Finding a Nen user who attacked me with Nen was no easy feat.
Nen users aren't weeds scattered everywhere; they are super-rare talents among humans.
The missions I undertake are chosen by the Zoldycks, so normally, I wouldn't encounter Nen users. I haven't encountered any abnormal situations, so I don't know if I should count myself lucky or unlucky.
However, luck isn't absolute.
After a mission, while passing through a city on my way home, I felt a malicious and chilling aura in a dessert shop. At that moment, I thought my luck was bad.
When the owner of that gaze sat opposite me and shamelessly displayed their oppressive aura across the table, I thought my luck was incredibly good.
Beyond the scope of killing intent, it was most likely the pressure of "Nen."
I grinned.
This smile was for the person who arrived, and also for Illumi, who was queuing not far away for limited-edition desserts. The Zoldycks always followed the rules; they would queue when necessary. Having made it halfway through the queue, I couldn't abandon it easily for a minor matter.
I sat by the window, tasked with holding the spot.
"Do you still remember me?" The boy opposite me, or rather, the fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth, casually leaned back in his chair, the oppressive aura undiminished.
He had some control over his power, allowing me enough leeway to take out my notebook and pen to write down his name, full name included:
[Feitan Poell]
"Hmph, you remember quite clearly," his dark golden eyes, in the bright shop, bled into a honey-like hue. Unfortunately, it lacked any sweetness of honey, instead harboring quicksand that could drag one into a disaster, a dangerous trap.
In the quicksand, I thought about how satisfied I was with my appearance today.
The Zoldycks' most beautiful kitty, Kikyo's most beloved dress-up doll – people would give an extra scoop of ice cream when I bought a cone – I was very cute today too.
According to common understanding in the fandom, Feitan, who enjoyed crushing flowers, should have a strong desire to attack me. This desire could manifest in three ways: slaughter, love, or torment.
In this game where there are no saves, I need to maintain balance and walk the fourth path – being attacked by his "Nen" and being forced to awaken "Nen"!
I left without a word a few years ago, abandoning him in a combat instance. He must hold a grudge. First, I need to stabilize his emotions.
His first question was simple; I obediently wrote down his full name, providing the correct answer.
"Fleeing without a word back then, it seems you're doing well now." Even Feitan could tell that the exquisite little dress I was wearing was not cheap. His words were barbed, "Hmph, found some good work, why don't you introduce it to me?"
Surprise, Feitan!
I was born into a prominent family!
It couldn't be helped. Don't blame Feitan for not realizing; normal prominent families wouldn't throw their biological children into that hellhole of Meteor City to experience life.
Judging by Feitan's tone, he didn't genuinely want me to introduce him to a job. I wasn't that foolish. After some thought, I pulled out two fruit candies from my pocket and placed them in front of him.
"..." Feitan didn't look at the candies. Crossing his arms, he stared at me, observing my every subtle expression. "What do you mean?"
I wrote "A return gift" in my notebook. Giving him one extra candy, a double return, I thought it was quite generous.
"With things like this..." He glanced at the candies on the table, his gaze returning to my face, his eyes as sharp as knives, almost piercing a hole through me. "Trying to get rid of me?"
Not good, not enough?
Gritting my teeth, I took out all the candies, chocolates, and cookies from my pockets and placed them in front of him, piling them into a palm-sized heap of snacks.
"..." Seeing me continue to take things out, Feitan's upturned eyes twitched slightly.
As the saying goes, "The left eye jumps for wealth, the right for disaster." Feitan's right eye was twitching, not a good omen. I really wanted to tell him to watch his step later.
"Is that all?" he asked, seeing me stop taking snacks out.
Yes, truthfully, it was all my inventory.
"..." I nodded with utmost sincerity.
"Good, very good, excellent," Feitan said three "good"s in a row, his teeth gritted the entire time.
Such a stubborn and difficult personality. No wonder Feitan in fanfiction usually ends up in angsty romance routes.
