Chapter 30: Two Incompatible People

"The sky..."

Kurapika wiped away the tears that spilled over and asked a question he already knew the answer to, even though he thought it was unsightly.

"... Are you sure you don't want to partner with me for this exam?"

Kurapika's question was met with a bitter smile from Sora, exactly the same as the response on the ship.

"I'm sorry, taking your Plate is impossible. If Kurapika and I teamed up to hunt the other three, wouldn't that be an even greater burden and disadvantage?

... Even if you are good, I don't want to become a burden to you. If this is going to be a burden, I don't need to be a Hunter."

Kurapika's words, "It's not a burden" and "I don't mind," were blocked before he could say them. For a moment, the speechless Kurapika glared in dissatisfaction and protested.

"... Do I also hate that you think I'm a dead weight?"

"Hmm? Even if you put me in a difficult spot because you are too important to me, I have never felt you were a burden, and I never will."

However, the opponent was too good.

As usual, Sora was so happy he couldn't speak, making Kurapika lower his head with a blushing face.

Lowering his head to think.

In that situation, I want you to stay by my side. I want you to keep me by your side. I don't think you are a burden. Without Sora, I am useless.

If he begged, Sora would consider what to do, but he would never actually do it.

It was impossible for Kurapika to feel burdened or disadvantaged by having Sora around, but he could imagine himself becoming a burden to Sora, becoming a weight on Sora.

Sora's line was actually Kurapika's line.

Even though Sora didn't think Kurapika was a burden now, in the past, or in the future, Kurapika thought so himself, fearing he would become a burden.

That was why Kurapika finally muttered: "... I understand."

Even after being asked to "choose" so many times, Kurapika could not choose what he wanted to do.

By my own will, I only choose things that are not my true intention.

"... Kurapika."

Sora stood in front of Kurapika and called out to him.

Moreover, Sora was not so dull that he didn't notice he had become frustrated and self-loathing. On the contrary, from Kurapika's perspective, he was sensitive enough to cause trouble.

"I hate being a burden to you, but I hate not being able to do anything for you.

I am fine being with you. From your perspective, it might be heavy and disgusting, but your happiness is my greatest happiness. That is why I don't want you to endure strange things."

Kurapika untied his own rope and gave me a choice, just like three years ago.

That was why Kurapika raised his head to convey the answer he had decided on, because he had been told this.

"... Me too.

So don't ruin it.

Sora. I will be so strong that I will no longer feel guilty for being with you, so that you won't need to worry about me or rely on me.

... At least for this Hunter Exam, I won't rely on you again. I cannot take you lightly."

Because he wanted to stay by his side, even if it was a regrettable dead end that Kurapika would one day have to face, in order to jump over the Wall or tear down the Wall for her future, I chose to leave instead of staying tightly by his side.

This time, without a doubt, I chose it of my own free will.

Hearing such an answer, or perhaps seeing Kurapika's direct gaze, Sora showed a surprised smile.

"That is loneliness and regret."

Kurapika was so happy that Sora smiled so brightly that he couldn't believe it was real.

"But if you say so, I am relieved.

Then good luck. Also, I am really sorry. Because I meddled, I ruined the chance to Tracking the target."

"No need to apologize."

After a brief conversation, Sora started walking, and Kurapika stood up.

And just as Kurapika was about to say see you in a week, Sora looked back and said:

"Also, Kurapika. I was counting on you from the start."

"So you can say such things without shame or sobriety!?"

Kurapika blushed and replied to Sora's words, making him so happy that he didn't care about his own decision at all.

There was no gap in that exchange. As usual, the relationship and distance between the two had not changed since 3 years ago.

Kurapika was no longer afraid of the Death God.

Sora's emotions were no longer unstable, as if he had been pushed into a Kabedon.

Less than an hour after separating from Kurapika, Sora felt a chill on his neck and clicked his tongue.

(... Did you find it? Well, if you didn't find it while you were with Kurapika, that's fine, because you have already achieved your purpose.)

Sora assured Kurapika that he would never lie, and he had no intention of breaking that promise, but in fact, he did not want to hide the truth at all times.

