The Heaven's Arena, a paradise for fighters, allows participants to have private rooms upon reaching the 100th floor. However, if one loses a battle and falls below the 100th floor, their room is repossessed.
The 100th floor is a crucial watershed in the Heaven's Arena. Above the 100th floor, conditions are far better than below. Not only are private rooms provided for free, but prize money for victories is also significantly increased.
Consequently, many participants fight desperately to maintain their rank, resorting to any means necessary to avoid falling below the 100th floor. The longer one stays above the 100th floor, the more skilled they become at defending their position, making them exceptionally difficult to deal with.
... That was several months ago.
The 150th floor is the second watershed. Upon reaching the 150th floor, the prize money for million-level competitions is upgraded to ten-million-level. The number of bothersome, low-class nuisances dwindles significantly. The enemies Killua currently faces are mostly on the stage, competing based on their abilities in front of the audience.
The Heaven's Arena doctors, constantly treating the injured from battles, possess extensive experience in wound care. In less than ten minutes, Killua emerged from the infirmary, a lollipop sticking out of his mouth. He propped his bandaged arms behind his head, crossing them and walking casually through the corridor.
The lollipop stick bobbed up and down as he licked the candy, and he noticed he was being followed again.
By now, he was too lazy to bother with the trailing tails behind him. This was because those who acted this way lacked confidence in their strength and sought to take shortcuts as untalented contenders.
However, this time the follower was very different. They made no attempt to hide their presence and even clumsily revealed their tail.
Lowering his arms, Killua took the lollipop out of his mouth and quickly walked towards the corner where a sliver of silver-white hair peeked out. He tilted his head up and called out, "Sister."
Melors crouched down and ruffled Killua's hair, which was the same color as her own. Her expressionless blue eyes reflected Killua's smiling face. The smile wasn't one of overwhelming joy, but at least it was the genuine closeness displayed when visited by family.
Without the Zoldyck family's control, Killua had spent the past few months in the Heaven's Arena more freely than ever before. Although the mixed crowd in the Heaven's Arena had caused him some hardship, compared to the hellish training of the Zoldycks, these hardships served as a pleasant diversion.
The six-year-old child, budding with rebelliousness, was so engrossed in his current life that he didn't even think of missing his family. He hadn't had his fill of fun yet!
His family's appearance felt less like a surprise and more like an interruption.
It was his sister who came... that was acceptable. As long as it wasn't his terrifying older brother or his annoying mother, any other family member was within the range of acceptability.
Everyone in the family said his sister had some mental issues. Killua agreed, but his sister's mental issues were minor, making her essentially normal. She could communicate, didn't talk much, and doted on him. As a sister, there was nothing to complain about.
The only inconvenience was her reticence. After that brain surgery, she seemed even harder to understand.
Humans fear the unknown, and Killua felt a bit constrained.
Melors was a person whose emotional sensitivity stemmed from life experiences, while Killua's sensitivity came from his naturally delicate disposition, much like a highly vigilant wild cat keenly aware of potential dangers.
"Thank you for the chocolate you sent last time, Sister," Killua decided to use the safe topic of thanking her for a gift, accompanying it with the polite smile he used when interacting with people. "I was very happy."
Killua was still young and had limited experience. Although much more intelligent than children his age, he couldn't yet perfectly hide his thoughts. Even Melors could see Killua's obvious nervousness – his flaws were too apparent.
Melors hadn't expected Killua to develop a fear of her. Could it be that her completely expressionless demeanor after the brain surgery was very similar to Illumi's aura, which Killua feared?
Fortunately, Melors had practiced her expressions many times in front of the mirror. She could manage a smile that conveyed friendliness. A deeper smile was out of the question, as her eyes lacked emotion; the wider the smile, the more she resembled a "smiling but not truly smiling" villain.
She pursed her lips slightly and then curved the corners of her mouth upwards, briefly displaying a smile.
