Boom!!
Golden radiance flashed brilliantly as a violent explosion instantly dyed half the sky in firelight. The thunderous blast shook the sea itself.
In an instant, the shockwave spread hundreds of meters outward, sending towering waves crashing across the ocean.
Not long afterward, golden light floated atop the sea surface.
It was the reflection of Noble Phantasms hovering low above the water.
Waves rolled onto the beach, occasionally carrying pieces of shattered warships with them. Every now and then, a drowning Marine would be washed ashore alongside the wreckage.
In the blink of an eye, merely by firing Noble Phantasms, three fleets led by Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals had been completely annihilated.
From beginning to end, Kairos D. Vale had only moved his fingers.
The Noble Phantasms flew out.
The fleets sank.
Still, Kairos did not particularly enjoy this kind of fighting.
He preferred directly picking up a weapon and smashing someone with it.
For example, knocking Zephyr unconscious earlier had felt much more satisfying.
At this moment, the Noble Phantasms projected by Kairos slowly drifted back into the Gate of Babylon.
The golden ripples behind him vanished one after another.
The Chains of Heaven binding Zephyr also gradually withdrew and disappeared.
As for that strange rope-binding posture earlier, it had honestly been a misunderstanding.
Kairos had simply thought tying him up that way looked sturdier.
He absolutely had no weird intentions.
Kairos glanced over the ruined state of the training camp and quietly let out a sigh of relief.
With hits that heavy…
they should probably forget about it, right?
His brows lifted slightly as his gaze swept across Zephyr and the others.
Should he give them another smack?
After thinking about it for a moment, Kairos abandoned the idea.
Forget it.
Another hit might actually kill them.
Out of respect for the elderly and care for the young, Kairos decided not to continue the physical memory-erasure process.
The golden light around his body slowly faded as he voluntarily canceled the Gilgamesh card.
Just as Kairos was about to leave, however—
something suddenly caught the corner of his eye.
Following his instincts, he looked upward.
Then he saw it.
A black object hanging in the distance and gently swaying.
A surveillance camera.
Kairos fell silent.
Would 100% Physical Forgetting Technique even work on a surveillance camera?
Probably not.
Even so, while thinking that, the Sandai Kitetsu at his waist still shot outward.
With one clean slash, the camera was sliced neatly in half.
Kairos sighed.
Destroying the camera was easy.
But the footage had probably already been transmitted somewhere else.
Should he disappear for a while and let time erase everyone's memory of this dark history?
As he walked toward his small boat, Kairos lowered his head, seriously considering the possibility.
In the end, though, he still shook his head.
Strength came first.
That mattered more than anything else.
Kairos stepped onto the boat and used qi to propel it smoothly across the sea.
At the same time, he began reviewing his spoils from this battle.
Ding: Host defeated former Marine Admiral Zephyr. Obtained Artoria Card (Fate/stay night Version 1/1).
Looking at the card, Kairos could not help muttering inwardly.
He had used Gilgamesh to defeat someone…
yet ended up obtaining the very king Gilgamesh longed for?
Was this some kind of ironic fate?
Even after becoming a card, Golden Boy still could not stay together with his king.
How tragic.
Kairos shook his head and threw away the strange thought before continuing downward.
The two Vice Admirals and one Rear Admiral had respectively given him:
Two Miyamoto Musashi cardsOne Kirito card (SAO version)
Not bad.
Ding: Sasaki Kojiro upgraded to Permanent Card. Reward obtained: Mind's Eye (False).
Mind's Eye (False): A form of intuition or sixth sense. Unlike danger prediction built upon experience and analysis, this ability is an instinctive danger-detection talent born purely from natural aptitude.
Kairos nodded lightly.
Very useful.
It paired extremely well with Observation Haki.
He continued checking.
Ding: Host used Zenitsu Agatsuma Card. Obtained Skill: Thunder Breathing.
Thunder Breathing: One of the five fundamental Breathing Styles derived from the original Sun Breathing in Demon Slayer.
Kairos' heart stirred slightly.
He noticed something important.
The skill granted was not merely Thunder Breathing: First Form.
It was the entire foundational system of Thunder Breathing itself.
In other words—
this was not just a technique.
It was a cultivation foundation.
A breathing system he could continuously improve and evolve according to his own body and combat style.
Much like Seven's Assassin Mind Technique.
A true foundational skill.
Joy naturally surfaced in Kairos' heart.
This represented an entirely new path of growth.
And it would be immensely valuable in the future.
However—
this still was not the biggest surprise.
Ding: Host used Gilgamesh Card. Obtained Skill: Gate of Babylon (Empty).
Kairos paused briefly when he saw the word Empty beside the skill name.
Then the system explanation sounded.
Gate of Babylon (Empty):
A key-shaped sword connected to the Golden Capital. It links to an independent treasure-vault dimension and allows the host to freely store and retrieve items from within.
Note: No Noble Phantasms are included.
Kairos instantly understood.
So it was basically a storage space.
The moment he realized that, he immediately recalled the awkward situation in Alabasta where he roasted a Scam Bird without any seasoning.
Without hesitation, Kairos pulled out a small packet of spices from his coat pocket and tested whether it could be stored inside the Gate of Babylon.
Golden ripples spread open beneath his hand.
The seasoning packet slowly sank into the golden light.
At the same time, feedback from the Gate of Babylon appeared in Kairos' mind.
It worked.
Perfect.
Convenient.
Kairos nodded to himself.
Today's luck was honestly ridiculous.
This felt like winning the lottery while simultaneously having a girlfriend fall from the sky.
Yet his good luck still was not over.
Ding: Host card collection has met the required conditions. Grassland Three Swordsmen Series fully unlocked (Pleasant Goat, Boiling Goat, Lazy Goat). One card has reached Permanent status. Special Skill unlocked: 100% Escape Technique (One Use).
Kairos: "…"
What kind of bizarre skill name was that?
His attention was instantly drawn toward it.
100% Escape Technique (One Use):
Pleasant Goat can escape from any danger through absurd and unbelievable means. After activation, the host will ignore all logic, causality, and rationality, escaping from danger in a completely unexpected way.
This skill may only be used once.
Kairos blinked.
Had he actually stumbled upon a treasure?
"Pleasant Goat… I'm sorry. I misjudged you."
Kairos sincerely apologized to the Pleasant Goat card he had permanently sealed away.
Of course—
apologizing was one thing.
Actually using it was another.
There was absolutely no way he would use it.
Not in this lifetime.
After sorting through today's rewards, Kairos opened his system panel and quickly reviewed his current abilities.
Skills
Sword Star Swordsmanship
Unlimited Blade Works
Mind's Eye (False)
Thunder Breathing
Gate of Babylon (Empty)
100% Escape Technique (One Use)
Cards
Seven (Permanent)
Kenpachi Zaraki (3 Minutes)
Ichigo Kurosaki (1/1)
Sasaki Kojiro (Permanent)
Himura Kenshin (Permanent)
Byakuya Kuchiki (1/1)
Grassland Three Swordsmen Collection
Killer Bee Tailed Beast Version (1/1)
Miyamoto Musashi (1/3)
Artoria (1/1)
Kirito (1/1)