"Red Dragon Emperor, what do you think of me?" Kuroka asked.
"You?" Roy sized her up, then pointed at the unconscious Bikou. "About his level. I could drop you in three moves."
"???"
"That's not what I meant, meow!" Kuroka sauntered over, puffing out her chest to flaunt her assets. "Look, aren't I pretty?"
"Stop flirting. Spit it out," Roy said.
"Fine. I want a deal," Kuroka said, revealing her plan. "I'll bear you a child. In exchange, you awaken me for free. How's that?"
Roy flipped her the middle finger. "Get lost."
"What?! Why?" Kuroka gaped.
Roy sneered. "You think I don't know how you Nekomata operate? Free awakening and my genes? You're trying to double-dip."
"Uh, well…" Kuroka's expression turned awkward.
This wasn't the script she'd imagined. Step one, and she was already stuck.
"No room to negotiate, meow? If not, how about a 50% discount?" she pressed.
"No discount. A broken bone, maybe," Roy said.
"…" Kuroka fumed. This guy was impossible!
Staring him down, her cat ears drooped, and she backed off.
No choice—her strength was outmatched.
If she pushed, she'd be lying next to Bikou in seconds.
"Back to business," Roy said, turning to Vali and Arthur. "I'm launching a loan program for high-potential types like you."
"Loan 1,000 contribution points for basic awakening. 10% annual interest."
"2,000 points for mid-tier awakening, slightly stronger. 16% interest."
"4,000 points for advanced awakening, new abilities. 24% interest."
"10,000 points for custom awakening—pick magic, melee, or physique boosts. Visible gains, 36% interest."
"Interested?"
Vali and Arthur exchanged glances, silent.
Arthur, the cooler head, stepped forward. "What happens if we don't repay on time?"
"You'll test new research as lab subjects. Details depend," Roy said, making it up.
In truth, consequences didn't matter.
He saw their growth potential and wanted a cut via attribute panels.
Vali, with [Fated Rival]'s insane conditional boosts, was a goldmine.
Not awakening him early would be a loss.
As for whether they'd take the loan…
Roy glanced at Le Fay, winking subtly.
Le Fay hesitated but stepped to Arthur's side, whispering, "Brother, try the 1,000-point basic awakening."
"It's not much. We can earn it fast doing missions together."
Arthur sighed. "…Sis, I'm not blind."
His sister's bias was obvious, and his emotions churned.
But as a doting brother, he couldn't refuse her.
"Sign me up for the basic awakening," he said.
"Coming right up," Roy said, pulling a White Entry from the vault and applying it.
[Entry granted. Click to view target panel.]
[Arthur Pendragon]
[Race: Human]
[Strength: Rank 5]
[Entries: Never Look Down on Youth (White), Swordmaster (Purple), Arthurian Bloodline (Purple), Sword of the Holy King (Red), Knight's Heart (Red)]
[Swordmaster (Purple): +400 sword talent, slightly boosts sword combat power.]
[Knight's Heart (Red): Humility, Honor, Valor, Sacrifice, Compassion, Honesty, Soul, Justice. +100 training speed, stamina recovery, and mana recovery per knightly virtue met.]
Two Purple, two Red—a solid lineup.
Beyond Le Fay's shared Arthurian Bloodline and Roy's Sword of the Holy King, Arthur's other Entries shone.
Knight's Heart, fully unlocked, could rival Gold Entries.
Closing the panel, Roy eyed Arthur, whose aura had spiked. "How's it feel? Worth it?"
"…Definitely worth it," Arthur said, nodding.
His mana pool had quadrupled.
His bond with Excalibur deepened, too.
Gripping the blade, past training flashed through his mind, sparking new swordplay insights.
"Roy, I'm in too!" Vali said, unable to sit still after Arthur's transformation. "Give me… the top-tier awakening! The 10,000-point one!"
"No problem," Roy said, grinning.
Hook, line, sinker.
Winking at Le Fay, his ace promoter, he turned to Vali. "Top-tier lets you pick a new ability. Any preferences?"
"Just make me stronger," Vali said.
"Got it," Roy said, browsing the vault and picking a telekinesis Entry.
A versatile psychic power, telekinesis had high malleability.
Developed right, it could spawn dozens, even hundreds, of uses—perfect for Vali.
[Entry granted. Click to view target panel.]
The system chimed as Vali's aura exploded, far more dramatic than Arthur's.
His leaking mana warped the air.
[Vali Lucifer]
[Race: Human/Devil/Dragon]
[Strength: Rank 5]
[Entries: Telekinesis (Blue), Prodigious Talent (Purple), Demonic Radiance (Red), Demon Lord Bloodline (Red), Fated Rival (Gold), White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings (Gold)]
[Demonic Radiance (Red): Trait of the original Demon Lord Lucifer. Greatly boosts mana capacity, quality, and control precision.]
[White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings (Gold): Longinus housing Albion Gwiber. Grants Divide, Absorb, Reflect, and Reduce (Poison) abilities.]
Two Gold, two Red, one Purple—a lavish panel.
