Illumi is stubborn,
He limped back,
The same corridor, the same window, and the same dry old man, who looked out at the boy in the garden... The boy walked slowly to Maha's side, persisting: "I know I am not as good as him,"
Is it not as good? It's because your heart is filled with him, so there's no place for yourself!
Maha watched Roy's shadow cast a crooked outline in the sunlight, without looking at Illumi: "You are not as good as him, he has mountains and rivers in his chest, what do you have?"
"Don't talk to me about love, the Zoldyck Family is not short of love, wasn't short of it in the past, isn't short now, and in the future... will never be short!"
"Illumi,"
The old man raised his hand and grabbed the boy's head, eerily despite his small stature and needing to stand on tiptoe to reach Illumi's shoulder, he could still steadily grasp his head with a firm rub: "Don't persist in your obstinacy!"
"If you don't want to be left far behind by your brother, you must think more for yourself."
Buddha said... "First save yourself to save others, is that what it means?" Illumi, gripped by the old man, swayed like a puppet, suddenly spurted out these words... Maha immediately paused, looking at him with surprise as if seeing him anew: "Where did you learn that?"
Illumi nonchalantly brushed off Maha's big hand, pointing at Roy, "I peeked at his notes, aspirations style, Biscuit."
"Does he not know?"
"He knows." Illumi replied matter-of-factly: "I sneak into his room every night, he knows, his bird knows too."
"Then he cares deeply for you."
"Great-Grandfather knows too." Illumi looked seriously at Maha: "You did it on purpose."
Maha remained silent,
After a while, he sighed deeply: "I don't have brothers, your Grandpa Jager, your grandfather, your father... they all don't...."
"I am just reminding you,"
"Also envying you."
"Envy that I have a good brother?" Illumi leaned against the window, staring dazedly at Roy's not particularly tall back in the sunlight. It took him a long while to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth: "Great-Grandfather is right, I will think more for myself, but..."
"He first, me later,"
"Order,"
"Cannot change."
Maha cast a sideways glance: "Why not for Milluki? Why not for your soon-to-be-born brother, maybe... he will have white hair and be the next head of the Zoldyck Family?"
Milluki?
"He is a pig, not a human."
As for... the soon-to-be-born brother... Illumi said blankly to Maha: "You also said... maybe, the future head has nothing to do with hair color."
"I can't argue with you." Maha neither admitted nor refuted, turned away from looking at him: "You rarely say so much, speak, what do you want to do?"
Illumi retreated a step, moving like a zombie, gave a deep bow at ninety degrees, respectfully saluting Maha: "I wish to ask for your guidance, I want to become Great-Grandfather's disciple!"
"Whirl~"
A gust of wind swept past, carrying away a flap of leaves, simultaneously, also taking away the clamor within the corridor....
Maha was stunned,
This development he had never considered... if something's unusual there must be something odd,
But the oddness seemed somewhat beyond imagination.....
"Hard on you...." The old man looked at this grandson (great-grandson) oddly, as if first recognizing him, questioned in surprise: "What made you decide to do this?"
Illumi lowered his head, touched his heart, where the [Divine Spear Wooden Nail] was securely placed,
The boy spoke word by word: "Myself,"
"It is my own weakness that made him give me a 'Nen Device', a 'Breathing Technique', to protect me."
Maha: "You don't like it?"
"I both like and dislike." Illumi looked straight into the old man's eyes, said calmly: "He thinks I am weak....."
So... you couldn't accept it?
Maha's heart was as clear as a mirror, scrutinized the boy from top to bottom, eventually waved his hand: "Off you go."
"Step... step....." Illumi turned and left.....
The sunlight through the window cast a long shadow on the boy, stretching it all the way to Maha's feet,
The old man said expressionlessly: "One hour before lunch every day, more... you know,"
"The old man gets annoyed."
Illumi suddenly halted his steps, "Alright."
"Won't you say thank you?" Maha glared, raising his voice reflexively.
Illumi looked back at him though blankly, "Great-Grandfather, you are supposed to."
"Supposed to?" "Bah~" Visibly, a cross-shaped vein suddenly popped up on Maha's bald head with few hairs left... The old man silently bent down to remove his shoes.....
Illumi backed away, half his face merged into the shadow, quietly slid into the corner, disappearing....
Whether to say he ran fast or... there's one hour waiting for him every day... seeing him wisely retreat, Maha let him go, again raising his eyes to the garden watching the boy in meditation, seated under the sun, caressing his sword.
Due to his presence, the Zoldyck Family has seen quite a transformation, sometimes... even he himself... Maha couldn't help but wonder, has he been too emotional lately?
To really agree to, Illumi's kind of absurd request?
The distant clouds drifted, slightly blocking a thread of sunlight, vast shadows spread down, Maha returned to his senses, hands on his back, quietly watching Roy in the garden.
Following his own Great-Grandfather's mention of the keyword "gratitude",
Roy immediately entered a state of meditation, pondering... "How to act" to repay "the swordsmanship that nurtured him" with "the most sincere" and "most devout" kindness and virtue.....
Is it to respond to "martial arts" with every premeditated "prayerful" punch like Netero.....
Or to bless the innate "swordsmanship seed" through "inherent Transparent World" and "innate Demon Slayer Mark", gathering powerful talents, making "swordsmanship" willingly bow....
Roy pondered, listening to his heart, intuition told him... neither.
Whether Netero or Tsugikuni Yoriichi, they were first humans, then "fist" or "sword"... just as Great-Grandfather said, they have their invincible paths, their strong personal styles, not... his, Roy's.....
So,
"What is my style?"
"What should I do?"
"Why did I learn the sword in the first place, why did I go to Sagiri yama and apprentice under Urokodaki Sakonji?"
...
"To become strong,"
"For the sun in my heart,"
"For heaven and earth, only I reign, utmost arrogance!"
"Also to... become the thread of light that brings warmth to the world!"
Roy suddenly opened his eyes, whispered: "Light come."
"Whoosh~" a sharp sword cry!
[Solar Eclipse] unsheathed, the straight blade, the tip pointing directly... at the moment the cold light shone...
White clouds broke overhead, casting myriad rays, converging on the blade, made him glow, radiate, shine!
Transforming into a blade of light, penetrating "Nen" within and without, transcending "Cognition"....
Suddenly stirring waves...
It roused a gate marked "outstanding demon" within the Sea of Cognition, vibrating endlessly as if sensing something, cracking open anew....
A corner revealed...
The same familiar small courtyard and corridor, an elder, a middle-aged person, big and small tangerine and raccoon, each at peace, but... as the old man sitting cross-legged in the corridor, with a long white beard, supporting himself with a wooden staff, gently opened his eyes....
Everything changed!