Chapter 278: Hair Slicked Back with Gel Back Then x Kyōka Suigetsu
Beneath the bright, flawless moon,
A brilliant point of light was steadily ascending towards the high night sky.
It climbed higher and higher,
Growing brighter and brighter.
Before reaching the midpoint, it was already the size of the moon.
In this pitch-black midnight, the wanton blooming of light and heat created an unprecedented spectacle of "two moons in the same sky"!
"Anata, what is this?"
Tap... tap... The night was pierced, revealing a sliver of blue sky. In the inner room, Kie, still grieving Roy's departure, couldn't sleep. She had simply lit a lamp and, using some fabric Roy had bought from the market, began making a set of clothes for each of the children. Suddenly seeing this scene, her hand trembled, the needle pricking her finger. Wincing slightly in pain, she grabbed her coat and went to Tanjuro's side in shock.
The man, with fiery red long hair draped behind his head, the ends swaying slightly in the wind, looked up as Roy turned into a moon and flew higher and higher. In his bright eyes, as his gaze shifted, he seemed to vaguely see... another head of fiery red long hair, almost identical to his own... He opened his mouth, reached out to put his arm around Kie's shoulders, and smiled...
"Kie, the child is grown, let him be... He,"
"Is far stronger and more dazzling than we ever thought!"
Just as Tanjuro's words fell, amidst Roy's churning and steaming Nen aura, he directly dispelled the darkness over half the sky. With an appearance more terrifying, brighter, and hotter than the moon, with a swoosh, he directly outshone it, transforming into a massive sun hanging above it!
Finally, the darkness covering the other half of the sky was completely driven away by Roy's wantonly pouring Nen light.
At this moment, returning from midnight dreams, a blue sky with white clouds directly entered blurry eyes. People getting up to use the bathroom, vendors selling breakfast, and men, women, young and old who customarily stayed up late to work... originally intending to do their auxiliary work before dawn as usual... never expected this glance. Looking up at the sky, they stood frozen on the spot, almost thinking they had slept too deeply and woken up right at dawn.
But... the clocks hanging on the walls,
The clepsydras and sundials responsible for keeping time, all reminded them that this was not morning, but... midnight!
So... "Why... why did the sun come out?"
"Old woman / Sweetie / Nii-san / Otou-san... wake up, wake up quickly... A miracle... the great Sun God has descended upon the world again!"
Bewilderment, excitement, clamor, and shouts were like a hurricane sweeping across the entire Demon Slayer World, blowing across the land... Some worshipped, some bowed in reverence, some burned incense, putting their hands together and muttering prayers. Some fiddled with a newly produced rarity called a "camera," taking a flurry of photos with a click-click, recording this rare spectacle of "the sun and moon shining together" from all angles...
The Demon Slayer Corps,
With Muzan's death,
The Demon Slayer Corps had no more evil demons to kill.
As the former leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki actively proposed that everyone disperse and wait for "Lord Eiichiro's" next summons.
At this time, in a place shaded by a wisteria forest, Kagaya Ubuyashiki was sleeping soundly, holding Amane.
At this time, Giyu Tomioka had returned to Mount Sagiri, drinking the night away with Sabito, Makomo, and his other fellow disciples.
At this time, Obanai Iguro tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night, secretly hyping himself up, thinking of confessing to Mitsuri Kanroji.
At this time, Gyomei Himejima quietly returned to the temple where he once stayed, recalling past bitterness and appreciating the present sweetness.
At this time, Tengen Uzui was enjoying the pleasure of sharing a large blanket with his wives.
Yet...
At the moment Roy flew into the high sky, piercing the clouds, as if rehearsed beforehand, they all opened their eyes in unison, threw on their clothes, and dashed out of their rooms. Looking up at the sky, they narrowed their eyes in excitement.
Using [Gyo] to look deep into the [Sun], a signature head of fiery red long hair suspended upside down and danced in the wind...
The Hashira, led by Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Kyojuro Rengoku, knelt on one knee in unison, placed their right hands over their chests, and chanted piously: "Praise the Sun."
Subsequently, streams of [Faith Power] suddenly drilled out of their heads, converging towards Roy in the high sky, turning into a series of panel prompt sounds, echoing endlessly in Roy's ears...
[Prompt: "Faith Power" +1+1+1...]
It seemed,
From then on,
The billions of living beings, represented by the Demon Slayer crowd, had... faith!
