The real problem at hand was their band's upcoming debut performance!
2:00 PM.
A few more people trickled into the venue, but the total audience still didn't exceed twenty.
The show began, and of course, Kessoku Band wasn't the first to take the stage. The opening act was responsible for warming up the crowd, so at least a moderately popular band was chosen for the job.
While waiting by the stands, Roy suddenly reached out and, before Seika and Kiyotaka could even react, pulled out a camera from seemingly nowhere.
The design was incredibly sleek—almost futuristic, brimming with a technological sophistication far beyond this era. Any photography enthusiast would be instantly captivated by it.
The band on stage was playing their hearts out, but Roy paid them no attention, instead focusing on adjusting the settings of his camera.
He had bought this in Asterisk City. Though products powered by Mana had long since become commonplace there, electrical appliances hadn't vanished from history. This camera's capabilities were extraordinary, with frame rates and bitrates far surpassing anything this world had to offer at this time.
"Are you looking forward to it, Master?"
Okita listened to the band's performance with great enthusiasm, occasionally humming along, completely absorbed. Noticing Roy's actions, she tilted her head curiously and reached out to him telepathically.
"Is it that girl's band you're interested in, Master? Are they going to be amazing?"
"Rather than amazing, I'd say it's more… historically significant."
Roy continued adjusting the camera as he replied with a hint of nostalgia in his mental voice.
"I just want to record what's about to happen. Ordinary people document their children's growth from birth, don't they? It's a similar sentiment—except what I want to record is myself."
He had no idea how long this life of his would last.
Centuries from now, who knew how much of it he'd even remember?
What would I become in the future? A madman who abandoned everything to pursue an ideal? A spineless wretch who discarded ideals to wallow in power, money, and women? Or perhaps someone who stayed true to myself until the very end... The future is full of uncertainties.
It's quite thought-provoking when you think about it.
In the less than a year since the Holy Grail War ended, he already felt like he had changed a lot.
Countless years from now, what kind of person would he become? It was truly impossible to predict. The path of his life seemed to have forked into countless diverging roads.
No matter which choice he took, it would lead to a different future.
"Then, Master, do you wish to remain in this recorded era?"
As if sensing the sigh buried deep in Roy's heart through their Master-Servant bond, Okita silently took his hand, as if trying to lend him strength through the warmth of their touch.
"No, I won't remain in any era. I will keep moving forward, all the way to the end of the road."
There was no hesitation in Roy's words—only the same unwavering resolve as always.
"But even I don't know how long this resolve will last. That's why I want to record everything I experience."
Roy feared nothing in his heart. Even if the sky crumbled before his eyes, he wouldn't feel fear—only anger at his own inability to solve the problem before him.
The only thing he truly feared was becoming someone unlike himself, degenerating into a monster like Zouken Matou or Uemon Ji.
That was why he insisted on keeping Rin and the others by his side, using them as his anchors to prevent himself from losing his way.
Recording everything he experienced like this might, at some point in the future, serve as a warning—a reminder of what "the past me" once thought.
"Staying resolute on a single path is an incredibly difficult thing to do."
This was the conclusion Okita reached in her mind. Silently, she tightened her grip on Roy's hand, as if channeling her warmth—and her strength—into him.
"I'll stay by your side too, Master, and help you all the way!"
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Roy smiled at Souji and gently squeezed her hand in return.
Kiyotaka and Seika, witnessing this, suddenly felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.
Were they just third wheels here?
Maybe they should leave for a while?
"Oh, here they come!"
Before long, the band on stage finished their set.
Next, like a sentai team, four girls with brightly colored hair, each holding their own instruments, stepped onto the stage under the gaze of the crowd, visibly trembling with nerves.
"We're Kessoku Band... and we'll be playing Guitar, Loneliness, and the Blue Planet!"
Ikuyo-chan's voice shook, her entire heart overwhelmed with tension. Her pulse raced so violently she could hear her own heartbeat.
Her eyes swept over the audience.
Sure enough, barely anyone was looking up at their band. No one had any expectations for them—except for the staff, Nijika's sister and uncle, and one drunkard.
"Cough hah! Mr. Roy, why are you holding a camera?!"
