Chapter 73: 73 The Eve of Parting
Time flew by quickly.
Roy had unknowingly spent three months in this place.
He had accomplished many things here and gained a number of valuable insights.
For instance, these two highly talented young girls in front of him.
With their talents, it wouldn't be long before they could become independent demon hunters, and Roy was confident of this.
*Swish* *Swish* *Swish*
The sharp blade continuously sliced through the air before Roy's eyes as Shiki, wielding a blade, deftly avoided the encirclement of several puppets.
Thanks to her Reinforcement magecraft, her body had become incredibly agile, allowing her to even hover momentarily in mid-air. She moved through the oncoming puppets like a swift swallow.
Her ice-blue, beautiful eyes granted her the unique ability to perceive the lines of all things; these lines, visible only to her, were known as death lines. They represented the points where objects could easily be cut or destroyed.
All she needed to do was gently slice these lines with her blade, and she could inflict irreversible and powerful damage.
In just a moment, all six standard-configured puppets had collapsed beneath Shiki's strikes, reduced to piles of scrap metal.
This fluid display of skill made Roy applaud her.
Impressive! Although she possessed the cheat-level Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the fact that she had trained to this level in such a short time was also a testament to her hard work.
Though she hadn't told anyone, he knew well she sneaks out of her room every night under the moonlight to practice swordsmanship. Because she is unwilling to accept defeat, she has continuously improved and finally reached the level he anticipated.
In half a minute, she had defeated six standard puppets.
This demonstrated strength was already on par with skilled combat magus.
"I'm proud of you, Shiki."
"Huff... Huff..."
After completing this series of swift blade maneuvers, Shiki panted slightly.
She glanced at the blade in her hand, a smile spreading across her face. "I really did it."
After so much training, her body had finally caught up with her eyes, allowing her to perform the Ryougi family's swordsmanship seamlessly in a short time, directly applying it to the death lines of objects and living beings.
Now she was at least a hundred times stronger than the version of herself from three months ago. Even her father, who had immersed himself in the way of the sword for years, would have no confidence in defeating her while she using her Mystic Eyes.
She had truly grown stronger.
Not only did she possess the Mystic Eyes, but those strange foods had also enhanced her physical condition, and various odd magecraft and knowledge had broadened her horizons and experiences.
'So... does this version of me qualify to keep pace with you?'
She quietly glanced at Roy.
Probably... not yet.
She had witnessed Roy's memories and understood the brutal wars from which he emerged as the ultimate victor.
Fighting alongside legendary heroes, challenging an angel that existed in mythology, enduring the pain of having his body and soul nearly torn apart...
In the moments when no one was watching, he had endured so much.
His strength was not innate; it was forged through the many hardships along the way.
'So, please wait a moment.'
'I will catch up soon.'
"What's wrong, Shiki? Do you need to take a break?"
Noticing Shiki staring blankly at the blade in her hand, Roy jumped down from the platform and asked with concern.
"No need. Fight me, but don't use any strange magecraft; just use the sword in your hand."
"Ah?"
Roy instinctively took the blade from Shiki's hand, momentarily taken aback.
Why fight him? Didn't they just spar yesterday? Today was supposed to be the final day to test her results; he should be overseeing Shiki's training here and then checking on the situation with Fujino Asagami over there.
However, when he saw the ice-blue color of Shiki's eyes, he let out a breath, then slowly raised the long blade in the stance of a western sword.
"If you want, I'm always ready to accompany you."
"Alright."
The two exchanged glances, and then the blades clashed suddenly.
All words were conveyed through the swords.
...
Two hours later.
On the other side of the training ground.
"Increase the intensity; this level isn't enough to snap an enemy's neck."
Standing on the high platform, Roy looked down at Fujino Asagami, who was diligently trying to use her Mystic Eyes and spoke expressionlessly.
"Ah… is it already at this level, and yet it still hasn't met Nii-san's expectations?"
Fujino Asagami looked at the several puppets she had twisted into a spiral shape, her expression showing some confusion.
Guessing her inner thoughts, Roy said nothing more and gently patted her head to comfort her.
It was no wonder she thought this way; after all, these puppets were made of special steel and crafted by the Grand Puppeteer Touko Aozaki.
The fact that Fujino Asagami had reached the point of being able to snap these dolls meant she could easily twist human bodies or buildings into spirals as well.
However…
"If it's against ordinary people, or if it's a surprise attack, then this level is indeed sufficient."
Roy shook his head and explained, "But if the enemy is a Phantasmal Species that's harder than steel, or a magus who has already cast defensive spells, it's still quite difficult for you to inflict any harm with your current level."
