Hunter x Hunter: The Sun Breathing Zoldyck - 143

Chapter 143: Botobai’s Vigil × Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s Shock

"Welcome back, Giyu." Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded to his wife, Amane, to pour the young man some tea.

Giyu Tomioka accepted it with both hands. One sip eased some of the fatigue built up over days on the road. He inclined his head slightly toward Gyomei Himejima.

Gyomei’s fingers moved over his prayer beads. Tears streamed down his face as always, his compassion palpable, yet his body was as massive as a bear. Sitting cross-legged, he was still a head taller than Giyu standing. It was impossible to ignore him.

"You met the boy?" Kagaya raised a hand in a small, gentle motion, telling Giyu there was no need for strict formality. This was not a Hashira meeting.

"I did," Giyu answered.

"And?"

"There is a discrepancy."

Gyomei’s hands stilled on the beads. Kagaya smiled faintly, surprised. "You mean Urokodaki exaggerated a little?"

Giyu might be reserved, but he never lied, and he never embellished. If he said there was a discrepancy, Kagaya assumed it meant the child called Eiichiro was not quite as advertised.

"No."

"My teacher understated him."

Kagaya blinked and signaled for Amane to bring a cushion. "Explain."

Behind him, Hina and Nichika leaned forward, eyes bright. Even Gyomei quietly pricked up his ears.

"I lost," Giyu said.

Four simple syllables fell like thunder.

The room went silent. He thanked Amane, knelt formally on the cushion, and spoke with absolute seriousness. "Eiichiro already stands at Hashira level."

"I went all out and still could not defeat him."

Roy’s illusory strike was still vivid in his mind. Giyu carefully recounted everything he had seen since arriving at Mount Sagiri, describing it in full.

Kagaya listened without interrupting. Now and then, light flared in his pale eyes. Hina and Nichika listened like children hearing a tale, mouths slightly open.

One day to learn a Breathing Style. Less than half a day to create his own form. A conjured short blade that seemed to blur the line between man and sword.

Such a person… they had only ever read about in storybooks. Even then, the legendary heroes on the page did not sound as outrageous as the boy named Eiichiro Kamado in Giyu’s account.

"Amida Buddha. A demon-quelling lord sent from the heavens, and a calamity walking the earth," Gyomei intoned, hands pressed together. He had stopped his sutras entirely.

"Are your hands itching?" Kagaya asked mildly, glancing his way.

Gyomei neither admitted nor denied it. "I am happy for you, Master. Happy for the Corps." He paused. "We ought to be happy for all humanity."

"Amida Buddha. Your teaching is just."

"You…" Kagaya chuckled and did not expose him. He turned his gentle gaze back to Giyu. "You did well."

"Urokodaki has raised two fine disciples."

Two Hashira from one retired Pillar. No other former Hashira had managed that.

"I did nothing," Giyu replied, voice calm as ever. He looked up, meeting Kagaya’s eyes. "Master, I request permission to draw my blade."

He paused, then said in a deeper tone, "I ask you to witness the Bright Red Blade."

"Bright Red Blade?"

"Yes. The Bright Red Blade."

All eyes fixed on him. Kagaya nodded. Giyu drew his sword.

Both hands tightened on the hilt. The Nichirin Blade shuddered, then flushed a burning crimson, like a rising sun driving out all darkness. The four kanji for "Destroy Demons" looked even more savage in that glow.

"Yes. This is the Bright Red Blade from the records," Gyomei said. His understanding of Breathing Styles ran deep. Even blind, he could smell the sharpness and scorching heat pouring off the blade.

Urokodaki had once told Tanjiro that if he honed his Water Breathing to a certain level, he would be able to tell how many people a demon had eaten just by its scent.

For the strongest current Hashira, such a nose was hardly surprising.

"Giyu." Kagaya studied the crimson blade. He had already guessed as much. "Eiichiro Kamado taught you this, did he not?"

Giyu had not known it before he left; he clearly knew it now. Kagaya was no fool. Without keen insight and a broad heart, he could never have united the Hashira and fought Muzan for so long.

"Yes."

Giyu sheathed the blade with a clear chime and bowed low. "Eiichiro is willing to trade the method for the Bright Red Blade for a complete record of all demon intel."

"I request that you grant his wish."

"Giyu…" Kagaya said softly. "Is the boy entering the Final Selection?"

"Yes."

"Good." Kagaya bent forward and helped him up. "Then I will deliver it to him myself."

He turned and smiled at Gyomei. "Will you come?"

"Amida Buddha. Of course," Gyomei said. "I must protect you, Master. And while I am at it…"

"I should take a look at the boy."

"Only 'while you are at it'?" Kagaya asked.

"Yes. A man of the cloth does not speak falsehood. If I say it is by the way, then it is by the way. Amida Buddha."

The sound of sutras swelled again. Whether the Stone Hashira was reciting the Diamond Sutra or a litany of repentance, none could say.

Hunter Calendar, January 25, early morning.

After saying farewell to his teacher and seniors and leaving Mount Sagiri for Fujikasane Mountain, Roy pulled himself out of the Demon Slayer world and returned to the Hunter world. He immediately stress-tested the time difference.

The result: one Hunter day could hold two Demon Slayer days.

From now on, his "day" did not have to stop at twenty-four hours. It could stretch to forty-eight. To seventy-two. And as his Aura grew and his understanding of his Nen ability deepened, perhaps one day it would reach ninety-six, one hundred twenty, or even two hundred forty hours.

His training time had just expanded dramatically.

[Prompt: Sun Breathing (Total Concentration) maintained for one full day. Physique +1.]

A new day. A fresh start. Roy did not even need Sol’s peck to wake him. The interface’s chime did it for him.

He rolled out of bed as the Big Clock in central Zaban rang the hour.

Habit made him glance at the curse mark on the back of his hand.

He froze.

The timer that should have been ticking down second by second seemed to have "missed" a beat. From seven the previous evening to five that morning, ten hours had passed. The numbers should have read "9 years, 9 months, 8 days, 23 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds."

Instead, they showed "9 minutes, 10 seconds."

It did not add up.

Could it be because his Physique had increased since yesterday?

A line came to mind. When you are strong enough, even gods must make way.

He gave the mark a mocking look, got up for his run and breakfast, then headed out. In the afternoon, at three o’clock sharp, he returned to the exam venue with Gotoh and Rika.

Clang.

The elevator doors opened. Roy walked out at a steady pace and came to stand in front of Botobai.

The Dragon had been resting with his eyes closed. At the sound of footsteps, he opened them. His gaze was bright as it fell on the boy. "You came."

"Yes. I came."

"You should not have."

"I already did."