The Weight of the Sun and the Debate of Man and Dog

A moment later, a glimmer of vitality returned to his drowsy eyes.

So be it. Why fret over what is real or fake? Why obsess over the distinction between illusion and reality?

When the false is taken for the true, the true becomes false; where nothingness is taken for existence, existence becomes nothingness.

"My past life was real, Roy of the Zoldyck family is real, and Kamado Eiichiro in this perceived world is equally real..."

"And I, I only need to do what is before me and cherish those around me."

A faint smile returned to the corners of Roy's mouth as he rose to get dressed.

It was nearly four o'clock; his daily morning run could not be skipped. He would treat it as a warm-up for practicing Sun Breathing.

Indeed, the moment he woke from his dream, Roy was pleasantly surprised to find the name "Sun Breathing" appearing on his system panel.

It was merely greyed out, with a note stating it required him to endure the "Weight of the Sun" to activate.

However, the "Weight of the Sun..."

Roy pulled on his tank top and shorts, gazing toward the horizon where a sliver of white was threatening to tear through the darkness.

The scorching power contained within it was undoubtedly a severe test of one's willpower.

He wasn't sure if he could pass, but he had no choice but to try...

The young man took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and ran out.

At that moment, an old man lying on a rocking chair was still snoring away while listening to a cartoon...

In a bedroom hidden in the shadows at the corner of the corridor, a face pale as death suddenly opened its eyes...

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom on the second floor... a man was forcefully pinning a woman against the floor-to-ceiling window...

Everyone was busy with their own efforts, just as Roy would not allow himself a single moment of slack.

From the mountain to the foot of the mountain and back again, his daily five-kilometer run was soon finished.

When he returned to his bedroom and looked out, the magnificent morning glow, accompanied by the fiery red sun leaping over the horizon, rushed toward him with an ancient, wild aura and endless vitality...

Roy felt a sudden inspiration, closed his eyes, and began to practice Sun Breathing.

Unlike Tanjuro, this time he applied "intent." Using Sun Breathing as a guide, he began to drive his qi to circulate through his body.

Then, he felt a wave of scorching heat!

This heat grew more intense, and as he performed the movements of Waltz, Clear Blue Sky, and Burning Sun Mirror, it swelled into a ball of fire, instantly igniting Roy from head to toe.

Pain... it was painful... excruciatingly painful... It was the agony of being roasted alive on a pyre, so intense that Roy nearly fainted.

He barely managed to lean against the door to keep from collapsing.

It truly showed the sheer weight of the fact that from the Sengoku period to the Edo period, over a thousand years, only one Tanjiro had emerged!

"I want this rotting era to turn to ash..."

"I want the sunlight to shine, leaving no place for the vermin to hide..."

"I want to borrow the true fire of the sun to burn away all darkness and slay every demon..."

In the depths of his consciousness, Roy, nearly losing his mind from the pain, seemed to hear someone's mutterings. Before he knew it, a figure appeared in his pupils...

It was a swordsman carrying a flute.

He had deep red hair, and flame-like marks spread across his forehead... He stood quietly at the end of time, looking at Roy gently, smiling as he said something that sounded like...

"Those who reach the end of the path will find that all roads lead to the same destination."

"Brother, I said you didn't need to worry about the breathing technique being lost. You see it now, don't you?"

Tsugikuni Yoriichi... this figure... he really looked like him...

Roy vaguely recognized the man's features, then his body tilted, and he slid down along the doorframe...

Following that, the agonizing heat dissipated... Roy was finally liberated, gasping for air, his body nearly drained of all strength.

Fortunately, none of the suffering had been in vain.

The system prompt provided him with timely comfort.

[Notification: "Sun Breathing" has been activated...]

[Current Progress: Beginner (1/100)]

"It finally... worked..."

Roy smiled. The red sun shone down, and the morning glow spilled across his face, making him involuntarily spread his arms.

He savored this moment.

It was now five o'clock in the morning. As the old grandfather clock in the corner chimed, the butler Gotoh pushed a food cart over to deliver Roy's meal, as he did every day.

He knocked on the door out of habit, but seeing the door open and Roy sitting slumped against it, he paused.

Gotoh was stunned, walked over, and reached out to help him up.

At that moment, Roy opened his eyes, and in an instant—

Gotoh felt a sharp pain in his eyeballs, as if he had stared directly into a sun or had a laser pointer held right against his pupils; his vision blurred instantly...

"Ah—"

A miserable scream echoed through the air...

Afterward, Roy's butler was replaced by the muscular powerhouse—Tsubone.

"Is he alright?"

"The doctor said it is only temporary blindness; he will recover in a few days."

"That is good."

Gotoh was eventually helped away for medical treatment...

After finishing his morning training session, Roy listened to Tsubone's report while eating his lunch.

He speared a piece of steak, frowned, and said, "Pass down the order to double his salary for this month."

"There is no such precedent." The old butler stood with her hands crossed in front of her, expressionless. "He is a dog of the Zoldyck family; having food to eat is enough."

"As for you, Young Master..."

Tsubone leaned over to stare at Roy, her gorilla-like frame looming over him and effectively enveloping his entire person. She asked with a stern expression, "The Master told me to ask you, Young Master, how did Gotoh sustain his injury?"

According to the doctor's diagnosis, the eyeballs had suffered a strong stimulus, triggering a stress response that resulted in temporary blindness.

Therefore, what had stimulated him?

Silva wanted to know, and Tsubone wanted to know, but... since Gotoh had not ratted him out, Roy intended to respect the man's choice and grant him that respect.

Thus, he leisurely pulled out a napkin to wipe his mouth and said...

"I believe that as the master, I have no obligation to tell a dog..."

"You say Gotoh is a dog, but are you not one yourself?"

Tsubone nodded in deep agreement. "Of course, I am one as well."

Then, her tone shifted: "But the Master is not."

"Then have him come and ask me himself."

Roy pushed back his chair and stood up.

There was no point in further conversation; he had always respected butlers who would die for the Zoldyck family, but he could not agree with the self-perception that treated people as nothing more than dogs.

He walked straight past Tsubone...

At the same time, he also passed a ghost with hollow, lifeless eyes...

Illumi seemed to have just returned from a kill, his body still wreathed in a thick, bloody stench...

He walked with his hands in his pockets, heading in the opposite direction of Roy. Just as they were about to brush past each other... he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and swept a glance at him. "A dog is a dog, and a human is also a dog."

"It is as simple as killing a person or killing a dog."

"Is that so?" Roy gave a cold laugh, leaving Illumi with a back that was not particularly broad, yet blindingly piercing:

"Then congratulations to you, my dog of a brother; you certainly have a great deal of self-awareness."

Illumi: "..."

Shing—

He unsheathed his hand-blade.