Chapter 257: A Demon God is Still a God x Maha's Vigilance
An evil, dark, and greedy "yearning" surged into Roy's heart through the "flesh sprout", using "Nen power" and "flesh and blood" as mediums... eagerly waiting for Roy to find a host, plant it, and let it take root and sprout.
But he had only ever heard of "techniques" being controlled by humans; he had never heard of "humans" being controlled by "techniques"... Roy faintly felt that if he truly obeyed the "flesh sprout's" demands, indiscriminately sowing it and recklessly absorbing others' "flesh and blood essence" for his own use, perhaps he wouldn't even need to wait for nature's backlash—he himself would be the first to lose control and fall into an uncontrollable state.
That did not align with his path... nor was it what his heart visualized...
The boy, with the red sun above his head and draped in a rosy cloak, flicked his hand expressionlessly and said, "Go back!"
With a "whimper," the flesh sprout curled up with its long tentacles, turning into a stream of Nen that surged back into Roy's body, as obedient as a dog on a leash!
Patter patter... The Nen stream gurgled like a brook, instantly drilling beneath his skin. All of Muzan's talents had been completely extracted.
Roy exhaled and vocalized, letting out a soft breath. He steadied his mind and finally turned his gaze towards... [Life Energy], [Faith Power], and the "Negative Emotions" extracted from... Kokushibo, Nakime, and Muzan's bodies...
[Current "Life Energy": 801]
[Current "Faith Power": 174]
[Current "Negative Emotions": 8451/10000 (Note: 1549 points away from unlocking the Mangekyou Sharingan)]
A sharp light glinted in Roy's eyes. He forcibly suppressed the urge to upgrade right now, and a realization immediately arose in his heart.
The harvest was rich beyond imagination, simply because... he had killed a [God]!
He killed the [God] who single-handedly founded the demon empire and ruled the night!!
Although this [God] lacked strength and cowered without any divine presence, relying on the boost of demon blood gave Muzan the right to dominate all demons... there wasn't a demon who didn't worship him, obey him, or thirst for more demon blood and appreciation. Thus, this naturally made him the faith of all demons, their "One and Only"!
Roy suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Netero in the Numere Wetlands during the Hunter Exam...
"What kind of Hunter do you want to be?"
"A God-Hunting Hunter."
The boy reached out and pinched a ray of sunlight, smiling faintly: "From now on, I am one."
He then took a step forward, merging with the morning glow, teleporting two thousand meters away. Having absorbed Nakime's [Infinity Castle]... Roy had taken another step forward in the path of "Space-Time".
Flash, flash, and flash again... Like a fleeting swan, he flashed and vanished. When he reappeared, half a day having passed, he strolled out of a secluded alley and merged into a bustling and noisy market. It was the same one he passed through when he first took Tanjiro down the mountain to seek a master... Looking up, there was Mt. Sagiri, shrouded in mist and blocking the sunlight year-round!
"Selling wine~"
"Home-brewed rice wine, smells delicious... Hehehe, young man, you must be thirsty. Would you like a couple of ounces?"
"A couple of ounces... isn't enough," Roy smiled and stopped in front of the wine shop. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bag of silver coins, handed it to the boss, and said, "Boss, I'll take all the wine you have here."
"All of it?" The boss's lean muscles didn't look small. Not only were the lines tight, but carrying carrying poles and hauling wine vats year-round gave him a good deal of strength. His eyes widened. Without rushing to take the silver coins, he slapped his large hand on the two large wine vats in front of the shop and said, "Young man, I'd like to sell it, but the point is, with two large vats full of wine, you... won't be able to carry it back alone."
"You just sell it, I have my ways."
"Really?"
"Really."
The boss looked at Roy suspiciously, reached out and stuffed the bag of money into his shirt, and said wonderingly, "Heh~ I'd like to see what way you have."
As he spoke... the boy in front of him didn't seem to make any movement. He just smiled faintly and brushed his hand over the wine vats. The two massive wine vats suddenly disappeared. Like a magic trick, the wine shop boss was stunned, and even the butcher shop and bun shop next door... went completely silent!
[Sumeru Mustard Seed] activated.
Roy collected the wine, throwing it directly into the mustard seed space, then waved at the boss and said, "I'm off."
Afterwards, he turned and vanished into the crowd. Faintly, only that fiery red hair burning like fire could be seen swaying in the wind, exceptionally conspicuous...
"God?"
"God!"
A moment later, someone suddenly shouted excitedly at the top of their lungs. The wine shop boss finally came to his senses. His knees went weak, and he fell to the ground with a thud...
