[Frigid Physique (Red): Greatly increases mana capacity, greatly enhances ice element affinity, significantly boosts ice-based move power.]
An ice-focused combat entry.
Not quite Roy's style, but usable.
Checking the entry's effects, Roy glanced at Serafall.
Close-quarters combat plus indiscriminate magic bombardment.
That was Roy's self-destruct strategy, honed after gaining immortality.
Paired with the Red Dragon Emperor's Boost and Penetrate, his magic barrages reached terrifying heights.
Its first use exceeded expectations, knocking Serafall out cold.
Roy had held back.
Without restraining some power and shielding her with his body, Serafall wouldn't just be unconscious—she'd be in pieces.
Even so, she took heavy damage.
Her magical girl outfit vaporized, her body scarred by flames.
Roy approached, using Senjutsu to heal her.
After upgrading to Gold-tier, his Senjutsu's potency had surged.
In under 30 seconds, Serafall's injuries vanished.
"Didn't expect such… assets."
Eyeing her flawless form, Roy roused her.
A gentle touch, a careful caress.
With effort, Serafall let out a soft whimper, trembling as she woke.
"Where…?"
Her eyes flickered with confusion, mind foggy.
Then Roy's striking face came into view.
Seeing him, she recalled everything.
She also noticed an odd sensation.
"Eh… EH?!"
Her scream echoed across the battlefield.
She gaped, incredulous, at the seemingly harmless man. "Y-You! What are you doing?!"
"Healing you," Roy said, casually retracting his hand, evaporating water elements with a flame.
"Liar! That's not healing!" Serafall's face flushed with rage.
Summoning new clothes with magic, she grabbed his collar. "You jerk! How's this fair to Sona?!"
"What's unfair?"
"You've got Sona and still… still…"
Her voice trailed off, fading to silence.
She remembered Roy's harem wasn't just Sona.
Per Ajuka's intel, he openly had a sprawling harem.
But… that didn't justify him taking advantage.
Glaring for seconds, Serafall, unforgiving, drew another wand. "Red Dragon Emperor! I'll end you!"
"Calm down," Roy said.
Having snagged the entry, he wasn't keen on fighting.
But post-"healing," his battle lust stirred.
Facing the Demon Lord girl summoning another frost tide, he warned, "You can't beat me. Lose again, and the healing fee won't be so cheap."
"Shut up!!!"
Serafall snapped, unleashing the full frost tide.
"Yare yare~ If you wanna play, I'll indulge you."
Roy drew Gram, starting round two.
---
Time passed, night fell.
After Parent Visitation Day, Sona returned home.
Entering her bedroom, she saw a familiar figure sprawled on her bed, staring blankly.
"Sona, you're back," Serafall said, waving, eyes hollow.
"Sister, why're you here?" Sona asked, puzzled. "I heard from Lord Sazeks you clashed with Roy. You didn't bully him, did you?"
"…"
Who bullied who?
Stung by the icy remark, Serafall, mentally and physically worn from a day of friction, fell silent, tears welling.
Despair!
Despair at this loveless world!
She was the victim, yet her precious sister was full of holes!
"Eh? W-What's wrong?" Sona, startled by Serafall's sudden sobs, rushed to comfort her. "Don't cry! What happened?"
"Sona, your boyfriend's awful!" Serafall wailed. "I said no, but he showed no mercy! So mean!"
"Huh?"
Sona's brain fried.
Weren't they fighting? Why'd that sound off?
Did Roy go too hard, breaking Serafall's spirit?
---
Meanwhile.
After dropping Serafall at Sona's, Roy, thoroughly exercised, returned home.
At the door's sound, Rias looked up from a document. "Roy, I heard from my brother you clashed with Lady Serafall. She didn't bully you, did she?"
"?"
Niche question.
Roy scratched his head, then replied, "I tamed her."
Before the Shibuya Incident, Roy could solo two Demon Lord-tier foes.
Post-Shibuya, with a million entries and 16 slots, his power soared.
With his self-destruct tactics, Serafall was no match.
In one day, her outfits were shredded dozens of times, leaving her with nothing intact.
Roy showed no mercy.
He'd gone easy the first time for Sona's sake.
But after her second and third provocations, he wasn't so nice.
Spared from death, not from suffering.
He had his fun; Serafall could deal.
"Tamed her? You're getting stronger," Rias said, missing the subtext.
She handed him the document. "Just got intel. The Brigade of Calamity assassinated the Glasya-Labolas heir."
"Glasya-Labolas? The family of Demon Lord Asmodeus, right?"
"Yup. Because of this, my brother headed back to the Underworld early," Rias sighed.
She'd hoped to host Sazeks longer.
But with this, he couldn't linger in Kuoh.
Next meeting would be the Three Factions Summit, with no time to spare.
"Oh, one more thing," Rias said, producing a letter. "My brother left this for you."
Roy opened it.
The letter was brief, covering two points.
First, the Brigade of Calamity.
