novelraw Chapter 308 309 : Ants X Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 308 309 : Ants X Calm Before the Storm
Illumi left in a huff...
The boy's smooth black hair swayed as he turned and walked away, leaving Roy with a view of the back of his head.
Roy watched him leave. With just one glance, he caught a trace of stubbornness and defiance in the Nen aura naturally dissipating from the top of his head, manifesting as a deep, dark gray...
Roy smiled and ignored him, lying down on his bed to rest and gather his strength.
With about seven hours left until dawn, Roy crossed his hands over his lower abdomen, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness sink, once again entering his [Cognitive World] through "deep sleep".
This time, he didn't push open the [Naruto Gate] to delve into the Naruto world. Instead, he rolled up his pant legs, took off his shoes and socks, and strolled along the beach, letting the ebb and flow of the [Sea of Cognition] wash over his feet.
After a moment, he stopped in front of the [Demon Slayer Gate]. He hesitated briefly before reaching out, pushing the door open, and stepping inside...
"Buzz..." A familiar sensation of falling washed over him...
The character named [Kamado Eiichiro] reconnected...
When Roy opened his eyes again, all he saw was a small burial mound and a withered field of spider lilies swaying gently in the wind...
Roy stood silently for a moment, recalling how he had once gazed across the far shore with the Sage of Six Paths. He wondered if Yoriichi Tsugikuni had found his wife and child on the other side by now.
With a trace of melancholy, the young man took a deep look into the night.
With another glance, his body instantly transformed into light. Cloaked by the moonlight, he drifted toward home.
Three wooden cabins situated in an open clearing surrounded by the mountain forest gradually came into view, arranged in a triangular formation...
Faint, intermittent snoring drifted out from inside the house...
Roy did not reveal himself. He stayed hidden within the moonlight, watching his mother Aoi, his father Tanjuro, his grandmother, Nezuko, Tanjiro, Takeo, Shigeru, and little Hanako curled up like a kitten in Aoi's arms. In his heart, his understanding of [Bonds], [Bloodline], and even [Karma] gradually deepened...
Furthermore,
A feeling faintly emerged deep within Roy's heart: if he wanted to, he could manipulate the lives of these people at any time through the [Threads of Karma]. Similarly, he could use the [Karma · Blade] to erase his bonds with the Kamado family... as if he had never existed, and from then on, he would no longer be the eldest son of the Kamado family.
But, was this what he, or the Kamado family, truly wanted?
Roy turned into a wisp of moonlight, spiraling in the night. At a certain moment, he suddenly heard a gentle, lingering murmur:
"Eiichiro, is that you?"
Roy was suddenly taken aback and leaned over to look down...
"Tap, tap..." A light string of footsteps emerged from the house, extending all the way to the wooden porch. He saw—
Bathed in the spilling moonlight, Tanjuro had risen and draped a coat over his shoulders. He leaned against a porch pillar, looking toward the spot where Roy was hidden in the moonlight,
gazing at him tenderly.
Clearly, for a healthy Tanjuro, his mastery of the [Transparent World] had undoubtedly progressed much further compared to the past!
"Father, are you well?" Knowing he could no longer hide, Roy slowly revealed himself from the moonlight. Stepping on a swirl of wind, he landed on the wooden porch... His swaying, fiery red hair draped over his back, looking just like Tanjuro used to. With just one glance, it was as if Tanjuro saw his past self...
The difference was that his past self had been sickly, while the young man before him was robust, tall, and imposing, almost catching up to his own height. It couldn't help but make one sigh with emotion.
Tanjuro's eyes shimmered with emotion as he spoke gently, "I've been much better since taking the medicine you brought."
Roy gave a soft hum and floated to the man's side. He looked up at the bright, hanging moon alongside Tanjuro, listening as he asked, "Should I wake your mother?"
Roy gently shook his head. "No need. Parting is too bitter. I don't want to see Mother cry again."
Tanjuro tucked his hands into his sleeves and nodded silently. Following that... the father and son fell completely silent, as if their mouths had been sewn shut with needle and thread...
After a long while, Roy lifted his foot to leave and said, "Father, I'm going."
Tanjuro didn't say a word. Just as Roy was about to fly away on the moonlight, the man reached out to smooth the wrinkles on the hem of his clothes, speaking as if to himself, "Every time you come home, something major happens. Your father is very ashamed that he cannot 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 in one piece next time..."
"Yes!" Roy broke into a bright smile, a warm current silently flowing into his heart.