If it was something Kurapika didn't need to be told, if it would make Kurapika worry or get sick, Sora would blurt it out, saying it wasn't a lie, and would never say it.

The reason I refused Kurapika's second proposal, "Do you want to team up?", was partly because of this.

I didn't lie about anything to Kurapika, but this was the main reason I couldn't accept his proposal.

Sora tried every power to prevent Kurapika from being identified as a target by this murderous master.

From the moment he entered Zebir Island, he felt it. He lamented that the master of the killing intent he managed to spread before the surprise attack on Kurapika might be Sora, and was discovered again by the target student.

However, in fact, Sora seriously thought he was lucky because he was arguing with Kurapika, which couldn't be called a fight, and he wasn't discovered immediately after breaking up with Kurapika.

As soon as he entered the island, he felt a bloodthirsty sensation. However, I felt two killing intents.

One of them disappeared quickly. Erased. 89 out of 10 people, from the hands of the student now aiming at Sora.

Perhaps the person who was erased didn't know who the target was at all, or determined that it was impossible to steal the target's Plate with his own strength, and tried to hunt the other three people besides the target, but his face was never strong. Sora thought he was an examinee who had set his sights on the invisible Sora.

Perhaps it was because the person being erased did not want their prey to be stolen, or perhaps he was so excessive in his targeting of Sora that he completely forgot he was in the position of being hunted, so he assumed the hunt would not suffer any losses. It was just that—

Regardless, for some reason, the students currently aiming at Sora would first attack those who were also aiming at Sora, and at the very moment the opponent's consciousness shifted in that direction, Sora would strike, and while firing gems and bullets simultaneously, he would instantly "go to the extreme," and run.

When the opponent was hunting other students, he was also very wary of Sora, but as expected, gems filled with Aura and the various effects of a "Shadow" Nen Ability user could not be detected just by looking. If Nen bullets were fired simultaneously, enough interference would be generated.

Additionally, due to the characteristics of Sora's Magic Circuit, both the input and output of Aura were switch-operated.

Ordinary Nen Ability users were of the sliding type, adjusting high and low to let Aura in and out, but Sora, who possessed clear Aura paths within his bodily organs known as Magic Circuits, gradually increased the output as he pleased. I am not good at raising it, but I am very good at switching suddenly from 100 to 0.

Sora brilliantly broke the preconceived notion that "you cannot immediately switch to 'Zetsu' while overusing Nen Ability," but somehow, Sora managed to disperse the pursuers, yet after all, it was he who stopped Sora's gem from realizing that escaping from it was nothing more than foolish wishful thinking, and Sora turned his body toward the direction where he felt bloodlust.

This was a manifestation of consciousness, but what Sora was telling his opponent was not that he knew the opponent's murderous intent or whereabouts, but that he knew the opponent's provocation and was riding it.

Sora did not know whose murderous intent it was, but he had felt it as soon as he entered the island. I know that I am different from people like Hisoka who do not want to hide.

Before this, I had sensed the same murderous intent several times; Sora just leaked it to the point of being tiny and insignificant, and if I hadn't been hit by it, I would have wanted to praise it.

"Don't worry, I don't know when or where, but if it weren't for this exam, you would be spraying blood on the Airship and the high tower; what grudge do you have against me?"

To be honest, Sora could accurately understand that the opponent's ability had not yet reached the level where he wanted to face him head-on, because he did not want to die. I decided to ride the opponent's provocation.

Two figures seemed to be lured out by these words. Moreover, the direction from which they appeared was completely different from the direction Sora had turned toward.

I pretended to be cool, but I had miscalculated the number of people and the direction, resulting in a very subtle atmosphere.

Sora saw the woman wearing sunglasses and holding a rifle behind him, and the bald man appearing obliquely to his right with the number 362 badge hanging on his chest; I did not turn my gaze to the other side and continued to look down, staring at the direction I had turned toward at the beginning.

Although he knew he would never make a mistake and would never forget the person he should be most wary of, and although this was an expected reaction, he still clicked his tongue helplessly, and they appeared.

Seeing the person who was finally aiming at him appear, Sora clicked his tongue.

