Chapter 160: Preaching to the World x Kyojuro Rengoku Converts
Those who kill will always be killed.
Since Muzan Kibutsuji had murderous intent, he struck first. He couldn't blame Roy for striking back. It was only right to kill him and return peace to the night.
The Hashira meeting ended with Roy taking on the "Mugen Train" mission alone.
The Hashira dispersed in twos and threes, each leaving to their own missions. Giyu Tomioka walked up to Roy, patted his shoulder, said nothing yet said everything, and left with a heart full of relief and hope, his red, yellow, and green haori swaying as he followed Roy out.
In a flash, they were outside the gate. The boy stopped in the wisteria forest, smiling at Giyu. "See you later, senpai."
Giyu Tomioka glanced at Roy, then looked past his shoulder at Kyojuro Rengoku, who was approaching unhurriedly. Thoughtful, he nodded slightly to Roy, flickered, and vanished.
"Eiichiro Kamado, please wait." In the wisteria forest covering the mountains, one in white with red hair, one in a brown uniform with yellow hair tipped red, met under a massive wisteria tree that three people couldn't encircle.
Kyojuro Rengoku stopped Roy, his voice bright as fire, getting straight to the point. "I have a few sword techniques. I would like your guidance."
The Flame Hashira bowed deeply as he spoke. He was fiery and impatient, yet never lost his manners, making it impossible to dislike him.
In the original story, Kyojuro Rengoku was one of the few Hashira, besides the Master, who was loved by all the others. He was known as the "warm big brother." Even the irritable Sanemi Shinazugawa and the sharp-tongued Obanai Iguro had nothing bad to say about him. This showed just how upright and good Kyojuro Rengoku was.
It was precisely for this reason that Roy had volunteered for the "Mugen Train" mission, to prevent this man from meeting his tragic end.
"I wouldn't dare call it guidance. Please."
"Good."
Kyojuro Rengoku was a man of action. Without wasting words, he drew his sword and began to demonstrate the "Flame Breathing" under the tall wisteria tree.
From "First Form: Unknowing Fire" to "Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun" to "Third Form: Blazing Universe"... blade light rolled up flames, roaring endlessly. Kyojuro Rengoku danced before Roy like a fire spirit.
Roy activated En, watching and listening quietly. He learned faster than he had learned "Wind." As Kyojuro unleashed his final technique... "Ninth Form: Rengoku," transforming into a roaring fire dragon that charged into the distance, leaving a long scorched trail, Roy instantly understood the rhythm and technique of "Flame Breathing."
It had to be said, there was a reason "Flame Breathing" was considered the closest derivative to "Sun Breathing."
"Phew~" Having finished the full set of "Flame Breathing," Kyojuro Rengoku, wearing his white haori with flame patterns at the hem, looked seriously at the boy. Roy didn't speak immediately. He simply reached out and gently tapped Kyojuro on the shoulder, transferring a layer of Nen imbued with [Searing Essence].
Fwoosh~ The outer flame was red, the inner flame white. The flame cloak, wrapped in Nen, enveloped Kyojuro completely. The eldest son of the Rengoku family, determined to inherit the title of "Flame Hashira," had mastered "Flame Breathing" and developed his own unique sword techniques through sheer effort and talent, relying on only three guidebooks even after his father Shinjuro fell into depression and refused to train him or his brother Senjuro. But now... looking, touching, slowly experiencing this "flame cloak" Roy had briefly gifted him, with its terrifying white inner flame...
Kyojuro Rengoku was lost.
This fire was not his fire. Kyojuro could clearly feel that compared to this "flame cloak" with its terrifying white core, the fire dragon he had unleashed with his final "Rengoku" strike was nothing but a "pseudo-dragon," a "paper dragon" with form but no substance!
"Where did I go wrong?"
Having witnessed Roy's hundred-meter flaming sword earlier, and now experiencing the [Searing Essence] flame cloak firsthand... Kyojuro stood there in a daze. After a moment, he snapped back to reality, looking at Roy with burning eyes. "Why is your fire hotter than mine?"
To borrow a certain fruit farmer's (Hisoka's) understanding of "Nen," personality affects Nen and determines its type and path. Kyojuro Rengoku's personality was like fire, arguably even more compatible with flames than Roy. But... unfortunately, he wasn't a Nen user. And this misfortune limited him, Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa... Obanai Iguro, and even his senior brother Giyu Tomioka—all the Hashira—locking their potential within the realm of [Human].
Whoosh~ The wind blew wisteria petals down... The moment they touched Kyojuro Rengoku, they were incinerated by the flame cloak surrounding him...
