Of course, Maha wasn't here to stop Killua.
Although, the power to resurrect a deceased loved one... had indeed tempted him.
He wanted Zigg to come back, to say, as a father, that he had been wrong.
But the past cannot be reclaimed.
It was the Kalluto of today who made him realize that his choice back then had been a mistake.
So, since there was no going back, why cling to it?
Therefore, after realizing the depth of Killua's resolve, what Maha cared about wasn't the wish-granting power that reflected one's desires.
It was that a scion of the family, when faced with a momentous choice, should recognize their true heart and leave no room for regret.
Maha's thoughts did indeed plunge Killua back into hesitation.
Locking Nanika away forever...
Was that really the best way?
Was that really protecting Alluka and Nanika?
No.
Killua's eyes slowly widened, his pupils trembling violently.
This was just another instance of him hiding his own weakness and cowardice under the guise of protection.
He would definitely regret it.
And by the time that regret came, nothing could be undone.
I'm so pathetic.
Killua slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the hesitation was gone.
Alluka was his family, and so was Nanika.
A compromise bought by sacrificing family was not protection at all.
Killua strode to the bedside and gathered the sleeping Alluka into his arms.
He didn't try to wake Alluka.
He knew that in this house, his parents did not see Alluka as family.
So, Killua didn't want Alluka to face what might happen next.
"Great-Grandfather."
Holding Alluka, he looked toward Maha by the door.
The old man still had his hands in his pockets, standing quietly by the door and watching Killua like an ordinary old man out for a stroll after dinner.
"What about now?" Killua asked. "Will you change your mind?"
"Rather than hoping for someone else to give you an answer, you're better off finding it yourself."
Maha's tone was as steady as ever, betraying no emotion.
The moment his words fell, arcs of electricity exploded around Killua.
With his actions, he cut through Maha's ambiguous stance.
Holding Alluka just like that, he flashed past Maha's side in a blink of lightning, leaving the cold room without a backward glance.
Maha didn't stop him, only turning his head slightly to watch the figure recede into the distance.
Guts, determination, courage...
Not bad.
Whether it was Kalluto or Killua.
Although they were still just children...
Maha could already see the future of the Zoldyck family.
At this thought, an aura fluctuation rippled across Maha's body.
Immediately after, his aura spread out like a ripple, sweeping across the entire estate in the form of En.
In just an instant, Maha located Silva and Kikyo, and his figure vanished from the spot.
This was a spatial-teleportation ability achieved through a combination of his Emission ability and his absolute familiarity with the estate's layout.
It could be said that within the entire estate, as long as Maha wished it, he could teleport to any corner of the house at will.
Killua, who was racing along with Alluka in his arms, felt Maha's En sweep over him, but his expression and even his movements didn't change in the slightest. Silva and Kikyo also felt the En.
The next second, Maha materialized before the two of them, perfectly intercepting them as they were about to stop Killua.
"Great-Grandfather..."
Seeing Maha suddenly appear, even though Silva and Kikyo knew that every second counted, they still bowed their heads in the most respectful manner. Maha's calm gaze swept over them, his voice devoid of any ripple. "Have you still not figured out what is truly important to this family?"
"Great-Grandfather, about this matter..."
Silva was about to explain but was cut off by Maha raising a hand.
"I'm not stopping you."
He slowly moved to make way, his tone still flat. "Do what you must."
Silva fell silent.
Though Maha said he wasn't stopping them, he had already made his stance clear.
But Silva didn't hesitate. After bowing to Maha to take his leave, he, guided by real-time updates from the butlers, intercepted Killua one step ahead as he was about to descend the mountain. Faced with his parents, Tsubone, and the other butlers blocking his path, Killua remained silent.
But the electric arcs rippling around him grew ever more intense, the crackling blue-white lightning appearing incredibly dazzling against the gloomy sky.
—--
Meanwhile, Morrow had attached Terpsichora's Nen strings to his Shooting Star, using them to fly through the air at high speed.
Kalluto and Kurapika were held firmly in his hands.
Before long, thanks to the speed of Shooting Star, the three of them arrived at Kukuroo Mountain, landing before the Testing Gate.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky, heralding an impending storm.
This weather had driven away the usual tourists, and the Testing Gate was experiencing a rare moment of tranquility.
