The blue light from the diamond was suffocating. Every time Akira tried to move his hand closer, the air felt like solid concrete.
[WARNING: TEMPORAL FRICTION INCREASING!] [CHRONO-TRIGGER DURABILITY: 88%]
"So this is how Yuki plays," Akira hissed, his teeth grinding. "She didn't send me here to steal. She sent me here to test if my watch could break a high-level barrier."
He looked at the watch. The golden gears were spinning backward, struggling against the diamond's anti-time field. He had 500 points left. If he didn't act now, the vault's silent alarm—triggered by the friction—would bring the guards in seconds.
System! Is there a 'Pervert' solution to a 'Magic' problem?
[ANALYZING...] [SOLUTION: 'SHAMELESS OVERLOAD'] [EFFECT: By performing a highly embarrassing action while touching the barrier, you can 'short-circuit' the logic of the Forbidden Tool.]
"You've got to be kidding me," Akira groaned. "In the middle of a high-security vault?"
[COST: 400 POINTS] [DO YOU ACCEPT?]
"Accept!" Akira shouted.
Suddenly, his body began to move on its own. To any observer, it looked like he was doing a ridiculous, hip-thrusting victory dance while shouting the names of his favorite adult actresses at the top of his lungs.
[SHAMELESSNESS LEVEL: CRITICAL!] [BARRIER LOGIC: CONFUSED...]
CRACK.
The blue light flickered. The "seriousness" of the diamond's protection couldn't comprehend Akira's pure, unadulterated degeneracy. The barrier shattered like glass.
Akira lunged forward, grabbing the Azure Tear. The moment his skin touched the cold stone, a vision flashed in his mind: A girl with blue hair, chained inside a clock tower, weeping tears of pure energy.
[FORBIDDEN TOOL FRAGMENT ACQUIRED: THE TEAR OF CHRONOS] [SYSTEM UPGRADE: TIME-STOP NOW HAS NO COOL-DOWN!]
The vault doors suddenly hissed open. The guards stood there, guns drawn, but Akira was already gone.
CLICK.
He didn't just stop time. He vanished into the gray world, moving with a speed that left after-images. He walked right past the guards, plucked the sunglasses off the lead captain's face, and strolled out of the gallery like he owned the street.
Ten minutes later, he met Yuki by her car. He tossed the diamond into her lap.
"Your trap was annoying," Akira said, his voice cold. "But your 'Azure Tear' is just a battery. And now? I'm fully charged."
Yuki looked at the diamond, then at Akira. For the first time, her smirk disappeared. She looked... impressed. And maybe a little bit afraid.
"Welcome to the big leagues, Akira-kun," she whispered. "The other Tool Users are going to hate you."