Where there is one, there will be a second. More and more people noticed that red hair, swarming over and falling to their knees... making Roy smile bitterly. He spread his body and fled again using [Light Style]. This time, it completely solidified his identity as a [Deity]. The screams it triggered instantly pushed the already bustling market to a peak of clamor!
Amidst the hazy and warm sunlight, Roy felt this piety and much worship. The panel's prompt sounded right after... like rain hitting banana leaves, notifying him... Everyone who recognized him had silently become his potential believers, eagerly awaiting... him to grant them the ceremony and make them official.
To this, Roy felt grateful and somewhat fortunate... As thoughts intertwined, he finally crossed through the massive crowds and stepped into the boundaries of Mt. Sagiri. And with his appearance, the sunlight he brought with him pierced through the thick mist and dust, forming a fog-bow bridge. At the end of the bridge...
At that time, Sakonji Urokodaki, who was working with Sabito and Makomo, rushing the spring to dig for wild vegetables, felt something in his heart. He straightened his back and turned to look... Roy, his red hair swaying, draped in a rosy cloak woven from the morning glow, took a step and leaped onto the bridge. He just strolled slowly, carrying a gentle smile and endless longing, wandering over...
Deep in Mt. Sagiri, the soft sound of a few hoes slipping from hands and hitting the ground echoed... Followed closely by the excited screams of Shinsuke, Fukuda, Watanabe, and the others!
"It's Eiichiro!"
"Master, Eiichiro is back!"
Thump thump thump... One, two, three, four, five, six... Suddenly, over a dozen wooden dolls brushed past Sakonji Urokodaki's shoulders, sprinting towards Roy.
The old man, with graying temples and silver hair swaying in the wind, held Makomo on his left and was followed by Sabito on his right. He let his disciples rush past... just watching silently, his trembling lips forming a kind smile.
He waited until the boy was swarmed by Shinsuke, Fukuda, Watanabe, and the others and brought close. He looked up slightly at the boy, who was now nearly half a head taller than himself, and said, "You're back... It's good that you're back..."
With a wave of Roy's sleeve, the two vats of wine landed lightly on the ground. The lids opened, releasing a rich, intoxicating aroma of wine...
The boy's gaze swept over everyone one by one, and he smiled, "I did not fail my mission. I have come to drink with all my senior brothers and sisters."
"You guy!" Shinsuke immediately took a big leap onto Roy, threw an arm around his shoulders, and said, "We won't go home until we're drunk!"
"Right! Won't go home until we're drunk!" This was Fukuda...
"Won't go home until we're drunk!" This was Watanabe...
"Won't go home until we're drunk!" This was Shimizu...
"Alright!" This was Sabito...
"Then Master and I will go prepare food for you guys. Eiichiro, there's also your favorite fish~" This was Makomo.
A group of wooden dolls and a youthful boy, on this noon that rarely showed a few rays of sunlight, laughed... talked... walked... It made Sakonji Urokodaki, situated among them, feel several years younger. It seemed... he had a few more years to look forward to and live well.
"So good... truly so good..." His sixty years of life played out vividly in his mind. Sakonji Urokodaki returned to the small cabin, killing and cooking the fish. In his entire life, he had never felt as carefree, comfortable, and happy as he did today...
So much so that, at nearly sixty years of age, he unknowingly drank too much and got drunk. He didn't even know when Roy left. He passed out with a smile and was helped onto the kang by Shinsuke, Fukuda, and the other disciples, falling into a deep sleep...
Zzz~ Snoring arose. The sun slanted west. From morning to evening, they had been drinking for almost a whole day.
Roy took one last deep look at Sakonji Urokodaki, bowed solemnly to him, and went out the door. Outside the door... one male and one female wooden doll, seemingly understanding each other tacitly, were waiting in the small fenced yard at the entrance in advance.
"Leaving?" A scar remained at the corner of Sabito's mouth. Even though he had been given a [Wooden Doll Body] by Roy using [Shu] previously, the fox boy still retained the steadiness and majesty of a "Senior Brother."
"Yes." Roy nodded slightly. Muzan was dead, the evil demons that plagued the world were gone, and only Yushiro and Tamayo, who were good, remained. From now on, people could live normal lives, never having to worry about being devoured by evil demons when night fell. But... that was only for the Demon Slayer world, only for the people living in the Demon Slayer world. As for him...
Roy looked frankly at Sabito and Makomo and said, "I still have my own path to walk."
"Do you have to go?" Makomo suddenly spoke up, mustering the courage to look at Roy. "Isn't it good for everyone to eat together, drink together, practice swordsmanship together, and play together?"