Morrow looked up at the gate before him, both familiar and strange.
Out of proper etiquette, he hadn't landed directly on the mountaintop where the Zoldyck estate was but intended to enter through the main gate.
Returning to Kukuroo Mountain was, in fact, Kalluto's decision.
Because Illumi was dead, it meant the Nen needle in Killua's head would lose its effect.
After composing himself, Kalluto quickly realized this and came up with the idea of returning to the family to help Killua out of his predicament.
But what truly gave Kalluto this confidence wasn't Maha's backing, but the two companions by his side who would support him unconditionally.
Morrow retracted his gaze and nodded at Kalluto beside him.
Kalluto then walked toward the Testing Gate, preparing to push it open.
But just then, a rumbling sound came from within the heavy stone gate.
Someone was pushing it open from the inside.
Kalluto's gaze shifted. He withdrew his hand, took a few steps back, and quietly watched the slowly opening stone gate.
The gap gradually widened, revealing Killua's figure.
He had Alluka securely strapped to his back, and with his hands pushing forward, he effortlessly shoved the massive Testing Gate outward.
"Brother."
Seeing that the person opening the gate was Killua, Kalluto's eyes lit up.
Killua was also taken aback, a look of surprise on his face. "Kalluto, what are you doing here?"
After regaining his memories and awareness, Killua had learned about how Kalluto had come home with a precious gift, only to be driven away by Illumi and their parents.
So he never expected to run into Kalluto at the very moment he pushed open the Testing Gate.
Kalluto quickly glanced at the sleeping Alluka on Killua's back, then looked back at Killua's surprised face. A smile touched his lips as he said, "I thought I might be able to help you if I came back, Brother. But from the looks of it... it's probably not needed anymore."
Hearing this, Killua's heart instantly warmed.
"Yeah, it's all settled," Killua said with a relaxed smile. "But still, thank you for making a special trip back for this, Kalluto."
"Brother, you're being too formal."
Kalluto's brows arched slightly as he deliberately feigned displeasure.
Killua let go of the stone gate, stepping out amidst the heavy rumbling sound.
"Sorry, sorry."
He scratched his hair, his mood brighter than ever before. Even the gloomy, cloud-filled sky no longer seemed oppressive in his eyes.
It was then that Killua finally noticed Morrow and Kurapika not far away.
Morrow met Killua's gaze and waved with a smile.
"Teacher, you're here too."
A bright light flashed in Killua's eyes.
"Of course."
Kalluto placed his hands on his hips, his tone carrying a hint of pride as if to say 'I've got backup'. "If I had come back alone, I probably wouldn't have been much help."
Killua couldn't help but chuckle at his words.
"Alluka, wake up."
Wanting to introduce Alluka and Nanika to Morrow, Killua called out softly.
He knew that, in reality, only by getting a response from Nanika could this seemingly endless slumber be broken.
At Killua's call, which was tinged with a hint of command, Alluka was gently nudged awake by Nanika inside her.
She rubbed her drowsy eyes and asked groggily, "Brother, is it time for dinner?"
The gloomy sky had made her mistake it for evening.
Killua gently set down the still-sleepy Alluka and said softly, "I'll take you for a big meal in a bit, but before that, I want you to meet my teacher."
"Brother's teacher?"
Alluka blinked, some of her sleepiness dissipating.
Anything concerning Killua always managed to pique her interest immediately.
Killua nodded, his gaze shifting to Morrow, who was walking toward them.
Alluka followed his line of sight. The moment she got a clear look at Morrow, she suddenly froze.
The next second, like a startled little animal, she quickly hid behind Killua.
Just a moment ago, Nanika had been trembling in her consciousness, incessantly saying she was afraid of that person and telling her to flee to a safe place quickly. Although Alluka didn't understand why, she felt Nanika's intense fear and instinctively hid in what she considered the safest place, behind her brother.
"Alluka?"
Killua looked back in confusion.
Alluka tugged on the corner of Killua's shirt and whispered urgently, "Brother, your teacher... Nanika is really scared of him. She's telling me to run."
"Huh?"
Killua was slightly startled.
Although Alluka had tried her best to keep her voice down, Kalluto, Morrow, and Kurapika, who were present, all heard her clearly.
Kurapika had no reaction, merely observing quietly.
