A Lonely Ballad × A Boy's Ambition (4K Special)

Going home... another year has passed...

Urokodaki Sakonji paused in his hand, chopping radish, and looked up at the window. The snow fell year after year, seemingly unchanged, yet everything seemed to have changed... After a moment of silence, he said, "Okay."

"Gurgle..." The steam rising from the porridge on the stove pushed open the lid, and the old man hurriedly lifted it, burning his hand in the process.

"Master." Makomo trotted over to his side, pouted and blew on his hands, and then... a pair of Urokodaki Sakonji, calloused hands that had taken over from Urokodaki Sakonji.

Roy smoothly lifted the lid and turned off the stove in one go, then smiled and said, "Master, let me do it."

"You always take care of me, so please leave these small tasks to me."

The porridge is ready. Just slice some dried radish and some leftover pork leg from last night—it's very simple... Urokodaki Sakonji nodded, said nothing more, and quietly sat by the kotatsu to wait. Makomo knelt beside him, her expression somewhat somber...

"Eiichiro is going home, and Master will be all alone again after the New Year."

"What can we do? We've been doing this all these years, haven't we?" Shinsuke had a huge bump on his forehead, and it hurt so much that he grimaced when he touched it. Fortunately, Fukuda was in even worse shape; his face was swollen like Pig-Head, and he was completely unrecognizable... This was the price he had to pay for mocking his shortness!

"Take it easy. Once Eiichiro avenges us, there will be even less of a place for Master next year."

"Shut up if you can't speak!" Fukuda noticed that Makomo lowered her head, her eyes growing darker and darker. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her lips were swollen like sausages, and she couldn't open them. In the end, it turned into a sigh... It's already a blessing that someone who should go to Hell is forced to stay in the Human Realm because of their obsession. We shouldn't Compulsion too much.

"But I just want to..." Makomo stubbornly bit her lower lip, on the verge of tears... Her body unconsciously leaned Urokodaki Sakonji, when suddenly a knife was thrust out, separating her from him.

"Calm down." Sabito, holding his katana, looked at Makomo seriously. "You know Master's soul is too strong; getting close will burn you."

Burning? So this is why Sabito could pull Tanjiro into his own consciousness, but couldn't do anything to Urokodaki Sakonji?

Roy was chopping dried radish in the kitchen when he glanced at the scene out of the corner of his eye. He understood what Makomo Sabito lacked—a medium that could connect the living with "thought"!

Roy himself didn't mind acting as a bridge, and was happy to do so, just like helping Minamino Hirotomo meet his family... The Sun-Earring Boy considered the time and decided to set it for the eve of returning home for the New Year.

That was a day for family reunion, a day to celebrate, a day to be filled with joy.

Makomo eventually calmed down and moved half a body length Urokodaki Sakonji.

Sabito sheathed his sword, sighed silently in his heart, unsure how to offer comfort, and finally managed a soft "Thank goodness!"

"Rice porridge is here!"

Roy brought out breakfast, breaking the unpleasant atmosphere.

Makomo sniffed, seemingly reverting to her gluttonous self. Roy deliberately tempted her, passing the pork leg past her eyes. The girl licked her lips, her dim eyes brightening again.

"Whoosh~" Snowflakes fluttered outside the window, while inside, steam rose gently...

It seemed like nothing had happened, yet it also seemed like everything had happened. After finishing their meal, without Urokodaki Sakonji finger, Roy proactively washed the dishes and chopsticks, then took his Asauchi and went out to practice his swordsmanship.

After he left, Urokodaki Sakonji quietly went to the kang (heated brick bed), found the pillow, took out a sock from under the bedding, counted some money, and put it into a small cloth bag with a fox head printed on it.

"Hey... Eiichiro's got a really good life. What's Master doing... is he preparing New Year's money for him?" Shinsuke stared at him jealously, then quickly put the cloth bag away. His teeth started to ache again from the sourness, probably from being hit by Fukuda.

"Hey~ Did Master prepare any New Year's money for you?" Makomo nudged Sabito, and the fox Sun-Earring Boy stiffened and shook his head.

Since they were adopted, neither he nor Giyu had ever received any New Year's money, not even a single copper coin. Their master provided for all their food, clothing, and daily necessities. They were too grateful to even ask for money...

However... Makomo was delighted. Her big eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and she grinned, saying, "I'll let you in on a little secret, I have one!"

"That's because Master is taking care of you since you're a girl."

"I don't care, all I know is that I have it, and you don't, that's enough..."

Sabito feigned helplessness, following Roy out into the dense forest... Thankfully, Makomo was happy, and that's good...