The young man looked deeply at Tanjuro. His gaze passed over the man's shoulder, lingering for a moment on his mother Aoi, his grandmother, Nezuko, Hanako, and then on Tanjiro, Takeo, and Shigeru in the side room. His body gradually turned into light...
Gradually, he vanished from Tanjuro's sight,
leaving the man alone, a solitary figure leaning against the porch pillar, staring blankly at the sky, unable to snap out of his daze for a long time...
"Whoosh..." A gust of wind rose, rustling the lush mountain forest and making the leaves whisper...
Leaving home, Roy flew straight toward Mt. Sagiri. Tonight, he reunited with his teacher, drank and sang with his senior brothers and sisters, and indulged in the natural scenery. After completely relaxing his mind,
with the final bowl of wine,
he heartily clinked glasses with Sabito,
tilted his head back, and gulped it down into his stomach.
After letting out a satisfying, long breath, the night passed until dawn!
Then, he groggily opened his eyes, passing through the [Gate of Cognition] to leave the [Demon Slayer World] and return to the [Hunter World].
"Dong..." At four in the morning, the grandfather clock in the corner chimed.
The young man lay sprawled out on the soft, large bed, just as he had after drinking all night with Sabito and Makomo, eventually being helped back to his futon by Urokodaki Sakonji. At this moment, he felt completely refreshed and full of energy, his entire body indescribably comfortable.
"Caw..." A crow's cry appropriately came from beside his pillow.
Xiao Jin flew over, sleepily opening his eyes, and plopped his butt right on top of Roy's head, settling back into his nest... His head bobbed up and down, making Roy couldn't help but wonder if this little guy had actually stood guard all night or just slept through the whole thing.
Fortunately, now was far from the time to dwell on that. With a thought, Roy simply retracted Xiao Jin back into his body. He then sat up, threw on his training clothes and sneakers, and, just like any other day, began his morning run around the entirety of Kukuroo Mountain.
At that time, in a second-floor bedroom of the Zoldyck family castle, a light was turned on, and a tall figure stood fully equipped and ready to go.
At that time, at the westernmost end of the first floor of the Zoldyck family castle, Illumi, sporting two dark circles under his eyes after staying awake all night, was grooming himself in front of a mirror.
At that time, two old men taking a stroll around the Zoldyck family castle had already started their morning exercises in the garden. One was in a horse stance, meticulously throwing straight punches, while the other held a watering can, tending to the flowerbeds. Beside them was a round-headed Beanman in a crisp suit, waiting on them hand and foot... It was a picture of peaceful tranquility, except...
It was a bit too "beautiful" and "peaceful"...
Roy swung his bedroom door shut, passed through the mottled corridors steeped in time and history, and exited the main gates of the castle. Focused and determined, he ran all the way toward the foot of the mountain.
Faintly, several gazes followed the young man's movements. Their expressions varied, but their hearts were all tied to him.
'Can he really do it?' Beanman, who was attending to Netero's martial arts practice with a clean towel draped over his forearm, darted his two small, beady eyes around. He tracked Roy's back as it disappeared into Kukuroo Mountain, only to be startled by Zeno's sudden voice.
"Make way," Zeno said. His white hair swayed as he had taken off his pajamas and changed back into his usual garb, the words [One Kill A Day, Active for Life] returning to his chest. As he stepped forward, he nudged Beanman aside with a slight sway... The watering can in his hand tilted accordingly,
slowly spraying a fine stream of water onto the few tulips right in front of Beanman...
Beanman hastily stepped back to make room. He took another look toward Roy's back, but the young man had already vanished into the mountain forest without a trace.
"Ho ho ho... That kid is quite calm. It makes us old fogeys look more nervous than he is..."
"Smack!" A "Punch of Gratitude" was thrown out... Netero opened his mouth and exhaled a breath of stale air. He reached out to take the towel Beanman handed him, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and tilted his head to glance behind him.
In the second-floor bedroom, standing before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, a man stood like a stone statue, watching Roy leave. His entire body faintly exuded a strong fighting spirit...
It was desire, it was expectation, and above all... it was impatience!
"Sizzle..." The fine stream from the watering can dampened the tulips... Zeno's white hair swayed. As he looked up, two dark circles could faintly be seen on his face as well. Following Netero's gaze, he glanced at Silva and chuckled dryly, his meaning unclear...
Netero shot a sidelong glance at Zeno, stroked his beard with a soft hum, and an imperceptible, faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Looking at the sky, today was going to be a good day. He just didn't know... what kind of... hellish scene it would turn into once the fighting started...
"Tap, tap..." The young man's footsteps gradually faded away...