"Fujino, your Mystic Eyes absolutely have more potential than this."
He then began to educate Fujino Asagami on the classification of Mystic Eyes.
"Even Mystic Eyes are not all equally powerful. The lowest level is colorless, basic colors, and artificially created Mystic Eyes, which have very limited functionality and destructive power."
"But above these, there are powerful Mystic Eyes classified as Gold and Jewel-Ranks. Currently, Gold-Rank Mystic Eyes are considered treasures, and Jewel-Rank Mystic Eyes are even rarer and harder to find. As for Rainbow-Rank Mystic Eyes, their very existence is a miracle, so don't expect them."
"Then what type do my Mystic Eyes belong to?"
After hearing Roy's explanation, Fujino Asagami curiously asked.
"Jewel-Rank. Just by looking at the luster emanating from your eyes, it's clear that your Mystic Eyes are Jewel-Rank. Such treasures are incredibly rare; you wouldn't find many pairs even across the whole world."
Roy replied seriously, "As a Jewel-Rank Mystic Eye, it should possess the formidable power to alter the course of battle. In the future, you should at least be able to directly distort an area the size of half the Ryougi family; only then would it be worthy of these eyes."
"Distort… the Ryougi family…"
"Nii-san, you really know how to joke."
Hearing the example Roy gave, Fujino Asagami felt somewhat embarrassed.
To hear someone who has always lived in the Ryougi family talk about distorting the Ryougi family itself was truly strange.
However, Roy didn't pay attention to her thoughts. After all, even if he did demolish the Ryougi estate, the head of the Ryougi family wouldn't have any objections.
In fact, his current power was not inferior to that of the head of the Ryougi family. Whether it was funding, personnel mobilization, or decisions regarding the family's future development, he had a very high degree of authority.
Calling him the honorary head of the Ryougi family would not be an exaggeration.
However, Roy did not care for this so-called title. He had no ambitions in this regard and didn't wish to scheme for worldly power.
Even if he truly became the head of the family, the biggest beneficiary would still be the Ryougi family, after all, he possessed the complete Third Magic.
After all, as Master of the Third Magic, his family was meant to be the inheritor of the Third Magic.
And the concept of inheriting the miracle of magic was self-evident in the moonlit world.
"The concept that your Mystic Eyes possess is distortion, let's tentatively call them the Mystic Eyes of Distortion. As for their specific abilities, you probably already understand quite well."
Roy pointed at Fujino Asagami's eyes to explain, "Your left eye is left rotation, and your right eye is right rotation. It can twist objects being focused on from two directions to achieve the purpose of breaking something."
What a destructive Mystic Eye! It indeed resembled divine might in terms of destructive capabilities.
Roy couldn't help but think.
"What a pity, your eyes can only twist tangible substances. They can't affect conceptual things; for example, space, time, and perception cannot be distorted. Otherwise, these eyes would truly be the bane of all existence."
"Distorting space and time… how could such eyes that defy physical laws possibly exist?"
Fujino Asagami couldn't help but retort.
"Who knows? Even eyes that can annihilate everything exist, so why couldn't there be eyes that distort concepts? The world is vast and endless; no one dares to claim they've seen it all. Perhaps they exist in some corner of a certain world."
Eyes that can annihilate everything…
Fujino Asagami's mind involuntarily conjured that figure.
Roy shrugged and continued, "Alright, enough idle chatter during the break. Let's continue the practice. Your starting point is too low; your level of using Mystic Eyes and magecraft isn't great, so you need to put in more effort."
"Yes…"
Hearing Roy's words, Fujino Asagami lowered her head in shame.
If possible, she really didn't want to disappoint her Nii-san, Roy, who had saved her.
Not just Roy; even the members of the Ryougi family had high expectations for her. She wanted to do her utmost to meet everyone's expectations.
She still remembered three months ago when, introduced by Roy, she met the stern head of the Ryougi family. Initially, she was quite nervous upon hearing he was the head of the Ryougi family, thinking that the most prominent family in the city and a gang leader would be hard to get along with.
However, within a few minutes of meeting her, the head of the Ryougi family showed a dramatic change in expression and attitude, immediately picking her up and offering to adopt her as his goddaughter.
His seemingly cold exterior but warm interior was completely different from her father's icy demeanor. It felt like being embraced by a warm uncle, much more like a father.
The other members of the Ryougi family were also very kind to her. Although they treated her with respect, they also cared for her meticulously, allowing her to feel the warmth of family once again.