Among those Roy had seen, Vali's Entries were second only to Ichigo Kurosaki.
Closing the panel, Roy looked at Vali, whose aura was stabilizing. "I gave you telekinesis. Ask Suzuki Ichiro for tips on using it."
"Wait a sec!" Suzuki cut in, stunned. "Leader, you can grant abilities?"
"Of course. Didn't you awaken a sealing ability this morning?" Roy said.
"I thought that was my latent power surfacing, not something you gave," Suzuki said, his expression complex.
Awakening potential versus granting new powers—similar outcomes, vastly different implications.
Realizing Roy's ability, Suzuki thought of his wife. "Leader, can your awakening give normal people powers?"
"Sure, but normals have low potential," Roy said. "Awakening won't boost physique or mana—just grants a power."
"That's enough!" Suzuki said, thrilled.
He'd long felt the gap between him and his wife was their strength.
If she could gain even a bit of power, she might understand him better.
"Don't get too excited," Roy warned, reading his intent. "For her to gain real strength, you'll need more points for an advanced awakening."
"No issue. If points solve it, I'm good," Suzuki said confidently.
He'd studied Roy's new rules—no private point trading, but hogging high-level missions as a branch leader was still viable.
It'd be tiring, but no big deal.
"Yo, uncle, got a trick for earning points fast?" Kuroka asked, intrigued by Suzuki's bold claim. "Teach me. I want some side cash."
"Can't teach. It's exclusive to me," Suzuki shot down, turning to Vali. "Telekinesis has tons of applications. I can't cover it all now."
"Add my contact. Hit me up with questions."
"Cool," Vali said.
"What's this? Ganging up on me, meow?!" Kuroka pouted, glaring at Arthur practicing swordplay and Vali and Suzuki discussing telekinesis.
Le Fay hesitated, then approached. "Kuroka-nee, you could apply for Roy's loan awakening."
"Really?" Kuroka asked.
"Of course. Roy's loans are for high-potential types. Don't you trust your own potential?" Le Fay said.
"No way I don't! I'm super strong, meow!" Kuroka said, confidence surging.
Sure, she couldn't match freaks like Vali.
But as a legendary Nekomata, she was no worse than Arthur or Le Fay.
If they got loans, why not her?
Bolstered, Kuroka strutted to Roy. "I want a loan, meow!"
"Not offering you that service," Roy said.
"Not… offering?!" Kuroka froze, then bristled. "This is discrimination! Discrimination, meow!"
"Arthur gets a loan, but not me?!"
"I just don't like you," Roy said, glancing at her. "Want a loan? Come back with me and sort out your sister's issues."
Kuroka fell silent, her retort dying.
She knew who Roy meant by "little cat."
After becoming a rogue devil, she'd secretly kept tabs on her sister.
But…
"Shirone has big misunderstandings about me. Meeting her will cause problems, meow," Kuroka said.
"No problem if I say so," Roy replied.
"But—"
"Don't forget your position," Roy said, placing a hand on her head with a friendly smile. "As Akatsuki's bottom-rung member, you don't get to refuse your leader."
"…You're so bossy, meow," Kuroka muttered.
But she had no choice.
Accepting her fate, her mood turned anxious. "When are we going back?"
"Soon. I've got stuff to do," Roy said, waving Le Fay over.
Le Fay hurried up. "Roy, what's up?"
"Your plans," Roy said. "Two options."
He held up two fingers. "Stay at my place, focus on teaching me magic. Or join Vali's team to hunt Hueco Mundo. Which one?"
Le Fay hesitated.
She liked Roy, and with her friend Meredith at his place, she leaned toward the first.
But that meant splitting from Arthur.
Family versus friendship and budding feelings—a tough call.
Then Arthur's voice cut through. "Le Fay, stay at Roy's."
"Huh? But…" Le Fay started.
"Don't worry about my safety," Arthur said, sheathing Excalibur and approaching.
"Post-awakening, Vali and I are leagues above before."
"Plus, Akatsuki's not the Brigade. It's a legit faction."
"We won't be hunted by other factions as Akatsuki members."
Really? Le Fay's expression twitched, glancing at the isolated MAR HQ.
Roy coughed. "Le Fay, your brother's safety is fine."
"Every Akatsuki member gets an ID tag with my teleportation magic."
"If they're in danger, I get an alert and can save them."
"For real?" Le Fay asked.
"Yup. No reason to lie," Roy said, handing her a blank tag.
The "rescue" feature was a front for farming Entries.
Akatsuki's members were strong.
Enemies threatening them were high-quality targets.
It looked like protective loyalty but was a hunt for worthy foes.
This boosted Roy's rep in Akatsuki, earning him loyal followers.
Now, it swayed Le Fay. "If Brother's safe, I'll stay at your place."
"Good. Contact me if needed," Arthur said, nodding, grabbing the unconscious Bikou.
Bidding Roy's group farewell, he joined Vali nearby.
Soon, the trio left the barrier, starting their Hueco Mundo search.
Meanwhile, Roy led Le Fay and Kuroka to MAR's top floor.
"Radley, how's the data sorting?"
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