Chapter 87: Tanjuro's Last Request × Illumi Opens Ren
Long ago, Tsugikuni Yoriichi once told Kamado Tanijiro's ancestor, Kamado Tanjikoi: "All who reach the pinnacle arrive at the same destination. Even as eras change and each person's journey differs, they ultimately reach the same endpoint."
In the original story, Tanjuro took Tanjiro and Nezuko up the mountain to hunt bears just three days before his death. Even with his final days approaching, he could effortlessly slay a towering bear without releasing a shred of killing intent, cleaving through its trunk-thick neck as easily as breathing.
At that moment, Tanjuro told Tanjiro: "It's the Selfless State."
What Selfless State?
"When all the clutter in your mind clears away, a transparent world appears before your eyes."
Thus, it was defined as the Transparent World.
Roy raised an eyebrow, unsurprised to be seen through by his father. Just as the Demon Slayer Mark was contagious—once one person awakened it, others would experience it like resonance—when Tanjuro danced while activating the Transparent World, his perception and insight would sharply elevate. It would have been strange not to notice the difference.
"That's not the Transparent World," Roy said, settling into a seated position. He accepted the hot tea Tanjuro offered and took a sip. "I'm different from Father, just as Father is different from Grandfather, and Grandfather differed from his ancestors. Each generation of the Kamado family understands the Hinokami Kagura differently."
Just as the sun itself has infinite facets—winter's gentle warmth, summer's scorching heat. It can both parch the earth and create drought, yet simultaneously nurture all life and allow it to flourish.
Tanjuro poured himself a cup of hot tea, cradling it in his hands for warmth. He contemplated Roy's words carefully, then looked at him with a satisfied smile. "These past months away from home, you've gained wisdom."
"You were right. People are different from one another. We can't use our own experiences to measure someone else's life."
"Only... Eiichiro, I'm afraid I don't have much time left for you."
Tanjuro held up three fingers. "At most three years. You felt it just now—this body is approaching its limit."
The man spoke as if discussing something entirely ordinary, smiling without concern. "When that time comes, I'll have to leave this household to you."
"I don't want it," the youth said without hesitation. He drained the hot tea his father offered in one gulp, stood up sharply, and headed back inside to sleep.
He left behind only one sentence, carried on the wind and snow toward the warm stove where it reached Tanjuro's ears: "Three years isn't enough for Father. For me, three years is enough."
The boy walked away decisively, almost coldly. Tanjuro watched silently as Roy disappeared into the wind and snow, shutting the door behind him. His emotions twisted between happiness and discomfort, finally settling into prolonged silence.
"Tanjuro, maybe that boy really does have a way," Kie said, having just put Hanako to sleep. She poked her head out. "Why not trust him once?"
Tanjuro smiled bitterly. This had nothing to do with trust.
"He's always been headstrong, with his own ideas from childhood. Even if you told him something, he'd do as he pleased anyway, following his own path."
Besides, to stop him with a body like his? He wouldn't be able to hold him back even if he tried.
Tanjuro suddenly remembered the two divine flames that had flickered in the youth's eyes earlier. They were like two suns rising steadily.
Whoosh... The wind and snow extinguished the last lamp in the Kamado household. But it couldn't extinguish any lamp in the Zoldyck mansion—they used electricity.
At Kukuroo Mountain
While Roy slept deeply in the Demon Slayer world through immersive sleep, in the parallel Hunter world, Illumi was experiencing his own awakening.
Ever since Roy handed him his father Silva's notebook, Illumi had locked himself in his bedroom, spending entire nights without sleep.
He sat at his desk, staring at himself in the mirror. The notebook lay open before him, turned to the page that recorded all knowledge and training experiences related to Ren, with "Asking Your Heart" circled in red as the key point.
The note explained: "To learn Ren, you must first ask yourself clearly what your heart truly desires. Dig deep into your desires and determine what you most fundamentally want. Then use that as your blueprint to develop your own Ren. That is the path most suited to you."
So Illumi kept asking himself: What is my heart?
What do I most deeply desire?
But what if... It's not a thing at all?
Two full days and nights passed like this, just... waiting.
From initial confusion, to eyes hollow with emptiness showing their first glimmer of light, to finally solidifying his own path. At three-thirty in the morning, Illumi finally pulled open a drawer, retrieved the emergency medical kit he always carried on missions, and opened it. He took out a suture needle, coated it with Ren, and, looking in the mirror, drove it through his face.
One needle wasn't enough. Two. Two wasn't enough. Three. Needle after needle, over a dozen in total, until a handsome face emerged in the mirror.
He had a strong jawline, a high bridge nose, and sword-like eyebrows with slightly curved ends. Angular yet carrying an unexpected softness. It was... a mirror image of Roy!
Older brother... Illumi stared at his reflection in a daze.
After a moment, he pressed his face against the glass, cupping his chin to compare carefully. Those eyes, once hollow and lifeless, now shone with unprecedented brightness.
"No, it's still not perfect," the boy murmured in dissatisfaction. He waved his hand, and his facial skin rippled, returning to his original face. That foolish, stuttering boy thought for a moment longer, then lifted the needle again, reshaping his face into something new.
This time, he bore a sexy stubble beard, thick eyebrows, short hair, and an upturned nose. His gaze held a hint of melancholy. He adjusted the glasses perched on his nose bridge and spoke respectfully to his reflection: "Young Master."
It was identical to Roy's personal butler, Gotoh.
The only difference was... this "Gotoh" seemed dissatisfied with himself. Once the form was set, he wouldn't even glance at it twice before pushing the door open and leaving. He navigated around corners, through corridors, over windows, until he reached Roy's bedside.
He watched silently for a moment, activated Zetsu to hide his presence, and climbed onto the bed. He positioned himself face-to-face with Roy, then quietly drew a Nen needle from his pocket.
Want... I want... I so desperately want to possess him...
Illumi trembled with excitement, his eyes rolling back as he drove the needle down.
What greeted him was Roy's kick—powerful and devastating.
Bang~ The door exploded open as Illumi flew through it.
"Could you please contain your obsessive control issues for once?" Roy said, his eyes now showing two brilliant suns. He'd seen through Illumi's disguise in an instant. He flipped out of bed, chased after him, caught him mid-air by his collar, dragged him to the willow tree, and proceeded to beat him thoroughly. Finally, he stripped off Illumi's pajamas to use as rope, tied him up, and hung him from the willow tree upside down.
The beating echoed through the mansion, waking several people.
In the second-floor master bedroom, Silva finished getting Kikyo settled for sleep. He opened his eyes and teleported to the window instantly. The weather had turned cold. Zeno had just returned from a mission and, as always, went first to check on the old master. He stopped short in the hallway.
In the dim room, an animated film played on a loop twenty-four hours a day. Maha rocked in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest, and he smiled.
"Brotherly affection and filial respect—excellent, excellent..."