To alleviate Killua's unease, Melors stated her purpose directly, "Just came to see you. Um, to see if you needed to buy anything."
Limited by her poverty, Melors had never spent a single cent on any game in the "real world," nor had she experienced the concept of "paying for love" with virtual characters. Impulse purchases were often extinguished the moment she saw the price.
Now that she had hundreds of millions of funds, her spending habits needed to change. Why repeat a dull life?
She thought of her last few years in the "real world," where both the original manga and the new anime required payment to watch, and rewatching meant resorting to pirated websites. No, it wasn't just this work; Melors had benefited from too much for free.
"..." Unable to repay the original author, she might as well offer some contribution to the fictional characters that had brought her cherished memories.
After all, Killua was her favorite character from her first read of the original work. His striking appearance, his cool assassin identity, his adorable cat-like demeanor – especially the "heart-ripping" scene, which was an unprecedentedly thrilling moment that shattered her long-held impressions of shonen manga. It was like Liu姥姥 visiting the Grand View Garden, suddenly opening her eyes to a new world, a memory that remained vivid to this day.
"Mmm," Killua's tensed muscles relaxed a bit upon learning Melors's intention. He put the lollipop back in his mouth and mumbled, "Let me think."
She never asked about his (assassin) studies and liked buying him things; this was his sister as usual.
But, was it really okay?
After the brain surgery, his sister's aura had become somewhat...
"Then let's go to the streets," Melors suggested, pinching Killua's bulging cheek. "We can shop as we go."
Perhaps, maybe, it would be alright?
After a moment of hesitation, thinking about his nearly depleted prize money, Killua couldn't resist the temptation to shop. He nodded and happily replied with an "Mm."
Stepping out of the Heaven's Arena and into the bustling marketplace, as they approached his favorite dessert shop, the lollipop in his mouth no longer tasted as sweet. He crunched it and ate it, then jumped up the steps two at a time. "This way, this way!"
The dessert shop staff were very familiar with Killua, a regular customer. As he hopped up the steps, they opened the door from the inside. "Welcome."
"Little brother, are you here with family this time?" the staff member asked, looking at Melors who followed him up the steps, and smiled, "Welcome."
The aroma of freshly baked goods, with its inherent warmth, dispelled Killua's last reservations. No longer hiding the liveliness leaping from his heart, he turned to the staff and proudly declared, "Yes, this is my sister."
The staff member placed their hands on their apron and bent down to ask him, "What would you like today? Or would you like to hear our recommendations first?"
"Today..." Killua deliberately waited for the staff member to finish before puffing out his chest and proudly revealing his confidence, "Please give me one of everything! Oh, wait, two of everything?"
Killua looked at Melors, appearing somewhat uncertain. Melors curved her lips and shook her head.
"Then one of everything it is," Killua said to the staff member with firm conviction.
"Certainly."
The two chose a window seat to wait. During the wait, Killua became quiet, his hands placed neatly on the edge of the table. However, his constantly swinging legs on the chair completely betrayed his current elated mood.
No matter how much he tried to act mature, he was still a child.
"Oh, right," Killua's gaze fell on the table card. "We haven't ordered drinks yet."
The table card displayed the shop's recommended menu. Killua handed the card to Melors, "Let's get something to drink. If you want my recommendation, I suggest..."
Not far from the dessert shop.
A man bowed respectfully to the black-haired youth beside him and whispered, "Young Master Illumi."
When Melors appeared at the Heaven's Arena, the man immediately treated it as a critical situation and, as per protocol, contacted Madam Kikyo, reporting Melors's arrival.
It was said that, in a certain sense, Miss Melors was the most dangerous member of the Zoldyck family. If she went mad, she would be indiscriminate, potentially becoming the greatest threat to Young Master Killua's life.
Last time, the young lady had only left chocolates and did not meet with Young Master Killua. Furthermore, she had given prior notice, so there was no real danger.
This time, it was a surprise attack. The man was on full alert, fearing any mishap.
