Chapter 129: Will Scissors × Conception of Shu
Zoldyck?
Botobai's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly beneath his deeply wrinkled brow. He snorted, expelling two jets of air like dragons from his nostrils. "Too bad it is not Silva Zoldyck."
He had heard that man's name many times and had seen him at a few gatherings, but they had never crossed paths. It was a regret.
Still, Beans saw his straightforward demeanor and remembered that someone was still in the Chairman's office drinking tea. He could not help but stand on tiptoe and whisper a reminder. "The Chairman said not to hold back, but he does not actually want you to kill the boy."
"After all, this is a test. The focus should still be on evaluation."
"I am aware," Botobai said curtly. He clearly had his own plans and was unwilling to say more.
Beans had delivered the message. He had given all the warnings he could. If something really went wrong, the Chairman would handle it. He waved goodbye to the two and left the underground passage.
The elevator closed.
Gel tossed Botobai a test tube. "When the time comes, collect some Zoldyck blood for me."
They said that family was immune to all poisons. She wanted to see if it was really that impressive.
Crash. The tube shattered mid-air, obliterated by a supersonic punch. Botobai's voice rumbled from behind his mask. "Do it yourself."
Gel: "…"
She fumed.
Silently cursing herself for partnering with this thick-headed, straight-laced fossil.
The woman turned away and went back to reading her pharmacology book.
Before long, the night deepened.
After more than two hours of flight, the Kiriko father, along with Gotoh and the others, finally arrived at the official venue location—Zaban City—just before eleven at night. The first thing they saw was a grand, imposing palace.
A flock of white doves flapped their wings and flew over the palace.
Rika, who had spent years in the remote Kurta village, had never seen such a spectacle. Her heart soared, and she marveled inwardly, "The Hunter Association truly lives up to its name. Even a single exam is held on such a grand scale."
But then the Kiriko father pointed to a rather shabby-looking barbecue restaurant tucked in a corner beside the palace. He pulled three number tags from his pocket and respectfully handed them over. "Sir, that barbecue shop next door is the official entrance to the venue."
"Go inside, turn left, and take the elevator down to the basement. You will reach the exam hall. These are the candidate numbers for you and your two companions."
He wanted to add, "Sir, I would be happy to guide you again next year."
But then he reconsidered. With Roy's level and that of the being on his head, how could they possibly fail this year's exam? He held his tongue and swallowed the words, lest he make a fool of himself.
Oh… Rika was a bit dumbfounded. She stared blankly as Gotoh handed her the number tag, never imagining she had mistaken Zaban City Hall for the official Hunter Exam venue. Snapping out of it, she awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her crystalline earlobe, flipped open the tag, and saw it was number 407. She tucked it close to her chest and stored it safely.
According to the official schedule, the exam would not officially begin until two in the afternoon tomorrow.
Tonight, they would definitely need to find a place to stay. It would not be too late to put the tag on tomorrow.
"Then we will not disturb your midnight snack," Roy said, patting the Kiriko father on the shoulder and nodding at the Kiriko son. He instructed Gotoh to keep the number tag safe, then went to a nearby inn to check in. Under the dazed escort of the father and son's gazes, he and Rika walked calmly toward the inn.
In a blink, the three pushed through the revolving door and disappeared.
The Kiriko son turned to his father. "Father, how did he know we always go to that barbecue shop for steak every time we come to Zaban City?"
The Kiriko father was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "That is why he is a god."
A god loves all people. How could he not know what people desire?
The Kiriko father turned and pushed open the door to the barbecue shop, calling out, "Boss, one steak combo. Slow-cooked, medium-rare."
"Huh? Father, what about mine?"
"Who cares about you?"
"No! I do not have any money!"
Noise and chatter filled Zaban City that night.
Gotoh checked them in and, as usual, inspected the room. At that moment, Rika pushed the door open and poked her head in. "Young Master, if you need anything, just call me."
