Roy did not refuse. He was neither a sanctimonious hypocrite nor a man of false pretenses; his thoughts and actions always followed his heart. At the moment the [Sun] tore through the darkness and leapt over the horizon, it was meant to be upright and open, to nourish all things and bring salvation to all living beings.
Specks of light gathered in the youth's hand as [Solar Eclipse] manifested. Roy gripped it with one hand and lightly tapped it against Gyomei Himejima's shoulders.
The interface prompted:
[THE "INVESTITURE CEREMONY" HAS BEEN COMPLETED....]
[BELIEVER: GYOMEI HIMEJIMA]
[CONSTITUTION: 47 (NOTE: AN AVERAGE PERSON IS 1)]
[NEN ABILITY: NONE (AWAITING ACTIVATION)]
Roy's gaze shifted. Comparing him to the current Kyojuro... even with his aura nodes still closed, Gyomei Himejima's natural strength nearly rivaled that of Kyojuro Rengoku, who had already opened his nodes and learned to use [Ten] to continuously strengthen his physical body. The title of Stone Hashira and the head of the Nine Hashira was well-deserved.
"Praise the sun." As the ceremony concluded, Roy sheathed his blade and gently helped Gyomei Himejima to his feet.
The misty sensation in his mind grew increasingly clear. Especially at the moment he touched Gyomei, Roy's eyes rippled with emotion. He could vaguely see a causal line, with one end hooked to Gyomei and the other to himself. The mist in Roy's heart trembled slightly, and the layer of paper that had remained unpierced finally began to crumble.
It was a bond, and it was karma... a phantom causal line connecting them to each other.
Roy immersed his mind, peering through this line to see glimpses of Gyomei Himejima's past—his joys, his sorrows, his anger, his happiness, his bitterness, and his despair. Everything about him was laid bare. At this moment, Gyomei Himejima was like a hard-boiled egg with its shell stripped away; he held no more secrets from Roy.
'I control everything, and I can even vaguely glimpse the life and death of my believers... Just a little more... just a tiny bit more...'
A breeze seemed to blow through that layer of paper in his heart, threatening to break it at any second. Roy followed the causal line and keenly captured a deep, hidden longing within Gyomei. He wanted something but didn't know how to ask for it... it seemed related to 'divine power.'
Evidently, all the Hashira present—and even Kagaya Ubuyashiki—couldn't help but feel a sense of longing now that they had the will to live.
Roy smiled slightly. He formed a palm with one hand and gently struck Gyomei Himejima's broad chest. Nen surged like a crashing wave, instantly submerging the tall monk. It felt as if something had snapped. Gyomei suddenly heard Roy's voice: "Focus your mind. Try to guide the 'divine power' back into yourself."
The aura nodes were forced open. Milky-white Nen immediately erupted from Gyomei Himejima's body as the center.
The monk felt as if his previous twenty-three years had been lived in vain. In an instant, he shed his mortal coil and stepped into the world of Nen. That kind of power, the euphoric sensation of a physical treasure trove being opened, was intoxicating.
"Namo Amitabha!" After the Buddhist chant, a loud slap echoed as his palm-sized hands slammed together.
Strictly following Roy's instructions, Gyomei Himejima controlled the Nen to flow back into his body. His blind eyes twitched as he stared blankly at the film of Nen covering his skin. He blurted out, "So this is divine power."
The Nen storm subsided. Everyone turned to look at him, just as they had looked at Kyojuro Rengoku. They couldn't quite describe the feeling, only that the monk's temperament had become even more profound. He seemed the same as before, yet different. It was truly mysterious and enviable.
"Praise the sun. Congratulations, Gyomei." Kyojuro Rengoku stood behind Roy. He could see Nen more clearly than the others. The Nen storm that had just erupted from Gyomei was even more massive than when he had awakened. Kyojuro was truly happy for him.
"This is all thanks to Lord Eiichiro." One can only truly understand the gap between a Nen user and an ordinary person by experiencing it personally. At the very least, as Gyomei felt the surging power within him, he knew he was at least a full level stronger than he had been a second ago. And this was only the beginning; he hadn't even begun to temper his body through [Ten].
[NOTICE: ADMIRATION AND GRATITUDE RECEIVED FROM BELIEVER GYOMEI HIMEJIMA... "FAITH POWER" +1...]
"Mhm." Roy held the monk's arm, signaling that there was no need for formalities. He stepped past him and stood before Sanemi Shinazugawa. The Wind Hashira, who had once challenged Roy in front of everyone, lowered his head, not daring to meet Roy's eyes. He clearly still felt uneasy about his previous 'reckless' behavior.
