The Calm Before the Chimera Ant Storm
Illumi stormed off in a huff...
The Sun-Earring Boy's smooth, black hair swayed as he turned and left, leaving Roy with only the back of his head, which wasn't too big or too small.
Roy watched him leave, and in just one glance, he caught a glimpse of stubbornness and defiance in the Nen Qi naturally emanating from the top of his head, a deep, somber glint in his eyes...
Roy smiled and ignored him, lying down on the bed to conserve his energy.
With about seven hours Daybreak, Roy placed his hands on his lower abdomen, closed his eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep, returning to his own Cognitive World.
This time, instead of pushing open the [Gate of Hokage] and delving into the Hokage world, he rolled up his trousers, took off his shoes and socks, and strolled along the beach, letting the [Sea of Cognition] rise and fall, pushing and washing over his feet.
After a moment, he stopped in front of the Gate of Demon Slayer, hesitated for a while, then reached out and pushed the door open, going inside.
"Whoosh~" The familiar feeling of falling washed over me...
The character named [Kamado Eiichiro] has been reconnected...
When Roy opened his eyes again, all he saw was a small grave mound and a field of withered Spider Lily swaying gently in the wind... Roy stood there for a moment, remembering how he and the Sage of Six Paths had once gazed across the other Tsugikuni Yoriichi of the river, wondering if... Yoriichi Tsugikuni had found his wife and children on the other side.
The Sun-Earring Boy gazed deeply into the night with a hint of melancholy.
With another glance, his body instantly Photokinesis, and under the cover of Moonlight, he drifted and floated towards home.
Three wooden houses surrounded by mountains and forests in an open area gradually came into view, arranged in a row in the shape of the word "Pin"... faint snoring could be heard intermittently from inside the house...
Roy didn't show himself; instead, he hid in the Moonlight, watching his mother, Kie, his father, Tanjuro, his grandmother, Nezuko, Tanjiro, Takeo, and Shigeru, and little Delia curled up like a kitten in Kie's arms. In his heart, he gradually gained a deeper understanding of those bonds, Bloodline, and even cause and effect.
even,
A feeling crept into Roy's heart: if he wanted, he could control these people's lives at any time through the [Thread of Causality], and he could also erase his ties with the Kamado Family with the [Knife of Cause and Effect]... as if he had never existed, and from then on, he would no longer be the eldest son of the Kamado Family.
But is this what they, and the Kamado Family, truly wanted?
Roy transformed into a wisp of Moonlight, swirling in the night. At a certain moment, a Youyou, soothing murmur was heard:
"Eiichiro, is that you?"
Roy's grave was startled; he peered down into the grave...
"Lu Sheng Lu..." A series of light footsteps emerged from the house, spreading along the wooden corridor, where a...
Bathed in Moonlight, Tanjuro, donned his robe, and leaned against a pillar, peering at Roy's hiding place within the Moonlight.
She gazed at him tenderly.
Clearly, for a healthy Tanjuro, the [Transparent World] represents a significant improvement over his previous abilities!
"Father, are you well?" Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Roy slowly emerged from the Moonlight, landing on the wooden corridor on a whirlwind. That head of flowing, fiery red hair, draped behind his head, was just like his former self, Tanjuro. At a glance, it seemed he saw his past self... The difference was that his former self was sickly, while the Sun-Earring Boy before him was strong, tall, and imposing, almost matching his own height. It was a poignant contrast.
Tanjuro's eyes shone brightly as he said gently, "I feel much better after taking the medicine you brought."
Roy gave a soft "hmm," and floated to the man's side. Together with Tanjuro, they gazed at the bright moon high in the sky. He heard the man say, "Should I wake your mother?" Roy gently shook his head. "No need. Parting is too painful. I don't want to see my mother shed tears again."
Tanjuro, his hands tucked into his sleeves, nodded silently, followed suit. Father and son remained silent, as if their mouths had been sewn shut. After a long while, Roy lifted his foot and said, "Father, I'm leaving."
Tanjuro remained silent. As Roy was about to fly away on the Moonlight, the man reached out to smooth the wrinkles on his clothes and said to himself, "Every time you come home, something big happens. I'm ashamed that I can't be by your side, so..."
"Eiichiro," Tanjuro affectionately patted Roy's head and said gently, "Please take care of yourself."
"I hope to see you again, all intact..."