"Good." The man felt fortunate. The reinforcement that arrived was a member of the Zoldyck family, and they had come quickly.
The man's strength was not particularly high among the butlers. He merely possessed a unique Nen ability that proved somewhat useful, which was why the Zoldycks assigned him and another butler to alternately guard Young Master Killua from the shadows. There were some Nen users and powerful enemies in the Heaven's Arena that the young Killua could not handle. Although Killua would likely actively avoid dangerous individuals, it was always wise to have a safeguard just in case.
Miss Melors was an additional destabilizing factor. The last time she had discovered his "En," the man had broken out in a cold sweat. After requesting instructions from Madam Kikyo, he had identified himself to her along with a colleague who had just arrived to provide support, allowing him to extricate himself.
The man knew he had been discovered by the young lady again this time. Since they had greeted each other last time, the young lady had chosen to ignore his presence.
No, no, no. With that level of opponent, would his Nen ability truly be effective?
... Bearing such immense psychological pressure alone was agonizing.
Fortunately, with the arrival of a Zoldyck family member, he could relax and focus on auxiliary duties.
"My appearance has made you complacent?" Illumi's gaze was deep. Although he was questioning the man, his eyes were not on him but on the two figures, one large and one small, by the dessert shop window.
The man, realizing his momentary lapse, was extremely apologetic and lowered his head. "I am truly sorry, Young Master Illumi."
"Do not take your eyes off the target," Illumi's voice was cold, devoid of any discernible emotion.
He would likely face punishment later, but the crucial thing was not to make another mistake in front of his master.
"Yes." The man immediately raised his head.
Just as he was about to bring the target into view, Illumi spoke again, "Return and await further orders."
Awaiting orders was good! It was far more comfortable than being under his master's watchful eye, fearing he might inadvertently make a mistake.
"Yes." The man departed with haste, as if granted a great pardon.
Inside the dessert shop.
Melors picked up a hot cocoa, into which sweet-smelling condensed milk had been added. Pink, white, pale yellow, and light blue marshmallows floated on top, all in sweet candy colors, their appearance matching their taste perfectly.
"How is it?" Killua, the recommender, asked expectantly. "Is it delicious?"
"..." Melors noticed that the trailing aura she had sensed had suddenly disappeared.
What had happened?
Chewing slowly on the pink marshmallow, Melors nodded at Killua.
"See!" Killua contentedly picked up a small cake in front of him and put it in his mouth, eating with great enjoyment.
"..." Melors's gaze had already shifted to the window outside.
Perhaps to dispel her doubts, a familiar figure flashed past. So, the surveillance had changed personnel.
Killua was unaware of the surveillance. Because Melors was distracted, he also looked out the window but didn't find anything noteworthy. "What's wrong?"
"..." Melors shook her head and picked up a napkin to wipe the cream from Killua's chin.
Although Killua didn't sense it, Melors, now aware that Illumi was watching from nearby, felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Whether it was an illusion or not, she felt as though a scrutinizing gaze was firmly fixed on her, like claws scratching at her.
Melors knew very well how much Illumi valued Killua.
As for why Illumi chose to remain hidden and not appear directly...
Melors was unaware that Silva had explicitly ordered Illumi to "refrain from any form of contact with Melors," and therefore did not know the reason for Silva's order: he had learned that Illumi had crossed a line with her. Yes, precisely because of this, Silva's order was not public, and Melors had no way to investigate it.
The Zoldyck family's decision to perform brain surgery on her wasn't simply the decision of the current patriarch, Silva, was it? She thought that other family members must have agreed. Perhaps Illumi saw her as mentally unstable and thus chose to keep his distance.
Illumi, that scumbag, was only interested in things of value; he discarded things that lost their value as if they were rubbish. Was he concerned that a mentally unstable person might endanger the heir the family valued most?
