---
Chapter Title: Clash of Shadows – Kai vs. Illumi
There was no rush to attack.
Kai and his team had taken a full day to rest. They didn't head to the target area until the third day.
"Nobunaga, you and Uvogin are in charge of covering Machi's infiltration," Kai ordered calmly. "The one outside… leave him to me."
They didn't need scouting or investigation. As soon as they arrived at the villa's perimeter, they saw the enemy waiting.
"Kai… this guy is dangerous," Machi warned, her voice unusually grim. "Be careful!"
Growing up on Meteor Street had sharpened her senses. She could instinctively feel danger—even before a fight began.
Despite the tens of meters between the two sides, both could sense it: an indescribable pressure.
It was the same overwhelming feeling they'd felt when facing Kai for the first time, back before they'd learned Nen—when all they had was instinct and will.
Kai's voice was calm. "I know. You guys—handle your part quickly."
"If it looks bad, retreat. Staying alive is more important."
As the others split off to their assignments, Kai turned his attention to the man before him—expressionless, dull-eyed, and deadly.
He flexed his arms and legs, loosening up.
Then, without another word, he began walking forward.
"Why didn't you stop them?" the man asked flatly.
"My only job," he said, "is to kill you."
Kai chuckled. "As expected from a Zoldyck."
The man had waist-length hair, lifeless eyes, and wore green. The one blocking his path was none other than Illumi Zoldyck—eldest son of the infamous assassin clan and older brother of future prodigy Killua.
Illumi Zoldyck. Manipulator-class Nen user. A top-tier assassin whose ability, Needle People, allowed him to control others by inserting special needles into their bodies—controlling their behavior, their thoughts, even their personalities.
A master of disguise and infiltration, able to change his height, body, and face. Cold, emotionally dead, and disturbingly obsessive when it came to control. Even Hisoka, known for his madness, once said Illumi's narcissism was worse than his own.
Hearing Kai's remark, Illumi tilted his head slightly. "You seem to know a lot about the Zoldyck family. Why?"
"I'll tell you…" Kai said, raising his hands, "if I win."
He had considered this opponent carefully. Illumi didn't have many scenes in the original story, but based on Hisoka's deference to him, Kai knew—this man's strength was no less than Hisoka's.
Silence fell.
Then—
Whoosh!
Both launched forward simultaneously.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Clashes echoed through the clearing. The deadly techniques of a centuries-old assassin family collided with the raw, superhuman strength of a reincarnated warrior.
The battle hit its peak the moment it began.
"Tch... tough body, fast reactions... Enhancer types are always annoying," Illumi muttered.
He had tried multiple times to rip out Kai's heart—techniques passed down to Killua weren't just for show—but each time, his Ghost Claws barely scratched Kai's chest.
The deadly fingers that once shredded through flesh like tofu now left nothing but shallow, coin-sized dents.
Kai's muscles were like reinforced steel.
Fortified with Nen, he was like a walking tank.
Kai glanced down, touching one of the claw marks on his chest. He let out a slow sigh.
"…I thought I was already strong. I didn't expect the gap to still be this wide."
In his previous life, he believed the essence of combat was simple: speed + strength = victory. Build physical power, and no one could stop you.
Tricks and techniques? A waste of time.
But Illumi proved otherwise. Absolute skill could overpower raw force.
At least for now.
Kai had only managed to land a single hit. Meanwhile, Illumi had struck him eight times.
Three of those—aimed directly at his heart.
If it weren't for Kai's insane durability, he'd already be dead.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. On the contrary—he stored the moment deep in his memory.
There's potential here… another path to explore.
All of that passed in less than a second.
Kai lifted his head and locked eyes with Illumi.
"If this keeps up, we'll waste too much time. Let's end it."
"I'm going all out," he said plainly. "Watch yourself."
Illumi's eyes narrowed. He didn't respond, but his aura spiked.
Kai exhaled slowly. Then—
All his Aura Nodes flared open.
A torrent of Nen surged from within, shaking the ground.
[Hundred Styles of Asura]
A technique born from combining Netero's legendary Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva with Kai's own vision—one drawn from a certain world's Susano'o.
Purple skeletal arms erupted around him, encasing his body in a towering shell.
Even though it was only a half-body manifestation…
Its height reached nearly 50 meters.
For the first time, Illumi's expression shifted. His eyes, usually void of emotion, flickered with surprise.
What... is this?
Kai didn't wait.
"I'm coming."
His eyes snapped open.
CRACK!
With a thought, the six skeletal arms slammed forward.
BOOM!!
The air exploded. The battlefield vanished under a cloud of dust and earth. The nearest villa trembled violently, its windows shattering as if the earth itself cried out.
Inside the villa, Uvogin stared at the chaos through the now-roofless ceiling.
"Damn… Kai's move still gives me chills!"
Even someone as tough as Uvogin couldn't help but respect it.
He'd sparred with Kai once, facing [Hundred Styles of Asura] with full preparation.
He lasted 3 seconds.
Of those three seconds, he spent two running away.
Meaning, Kai knocked him unconscious in a single second.
"Just wait… I'll catch up. I swear I will!! Don't leave me behind, Kai!!"
Uvogin grinned wildly, blood dripping from his lips as he laughed and dove back into battle.
Nobunaga and Machi didn't react to his first sentence.
But the second?
They paused.
"Don't leave me behind…"
Even when bonds were strong, overwhelming strength could form distance.
Not by choice—but by nature.
No matter how close the heart, a gap in power could pull people apart.
Machi's thoughts darkened. She imagined being captured—used to threaten Kai, used to control him.
Rage burned quietly in her chest.
"I won't allow that."
Uvogin glanced at her and Nobunaga, a puzzled look on his face as he scratched his afro.
"…Weird vibes again."
But he shrugged it off.
No point overthinking.
Fighting with friends—that was happiness.
---