"Yes!" Roy smiled, a warm feeling silently flowing into his heart.
The Sun-Earring Boy gazed intently at Tanjuro, his eyes moving over the man's shoulder, then lingering on his mother, Kie, his Tanjiro, Nezuko, Delia, and Tanjiro, Takeo, and Shigeru in the side room, before his body gradually Photokinesis...
Gradually, it disappeared from Tanjuro's sight.
The man was left alone, leaning against a pillar, staring blankly at the sky, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
A gust of wind rose, stirring the lush green forest, causing the leaves to rustle softly.
Roy left home and flew straight towards Mount Sagiri. Tonight, he would meet his teacher again, and his fellow disciples would drink and sing, indulging in the beauty of the mountains and rivers, completely relaxing their minds.
The last bowl of wine,
Han Chang and Seito clinked glasses.
He tilted his head back and gulped it down.
After letting out a long, satisfying breath, dawn broke.
Then, Mimi opened her eyes, passing through the [Gate of Cognition] and leaving the [Demon Slayer World], returning to the [Hunter World]... "At four in the morning, the clock in the corner struck..."
The Sun-Earring Boy lay sprawled on the soft bed, just as he had been drinking all night with Seito and Sun the Urokodaki Sakonji. At this moment, he felt completely refreshed and inexplicably relaxed.
A crow's caw came just in time from beside my pillow.
Little Gold flew over, groggily opened its eyes, and plopped down on Roy's head, settling back into its nest. Its head bobbed up and down, making Roy wonder if the little guy had been guarding him all night, or had simply slept through the night.
Fortunately, now is not the time to dwell on this. With a thought, Roy simply put Little Gold back into his body, then sat up, put on his training clothes and sneakers, and, as usual, began his morning run around the entire Kukuroo Mountain.
At that moment, in the second-floor bedroom of the Zoldyck Family Ancient Castle, the lights were on, and a tall figure stood ready for action.
At that time, in the Zoldyck Family Ancient Castle, on the far west side of the first floor, Illumi, sporting dark circles under his eyes, hadn't slept all night, and was putting on his makeup in front of the mirror.
At that time, in the Zoldyck Family Ancient Castle, the two old men were taking a stroll and had already begun practicing in the garden. One was squatting in a horse stance, practicing his punches meticulously, while the other was watering the flowerbeds with a watering can. Beside them followed a round-headed Beans in a sharp suit, attending to them attentively... A picture of peaceful tranquility, except...
It's a bit too "ideal" and "peaceful"...
Roy slammed the bedroom door shut, walked through the weathered corridor steeped in history, exited the Ancient Castle's main gate, and focused intently on running towards the foot of the mountain...
Several pairs of eyes followed the Sun-Earring Boy's movements, their expressions varied, and several people's hearts were focused on him.
"Is he really up to it?" The Beans was helping Netero with his boxing, a clean towel draped over his forearm. His two small, bean-like eyes darted around, following Roy's retreating figure as he disappeared into the Kukuroo Mountain. Suddenly, Zeno's words startled him.
"Make way," Zeno, his white hair swaying wildly, took off his pajamas and put on a robe again. The words "[One Kill A Day, Active Service]" reappeared on his chest. With a step, he pushed aside the Beans, causing him to sway slightly, and the watering can in his hand poured out.
A gentle stream of water slowly sprayed onto the tulips in front of the Beans...
The Beans quickly stepped back to make way, and glanced at Roy's back one last time. The Sun-Earring Boy disappeared into the forest in an instant, vanishing without a trace.
"Huo Yao stammered... That kid's so calm, it makes us old fogies seem even more nervous than he is..." Smack! A "gratitude punch" landed... Netero exhaled a breath of stale air, took the towel the Beans handed him, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and glanced behind him.
In the second-floor bedroom, before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, the man stood like a stone statue, watching Roy depart, a subtle fighting spirit emanating from him...
It was longing, anticipation, and even more so... impatience!
"Phew..." The fine spray from the watering can dampened the tulips... Zeno's white hair swayed wildly, and when he looked up, two dark circles were faintly visible under his eyes.
Netero glanced at Silva, chuckled, and remained silent...
Netero glanced sideways at Zeno again, stroked his beard, and gave a soft "hmm," a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. "Look at the sky, it's going to be a good day, but I wonder... what a mess it will be like when the fighting starts..." The footsteps of the Sun-Earring Boy faded into the distance.
