The animals attacked at once.
Both foxes darted forward together, aiming straight for Serik's legs—one from the left, the other from the right. Above him, squirrels dropped from the branches, claws and teeth bared, reaching for his head and shoulders. The boar burst through the undergrowth in a straight charge, tearing roots and soil apart, while the bear followed behind it, slower but relentless.
Instead of retreating, Serik stepped forward.
The first fox lunged for his ankle. Serik twisted his hip just enough for it to miss, his fingers brushing its shoulder as it slid past. The second fox snapped at his calf—he lifted his leg, letting the jaws close on empty air, and tapped its flank as it landed.
A squirrel fell toward his face. Without stopping, Serik tilted his head aside and knocked it away with the back of his hand. Another scraped past his shoulder.
The boar thundered past him next, tusks missing by inches as Serik placed a palm briefly against its side and let its own momentum carry it forward.
Each contact was deliberate.
Illumi watched closely. Confusion set in. Serik wasn't striking them. He noticed the touches—but he did not understand their significance.
The bear reached him last, swinging a massive arm downward. Serik slid beneath it, placing his hand against its leg for only a moment before stepping clear.
Serik brought his hands together, forming a hand seal.
Arms of earth burst upward from beneath the animals. They wrapped around limbs and torsos, pinning each creature in place mid-motion. The forest shook as the boar struggled. The bear roared, muscles straining against the grip.
They could not break free.
Illumi's eyes narrowed.
So that was it.
He watched Serik again. Serik's face had gone pale, though a smile still lingered on his lips. His chest rose and fell more heavily. The flow of his Nen was no longer smooth; it thinned visibly.
Illumi moved.
All hesitation vanished as his aura surged, gathering into the needle in his hand. He closed the distance in a single burst, body aligned for a killing blow.
Serik inhaled deeply.
Now or never.
He drew what remained of his Nen into his arms and took the stance for Jade Pulse.
Seeing Serik's move did not change Illumi's intent.
At the last possible moment, Serik shifted.
Moon Hollow.
Illumi's strike slid off its intended path. Instead of the heart, the needle drove into Serik's chest, piercing through muscle and into his lung. The impact forced the air from his body in a violent rush. Blood sprayed from his lips as his vision blurred, but even through the pain, he made the seal.
At the same instant, the earth moved.
A new arm formed right beside Illumi. It closed around his thigh.
This time, it did not merely hold.The hand clenched.
Illumi's leg collapsed beneath him. He hit the ground hard, unable to stand any longer.
Serik staggered forward, dragging burning air into his chest.
Illumi tried to rise on his remaining leg, blood running freely as his Nen snapped back into place.
They didn't get the chance for another attack.
Swoosh.
Both butlers appeared at once, each stepping between their respective young masters.
"Enough."
They reacted differently to the sight of their butlers. Serik looked relieved. Illumi, on the other hand, looked disappointed. What they had in common was that both lost consciousness at the same time.
Thud.
"Phew. They really got each other good," Tsubone said, eyeing their wounds.
Illumi's leg was nearly torn apart—his thigh bone crushed, the flesh around it reduced to something closer to pulp. If Jons hadn't been there, he would have been permanently crippled. Serik's left lung had collapsed from the puncture wound, but even more dangerous was the residual Nen Illumi had left behind, still wreaking havoc inside his body.
Carefully, both butlers lifted their young masters and brought them home.
Meanwhile, around the same time at the Hunter Association—
Gel arrived within the hour. She wasted no time, heading straight for Netero's office. She knew he was present today; they had a meeting that morning.
Ding.
She stepped out of the elevator and knocked on the door. After hearing a calm, "Come in," she opened it and entered.
Netero was sitting in his chair—but not in any ordinary way. He was perched sideways, knees drawn up, elbows resting loosely, his body balanced with effortless control. The chair slowly spun beneath him, turning with a soft creak, as if moved by nothing at all.
