The boy lay spread-eagled on the soft, giant bed, just like last night when he'd stayed up drinking till dawn with Sabito and Makomo, and was finally half-carried back to the heated bed by Urokodaki Sakonji. Right now, he just felt his Spirit and Sense in perfect form, his whole body relaxed and indescribably at ease.
"Gah-oh~" A crow's cry came right on cue from beside his pillow,
Jinx flew over, sleepily opened its drowsy eyes, plopped its butt down on top of Roy's head, and started nesting again... its head bobbing up and down, making Roy seriously suspect whether this guy had stood guard over him all night, or just straight-up slept through it...
Good thing this was far from the time to fuss over that. With a thought, Roy simply recalled Jinx back into his body, then flipped over and sat up, put on his training clothes and sneakers, and, just like every other day, started his morning run circling all around Kukuroo Mountain.
At the same time, in the Zoldyck Family's ancient estate, second-floor bedroom, the lights came on. A tall figure was fully dressed and ready to go,
At the same time, in the Zoldyck Family's ancient estate, at the westernmost end of the first floor, Illumi, with dark circles under both eyes, having stayed up all night, was combing his hair in front of the mirror,
At the same time, in the Zoldyck Family's ancient estate, the two old men had finished their walk and were already training in the garden. One was in a horse stance, throwing straight punches with textbook form; the other was holding a watering can, watering the flowerbeds. Beside them followed a round-headed bean in a perfectly pressed suit, serving diligently at their sides... the very picture of tranquil, idyllic times, except for....
It was a little too "perfect" and a little too "peaceful".....
Roy swung his hand to close his bedroom door, passed through the mottled corridor steeped in the scent of time and history, exited the estate's main gate, and focused entirely on running all the way down toward the foot of the mountain.....
Vaguely, several gazes moved when the boy moved, expressions all different, but every heart was tied to him alone.
'Can he really pull it off?' Mamen Beans waited on Netero as he punched, a clean towel draped over his forearm. His two tiny bean-like eyes spun around, tracking Roy's back as it disappeared into Kukuroo Mountain—only to be startled by Zeno's sudden, abrupt comment.
"Move," Zeno's head of white hair swayed as he shrugged off his pajamas and put on his robe again. The words [One Kill a Day, Still Active] returned to his chest. As he moved his feet, he squeezed past Mamen Beans, making him wobble slightly,,, and the watering can in his hand tilted with it,
Slowly spraying a thin stream over the tulips in front of Mamen Beans.....
Mamen Beans hurriedly stepped back to make room, and when he looked again toward Roy's back, the boy had already vanished into the forested mountain, nowhere to be seen.
"Hohoho... that kid's pretty calm. Meanwhile we old fossils watching from here look more nervous than he is about himself......"
"Pa~" A "gratitude straight punch" slammed out... Netero exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, reached out to take the towel from Mamen Beans, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, then tilted his head to glance behind him,
In the second-floor bedroom, in front of that huge arched floor-to-ceiling window, the man stood like a stone statue, watching Roy's figure grow distant, faint fighting spirit quietly spilling off his entire body....
It was hunger, it was expectation, and even more... an impatience that could barely be held back!
"Tss tss..." The thin stream from the watering can soaked the tulips... Zeno's head of white hair swayed, and when he lifted his eyes, his own face faintly showed dark circles as well,
He followed Netero's gaze to take a look at Silva, chuckled dryly, and said nothing of sense.....
Netero slanted another look at Zeno, twirled his beard with a low hum, the corner of his mouth curving into the faintest hint of a smile.
Judging by the sky, today would be good weather. The only question was... once the fight started later, what kind of... hellish mess it would turn into....
"Tap.... tap....." The boy's footsteps grew more and more distant......
Until, from their high vantage point, Roy's figure could no longer be seen at all, only then did Silva's silhouette vanish from in front of that big floor-to-ceiling window in the second-floor bedroom.
Right then, the bright moon was sinking in the west, and the red sun was about to rise in the east,
As dawn broke, faint light seethed just below the horizon.....
