Post-Mortem Nen.
Having trained with Morrow until now, Kalluto had encountered his fair share of Post-Mortem Nen.
But this was the first time he had sensed such an intense Post-Mortem Nen from a human being, so intense that almost no trace of normal, living Nen could be seen.
What in the world was going on?
Kalluto's brows furrowed as he looked at the change in his eldest brother.
Seeing Kalluto's silence, Illumi casually toyed with a beadhead needle and asked in a placid tone, "Can you tell me about the interesting things you've encountered on your travels?"
Kalluto remained silent, but his gaze involuntarily fell upon the beadhead needle.
The aura attached to the needle, it was astonishingly powerful and exuded a malevolent air.
It had clearly been nurtured for some time.
But compared to before, its current intensity was on a completely different level.
Kalluto secretly tensed his nerves, ready to summon his familiar spirits at any moment.
Although he didn't sense any clear malice from Illumi, just facing this wantonly twisted Post-Mortem Nen was enough to stir a deep unease within him.
"Illumi..."
Kalluto's face was taut. He finally couldn't help but ask the question on his mind, "What's going on with this Nen of yours?"
Seeing that Kalluto not only ignored his previous question but had also dropped the honorific, Illumi felt a prick of pain, even though he had anticipated it.
But he wouldn't blame Kalluto.
He knew the culprit behind all these changes was that man named Morrow.
"Kalluto, it seems the biggest change in you isn't your strength."
Illumi's expression was indifferent. The Nen needle that had been slowly spinning in his hand suddenly stopped, its tip, wreathed in a thick, malevolent aura, freezing in place.
This seemingly minor action made Kalluto abruptly retreat two steps, almost simultaneously flinging out his Paper Familiar Spirits.
In an instant, the forms of Youpi and the King materialized in mid-air, standing before Kalluto like two guardian deities.
It was no surprise that Kalluto reacted this way.
The moment Illumi stopped the Nen needle, a torrent of pitch-black aura, saturated with negative emotions, surged toward him.
The most terrifying aspect of Post-Mortem Nen was its ability to convert the ultimate negative emotions of a human into berserk power.
In a sense, it was the purest form of power.
No longer bound by the human body, spiritual energy could be completely unleashed, becoming a tangible existence.
Seeing Kalluto summon two magical beasts that resembled Nen Beasts, a flicker of emotion crossed Illumi's eyes.
He hadn't expected Kalluto's Nen system to have improved so much.
Moreover, both the aura output Kalluto was currently displaying and these two Nen Beasts with their powerful auras indicated that Kalluto's strength had indeed experienced an explosive increase during his time away from home.
Illumi should have been happy about this.
"Kalluto, do you think I would hurt you?"
Illumi's face was as placid as a mask devoid of expression.
Faced with his brother's question, Kalluto paused slightly, then shook his head. "You won't hurt me, but you'll stick a needle in my head, right?"
"Mm, I'm considering it."
Illumi did not deny it.
The oppressive feeling he had just unconsciously released was, to a certain extent, a statement of his attitude.
"Because the you right now disappoints me greatly."
He took a step forward.
"But it's not your fault. I know very well the problem lies with Morrow, so it's okay."
Illumi's tone was almost flat, yet it carried a kind of irrefutable chill.
"I will go kill him soon."
Just from this brief contact, simply sensing the unpleasant change in Kalluto, Illumi's bloodlust for Morrow reached its peak.
The eldest son of the Zoldyck Family was a truly classic Manipulator.
He could not tolerate Kalluto becoming a second Killua, or perhaps even worse.
Tap.
Illumi's steps suddenly halted, and the oppressive feeling that had been pressing down on Kalluto like a tide also stagnated for a moment.
At this very moment.
The last trace of respect in Kalluto's eyes completely vanished. His gaze turned frighteningly cold as he drew the purple bamboo fan from his waist. With a swoosh, it unfurled, the paper surface cutting a faint shadow through the air as bloodlust, sharp as a thin blade, emanated from him.
Within that bloodlust, there was not the slightest immaturity, nor a shred of hesitation.
It was so resolute it was almost chilling, yet also moving.
"Before that..."
A cold glint, one that usually only appeared when he was tormenting his prey, surfaced in Kalluto's eyes. He spoke, word by word:
"I will kill you first, Illumi."
"..."
Illumi was silent, quietly sensing the genuine and unquestionable bloodlust spreading from Kalluto.
—--
Zoldyck Estate, surveillance room.
The walls were covered with screens, several of which displayed Kalluto and Illumi in the corridor from different angles.
Silva stood with his arms crossed, his wolf-like gaze locked on the screen.
Even through the screen, he could almost feel the bone-chilling bloodlust emanating from Kalluto.
