"Not bad."
Killua forced himself to calm down.
"But… Mother was crying."
Illumi tilted his head slightly.
"She was touched. She said she was relieved to see her son grow so much. She felt like you'd finally grown up, Killua."
Kurapika: "..."
Leorio: "???"
Everyone else:
...Huh?
Most of those present couldn't understand it.
Including Kaizen.
It was far beyond his comprehension.
The Zoldyck family he'd encountered so far seemed like one that put heavy emphasis on family loyalty—twisted as it may be.
Killua stabbing his own mother? That didn't exactly scream "affectionate."
And yet… Kikyo's tears hadn't been fake.
At best, it just showed how wildly different Zoldyck values were. Killua's actions clearly didn't align with how most families functioned, but they did follow some kind of warped internal logic.
...
Kaizen thought back.
If I recall right, in the original timeline, Silva didn't play a huge role in Killua's early education. Kikyo and Illumi took on most of that responsibility.
Milluki was just the occasional enforcer with a whip...
But Grandpa Zeno and Silva had agreed to let Killua learn how to control his aura.
Plus, Silva wasn't against Killua making friends.
Kaizen glanced at Illumi.
So by that logic… Killua's upbringing wasn't entirely his own burden. Zeno and Silva probably saw things had gone off course a bit—but nothing they couldn't fix.
And maybe this was also part of Illumi's test. Something to teach him a lesson.
Because yeah—Illumi's obsession with Killua runs way too deep.
...
Illumi's voice continued.
"But Killua… you're still young. Your strength is lacking. Mother is worried. That's why, when I have time, I'll check in on you."
"I didn't expect you to take the Hunter Exam, though. Do you want to become a Hunter?"
The crowd began to murmur.
"Gittarackur… turns out that wasn't his real name."
"His real name's Illumi."
"Killua's older brother—and also from the Zoldyck family."
"But is that even allowed? Hiding your name during the exam?"
"Doesn't that break the rules?"
"The examiners don't seem to care..."
"Man, the Zoldyck family is seriously weird."
The weirdest part was what Illumi had just said.
A mother, stabbed by her son… wasn't angry, didn't blame him—and instead felt moved?
...
"No," Killua said, looking down. "The reason I came... I was free, so I figured I'd check it out."
"Really? Then I'm relieved," Illumi said with a nod. "I need you for a job soon. Since you don't want to be a Hunter, I can give you advice without holding back."
"Killua, you're not suited to be a Hunter."
"You were born to be an assassin."
"You're a puppet of darkness, uninterested in anything."
"You don't want anything—not even dreams."
"You exist in the shadows. Only when you're close to death do you feel alive."
"This is how Father and I raised you."
Kaizen's eyes flicked between Killua and Illumi.
It wasn't that Killua was totally in the clear.
But Illumi had problems of his own.
Even a killer had desires. Killing was just a profession—not a life's purpose.
"And yet," Kaizen thought, "Zeno and Silva must have their own plans."
...
Then Killua's expression shifted.
"So… Brother. Was it you who hired Hanzo to attack me on Saibiru Island?"
All eyes turned to Illumi.
Then to Hanzo.
Hanzo didn't speak. His expression didn't budge.
"...No," Illumi said with a shake of his head.
"Then who else could it be? During the Hunter Exam, Hanzo didn't have many people he could contact. I'm the only one who makes sense."
Illumi stayed silent.
He had planned to use this moment to reinforce his grip on Killua.
But things had veered in another direction.
He knew who had hired Hanzo.
...
But since Kaizen hadn't revealed anything, Illumi stayed quiet.
"Killua, it was me."
Kaizen raised his hand.
They were nearing the final stage of the exam. There was no longer any reason to hide his identity—and this was the perfect moment to reveal it.
All eyes turned to Kaizen.
Killua froze.
Leorio froze.
Kurapika froze.
Leorio looked betrayed. "Kaizen... Why? Aren't we friends?"
People had different ideas of what friendship meant.
But to Leorio, they'd bonded during this journey. They were friends.
And if they were friends… why would Kaizen set someone on Killua?
Was he angry at him?
"Kaizen… why?" Killua's voice cracked.
Kaizen answered calmly.
"Because the earlier stages of the exam weren't hard enough for you. I hired Hanzo to push you."
"But… why?"
Killua still didn't get it.
"What did I do wrong?"
Before his last talk with Kaizen, Killua might've assumed this was some twisted punishment. That Kaizen was mad about something.
But that conversation hadn't felt tense or hostile.
And Kaizen… came from a family of assassins, too.
Suddenly, a thought hit Killua.
Could it be... the family Kaizen comes from has beef with the Zoldycks?
So he used Hanzo to test him?
But then—why not just fight him directly?
Was he afraid?
Then why admit it now?
Hanzo hadn't told anyone. Kaizen could've kept quiet, and no one would've known.
Because of Illumi?
But Illumi hadn't shown any intention of retaliating.
...
"No," Kaizen said, shaking his head. His expression turned serious.
"Killua, let me formally introduce myself."
"My full name is Kaizen Zoldyck."
"Your cousin."
------------
+475 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub