"Did you hear that, Killua?" Illumi asked, giving Killua a meaningful look.
"If you fight me and don't win, you won't be able to save Gon. Can you bring yourself to fight your older brother for your friend? You can't, right? No matter what you say, right now you care more about whether you can actually defeat me here than any friend."
"Actually, deep down, you already have the answer. With your current strength, you're simply no match for me." Illumi approached Killua, subtly applying his specialized Nen influence.
"Never engage an opponent you aren't confident you can beat. I've told you that several times, haven't I? Don't move. If you dare move recklessly, I'll take it as a declaration of war. And once the fight starts, there's only one way it stops. You understand, right? Even your precious Gon might lose his life because of it."
Illumi continued, his words laced with threat.
"I give up... I forfeit this match." Weighed down by years of conditioning and without having mastered Nen yet, or even being aware of the Nen Needle, Killua could only feel overwhelming terror...
"Ah, wonderful! That means no match needs to be fought. Haha, just kidding, Killua! How could I possibly kill Gon?" With Killua's surrender, Illumi let out a fake laugh, patting Killua's shoulder.
"But this confirms it. You have no qualifications to go around making friends, nor is there any need for it. Just continue to obey orders as you always have. As for the Hunter Exam, you don't need to pass right now. I'll command you when necessary. Understood?"
Illumi said, once again stroking Killua's head with a dark expression.
Later, just as Leorio was about to face Bodoro, Killua, in an unstable mental state, prepared to kill Bodoro. At the critical moment, Takeru, who had been observing without acting, finally moved. He reached out and blocked Killua's attack...
The situation unfolded too suddenly. Killua's speed was extraordinary, and apart from Takeru who was prepared, no one else reacted in time. Only Illumi frowned as he looked at Takeru.
Takeru met his gaze fearlessly before turning his attention to Killua, whose eyes seemed to have lost their light...
Unable to kill Bodoro, Killua broke free from Takeru's grasp and walked straight out of the arena, leaving the hotel and vanishing from the city.
Takeru understood. Influenced by Illumi, Killua was likely heading home.
In the end, due to Killua's voluntary withdrawal, the remaining nine examinees passed...
Leorio and Kurapika were furious upon hearing this news and protested vehemently. However, with Killua already gone, there was nothing they could do...
Later, while Netero was explaining the uses of the Hunter License, Gon, now conscious, barged in. Furious, he confronted Illumi, demanding an apology and accusing him of being unfit to be Killua's brother.
"What qualifications do you need to be brothers?" Illumi asked Gon, as if genuinely puzzled.
Hearing this, Gon grew even angrier and attacked Illumi, grabbing his arm and yanking forcefully. However, Illumi's skills far surpassed Gon's. With a simple backflip, he landed gracefully.
"Then, people don't need qualifications to be friends either!" Gon declared, then squeezed Illumi's arm with immense force. To Illumi's surprise, Gon's strength was enough to crush his arm...
Although Illumi was using Zetsu at the moment, not defending with Ken or Gyo, his body, forged through rigorous training, wasn't something an ordinary person could damage so easily...
"If you won't apologize to Killua, that's fine. Just take me to where Killua is!" Gon demanded.
"What will you do once you're there?"
"What else? I'm bringing Killua back!" Gon stated firmly.
"You make it sound like Killua was kidnapped. He left here on his own two feet," Illumi calmly corrected.
"That wasn't his true will. Killua is being manipulated by all of you! What's the difference between that and being kidnapped?" Gon argued.
Later, Netero mentioned the appeals filed by Kurapika, Leorio, and Umaru. However, after some discussion, Gon showed no interest in them...
"There's no point arguing about how others passed the exam. If you're unhappy with your own result, you just have to work harder until you are. Killua... if he takes the Hunter Exam again, he'll definitely pass!" Gon said earnestly.
Hearing this, Takeru gained a higher opinion of him, as did Satotz nearby. Clearly, with Satotz's guidance, Gon had grown significantly from this experience.
"But most importantly, if you force Killua, who doesn't want it for himself… to become an assassin, I will never forgive you!" After a pause, Gon stared intently at Illumi.
"Never forgive me? And what will you do?" Illumi asked impassively.
"I won't do anything. I'll just take Killua away from you all and make sure you never see him again," Gon replied without hesitation.
Hearing this, Illumi attempted to hypnotize Gon with a hand infused with Nen. However, Gon sensed the danger and leapt away first.
At that point, Netero spoke again. Because of Gon's earlier words, no one protested further about Killua's situation.
As Gon said, if you're dissatisfied, just strive to improve. While Killua's situation was regrettable, for Killua himself, he could simply take the exam again...
"Good, let's continue with the briefing. First, this is the Hunter License. With this card, you can freely enter approximately 90% of countries that are normally inaccessible to the general public, as well as 75% of areas typically off-limits..."
"Therefore, please take good care of your cards. Never lose them. Lost licenses are not reissued. According to our statistics, on average, one out of every five successful Hunters loses their license in various ways. So the first task upon becoming a Hunter is to protect your license!" Beans explained quickly.
"Now, let me announce once more: the nine of you present are this year's new Hunters!"
…
"Gittarackur, please tell me, where is Killua now?" After the meeting, Gon immediately approached Illumi.
"You're still so determined to bring him back? I suggest you give up."
"I will never give up! Killua is my friend. I will definitely bring him back!" Gon stated firmly.
"Are the four of you behind him the same?" Illumi suddenly looked at Takeru and the others.
"Of course!" Leorio declared.
"I owe him a favor," Umaru said directly.
"I'm quite interested in the Zoldyck Family," Takeru added with a smile.
"Fine. Even if I tell you where he is, you won't be able to get there." After giving Takeru a deep look, Illumi quickly revealed Killua's whereabouts and the location of his family estate.
Indeed, despite being an assassin family, the Zoldycks didn't hide their base like others. On the contrary, in their country, their estate was quite a famous tourist attraction...
After confirming the destination was Kukuroo Mountain, Takeru's group made brief stops, exchanged farewells with the others, and then embarked on their journey.
It's worth noting that during this period of training, Hisoka had finally succeeded in developing Armament Haki. Feeling the enhancement it brought, he was utterly fascinated.
Of course, he was still only at a beginner level, so continuous, rigorous training was needed to grow stronger.
Takeru's reason for joining Gon's group to Kukuroo Mountain wasn't solely to find Killua. More accurately, Takeru's targets were Killua's father or grandfather...
Since the airship journey would take three days, Takeru didn't plan to stay too long at the mountain. He intended to settle his business there and then head straight for Heavens Arena.
After all, it was already the 12th day in this world, and Takeru's time was running short. While confident in his ability to quickly defeat opponents and level up, reaching level 200 would still require some time...
Gon was now eager to find Killua, so the group quickly booked their tickets. With Hunter Licenses, Takeru and Umaru didn't need to worry about money, as travel was free.