Roy didn't answer. He looked up at the sky. Kyojuro followed his gaze. The afternoon sun was bright. Though not as intense as noon, in this early spring chill, the dappled sunlight filtering through the wisteria forest felt warm and lazy.
"What do you see?" the boy asked suddenly.
Kyojuro Rengoku's gaze pierced the white clouds, swept past the flying birds, straight into the blue sky. High above, at the very end, he saw a great sun pouring down its light. He said deeply, "It is the sun."
"Correct. It is the sun." Roy beckoned. The flame cloak imbued with [Searing Essence] obeyed his will, withdrawing from Kyojuro Rengoku and returning to Roy's side, transforming into a small flame dancing on his fingertip, burning quietly.
Kyojuro Rengoku watched... The boy stared at the dancing flame, his handsome face taking on a touch of divinity. "I imagine you already have your answer."
"Your fire is just fire. But mine..."
Fwoosh~ Twin suns suddenly ignited in his deep black pupils. Roy turned his head, looking quietly at Kyojuro Rengoku. "Mine is the sun!"
"Firefly light cannot compare to the sun. It is only natural."
Fwoosh~ The flame on his fingertip extinguished, instantly vanishing into Roy's body.
Kyojuro Rengoku was silent for a moment, then laughed freely. "As expected of a user of 'Sun Breathing'. That insight is indeed something I cannot match."
He praised what deserved praise and criticized what deserved criticism. Kyojuro Rengoku had never been a petty person jealous of talent. As his mother Ruka Rengoku had told him when he was young... those born strong have a duty to protect the weak. They must not use their heaven-given talents to harm others or for personal gain.
Similarly, as the weaker party, Kyojuro Rengoku courageously admitted where he fell short of Roy. But he harbored no desire to steal "Sun Breathing," even though he understood... his fire couldn't compare to the other's. It was a "hard limit," and he accepted it without envy.
Instead, he happily clapped Roy on the shoulder. "Senior Urokodaki said that if anyone could kill Muzan Kibutsuji, it would be you... I didn't believe it at first, but now..."
Kyojuro Rengoku said with utmost seriousness, "I believe it too. It must be you."
"No. It's everyone." Roy's black eyes seemed to look straight into Kyojuro's heart. "I can be the sun. You can be too. He can be too... Everyone can... And this might only require everyone to take a small step forward..."
"How?"
"Praise the sun."
"Pray sincerely to the sun, asking it to grant [Divine Power], to dispel darkness, to save all living beings..."
Roy gazed at Kyojuro Rengoku. "And you, my friend, are you willing to take this small step?"
"Can I really do it?"
"If I can, you can."
"How?"
"Look at me. Kneel."
[Eye of Revelation], like two great suns, branded itself deeply into Kyojuro Rengoku's fiery eyes. The boy said, "I will walk the world as the representative of the sun, granting you blessings."
The faint words, reinforced by "Nen," formed a "telepathic message" that penetrated deep into Kyojuro Rengoku's heart...
His body trembled. He seemed to see the sun rising in the east, casting a sky full of morning glow, and the sun setting in the west, painting the horizon red. Then... a bell chimed DOOOOONG in his ear, a grand sound that made his scalp tingle. His right knee buckled, and he knelt on one knee at Roy's feet. "I am willing."
[Notification: Host "Preaching" successful]
[Sect: Sun God Sect]
[Detected one "Believer." Please conduct the "Ordination" ceremony immediately to accept him under your command.]
[Believer: Kyojuro Rengoku]
[Physique: 17 (Average person is 1. With Breathing Style, can be multiplied by ten to 170)]
[Aura Output: None (Awaiting development)]
[Potential Aura: None (Awaiting development)]
[Loyalty: 51/100 (Note: Loyalty increases gradually as the "Believer's" faith in the sun deepens. Currently, the Host is regarded by Kyojuro Rengoku as a comrade to be trusted with his back)]
"Good." With a thought, specks of light appeared on Roy's right hand. Like a "Divine Envoy" from a storybook, a small display of skill was a "miracle." He tapped Kyojuro Rengoku lightly on the left and right shoulders, smiling at him. "Congratulations on becoming a 'Sun'."
[Notification: "Ordination" ceremony complete.]
[Believer "Kyojuro Rengoku" bound.]
[Faith Power +1]
Is that it?
Kyojuro Rengoku stood up suspiciously. Just then, Roy's palm, wrapped in Nen, struck his chest like lightning.
