Killua's Request X Secret Weapon

All arrangements have been finalized.

"Now," Morel looked around at everyone, "We're just waiting for the Chairman's information on the next move."

Ultimately, we still have to wait for Chairman Netero's signal, after all, he is the irreplaceable core of this decisive battle, and the Ant King is his ultimate target.

All the arrangements were ultimately for the purpose of his ultimate showdown with the Ant King.

The outskirts of the Royal Palace, at the edge of the forest.

Kevin stood alone on the top branch of a towering ancient tree, his figure as straight as a javelin, completely still.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, pierced through the gaps in the sparse branches and leaves, locking onto the direction of the Royal Palace from afar, without blinking.

In his almost superhumanly keen perception, Neferpitou's enormous, terrifyingly vast, and irregularly shaped "circle" resembled a huge and invisible energy dome, tightly enveloping the Royal Palace and a large surrounding area.

--

It continuously fluctuates and operates, silently demonstrating the vast and powerful Nen of its owner.

Each time I sensed the presence of the Royal Guards.

Kevin couldn't help but marvel once again at the terrifying nature of the Chimeric Ant.

The abilities of the Royal Guards were clearly meticulously categorized and arranged, with each specializing in a different area and pushing it to its limits.

This near-perfect ability to modify genes is truly astonishing.

Behind me, I heard soft, familiar footsteps, crunching through the soft, thick layer of humus and the crisp, fallen leaves, approaching from afar.

Kevin didn't turn around until the footsteps reached the foot of the tree, then nimbly climbed up and finally stood firmly on a thick, sturdy branch next to him.

"What's wrong? Battle is imminent, feeling a bit emotional? Need some free verbal comfort from me, brother?"

Kevin's lips curled into a playful smile as he asked without turning his head, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere with a joke.

Upon hearing this, Qi rolled his eyes without hesitation, his silver hair swaying gently in the cool night breeze.

Kevin then turned around, his gaze falling on the silver-haired boy beside him, whose brows held a hint of gloom.

Just when Qi thought he was just joking, Kevin suddenly reached out, his movements as fast as lightning, and with irresistible speed, precisely pressed down on Qi's head.

Then, with a mix of intimacy and teasing, he gave it a firm squeeze.

In an instant, he ruffled her smooth, silver hair into a messy bird's nest.

"Tsk!"

Kiy cursed inwardly, his body instinctively wanting to lean back and dodge.

He clearly sensed the other person's intentions, but the other person's speed was so fast that his nerves couldn't react in time, leaving him no choice but to helplessly endure this "torture."

"If you have something on your mind, just say it. A real man shouldn't be so hesitant."

Kevin withdrew his hand, his tone teasing like an older brother, but his eyes held a more serious expression.

"Who's being coy!"

These words immediately ignited Qi Dian, who retorted loudly indignantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and whose fur stood on end.

After he finished speaking, he looked into Kevin's deep eyes, which seemed to penetrate one's very soul.

The agitated aura he had just displayed dissipated instantly, like a punctured balloon, and his shoulders slumped slightly, revealing a rare hint of fatigue.

"Hey, Kiy, when did you become so preoccupied and gloomy? This is nothing like your usual cocky self."

Kevin's joking expression faded, and his tone became serious and concerned.

"It can't be because of the upcoming battle, can it?"

After all, Qi is completely different from ordinary children who grow up in a greenhouse.

This is a child who grew up in a bloody and turbulent environment of killing and being killed, and was carefully trained by his family as a top assassin.

His hands were already stained with blood; fighting and death were merely daily seasonings for him.

Such an experience should not, in theory, have made him so preoccupied and unable to find peace simply because of an upcoming battle.

"Is it because you've suddenly grown up? Started to think about the meaning of life? Or is it that you've finally reached the so-called rebellious phase and find everything unpleasant?"

Kevin deliberately used a lighthearted and teasing tone to probe.

Moreover, it's quite amusing to watch Qi's temper, which he can't seem to get angry over.

Kiy's forehead veins throbbed uncontrollably again, but after taking several deep breaths, he managed to suppress his anger at being teased and bury it deep in his heart.

He let out a long, heavy breath, as if to release all the pent-up emotions in his chest.

He raised his head, his blue eyes, filled with contemplation and inquiry, staring directly at Kevin, and finally asked, "You're very strong, aren't you? Extremely, extremely strong? Strong to an unimaginable degree?"

Kiy had known for a long time that Kevin was very strong, and as time went on, he felt that Kevin had become increasingly unfathomable, like a high mountain shrouded in mist.

Even now, he still cannot fully comprehend the terrifying extent of the opponent's power.

"It's alright, just enough to get by," Kevin shrugged, his tone casual but his words carrying an undeniable and powerful confidence. "Probably one of the top few in the world, just enough to survive."

