A tiny cut opened on his palm, and a few drops of blood seeped out. Illuminated by the morning glow, the blood was veiled in a halo of sunlight.
Gotoh froze, looking up blankly at Roy.
The silver-haired youth's wound healed in the blink of an eye. He turned his palm upward, letting the drop of blood hover above it, and smiled at him. "Do you remember what I told you the day before yesterday?"
"Young Master told me to prepare myself to defeat Netero..."
"Exactly," Roy said quietly, watching the drop of blood in his hand radiate an intense, unbridled life force. "I told you to just focus on challenging Netero and leave the rest to me. So,"
Roy looked at Gotoh seriously and asked in a deep voice, "Are you ready?"
The young butler had already grown a beard along his jawline. With his slightly raised eyebrows, he was beginning to show the calm, loyal, and intelligent demeanor he possessed in the original work. He took a deep breath and smiled freely.
"I will fight whoever Young Master tells me to fight."
"If Young Master tells me to die, I will die."
"Young Master, you know this," Gotoh said, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I don't need to prepare. I am always... already prepared!"
The sun required the stars to guard it. Gotoh knew his own talent was lacking, making him unqualified to be a permanent star by Roy's side. But if he couldn't be a star, he could be a shooting star that burned itself out. Relying on the enhancement of Vow and Limitation, Gotoh believed he could barely manage to reach that level.
He stared at the blood drop hovering above Roy's palm, glowing with a solar halo, and faintly realized something. When he lowered his head and met Roy's satisfied gaze, his throat bobbed involuntarily. Then, he heard a single phrase: "Very good."
Suddenly, Roy flicked his finger lightly. "Go."
The drop of blood shot forward like lightning. Catching the exact moment Gotoh swallowed, it instantly entered his mouth, sliding smoothly down his throat and into his stomach.
'Hot... It's so hot...'
As the blood entered his stomach, Gotoh felt as if he had swallowed the sun. The intense heat caused his skin to turn visibly red, and his internal organs began to burn uncontrollably. Forced to let out a groan, his consciousness sank, and he fell straight backward.
'...'
The system panel's notification chime echoed in Roy's mind as Gotoh fell into a deep sleep.
The youth opened his hand and pulled, using [Magnetism] to smoothly levitate Gotoh and gently lower him onto his own bed. Without turning his head, he said, "Great-grandfather, my apologies. I've finished all the food, and there isn't a single drop left."
A gentle, cool breeze drifted through the window into the bedroom. Maha appeared by the dining table like a ghost, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Watching Roy's actions, his old eyes, weathered by time and hardship, flickered uncertainly. Clearly, his heart was far from calm.
'Maha, that butler's aura... it's getting stronger!'
An astonished voice suddenly echoed in the old man's mind. Within his body, a dense mass of Nen aura grew restless, struggling to burst forth. After a moment, Maha spoke, "There's no need to hide it from the child anymore. If you want to come out, come out."
Following his words, the Nen aura surged out, transforming in midair into the figure of Betty Zoldyck before gracefully descending.
That face, that golden braid, paired with those emerald-green eyes—she looked almost exactly like the woman Roy had seen on the tombstone in Maha's dream domain.
After settling Gotoh and watching him fall into a peaceful sleep, wrapped in a large cocoon of blood energy just like Roy had been previously, the youth turned around. He smiled faintly at the woman and bowed deeply in a formal greeting. "Your great-grandson greets you, Great-grandmother."
Standing up, the youth was nearly two heads taller than Betty. Even when bowing, he was still faintly taller than her. Looking at him this morning, he was already catching up to Silva, reaching his forehead.
"Good child, stand up quickly,"
"Maha, look at him. When it comes to manners, Zigg can't compare to him."
Betty took two steps forward, wanting very much to help Roy up. However, as a mere remnant soul, she could not leave the support of Maha's Nen and divinity. She could only turn her head to glare helplessly at Maha.
"Is it just his manners..." Maha's gaze bypassed Roy, looking deeply at Gotoh, who was wrapped in the large cocoon on the bed. He gently patted Betty's small hand, gesturing for her to sit down, before looking up at Roy. "You're really not going to let your great-grandmother and me have a moment of peace today, are you?"
"Thump, thump." Gotoh's powerful heartbeat echoed from the large bed. Just like Roy during his recent advancement, it started off strong, then beat like a drum, and finally boomed like muffled thunder. Clearly, the kind of metamorphosis he was undergoing needed no explanation; it was visible to the naked eye.
"It was all an accident,"
"I didn't want this either."
