The spirit's silver glow flickered — the first genuinely uncertain reaction it had shown all afternoon.
"Prices here are fixed by the Vendory's central appraisal system, Mr. Kisaragi. There's very little room for—"
"Five thousand for Snap Strike," Ren said, settling into a stance that had nothing to do with combat and everything to do with the specific, predatory focus he'd once brought to defending a failing grant proposal in front of a skeptical review board. "Let's talk about why that number is wrong."
"It is not wrong. It reflects the technique's demonstrated combat value—"
"It reflects the technique's listed combat value, priced identically for every buyer regardless of what they're bringing to it," Ren said.
"You told me yourself it's recommended for practitioners with strong momentum-based rune synergy.