Of course, there is no official, authoritative ranking.

This world is full of hidden talents; who knows what kind of extraordinary monster might suddenly emerge from some secluded mountain forest or a remote corner of the ocean?

Tsk, what a show-off.

Kiy couldn't help but roll her eyes again, but after hesitating for a moment, she couldn't suppress her inner doubts and asked, "Then... how does it compare to my dad? How does it compare to my dad?"

"Your father?" Kevin's mind instantly conjured up the image of a burly, imposing man with striking white hair— Silva Zoldyck Family.

"Although I don't fully understand the specifics of your father's Nen ability's strange effects," Kevin said frankly, a curious yet cold glint in his eyes, "I'm confident that with my current state and strength, I definitely won't lose to him."

That's a very modest statement.

After saying that, Kevin raised an eyebrow, looking at Qi with a hint of amusement and inquiry, and couldn't help but tease, "What? After experiencing this innocent and 'exciting' adventure with Gon, you've finally started to reflect on and examine your—well, rather special, even rather distorted, family education issues?"

Even the most obtuse person, or the one with the least social experience, can see it.

The Zoldyck Family's educational methods and overall family atmosphere are far removed from what the world considers "normal," and can even be described as quite extreme and distorted.

However, Kevin immediately became serious and cautiously reminded him, "If it's a family conflict or dispute, as an outsider, it's really not appropriate for me to rashly intervene. Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes; outsiders often only see the tip of the iceberg."

Although he found Qi's family situation to be unusual, it was, after all, a family affair with a long history, strict rules, complex origins, and unique operating rules.

Moreover, it's hard to say that such a family structure wasn't a unique survival model formed based on some harsh reality or heavy historical reasons.

Without understanding the underlying reasons and each person's perspective, one should not make hasty judgments, let alone intervene rashly.

You might mean well but end up doing something wrong, ending up in an awkward situation where you're disliked by everyone.

This has always been Kevin's principle in life.

"Hey, hey," Kevin said with a helpless smile, noticing the fleeting embarrassment and obvious hesitation on Qi's face, "You don't really think that way, do you? You expect me, an outsider, to mediate the internal conflicts of your Zoldyck Family?"

Qi did not answer directly, but slowly raised his hand and touched the spot between his eyebrows with his slender fingers, the movement carrying an indescribable complexity and heaviness.

"Before, I had a needle in my head, you know? A Nen needle that Illumi stuck in."

Kevin nodded, his expression understanding.

He knew that, of course, but it was more of a special protection and control mechanism of the Zoldyck Family, so as an outsider, he naturally couldn't interfere with the family's internal education methods or secret means.

Moreover, Qi has now forcibly pulled out the needle through his own willpower.

After the needle was removed, his fighting instincts and ability to act were indeed greatly enhanced, and he no longer instinctively feared and retreated as before.

"I managed to force it out in the Greed Island game before."

Kiy's voice lowered, carrying a hint of relief mixed with pain. "So, I remembered some things. Some important things that were forcibly Blockade and forgotten by that needle."

Amnesia?

So, was another part of the memory also sealed away or distorted by that needle?

Kevin frowned slightly, a sense of unease crossing his mind.

This plot is a bit melodramatic.

However, a closer Zoldyck Family's twisted family traditions and ways of doing things might help us understand why they would resort to such extreme measures.

But when it comes to manipulating memories—whether it's sealing them away, forgetting them, or distorting them— Kevin feels a deep-seated, instinctive aversion and wariness.

Memory, in essence, is a core component that constitutes a person's personality and shapes their existence.

Kevin viewed any involuntary, coercive manipulation of memories as an extreme evil.

Actions that violate basic human dignity.

Judging from Qi's expression at this moment, those awakened memories seem to be very important, and may even bring a huge impact.

I have a younger brother in my memory----

Qi's voice was strained, as if each word weighed a ton. "He's been imprisoned at home, in a dark and gloomy place, and I had completely forgotten about it, completely forgotten it."

His voice was filled with self-blame and disbelief.

He clearly had a very good relationship with his younger brother.

Upon hearing this, Kevin was visibly taken aback, looking at Qi with a strange expression that mixed surprise and inquiry.

"It might sound strange to say this," Kevin carefully chose his words, "But I remember a long time ago, the publicly stated number of members in your Zoldyck Family was five children, right?"

For Kiy, it was the memory being sealed away by the Nen needle that caused him to forget, but it seems that the Zoldyck Family itself did not have the intention to deliberately hide the number of its offspring.

The fact that the family has five children is not a top secret; it can be found on Hunter x Hunter websites and public intelligence networks.

If Qi had taken the time to research his family's public information or encyclopedia entries before removing the needles, he might have discovered his "forgotten" brother and recalled related memories.