"Just you? Aside from me and that pervert, you are the only one who possesses a Nen Ability."

"Then what exactly is your grudge against me?"

The man who had pierced his upper body and face with needles long enough to be called rivets or nails, Gitarakuru of the 301st group, twisted his face upon hearing these words.

Sora did not realize that Gitarakuru's true identity was Illumi.

Sora's imagination was mostly correct, but Illumi's goal was not Sora.

However, since it was a test for Sora to leave Killua, there was no problem even if he interfered with Sora; he just proactively wanted to kill him.

However, even though he was disguised, he finally appeared—number 362, who would draw Sora's exam number, turned into a needle-sewn puppet, number 80, aiming at himself with a rifle—even after seeing that woman, he still did not realize Gitarakuru's identity.

In the past, when Sora and Illumi's work conflicted and they were hostile to each other, it was precisely because of his criminal record that he saw through Illumi's disguise at first glance, making Illumi seem to have broken away from his provocation; it was too annoying. If you are serious, then the murderous intent reached its limit.

Unfortunately for Sora and Illumi, Sora did not really notice.

Illumi's resentment and murderous intent made sense from Illumi's perspective; Illumi did not know Sora's situation, but from Sora's perspective, this was nothing more than a nuisance.

Originally, Sora could have seen through Illumi's previous disguise, but he could not see through the current Gitarakuru because Sora had the "Instant Death Evil Eye," so he happened to know it before, but Illumi was unlucky. It can only be said.

Looking directly captures "death" as visual information, but that "death" is not "Fate" but "existence limit"; that is to say, it captures the limit value of the body and the object's own power, and then draws it out. Because it is an eye, whether it is an object or a living thing, there is no fixed number of "lines" or "points" of death.

Objects basically degenerate over time, and as time passes, the "lines" and "points" gradually increase.

Living things are healthy, young people have few, while the weak and the elderly have many "lines" and "points" on their bodies. And the number of "lines" and "points" fluctuates during injury or illness and when fully healed.

Furthermore, Sora's consciousness of the "lines" and "points" is very difficult, so basically, even if he can see them normally, he ignores them; for example, the position of the "death point" is like a white crocodile—Sora does not remember the opponent's "lines" and "points" as features unless they are unique, such as in the middle of the forehead or like the Big Dipper on the body.

Therefore, the reason Sora was able to see through her previous disguise was simply because the person disguised as Illumi was an old man.

No matter how much he ignored it or was oblivious to it, the old Maid who was covered in "lines" and "points" just now had finished what the master had ordered and returned to his room. I arrived there, and it was just some "lines" and "points," so I noticed it normally.

By the way, he is currently piercing his own body and face with needles; this weapon, which can be said to symbolize Illumi, is also a major reason why Sora did not notice Illumi's disguise.

First of all, the purpose of the disguise is to be a servant and get close to the target, so Illumi does not use needles to disguise himself, so first of all, it is better for Sora to disguise himself for a long time, inserting needles into his body and face. I certainly do not know how to continue.

The other two times I met him were at his home, so Illumi in "closed mode" did not have needles pierced into his body or face; his "work mode" is to pierce needles into his body as weapons. The reason I know.

Moreover, Illumi's ability is an orthodox control system, so Sora knew that the woman wearing sunglasses and the bald warrior seemed to have become puppets, just in case, but what he could learn from it was not in front of him; it was just that the needle man was a person with manipulation ability. As an orthodox school, I did not realize that I was Illumi because of my ability.

In addition, he often uses a unique needle with a circular decoration at the end of the needle, like a pin, but this person uses a variety of needles depending on the purpose, so Illumi used various means against the incoming Sora. He was killed, and almost all the lighting needles he usually does not see have been seen; the formula of general needle = lighting holds, and conversely, if the weapon is only a needle, then the weapon is lighting. I can only think that it was covered.

A needle is not such a secondary weapon, so when Sora saw the needle, Sora first thought of Illumi, but that is what he did. It is a pity that the opponent was not so narrow-minded as to think it was Illumi's disguise.

Of course, neither of them knew about such a situation, and Illumi clicked his tongue again and muttered to himself.