Buzz~ The wind of Nen aura, along with beams of Nen light, blew away the white clouds... High in the sky, above the moon, Roy stood at the pinnacle of the world, faintly feeling something. As his eyes and brows trembled, he gained an even deeper layer of comprehension towards "Nen," "Faith," and the core pointing straight to the depths of his soul—the Sun.
Hazily, the [Gate of Cognition] flickered,
As a surging wave appeared in Roy's "Sea of Cognition," it slapped open a tall portal branded with an [Imposing Oni Mask].
Bleach World,
Seireitei,
The world was still that world, and beneath his feet was still the familiar Seireitei.
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sat cross-legged in the corridor of the small courtyard, basking in the sun.
Since parting with Roy last time and seeing Roy's slash filled with "gratitude," this greatest Shinigami in a thousand years frequently drifted off into thought. Sometimes right in the middle of a meeting, he would suddenly freeze... Sometimes while listening to a report, he would suddenly space out. Even... the tea parties he usually enjoyed the most, this "Captain-Commander" lacked interest, often dragging his long beard and saying nothing... For a time, Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake privately discussed whether the old man had senile dementia, secretly inquiring through Chojiro Sasakibe, who was most familiar with Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai...
As a result, they were directly ignored by the other party's profound gaze, only saying: "The Captain-Commander is fine, don't worry."
They were sent away, exchanging bewildered glances...
Today was another mild and beautiful afternoon,
In the small courtyard adjacent to the back of the First Division barracks...
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, as usual, sat cross-legged in the wooden corridor of the small courtyard. Close at hand was the simple walking stick wrapping Ryūjin Jakka... Basking in the sun with his eyes closed.
In front of him,
Wearing a high-collared shirt under his Shihakushō, with white hair and golden eyes, occasionally dressing in Western attire, Chojiro Sasakibe tended to the two potted green plants in front of him as usual, chatting casually with the old man...
Mentioning the concern of the many Shinigami, including Kyoraku and Ukitake, he gently advised the old man: "Genryūsai, you've been a bit out of line lately... If this continues, Kyoraku and Ukitake might just bring Unohana over..."
Captain of the Fourth Division, Retsu Unohana, in charge of medical duties... skilled in treating illnesses, however...
"I am not sick."
"I'm not saying you're sick." Chojiro Sasakibe helplessly looked back at Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai: "Everyone is worried about you. Even someone with a reckless personality like Zaraki can tell something's wrong with you. Every time he looks for you to practice swordsmanship, you turn him down. He's going crazy."
"Crazy? Going crazy is good..." Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai leisurely opened his old eyes, looking up at the sky. The bright sun was shining, the sunlight was just right, just like the day he first met the boy. Recalling it now, it felt like a dream, and also like madness...
Was it fake?
Clearly not.
But if it's real...
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai governed Seireitei, his power and influence reaching the heavens, yet he hadn't found a single trace of the boy in the Human World, let alone that garden, and that dazzling sword burning with fierce flames almost identical to his own!
A long pause... The old man spaced out again. Seeing this, Chojiro Sasakibe finally couldn't hold back. In a rare display of overstepping his bounds, using his position as Lieutenant and his identity as an old friend, he asked the old man: "That day, what did you see inside the gate that made you so absent-minded!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's sharp, majestic brows twitched, remaining silent and not answering.
He reached out a withered hand, stroking his chest, feeling that heart, which still beat steadily despite the erosion of over two thousand years, anticipating it to experience an unusual disturbance once again... Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Suddenly... a portal overflowing with light slowly emerged from the sunlight once again.
The old man froze, his tall body trembling violently. Then... he abruptly stood up, grabbing Ryūjin Jakka beside him!
"What's wrong, Genryūsai?" Chojiro Sasakibe frowned, a telepathic connection striking him, and he blurted out: "The gate... is it that gate?"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai remained silent, his gaze sweeping straight past Chojiro Sasakibe's shoulder, nailed to what was behind him.
Chojiro Sasakibe's golden eyes involuntarily narrowed, abruptly following the old man's gaze... There was nothing behind him, only sunlight, making him look for nothing...
"You can't see it," Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai said leisurely: "It opened exclusively for me, and... only for me..."
Chojiro Sasakibe: "..."
Helplessly,
He stepped aside alone, holding the watering can...
"Then don't keep them waiting."
The portal was right in front of his eyes, yet he couldn't see or touch it... For how many years had Chojiro Sasakibe not encountered such a situation? He understood Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, turning sideways cleanly, letting the old man brush past his shoulder, walking straight towards that portal he couldn't see... Waiting until the old man dragged his long beard, holding the walking stick concealing Ryūjin Jakka firmly in one hand, half his body submerging into the portal and disappearing...