It's fine. I don't need Feitan to have a high affinity for me. I need him to attack me with "Nen." My affinity can't be too low either. If he uses "Nen" to kill me, my survival rate as a non-Nen user would be ninety-nine percent.
"Melor." Feitan suddenly released the tension in his aura and softly uttered my name.
He must have learned my name from Kuroro or Machi, I presumed.
"As a return for your sincerity," Feitan placed his hand on the pile of snacks, covering them all, then curled his fingers. The sound of crinkling wrappers and breaking contents seeped through his fingertips.
"!" Hey, don't waste food! You're a resident of Meteor City! Don't residents of Meteor City understand the value of food the most?!
"Let me escort you into a completely different world," Feitan slowly released his fingers, the corners of his lips pulling into a slight upward arc, his cold gaze mixed with a peculiar excitement.
It was boasting, anticipation, and...
"Pain and pleasure." One counterweight.
"Death and rebirth." Two counterweights.
"Hell and heaven." Three counterweights.
"I will teach you all of them." Four counterweights.
Feitan's fingers ground the small cookies beneath the wrappers, his aura pressing against my spine, escalating bit by bit.
What's going on, Feitan?! Hurry up! Silva's oppressive aura when he suppresses me is much stronger than yours; I can't even move a finger. You're so slow. I can't awaken "Nen"!
Could it be that Feitan saw I didn't use "Nen" and thought I was inexperienced, and didn't want to kill me instantly, so he chose a probing attack first?
No, this won't do.
Although my arms felt as heavy as a thousand tons, Feitan was still far inferior to Silva. I could still move my wrist and continue writing in my notebook.
[Put some effort into it, are you not eating, little brother?] I wrote in my notebook.
The pen tip stopped at the question mark, my hand finally unable to move under the increasing pressure.
A cold current, like an invisible giant python, coiled around my limbs, penetrating into my bones. The surrounding noise receded from me... Yes, yes, this is the feeling, give me more!
The hand holding the pen was grabbed. I shifted my gaze upward, seeing Feitan had already stood up and was leaning forward.
His right hand, still holding mine, moved forward, his thumb pressing on my wrist's pulse. Despite being an arm's length away, as the ambient noise became muffled and unclear, his voice pierced my ears with perfect clarity.
"Do you want it?" From within the cold scales, a fiery red tongue was spat out, intimately addressing me, "Melor?"
The fruit of knowledge, humanity's enlightenment, who wouldn't want it?
The world is cold, and ignorance and weakness are the true sins.
Zoldyck is not Eden, and even if it were, I would still swallow that luscious fruit. To be expelled for desiring something, isn't that a kind of freedom?
"Tell me, Melor." The dark blue tips of his hair brushed against my cheek.
The fruit was at the corner of my mouth; I could almost touch its thin skin, as long as I opened my mouth.
...As long as I opened my mouth.
"Sorry, my hand slipped." Illumi stood two steps away, holding an empty cup. Because Feitan and I immediately dodged, all the water splashed onto the table between us, flowing across the surface and even soaking my notebook. "I bought the desserts, sister."
As if not seeing Feitan, Illumi lifted the takeaway bag he was holding and said to me, "We should go home."
"Home?" Feitan sneered, "Melor, you have a 'home' now? Won't you invite me to see it?"
"..." The ignorant are fearless. Feitan, you don't know that if you went to Kukuroo Mountain, you'd be utterly annihilated.
"If you wish to visit, you are always welcome," Illumi followed me, picking up tissues from the table to wipe the water. "My family is very hospitable; we would never be rude."
"Then I shall look forward to it," Feitan, while confident in his own strength, also harbored an unusual caution towards Illumi's confidence.
Good, Feitan isn't a blindly arrogant fool. Otherwise, I would have to consider whether to save him to ensure the smooth progression of the original plot.
"However, I will visit another day. Since my brother is here, you can carry a message for me." Feitan watched as Illumi and I tidied the table. "Tell them Melor will be home a bit late, tell them not to worry, I will take good care of Melor and won't let her suffer any grievances."