Nearby, Beans sat at a small table. He was slumped forward, staring hopelessly at the floor, arms weighed down by an overwhelming stack of papers clutched to his chest. Several more documents lay scattered around his feet.
Gel ignored both of them.
She walked straight to the desk and stopped, standing at attention. Without hesitation, she began her report.
As she spoke, the chair continued to spin.
At first, Netero seemed only half-present, eyes unfocused, posture loose, as if her words were drifting past him. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the rotation of the chair began to slow. His gaze sharpened.
By the time Gel reached the latter half of her report, Netero had turned fully forward. He settled back into the chair properly, both feet on the floor now. One hand rose to his chin, fingers gently stroking his beard as he listened in silence.
When she finished, the room fell quiet.
Netero smiled faintly.
It has to be a person. She sensed no postmortem Nen—so it can't be an object.
"I would very much like to meet," he said calmly, "the person who was inside the cocoon."
Gel blinked, clearly caught off guard by how quickly he had reached that conclusion. Then she straightened.
"…Of course," she replied. "I'll arrange for him to be invited to this year's Hunter exam."
Netero's smile widened just a little.
Back at the mansion—
Both Serik and Illumi lay in their beds, no longer unconscious, staring at the ceiling in silence.
White sheets were drawn tight around them, the room dim and sterile. Serik lay flat on his back, his chest heavily bandaged, each breath shallow but steady. A faint ache flared in his side with every inhale—a constant reminder of the collapsed lung that had only recently been stabilized.
Illumi lay in the bed beside him, far more restricted. His entire leg was encased in a rigid cast, wrapped from hip to ankle, immobilized completely. The thick layers of reinforcement and binding made it impossible for him to shift without pain, forcing him into stillness.
On the nightstand between them sat two empty glasses.
The quiet stretched on, heavy and unbroken.
Nearly an hour passed before Serik finally spoke.
"Yo, Illumi."
"…Hmm."
"I want to see the world."
"I don't care."
Unfazed, Serik continued. "Do you want to come with me?"
"Not interested."
Serik turned his head slightly, a small pout on his face. "You didn't even consider it."
"I don't need to," Illumi replied. "I am an assassin. I will continue doing this work until I die."
"So boring," Serik said lightly. "But I'm not surprised. You're pretty hollow."
"Hollow?"
"Yeah." Serik sounded genuinely surprised. "You didn't know?"
"What?"
"You act and look like a broken doll. Or rather—someone without desire. That's weird to me."
Illumi frowned slightly. "What do you desire?"
Serik laughed, then winced as pain flared in his chest. "Ow. A lot. I want to see the world, collect treasures, and create something everlasting."
Illumi understood the first two. The last one made no sense to him.
Before he could ask, Serik spoke again.
"Is there something you desire?"
Illumi was silent for several seconds.
"I desire control," he finally said. "To know and manipulate every situation toward my desired outcome."
Serik laughed again, softer this time. "That's so lame. If you control everything, there will never be any surprises."
"Surprises get you killed."
Serik turned his head back toward the ceiling. "Never mind. I was wrong."
Illumi glanced at him. "About what?"
"You're not just without desire," Serik said calmly. "You're caged. A little bird in a very nice cage."
Illumi did not understand.
Before he could respond, the door opened.
Tsubone stepped inside, posture formal. "Young master. Your father called. He wants you to return."
Illumi's gaze shifted toward the door.
"I understand," he said simply.
He sat up slowly, ignoring the pain, and stood. For a moment, he looked at Serik again.
"You will regret this way of living," Illumi said.
Serik smiled faintly. "Maybe."
Illumi said nothing more.
Tsubone stepped forward. Without hesitation, she lifted Illumi into her arms, careful not to disturb the cast encasing his leg.
He glanced once more toward Serik, his expression unchanged.
Then Tsubone turned and carried him from the room, the door closing softly behind them.
The room fell silent once more.
Serik stared at the ceiling, the corners of his mouth still curved upward.
"Cages," he murmured quietly, "are meant to be opened."