[77] This is a Family Heirloom, Not a Device

"Come punch me, weakling."

Eiji pointed at his chest, smiling warmly.

To anyone who didn't know better, it might seem like he was greeting old friends he hadn't seen in years. Who would have thought that with such an expression, he could say something so adrenaline-pumping?

"What did you say?!"

The lackey, as expected, was provoked. He clenched his fist and swung it toward Eiji's face.

Hitting someone in the face? Damn it!

Eiji had originally planned to do nothing and take the punch intentionally, but this guy actually aimed for his face.

With healing-type Blazers around, minor injuries like a bruised face could be easily fixed, not even requiring a regeneration pod. It wouldn't make the rich girl lose interest in him.

But do I not care about my dignity?

Duang~!

The mohawk guy threw a punch.

Then came the sound of hitting a metal plate, and his face instantly turned purple, his fist trembling.

"Ow—"

"Ahhhh! It hurts!"

Before he could even scream, the pretty boy in front of him suddenly fell backward, letting out a pig-like squeal.

He couldn't help but freeze.

Seeing him scream so pitifully made him start to doubt whether his punch really had that much power.

Before he could even question it, the pretty boy quickly got back up, as if he had just finished a routine.

Bang!

A highly concealed strike landed on him.

Before he could react, he was already on the ground.

The entire restaurant erupted in chaos.

"You bastard!"

"Dare to hit us?"

"Teach him a lesson!"

The dozen or so lackeys swarmed forward.

The shark-toothed man stood at the back, his face cold, his gaze fixed intently on the scene.

Eiji's eyes swept over the surroundings.

He had deliberately positioned himself at the entrance of the aisle.

At most, only three people could reach him at the same time.

Bling~!

The gleaming silver katana was casually swung.

"Ah!"

"Ow!"

"What?"

Eiji struck with the back of the blade, the swing very slight.

This wasn't out of mercy but to use the blunt side of the blade to attack.

The first lackey to charge was struck in the face with the back of the blade, knocking out two molars while his body seemed to lose control and collapse onto his classmate beside him. Both screamed as they fell.

The third person tried to charge forward, but his footing was extremely unstable. Instead, he accidentally tripped over the two bodies and fell, the three of them piling up.

The aisle was very narrow, and with a little carelessness, it was easy to end up in a human pile.

"This..."

"Is he actually strong?"

Blocked by the three, the remaining seven or eight people hesitated, unsure how to proceed. They were also intimidated by Eiji taking down three with a single strike, making them hesitant to move forward.

"Step back."

At this point, the shark-toothed man at the back finally spoke, letting the hesitant lackeys breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ha, didn't expect to run into such a swordsman here."

The man spoke in an arrogant tone, but his voice was filled with excitement.

"Taking down three people with a single strike—I've never seen a swordsman like you before. You're much stronger than you look, huh? This is getting exciting!"

The man walked over with a friendly smile and extended his hand to Eiji.

"Let's get acquainted. I'm Kuraudo Kurashiki, a third-year at Donrou Academy."

"Eiji Nangou, first-year at Hagun Academy."

Eiji watched him approach, switching the Bling Blade to his left hand and reaching out to shake hands amicably.

"—Pursuing the enemy, Orochimaru!"

As their hands clasped together.

The man bared his menacing shark-like teeth, his expression ferocious as he raised his left hand, summoning his Device, the White Bone Greatsword.

It was a blade made of distinct bone segments, pale as limestone, with spikes protruding from each joint. A single slash from it would undoubtedly cause massive bloodshed, making it look terrifying.

He swung the White Bone Greatsword with his left hand, moving at an unexpected speed, aiming to slash at Eiji's neck without giving him a chance to react.

If this strike had been delivered in its physical form, it would have been enough to sever Eiji's neck.

But he was fast.

Someone was faster.

Before he could fully manifest his Device and swing, Eiji had already raised his left hand.

With a flip of his palm.

Crack!

The man's ferocious smile froze.

The White Bone Greatsword he had swung was abruptly halted mid-air.

The gleaming silver blade was pointed upward, its sharp tip precisely lodged against the guard of his Device, stopping his slash dead in its tracks.

So fast!

So precise!

Using his less dominant left hand to swing the blade, the force couldn't be fully exerted. Moreover, due to the bulky nature of his bone blade, it was indeed easy for someone to catch the joints.

But for someone like this guy, who could seize the timing of his strike even during a sneak attack and position the blade's tip at the leverage point of his force, was something he had never encountered before.

And the placement of the blade's tip was incredibly clever—not lodged in the joint but at the guard, which would undoubtedly disperse his strength to the greatest extent.

In other words, using weaker arm strength to counter stronger arm strength.

This guy is really interesting!

"Wow! You actually pulled a sneak attack? How dishonorable!"

The guy put on a frightened expression, looking genuinely shaken.

Hmph!

What are you pretending for?

If he could react to a sneak attack like that and even counter with such skill, how could he possibly be scared?

But he was in a very good mood right now, so he didn't mind such a small matter and instead spoke up.

"Hey, you're Eiji Nangou, right? Fight me! A real duel to the death, whoever dies first loses!"

His eyes burned with fervor.

The White Bone Greatsword pointed straight at Eiji as he issued a deadly challenge.

In his eyes, this guy wouldn't refuse because he was undoubtedly a true swordsman!

"I refuse. I'm a model student."

But the other party rejected his invitation without hesitation, deflating his momentum.

"...You already manifested your Device, and you were the one who provoked us. What are you even saying now?"

"How can you slander me like that?"

Eiji looked displeased, confidently raising the Bling Blade in his hand.

"I was just talking to you all calmly. You were the ones who attacked me first. I was forced to take out my family heirloom for self-defense—this is a family heirloom, not a Device."

Kuraudo Kurashiki's cheek twitched, feeling a bit speechless.

"If you don't believe me, I have video evidence!"

Eiji confidently turned his head.

Kanata was holding the student handbook, quietly recording from a corner at the back of the aisle.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense.

Eiji stood face-to-face with Kuraudo Kurashiki, Kanata silently recording with the student handbook, while the other Donrou students clearly felt out of place. Ayase Ayatsuji stood at the very back.

***

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