The reason he appeared here was because he had made up his mind to kill Sora today, so although he was talking to himself, he probably also had the intention of spoiling things.

"...... Are you smart or dull? Make it clear."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

However, even this ended in a misfire, and Illumi froze for a moment.

Hearing Illumi's muttering, and even hearing her voice unchanged just like her appearance, still not noticing Sora, who had a truly puzzled look on his face, I attacked the puppet.

I want to say that it is not unreasonable for Illumi to be angry, but in fact, Illumi asking to "remind me with my voice" is more unreasonable and irrational than telling me to pay attention to the fact that the other party is Illumi's disguise or Nen Ability.

After all, this can be said to be the first conversation after the two met.

First of all, the number of times I have met him is less than the number of fingers on one hand, and most of them were when Illumi silently wanted to kill me, so to put it bluntly, Illumi's voice is unfamiliar to Sora.

Thus, Sora was confused by the person who suddenly attacked him after being complained to inexplicably by the needle man without even feeling uncomfortable, and he flipped the needle with his arm that had been treated with "Hard."

Some of the needles he flipped were intentionally thrown at the needle-maker walking toward him, but they all ignored the needles pierced into his body and face and attacked Sora.

Seen from the side, it was a terrifying scene, but the person being attacked was looking at the two with a pair of pale eyes, muttering to himself.

"...... The 'Death God' has appeared before me."

With the blue sky eyes that changed at some unknown time, I broke a branch from a nearby tree and swung it.

The woman's rifle barrel and the man's left arm were cut off just as smoothly.

While cutting, even without looking at me, he threw a gem behind his back to protect Illumi who was approaching behind him.

"Freeze."

As soon as the gem bounced off, an ice barrier appeared, blocking the lighting needle. However, of course, Illumi was also expected to that extent.

Injecting momentum into his legs, he kicked the ice barrier, and the kicked debris hit Sora's back with the momentum of a bullet, but he was still able to twist his body at the right time, dodging as if he had eyes on his back...

And all of this was within expectations. The positioning of the needle doll was also calculated this way.

He did not forget to guide Sora to the exact position Illumi was aiming for, and in the final stage, he hid his killing intent; this was a mistake he had made many times before.

However, Sora had already read it once.

"Explosion!"

Just as Sora shouted briefly, a storm kicked up on the ground.

While the ice barrier was being formed, the thrown 【Wind】 attribute gems were released by Sora's activation keyword in the form of a storm.

If it were just wind, and it was a wind of Mana itself, that would be terrible.

Simultaneously with the needles that were initially blocked by the ice barrier, they were thrown toward the top of the head; they should have fallen from the sky with a time delay, falling toward Sora's entire body, but the needles filled with Illumi's aura were blown away and pierced into the surrounding trees and needle-dolls.

Aura was put into the needles, but the aura was in a "Yin" state. This is a method I have never shown and never used. First of all, this woman really did not realize that the other party was Illumi.

Even so, Illumi bit his lip, bleeding from the humiliation of being completely read and stopped again.

But at the same time, the rationalist head that he and others acknowledged was calmly convinced.

I know, I know; it is impossible to kill a cornered woman by using only two such makeshift needle-dolls and myself, ordering my own family's Maid, and finally blocking the escape route with dozens of people.

That day, even with dozens of people, it was only possible to hunt, and the dozens of Maids who cooperated with them mostly died.

If Silva and Zeno had not realized that he was trying to kill Sora by ordering a large number of Maids to cooperate, even Illumi would have been killed. I know.

After all, this woman actually "killed" Zeno, who was supposed to come to stop Illumi, and involuntarily launched a serious attack on his grandson's crisis, and stopped it.

Fortunately for both of them, Silva stopped Illumi; Illumi still tried to kill Sora after the Maids were slaughtered, and he removed his shoulder joint and threw him to the ground on the spot.

Thanks to having a certain amount of interaction with Sora, Silva guessed the reason for her rampage, and unlocking Sora's "kill or be killed" mode was definitely lucky.

