Chapter 94: Physique Breaks One Hundred x Roy's Rating
Thanks to "Saint Pariston" clearing the way, Roy had the entire airship to himself. All three decks held only one passenger.
After spending about half an hour thoroughly checking for any threats and confirming it was safe, Roy sat cross-legged on the sofa in the VIP lounge and began allocating his points. Gotoh stood guard outside the door, swatting away a fly that dared to approach the room.
Krak~ The limiter holding back his growth shattered. The familiar, intense pain spread throughout his body. This time, Roy didn't hold back; he went all in!
Fifty points of "Life Energy" were spent in one go. He let out a muffled grunt, nearly losing consciousness. Biting his tongue kept him awake, allowing him to witness his cells rapidly dividing, bones thickening and lengthening, muscle fibers tearing and rebuilding, hair falling out and regrowing. Finally, with a deep THUD... his heart gave a powerful beat!
Visibly, a larger version of Roy shed his old skin, reborn!
[Notification: "Physique +50"]
[Name: Roy Zoldyck]
[Physique: 75.7 → 125.7 (Note: Average person is 1)]
[Aura Output: D- (170/10000) → D+ (200/10000) (Note: Rating based on Chimera Ant benchmark... Elite Squad Leader = D, Division Commander = C, Royal Guard = B, Ant King = B+)]
[Potential Aura: D (236/10000) → D+ (8431/10000) (Note: Rating based on Chimera Ant benchmark)]
Pop... pop... pop... Roy rolled his neck, stretching his new body. His joints cracked like popping beans, catching Gotoh's attention.
"Young Master, are you alright?" the butler asked through the door.
"Fine."
Sigh~ The door slid open, revealing Roy's strikingly heroic face. Gotoh took one look and froze. In just a few seconds, the Young Master seems to have grown a whole head taller and filled out considerably! The tracksuit he was wearing would definitely need replacing; it was stretched so tight his muscles looked ready to burst through.
"Let's go eat." His stomach rumbled again, demanding nourishment. Roy pretended not to notice Gotoh's astonishment and headed towards the dining area.
The young butler snapped back to reality and followed, one step behind, silently observing his master's broader back. Faintly, it reminded him of Silva in his prime. The Young Master is really... growing too fast...
Demon Slayer World.
Nearly a month had passed since the New Year's festival. Roy's swordsmanship training had plateaued at fifty-nine thousand swings a day; he hadn't made any progress for ten consecutive days. Although the boy said nothing, everyone, including Sakonji Urokodaki, Sabito, and Makomo, could clearly sense it: Eiichiro had reached the limit possible for someone his age.
Late at night, the boy slept soundly on the bed. In a corner of the cabin, an oil lamp flickered quietly. Beneath it sat an old man wearing a tengu mask, writing a letter of recommendation.
As a former Water Hashira and a Cultivator, Sakonji Urokodaki had a duty to report any exceptional talent he discovered to his superiors—specifically, the current head of the Ubuyashiki family, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. With the demons growing stronger, every genius brought a glimmer of hope.
Sakonji Urokodaki lifted his brush, carefully choosing his words. Beside him, Makomo generated a ghostly breeze to help him grind the inkstone. Behind him, Sabito leaned against a pillar, watching silently. As for Shinsuke, Fukuda, and the others, ever since their reunion with Sakonji, they had become much quieter, preferring to perch on the rafters and stare blankly, rarely going out.
"Hey, what rank do you think Master will give Eiichiro?" Makomo peeked curiously at the letter Sakonji was writing. Seeing her master pause as he reached the ranking section, she whispered the question to Sabito.
Sabito closed his eyes in thought. According to the current Demon Slayer Corps ranking system—Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, Kinoe...
"I would rank Eiichiro as Kinoe," the fox-masked boy analyzed carefully. "Slayers below Hinoe rank have practically no combat ability against demons; they mostly handle information relay and logistics. Hinoe and above can assist the Hashira in battle... Kinoto can handle ordinary demons alone, but are still no match for the powerful Moons. As for Eiichiro..." Sabito opened his eyes, looking at the sleeping boy. "If my peak self encountered him now, I would be instantly killed. Therefore... considering his skill and potential, I believe he's strong enough to single-handedly defeat the Lower Moons Giyu mentioned. Ranking him 'Kinoe', ready to become a Hashira, is no problem at all."
'Master, Sabito ranked Eiichiro as Kinoe~' Just as Sabito finished speaking, the ghostly wind guided the ink stick to write a line of small characters on the table. Makomo playfully made a face at Sabito, having instantly "betrayed" him. The fox-masked boy gave a helpless smile, making no attempt to retract his assessment. 'Kinoe' was 'Kinoe'; once Sabito decided something, he wouldn't change his mind.
Sakonji Urokodaki chuckled, turning his head towards where he knew Makomo was. "And you?" he asked gently. "Do you think Eiichiro deserves Kinoe?"
"I'll go with whatever Master says~" Makomo immediately tossed the question back, without a second thought. Another line of characters appeared on the table, followed by a cute little ":P" face.
Sakonji Urokodaki smiled fondly at the spot. After a moment, he nodded. "Then Kinoe it is." He lifted his brush and wrote a large character for "Kinoe" (甲) on the recommendation letter. Then, after the character, he added another: "Upper" (上). Making it—"Upper Kinoe!" (甲上).
Finally, after some thought, he added a comment: "I dare inform the Master, if anyone in the future can slay Muzan Kibutsuji, it will surely be my disciple—Eiichiro Kamado."
"Written in haste..."
"Night of March 12th, Sakonji Urokodaki, respectfully."
Lifting the brush, the old man picked up the paper and held it near the lamp to dry the ink. The final comment stood out clearly in the light.
?
Sabito and Makomo exchanged a look, stunned. The same thought occurred to both of them: they had still underestimated Eiichiro's standing in their master's heart.
The girl stiffly turned her head. "What rank was Giyu-senpai?" she asked Sabito.
Sabito was silent for a moment before uttering a single word: "Kinoto." (乙)
Whoosh~ Early spring. The snow on Sagiri Mountain hadn't fully melted yet. The cold wind rattled the paper window. A long silence fell over the room.
After finishing the letter, Sakonji Urokodaki opened the window and let the crow in. He placed Roy's daily training logs along with the letter into a small bamboo tube, tied it securely to the crow's leg, and released it.
"Caw—" The crow dropped a single black feather and flew off towards the forest.
A few days later, it arrived at the Ubuyashiki Estate, circling overhead.
It was noon. Inside the main house, a Hashira meeting was underway, discussing strategies to subjugate Upper Moon Three, Akaza, whose location had recently been discovered. Suddenly, a crow's cry interrupted them.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki extended an arm, allowing the crow to land. He opened the bamboo tube, unfolded the letter, and began to read. As he reached the end, his pupils dilated slightly. He cast an unreadable glance at Giyu Tomioka, who was kneeling below, and paused the meeting.
The nine Hashira looked up curiously. The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, spoke first. "Master, has something happened?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was silent for a long moment, then beckoned Giyu Tomioka forward. "Giyu, read this aloud for everyone."
"Yes, Master."
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