Sazeks noted that after Shibuya, he'd raided several Brigade outposts.
Instead of retreating, they grew bolder.
The Glasya-Labolas heir's assassination was just the start; more trouble loomed.
As a precaution, Sazeks urged Roy to protect those around him.
Roy was already prepared, so he skimmed this, focusing on the second part.
Unrelated to the Brigade, it detailed Soul Society's dynamics and Rukia's importance.
Summary: Devils wanted an alliance with Soul Society.
Deeper read: Sazeks hoped Roy could leverage Rukia to build ties.
"All headaches," Roy said, handing the letter back.
"What's your plan?" Rias asked.
"Let it play out. No point stressing."
Roy chose to chill.
Sazeks outlined the situation but offered no rewards.
Normal devil jobs at least had fun or entry-grinding perks.
Pure grunt work with no gain? Roy wasn't motivated.
Better to enjoy life.
Spotting Akeno in thin pajamas emerging from the basement, Roy decided.
Battle!
---
Time passed, morning arrived.
Leaving Rias and Akeno to nap, Roy hit the basement.
Post-expansion, the villa's basement housed a dedicated training area.
In the center, two graceful figures sparred with wooden swords, clashing crisply.
"Hm? Roy, what're you doing here?" Xenovia paused, eyeing him. "You're usually jogging around Kuoh this time."
"Here for Rukia," Roy said, turning to her.
"How's your condition?"
"About 70% recovered," Rukia replied.
The villa's soul-nurturing enchantments, post-upgrade, worked 24/7.
Ten days in, Rukia's depleted spiritual pressure was nearly restored.
Hence her morning spar with Xenovia—rehab training to hit peak form for Soul Society.
"Solid recovery. Time to share some truths," Roy said.
"Rukia, ever heard of the Hogyoku?"
Rukia shook her head. "Nope."
Xenovia: "Me neither. What's that?"
"Think of it as a man-made Sacred Gear, Longinus-tier," Roy said. "Once it acknowledges a host, they gain partial immortality and can break racial limits to grow stronger."
"Whoa, that's huge!" Xenovia gasped.
As a former Church holy sword wielder, she'd had access to their global intel.
Yet she'd never heard of the Hogyoku.
"That's odd. Was it recently made?"
"No, it was created over a century ago. Its creator deemed it too dangerous and hid it," Roy said, pointing at Rukia. "Rukia, it's in you."
"Huh?"
Rukia froze, confused. "Roy, you sure? That Hogyoku's in me?"
Roy nodded. "Ever wonder why Kisuke Urahara screwed you over? This is why."
Rukia: "…You saying Urahara's the Hogyoku's creator?"
"Yup, one of them. The current Hogyoku's incomplete."
Roy spilled on the Hogyoku's state, Urahara, and Aizen's past.
Rukia's brain overloaded, falling silent.
Even Xenovia, eavesdropping, was floored by the bombshells.
"Roy, you're saying Rukia's spiritual pressure loss wasn't random? Someone's targeting her?" Xenovia asked.
"Yup."
"Hiss~ That Aizen Shinigami's scary. Rukia, can you take him?"
"No way," Rukia sighed.
Her Shikai gave her vice-captain-level strength.
But the gap between vice-captain and captain was wider than human to vice-captain.
They weren't on the same plane.
Worse, Roy said Aizen hid his true power.
A captain without showing his full strength?
If he unleashed it, he could one-shot vice-captains.
Insane. Way beyond her.
"Roy, you sure your intel's solid?" Rukia asked. "I'm not doubting you, but this is wild."
"Especially Aizen. He's nothing like the captain I know."
"Duh. If you could spot his deal, he'd have been exposed ages ago."
"…"
Fair point.
Rukia fell silent again.
The info was overwhelming.
She didn't even know where to start questioning.
Sensing her struggle, Xenovia stepped in. "Roy, you said the Hogyoku's different from Sacred Gears."
"Can you extract it from Rukia?"
"Of course. That's why I'm here," Roy said, looking at Rukia. "Need help, or you keeping it?"
"…Take it out," Rukia decided after a pause.
The Hogyoku was great, but better in stronger hands.
An innocent man with a treasure invites trouble.
Weak like her, holding it would only bring grief.
Even if she dodged Aizen, others would come—green Aizen, red Aizen, whatever.
Better to let Roy extract it.
It'd cut trouble and verify his intel. Two birds, one stone.
"Roy, what do I need to do?"
"Nothing. Don't resist."
Roy placed a hand on her shoulder.
Unresisted, he parsed her soul in seconds, pinpointing the Hogyoku.
"Hidden deep."
Using advanced Senjutsu, Roy tore a gap in Rukia's soul.
Rukia grunted, passing out.
Catching her, Roy plunged his hand deeper into her soul.
Two seconds later, he withdrew.
In his palm, a blue-black glowing gem.
With a glance, Roy pocketed the Hogyoku, turning to Rukia, whose aura was plummeting.
Time to save the patient.
---
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