Roy straightened his back and spread his hands. Smiling, he seemed to be speaking to Maha and Betty, but also to Zeno and Silva, who were secretly observing from the shadows of the second-floor bedroom.
In short, the youth's answer left the three generations of Zoldyck family heads quite dissatisfied.
"Heh heh heh... Time and time again, he slyly tries to use 'accidents' as an excuse. Silva... these past few days, whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, I always think of what Roy said to me back then. Do you know what it was?"
On the second floor of the Zoldyck family's ancient castle, in that spacious bedroom, Kikyo was sleeping soundly with Killua in her arms. In the corridor outside the door, his white hair swaying, Zeno stepped out from the shadows. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Silva, he gazed at the morning glow outside the window. Listening to the commotion downstairs, he turned his head and asked his son.
Silva's burly, tower-like figure stood motionless before the floor-to-ceiling window, not saying a word.
He waited quietly for Zeno to continue.
After a moment, he heard him say, "He said he wants to climb to the very top, step by step."
A burning, divine light instantly bloomed in the man's eyes, and he let out a suppressed laugh.
"That's good,"
"I like it,"
"Slapping people down,"
"From high places!"
Zeno paused, feeling that this phrase sounded somewhat familiar. Thinking carefully, wasn't this exactly what he had said to Silva back in the day?
Which had ended with him being defeated by Silva instead.
The corners of his mouth twitched. Clasping his hands behind his back, he glanced at him and said lightly, "Is that so?"
Zeno's lips curled upward into a smirk. Releasing his [En], he observed the youth and his loyal servant—one standing, one lying down. They looked less like master and servant and more like a pair of close friends. He sneered and said, "From what Roy is implying, he isn't the only one who wants to stand at the top."
Zeno's words were shocking. He suddenly looked at Silva seriously. "If I told you that one day, that child will have Gotoh defeat you too,"
"Silva,"
"How would you feel about that?"
"Whoosh." Silva suddenly pulled open the floor-to-ceiling window, revealing the lush, endless expanse of Kukuroo Mountain outside.
The man's gaze was deep. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said calmly, "Then let them... try!"
"If one comes, I'll slap one down,"
"If a pair comes, I'll slap them both down!"
"Just as easily... as I defeated you, Father!"
Zeno: "..."
Fine, just keep being stubborn... His white hair swaying, Zeno spoke as if to himself, "Roy, you heard him. If you're going to beat your dad, do it early."
"Grandpa is waiting for you."
His leisurely words swirled with the wind, drifting through the first-floor window and into Roy's bedroom.
The youth said nothing, yet it seemed he had said everything. He shrugged at Maha, putting on an innocent expression.
Maha looked at him deeply, then turned his head to a helpless Betty and said, "You see? The child has grown up, and he knows how to hide things now. It won't be easy to coax him and get anything out of his mouth anymore."
Was that just 'anything'? That was a divine skill capable of promoting a believer's metamorphosis—something akin to [Divine Protection]. Not telling them... was only natural.
Betty rolled her eyes at Maha and looked at Roy with a sigh. "An accident is good. You must tell everyone... it was an accident."
"Child, you are doing very well, truly well... Great-grandmother looks forward to the day you raise your sword to question the gods."
Roy: "Great-grandmother,"
"Yes?"
The youth smiled brightly, looking at her and then at Maha. "When that time comes, I'll avenge both of you as well!"
Betty froze, instinctively glancing at Maha. The old man looked deeply at Roy in silence, saying nothing.
A moment later, he left behind a single sentence before vanishing with Betty: "Win against your father first."
"Creak." The chair swayed slightly. Maha's figure was already gone, leaving behind only a messy table, which Tsubone hurried in to clean up a moment later.
The old butler's two pink pigtails swayed in the wind.
As soon as she entered, she placed her right hand over her chest and bowed to Roy. "Young Master, the Master has ordered that I will be responsible for your daily life from now on, until..."
"Until Gotoh wakes up."
"One week." Roy held up a finger. "He will wake up in just one week."
"Understood." Tsubone scooped Gotoh up from the bed by his waist. With her other hand, she deftly cleared the dishes and pushed the dining cart out.
"Rumble..." The wheels of the dining cart rolled over the stone corridor, making a sharp, light sound.
The door closed, separating Roy and Tsubone inside and out, as if isolating them into two different worlds.
At that time, it was still early. Roy put on his training clothes as usual and went to the training room to stretch his limbs, preparing to meet his grandfather Zigg in the evening to continue exploring the Dark Continent, specifically Bandle City.