Later, she learned that the esteemed Nii-san had not only taught her but also another girl named Shiki Ryougi, who could now also be considered her god-sister.
She was the only daughter of the Ryougi family, and she was completely different from herself... powerful and gifted, far surpassing her own timid and half-hearted efforts.
She had realized this during their first meeting.
Although Shiki Ryougi was not particularly eloquent, she genuinely cared about her. When she first arrived, she would visit her, inquire about her training progress, and practice with her.
She treated her just like a real older sister.
During their time training together, Shiki progressed rapidly. She could sense that Shiki was far more talented than herself, a quality that couldn't be envied.
Yet even so, she didn't want to fall too far behind. As one of the only two people taught by her esteemed Nii-san, she had to muster her motivation and respond to everyone's expectations.
Thoughts swirled in her mind, and the brilliance in Fujino Asagami's eyes shone even brighter, her magical power growing stronger.
In front of her, the doll at the intersection of their gazes shook even more violently and then twisted in a strange manner.
"This girl..."
Seeing the visible enhancement of her mystic eye, Roy couldn't help but utter a few words of admiration.
Could Fujino Asagami really be talentless?
That was impossible. A girl born with Jewel-Rank mystic eyes couldn't possibly lack talent. She was merely suppressed for too long and overshadowed by Shiki's outstanding abilities.
Her existence already surpassed that of more than ninety-nine percent of humans in this world; she was truly a gifted individual.
If he sent Fujino Asagami to the Clock Tower, those great families would undoubtedly compete to extend their olive branches to her.
However, he would never send such a good girl to that place of power struggles. With his teaching ability, and with Touko Aozaki later taking over, he could definitely help these two girls grow at the fastest pace.
After three months of special training, they finally possessed a certain level of self-defense capability. With the mystic code he left behind and Touko watching over them in the Ryougi family, even if Araya Souren had immense power, he wouldn't be able to barge in and cause trouble.
He could leave tomorrow with peace of mind.
During this time, he didn't just teach these two girls; he never neglected the development of his own magecraft either.
Having read a lot of the research materials left by Matou Zouken regarding magic crest and spirit summoning in the basement, he wanted to use his abilities to replace the function of the Holy Grail and construct a simple ritual for summoning heroic spirits.
By then, the Ryougi family would have another Servant on their side, bringing a huge surprise to Araya Souren.
Although the theoretical construction had been completed, the instability of the ritual and its own peculiarities had hindered the summoning ritual from being successful, which left Roy puzzled.
He repeated the ritual many times but ultimately couldn't solve the problem.
There were still many doubts in the materials left by Matou Zouken, and his understanding and application of the Third Magic weren't yet at a proficient level. It was like guarding a massive mountain of gold while not knowing how to spend it; he could only hold onto great wealth in vain.
This wouldn't do; he had to find a solution.
Thus, he decided to visit the Einzbern family, which had conducted the most research on the Third Magic, to find related materials and improve his summoning ritual before flying to London tomorrow.
Speaking of which, three months had really passed in the blink of an eye.
'It was surprising how quickly it had gone by.'
'Now it was finally time to say goodbye, girls.'
'Though I felt some reluctance and concern, I couldn't stay by your side forever.'
'Let's look forward to our next meeting.'
'When we meet again, I believes you will have grown even more.'
'If you encounter any insurmountable difficulties, just ask Touko for help. If she can't solve it either, use the gift I gave you to contact me directly.'
'No matter when or where, I will rush back here as quickly as possible.'
Roy didn't leave without saying goodbye.
That night, after telling Shiki and Fujino that he would be leaving tomorrow, he instructed them on many precautions like a father would. Though they showed some reluctance, they quickly accepted it.
After all, they were merely parting ways, not forever; they would see each other again in a year or so.
Seeing the strength the two girls displayed, Roy smiled with relief.
Now he could leave with peace of mind.
This news quickly reached the head of the Ryougi family. He postponed his affairs and hurried back that night, insisting on holding a farewell banquet.
His enthusiastic demeanor made it hard for Roy to decline.
Thus, under the girls' disapproving gazes, the usually dignified head of the Ryougi family was once again made drunk by Roy, before being dragged back to his room by his wife.
Taking advantage of the night, Roy bid his final farewell to the two girls and then boarded the car driven by Akitaka, heading back to Fuyuki City overnight.
"Looking forward to seeing you again, Shiki and Fujino."
"I hope that when we meet next time, you will have grown into a capable Demon Hunter."
He thought to himself, fully believing it.
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