A cup of hot tea went down, dispelling the chill.
Tanjuro put down the teacup and began the Fire God ritual.
The children were allowed to play around; dressing in ceremonial attire was something for Roy, their big brother... Tanjuro had already laid out the ceremonial robes on the soft cushion beside him; he didn't wear them yet, as he had been waiting for someone, and fortunately, he waited patiently enough.
The wide robe sleeves... twisted pillar ropes... the Fire Character Armor covered his face; Tanjuro helped Roy to his feet and descended the steps into the courtyard.
Roy leaned against the corridor pillar, quietly watching...
The man took a deep breath and started the "Dance," gracefully leaping...
At this time, mother Kie Kamado walked over with a plate of tempura, the freshly fried shrimp giving off a tantalizing aroma. The children, tired from playing, swarmed over, but Kie Kamado slapped their hands away one by one: "Let your big brother eat first!"
No one dared to touch mother's bad luck warning, and Takeo and Mao reluctantly withdrew their hands, looking expectantly at Roy.
Roy smiled, symbolically pinched one and put it in his mouth, continuing to watch Tanjuro dance, surrounded by the bustling sounds of "Slow down, don't grab," "Leave some for your big brother."
Once, twice, Tanjuro danced passionately like a flaming sprite, the robe sleeves fluttered, dispersing a flurry of snow... Gradually, Roy squinted his eyes, realizing that something was amiss —
How come father's dance was more rhythmic than his own?
"Brother, do you want more?" At this time, Tanjiro, with half a shrimp in his mouth, struggled to snatch two from Takeo and Mao's hands, and handed them over... But Roy was oblivious, transfixed on Tanjuro, his eyes enveloped in "Nen," his mind expanded, arriving at a word —
"Transparent World"!
The highest realm of life is to live transparently.
Undistracted by worldly affairs, immersed in self, achieving true selflessness; only then can one use "self" as the center, enlarging perception, keenly grasping everything around, making the most rational reactions and judgments, such as... slowing down an opponent's moves, capturing the attack route, seeing through the opponent's weaknesses.
Summary —
"Nothing new under the sun..." Roy murmured softly.
Tanjiro: "Brother... What are you saying..."
"I said there's nothing new under the sun..."
[Tip: [Hatsu]: "Eye of Truth" has been loaded (Note: Based on [Ren] "Sun" reverie, the host can see through illusions and predict enemy moves, effective for 0.1 seconds)]
"Phew~" Two bright Divine Fires lit up in Roy's pupils, Tanjiro's shrimp-holding hand paused, meeting Brother's gaze, he felt a chill inside, as if his entire being had been seen through, instinctively pulling his hand back, yet Roy had already anticipated the move, grabbed it, and put a tempura into his mouth.
Tanjiro was stunned for a second, rubbing his eyes, why did it seem Brother's eyes were glowing?
"Chew... chew...." A tempura went down, Roy scanned his surroundings, refocused on Tanjuro, and said without turning his head: "Nezuko, don't let Hua Zi suck on her fingers."
At the corner of the long corridor, Nezuko cuddling the fireplace, coaxing Hua Zi, glanced suspiciously... Sister was clearly playing with Brother's newly bought bamboo dragonfly, having no chance to suck fingers, but... another glance, Hua Zi's little hand slipped from the tail of the dragonfly and adeptly into her mouth.
Nezuko: "...."
Turned to look at Roy.
Big brother Eiichiro Oda was just sitting quietly facing away from her, the "Sun" in his eyes "phew~" extinguished, lasting only 0.1 seconds.
Then, Roy felt the world fade into lines before his eyes, blinking it back to normal.
[Hatsu]... [Ren] follow the flow of natural results, such as "stretch-shrink", "illusion" to Sisko... "control", "possession" to Illumi... "steal", "collect" to Kuroro... "mind-monkey", "Buddha principle" to Netero....
"What am 'I'?"
'I am the "Sun", capable of patrolling on behalf of heaven, dispelling darkness, and also, shining brightly, universally saving mankind... Tsugikuni Yoriichi, you must have thought so back then.'
"Dance of the Fire God— Flame Dance..."
Amidst the wind and snow, Tanjuro completed the last move and stopped barefoot...
The wind lifted a corner of the Fire Character Armor, on the corridor, Roy watched in a daze, vaguely seeing a person.
He had deep red hair and the flame-mark imprinted on his forehead, looking through life and death, overlapped with father's figure, smiling warmly at him:
"Eiichiro Oda, help me take off my clothes."
"Yes."
Roy returned to his senses, father sat down beside him, revealing the knotted rope buckles behind...
He stepped forward to untie the buckles, simultaneously unraveling a cloud of confusion in his heart, glimpsing more sunlight...
"This is a perfect New Year's Eve," he thought,
It was night, accompanied family for New Year's dinner, and exchanged much idle talk, holding Takeo and Mao in each hand, taking Tanjiro, back to the west room where the fire heated bed was long ready, lying down fully clothed.
In the mountains, unlike towns, vaguely still hearing firecracker sounds...
In the quietness...
After a day of excitement, Takeo and Mao fell soundly asleep... leaving Tanjiro to lie down next to Roy, opening then closing, closing then opening his eyes, still immersed in festive joy, too excited to fall asleep.
"Hey~ Brother, are you asleep?" Tanjiro turned his body to look at Roy, big brother he hadn't seen for months had grown long... no, grown much taller... feet horizontally, even taller by a head... He was just half a head taller when he left home, the young boy secretly measured against himself, and furrowed his little mouth in frustration.
Roy closed his eyes: "Asleep."
Tanjiro: "..."
No matter,
Continued asking: "Brother, when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"Hmm,,, huh? Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Why do you have to leave so early?"
The bed can't even get warm...
"Because time is tight," Roy calculated the time, two years until the youngest child in the family, "Ryota" is born.
At that very time, Muzan appears, killing the Kamado family.
Roy never delayed habits, deciding on the first day as the eldest of this family to eliminate the Scum Boss in advance under the sun, letting him truly feel what "merciless sun" means!
Tanjiro fell silent, opened his mouth wanting to ask more... is it because of the Evil Ghost?
Seeing Brother seemed unwilling to elaborate, he simply gave up, pulling the quilt over his head.
The night grew deeper, breathing sounds harmonized in the wind and snow combined night....
Foolish Mamen Beans didn't last a while, following into sleep,
With no disturbances, Roy got out of bed, dressed, opened the door...
Outside along the corridor, the man was leaning against the fireplace, warming a pot of hot tea....
Quietly looking at the increasingly taller eldest son, speaking astonishing words: "Eiichiro Oda, congratulations on awakening the [Transparent World]."