Meanwhile, Tsubone held Gotoh with one arm and pushed the dining cart with the other. Listening to Gotoh's heartbeat booming like muffled thunder inside the blood cocoon, and feeling both his blood energy and Nen aura climbing slowly but steadily, her memories seemed to drift back to that afternoon. The day she had met him with a sword, also oiling the blade for her master. Times had changed... and their circumstances were now completely different.
"You lucky guy, you were right..."
"Young Master Roy really... has always treated you as a human being..."
Envy swept over her heart like a tidal wave. Tsubone let out a long sigh, unsure if she was sighing for him or for herself. In the blink of an eye, she exited the ancient castle and disappeared into the dense forest mountain path.
"Dong." At seven o'clock in the morning, the grandfather clock struck the hour.
Roy stepped out wearing his training clothes, which felt tight on his body. Even though he had changed into the largest size Gotoh had prepared in advance, it still seemed a bit too small. Clearly, the young butler had never expected his young master's stature to undergo such a massive change so suddenly.
"Tap, tap..." In the long corridor leading to the training room, Roy closed his door and shoved his hands into his pockets. With his beautiful silver hair draped over his shoulders, he strolled down the mottled hallway steeped in the aura of time. Smelling the fragrance of soil carried by the cool breeze and listening to the clear chirping of birds piercing the sky, his mindset during this walk was completely different compared to yesterday. At the very least, his back was straighter and firmer!
He walked at a leisurely pace, passing the garden and the dim little rooms. As he rounded a corner and neared the training room, his footsteps suddenly halted. Looking up, he saw...
Approaching from the opposite direction was another figure with flowing silver hair. The hair was longer than his, the stature taller than his, and the person was wearing a pitch-black training suit, with a chest even more bulging than his own. Upon seeing him, the figure also stopped and looked up.
An undercurrent seemed to surge through the air, transforming into sparks of electricity that crackled and exploded!
"Have Tsubone alter your clothes for you. They're too small." Silva, unsmiling, also had his hands in his pockets as he quietly looked at Roy.
Roy naturally had no objections. He gave a soft hum of agreement. "Yes."
He casually explained on Gotoh's behalf, "He didn't expect me to grow this fast."
"Neither did I." Silva lifted his foot again, brushing past the youth's shoulder. "Not only did I not expect you to grow this fast physically, but I also didn't expect you to grow this fast in strength."
The man took two or three steps past the youth and said with his back turned, "You set the time. I'll be waiting whenever you're ready."
Roy also stood with his back to him. It was as if they were standing on opposite banks of a river, separated by an endless, surging torrent that washed down with infinite power. He slowly shook his head and said, "Not right now."
Silva stopped in his tracks once more. "Give me a reason."
"There is no reason." A trace of blood-red crept into the depths of Roy's eyes, where tomoe could faintly be seen slowly spinning. He said calmly, "The one-year deadline hasn't arrived yet. Moreover..."
"What I want isn't to fight you to a draw,"
"But to completely defeat you!"
"Heh heh heh... Hahaha..." Just as he had when he heard the youth push open the Testing Gate that morning, Silva burst into loud laughter. His figure suddenly blurred, and he vanished in a flash.
"I'll wait for you to reach the very top!"
"Crack." In the spot where the man had stood, two deep footprints were left behind.
That was a terrifying power poured out using only his physical body, without utilizing any Nen aura. It was also the manifestation of the [Visualization] in Silva's heart—
Absolute power breaks all techniques. The pinnacle of martial arts is nothing but pure violence!
He just didn't know which would prove superior: pure physical strength, or [Susanoo], which could rival the 100-Type Guanyin!
In Roy's scarlet eyes, three pitch-black tomoe fully formed.
The youth lowered his eyelids. With his back to the departed Silva, he glanced up at the panel.
[Prompt: "Yin Style": Lv3 (8974/10000) (Note: Thanks to the "negative emotions" gifted by "Muzan", "Kokushibo", "Nakime", and others, the host is only a hair's breadth away from reaching LV4 and unlocking the "Mangekyo Sharingan")]
Looking up again, he saw the red sun outside the window fully leap over the horizon, turning into a golden orb. In that instant, he faintly felt that the sun was a bit glaring. He felt a thirst for the arrival of night, a thirst for darkness and filth, a thirst to return to the Naruto world, to don the guise of Jin Uchiha and collect evil...
After a long moment, Roy gently touched his chest and mocked himself, "As expected of the inherently evil Uchiha."
"Willing to disregard everything for the sake of power."
He lifted his foot again, and his body gradually emitted specks of fluorescent light. When he reappeared, he was already standing in the training room. Drawing his sword, he began his daily routine of ten thousand practice swings.