"It's good, of course it's good..." Memories returning to the past, Roy slightly lowered his eyelids and said, "I also really like the days accompanied by my senior brothers and sisters. But the [Curse] on the back of my left hand is ticking away like a clock... I still have missions yet to complete."
"What mission?"
"Makomo!"
Sabito suddenly patted the young girl. Looking up, he smiled warmly at Roy and said, "That kid Tanjiro mentioned that your esteemed father once told him... you belong to the world. Thinking about it now... your father was right."
"A guy like you, Eiichiro, cannot afford to stagnate!"
Clang! The fox boy suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at the sky: "Go!"
"Go and forge your path!"
Roy was stunned. His pupils reflecting Sabito's appearance rippled with shimmering light.
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for teaching me, knowing me, and accepting me." The boy bowed to Sabito, also to Makomo, and even more so to Shinsuke, Fukuda, Watanabe, and Shimizu, who had heard the noise and silently walked out of the house... as well as Sakonji Urokodaki on the kang inside, who was pouting and streaming with old tears. Straightening his back again, he turned into fluorescent light, his faint smile melting into the fog-bow, and disappeared...
Leaving only a leisurely sentence that rose with the wind, echoing around the beams, lingering for a long time...
"If there is free time another day, I will reunite with my senior brothers and Master in this world."
The boy broke through the thick fog, flying to the sky with the light. At the end, he added a sentence in his heart: "At that time, when the God is dead and the curse is dispelled, I will probably stay a few more days..."
Flying and flying... the light flew, the wind chased. The field of vision grew wider and wider. The little people housed in the wooden dolls grew smaller and smaller, until they turned into dozens of black dots deep in Mt. Sagiri, enveloped by the re-gathering mist, no longer visible... Roy took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and looked up at another large mountain not far away. Hesitating, he descended from the sky and landed on a tall birch tree, not taking another step forward.
"Eiichiro, could you wait a moment, let me pick a Spider Lily for 'Uta'?"
The large mountain was right beneath his feet. The wooden cabin situated in the mountain forest in the shape of the character "品" could be seen in the distance... Roy's thoughts moved, his heartbeat surprisingly slowing half a beat. He sensed something in the unseen world... as if he heard Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sleep-talk transmitted to him from the realm of death.
"How long?"
"One night."
"When the Spider Lilies are in full bloom tomorrow, please offer one to her on my behalf. The location is..."
"I know," Roy gazed behind the courtyard, deeper into the mountain, where a few blue shadows were faintly swaying. Looking closely, they were indeed not brilliant enough yet... He smiled and replied to Yoriichi Tsugikuni: "Teacher, please rest assured. I wouldn't want the Master's wife to find it shabby."
"Thank you..."
The sleep-talk dissipated. Roy stood atop the birch tree, standing quietly for a long while. He flipped down, casually found a bluestone to lie on. Between opening and closing his eyes, having promised Yoriichi Tsugikuni to return tomorrow, he fell into a deep sleep in no time.
As usual, through "deep sleep", he returned to his "Cognitive World".
This time, stepping out of the Demon Slayer Gate, the boy didn't linger. He went straight through the colorful dream channel and returned to the Hunter world.
It was midnight, nearly two hours away from 4:00 AM.
The pendulum of the wooden clock in the corner was moving, waiting to strike the gong... Roy woke up from the soft bed, groggily opened his eyes. Looking at the ceiling of the Zoldyck family castle filled with the aura of time, his ears twitched... he tilted his head to look...
By the desk next to him, at some unknown time, an extra shriveled and skinny old man had appeared.
He seemed to have just returned from a night stroll. He sat boldly straddling the chair, looked at Roy and said, "You guessed right. This bedroom of yours was also once Zzigg's bedroom."
Grandpa Zzigg... Roy looked thoughtful.
Maha rested his elbow on the arm of the chair, propped up his chin, and asked, "Have a nightmare? I haven't seen you wake up at this time usually."
"Great-Grandfather, were you peeping on me?"
"What are you talking about... I was helping you chase away the peeper." Maha said with a half-smile, "Illumi just left."
Roy's face darkened. He really did forget to let Little Jin out last night... With a kip-up, he flipped and sat up on the bed. Looking indifferently at Maha, he said, "Great-Grandfather wouldn't mind having an extra great-granddaughter, right?"
Needs a beating... stupid little brother!
"Up to you," Maha rocked the chair, making it creak, treating it right as a rocking chair, and said without a care, "Tell me, what happened?"
When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at work... The old man rolled his eyelids up, looked deeply at Roy, and said, "What did you do in your dream?"
"Nothing much." Roy was silent for a moment, spread his hands, and said, "Just... killed a God."
☆☆☆
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