Chương 78: Illumi

The Zoldyck Family might look cold from the outside, but they cared about family more than most clans. Their love simply looked twisted and abnormal to outsiders. Of course, that only applied if they recognized someone as family. Nanika was different. Silva would later describe that being as not human, not something to be viewed as family, but darkness from another world.

While Aren and Silva maneuvered against each other upstairs, Bart, Adam, and the surrounding Nostrade members were slowly losing ground against Illumi below. Bart had only awakened Nen recently, and direct confrontation was not his specialty. Adam was even less suited for it. His Nen ability was pure support. Illumi had awakened Nen around the same time as Bart, but before awakening it, he had already been able to open three Testing Gates. His pushing strength alone reached sixteen tons.

On top of that, he had learned the Zoldyck Family's killing arts since childhood. Silent Gait, Rhythm Echo, Snake Strike. Techniques outsiders could only dream of studying. Bart and Adam had lasted this long only because of Shared Senses, the interference from Nostrade members, and the fact that Illumi at this age could not simply ignore bullets. A three-pronged kunai suddenly shot down from above, brushing past Illumi's cheek.

'A hidden weapon?' Illumi had left the room the moment Silva attacked, so he did not know about Aren's Flying Thunder God Technique. As confusion crossed his mind, white light flashed. Aren appeared in front of him.

"Ah!" Before Illumi could react, Aren seized him by the throat. The sudden suffocation twisted Illumi's mechanical poker face. Then a cold light flashed through his dark, hollow eyes. Suppressing the instinct to grab Aren's right hand, Illumi forced his arms outward instead. They twisted like snakes, using the body's momentum to chop down toward the hand holding his neck. Snake Strike.

"Good reaction." Aren's eyes showed a hint of approval. It was useless. Limitless Technique activated. Illumi's hands stopped in the air.

"Mr. Aren!" Bart and Adam shouted in relief when Aren appeared. If he had come any later, they might not have lasted. The other Nostrade members bowed deeply.

"Mr. Aren!" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Aren ignored them. He turned toward an empty patch of ground and glanced sideways. Silva appeared there at some unknown point, face dark. It was not that Silva did not want to rush in and take Illumi. He did not dare. Nor was he confident he could. Illumi was already in Aren's hand. A slight squeeze would crush his throat like an insect. Silva did not even dare approach too closely, afraid of provoking Aren.

"Your quarrel is with me," Silva said carefully.

"My son has nothing to do with the commission. With your strength, surely you do not need to go after..." Illumi screamed before Silva could finish. His pale face had begun turning blue. Aren's right hand was tightening. Silva clenched his teeth and swallowed the rest of his sentence. Seeing him cooperate, Aren loosened his grip slightly. At least Illumi could barely breathe.

"Silva Zoldyck. If I'm not mistaken, that is your name." Silva clenched his remaining fist.

"Yes."

"Do you know what I am? Just as you are an assassin, I have my own identity." Aren felt a burst of satisfaction at Silva's suppressed expression. His wrath began to ebb.

"A thief. I'm a thief. If I want something, I steal it. If someone offends me, I kill them. That is our creed." He looked at Illumi.

"So do you think I will spare him because he is a child?" Aren tightened his grip again.

"Ah!" Illumi screamed. His legs kicked uselessly in the air, but his arms were still locked by Limitless Technique.

"Stop!" Silva growled. His killing intent rose again, but he forced it down.

"Aren. If you have not killed my son immediately, then you must want something. Say it." Aren's lips curved into a cruel smile, and his grip loosened again.

"You're right. I do want something. Not now, but in the future. When I ask you to do one thing, you cannot refuse." Seeing Silva about to speak, Aren continued.

"Relax. It will not harm the Zoldyck Family's interests." Silva exhaled slightly.

"If it truly does not harm the Zoldyck Family's interests, then I can promise to do one thing for you in the future."

"Good." Aren wanted to clap and mock him, but one hand was still holding Illumi, so he gave up. His wrath had begun cooling. He could think about gains and losses again. When anger had filled him earlier, he had nearly killed Silva. Looking back now, he was fortunate Silva had been strong enough to survive. If Silva died, Nanika's future would become uncertain. Illumi might become the heir. Killua, the one capable of ordering Nanika, might never be born.

If Nanika disappeared, Aren's theory would never be completed. He had almost ruined a major future plan. This result was not bad. Not only had he smoothed the situation over, he had also obtained one request from Silva. He did not yet know what he would use it for, but when Nanika appeared in the future, it would surely have value.

"It seems we've reached an agreement. A good first step." Aren looked at Silva with open mockery. Silva could only endure it. That was the consequence of insufficient strength. Even if Aren was a beginner, even if his foundation was weak and his awareness poor, strength still decided the result. He was stronger. There was nothing Silva could do.

"Now for the second step," Aren said.

"I remember the Zoldycks don't abandon commissions. So what will you do?" Silva forced his emotions flat.

"Simple. The client only needs to die. Are you willing to spend one Jenny to commission my father, Zeno Zoldyck, to assassinate the person in charge of Antoine Family Trust Company?"

"Hmm. What if I say no?" Aren decided to tease him. For a second, Silva's expression nearly broke.

"What?" Aren waved a hand.

"I'm joking. Lightening the mood. Fine, I'm willing." A vein throbbed faintly on Silva's forehead. After several deep breaths, he took a phone from his pocket and dialed. The phone rang a few times before someone answered.

"Silva?" Zeno's voice was not yet as old as in the future, but it still sounded strong.

"Father. I encountered trouble here. A guest needs your help killing the person in charge of Antoine Family Trust Company." Silva spoke concisely. Zeno fell silent for a moment.

"Has it reached that point?"

"Yes."

"I understand. I'll go now." Zeno hung up. As Silva's father, he did not know exactly what trouble Silva had encountered, but he understood the severity. This was the Zoldyck Family's emergency final measure. Zeno knew a little about Silva's current mission. The client was connected to Antoine Family Trust. If Silva called and said someone on his side wanted to hire Zeno to kill Silva's own client, something had clearly happened that Silva could not resolve. For the Zoldycks, fleeing was not shameful.

It was as natural as eating or drinking. If Silva had reached this method, then the "trouble" was likely something even escape could not solve unless the mission itself was canceled. Zeno let out a sharp whistle. After a short while, a powerful current of air swept in. He kicked off the ground and leapt into the sky. A massive figure flashed through the clouds and caught him. A dragon's roar echoed overhead.

"It seems I'll need to learn about Silva's target afterward." Back at Chinkola Point, Silva put away the phone and looked at Aren.

"It is done. There is no need to continue this commission. May I take my son now?" Aren did not immediately release Illumi. Instead, he asked with interest,"Oh? You don't need to confirm your client is dead before abandoning the mission?"