Before Roy could respond, Gotoh slammed the door shut. Bang. She was left outside.
"Presumptuous," was Gotoh's assessment of Rika.
Roy came out from washing up, holding Sol down in the bathtub for a few splashes. The crow pecked his head in displeasure. Roy turned to Gotoh. "You should go rest too."
The boy patted Sol and let it bite one of his fingers, smiling as he explained, "Sol and I are connected in mind and spirit."
"If anything happens, it will alert me. But you have been with me at sea for more than ten days without a full night's sleep. Take tonight to get some proper rest."
"Young Master, I am not tired," Gotoh said, yawning.
"Out."
"Yes."
The door opened, then closed.
Gotoh stood sheepishly outside. He turned and saw the girl leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. He glared at her irritably. "What are you looking at?"
Rika smiled without saying a word. After a while, she turned and walked away, saying, "I just wanted to remind you that the Young Master is not yours alone. That is all."
Bang. The door shut.
Gotoh stood alone in the empty hallway, silent and lost in thought.
After a moment, he adjusted his glasses and snorted. "At least he is not yours either."
He went downstairs, opened another room right next to Roy's, and walked inside.
Eleven at night. The night lights of Zaban City gradually went out. Aside from a few night markets, the entire city seemed to have been put on mute, slowly falling silent.
Roy turned on the desk lamp and, by its light, half-reclined on the bed. He let Sol roll around freely on the soft mattress and opened his grandfather Zigg's notebook, flipping to the page on Shu training. He read carefully.
After his battle with Giyu Tomioka, Roy knew it was time to leave.
Going to Mount Fujikasane, killing the Hand Demon, and avenging his senior brothers and sisters to fulfill their wishes—that was the first battle Roy had set for himself upon completing his training.
Perhaps sensing something, Roy had noticed early on that Makomo's emotions were off. She would stare at him in a daze from time to time, or fix her gaze on Master Urokodaki's back and watch him all day. She must have realized that the moment the Hand Demon died, these wandering souls—whether willingly or not—would lose the support of their "resentment" and soon dissipate.
That was why she was so gloomy.
Perhaps the carefree Sabito, or the easygoing Shinsuke and Fukuda, did not mind disappearing.
But the sensitive Makomo and Yagiku might not feel the same. It had nothing to do with anything else. It was just… reluctance.
Reluctance to leave Mount Sagiri, reluctance to leave their fellow disciples, reluctance to leave Master Urokodaki, and perhaps… their junior disciple as well.
So Roy planned to give his seniors a surprise—and a possibility.
By learning Shu and coating jars with Ten, he could create a substitute for the Hand Demon, a vessel where his senior brothers and sisters could continue to dwell.
["Will Scissors Method": By imagining and forming "Will Scissors," one can sever the Nen link between the body and an object, achieving Shu—Nen that remains even when separated from the body.]
"Will Scissors"… that fit quite well with the training methods of Conjurers. Roy thought of his grandfather Zigg's Nen ability, Game of the Dead, which also seemed related to the Conjurer category.
He settled his mind and continued reading. Gradually, drowsiness crept in. His head tilted, and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.
Squawk. Sol hopped and bounced, kicking off Roy's neck and flapping its wings. It struggled to climb up to his head and settle into its nest, leaving only two golden eyes peeking out.
Soon, light snores filled the air.
Roy groggily passed through the colorful tunnel of dreams and arrived at the familiar Sea of Cognition. This time, he sprawled out in a starfish shape on the soft sand and rested for a while, replenishing the mental energy depleted from conjuring Sol. Only then did he reach out and push open the door to the Demon Slayer world.
He arrived in the Demon Slayer world.
The Hour of the Rabbit. A few sparrows perched on the eaves, chirping noisily.
The fresh air of early spring blew into the room through a corner of the paper window.
Roy opened his eyes again. The first thing he saw was a circle of "dark circles" around him!
"Eiichiro, you finally woke up, you bastard!"
"Your sword flew away last night. Did you know that?"