One of Grandfather Zeno's Dragon Aura Nen Ability techniques was obliterated by a cheap, broken Ballpoint Pen without any Aura, and after that, it was as if he could never use that technique again. I cannot say I am. I am lucky that I do not have to fight a Death God woman who is the worst for a Nen User.

In my mind, I calmly analyze, calculate the gains and losses, and understand the current situation.

Do not lay a hand on this woman. Illumi at least knows that he is someone who should be on his side in some way, and if he cannot do that, he should not be involved at all.

On the contrary, I was the first person at Zoldyck to meet her, witnessed her eyes and Spiritual Power in battle, and saw Sora's unconventionality and bottomless depth the most, so I thought I was the one who knew. I am proud of myself.

However, even though he knew it was impossible to be like himself, he still told his brother, "Assassins do not need hearts," and shouted to "kill" Sora.

"... I hate you. I really hate you!!"

Illumi shouted with killing intent.

What Illumi thought of while screaming was his first encounter.

The gaze moved away indifferently.

The introduction when we passed each other.

A back that never looked back.

My heart and mind concluded that there was no point in remembering that snowy night.

Illumi shouted her killing intent and threw a needle at Sora.

No matter how much you calculate, if it can be read and prevented, if you throw it recklessly, luck might be on your side. For those who know Illumi, he reached an incredible conclusion and threw the needles with the momentum of a machine gun.

"No, I don't understand what you mean!?"

Of course, in Sora's view, although he knew the other party was Illumi, he was confused by this unreasonable statement, but he still swung the branch and knocked down nearby trees to block the needles.

The needle-dolls also attacked at the same time, but Sora only looked at the dolls for a moment with his sky-blue eyes.

For a moment, I had just confirmed the location of what I usually ignored, and my gaze immediately returned to Illumi, who should be the most vigilant.

The woman who was attacking with a broken spear barrel was dealt with by a branch; while brushing off the needles thrown by Illumi, he hit her with a back fist, simultaneously piercing the woman's "Death Line" with the Branch.

In an instant, the aura Illumi was controlling the woman with seemed to evaporate and disappear, and the needle Illumi had stuck in her body caused the knees of the doll that had been moving the whole time to collapse, and it stopped moving.

Sora did not hesitate to grab the hair of the "dead" woman in every sense.

He walked toward Illumi while nonchalantly using the corpse as a shield.

Illumi did not know how terrifying Sora was when within reach, so he threw a needle filled with Aura, enough to destroy the corpse shield, and let another needle-doll attack Sora from a distance.

The reason the needle-doll attacked him was because he wanted to avoid Sora's ability to slash him in an unpredictable place unrelated to Sora's vitals. It really slanted above Illumi and did not step on the formula.

Unknowingly, Sora had already let go of the branch.

Sora used the woman's corpse as a shield, neither Tracking the Death Line nor pointing his bare hand at the Death Line, blocking the sharp upward thrust that could be seen, and reached out.

She was as agile as a Snake, extending the right arm of the needle-doll to her hand, grabbing it without hesitation, and grabbing it. When I dealt with the needle initially thrown at Illumi, I cut my neck with the needle stuck in the side branch.

Illumi's bio-manipulation was not premised on keeping the other party alive.

Especially the needle I used this time was something that completely removed the limiter, exerted power to the limit, and moved until death, operated with Aura, and the fuel consumption was not good, so the body was alive.

Therefore, the needle-doll's heart was still beating.

On the contrary, perhaps because his pulse rate was faster than an ordinary person could imagine, when the needle pierced deep into the carotid artery, blood spurted out like a spring.

The moment Illumi felt Sora's presence disappear, his vision was covered by a burst of red-black blood. Perhaps this was the goal from the beginning.

(Are you going to run away again!!)

At the same time that Sora's presence disappeared, Illumi amplified his Aura, expanding the range covered by his own Aura to be thin and wide.

Even if one can completely hide the Aura in the body and erase one's presence, if one cannot erase the matter, one cannot escape the "Quan".

Just as Illumi thought, he was able to sense Sora in the Quan, and the distance was still not far, but at the same time, he realized the identity of another thing he felt, and Illumi stopped emitting his own Aura.

I stopped spreading it, but I will not stop amplifying the Aura.

