Chapter 31: Fear x Killua in Blood
"No—!"
Killua finally reacted and hurriedly shouted.
He never expected his brother to act so decisively.
If Hisoka hadn't intervened for some unknown reason, Gon, his only friend, would already be dead.
This was Killua's thought, and it was the thought of almost everyone present, except for…
"This old man panicked too."
Luo Lin stood behind the others, glancing at Netero with a faint smile.
While the others may not have noticed, Luo Lin saw it clearly—Netero's hand had moved when Gon was attacked.
But when he saw Hisoka step in, Netero stopped.
Given Netero's speed, no one else noticed his movement.
But Luo Lin was different.
After their fight on the airship following the second test, Luo Lin had unintentionally gained an ability similar to Netero's—compressing his sense of time to move at ultra-high speeds.
Although a few days of training couldn't make him as fast as Netero, Luo Lin had roughly mastered the ability to focus his mind and enter that state.
While Illumi's speed had been fast, it wasn't beyond Luo Lin's perception. His heightened concentration had allowed him to notice Netero's small action.
Others might not understand Gon's identity, but Luo Lin was sure that Netero knew.
Ging Freecss!
Although Ging was practically absent in the storyline, rarely appearing, and not even showcasing much of his strength, the few times his abilities and reputation were mentioned hinted at his immense power and mystery.
As for Gon, if he were to die on his path to becoming a Hunter or during an adventure, Ging likely wouldn't react.
Just like in the original plot, when Gon was severely injured by the Chimera Ants, Ging didn't have much to say.
But if Gon were killed unfairly before he could mature—especially by the Zoldyck family—
Then we'd see if Ging would retaliate.
Of course, the Zoldyck family had their own cards to play to maintain their untouchable status in the world.
But if those two forces clashed, not even Netero could predict the outcome.
"Illumi, stop attacking the other examinees. If you kill any of them, I will disqualify you from the exam,"
The referee bravely stepped forward, speaking righteously.
Illumi, oblivious to how close he came to inviting disaster to the Zoldyck family, frowned.
"This is troublesome. I need the Hunter license for my next mission. But if I kill them, Killua, you'll pass the exam and become a Hunter automatically."
"Oh, I've got it! I'll pass the test first, then kill Gon. That way, even if I kill everyone, I won't be disqualified, right?"
Illumi clapped his right hand against his left palm, his voice containing a hint of cheer, but his face remained expressionless as he turned to Netero for confirmation.
Netero raised an eyebrow and replied,
"You'll still be disqualified. The fourth Hunter commandment clearly states that a Hunter cannot view a fellow Hunter as prey. If you attack another professional Hunter, I will cancel your license immediately."
"But, if it's Gittarackur who kills them, not Illumi Zoldyck, that's fine, right?" Illumi asked.
After all, he hadn't registered for the exam under his true identity but as Gittarackur, a persona that existed.
"That's fine," Netero responded bluntly.
"Killua, listen carefully." Illumi's voice softened.
"If you can defeat me, I'll spare Gon. So, will you attack me for your friend's sake?"
Illumi turned to Killua, his dark, emotionless eyes deep as an abyss, projecting a tangible killing intent toward him.
Killua's body trembled violently as he faced his older brother, his eyes filled with intense fear.
"Will you fight me for your friend?"
"No, you won't."
Illumi seemed to answer his own question as he walked toward Killua.
"You know very well that you can't defeat me. I've always taught you not to fight a battle you can't win."
"And for you, defeating me is far more important than any friend."
As Illumi approached, Killua's fear deepened, his body instinctively shaking as he stepped back.
"Don't move," Illumi ordered.
"If you move even slightly, I will consider it the start of the fight. And once our bodies touch, I'll consider the battle underway. There's only one way to stop me, and you know what that is."
"But remember, if you don't fight me, Gon will die. Make your choice, Killua."
Illumi's large, soulless eyes stared at Killua, and his demeanor left no doubt that he was serious.
"Killua, I won't die!"
At that moment, Gon suddenly shouted at Killua, "Just do what you think is best!"
Killua trembled slightly but didn't look at Gon.
No one understood the Zoldyck family's methods better than Killua. If his brother really attacked, Gon wouldn't survive.
If he didn't fight Illumi here, then Illumi would kill Gon.
Gon would die.
So…
Fight?
Killua looked at his brother's hand, reaching ever closer, and his fear grew overwhelming.
"I… I surrender."
Killua's fear had overtaken all reason, and with his head bowed, he spoke.
Leorio and Kurapika were stunned, unable to believe what they had heard.
According to Illumi's words, if Killua surrendered, Illumi would kill Gon. But even in this situation, Killua had chosen to surrender.
However, Gon simply looked at Killua with concern.
Instinctively, he knew something was terribly wrong with Killua's state of mind.
Hearing Killua's surrender, Illumi's hand landed on Killua's head, ruffling his white hair as he laughed.
"Good! Now we don't need to fight! Don't worry, little Killua, killing Gon was just a lie to test you. But now, you should understand."
"You're not fit to have friends!"
Illumi's smile disappeared as he leaned closer to Killua, speaking in a low voice, "All you need to do is listen to Father and me and kill for us."
After speaking, Illumi patted Killua's shoulder and walked back to the arena. Killua, meanwhile, hung his head and walked silently off the stage.
Just as Gon prepared to approach Killua and say something, Killua's arm swung sharply, and his knife-like hand slashed across Bodoro's neck, who had been lying nearby resting.
In the next instant—
Blood spurted everywhere, and Bodoro's head flew off his bewildered body.
Killua, covered in blood, raised his head and looked at Gon. His once bright eyes were now cold and lifeless, filled with murderous intent, as if he might kill again at any moment.
"Killua!"
Gon's pupils shrank as he instinctively stopped in his tracks.
But Killua just glanced at everyone, turned around, and left without a word.