The fox-like Sun-Earring Boy tightened his grip on his katana, then vanished into the snowstorm in an instant...

"Forty-seven thousand... forty-nine thousand... fifty thousand... fifty-one thousand..."

Earning a thousand dollars more each day was Roy's minimum requirement for himself.

[Hint: Swordsmanship +53]

The Sun-Earring Boy swung his sword backhand, grazing Sabito's ear before slicing it into a cypress tree behind him, "crack—"

The cypress tree, which two people couldn't encircle together, was split in two along its central axis.

The blade's sharpness and accuracy were striking... Sabito felt a surge of fighting spirit, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt, but he quickly pushed it back down...

Roy let out a long sigh, sheathed his sword, and pretended not to have seen the Sun-Earring Boy's action of gripping the katana. That night, he returned to the cabin, ate a simple dinner, and lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) fully clothed.

Night has fallen, and weariness is creeping in...

Roy fell into a deep sleep.

Once again, through deep sleep, he escaped the world of Demon Slayer and returned to Kukuroo Mountain.

The familiar feeling of falling, though late, finally arrived...

The Sun-Earring Boy opened his eyes on the soft bed, the familiar chime of a grandfather clock striking its reed echoing in his ears.

It's four in the morning, another day has begun.

Roy rolled out of bed and went for his morning run as usual. When he returned, he ate breakfast while listening to Gotoh report on today's training plan.

"It's still poison resistance training." Gotoh pushed up her glasses and looked at Roy cautiously. "Also, there's something else. The master instructed that he wants everyone to eat the Young Master's cooking tonight."

Which master? There are many masters in the family, Xi, Jie, Ma... Roy glanced at him.

The young butler, who had been growing a beard for several months and finally had a bit of a full beard, added, "It's Master Maha."

"He's probably craving something different again..." Roy thought to himself, and said casually, "Okay."

List two dishes and ask Gotoh to take them to the kitchen to prepare: one is "Chicken Stew with Mushrooms," and the other is "Cucumber Salad."...

Gotoh took out a piece of paper and wrote it down, then cleared away the dishes and pushed the food cart downstairs.

Roy grabbed the Snow Walk from the knife rack, followed him out the door, and headed to the training room. After overcoming his poison resistance and practicing Sun Breathing, he returned to the basement to hone his skills. This time, he only lasted one minute and forty-three seconds, showing little progress.

"Is it really true, as Grandpa Jager said, that all we can do now is let time work its magic?"

The boy left the secret chamber with a heavy heart. The airtight door slammed shut behind him. He took a deep breath, recalling the scene of Gon and Killua training with Cloud Valley and Bisky. He exited the passage, not even hearing Scarface and One-Eyed greet him. He wandered aimlessly through the castle's long corridors, lost in thought... Suddenly, he stopped and saw...

A thin, bony figure stood with his hands behind his back, leaning against the windowsill, admiring the night view. He suddenly remembered that his great-grandfather had asked him to cook dinner tonight.

"It's already eight o'clock, where's the old man's food?" Speak of the devil, and he appears; Maha tilts his head and looks over.

Roy chuckled sheepishly and quickly added, "I'll get at it right away."

"Forget it..." Maha waved his hand listlessly, then turned to look out the window. The moon was high in the sky, and the night was perfect... It wouldn't be so bad to eat under the moonlight.

Seeing this, Roy tiptoed past him, and was about to brush past his shoulder when he was stopped by Roy's voice.

"The old man doesn't even have food to eat, and you're still thinking about eating?"

"Come here and stand with me as punishment!"

"Yes..." Roy silently withdrew his foot and came to Maha's side to enjoy the scenery with him.

The old man pointed to the willow tree in the garden and asked, "What do you see?"

"Willow."

"Anything else?"

"Wicker."

Maha glared at him. "I'm asking you about upstairs."

Roy focused his gaze, even using his [Focus] ability, and saw clearly. "It's a bird's nest."

"Oh, so you knew it was a bird's nest."

"I'm not stupid."

"You're an idiot." Maha gave him a disgruntled look. "Even baby birds know to squawk and beg for food from their parents."

Why don't you know?

Roy frowned.

The old man glared at him with exasperation, then said, "Do you know what Silva hates most about you?"

"What?"

"Your arrogant, naive attitude, thinking you can handle everything on your own!"

Roy remained silent.

"You're too competitive, Roy."

That's too arrogant.

