Illumi turned on his phone, glanced at the message, and fell silent.
For a long time, the entire venue seemed to freeze.
No one made a sound.
Something was off about Killua.
But Illumi wasn't acting quite the same either.
Kaizen had contacted Silva before the final phase of the exam.
Afterward, Silva made a decision.
Because of that, he became involved a step earlier than in the original timeline.
And that shift changed a few things.
The one most affected might be Bodoro.
Originally, Killua had killed Bodoro under Illumi's command.
An old man with no potential.
Even with a Hunter License, he wasn't going to accomplish much.
But now… Bodoro might not die at Killua's hands after all.
From death to life—that's a major change.
Killua stared at Illumi.
"Killua, concede."
Killua hesitated, frozen for a moment.
But when he turned toward Kaizen, it was as if he'd found something to hold onto—his last lifeline.
Whatever Kaizen said now, he'd follow through.
"I concede."
The examiner raised a hand and announced the result.
"Winner: Gittarackur."
Illumi looked down at Killua.
"Killua, remember—it's time to go home. Father is waiting."
Then he turned to the examiner.
"Is my part in the exam finished? Can I leave now?"
The examiner was caught off guard—he hadn't dealt with a request like this before. He glanced subconsciously toward Chairman Netero.
Netero nodded lightly.
"Yes. We'll deliver your license later through official staff. There's still an event coming up, but if you need to leave now..."
"No need."
Illumi turned and walked out of the hall.
The tense atmosphere thawed instantly.
Hisoka looked visibly disappointed.
This wasn't the outcome he'd wanted.
In Hisoka's mind, a fight between Kaizen and Illumi would've been delicious.
Even if that didn't happen, a battle between Killua and Illumi was the next best thing.
But nothing happened.
...
"Next match: Leorio vs. Bodoro!"
The two figures stepped into the ring.
Killua approached Kaizen.
"Cousin Kaizen… thank you."
"No need," Kaizen replied.
He paused a moment before continuing,
"And don't worry about that nonsense Cousin Illumi said about killing Gon. It's not true. He'd never do that."
Illumi knew exactly who Gon was.
The son of Ging Freecss.
And beyond Ging, there was still Don Freecss.
The Zoldyck family—even now—isn't in a position to provoke them.
Ging Freecss alone is considered to be on the same level as Maha Zoldyck.
Illumi would have to lose his mind to make that kind of move.
Killua sighed in relief.
"Uncle Silva mentioned you in the message too," Kaizen added. "So once your match is over, head straight home. Don't linger here."
"Okay."
Killua nodded, then hesitated.
"Cousin Kaizen… what you told me before… was it true?"
"What part?"
"Can an assassin… have friends?"
Kaizen gave a small smile. "What do you think?"
"I… I don't know."
Killua wanted friends—he really did. But he was still scared. Illumi terrified him.
"You've got to decide that for yourself," Kaizen said. "No one else can do it for you. If you believe you need friends, then you do. If you don't, that's fine too. Everyone's different."
"Still…"
"Cousin Illumi has his own thoughts. There's no 'right' or 'wrong' here. As your older brother, it's normal for him to want to control you."
Killua's expression darkened.
"But," Kaizen said, shifting the tone slightly, "on that note, I have two suggestions."
Killua's eyes lit up. "What are they?"
"First, ask Uncle Silva. He's your father, and he's the current head of the Zoldyck family. His opinion matters."
"Second... if you don't want to be controlled by Cousin Illumi, the solution is simple."
Kaizen leaned in slightly. "Just be stronger than him."
Killua's eyes widened.
"You've got just as much talent as Illumi. If you train hard, I believe that day will come—maybe sooner than you think."
Kaizen continued, "I don't know how your training was before, but you passed the Hunter Exam without much trouble. That's why I told Hanzo to go all out when fighting you."
"At your age, you should make every experience count."
"Don't waste time doing things that don't serve a purpose."
Killua hesitated, then asked quietly,
"Cousin Kaizen… how far is my current strength from yours? And between you and my older brother… who's stronger?"
"That's not something you need to worry about right now," Kaizen said calmly. "When your strength reaches that level, you'll understand."
"Focus on your next fight. After that, we'll head back to Zoldyck Manor."
"Got it."
Killua said no more.
He was grateful to Kaizen.
After Illumi removed his disguise, everything he said afterward had nearly shattered Killua's spirit.
He'd been on the verge of collapse.
But Kaizen's words helped him find his center again.
And what he said stuck with Killua.
An assassin can have friends.
Kaizen was a Zoldyck too.
So why couldn't Killua have friends?
Since childhood, Illumi had always been an oppressive presence—someone Killua couldn't disobey.
But now… maybe there were other options.
Kaizen hadn't been trying to go against Illumi for the sake of it.
He was doing what Silva had asked him to do.
...
"Begin!"
The examiner's voice rang out.
Leorio and Bodoro started their match.
It turned out to be one of the most intense fights of the final round.
Leorio wasn't particularly strong.
Bodoro wasn't either—especially since he was still nursing injuries from his previous match against Alita.
Because they were so evenly matched, the fight looked more exciting than it really was.
...
Hanzo quietly stepped up beside Killua.
"Killua."
"Huh? Hanzo?"
"I've got something I need to say or I'll explode. Hope you don't mind."