Kastro's Provocation × The Zoldyck Brothers Had Nowhere to Run
"Imagine stretching and elongating the thought, bending it into the shape of a fishhook, overcoming the resistance of the water, following the fish's trail, and actively hooking it... The key is in 'injecting imagination'."
On December 27th, 1986, less than ten days before the opening of the 274th Hunter Exam, Roy sat cross-legged on a blue stone in a pool deep in the Kukuroo Mountain, wearing a thick cotton coat. His great-grandfather's notebook Hunter Calendar on his lap, and he held a half-finished fishing rod in his hand, trying to fish.
It's called a "semi-finished product" because it has no accessories, not even a fishing hook or line; it's simply a bamboo pole with its branches temporarily cut off.
Having decided to improve the quality of his Nen and resist the sun's depletion, Roy adopted his grandfather Jager's training method—"fishing without a hook"—in the days leading up to his departure, honing his Nen line and deepening his understanding of the essence of "the Transformation of Nen forms."
Just as Hisoka infuses his Nen with imagination, mimicking the act of stretching out thin sheets of Nen skin to create a "Texture Surprise."
Roy used [Entanglement] to wrap around the bamboo pole, imagining that the "Nian" (spirit/energy) was extending outwards... At the end of the bamboo pole, a sliver of "Nen Qi) peeked out, gradually showing a tendency to drip downwards.
"Young Master, the luggage is all packed, we can set off now." Behind him... Gotoh stood quietly, with two large suitcases beside her.
He had been there for a while and noticed that Roy was concentrating on his cultivation, so he wisely didn't disturb him. Just as a sliver of "Nen Thread" began to take shape at the end of the bamboo pole, he pulled too fast because he didn't control his strength well and it snapped with a "pop." Only then did he call out to inform Roy.
The Sun-Earring Boy sighed inwardly at the disappointment, but he wasn't discouraged. He packed up his fishing rod, stood up, and said, "Let's go."
He took the lead and walked along the mountain path towards the foot of the mountain... Gotoh followed with her luggage. As they got closer, they could vaguely see the steward guarding the mountain, holding a cane and standing quietly at the entrance of the mountain path, like a stone sculpture.
He had short, neat white hair, wasn't very tall, and looked somewhat familiar... Upon closer inspection, it was Kastro.
A few days ago, Roy heard from Gotoh that Wutong had just given him "Nian" (a skill/intelligence), and as a result, Roy challenged Wutong that very day, got a good beating, and became obedient...
"It's a pity that he was tested as an ' Enhancement. It will take some time to train him towards the ' Transmutation." Gotoh would check on Kastro's training progress from time to time, always thinking about training him into a tool that surpassed Tsubone. Roy didn't care. At least the ' Transmutation ' type relied on the ' Enhancement, which was better than blindly training and creating a ' Conjuration Clone.
"Young Master."
Footsteps echoed along the mountain path.
Hearing the noise, Kastro opened his eyes, turned around, and noticed it was Roy. He bowed respectfully.
The Sun-Earring Boy still looked like a Pig-Head's head, his face not completely swollen back... Roy glanced at Gotoh and even suspected that he was jealous of Kastro's master and had taken all the blows at his face. Look at the way the kid was beaten, he could even speak with a lisp...
Gotoh, carrying her luggage, looked up at the sky, indifferent to her fate.
Roy rolled his eyes at him, then turned and nodded to Kastro before brushing past him on the shoulder.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, the Sun-Earring Boy straightened his back and suddenly called out, "Young Master, if I defeat that guy, could I become your personal butler?"
Roy paused, suddenly sensing a powerful killing intent soaring into the sky. He looked up—
Gotoh suddenly turned around, dropped her luggage, pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, and squinted at Kastro: "Are you serious?!"
Kastro, neck stiff and unfazed, replied, "I wasn't talking to you; I was asking the Young Master."
Gotoh put both hands in his pockets, holding a few coins, and turned to look at Roy: "Young Master, shouldn't we just kill him after all?"
Then, the veins on his forehead bulged, clearly indicating he was on the verge of losing control! If Roy gave the order, he dared to immediately dismember Kastro into eight pieces...
Roy watched this scene with great interest, then reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go."
Without responding to either Gotoh Kastro, he stepped off the mountain path... Gotoh gave Kastro a "you better watch out" look, suppressed his anger, and followed... Only the Sun-Earring Boy remained at the entrance of the mountain path, watching the two leave, secretly clenching his fists.
At this moment, less than a hundred meters from the mountain gate, Roy was in front, and Gotoh was behind. Silence spread between the master and servant. Watching Zee and bow to Roy, Gotoh took a breath and said in a deep voice, "Young Master, I want to become stronger."
Roy didn't stop walking, Gotoh said again, "I want to become stronger."
The young butler was more serious than ever before. "I cannot accept losing the Young Master."
"And then?" Roy stopped in front of the mountain gate, turned around and looked at the Gotoh: "You committed suicide?"
"Yes." Gotoh placed her right hand on her chest. "That is my vow, and it will also be my glory."
As he spoke, he knelt on one knee and lowered his head...
Are Vow and Limitation?
A gust of cold wind blew by, lifting his collar and causing it to sway. Roy remembered what he had said that night, and stood silently in front of him, watching him. "Don't worry..."
"Even if you want to die someday, you can't do it without my permission."
"Yes...
At 11:30 a. m., the car was already waiting outside. Zee reminded him, "Young Master, the door is open."
With arms outstretched, the mountain gate was flung open with a resounding boom, letting in sunlight that dispelled some of the chill.
He watched Roy Gotoh get into their cars, pretending not to have seen what had happened earlier. Clutching a thermos in his hand, he looked up at the sun and sighed warmly, "What a beautiful day."
"Vroom..." The black sedan sped away after the driver stepped on the gas.
The mountain gate slammed shut, simultaneously cutting off a line of sight.
At 11:31 a. m., a phone call came to Illumi: "Young Master, the Young Master has already set off."
"Knew,"
After hanging up the phone, Illumi sat down next to his pre-packed suitcase, staring blankly at his reflection in the mirror, where he had somehow switched to Roy's face.
Who said he left? He's been here with me the whole time...
Illumi touched his chest, reluctant to look away from his reflection in the mirror. Then, in a flash, the door creaked open, swaying in the wind...
In a small room across a long corridor, an old man heard a noise and pulled his ears back. It was unclear whether he was listening to cartoons or something else, but it wasn't in the corner. He rocked back and forth in his rocking chair, a contented smile playing on his lips...
"Youth is wonderful... He chases him, he flees, but he can't escape even if he grows wings..."
"At least they're starting to look like brothers..."