"Crunch."
Milluki, sitting in his swivel chair, absentmindedly bit into a potato chip, staring blankly at the screen as if seeing Kalluto for the first time.
Behind him, Kikyo was also gazing at Kalluto on the screen.
She covered half her face with a princess fan, the red light in her electronic eye fluctuating violently.
"Ah..."
She let out a short gasp, her voice filled with disbelief.
It wasn't because Kalluto was showing bloodlust toward his eldest brother, but because the posture Kalluto displayed in that instant was precisely how a true Zoldyck assassin should look.
"How truly outstanding...!"
Her whisper was filled with trembling admiration.
Hearing his mother's quavering praise, Milluki came to his senses, a few drops of cold sweat silently trickling down his temple.
Is, is that the important part?!
He screamed internally but didn't dare say it out loud.
"Dad, are we just going to watch?"
Milluki swiveled his chair to the side, looking toward Silva.
Silva didn't respond, nor did he look at him. His gaze remained fixed on the screen, unmoving.
Seeing this, Milluki could only awkwardly raise a hand to scratch his greasy black hair before turning back with a dejected look.
Forget it. He couldn't be bothered with these troublesome matters anymore.
With this free time, he might as well go back to his room and spend more time with his 1:1 scale Ariel figurine.
—--
Inside the corridor.
Kalluto's entire body was shrouded in an icy mist of bloodlust, his gaze locking onto Illumi like chains.
It was as if any slight movement from Illumi would transform that cold resolve into a physical attack.
Illumi remained silent for a moment before asking faintly, "Can you do it?"
The moment his voice fell, Youpi and the King, who were guarding Kalluto like deities, shot toward Illumi like arrows loosed from a bow.
Faced with this sudden attack, Illumi's eyes twitched, but he did not forsake the tactical advantages of his Nen system just because he had superior Nen output.
He retreated swiftly without hesitation, instantly creating distance between himself and Youpi and the King.
Almost simultaneously, several figures hidden in the shadows of a corner suddenly darted out.
They were Needle People Illumi had casually created from a few butlers before coming here.
His earlier act of deliberately leaking his aura for Kalluto to sense was also intended to better conceal the presence of these Needle People.
From an observer's perspective, Illumi's arrangements made it seem as if he had anticipated all of Kalluto's subsequent reactions.
Including how intensely Kalluto's bloodlust would be provoked by the mention of killing Morrow.
Everything was within his calculations.
Only then would he have a legitimate reason to stick a Nen needle into Kalluto's head.
In any case, it was just a matter of erasing all of Kalluto's memories of Morrow.
And the other family members, upon seeing Kalluto unhesitatingly display bloodlust toward him, would likely not object to such a measure.
Illumi's deep-seated thoughts did not stem from a desire for control.
He wanted to completely erase Morrow from Kalluto's world to prevent Kalluto from straying further down the wrong path.
For this, he was willing to scheme like this, even willing to become the target of Kalluto's bloodlust.
This was a twisted, almost deformed love.
The few Needle People charged toward Youpi and the King.
Just an instant before they collided, the Needle People's bodies suddenly swelled, then violently exploded like bombs.
Hardened bone and shredded flesh, enhanced by both Nen and the force of the impact, turned into a dense barrage of shrapnel, hammering into the bodies of Youpi and the King.
Puchi, puchi...!
In an instant, the bodies of the two familiar spirits were riddled with honeycomb-like holes, their charge brought to an abrupt halt by this high-density attack that mixed Manipulation and Emission characteristics.
Using the bloody explosion as cover, Illumi's figure flashed, appearing behind Kalluto like a phantom.
"So they aren't Nen Beasts..."
His tone was flat as the beadhead needle between his fingers, which had been nurtured for a long time, gently touched the back of Kalluto's head. "As a Manipulator, puppets you can't discard will only become a limitation. Just like now, they've become your stumbling block."
Kalluto's body suddenly froze.
He hadn't expected Illumi to be so ruthless as to turn several butlers into disposable Needle People before coming here, nor had he expected Illumi's mastery of Emission to be so formidable.
Although Manipulation and Emission were adjacent, in Kalluto's understanding, Illumi had never specialized in Emission-type attacks, nor should he possess such a swift movement technique.
It was this preconceived notion that became a fatal flaw in the battle at this moment.
Confrontations between Nen users were often like this.
Even the slightest error in intelligence or the interference of a minor factor could become the key to deciding the outcome of a battle.
After subduing Kalluto, Illumi tilted his head up slightly, looking at the camera with its blinking red light in the shadows.
From the moment Kalluto put his bloodlust into action, using a Nen needle to erase his memories became a logical choice.
