened.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the situation where he'd held the upper hand had completely reversed. His Art of Empty Tides technique had been thoroughly dismantled, rendered completely unusable—as if he'd never known it to begin with.
What happened?
Why had things turned out this way?
It made no sense at all.
Roy stepped forward, standing before Yabuki Bujinzai with a gaze that looked upon him as if he were already dead.
His confusion was understandable—even Roy himself couldn't fully grasp it.
His Mystic Eyes fundamentally worked by interfering with an opponent's magical foundation to manipulate their spells. Yet in this world, they could even control techniques activated through bloodline inheritance, and he'd discovered during his fight with Silas that they could manipulate magic circles conjured by ability users. This was utterly unexpected.
Roy could only conclude that his Mystic Eyes had adapted alongside him to this world's rules, their underlying principles having shifted to accommodate its logic.
It was terrifying to imagine—if he continued crossing into other worlds, constantly adapting to their respective rules, just how fearsome his Mystic Eyes might become.
Would they eventually evolve into the conceptual ability to "control all spells"?
That remained unknown for now.
"Roy!"
Yabuki hurried to Bujinzai's side.
"Hey, roommate... We're on decent terms, right? How about... letting my old man off the hook for my sake?"
His face was pale, as if suppressing terror, forcing a strained smile while desperately trying to appeal to Roy.
"Please, just spare his life..."
Had this been the Roy of before—a mere inheritor of the thousand-year vampire lineage—Yabuki wouldn't have been reduced to such desperation.
But facing this version of Roy, who seemed capable of killing without blinking, even Yabuki felt that meeting those emotionless eyes might invite instant death.
Yet the fallen man was his father. Though he despised his family, Yabuki couldn't simply stand by.
Roy looked at Yabuki.
His eyes held not a trace of familiarity, as if they were complete strangers.
The corner of his mouth twitched, almost mocking Yabuki's presumptuous plea, as he raised his demonic blade.
Seeing the movement, Yabuki's heart leaped into his throat.
"Wait, don't act yet."
At that moment, Claudia approached from behind, carrying Roy's uniform.
Roy's movement paused slightly.
"If you kill Bujinzai now, your identity will be completely exposed. The Festa champion's wish would be forfeited."
Not to mention the endless pursuit from Ginga that would follow—though Roy likely wouldn't care about that. But a Festa champion's wish wasn't something to discard so lightly.
It was an unspoken rule prioritized by the six great corporations, who might even collaborate if necessary. The potential benefits depended entirely on how ambitious the recipient was.
"...Fair point."
After a long silence, Roy nodded, retrieving and donning his glasses once more.
In the blink of an eye, the murderous intent radiating from him dissipated like a beast retreating to its cage. A faint smile reappeared on his face as his entire demeanor instantly turned amiable again.
Yabuki heaved a sigh of relief, but the way he looked at Roy was as if staring at a madman. He had no idea that beneath Roy's seemingly gentle exterior lurked such a deranged side.
"But I can't just let you off like this..."
Roy put away his weapon, stroking his chin in thought.
"What about the harbor situation?"
Claudia turned to Roy. The real trouble wasn't here—it was the combat unit of over two hundred soldiers approaching. If they didn't act quickly, escape would still be impossible.
"That's not a problem."
Roy waved his hand dismissively, signaling there was no need for panic.
Then suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Ah! I've got a brilliant idea!"
"W-What is it?"
Yabuki asked nervously, trembling as he looked at him.
Roy smiled at him.
In a flash, his hand shot out, precisely gripping Yabuki's throat and slamming him to the ground, placing him right beside the ashen-faced Bujinzai.
"Wait, I surrender! Spare me—you can even leave the old man out of this!"
Yabuki hastily raised his hands in surrender.
Bujinzai suddenly mustered his last strength, turning his head to glare furiously at him.
Roy fell silent for a moment.
This kid had some filial piety.
But not much.
"Alright, both of you—look into my eyes."
Roy grabbed their necks, forcing their gazes to align with his.
"Listen carefully. This is how your operation went..."
As he spoke, Roy activated a hypnotic spell. Empowered by his Mystic Eyes, the spell's potency was greatly amplified, effortlessly shattering the mental defenses of the father-son pair and implanting new memories into their minds.
Several minutes later.
Yabuki Bujinzai stood up dazedly, his body restored, eyes vacant as he turned and walked away.
Yabuki Eishiro's eyes rolled back as he fainted on the spot.
"As expected of you. Ginga's higher-ups are going to be in chaos again."
Claudia had watched Roy's entire performance, utterly amazed by his troublemaking prowess.
"No matter how much you praise me, your punishment won't be canceled."
Roy shot her a frosty glance.
Claudia had learned that Yabuki Bujinzai was leading a combat unit of over two hundred to hunt Roy down, which was why she had gone alone to ambush Bujinzai... That part was true. But another truth was that she had used this opportunity to actively seek death.
Frankly, the thought of it still made Roy furious.
Tonight, he was going to teach her a harsh lesson!
Claudia hunched her shoulders, obediently keeping her mouth shut.
Roy walked over to the still-standing upper half of Bujinzai's body.
He reached out, dipping a finger into the blood.
"The bloodline of the Yabuki clan... So this is the real secret—these unique bloodline factors."
With the enhancement of Tiamat's authority, he easily discerned that the Yabuki bloodline factors were the true source of the Art of Empty Tides Technique. The more of these factors one possessed, the greater the technique's power.
Roy guided these factors into his skin, letting them merge with his bloodstream before injecting magical energy to replicate them en masse.
Soon, after consuming a significant portion of his mana, these factors began circulating throughout his bloodstream.
"The techniques of the Yabuki clan are truly fascinating."
Roy nodded repeatedly, his mood improving slightly.
The Art of Empty Tides Technique, when used against opponents with less refined skills, was a powerful method capable of overcoming stronger foes—especially since Roy's Mystic Eyes could amplify its effects. Combined, they were unparalleled in the world.
"That's certainly true. I still remember a century ago when I crossed blades with the head of the Yabuki clan. Though, the Art of Empty Tides Technique had absolutely no effect on me, of course!"
At that moment, a voice still tinged with a hint of childishness abruptly rang out beside Roy's ear.
His eyes felt slightly uncomfortable again, but fortunately, he managed to finish writing without issue.
***
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