"Is... is that so?" Qi himself was taken aback, a look of astonishment and confusion flashing across his face. Clearly, he had never thought of it from this perspective before.

However, that's clearly not the focus right now.

"Kevin," Qi's expression turned incredibly solemn, his eyes fixed intently on him, his voice filled with an unprecedented seriousness and earnestness, "I hope that once this Chimeric Ant affair is completely over, you will accept my request. Help me rescue my brother Alluka —from that cage!"

Seeing the undeniable sincerity and determination in Qi's eyes, Kevin fell into deep thought.

The imprisoned young heir, whose painful memories were sealed away by the family's Nen ability.

If we make a reasonable assumption, then it is almost certain that Qi, who is being groomed by the family to be the future head of the family, must have an extremely deep emotional bond with his younger brother Alluka.

The fact that this Zoldyck Family member was so tightly imprisoned must mean that something earth-shattering happened within the family, something that touched upon the family's core taboos.

But the Zoldyck Family is no ordinary family.

Murder and fratricide, which are heinous crimes in the eyes of ordinary people, may just be part of their daily training and certainly not a reason to imprison a family member.

Moreover, the choice to imprison someone indicates that they still have value or cannot be easily disposed of.

They also deliberately used the Nen needle to hide related memories, to avoid Kiy knowing or investigating.

That means we knew what Kiy would definitely do.

Is there a sense of guilt involved?

All signs indicate that this appears to be an event that the family does not want any outsiders to know, possibly involving Root Oath secrets or enormous risks.

Is it really appropriate for an outsider like myself to get involved in this?

Although he wasn't afraid of getting himself into trouble.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to help," Kevin frankly expressed his concerns, "It just feels strange to forcibly get involved in someone else's core family affairs, especially Zoldyck Family, and the risks are considerable."

In response to Kevin's concerns.

Kiy, on the contrary, appeared unusually resolute. He shook his head and said bluntly, "No problem! I just need you to provide protection at crucial moments to ensure the operation goes smoothly and safely. Besides, our family—our situation is indeed a bit different from ordinary families; some things require breaking with convention to solve."

It seems that Qi, who lost the Nen needle in his face and regained some of his memories, has not only become more proactive, but his understanding of the family rules has also undergone subtle changes, and he has even gained the Courage to challenge them.

"Yes, that's true."

Kevin pondered for a moment, seeing the determination in Qi's eyes, and finally nodded. "Alright, let's discuss this in detail after this life-or-death battle is over."

"Okay, thank you!"

Kiy breathed a sigh of relief, and for the first time, the master showed a slight expression of relaxation.

He knew that receiving such a promise from Kevin would greatly increase his chances of rescuing Alluka.

Right now, the most pressing goal is to get through this life-or-death challenge of the Chimeric Ant in front of us.

Perhaps it was because the atmosphere of the decisive battle was so close that a heavy pressure filled the air.

Not only was the atmosphere heavy on Kevin's side, but even the Chimeric Ant inside the Royal Palace had inexplicably become quieter and more vigilant.

Neferpitou, which has always maintained a large "circle", seems to have a more refined scope of policing, and its perception is more cautious and focused than ever before.

The situation is unlikely to change much for the time being, like the oppressive stillness before a storm.

As usual, Men Qi rode the giant Griffin formed from Nen Aura and, after completing the final round of high-altitude patrol, landed smoothly at the edge of their temporary camp.

She leaped lightly off the Griffin's back, and the majestic Nen Beast instantly vanished in Flowing Light.

After entering the camp, she looked around but didn't see the person she was looking for.

He jogged over to Kevin, who was still sitting on the edge of the cliff, deep in thought. He leaned close to Kevin's ear, lowered his voice, and whispered with a hint of concern and curiosity:

--

"Kevin, where 'Melusina? She's been nowhere to be seen since that day, acting all mysterious. What's she up to?"

Logically speaking, she shouldn't have interfered too much in something as obviously a secret operation like this, but the relationships within their small team were already very close, sharing honor and disgrace.

So when faced with Men Qi's straightforward and concerned questions, Kevin didn't try to hide anything.

"She went back," Kevin replied succinctly.

"Go back?" Men Qi was slightly taken aback, then realized, "Back to our Manor?"

Although the distance isn't too far, it still takes a considerable amount of time to travel back and forth, especially in these crucial moments before the decisive battle.

"Don't worry," Kevin said, noticing her concern, his tone reassuring and confident, "She'll definitely make it."

Moreover, she went to retrieve a secret weapon we had prepared for this battle.

Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Men Qi's eyes, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was relieved. She did not continue to ask for details, but simply nodded knowingly, feeling even more at ease.

Kevin called it a secret weapon, so it must be something extraordinary.

This is undoubtedly good news for the upcoming big battle.

Wait, could it be that snake?