Maha turned to look out the window. The large bird flapped its wings and flew back, carrying several insects in its beak. It grabbed onto the eaves of the nest, and the chick that chirped the loudest ate the most... The old man said solemnly, "Because you are too strong-willed, thinking you can do everything yourself, and never thinking of relying on anyone, that's why Silva feels unwanted."

"And when a father feels unwanted, anger arises spontaneously..."

"Swish..." A gust of cold wind blew by, ruffling the Sun-Earring Boy's bangs and causing the willow branches to sway along with him...

Roy listened intently, his memories swirling, retracing his steps from childhood to adulthood. Because of his control panel and his status as a reborn individual, he believed he could rely on himself and be self-reliant. Whether it was studying or training, he avoided asking for help from others whenever possible. The number of times he had to ask Silva for help was extremely limited. Recently, it seemed that only the time he "opened his mind" was mentioned, and even then, it was through Gotoh's intervention, which was a roundabout way of doing so...

Looking back now, I realize I was indeed too "independent." Independence turned into arrogance, gradually slipped out of control, evolved into "conceit," and ultimately, "looking down on everyone else"!

Finally... Roy looked around and saw the only chick in the nest that hadn't opened its beak to chirp. It had been pushed out of the nest by the other birds and fell to the ground with a "thud." It died before it could even open its eyes to see the world.

"You understand?" After a long pause, Maha asked quietly.

Roy took a deep breath and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Great-Grandpa."

The old man turned his head away and gave a noncommittal grunt. "Get lost."

Roy got up again, turned away from the bedroom, and headed upstairs.

"Tap... tap..." The Sun-Earring Boy's figure, illuminated by the lamplight, already showed signs of becoming an adult...

He went around the corner and disappeared from sight.

In a dimly lit corner, shadows shifted, and Zeno peeked out, hands behind his back. He glanced at the second floor, then Youyou walked over to Maha and stood beside him. "Grandpa really knows how to handle things; he subdued this kid with just a few words."

"If you don't act now, this family is finished." Maha sneered, "Squat down!"

Zeno: "..."

It's none of my business...

"Grandpa, we need to be reasonable..."

"Crouch down!"

"Yes..." Zeno crouched down, clutching his head, and with a sharp rap on the forehead, the old man angrily cursed, "I'm the one who's right!"

"Your grandson? My grandson? Don't you understand the principle of 'what the superiors do, the inferiors follow'?"

"Kill, kill, kill! You can't poop without killing someone every day, huh?"

If you bother me again, I'll smash you to death with this stick!

A crude "Enhancement" warrior... Zeno felt wronged; how could he have known he'd end up with a house full of stubborn brats?

If one person won't bow their head, and that person won't bow their head, what other options are there besides invoking our ancestors?

Fortunately, it did have some effect... Zeno endured Maha's verbal abuse, and once Maha calmed down, Zeno patted his back to help him catch his breath...

In the dimly lit room, cartoons were on again, and the rocking chair was in motion. The old man, enjoying Zeno's massage, grumbled, "I'm hungry. When that kid comes back, tell him to prepare food."

"The old man insists on having a taste of something fresh today!"

Zeno: "..."

So stubborn...

Night deepened.

Walking on the stone steps leading from the first floor to the second floor.

Roy never imagined that going upstairs would take so long, as if he were climbing a ladder to heaven.

Lights were lit on both sides of the wall, casting a long shadow of him. He climbed step by step until he finally reached the second floor. He stopped and stood in front of the door of a bedroom that was not grand but had a vintage feel.

Through the crack in the door, one could vaguely see that the bedroom light was on.

The Sun-Earring Boy raised his hand, held it in mid-air, adjusted his breathing, and without hesitation, wavering, confusion, or escape, struck directly.

"Tap... tap... tap..."

"Squeak--"

The door opened,

A tall figure blocked the doorway, his silver hair cascading down to his waist. He looked down at Roy, completely blocking out the light shining through him...

Silva asked expressionlessly, "What is it?"

Roy looked him straight in the eye. "Something's up."

What's the matter?

"About studying."

Why should I teach you?

"Because you're my father, you should teach me."

What will I teach you?

"Teach me how to beat you," Roy said earnestly. "I think we can start with [training]."

Silva stopped talking, staring at him for a long while before suppressing a laugh, "Hehehe... hahaha..."

The laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, startling Kikyo on the bed. The woman looked over and asked, "Who is it, Silva?"

The man stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Sun-Earring Boy. He reached out a large hand and grabbed the boy's shoulder. "From today onwards, whatever you want to learn, I'll teach you. I'll stand right here, not hiding, not avoiding, just waiting for you to come and kill me!"