Chapter 58: His Strength is His Own x A Letter from Giyu Tomioka
"He is worthy of being the opponent I've chosen."
It was rare to hear such an evaluation from his master. Wing's expression was grave. "From the first time I met him, I knew he was incredibly strong."
An eighty-one-win streak was the stuff of legends, even at the Heavens Arena.
"Besides Roy, there's another one named Illumi who is also quite formidable," Wing said, thinking of the boy with the vacant eyes. He looked to be two years younger than Wing himself, yet he had an eighty-win streak and had recently taken out the Emitter who had been blocking his path. "His methods are just a bit cruel. He seems to enjoy killing."
"They're brothers."
"Huh?" Wing looked at Biscuit in surprise, then after a moment, a look of understanding dawned on his face. "No wonder they're so alike. The Zoldyck family is truly something else."
"If you know that, are you still going to challenge him?" Biscuit stopped and turned to look at Wing seriously. "As you are now, you might not be a match for little Roy, you know."
Little Roy?
It seems Master really thinks highly of that guy. Wing's resolve was firm. "I will. Why wouldn't I?"
Let him be as strong as he wants. It changes nothing for me.
The young man broke into a smile. "Follow your heart. Isn't that what you've always taught me, Master?"
"Hee hee... Now that's more like a child of the Shingen-Ryu school." Biscuit stood on her tiptoes and patted Wing's head. "After you beat that guy named Morris, go and issue your challenge."
"You'll have a ninety-day waiting period. I'll put you through special training. We'll be sure to give that Zoldyck a taste of what we can do!"
"Thank you, Master."
"Silly boy, you're my student. What's with all the thanks? If you keep being so formal, I might just have to punch you, you know~"
Biscuit showed Wing her tiny fist. Wing shivered and immediately backed down.
"Yes, Master."
"Young Master, that girl is no simple matter."
After Wing and Biscuit had left, Gotoh served Roy his dinner. He recalled how Biscuit had helped Wing resist his Ren with just one hand, and his expression grew serious.
Roy chewed his pizza slowly and let out a chuckle. "She's no 'girl'."
"In terms of actual age, the two of us combined aren't as old as she is."
In the original story, Biscuit was already fifty-seven when she first appeared in Yorknew City searching for the 'Blue Planet' gem. Thirteen years before that, she would be forty-four now. It wasn't an exaggeration to call her a middle-aged beauty.
"?"
Gotoh was stunned. He trusted the Young Master's judgment and knew he wouldn't be deceived. That meant... her disguise was just that good!
"Could she be a Transmuter?"
Aside from some rare Specialists, only Transmuters could freely alter their body shape to such a degree.
"Don't just stand there. You eat, too." Roy didn't elaborate, tearing off a slice of pizza and handing it to Gotoh in a way that brooked no refusal.
In his heart, he knew the old hag was far more than a simple Transmuter.
If he had to give her a title, Roy would prefer to call her "a warrior with a built-in healer."
Biscuit was a martial arts master first and foremost, but her Nen ability, "Magical Esthetician - Cookie-chan," gave her access to a wide range of professional beautician skills, including the ability to completely eliminate fatigue and remove negative status effects. It was the perfect support ability. In the future, when she was training Gon and Killua to fight the Chimera Ants, she would use it on Gon, massaging his body to erase his exhaustion and dramatically increasing his training efficiency.
Chew... chew... Gotoh took the pizza and ate it in small bites. "It seems so."
"With her backing him, it's no wonder that Wing is so persistent. I expect he'll issue a challenge to you, Young Master, after his next fight."
"That will be ninety days from now."
The 200th floor was a watershed. Above it was the realm of Nen users; below it was just newbies pecking at each other. The Heavens Arena had a rule: after every match between Nen users, there was a mandatory ninety-day waiting period before another challenge could be issued.
Roy drank his milk nonchalantly. He figured he wouldn't even recognize himself in ninety days.
If Wing wanted to give it a try, then he was free to try dying.
Roy finished his pizza, went to the shower, and then threw himself onto the large, soft bed and went to sleep.
Too much had happened today: the hijacking, Biscuit's "ambush," and the intense pain from his physical enhancement. The boy was mentally and physically exhausted. The day had felt longer than a lifetime, and he quickly fell into a deep slumber.
Gotoh kept watch over him from the sofa, occasionally tucking in the corners of his blanket. Seeing him sleep so soundly, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Crash~ The waves curled and broke upon the sand. After passing through the multicolored tunnel, Roy arrived at the familiar Sea of Cognition. He rolled up his pant legs and stood in the shallows for a while, clearing the distracting thoughts from his mind before pushing open the gate to the Demon Slayer world.
His eyes opened to Makomo's beautiful gaze. The girl seemed to love watching him sleep, always curling up beside him. Noticing he was awake, she whispered to Sabito, who was leaning against a pillar, "Hey~ I really think Eiichiro can see me~"
You're so close to him you're practically in his arms. Unless Eiichiro is blind, of course he's going to be looking in your direction when he wakes up, Sabito thought, too tired to even retort. He watched Sakonji Urokodaki in the kitchen, busily slicing daikon radishes.
During the Taisho era, the only vegetables available in winter were radishes and cabbage. Roy had been eating a lot of meat lately, and Sakonji, worried about his nutritional balance, was preparing some pickled radish to supplement his diet with fiber and vitamins.
"You're awake... The porridge is almost ready."
Porridge was warming on the heated table, with a few pieces of cured meat mixed in. The aroma drifted out, and Makomo's nose began to twitch again.
Roy found this amusing and decided to stay in bed a little longer. He rolled over and looked out the window at the vast, white world of snow. It was quiet, desolate, and empty, creating a sense of serene detachment.
It's nice.
If I could live here in seclusion long-term, reading and gardening every day, maybe with a cat and a dog to keep me company... that would be a good choice.
The thought of retirement suddenly popped into his head, but Roy quickly dismissed it.
Family matters aside, he was still young. He had things to do, sights to see, responsibilities to bear, and a wide world to explore. It was far too early to stop and rest.
It was just as his father, Tanjuro, had told Tanjiro to tell him—he, Roy, belonged to the world. He was destined not to be bound by a single mountain or a single scene.
Bubble... bubble...
The porridge was ready. Sakonji had also finished slicing the radishes, arranging them neatly on a plate.
Roy ate his breakfast, insisted on washing the dishes, and then stepped out again, taking his training sword and disappearing into the snowstorm.
His daily 'Ten Thousand Swings' had begun!
Crunch... crunch... The boy walked on, his steps deep in the snow. Behind him, Sakonji Urokodaki watched in silence. A cold gust of wind blew past, erasing his footprints, and with it came a crow, carrying a letter from home.
The sender: Giyu Tomioka.