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Hunter x Hunter: The Sun Breathing Zoldyck - 29
🕑 Added 2025-10-04 15:36:20 +0000 UTCChapter 29: Soul Loss X The Foundation of Souls
At the east end of the village, several small houses were enclosed by a fence. In the courtyard, two figures, one large and one small, were working together to build a snowman.
The smaller figure was a girl in a floral cotton jacket with a purple scarf around her neck. The large one was a woman with her head wrapped in a kerchief, struggling to hold her daughter while placing a wind cap on the snowman's head. From afar, the snowman somewhat resembled Nanno Hiroshi.
"Does Shizuhime miss Daddy?"
"Yes."
The wind cap sat crooked on the snowman's head, giving it a goofy charm. The little girl giggled. "Mommy, look, Daddy looks so funny~"
The woman rolled her eyes at her and laughed along. Inadvertently glancing outside the courtyard, she saw Roy standing with Tanjiro beside him, silently positioned outside the fence. Her expression froze as she pulled her daughter behind her, asking warily, "Can I help you two?"
The small village below Mount Sagiri was already remote. In winter with continuous heavy snow, it was even more deserted. The sudden appearance of two or three strangers standing outside the courtyard naturally aroused vigilance.
Roy held a water flask, glancing at Nanno Hiroshi. Tears covered the man's face. His mouth trembled before being firmly bitten by his upper teeth, just staring fixedly at those two figures, unable to speak for a long time.
"Big brother..." Tanjiro couldn't bear witnessing this scene and turned his face away. He couldn't imagine if it were him learning of Father's death—what kind of despairing expression that would be. Yet wives separated from husbands, children eating each other—in this demon-infested world, such occurrences were all too common.
"Hello, Auntie. We're friends of Uncle Nanno, passing through to deliver some things for him." Roy was silent for a moment before stepping forward, lifting his hand to place Nanno Hiroshi's backpack on the snowy ground.
Naoko had woven the backpack herself using vines from Mount Sagiri. She recognized it at a glance, her expression relaxing as she opened the fence gate to let Roy and Tanjiro in.
"Naoko, who's here?" Hearing the commotion, an old woman washing clothes in the back courtyard emerged from inside, asking with a kind smile.
"Hiroshi's friends, saying they came to help deliver things."
"Oh, then quickly invite the children in for hot tea. In this freezing weather, don't let them catch cold."
"Yes, Mother." The woman held the little girl's hand and curtsied to Roy. Roy politely nodded to her and entered with Tanjiro. Nanno Hiroshi's backpack was dragged into the courtyard by Tanjiro.
"Mommy, who are they?" The little girl hid behind the woman, timidly peeking out her small head.
Nanno Hiroshi, frozen in place, could no longer restrain himself. He floated down from the flask, bending to embrace her. A cold wind blew past. Nanno Hiroshi's body passed straight through the little girl.
The little girl blinked. As her bangs swayed, she was clearly dazed for an instant—carefully captured in Roy's eyes.
'Her soul is too frail and can't withstand the impact of a living soul. You'd best not force yourself to embrace her.'
Roy used Nen communication through the flask as a medium to inform Nanno Hiroshi. With Nen attached to his eyes, he could clearly see the aura on the little girl showing brief "rejection phenomena" when Nanno Hiroshi's soul overlapped with her physical body. Vaguely showing signs of mistakenly treating Nanno Hiroshi as the "primary soul."
'So is "soul" the true foundation of Nen abilities?'
Roy recalled Zigg's notes. The introduction matched his understanding of the Hunter world, both recognizing that Nen abilities originated from "life energy" within the human body. If energy lost its anchor, it would lose its foothold and ultimately dissipate through explosion or extinction. For example, Nen bullets shot by Emitter-type Nen users were excellent proof.
But Nanno Hiroshi's existence shattered Roy's understanding, making him realize "life energy" might not need an anchor to exist briefly or even long-term in the vast world. Like Mount Sagiri they were about to enter—quite a few living souls were hidden inside.
"It's my fault... Shizuhime, Daddy was too hasty." Nanno Hiroshi was frightened. The forty-something man fiercely slapped his own face, his soul visibly thinning, showing faint signs of disintegration.
"If self-harm could solve problems, the world wouldn't need complete people." Roy glanced lightly at Nanno Hiroshi, crouched down, and took out the bamboo horse he'd bought from the backpack. Smiling, he beckoned to the little girl. "Shizuhime, right? Look, this is the bamboo horse your daddy bought you. He said play with this first, and when he returns, he'll let you ride him like a big horse."
"And candy." Tanjiro chimed in, pulling out snacks from the backpack and spreading them in his palm.
"Mommy..." The little girl hugged the woman's leg, looking up at her longingly.
The woman indulgently patted her small head, encouragingly. "Shizuhime, don't be afraid. Those are your daddy's friends, your big brothers."
"Big brothers..." The little girl released the hand clutching the woman's clothing and walked over. Her first few steps were hesitant, then quickened. By the time she reached Roy, she was hopping with excitement, grabbing the bamboo horse.
Taking this opportunity, Roy used the bamboo horse as a medium to transfer a layer of Nen onto the little girl. Visibly, the aura that Nanno Hiroshi had "displaced" returned to its normal state thanks to Roy's "supplement."
The external proof was the little girl's previously somewhat dull large eyes clearly became more lively, her whole person returning to that vibrant, innocent state.
Nanno Hiroshi saw clearly. As a spiritual entity, he was inherently more sensitive than Roy. The moment Roy stopped, with a thud he knelt again at Roy's feet. This time he couldn't speak words of thanks, because these past days he'd said "thank you" quite enough times already.
Roy ignored him, taking Shizuhime's hands with Tanjiro on each side, and followed Naoko into the wooden house.
The wooden house had a burning brazier, its style resembling the one Father Tanjuro always leaned against. A pot of tea warmed on top. An old woman had just finished washing clothes, her hands reddened, sitting cross-legged by the fire. Seeing Roy and Tanjiro, she smiled cheerfully and poured them each a cup of hot tea.
Roy and Tanjiro thanked her and took sips. Not forgetting the main business, they immediately handed over what Nanno Hiroshi had purchased.
"This is cloth Uncle bought from town, saying it's for making Auntie and Grandmother some outfits. This bamboo horse and snacks are gifts for Miss Shizuhime. Please also keep the remaining money safe."
"Child, did Hiroshi say when he'd return?" The old woman suddenly spoke.
The wooden house fell completely silent.
