In the lush woods, sunlight scattered through the leaves, creating many spots of light.
Gotoh followed Tsubone's gaze. Two figures were silhouetted on a treetop not far away.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu? Is this the tactic that bastard Sean prepared?" Illumi stood next to Silva on a high branch, expressionlessly watching the shadow clones rumble past beneath him.
A thin layer of Nen covered his black and white pupils. This Nen was still unstable, like a candle in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment.
'Clearly, the bratty brother just opened his aura pores not long ago.'
"I thought you would never read Pot Shadow Ninja." Silva glanced at Illumi in surprise. The entire Zoldyck family knew how his second son felt about his eldest.
No one would be surprised if Illumi died at Sean's hands one day, or if Sean was killed by Illumi.
"I just wanted to see how trashy the manga drawn by a trashy person could be," Illumi said calmly, just like a cold, emotionless machine.
Silva's eyes were playful. He chuckled, "Is that so?"
"But how come I heard that Pot Shadow Ninja seems to be the hottest manga right now? It's been the top seller for several months."
"Who said that?" Illumi turned his head to look at Silva. "Tell me, and I'll go kill them."
"Your grandfather, Zeno."
Illumi: "..."
'His eye twitched, a rare sight. A diagnosis: not a true deadpan face.'
"So... having the courage to admit others' strength is also a form of respect for oneself, Illumi."
Silva stared at the Seans walking on their hands and said meaningfully, "Being competitive is a good thing, but pitting an egg against a rock... that's something only a fool would do."
"I don't wish to have a foolish son. Do you understand?"
Illumi bowed his head and said nothing. After a long silence, he pulled two "Nen nails" from his pocket!
He looked straight into Silva's eyes. "If being a fool means I don't have to live in someone else's shadow..."
"Then I am willing to be a fool."
After speaking, the boy dived straight down, rushing to kill the shadow clones. He left Silva stunned for a moment, who then suppressed his voice and chuckled, "I seem to have messed up, Father."
"Indeed. Your brain has all gone to your muscles." With his white hair waving, Zeno appeared at Silva's side, hands behind his back. He glared at him angrily. "If you had a brother like Sean, what do you think you would do?"
"Of course... I'd kill him." Silva grinned at Zeno. "If I really did, I'd be willing to be a fool, too."
'That's right... "Unfortunately, even being a fool in our family requires strength."' Zeno squinted as he watched Illumi.
'The kid just opened his aura pores, got a taste of power, and can't hold himself back. It's understandable, but he's doomed to fail.'
As expected, Illumi was sent flying by a kick from No. 10. Splash! He fell into the lake.
The water splashed. No. 10 retracted his foot, and all the Seans looked over in unison.
Silva crossed his arms and laughed sinisterly. "Father, it seems we've been discovered."
'What "we"? Only "me"... no "we".'
When Silva turned his head, Zeno was like a ghost. He had greased his soles and slipped away at some unknown point.
Countless question marks popped up over the current head of the Zoldyck family's head. Before he could react, he was surrounded by Sean.
"I was thinking the one-month deadline isn't up yet, Tō-san?" The nine giants stood in a circle around the big tree. The pressure was immense. The big tree seemed to be trembling in fear, its leaves rustling nonstop.
"It's not." Silva squinted, his gaze sweeping over No. 2 through No. 10 one by one. He shook his head in disappointment. "Combining 'Expansion Jutsu' with 'Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu' will drag you to your death, Sean."
"If you make any more, Father is afraid you'll collapse on your own before I even have to fight you."
'Why does that sound so familiar?' Sean, sharing the clones' vision, dug his ear. "You don't need to worry about that."
"But there is one thing I forgot to ask last time. When you read Pot Shadow Ninja, did you read the official version or a pirated one?"
"I have to pay money to read my own son's manga?" Silva said as if it were obvious. "There's no such logic in this world."
'Hmm... true.' Sean nodded in deep agreement. "In that case, I unilaterally declare that we are severing our father-son relationship."
"Alright, you can pay up now." Nine giant, expanded hands reached out to Silva.
Silva: "..."
His face darkened. He smiled ominously.
"Sean, have I ever taught you... that Zoldycks always speak with their fists?"
"Right now, you don't have that qualification!"
Swoosh! His hand-chop was covered in tyrannical "Nen." Silva swung his arm fiercely.
A spirit serpent emerged from its cave, its tongue flicking. The heads of all the Seans were thrown high into the air. Poof! Poof! Poof! They were annihilated into the air, one after another.
"Sigh... this is a typical case of being a sore loser."
The "Nen" thread snapped. Having experienced Silva's "Nen Power: Serpent Strike" firsthand, Sean, sitting cross-legged in the basement, was not discouraged. On the contrary, a smile of a successful scheme appeared on his lips.
'My dear Tō-san... this world is all about using your brain. Thank you for sending the sample data.'
"'Sage,' begin the appraisal."
Just like the appraisal of Maha last time.
[Sage AI activated]
[Beginning analysis of sample data]
[Silva Zoldyck]
["Strength" and "Speed" are at minimum "Double Limit Break".]
["Qi Amount" is questionable, suspected "Triple Limit Break".]
[Analysis complete]
'You know a master as soon as he strikes.' The appraisal results quickly echoed in Sean's mind.
Sean's eye twitched. He was startled. 'So that old man Maha is just an old yin-B!'
'"Double Limit Break," my ass! Look at Silva's data. Tō-san's "Qi Amount" has already broken the limit three times!'
'Is this still a "Transmuter" type Nen user? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him an "Emitter," right?'
One had to know that "Nen" training was all about "trade-offs." Whatever your natural attribute type, training along that line would yield twice the result with half the effort. Conversely, the results would be minimal.
Therefore, logically speaking, an outstanding "Qi Amount" was the specialty of "Emitter" type Nen users, far beyond what "Transmuter" types, who were good at clever tricks, could compare to.
And yet, Silva, as a representative "Transmuter," possessed the "Qi Amount" of an "Emitter." This was enough to show—
'The "specialization theory" doesn't hold up. For true powerhouses, becoming a "hexagon" (all-rounder) is the ultimate path!'
A new understanding dawned on him. Sean was secretly glad that Silva's "Speed" wasn't "Triple Limit Break." Otherwise, just as Maha had said...
'He might as well just lie flat and take the beating.'