"I'm not accepting."
Douro the Stone Fist was a decent opponent. A year ago, they had crossed paths—Douro was defeated and became just another stepping stone in Roy's streak of eighty-one consecutive victories at Heavens Arena.
But now, a whole year had passed. Douro remained the same, while Roy... had become someone else entirely.
To be precise, from the moment he opened his aura nodes, the two no longer belonged to the same world.
"Not just Douro," Wutong said as he flipped through recently gathered intel, reporting calmly,
"Yun Gu too."
"After losing to you, he disappeared for almost a year. Word is he's awakened his Nen → 念 and made it past the two-hundredth floor."
"He even sent you a message the other day—checking in."
Disappeared?
More like his baby face got him picked up by some seasoned veteran who forcibly signed him into a master-disciple contract.
Now that he's reemerged, it's obvious he's been thoroughly trained into Biscuit's ideal student.
Roy, thinking without any malice, asked plainly,
"What did he say?"
"He said he wants to meet you 'in the sky.'"
"'In the sky?'"
Roy chuckled dismissively.
"Even if he manages to defeat a Floor Master, that doesn't mean he'll be standing at the top."
"Besides..."
Roy narrowed his eyes with meaning.
"Knowing him, that's not something he would say."
"Most likely... he was forced into it."
Heh...
Shingen-Ryu vs. Zoldyck?
Neither of them are the type to bow easily...
"Then... shall I reply on your behalf?"
Wutong pulled out his phone. All the contact methods Roy gave out were routed through him anyway.
"Any word from the doctors I asked you to reach out to?" Roy asked instead.
"Two are confirmed. One is still pending contact. The last one's a bit far but happens to be near Heavens Arena."
"Then let's visit him—and while we're at it, we'll stop by and take a look."
"Understood."
Wutong jogged to catch up. Master and servant walked together, one ahead, one behind, until they parted at a fork in the path.
Whoosh—
Roy casually tossed Yukizō to the young butler to oil it.
Back in his room, the boy took a quick shower. Before dinner was ready, he pulled up his status panel to take a look.
[Name: Roy Zoldyck]
[Physique: 11.75 (Note: Average human = 1)]
[Nen Ability: "Gate of Cognition"]
[Nen Form Mastery: Beginner (10/100)]
[Nen Nature Type: Pending Activation]
[Breathing Style: Sun Breathing: Beginner (30/100)]
[Martial Arts Experience: Lv2 (35/100)]
[Swordsmanship: Lv1 (10/100)]
[Applied Techniques — Dark Step: Proficient (99/100); Limb Flex: Proficient (84/100); Snake Weave: Beginner (98/100)]
(Note: Technique proficiency levels—Beginner, Proficient, Advanced, Perfect)
[Titles: Rookie Nen User, Overgrown Houseplant in Need of Trimming]
From "Sprout" to "Houseplant"... was that progress?
Roy didn't know.
All he knew was that his next focus remained the same—two pillars of training:
Nen
Breathing Style
Nen was the foundation. Breathing Style was for enhancing stats. Both had to be cultivated. Both had to be strong. In terms of practical technique...
"My Dark Step and Snake Weave are both on the verge of a breakthrough. If not tomorrow, then tonight."
Now that he'd learned Zetsu, he could distinguish aura signatures and sense the arc of a whip mid-swing—but dodging it still relied on his own speed and reflexes.
Since his father deliberately intended to test him with three lashes, Roy wasn't going to just take it lying down.
That night, after dinner, he closed his eyes—and entered the world of Demon Slayer.
The snow kept falling, showing no signs of stopping.
Ever since Tanjiro Kamado left, a corner of the warm tatami now lacked a living presence... and gained a few curled-up ghosts instead.
Urokodaki Sakonji had gotten up early and was already making porridge. When you're old, sleeping through the night becomes rare—napping on and off is the norm.
Roy opened his eyes to the smell of food... and found a pair of big, curious eyes staring directly at him, as if wondering why he wasn't blowing snot bubbles in his sleep.
"Makomo, quit it," Sabito said, arms crossed, leaning against the doorway.
He cast a helpless glance at Makomo. The little girl waved her hand in front of Roy's face. Seeing no reaction, she got up normally, dressed herself, and floated over to Sabito's side.
"He really can't see us," Makomo said.
"Not like it's your first day knowing that."
"True~"
She pouted, ditched Sabito, and followed Roy into the kitchen.
Ears perked...
She saw the boy mimicking Sabito—leaning against the doorframe, silently watching Urokodaki for a moment before speaking:
"Master, I'd like to practice swordsmanship today."
Swordsmanship, besides the breathing techniques themselves, was another key component of mastering Breathing Styles.
Roy figured it was time to learn from Tanjiro's example—beginning his own "Manben Suburi" routine: one thousand swings per day.
"Did you already forget what I told you two days ago?"
Urokodaki asked without turning, peeling potatoes at the sink.
This was the Taisho era—after Meiji, before Showa. In winter, getting your hands on fresh greens was about as likely as finding gold bricks on the street.
Steamed potatoes and rice porridge. That was breakfast today.
"I haven't forgotten."
Roy opened the cupboard skillfully, pulling out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and laid them on the table.
"You said—until I grasp breathing, I'm not allowed to touch a sword."
"But now I've already learned it."
The boy smiled as he activated Zetsu.
In an instant, all the aura leaking from his body was retracted and sealed completely within. In that moment, he vanished—at least in terms of presence. If not for Sabito and Makomo standing nearby and staring directly at him...
They might not even have realized that Roy existed inside the cabin that held their childhood memories.
"One with nature?"
"Oy! Fukuda, look what I found!"
"Shut up! Even ghosts need their sleep!"
Shinsuke, who had been lazily lounging on a ceiling beam, shoved Fukuda in excitement.
Poor Fukuda nearly fell headfirst. Enraged, he almost throttled Shinsuke—until he remembered he was a ghost and could float. He held back the murderous urge and followed the direction Shinsuke was pointing...
His beady little eyes bulged.
"It's only been a few days... and he's already learned breathing?!"
Fukuda screeched, leapt from the rafters, and began circling above Roy's head...
Woooosh~
A gust of eerie wind blew through...
A crowd of shocked ghosts now hovered around Roy, as if observing some strange new creature.
Sabito and Makomo exchanged glances in silence—each seeing surprise mirrored in the other's eyes.
Makomo mischievously poked Sabito.
"Ten days~"
Sabito shook his head with a wry smile. He knew Roy was fast—just not this fast. A stray thought flashed through his mind—
『If Giyu found out someone unlocked the secret of breathing in just ten days...』
『His face would probably be priceless.』
Just like their Master now—
his hand, mid-potato-peel, had frozen completely...