According to the development in the manga's election arc, was he seeing her as Nanika? He would observe from the shadows, taking a wait-and-see approach, and if she made any moves detrimental to Killua, he would intervene.
"..." Melors took another sip of her hot cocoa.
Forget it. There was no need to argue with a scumbag; complicating matters would be detrimental to everyone.
The situation was simple. Today, she just wanted to spend money on her favorite fictional character.
Never forget your original intention.
Both were original protagonists. Gon's frog-green outfit hardly changed, but Killua's clothes changed frequently. Do you know why?
That's because Killua actively bought many clothes.
Perhaps it was due to Kikyo's influence from a young age?
It didn't matter. Killua liked new clothes, and his taste was much better than that of the "three beauties." He wore mainstream trendy brands and dressed completely normally. So, buy, buy, buy!
Since they bought many clothes, when leaving a delivery address for the shop, Melors remembered another important matter. She asked Killua if his living quarters were sufficient to store the items purchased today. Melors recalled that the free private rooms below the 200th floor in the original work were not very spacious, seemingly just small single rooms for one person.
"Oh, right," Killua hesitated and stopped writing. "Then... should we return some?"
Melors thought for a moment and suggested they could book a room at a hotel near the Heaven's Arena to store them.
They booked a hotel room via phone, then changed the delivery address to the hotel, and the two continued to the next store.
Wearing casual clothes, Illumi blended in with the crowd, always maintaining the optimal tracking distance from them.
His attention was primarily focused on Melors's every move. He had deliberately revealed himself earlier to alert Melors. If Melors made any suspicious or dangerous moves, then...
His thumb rubbed his index finger, as if holding a needle.
The passersby walking near Melors and Killua had a faint metallic reflection flash at the back of their heads. Under the manipulation of the Nen needles, even ordinary people could be forced to unleash their full potential, becoming usable combatants.
However, after unleashing their full potential, ordinary people would be rendered useless.
Whether anything would happen depended on whether Melors made a move.
He hoped she wouldn't act rashly, yet he also hoped she would go mad again so he could suppress her reasonably, with an inexplicable anticipation. Illumi lowered his eyes slightly, the shadow cast by his eyelashes covering his eyes, making his pupils even darker, like a night devoid of stars and moon.
Melors and Killua visited a toy store and an arcade. Nothing happened until dinner time.
It was fine. Assassins were best at waiting; they were even accustomed to it. Illumi showed no signs of impatience, quietly following his targets.
Illumi, disguised as a waiter using Nen needles to alter his appearance and voice, was a technique he frequently employed in his usual missions. He handled it with practiced ease.
When he placed the menu tray down with standard posture, Melors didn't notice his disguise. She was running her fingers through her hair, a habit that Madam Kikyo disliked, but she still couldn't break it?
Her snow-white neck revealed a small, delicate patch as she moved her hair. Illumi, as if in a hallucination, thought he could see the texture of that skin and imagined the scene of a Nen needle piercing it.
However, the sound of flipping menus reached his ears.
Melors was still tidying her hair; it was Killua flipping through the menu.
Illumi looked at Melors's right hand on the table. Her fingers were slender, her nails a pale pink. Oh, yes, the same color as her lips, and her...
Melors's left hand finished arranging her hair, and she lowered her arm, cutting off Illumi's line of sight.
"...That's all," Killua handed over the menu.
"Certainly, please wait a moment." Illumi, disguised as a waiter, picked up the tray.
Seemingly having some reservations about the order, Melors raised her hand.
*Ding—*
A silver dessert knife was accidentally brushed to the floor by her sleeve.
According to work protocols, when a guest dropped chopsticks or other utensils, the staff should immediately replace them with clean ones.
"I'll replace it for you," the waiter immediately put down the tray and bent down to pick up the knife.
However, the dessert knife was firmly pinned by Melors's toe. The kneeling waiter looked up and met Melors's expressionless face.
A sharp object pressed against the waiter's throat.
The waiter...
The waiter grinned.