Protect yourself and wrap yourself in the smallest range you can go all out in.

Did he intend to do this only after confirming that Illumi was going to apply "Hard", or was it just a Coincidence?

"Explosion!"

The woman Sora used as a shield, just as Sora said, the gems of various attributes embedded in her upper body exploded all at once.

Thanks to the three attributes of Fire, Ice, and Wind exploding at the same time, the corpse was completely blown away, and the flame arrows and ice bullets danced wildly in the storm, scorching, chiseling, and piercing the surroundings.

Once it subsided, Sora had completely vanished from Illumi's Quan.

"Everything is so unreasonable, that woman is..."

Illumi clicked his tongue, because he had been able to Escape again, and he had already taken the man's Plate, then kicked the corpse away.

Even so, his frustration and killing intent would not disappear, but in the absence of the woman who made Illumi lose control, he recovered his usual calm thoughts.

This was still the first day, so there was enough time to target and kill Sora.

However, in order to hunt down that woman, even if the students participating in the fourth-level exam were Needle Puppets, actors were still indispensable.

Most importantly, the Needle Puppets were moved by Illumi's aura, so if Illumi could not replace the puppets' aura with his own, if he acted faithfully according to his own commands, the Maid's aura was for their own sake. Better to use it.

Some Maids had acquired Nen Ability, which was much more useful than the hairless Needle Dolls of ordinary people.

I thought about turning people other than Killua, who was with Sora, into Needle Dolls, but I remembered the story Hisoka told me, while being happy in a very disgusting way, so I gave up.

If you did that, that hypocrite would undoubtedly lose control again. Admitting this was maddening and humiliating, but Illumi understood that if Sora had no other choice, he would risk his life to kill that woman.

Thus, I clenched my fist tightly, blood flowing, and reached a conclusion.

"... I will give up. This time."

Of course, if there was a chance, I would kill him, but I gave up the attempt to actively kill Sora in this test.

Just entering the island, this time, Sora's vigilance was already on Mike, and a sneak attack would not work. Human wave tactics were insufficient to use against a Hunter.

Judging by Illumi's experience that there was no other way to kill Sora, Illumi hurried to hunt the target so as not to waste more pressure, so I decided to take the Needle out and take a break.

To put it bluntly, he was definitely in the mood to sleep.

Thus, Illumi suddenly tilted his head.

I don't know if he heard about the commotion between himself and Sora, aimed at the fisherman's benefit, or if it was just to confirm whether he was his target, but rather the person who felt his presence in "Yen" before. In this direction.

Suddenly, without any preparatory movement, the man trembled slightly when he realized he was hiding.

Due to work, Illumi, who was good at remembering information such as human faces and simple profiles, realized that this man was her target No. 371, and muttered "Lucky" in a monotone.

And thought.

If you can save the trouble of finding the target, then think about what to do after this.

Should I kill him and go to sleep?

Or do I want to play a little to relieve stress?

＊＊＊

After escaping, Sora walked to the creek and fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"—I'm sorry, Kurapika."

Sora put his hands on the ground, looked at his reflection in the water, and apologized to his beloved brother.

Sora promised not to lie to Kurapika.

I promise I will always keep my word.

That is why I didn't say it.

Even if I agreed with Kurapika's choice, saying "Me too," he could not say, "I will make it come true."

I could not fulfill my promise.

I couldn't do it because I didn't have the confidence to protect it.

"... Really, what am I?... I'm not good at it. I just do things according to my own will."

The reflection on the water surface mocked and laughed.

He mocked Sora himself.

Covered in blood, Sora mocked himself for trampling on Kurapika's wish: "I don't want anyone to kill anything."

(I don't want to float up for a while...)

Despite such thoughts, my body remained loyal to my survival instinct, and in less than three minutes, I came out of the water to look for oxygen.

"Ngh!"

When I forced myself out of the water, I drank water through my nose, and my throat and head were injured.

I told myself that it was precisely because of this that I cried.

It is not your fault.

The first day of the fourth exam ends here.

On the second day, various actions appeared in the original work, so the next time will be an intermission from the perspective of someone other than Sora.