It wasn't until Roy could no longer be seen from that high vantage point that Silva's figure finally disappeared from the massive floor-to-ceiling window of the second-floor bedroom.
At that time, the bright moon was setting in the west, and the red sun was about to rise in the east.
As the break of dawn approached, a faint light surged beneath the horizon...
Just like any other day, Roy passed through the mountain forest, followed the stone steps all the way down, and swept past the butler's mansion. At the end of the stone steps, he saw Kurajing with her hair tied in a high ponytail, gripping her cane, guarding the mountain pass just as she always did.
Roy shifted his footing, and in the blink of an eye, he flashed right in front of the girl. Brushing past her translucent earlobe, he breathed softly and said, "Didn't I give you time off? Why are you still working?"
Kurajing's body trembled, feeling a tingling, numb sensation in her ear.
Two faint clouds of red crept onto her cheeks as she bowed respectfully to Roy. "Good morning, Young Master."
Then, straightening her back, she said shyly, "Pika isn't awake yet. I figured I had nothing to do, so I came over to keep watch for a while..."
"Is he adjusting well?"
"Very well."
"That's good." Roy nodded noncommittally. He lifted his foot again, brushing past the girl's shoulder, and ran toward the main gate at the foot of the mountain. Suddenly, he heard... the girl muster her courage and shout at him, "Good luck, Young Master!"
Roy waved his hand behind his back. With a shift of his feet, he disappeared. By the time he looked back,
he had finished his run and returned to his bedroom.
"Rumble..." Right on time, the soft sound of a dining cart rolling over the stone floor came from outside the door...
By the time Roy finished a quick shower and came out, Tsubone had already arranged a hearty breakfast on the dining table.
At a glance, it was entirely filled with Roy's favorite foods. Clearly... the kitchen had put in special effort beforehand...
Roy used [Scorching True Intent] to evaporate the moisture from his wet hair. He tossed the towel to Tsubone, grabbed a piece of bacon, took a bite, and said, "Tell me, has there been any news from Hall recently?"
The [Curse] on the back of his left hand silently counted down Roy's life as usual. Since it involved his grandfather Zigg, the [Church of Truth], and the unknown entity behind the church... Roy would never, and dared not, be careless, even if today was no ordinary day for him...
Tsubone, her Barbie-pink hair tied into two ponytails draped over her back, carefully glanced at Roy upon hearing this.
Seeing him as calm as ever, seemingly unconcerned about the impending battle... the old butler felt a surge of emotion. She adjusted the reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and said respectfully, "Hall has been keeping an eye on the [Church of Truth]. He just called last night, saying... an informant claimed to have witnessed firsthand..."
"That Hisoka Morow, whom the Young Master killed previously, is suspected to be alive. He has recently been seen within the church..."
Roy had expected as much.
Expressionless,
he stabbed a piece of sandwich with his fork, tossed it into his mouth, and mumbled, "Tell Hall I know. Also,"
"Pass down the order: there's no need to keep a tight watch on Hisoka Morow. He... is not the main focus."
Known enemies are not terrifying. It's the unknown... that leaves one helpless...
Roy finished the sandwich in a few bites with a crunch, washing it down with milk to soothe his stomach.
Beside him, Tsubone respectfully acknowledged the order,
while pulling out a tissue to hand to Roy. She then organized another piece of intelligence and recounted, "Today, at around 2:15 AM, someone tagged the Young Master on the official Hunter website."
The official Hunter website? Roy raised an eyebrow, glancing at Tsubone impassively. "Was it a man named Ging?"
"No," Tsubone said, organizing the documents and handing them over. "It was an organization called the [Biological Investigation Group] that contacted the Young Master."
"The person claimed to be Kite, who met the Young Master during the Hunter Exam."
"He sent an invitation to the Young Master last night, requesting your assistance in investigating a leg fragment of a creature..."
Roy was suddenly taken aback.
His expression instantly turned solemn.
He put down his knife and fork, took the documents Tsubone had prepared, and opened them to look.
What caught his eye—
was an ant leg the size of an adult human, densely covered with tibiae and tarsi. It was also covered in hard bristles... like steel needles, piercing the viewer's pupils...
As Roy's expression shifted, the first thing that came to his mind was—Chimera Ants!
The B-Class creature, the Chimera Ant, originating from the Dark Continent, was supposed to appear ten years from now, but it had shown up prematurely...
It was hard to judge... Choosing this exact moment to appear, it wasn't as if it was... targeting someone...
Roy tilted his head and glanced out the window. Netero, with his prominent Buddha-like ears, was currently dining in the garden with Zeno.
With a profound gaze,
he fell deep into thought...