Until, looking down from above, Roy was nowhere to be seen, and Silva was no longer visible in front of the huge French window in the second-floor bedroom. At that moment, the moon was setting in the west, and the sun was about to rise in the east.
As dawn Daybreak, a faint light began to flicker below the horizon...
As usual, Roy walked through the forest, down the stone steps, past the Butler Villa, and at the end of the steps, he saw Kurajing, with her hair in a high ponytail, holding a cane, standing guard at the entrance to the mountain path as always.
Roy took a step forward, glanced at her again, and appeared in front of the girl in a flash. He brushed her delicate earlobe, breathed softly, and said, "Didn't I give you a vacation? Why are you still working?"
Kurajing, feeling a tingling, numb sensation in her ears.
Two barely perceptible blushes crept onto her cheeks as she bowed slightly to Roy and said, "Good morning, Young Master."
Then, straightening his back, he said shyly, "Kurapika hasn't woken up yet. I thought it would be alright, so I came to keep watch for a while..." "Is he adjusting well?"
"Fine,"
"That's good." Roy nodded noncommittally, then lifted his feet, brushing past the girl's shoulder, and ran towards the mountain gate at the foot of the mountain. Suddenly, he heard... The girl mustered her courage and shouted to him, "Go for it, Young Master!"
Roy waved his hand behind his back, took a step, and disappeared. Looking back...
After finishing my run, I returned to my bedroom.
"Rumble..." Just then, the soft sound of a food cart rolling over the stone floor came from outside the door.
After Roy took a quick shower, Tsubone had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast and placed it on the table.
At a glance, everything looked like Roy's favorite food; clearly, the kitchen had put in extra effort beforehand.
Roy dried his wet hair with the [True Meaning of Scorching Heat], tossed the towel to Tsubone, grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite, saying, "So, tell me, have you heard anything from Holl lately?"
The [Curse] on the back of Roy's left hand silently counted down his life as always, involving his grandfather Jager, the [True God Cult], and the unknown entity behind the Divine Sect... Roy never dared to be careless, even though today was not an ordinary day for him... Tsubone, with her Barbie pink hair tied into two ponytails and draped behind her head, glanced at Roy cautiously upon hearing this.
Seeing his usual calm expression, seemingly unconcerned about the impending battle... the old butler, his heart churning, adjusted his reading glasses and respectfully said, "Holl has been keeping a close eye on things from the [True God Cult]. He just called last night, saying... a spy claims to have witnessed..."
"That Hisoka Moro, Young Master killed before, seems to be alive. He's recently reappeared within the Divine Sect..." Roy had already anticipated this.
expressionless
He forked a piece of sandwich into his mouth, and mumbled, "Tell Holl I understand. Also,"
"Give the order: don't keep a close eye on Hisoka; Moro isn't the focus."
Known enemies are not scary; it's the unknown that makes people panic.
Roy finished the sandwich in a few bites, then drank some milk to soothe his stomach.
Beside him, Tsubone claimed that it was true.
While handing Roy a tissue, he then compiled another piece of intelligence, explaining in detail, "Around 2:15 AM today, someone tagged you, Young Master, on the Hunter Website."
"Hunter Website?" Roy raised an eyebrow, glanced at Tsubone without saying a word, and said, "Is it a man named Jin?"
"No," Tsubone organized the information and handed it over, "It was an organization called the [Biological Survey Team] that contacted the Young Master. The other party called himself Kite and had met the Young Master during the Hunter Exam."
"I just invited Young Master last night, Young Master, Request assist in investigating a fragment of a creature's leg..."
Roy's grave was stunned.
His expression instantly turned serious.
He put down his knife and fork, took the documents compiled by Tsubone, and opened them to take a look.
One thing comes into view
An Chimera Ant's leg, as large as an adult, was densely covered with tibiae and appendages, each covered with stiff bristles... like steel needles, piercing the pupils with pain.
As Roy's expression shifted, the first thing that came to mind was the Chimera Ant!
Chimera Ant, a Class B creature originating from the Dark Continent, were supposed to Human World ten years from now, but have appeared much earlier than expected...
It's hard to judge... The timing of its Human World suggests it might not be aimed at... anything specific.
Roy glanced out the window; Netero, with his prominent Buddha-like ears, was dining with Zeno in the garden.
In the depths of his gaze,
Lost in thought...