Kalluto, however, frowned, showing a hint of displeasure.
Morrow, on the other hand, roughly understood the reason.
From the moment he had dealt with Illumi, he had realized that Nanika, or rather, the Ai residing within her, as one of the Five Threats, was essentially a form of Post-Mortem Will.
And many of the calamities from the Dark Continent seemed to be closely related to Post-Mortem Will.
Coincidentally, his Tree Rings was the absolute bane of such existences.
However...
There were two sides to every coin.
The Entropy Bird was a clear example.
Tree Rings could not only convert such calamities into energy but could also transfer energy back to them.
But under normal circumstances, when faced with a natural predator, the first reaction of any calamity or creature would be to flee. How could they possibly have such an awareness?
Thinking of this, Morrow's gaze swept lightly over the Entropy Bird on his shoulder.
The Entropy Bird was currently looking curiously at Alluka, who was hiding behind Killua.
In its energy-replete state, it could easily sense Nanika within Alluka, as well as that intense feeling of fear. To be honest, having had a similar experience, it could very well understand this fear.
But it hoped that Nanika's fear would last forever.
After all, if something else came along to latch onto its benefactor, its share of the energy would probably shrink.
Should I inflict a bit of bad luck on it...
The desire to have its benefactor all to itself even made the usually stingy Entropy Bird harbor malicious thoughts.
But the Entropy Bird quickly gave up on the idea.
It couldn't use its ability casually.
Even the random Power of Luck, which required little to no consumption, was off-limits.
This was the agreement between it and Morrow.
If it broke this agreement, the consequence could be losing its benefactor, or it could be directly executed by Morrow.
Neither outcome was something the Entropy Bird could accept.
Morrow knew very well what Nanika was afraid of, and this instinctual fear had clearly affected Alluka deeply.
He pondered for a moment, then stopped walking and didn't get any closer.
Kalluto glanced at Alluka cowering behind Killua, snorted softly, and walked over to Morrow's side.
Killua, meanwhile, crouched down and patiently soothed Alluka, repeatedly assuring her that his teacher wasn't scary at all.
However, it had little effect.
No matter how gently and patiently he tried to persuade her, the fear seemed to be deeply ingrained.
After several fruitless attempts, Killua gradually realized that Nanika's fear of Morrow was perhaps even more profound and unsolvable than his own former fear of Illumi.
It was as if it were a suppression stemming from the very nature of their existence, something that could never be dispelled with words.
"Teacher..."
Killua looked at Morrow, his gaze filled with a bit of helplessness and apology.
"It's fine."
Morrow smiled slightly and naturally changed the subject. "What are your plans now?"
Killua had a clear plan for this and answered without hesitation, "I want to take Alluka to see Gon first. After that... we'll just travel around. Alluka and she have been cooped up at home for too long. I want them to see more of the outside world."
As he spoke, he gently stroked Alluka's little head, which was buried in his side.
Freedom...
For him, Alluka, and Nanika, it was an incredibly precious thing.
Fortunately, they had finally grasped this hard-won freedom.
Hearing Killua's words, Morrow and Kalluto subconsciously glanced at each other. Then, as if on the same wavelength, they thought of the same thing and couldn't help but smile at each other.
"Although it looks like it's about to rain, this is a rare opportunity... want to go for a stroll in Chiselwood Town?"
Morrow suggested, recalling their past experience of walking through the town together, proposing it at this moment of parting.
Kalluto's eyes lit up, and he was the first to respond, "Yes, yes!"
Killua also felt it was a rare chance to take Alluka for a walk in Chiselwood Town before leaving the Dentora Region, so he readily agreed.
Not long after, the heavy rain arrived as expected.
But the rain didn't dampen the group's spirits.
However, the moment of parting eventually arrived quietly with the curtain of rain.
After their outing, Killua said goodbye to Morrow and the others.
After walking some distance, Killua suddenly stopped, turned around, and bowed deeply toward Morrow's figure in the rain.
"Teacher, thank you."
He knew it was Morrow who had once again helped him break free from the Nen needle's restraint, giving him the chance to fight for his freedom again.
Since Kalluto hadn't brought it up, he didn't specifically ask.
But this gratitude, he had to convey.
—--
Kakin Empire.
A declaration concerning the gold rush for the New Continent was about to begin.