Kael naturally understood Killua’s current situation.
The Nen needle Illumi had personally implanted still lay buried deep within his mind like a vicious curse.
That needle functioned like an excessively sensitive alarm.
Whenever Killua encountered an opponent whose strength was comparable to his own—or even slightly inferior—but whom he personally judged to be “troublesome,” the alarm would begin shrieking wildly.
It distorted his rational assessment into an overwhelming fear of an unbeatable enemy, forcibly activating the most instinctive program within his body:
Escape.
Kael had considered telling Killua the truth directly.
But every time the thought arose, he suppressed it.
Removing the needle too early might free Killua from his immediate restraints, but it could also deprive him of the chance to forge a stronger will by confronting his fear himself.
When Kael mentioned Illumi, he had never truly intended to bring that controlling lunatic into this world.
That would be no different from inviting a wolf into their home.
His real purpose was to deliberately provoke Killua—to administer a powerful medicine aimed directly at the sickness in his heart.
Killua understood his eldest brother down to his bones.
Illumi’s suffocating desire for control had cast the darkest shadow over his childhood.
Killua could still vividly remember how, simply because he had wanted to speak to another child his age, Illumi had calmly and precisely taken that child’s life.
That scene had carved an indelible mark into Killua’s heart like the coldest shard of ice.
It had taught him that any “accident” deviating from the path Illumi had chosen for him would be erased in the cruelest manner possible.
Now, with the tacit permission of his father, Silva Zoldyck, Killua had finally broken free.
Like a bird escaping its cage, he greedily breathed in the air of freedom.
He had no desire whatsoever to face Illumi again.
Illumi was a nightmarish existence.
Even though Killua knew perfectly well that his brother’s strength and abilities could create enormous waves in this new world, he still wanted nothing more to do with him.
The rejection rising from the depths of his soul had practically become instinct.
“Killua, I know what you’re resisting.”
Kael’s voice pulled Killua out of his frigid memories.
“You’re afraid of Illumi because, ultimately, you still lack the power to oppose him.
That’s why he can suppress you so easily.”
“But have you ever considered what would happen if you became stronger than him?”
“That fear would naturally disappear.”
Kael’s gaze burned intensely.
Every word carried unquestionable force.
“A shadow is only a shadow because your back is turned toward it.”
“Only by turning around and facing it can you truly defeat it.”
Only by facing the shadow can I overcome it?
Kael’s words struck a chord deep within Killua.
However, the instant that thought appeared, a sharp pain suddenly seized his nerves. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Illumi’s expressionless, doll-like face surfaced within his mind.
His emotionless voice repeated itself like a broken recording:
Do not resist…
Do not face an opponent you cannot defeat…
Do not fight back…
Do not resist…
The voice carried a strange, sinister power.
It continuously tore apart the small amount of courage Killua had only just gathered.
“Killua?!
What’s wrong?”
Gon was the first to notice his companion’s abnormal condition.
Killua clutched his head tightly with both hands.
His knuckles had turned white from the force, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared along his temples.
Gon looked anxiously at Kael, his eyes filled with confusion and concern.
Kael silently shook his head, but his gaze never left Killua.
He knew exactly what was happening.
This was a fog Killua had to cross on his own.
“I-I’m fine…”
Killua gasped, attempting to calm the pain raging through his mind.
His sharp instincts immediately told him that this was not a normal reaction.
Whenever he thought about resisting, pain and terror arrived without fail.
The moment he abandoned the idea and chose obedience, every trace of discomfort instantly vanished.
Such a precise mechanism…
“It’s Nen!”
Killua abruptly raised his head.
A flash of realization and fury appeared in his blue eyes.
“Kael, did Illumi place some kind of Nen inside me?”
“The moment I thought about confronting him, my head filled with his voice ordering me not to resist!”
“The harder I try to fight it, the more painful and frightened I become!”
Seeing that Killua had discovered the key himself, a trace of approval flashed through Kael’s eyes.
He nodded and calmly stated the facts as though he had known them all along.
“Your conclusion is correct.”
“From what I know, Illumi is a Manipulator who frequently uses Nen needles.”
“He most likely implanted a special Nen needle somewhere inside your brain.”
“Its purpose is to force you to abandon a fight whenever you judge the situation to be dangerous, making you flee regardless of everything else.”
“And perhaps…”
Kael paused and glanced toward the nervous Gon beside them.
“In the future, if Gon or I were ever trapped in a desperate situation with our lives hanging by a thread, that needle might forcibly take control of your will.” Get faster updates on g.com.
“It could make you… abandon us and escape alone.”
Those words fell like a massive boulder into a tranquil lake.
Killua looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
His entire body froze.
Abandon Gon?
Abandon Kael?
Run away alone at the moment between life and death?
That was impossible.
He firmly believed that Gon was the light in his life—a companion he was willing to protect with his own life.
And yet…
The uncontrollable fear inside his mind and the compulsion to flee were undeniably real.
For the first time, Killua began to deeply doubt his own heart.
“I don’t believe you!”
Gon suddenly stepped in front of Killua like a hedgehog protecting its young.
He glared angrily at Kael.
“I trust Killua!”
“He would never do something like that!”
“Kael, saying that is going too far!”
Killua felt Gon’s wholehearted trust behind him, burning as warmly as sunlight.
It was as though a warm current had been poured directly into his heart.
Kael did not retreat before Gon’s anger.
Instead, his voice became steadier and more forceful.
“Gon, trust is an emotion, but Nen abilities operate according to rules.”
“Some things cannot be completely resisted through willpower alone.”
“The only way to conquer fear is to face the fear itself.”
“If Killua cannot even endure the thought of confronting it, how can you guarantee that the Nen needle won’t forcibly distort his will when a genuine crisis arrives?”
“I trust him!”
Gon answered without the slightest hesitation.
His eyes were clear and unwavering, like the brightest stars.
“No matter what you say, I trust Killua!”
“And Kael—you’re saying all this, but deep down, you trust him too, don’t you?!”
Kael looked into Gon’s eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through every falsehood.
At last, the corner of his mouth curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
As expected, this was Gon.
Once he placed his trust in someone, it became as immovable as a mountain.
(End of Chapter)