He suddenly shouted a sentence: "Genryūsai, when you return, I hope you can give me an answer."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's figure paused, neither agreeing nor refusing. Lifting his foot again, bathing in the overflowing light, he entered the portal straightaway and disappeared...
Whoosh~ A leisurely wind arose, sweeping spiritual power flying all over the sky...
Watching him depart, Chojiro Sasakibe bowed slightly. Looking back again, fixing his eyes on the wooden corridor, unsurprisingly... the old man's soul was gone, but his empty shell still sat cross-legged in the corridor. It was indescribably bizarre!
It should be known that Shinigami are pure, single-life entities composed of highly concentrated Reishi; their essence is a soul!
Yet that "invisible gate" could make Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's "soul leave his body"!
Once again, it overturned Chojiro Sasakibe's common sense and cognition as a Shinigami!
He reached out a hand, pinched a wisp of spiritual power, and murmured: "If Shinigami can truly die, then is [Konsō] still needed?"
(Note: [Konsō]: Because the Reiatsu concentration is too high, preventing natural decomposition or return to Soul Society, the soul must be sent to Hell through a Konsō (Soul Burial) ritual. In Hell, they will turn into "Togabito" (Sinners), enduring endless torture and battles until their sins are purified.)
He opened his hand again, letting that wisp of spiritual power slip away...
Following that, after finishing watering the flowers, just like last time, he secretly raised his vigilance, sat down cross-legged next to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, maintaining an alert state at all times, until his return...
Flying, flying... Creak~ That "Gate of Bleach" standing in Roy's Sea of Cognition cracked open a sliver, letting a stream of consciousness slip out...
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai stepped into the portal with his front foot, followed by a groggy feeling, starting to fall. Regaining his senses, much like last time, he opened his eyes, and entering his view... he saw a familiar figure!
However, this time,
That boy didn't hold a sword, but compared to their meeting in the garden last time, he was even more... radiant!
Even more scorching,
Even more impossible to look straight at,
Even more unbelievable,
Like a sun, making him involuntarily narrow his eyes and grip Ryūjin Jakka in his hand!
"You do not hold a sword, yet you use your body as a sword... You are not the sun, yet you incarnate as a blazing sun..." The old man's long beard swayed in the wind. He took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the boy in the high sky, directly facing his light and heat... His thoughts fluttering, it seemed he had returned to that verdant garden... Only, this time, the boy's black hair had turned red, as if ignited, no longer standing with his back to him, drawing a sword towards the sky to absorb the sun's essence.
Instead, using his body as the sun, burning himself... After a long parting, the change was so vast it was like looking at a different person!
"..." The wind of Nen and the light of Nen were blowing... As that bit of [Sun Essence] and [Power of the World] brought by the Blue Spider Lily was gradually absorbed completely by Roy,
The boy listened to the panel prompt, the prompt...
[Blue Spider Lily Absorption Complete]
[Remaining quantity: 1745 flowers]
Roy's eyebrows twitched, slowly opening his eyes... Feeling a sensation, guided by the overflowing light... he turned his head to look. Puff~ Two great suns leaped out from the depths of his pupils. Compared to the past, they were more dazzling, blinding, blazing... and much more domineering!
He beamed a smile at Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Good evening, we meet again."
Evening? Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's sharp old eyes, filled with the vicissitudes of time and weather, faced the great sun directly without dodging or avoiding. He chuckled Gu he he... The laughter spread, heavy and deep. If it fell on the ground, it seemed it could smash a pit. He casually swept a glance at the darkness that had been completely driven away without a trace, turning his back to the blue sky and white clouds, and said: "Boy, this doesn't look like evening."
"Just call me Roy."
"Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai."
"I know."
"I didn't know you knew." Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai leaned on Ryūjin Jakka, looking deeply, and said: "Roy, can you tell this old man, where is this?"
Human World? A dreamscape? Or the Cognitive World?
With a thought, Roy retracted his wantonly radiating Nen aura. Subsequently,
The sun disappeared, the divine light dimmed, and the dark night returned. The boy then turned his back to the bright moon, reached out his right hand, thrust it into his hair, slicking his fiery red long hair all the way back. He playfully blinked at Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai and said: "When falsehood is taken for truth, the truth becomes falsehood. Where non-being is taken for being, being becomes non-being."
"Why obsess over where it is?"
"Captain-Commander, you can treat this place as reality within falsehood, or you can treat it as falsehood within reality,"
"Just like..."
"Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)!"
☆☆☆
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