At Last, They Meet × The Big Bad Roy (End of the 10,000-Word Update)

"Wait a moment, the food will be ready."

Urokodaki Sakonji was frying tempura in the kitchen. The day after tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and his children were going home and wouldn't be able to celebrate with him. So... for the old man who was all alone, today was New Year's Eve.

This is the perfect meal to enjoy... Chashu soba noodles with tempura, garnished with black beans.

Roy, drawn by the aroma, came to the kitchen to help out, while Makomo, with her mouth watering, peeked out and licked her lips.

"You can practice your knife skills during the day, and I'll make some dumplings for you to eat on your way home. In the evening, we'll slice some wild boar meat and make sukiyaki..."

As the tempura was set and taken out of the pan, Urokodaki Sakonji, sounding more like his mother, Kie, than his master.

Before he left home, his mother Kie, had given him these instructions; now, it was Urokodaki Sakonji who had done it.

Roy listened quietly without interrupting. Behind him, a silent fox-like Sun-Earring Boy sat on a pillar... Seito crossed his arms, lost in thought, his expression hidden behind the fox mask somewhat melancholy... He wasn't usually a sentimental person, but during these holidays, his mood would also dip, just like his junior brothers and sisters such as Makomo, Shinsuke, and Fukuda. He just wouldn't show it because... he was the eldest brother, the eldest brother who had to support the family.

Soon, the noodles were cooked.

On the square kotatsu, the master and apprentice sat facing each other, each with a bowl of noodles in front of them. Unlike usual, today... Urokodaki Sakonji had specially brought out some bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and arranged them neatly along the edge of the kotatsu, one bowl paired with one pair of chopsticks. A careful count revealed exactly thirteen sets...

This corresponds to thirteen deceased disciples, including Seito, Mako, Shinsuke, and Fukuda.

"It's a festival, and I'm thinking about how they can't afford to eat. If they know this in the afterlife, wouldn't they be able to see it, or at least smell it? That would be enough..."

Urokodaki Sakonji picked up his bowl of noodles and divided some among the others. Roy watched Makomo's eyes reddened again, and a faint sob escaped her lips. She put down her chopsticks and pressed Urokodaki Sakonji's hand. "It's too little, Master. The senior brothers and sisters are watching. We can't be too stingy..."

Who... is watching?

Urokodaki Sakonji was startled, and then felt a warm current flow from Roy's palm into his own, spreading along his arm, chest, and neck, covering his eyes... Then, this former Water Hashira, like a weathered stone sculpture, guarding his broken past alone, suddenly saw his disciple returning home for a visit, and whether he was overjoyed or not, he simply froze!

"Makomo?" After a long pause, he shakily reached out a hand and patted the girl's head.

Makomo's body stiffened, and he froze. Then Sabito, Shimizu, Fukuda, and all the disciples who had become his students, including Sabito Urokodaki Sakonji, and even those he had personally raised, all fell into a daze!

A moment later, a strange scream rang out... Shinsuke, in his extreme excitement, fell straight off the roof beam... He seemed to have forgotten that as a demon he could fly; after crashing to the ground, he didn't get up. Instead, he scrambled onto Urokodaki Sakonji, grabbed his leg, and cried out, "Master, it's me... Shinsuke!"

"Waaah... You can finally see me..."

Are you feeling wronged?

Longing for someone for a long time but receiving no response... Even though they've always been there, you can only offer companionship in a one-way manner. Between "life" and "death," though separated by only a thin veil, that veil perfectly illustrates what it means to be so close yet so far.

"Master." Sabito snapped out of his daze, tears streaming down his face. He lifted his mask with a "plop."

With a thud, they knelt at Urokodaki Sakonji's feet... Then Fukuda, Watanabe, Shimizu followed suit, "plop~" "plop~"

"Plop~" A circle was formed with Urokodaki Sakonji as the center.

"I... you... Eiichiro..." Urokodaki Sakonji was overwhelmed by the immense surprise and didn't know what to say.

Decades of composure were shattered by Makomo's sudden attack... The girl threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

"Sobbing..." Outside the window, the paper windows rustled loudly in the swirling wind.

Roy sat quietly by the hearth, watching as he maintained his Nen output, connecting life and death, using himself as a medium to reveal the world to Urokodaki Sakonji and Sabito Makomo...

With the buckwheat noodles in the bowl, they slowly savored their longing...

"Master, all these years, I've been hoping you'd look at me... I watch you cook, but sadly I can't eat any..."

"Master, I was always right beside you when you were carving. I would deliberately blow wood shavings to get your attention, but you thought it was just the wind..."

"Master... Master, and me too... Every time you come to pay your respects, I deliberately blow out the candles in the shrine to remind you that I'm right next to you..."

Master...

Master...

Familiar faces... heartfelt words struck Urokodaki Sakonji's heart. The old man's face, hidden behind his mask, was already streaked with tears. He touched this one, then that one, wishing he had twenty arms to embrace them all...

He said, trembling, "I miss... Master misses you all too."

"I know, I knew you'd always been there..."

Joy was expressed through tears, and after a moment, the cabin gradually returned to silence. Everyone wiped away their tears, only then realizing with embarrassment that there was still someone in the room.

Urokodaki Sakonji, Sabito, Makomo, Shinsuke, Fukuda... all looked at Roy. The Sun-Earring Boy slurped his noodles, picked up a piece of tempura, popped it into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and smiled, saying, "You guys continue, don't worry about me."

"Ahem..." As the senior disciple, Sabito coughed lightly, stood up, and looked at him intently, saying, "You did it, didn't you, Eiichiro?"

Or rather...

"You knew we were here all along, didn't you?"

The fox- Sun-Earring Boy had an unfriendly look in his eyes, and even his tone was somewhat dangerous... As the vessel of "Nen," Urokodaki Sakonji could directly feel the presence of the "warm current." He stared intently at Roy, saying nothing, yet it seemed as if he had said everything.

"Whoosh~" Shinsuke transformed into a gust of wind, swirling around Roy. He grabbed Roy's shoulder, winking and saying, "You, Eiichiro, you've been hiding it well. I almost fell for your trick..."

When the topic of deception came up, Makomo, nestled in Urokodaki Sakonji's arms, suddenly remembered something. She stole a glance at him, noticing that he seemed to have noticed her and glanced back at her, before quickly burying her head back into Urokodaki Sakonji's embrace.

"Oh no... He knows... He saw everything... Makomo... Makomo... How will you ever face anyone again...?" The girl was incredibly embarrassed, thinking to herself, "It's all... Eiichiro's fault for being so mean!"

The big bad guy, Eiichiro, silently finished his noodles, neither admitting nor refuting anything, saying nothing yet seemingly saying everything. Finally, he put down his chopsticks and said, "Let me make it clear beforehand, I don't have the ability to bring the dead back to life. You still won't get to eat, and of course, I'm referring to the noodles."

"No, you've done enough." Sabito took a deep breath and approached Roy with a serious expression... Roy could even clearly see the scars on his cheeks, the number of stitches he'd received years ago...

Then, the fox-like Sun-Earring Boy bent down and bowed deeply, saying, "On behalf of my deceased junior brothers and sisters, I, Fujita Shuichi, thank you for your sacrifice."

So... your name is Fujita Shuichi...