Upon hearing that voice, Ayase’s body began to tremble slightly, and her eyes shrank involuntarily. Roy could clearly feel the shift in her emotions; if she was disgusted by the thugs from before, she felt a bone deep terror for the boy who had just spoken.

The boy soon stepped into view. He stood about 180 centimeters tall, exceptionally tall for a Japanese student.

His hair was dyed, and he wore sunglasses that failed to hide the ferocity in his gaze. A cigarette hung from his mouth, and his rouge colored top was draped loosely, revealing a skull tattoo on his chest that seemed to grin at the crowd.

Most striking of all were his teeth, giving him the appearance of a beast in human skin.

“Kuraudo Kurashiki!” Ayase forced the name out through gritted teeth.

“Kuraudo,” one of the tall thugs said. “We just ran into Ayase-chan here and wanted to catch up. Who knew some guy who doesn’t know his place would try to interfere in our reunion?”

“Yeah, this kid is arrogant,” added the thug who had challenged Roy earlier. Emboldened by his leader’s presence, he walked right up to Roy with a sneer.

Provocatively leaning his face forward and patting his own cheek, he barked, “Come on then! I’m right here. Let’s see what you’ve got!”

SLAP!

Before the thug could finish his sentence, he was sent flying backward. He slammed into his companions, who crashed into a table with a muffled groan.

“I don’t have many hobbies,” Roy said calmly, taking a napkin to wipe his hand. “But helping people fulfill their requests is one of them.”

“You bastard! You actually did it!” The remaining thugs fumed, ready to rush forward, but Kuraudo raised a hand to stop them.

“Stop it,” Kuraudo commanded in a low voice. His gang immediately settled down, though they continued to glare at Roy with resentment.

“I’m truly sorry,” Kuraudo said, though his tone was anything but apologetic. “My friends are a bit rowdy. They didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“Is that so?” Roy raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips.

“It’s generous of you to forgive them,” Kuraudo continued, stepping closer with a predatory smile. “You look strong. My guys are average, but taking them out with one blow like that… you have a toughness that contradicts your appearance.”

“Get to know me. I’m a second-year at Donrou Academy. People call me the Sword Eater.” Kuraudo bent down slightly toward the seated Roy and extended his palm as if for a friendly introduction.

Roy smiled slightly and reached out his own hand. “I’m Roy Flott.”

“Die, Orochimaru!”

The moment Roy supposedly let down his guard, Kuraudo’s face twisted into a hideous grin.

From his soul, he manifested his Device. It was a massive bone blade composed of distinct, jagged joints, looking like ancient limestone with sharp spikes protruding from every section.

With a ferocious laugh, Kuraudo swung the blade toward Roy’s neck. However, before the strike could land, he felt an icy chill against his own throat. His entire body froze.

Kuraudo looked down. A simple stainless steel table knife was pressed firmly against his jugular. The person holding it was Roy, still sitting calmly in his chair.

“When did he…?” one of the thugs gasped.

“He was even faster than Kuraudo!”

“If you’re going to attempt a sneak attack,” Roy said with a cold sneer, “you should learn to mask your malice first. You were practically screaming your intentions.”

“I surrender,” Kuraudo said, immediately raising his hands. He slowly backed away, moving his neck from the edge of the table knife.

Roy chuckled and didn’t pursue him, letting the Sword Eater regain his footing.

“That was interesting!” Kuraudo showed no shame for his failed treachery. Instead, a look of pure fanaticism filled his eyes.

“Are you a Blazer? Your aura is incredibly sharp.”

“You can tell?” Roy asked.

“I can’t see it with my eyes, but my intuition is screaming at me,” Kuraudo replied. He pointed his device at Roy, his excitement mounting. “I didn’t expect to find a swordsman like you while out for a meal. This is my lucky day!”

Without warning, Kuraudo lunged again, swinging the heavy Orochimaru in a vertical arc.

BOOM!

The heavy impact echoed through the restaurant, but the device stopped dead in the air. Roy had blocked the massive weapon using nothing but the small table knife. He had expertly wedged the tiny blade into the joints of the device, locking it in place.

“You’re even more shameless than I imagined,” Roy look d genuinely amused. One sneak attack wasn’t enough; the man was already trying for a second.

“He blocked it? With a table knife?” Ayase Ayatsuji’s eyes widened in shock. She knew how terrifyingly strong the Sword Eater was. His strength had haunted her dreams.

“Stand up! Summon your Device and fight me for real!” Kuraudo shouted, his fighting spirit burning at full capacity.

The surrounding customers began to panic, fleeing the restaurant as the tension threatened to blow the roof off.

“That’s enough. Your actions have already disturbed the public order.”

Before Roy could respond, a clear female voice rang out, cutting through the chaos and halting the confrontation.

—

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