"What are you doing?"
"Hugging a tree."
"Why are you hugging a tree?"
"Hugging a tree."
A thick vein popped on Illumi's smooth forehead. He simply shut his eyes—out of sight, out of mind.
It was noon. The sun was harsh, but the Zoldyck brothers weren't hot—one sat in the shade hugging a trunk, the other lay in a pit under a parasol. The scene was… odd, to say the least.
"Young master Milluki, slow down!"
A chubby toddler came toddling in, chasing a butterfly, a butler huffing after him. Three or four years old, bursting with energy. Maybe because he'd eaten a butterfly once and found the taste decent… Milluki crept up and launched a perfect "flying body press."
He pancaked the butterfly, grabbed it, and stuffed it in his mouth.
"Chomp… chomp…"
Green juice ran down the corner of his lips.
Satisfied, Milluki looked up—and finally noticed: one brother was pasted to a tree, the other buried in a hole. Both faces looked familiar…
There's no such thing as "big bro" and "second bro" in the Zoldyck house.
The pudgy kid clambered up, squatted by the pit to peer at Illumi, then circled to the tree to peer at Roy… and peeled down his pants. His little pee-pee popped out, and he started to urinate.
Roy's brow creased. He lowered his head and glared. Milluki tilted his chin up and met his eyes without a hint of fear. He arched his back—and nearly sprayed Roy.
Illumi's lip twitched hard, plainly savoring the schadenfreude…
But the curious Milluki turned at the sound—and a steaming arc of kiddie pee poured straight over Illumi's head.
This time he didn't even have to arch. Milluki let out a blissful little hum.
Sadly for him, before he could pull up his pants, a hand caught his collar and hoisted him up. His little thing dangled in the air, swaying helplessly…
Illumi had hopped out of the pit.
"Three years old—time to start training. Let's begin with electric shocks."
Face dark, Illumi carried Milluki off like a fat cat. Even without looking, Roy knew exactly what he had in mind.
He decisively abandoned the cypress and wrapped his arms around a willow instead.
Kids who eat random stuff end up with rank, fiery pee—just like Illumi now, his temper flaring sky-high.
'Settle down…'
'Don't ask about what's not your business…'
'Adjust your breathing…'
He chanted inwardly—
'I am a tree… I am a tree…'
Drowsiness crept in, and before long Roy was snoring against the trunk again…
"Niisan… Niisan…"
This time it sounded like someone calling him. He opened his eyes and found himself back in the familiar snow country—and shivered on the spot.
'Out of the furnace, straight into the ice bath,' pretty much.
Tanjiro lifted a kettle of hot tea and helped him drink a mouthful. "Niisan… it's already dark. Let's head back."
Warmth spread through his belly. Roy finally thawed a little and glanced at the sky. Night was deep; if not for the snow's glow, you couldn't have seen your hand.
So he really had hugged that tree and slept two or three hours. No result—except nearly turning into an ice sculpture.
"Let's go."
Step by uneven step, Roy gave up for now and led Tanjiro toward Urokodaki Sakonji's hut.
A few stray silhouettes followed through the woods behind them; now and then, the wind carried a thin, ghostly susurrus…
"'Breathing' is hard precisely because of the word 'breathing.'"
"Sensei made Eiichiro hug a tree instead of training with a sword first—that means he sees real potential."
"No kidding. If you'd passed the test in under half an hour back then, he'd have 'seen potential' in you too."
Shinsuke and Fukuda were bickering again.
In life they were model senior and junior; in death they only had squabbles to pass the time.
High up on a birch behind them, Sabito stood with Makomo, watching silently.
The Kamado brothers—after tonight they were destined to part.
'Father's health is poor… the family needs a pillar… money for coal, clothes, and sweets has to be brought home…'
Tanjiro carried the kettle behind Roy, well aware he had to set out at dawn. He was a sensible child. He'd always known how to read a room. Roy had taken on a master and wouldn't be leaving Mt. Sagiri any time soon; Tanjiro didn't try to cling.
"The family needs you, and it needs me. I'll come back from time to time to check in."
The little hut ahead was lit.
Seeing through his thoughts, Roy stopped, turned, and smiled. "Tonight I'll put together a training plan. Take it home and follow it."
"I'll come back once a week to check your progress."
"If you slack off, don't blame me for tanning your backside."
"I'll complete the mission!" Tanjiro said, firm as a nail.
Roy patted his shoulder. "Tell Father I haven't forgotten my promise. Please ask him and Mother to take good care of their health."
"I understand." Tanjiro's eyes stung; he drew a breath. "The family needs me. The world needs you."
Roy blinked. "Who told you that?"
He didn't think that line could come out of Tanjiro's mouth.
"Father did. He said Niisan's heart is too big to stay in the mountains—that you should go out into the wide world and see it for yourself. He said he's the one holding you back, holding the family back, and that you shouldn't be sentimental—just follow your own road."
A cold wind lifted the boy's bangs; they fluttered lightly…
Roy touched the sun earrings and gazed long toward home, speechless for a while. He had so much he wanted to say—and somehow nothing to say at all. It all dissolved into a single "I will." The next day, he watched Tanjiro depart.
"In a hurry?" Urokodaki Sakonji came to stand beside Roy, looking off at Tanjiro, basket on his back, waving with every third step. His tone was mild. "There are only twelve hours in a day. Subtract eating, drinking, and the rest… you have less than eight hours to train."
"No matter how urgent you feel, you can't escape that law."
He wasn't wrong. People aren't machines; they need rest—especially sleep, which is the lion's share of rest.
But what he couldn't know was—
Roy's day could be twenty-four hours. He could train at home by day—and in deep sleep at night, return to Mt. Sagiri to hug trees…
So—
"Even laws have their exceptions, Sensei…"
"Maybe I'll grasp the secret of 'Breathing' faster than you think."
Tanjiro's figure vanished.
Roy tilted a smile at Urokodaki, then turned and walked into the fog-heavy woods.
Urokodaki's face was hidden by the tengu mask. He watched Roy's back for a long moment, then let out a soft chuckle. "I'll be waiting to see."