The mad murmur:
"Nice head...the scalp must be so white...so smooth...I wonder how popular it would be if I peeled off your skin and made it into a night pot...."
Andrew's face turned pale, and he roared, "Get out...get out of my body!"
As he spoke, he swung his four arms, not even using his crossbow, directly punching at Roy!
It somewhat saddened Roy, "You are me, I am you, why treat me as a stranger?"
[Wood Style: Silent Kill Bind Technique]...Activate!
As the fist approached, Andrew suddenly found himself unable to move... The man looked down at his feet, where mysterious vines had emerged, winding and stretching, binding him tightly... For a moment, he lost any ability to resist, only his mouth and a pair of incredulous eyes remained to express his inner fear and panic...
One...two...three...four...five!
Andrew's mind burned; he couldn't count how many kinds of "Nenryoku" the young man had shown; he was starting to question his existence....
"That's right, exactly right,"
[En] activated, this time without any obstacles, [Heart Worm] broke through Andrew's Sense, invading the man's heart, capturing intense fear and despair at first moment, greedily consuming them, seemingly unsatisfied, muttering urging Roy, to press harder.....
Blood red burned in Roy's eyes, he fondly caressed Andrew's head, nodding in deep agreement, as he called upon the eclipse, right in front of Andrew, to start peeling his skin...
"You... I warn you not to mess around!"
"I'm a member of the security group!"
"So what?"
"So what damn it, you blasphemer, let me go... maybe, I'll plead with the security group to spare your life, perhaps grant you an "admission certificate"!"
"Well, I'm ahead of myself in thanking you," Roy said resolutely as he drew the eclipse, slicing open Andrew's scalp with one blade,
"Ah——" A heart-wrenching scream rang out...
Blood splattered, covering the boy's face, he stretched out his tongue to lick it, sweet, very sweet, greedily raised his hand for another slice, giggling foolishly: "You said it yourself, I'm a blasphemer, so...."
"I've desecrated gods, you're no exception...."
Hand raised, sword descended, another piece of scalp peeled off...over and over....
Once...twice...thrice... Roy completely lost his reason, much like earlier when he feasted on Lady Nora's "Liger", utilizing [Illusion], repeatedly flaying and pulling nerves, forcing Andrew to maintain consciousness, making him feel this pain, this suffering over and over... Compared to when Kakashi was caught by the then-defected Itachi, who joined Akatsuki, forcibly pulled into the [Illusion Space], killed ten times... even more agonizing and painful!
Ten rounds...twenty rounds...thirty rounds...seventy rounds...hundred rounds.....
Until Andrew became utterly numb, his brain like Rongergon, unable to endure anymore, lost the ability to process the body, exploded with a bang!
Only then did Roy wipe off the blood on his face, exit [Malice], withdraw from [Illusion Space], with a reverse grip, severing Andrew and Rongergon's heads with one sword....
[Prompt: "Life Energy" +50]
[Prompt: "Life Energy" +57]
"Bang!" Headless Andrew and Rongergon fell straight from the thick tree trunk....
Roy heard the panel's prompt sound, his eyes clearing, raised a hand to summon, grabbed the jug tied to Andrew's waist, then looked down, a burst of red gleamed in his eyes, another glance, shot two scorching lasers, completely melted, erased, leaving not a trace of Andrew and Rongergon's remains....
Only then uncorked the jug, allowing three transparent spirits to gradually emerge.....
"Thank you...."
A soft whisper, many thanks....
Old Mark, Lady Nora, and the figure in between reached out a hand, held a little girl with hay-like hair, bowed to Roy in salute, afterward, before Roy could react,
Transformed into three streams of light, instantly entered his body.....
"Swish~" A desolate wind arose, silence enveloped the forest of March's moon.....
In the vast forest, no Andrew, no Rongergon, no Old Mark, and no Lady Nora remained, solely Roy closed his eyes, experiencing their joys and sorrows, the ups and downs of life, as a series of prompt sounds repeatedly echoed in his mind....
[Prompt: "Life Energy" +8]... This is Old Mark,
[Prompt: "Life Energy" +7]... This is Little Maddy,
[Prompt: "Life Energy" +120]... This is Lady Nora, deprived of hope, walking the path of corruption, manifested in [Posthumous Nen].....
Roy carefully comprehended, alternately transforming into "him" "her" "her", in an instant as if aged ten or twenty years... Eyes closed, long unable to open.....
"I'm leaving, thank you, brother...."
In the Unconscious Domain, Little Maddy faced Roy, waved a hand, dissipating slowly... Her eyes bright, yet utterly without a trace of attachment to this world, leaving Roy, silent for a long time....
"So, child, what do you really want?"
"Me... I want to be a light that brings hope to others....."
"But before that," Roy sharply opened his eyes, clenched the sword in his hand: "Let me show this world what suffering truly means first!"
The boy transformed into the appearance of Andrew Cooper, gazing through the deep forest, at the not so distant Bandle City, ears moved, receiving the game prompt sound...[re: Game of the Dead, closed]
Consciousness dimmed with it,
Acknowledging "staying" time was up...
When reopened eyes, returning to the Hunter World, probing with [Demon Eye], extended a tentacle and pushed out the door.
"Bang~" The airtight door forged from steel slammed shut,
In the dim basement at his feet, chrysanthemums blossomed brightly, a subtle fragrant aroma wafting with the breeze, spiraling into Roy's nostrils.....
The boy greedily inhaled, finally finding a sense of reality,
Silently, taking a final look at the airtight door,
Turning along the mournful dark corridor, toward the exit....
"Creak..." The iron gate opened, Scarface, one-eyed, left and right, bowed to Roy in greeting: "Two hours thirty-seven minutes,"
"Young master, you stayed half an hour longer than the last time....."
Roy passed through the iron gate, halted briefly, raised his head slightly, watching the sunset, casting a ray of light... He murmured a soft hmm, not saying a word, resumed walking, figure desolate, leaving the basement.
"Thump...thump..." Footsteps gradually faded....
Scarface one-eyed watched the boy depart, exchanged a silent glance with his counterpart, then, as usual, fished out a phone from his pocket, reporting upward.
"I understand." the Zoldyck Family castle, second floor bedroom, Silva squatted by the window, massaging Killua's feet, frowned, hung up the phone.
A woman lay on the bed, pregnant, accompanied by a forty-something experienced female doctor, constantly guarding... According to her, barring any accidents, the water breaking would be within these days.
Indeed,
"Very soon."
"What's soon?" Killua hummed, "Talking about Killua?"
Silva silently nodded, it was Killua...and Roy, this time... was half an hour longer than last time, the child's growth pace had long surpassed him and his father... leaving them behind,
At least, the man had to admit, at this stage he couldn't endure as long as the boy.
"Soon... I've awaited him for ten months...." Killua gently embraced her belly, monitor on her face flickering with hearts and tenderness, indeed... happiness....
Little Maddy, forever unable to experience, never having the chance to experience happiness.......
Seven o'clock in the evening, days extended from spring into summer.
The castle filled with the atmosphere of time, its mottled corridor visible without lights.
Roy exited the basement, heading towards his bedroom, at some point, paused near that familiar small dim room, seeing an old man looking sunken.
He seemed to be enjoying the breeze, admiring the sunset, as if waiting for someone, glancing at him, said: "Come over,"
"Let the old geezer touch your head."