Kyojuro's yellow, red-tipped hair flew back with the palm wind. In an instant, he felt... his entire being float. Just as he was about to angrily ask Roy why he would betray a fellow believer, he heard the boy shout: "Don't get distracted! Lock the 'Divine Power' into your body, now!"
Only then did Kyojuro realize that at some point, he had been enveloped in a milky-white "energy." Calming his mind to sense it carefully... the shackles on his body were gone. It was like a sick tree suddenly bursting with new life, a powerful force surging from the inside out... This must be the 'Divine Power' Eiichiro spoke of!
The sun is real... [Divine Power] is real... Eiichiro Kamado... no, the "Divine Envoy" Lord didn't lie to me... I can become a sun too...
Avoid heaven's will, avoid karma, shackles bind the true self. Follow heaven's will, accept karma, today I know who I am... Once enlightened, I see my true self, what fear of past shackles? Worldly shackles are but dreams, formless, shapeless, and selfless...
Kyojuro Rengoku clasped his hands together, speaking devoutly, "Praise the sun."
Following Roy's reminder, he began trying to "lock" the escaping aura into his body.
As expected of a genius capable of becoming a Hashira. Although not as fast as "Killua" or "Gon," inheriting the excellent bloodline of generations of Rengoku "Flame Hashira"... Kyojuro Rengoku, under Roy's slow guidance, gradually mastered Ten.
[Notification: "Believer" Kyojuro Rengoku's aura nodes opened.]
[Officially became a Nen User...]
In a single thought, the difference between heaven and earth... Stepping from mortal to the world of "Nen," Kyojuro Rengoku silently felt the "Divine Power" flowing endlessly and slowly within him. He bent his right knee, kneeling on one knee again, facing Roy, and performed a solemn bow. "Thank you, 'Divine Envoy', for enlightening me."
"Praise the sun." Roy smiled warmly, taking his arms and helping him up. He said expectantly, "I can feel the sun's joy. It says you are a devout believer harboring 'Justice' and 'Light', and instructed me to grant you the method of cultivating 'Divine Power'."
"Listen closely..."
Ten... Zetsu... Ren... Hatsu... The Four Major Principles, taught without reservation.
Kyojuro Rengoku listened with rapt attention, daring not miss a single detail. Gradually, from Roy's few words, he realized the greatness of "Divine Power"!
For example, Ten: Mastering it not only made the body stronger and maintained youth, but also allowed the mind to focus and gaze inward. Maintaining a calm heart, undisturbed by external things. Attached to an object, like a Nichirin Blade, it could instantly amplify the blade's strength, unleashing sword techniques far superior to before. Just as... Eiichiro had demonstrated at the Master's estate earlier, possessing all sorts of incredible power.
And Zetsu: It could actually suppress "aura," reducing one's presence. It could even... allow one to quietly "turn invisible" in front of demons with a sense of smell sharper than a dog's, bypassing their senses to strike up close. Truly... incredible.
As for the subsequent Ren and Hatsu, Lord Eiichiro didn't say much, only instructing him to learn Ten first, use "Divine Power" to temper his body, then combine it with Zetsu to increase "immediate combat power" for the upcoming mission. The rest... could be learned slowly later.
Kyojuro Rengoku bowed and agreed repeatedly. His hot heart burned like a raging fire. He clasped his hands together, as devout to the [Sun] as Gyomei Himejima was to the [Buddha]. Looking up at the sun in the sky, he said solemnly, "Praise the sun. I will not disappoint the sun or the Divine Envoy."
Roy pressed two fingers to his forehead, smiling warmly. "Remember, the sun will always be watching you, looking forward to your progress."
"Yes." Kyojuro Rengoku took a deep breath. Looking again, after Roy dropped those words, a swamp appeared beneath his feet. In a flash, he sank into the ground, disappearing into the wisteria forest. Only Kyojuro remained...
Staring blankly as the great sun in the sky set towards the western horizon...
A moment later, he murmured softly, "Father, you were wrong. You said no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change the status quo."
"Now..."
Kyojuro Rengoku drew his sword. With a casual slash wrapped in "Nen aura," he unleashed a "Flying Flame Slash," far more ferocious and violent than the "Rengoku" he had unleashed with all his might...
He turned, his haori with the flame pattern at the hem swaying in the wind...
His gaze was firm as he walked towards home!
"Father, it's different... Please, take a good look. Your son is not who he was yesterday!"
Tap... tap...
Kyojuro Rengoku's steps were hurried. Following Roy, he flashed away, never having looked forward to returning home as much as in this moment!
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