Illumi's Strange X-Ray Comes X, and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni Appears Again

Illumi was stubborn. He limped back, to the same long corridor, the same window, and that withered old man, hands behind his back, looking out at him in the garden... The Sun-Earring Boy slowly approached Maha and insisted, "I know I'm not as good as him,"

Is that not good enough...? It's because your heart is completely filled with him, so there's no room for yourself!

Maha watched as Roy's back cast a crooked shadow in the sunlight, and without even looking at Illumi, said, "You are not as good as him. He has wisdom and cunning; what do you have?"

"Illumi,"

The old man raised his hand and grabbed the Sun-Earring Boy's head. Strangely, despite the boy's small stature—he clearly had to stand on tiptoe to reach Illumi's shoulder—he still managed to firmly grasp the boy's head in his hand, rubbing it roughly as he said, "Stop being so stubborn!"

"If you don't want to be left far behind by your older brother, you need to think more about yourself."

The Buddha said... "You must first save yourself before you can save others, is that what you mean?" Illumi, held in the old man's hand and swaying with it, expressionless like a puppet, suddenly uttered this sentence... Maha immediately stopped, looking at him with surprise as if he were looking at someone else, and asked, "Who did you learn that from?"

Illumi calmly brushed aside Maha's large hand, pointed at Roy, and said, "I peeked into his notes. Wish School, Biscuit."

"He doesn't know?"

"I know," Illumi said matter-of-factly. "I sneak into his room every night; he knows, and his bird knows too."

"Then he loves you very much."

"Great-grandfather knew too." Illumi looked at Maha seriously and said, "You did it on purpose."

Maha remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh, "I have no brothers, not your Jager, not your father, not even your grandfather, not even your father..."

"I'm just reminding you,"

"I'm also envious of you."

"Envious of me having a good older brother?" Illumi leaned against the window, staring blankly at Roy's not-so-tall figure. After a long while, the Sun-Earring Boy managed to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth. "Great-grandfather is right, I will think more about myself, but..."

"He went first, then I went second," in that order.

"It cannot be changed."

Maha glanced sideways at him. "Why don't you think about Milluki? Why don't you think about your soon-to-be-born brother...?"

Will he have white hair, and be the next heir to the Zoldyck?

Milluki?

"He's a pig, not a human."

As for... his unborn younger brother... Illumi looked at Maha expressionlessly and said, "You said it yourself... perhaps, who will be the head of the family in the future has nothing to do with hair color."

"I can't argue with you." Maha neither admitted nor refuted, turning his head away from him. "You rarely say so much, so tell me, what do you want?"

Illumi a step back, his body stiff as a zombie, and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, respectfully addressing Maha: "I would like to ask you to guide me; I want to become my great-grandfather's apprentice!"

"Whoosh~"

A gust of wind blew by, swirling up a green leaf and carrying away the noise of the corridor.

Maha was stunned; this was a development he had never expected... Something was definitely amiss, but this strange turn of events... seemed to be beyond his comprehension.

"It must have been tough on you..." The old man looked at his grandson (great-grandson) strangely, as if he were seeing him for the first time, and asked in surprise, "What made you decide to do this?"

Illumi lowered his head, touching his chest where the [God Spear Wood Nail] lay close to his body. The Sun-Earring Boy uttered, word by word, "Myself."

"It's because I'm too weak that he gave me the ' Nen Artifact ' and the ' Breathing Style ' to protect me."

Maha: "You don't like it?"

"I like it, and I don't like it." Illumi looked directly into the old man's eyes and said calmly, "He thinks I'm weak..."

So... you can't accept it?

Maha, with a clear mind, sized up the Sun-Earring Boy, and finally waved his hand. "Get lost."

"Thump... thump..." Illumi turned and left.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a long, long shadow on the Sun-Earring Boy, stretching all the way to Maha's feet. The old man said expressionlessly, "An hour before lunch every day, any more... you know that."

The old man finds it annoying.

Illumi suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Okay."

"Can't you say thank you?" Maha glared at him, his voice rising imperceptibly.

Illumi turned around and looked at him blankly. "Great-grandfather, it's what you should do."

"I should?" "I guess so." A prominent blue vein, almost visible on Maha's bald head, suddenly appeared... The old man silently bent down to take off his shoes...

Illumi backed away, half his face disappearing into the shadows, silently wedging himself around the corner and vanishing from sight.

Should we say he ran fast... or... that there would be an hour waiting for him every day from now on...? Seeing that he wisely ran away, Maha let him off the hook, then looked up at the Sun-Earring Boy in the garden who was silently meditating under the sun, his eyes closed, stroking his sword.

Because of his presence, everyone in the Zoldyck seems to have changed quite a bit. Sometimes... even he himself... Maha can't help but wonder if he's been acting too emotionally lately?

They actually agreed to Illumi's outrageous request?

The Youyou white clouds slightly obscured the sunlight, casting large patches of shadow. Maha snapped out of his reverie, put his hands behind his back, and quietly watched Roy, lost in thought.

After his great-grandfather pointed out the key word "gratitude," Roy immediately entered a meditative state, pondering... how to repay the "most sincere" and "most devout" kindness to the "Swordsmanship that nurtured him"...

It is to respond to "Martial Arts" with a "straight punch" that is "praied" beforehand, just like Netero did.

Or perhaps, like Tsugikuni Yoriichi, his "natural talent for Sword Path," coupled with his "innate Transparent World" and "his innate Demon Slayer Mark," forged a "powerful talent" that made "Swordsmanship" willingly submit...

As Roy, he listened to his own heart, and his intuition told him... it wasn't either of those.

Whether it's Netero or Tsugikuni Yoriichi, first and foremost, they are human beings; only secondly, they possess "fists" and "swords"... Just as my great-grandfather said, they have their invincible path, their strong personal style, and not... Roy's...

So, "What is my style?"

What should I do?

"Why did I learn swordsmanship in the first place? Why did I go to Mount Sagiri and become Urokodaki Sakonji's apprentice?"

"To become stronger,"

"For the Sun in the Heart," for the sake of being the only one worthy of respect in heaven and earth, with utmost arrogance!

"And also so that I may become a ray of light that brings warmth to the world!"

Roy suddenly opened his eyes and whispered, "Light, come."

A sharp sword rang out with a "whoosh!"

[Eclipse] Unsheathed, the blade straight, the tip pointing... at the moment it flashed with a cold glint...

The white clouds overhead parted, casting down countless rays of light that converged on the blade, making it glow, heat up, and shine!

Transforming into a Blade of Light, it pierces through both "thought" and "thought," transcending "cognition."

Suddenly, waves surged...

The large gate in the Sea of Cognition, bearing the inscription "Corpse Demon of Prominent Horns," trembled violently, as if sensing something, and opened a crack once more...

A corner peeks out from the seam...

It was still that familiar little courtyard, with a long corridor, an old man, a middle-aged man, and two animals, an orange tabby and a raccoon dog, all doing well. But... as the old man, sitting cross-legged in the corridor, with his long, white beard and hands resting on a wooden cane, slowly opened his eyes...

Everything has changed!