Just like always, Roy passed through the forest, followed the stone steps all the way down, slipped past the butler's villa, and at the end of the steps, he saw Kurajing with her high ponytail, gripping her cane, standing guard at the mountain path entrance just like usual,
Roy shifted his stride, and in a blink appeared in front of the girl. Brushing past her crystal-clear earlobe, he lightly exhaled and said, "Didn't I approve your vacation? Why are you still working?"
Kurajing's body trembled; her ear felt tingly and numb,
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, barely noticeable. She bowed to Roy and said, "Good morning, young master."
Then she straightened up again and said shyly, "Pika's still not awake. I figured I was free anyway, so I came to stand watch for a bit...."
"Is he adapting?"
"Pretty well,"
"Good." Roy nodded noncommittally, then lifted his foot and brushed past the girl's shoulder, running toward the mountain gate at the foot of the slope—when he suddenly heard the girl muster her courage and shout after him, "Do your best, young master!"
Roy waved a hand behind his back, picked up speed, and disappeared. By the time he looked back again,
He'd finished his run and returned to his own bedroom.
"Gululu..." Right on cue, the soft sound of a meal 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 laid out a sumptuous breakfast on the dining table.
One glance told him it was all his favorites; clearly... the kitchen had put in special extra work ahead of time.....
Using the True Meaning of Blazing Heat, Roy steamed his wet hair dry, then tossed the towel to Tsubone with a flick of his hand, grabbed a slice of toast with bacon and took a bite. "Alright, talk. Any news from Hall recently?"
The Curse on the back of his left hand was, as always, silently counting down Roy's life. With his grandfather Jager involved, along with the True Church, and that unknown existence lurking behind the Church... Roy had never, and dared not ever, let his guard down. Not even today, which for him, was far from an ordinary day.....
Tsubone's Barbie-pink hair was tied into two ponytails draped down her back. At his words, she sneaked a cautious glance at Roy,
Seeing his expression as calm as usual, as if he didn't care much about the imminent battle... the old butler's heart surged up and down. She adjusted the reading glasses on her nose and said respectfully, "Over at the True Church, Hall has been watching nonstop. He just called last night and said... one of our informants claims to have personally witnessed...."
"That Sisko·Moro, the one you killed before, young master—suspected to not actually be dead. Apparently, he's appeared again recently inside the Church's ranks....."
Roy had long since anticipated this,
His face didn't change,
He stabbed down with his fork, speared a piece of sandwich, and tossed it into his mouth, mumbling around it, "Tell Hall I got it. Also,"
"Pass word down that they don't have to keep tailing Sisko·Moro relentlessly. He's... not the main concern."
Known enemies aren't scary. It's the unknown ones... that make your skin crawl.....
"Crunch~ crunch~" Roy finished the sandwich in a few bites, then chased it down with milk to settle his stomach,
Beside him, Tsubone answered respectfully,
As she pulled out a tissue for Roy, she organized another piece of intel and began explaining, "At around 2:15 this morning, someone @-mentioned you on the official Hunter website, young master."
The official Hunter site? Roy raised a brow, glancing at Tsubone without any change of expression. "Was it a man named Ging?"
"No," Tsubone sorted through the documents and handed them over. "It was an organization called the 'Biological Investigation Group' that contacted you, young master,"
"The other party claimed to be Kate, and said he'd met you once back during the Hunter Exam,"
"He sent you an invitation in the night, asking for your help investigating a fragment of some creature's leg...."
Roy froze for a second,
His expression instantly turned serious,
He set down his knife and fork, took the documents Tsubone had arranged, and opened them,
What met his eyes—
Was an ant leg as long as an adult human, covered in tibial and tarsal segments, with stiff, hard bristles sprouting from it... like a forest of steel needles, stabbing straight into his pupils until they hurt.....
As Roy's expression shifted, the first thing that came to mind was—Chimera Ants!
B-class creature: Chimera Ants, originating from the Dark Continent, supposed to appear in the Current World ten years from now—yet here they were already....
Hard to say... whether choosing this exact timing to emerge in the Current World wasn't meant to be... aimed at someone.....
Roy tilted his head to glance out the window. Netero's big Buddha ears swayed as he ate with Zeno in the garden,
In the depths of his Gaze,
He seemed lost in thought...