However, that behavior was also an extreme manifestation of loyalty. The sound of footsteps approached, and a pair of straw sandals entered Sanemi's downward gaze.
The youth's scarred face lifted slightly, meeting a pair of gentle eyes. His shoulders sank slightly. Before he could say anything, he followed in Gyomei's footsteps as a light palm pressed against his chest, causing a milky-white current of air to explode outward.
"No need for words. Hold your breath, focus your mind, and concentrate on restraining the divine power."
Roy's gentle words reached Sanemi's ears, warming the Wind Hashira's heart. His fierce eyes softened rarely, adding a hint of gentleness.
"Yes!" he replied.
Following this, the panel prompted: [INVESTITURE SUCCESSFUL. "FAITH POWER" +1.]
Roy immediately added another believer. After that, Muichiro Tokito, Tengen Uzui, Shinobu Kocho... and even Obanai Iguro, who was acting jealous because of Mitsuri Kanroji, were all knighted and had their aura nodes opened by Roy.
The panel prompts continued: ["FAITH POWER" +1, +1, +1...] In the blink of an eye, he had accumulated nine points. Only Giyu Tomioka remained in the corner of the front porch, wearing his haori of three colors—red, yellow, and green—with his Nichirin Sword at his waist, silently watching the youth and waiting quietly.
"Senior brother."
"Lord Eiichiro."
The former fellow disciples faced each other. Less than half a year had passed since their parting at Mount Sagiri, yet Roy had already grown nearly taller than Giyu.
A rare smile appeared in Giyu Tomioka's cold eyes as he said, "It's finally my turn."
Roy returned the smile. "Actually, even if you didn't say it, I would have helped you open your nodes."
"I believe you," Giyu said. "Master was right. You are the sun, the bane of all demons."
"Eiichiro, kill Muzan Kibutsuji and return peace to the world!"
The causal line connecting him to Giyu was thicker and heavier than those of Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, or the others who had just opened their nodes!
As Giyu's expectant words fell, the mist swirling in Roy's heart rolled violently. With a sharp rip, it smashed through that layer of paper. The mist vanished, and a sudden realization dawned upon Roy, making him understand everything.
[NOTICE: [EN] +10+30+45....]
[CURRENT [EN]: LV1: (84/100) → LV2: (78/1000)]
[NOTE: STRENGTHENED [EN]. RANGE INCREASED BY 200 (METERS). "LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF ALL THINGS" EVOLVED INTO "HEART WORM".]
["HEART WORM": THE HOST CAN DIFFERENTIATE A "HEART WORM" THROUGH BONDED RELATIONSHIPS ALONG THE "CAUSAL LINES" TO FORCIBLY ENTER ANOTHER PERSON'S HEART, GLIMPSING THEIR PAST AND FUTURE. (NOTE: THE "HEART WORM" WILL PRESENT A FRAGMENT OF THE OTHER PERSON'S FUTURE; THE VIEW DURATION IS THREE SECONDS.)]
Knowing the past and glimpsing the future... though the world changes and time flies, wherever the sunlight shines, the [Sun] bears witness—regardless of past, present, or future.
Roy pressed his palm against Giyu Tomioka's chest. He watched as the nodes opened and Nen surged out, while Giyu fell into a sacred and peaceful state of meditation.
Roy's own spirit seemed to leave his body, flying over the beams, penetrating the roof, stepping on the wind, and donning a cloak of clouds, finally merging with the midday sun.
Hunter World.
11:00 PM.
The small coastal town of Vebitess on the western outskirts of the Yorbian Continent had officially entered its vibrant nightlife, just like any other day.
The honk of a horn sounded as a taxi drove past, accompanied by the driver's road rage as he rolled down his window to shout curses.
In the hotel where Ging, Roy, and Razor were staying near the sea...
Little Gold was yawning out of boredom. He huddled next to Roy, leaning against a corner of the pillow and nesting quietly. Suddenly, he sensed something. His tiny eyes rolled, and strange circles appeared in his small pupils as he collapsed dizzily beside Roy's pillow.
Strands of "Nen worms" became vaguely visible as the sleeping youth turned over unconsciously. Using [En] as a medium, they swept toward the surroundings.
Razor, who had not yet fallen asleep and was still carefully studying Water Breathing under the soft glow of a desk lamp, was correcting his posture. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and he snapped his head toward a corner of the wall!
In the dim corner, a worm abruptly crawled out. It wriggled along the floor, heading straight for him.