Her eyes caught sight of Roy sitting upright with a camera, focusing intently on them as he clicked away, startling her so much she nearly lost her composure.
If they didn't perform well, this would become an embarrassing moment to look back on!
Do your best, Kita!
The music began as scheduled.
Bass, guitar, drums, and vocals all blended together.
"Not particularly outstanding, is it?"
Seeing her Master unusually invested in this band, Okita listened attentively to their performance but gradually furrowed her brows slightly.
She knew next to nothing about musical instruments, yet even she could tell the chaotic mix of sounds wasn't catchy. The rhythm failed to resonate deeply, instead evoking an odd sense of irritation.
Was this the band her Master cared about?
"Don't rush. This is the classic way things unfold."
Roy held the camera steadily, not missing a single shot, looking thoroughly engrossed.
The song ended.
Even the one or two audience members initially interested in the band had completely lost interest by now. A quick glance around revealed bored expressions everywhere, with many already pulling out their phones.
By the entrance railing, Seika watched them with a tense expression, while the drunk older sister waved her arms wildly as if cheering them on.
Roy continued filming. The girl beside him, possibly his lover, was watching them too, but her expression was far from pleased—more like disappointed with their performance.
"Gasp!"
Kiyotaka suddenly inhaled sharply.
He stared at the pink-haired girl on stage, his face filled with disbelief.
"H-how could this be happening?!"
If not for the inappropriate setting, he would have been scared enough to call the police.
Wait, no—he was the one who handled such matters professionally.
"What are you panicking about?"
Roy shot Kiyotaka an annoyed glare.
Such a perfect moment, ruined by your outburst!
"B-but! Mr. Roy, that pink-haired girl—she actually—!"
Noticing the puzzled look from Seika beside him, Kiyotaka quickly lowered his voice and leaned closer to Roy's ear.
"That pink-haired girl just created a cursed spirit all by herself! And not some low-level fly-head or anything—it feels at least Grade 2 or higher!"
"I saw it. Don't get so close!"
Roy shifted his seat irritably, his footage now contaminated with useless chatter.
"Ah, sorry, sorry..."
Kiyotaka snapped back to reality, bowing repeatedly in apology.
Whatever.
Even if that girl could conjure a Grade 2 or higher cursed spirit on her own, it wasn't a big deal. With a Special Grade sorcerer like Mr. Roy here, that cursed spirit wouldn't cause any trouble.
Honestly, he was more intrigued by the girl's potential.
Ninety-nine percent of curses are born from the collective negative emotions of multiple humans. While it's not impossible for someone to create a curse entirely on their own, ordinary people typically only produce weak, insignificant curses like flies at most. To instantly create a second-grade or higher curse indicates this child possesses remarkable cursed energy reserves and output efficiency!
If we could recruit them into the jujutsu world, they'd likely master cursed energy control quickly. With proper training—and if they awaken an innate technique—they could reach at least semi-first-grade level in the future, possibly even ascending to first-grade sorcerer status.
Kiyotaka gazed at Hitori Gotoh on stage with undisguised admiration, already considering whether to report this incident afterward.
"Impressive indeed."
Roy stood below the stage, watching Bocchi-chan with an approving gaze.
"Truly a genius, but just a genius after all. No need to be overly surprised."
In this era, no matter how prodigious a talent might be, there was one figure they could never surpass—
Yuta Okkotsu.
That guy could single-handedly create a Special Grade cursed spirit. Even if he couldn't be called an unprecedented monster, he was still a once-in-a-century prodigy, with talent rivaling Satoru Gojo.
However, if Bocchi-chan could slip into a negative state anytime, anywhere, and each time she did, she could spawn a cursed spirit, then in terms of sustainability, she might truly be comparable to Yuta Okkotsu.
Clang—!
At that moment, the guitar onstage suddenly shifted in tone, its sharp, resonant notes crashing like roaring waves against the shore.
Hitori, for some reason, abruptly perked up, her negativity vanishing in an instant, her fighting spirit surging like a battle-ready rooster.
The cursed spirit that had been about to manifest from her disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Kiyotaka nodded in satisfaction.
Her emotions changed so swiftly—if she could learn to control them, she'd undoubtedly be a master of reinforcement techniques!
The guitar onstage grew increasingly captivating.