But even if it was just to eliminate a memory of Morrow, he still needed his parents' permission.
Inside the surveillance room.
Silva's brow furrowed slightly.
He thought about how the current Killua, under the influence of Illumi's Nen needle, not only no longer obsessed over Alluka but was also gradually growing into a proper Zoldyck assassin.
His heart leaned toward agreeing with Illumi's method of erasing memories by sticking a needle in.
This was also the proposal Illumi had laid out on the table before taking action.
Compared to Silva, who still needed to weigh the pros and cons, Kikyo would have no objections at all.
In the entire family, she probably wished for Morrow to disappear from Kalluto's world even more than Illumi did.
And erasing the relevant memories, in her opinion, was the most ideal outcome.
After all, she felt that Kalluto's current growth in strength was also thanks to Morrow.
So if it could be done without harming Morrow, it would be for the best.
But Kikyo didn't know that Illumi's intentions went beyond just erasing memories.
He wanted to erase Morrow's very existence.
Just as Silva was about to agree to Illumi's proposal, a sudden change occurred in the corridor.
Without any warning, Illumi felt his hand become empty.
The beadhead needle that had been pressed against the back of Kalluto's head had vanished into thin air.
His pupils contracted sharply.
At that moment, Maha's leisurely voice reached his ears, "Nice needle, it's just a bit prickly to hold."
"Great-Grandfather."
Illumi and Kalluto spoke almost simultaneously.
But their feelings were completely different.
Illumi was shocked and bewildered; Kalluto was pleasantly surprised.
Maha gently pinched his fingers, and the beadhead needle that Illumi had nourished for so long silently turned to dust and scattered.
"How can something so dangerous be pressed against a family member's vital point?"
He looked up at Illumi, his voice calm but carrying an unquestionable weight.
Illumi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed his head in admission of his mistake without hesitation. "I was wrong, Great-Grandfather."
Maha didn't say anything more, just waved his hand.
Illumi didn't try to argue that his actions had, in principle, received his parents' tacit approval. He obediently turned and left under Maha's dismissal.
But...
Great-Grandfather's aura, why does it feel like it has returned to its peak?
Is it because of Kalluto?
What exactly happened in that room during those few short minutes?
Illumi thought with a blank expression, his steps not faltering.
The only thing he was certain of was that after personally experiencing Maha's near-peak Emission teleportation and the masterful skill with which he'd taken the needle, he had become keenly aware of one thing.
His own power was still far from enough!
Illumi had originally been inclined to have the wishing machine directly erase Morrow's existence.
But now, he had changed his mind.
Kalluto watched Illumi's figure disappear at the end of the corridor and let out a soft sigh of relief, though a wisp of worry still lingered between his brows.
Maha looked at Kalluto and slowly said, "This is as far as I can help you, little Kalluto."
"Mm, I understand."
Kalluto nodded.
To break through this predicament, he couldn't just rely on others.
A gratified smile appeared on Maha's face.
Kalluto then looked up at the camera in the corner, knowing his parents must be watching. He immediately kicked the backpack containing the Nitro Rice, which he had dropped on the floor earlier, into a conspicuous position.
"Did Illumi stick a needle in Killua's head again?"
After a pause, Kalluto's voice turned cold. "Answer me."
"Yes."
Silva's voice came from the speaker next to the camera.
Hearing this, Kalluto bit his lip hard, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes.
"Second question, did you give tacit approval for Illumi to stick a needle in my head too?"
"..."
After a brief silence, Silva's answer came from the device again: "Yes."
"..." Kalluto fell silent for a moment, then pointed to the backpack.
"This is a gift for you. I hope this isn't the last time."
Without any intention of saying goodbye, Kalluto turned and left without a second thought.
He had originally planned to stay for two days on this trip back.
But now, he just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
Kalluto walked out of the mansion, meeting no resistance along the way, and smoothly arrived in the sea of trees.
Just then, his phone suddenly received a text message.
Kalluto took out his phone and saw that the sender was Morrow. His mood finally improved a little.
But thinking about what Illumi had done, he quickly sent a detailed account of everything that had just happened.
On the other end of the line.
Morrow felt a sense of astonishment after reading Kalluto's account.
Illumi, he's still alive?
No, from Kalluto's description, it's more like he returned in the form of "Post-Mortem Nen."
In that case, is that you, my portable charger...
"Kalluto, if, if I were to kill Illumi in self-defense..."
Morrow called him and asked tentatively.
But before he could finish his sentence, Kalluto cut him off directly, "Then he'd deserve it!"
"..."
This sentence plunged Morrow into silence. Even Kurapika, who was beside him, was momentarily speechless.
It was clear that everything that had happened today had made Kalluto very, very angry.