Razor raised his hand and fired a Nen bullet. He controlled the force perfectly—enough to kill the worm without destroying the floor or making too much noise. However...
The Nen bullet passed right through the worm's body like a ghost, striking the floor and leaving a shallow crater!
It was common knowledge that Nen could only be countered by Nen!
But witnessing that worm ignore his Nen bullet and continue to crawl toward him at an unhurried pace, Razor stood up abruptly. He raised his hand and fired another shot, followed by a rapid succession of thuds.
The Nen bullets poured down like lead, leaving a straight line of craters along the worm's path, yet...
It still failed to harm the creature in the slightest!
Furthermore, although the worm crawled slowly, it ignored Razor's attempt to move away, steadily closing the distance between them.
Razor's pupils shrank as he keenly detected the scent of a 'Rule!'
Someone was forcibly imposing a rule on him!
A [Rule] or [Setting] was a series of specific conditions established by certain Nen users for themselves or specific targets through their abilities.
For example, Kurapika's anti-Spider arsenal... the mechanism of his Scarlet Eyes triggering 'Specialization' through anger... or the various Guardian Spirit Beasts assigned to the Kakin Princes through the Seed Urn Ceremony, which imposed abilities and rules on the Princes and others.
Razor watched as the worm followed the causal line, undisturbed by his will, and burrowed into his heart, vanishing in an instant.
The top-tier Emitter sat back in his chair with a dark expression, suppressing his anger. He decided to use the rule in reverse to calm his mind and see exactly what this worm intended to do!
If you don't want people to know, don't do it. When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you. Roy had unconsciously released his [En] and differentiated the "Heart Worms." Following the causal lines between him and Razor through their bond, he pried open Razor's heart. Simultaneously, a second, third, and even fourth Heart Worm crawled toward different directions.
One went to the sofa beside Roy, where Gotoh was resting and recovering from his injuries.
One passed through the wall, along the corridor, and slipped into Room 7415. It crawled up the fair leg of a girl and burrowed into Elena's heart. The sleeping girl's pretty eyebrows furrowed as she turned over, a bit of crystal drool forming a silver thread at the corner of her mouth.
"Mmm..." she let out a soft mumble in her sleep.
The last Heart Worm wriggled slowly under the corridor wall lamps. A moment later, it rounded a corner and reached Room 7403. With a small movement of its head, it slipped through the crack of the door. Feichuo's Parrot, who was currently discussing the status and abilities of the Golden Crow—Little Gold—with Ging, let out a soft chirp. It peered toward the door crack. Ging pulled off his hood, wearing only his pajamas, and looked back.
The milky-white Heart Worm moved both slowly and swiftly along the causal line between Roy and Ging, constantly closing the gap.
The man's eyebrows rose in surprise, his interest piqued.
He turned his head to the parrot on his shoulder. "Sakura, do you see anything?"
"Will... such a familiar feeling..." Sakura tilted her head. Her wings vibrated as she lunged forward, her hooked beak snapping precisely at the Heart Worm. The result was a total pass-through, causing Ging, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, to twitch his eyes.
"You can't peck it." Ging narrowed his eyes. He watched Sakura's phantom beak go straight into the floor and then pull out in an impossible manner. She stared at the Heart Worm with her tiny eyes in disbelief. Ging explained, "This worm isn't a physical object or Nen. It seems more like... a carrier of someone's will or thoughts, manifested through a rule using Nen."
"Have you seen this before?" Sakura flew back, her tiny eyes fixed on the Heart Worm. She watched it crawl across the floor, onto the bed, and step by step toward Ging.
The man's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Recalling the records in his ancestor's "Journey to the New World" regarding [Gods], [Calamities], [Servants], and [Faith], he said calmly, "I haven't seen this specific thing, but..."
"Whatever it is and whose will it carries, I'll know once I take a hit from it."
Ging fixed his gaze on the Heart Worm, watching quietly as it reached him. It climbed his foot, moved up his leg to his knee, and traveled all the way up until it entered his heart.
On this ordinary night in Vebitess, both he and Razor closed their eyes. They saw what Roy saw and focused their spirits to capture the Heart Worm's movements. Gradually, their "past" was sucked into the Heart Worm's mouth as it burrowed into their hearts, presenting scene after scene.
Demon Slayer World.
Having just opened Giyu Tomioka's aura nodes, Roy received the interface prompt: [FAITH POWER +1].
Roy stood as still as an old pine on the wooden porch. Suddenly, a flood of images rushed into his mind.