"Okay." Illumi placed the takeaway bag of desserts on the now-tidy table and looked at Feitan, "You can try."
The moment their eyes met, I saw a fleeting surprise flash across Illumi's face. He immediately entered a state of high alert.
Illumi is still too young; he underestimated Feitan. He didn't expect Feitan to have mastered the extremely rare "Nen."
The existence of this special power directly divided people into two different levels of strength.
Using "Nen" for intimidation can target multiple people or a single individual. Judging by Illumi's instinctive step back and the fact that no one else was affected, Feitan's target was Illumi alone.
Not good. Feitan switched his target to Illumi. If Illumi awakens "Nen" due to Feitan's "Nen" attack, with Illumi's aptitude, he will surely master "Nen" quickly. Wouldn't that mean Illumi would gain immensely, transitioning into a Nen user ahead of time, while I would have nothing?!
Feitan, who could finally help me transition into a Nen user, is being snatched away by Illumi. Wouldn't I be at a huge loss?!
This won't do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grabbing my notebook, I left my seat and blocked the space between Feitan and Illumi.
Feitan, who held the advantage in the confrontation, leisurely remained seated, watching me flip to a page that wasn't damp and write what I wanted to say:
[If you want to touch my brother, you'll have to go through my corpse first.]
What a righteous statement! An unimpeachable truth full of human brilliance! My towering image has been clearly established like this! Regardless of how things develop later, this untainted statement of mine will become a monument in my life. (Laughs.)
Come on, attack me with your "Nen," Feitan!
If I die, it's not a loss; if I survive, it's a profit.
As if seeing a hilariously funny skit, Feitan laughed, his dark golden eyes narrowing. It wasn't ridicule or scorn, but genuine amusement. "Little lunatic, you're getting a bit too excited."
"You just..." He raised his hand, his fingertips touching my chin. "Want me?"
Of course, because you are my Nen user transfer NPC!
Hurry up and transfer me into a Nen user!
Make it quick!
I can't let Illumi get ahead!!
"Sister." Illumi grabbed my arm from behind. "We should go home."
I turned my face, meeting Illumi's emotionless, inorganic black eyes.
"You go home first. I'll handle it myself," I mouthed to him.
"Don't worry, I won't kill her. After all, we have some past acquaintance," Feitan said. "Choose one of two: leave two or one, the answer is simple, isn't it?"
"..." Illumi's grip on my arm tightened. He hesitated for a few seconds, then chose to let go and take a step back.
This is the most sensible choice. The Zoldycks will never blame him.
"The correct choice." Feitan clapped twice, stood up, and grasped my right wrist. "It's too noisy here. Let's go somewhere else."
"..." I waved my left hand at Feitan.
"?" Feitan raised an eyebrow, slightly displeased.
I didn't look at his expression further and turned to grab the takeaway packaging of the desserts on the table with my free left hand.
Feitan saw my target clearly and complained, "Hey!"
What do you know?! I can't have queued for nothing! Wasting food is the most shameful thing!
Everything happened in a split second. In the opening created by my unexpected move, a swift wind, brushing past my ear, sliced through Feitan's neck.
Feitan's reaction was also extremely fast; otherwise, his head might have been separated from his body.
Because I blocked his line of sight, I created a blind spot. While evading this fatal attack, he forcefully pushed me towards the table.
An ordinary person, pushed so suddenly by him, would most likely fall face-first onto the table or the ground. Fortunately, I had received training. I grabbed the takeaway packaging of the desserts on the table with one hand and supported myself with the other, landing in a half-crouch, successfully protecting the precious desserts and my lovely face.
Above my head, the light suddenly brightened. Feitan had thrown the table away. The shattering of the glass counter, the dull thud of impact against the wall, a sudden silence, and then, a second later, screams erupted.
This has gotten out of hand. It's all your fault, Illumi. Sneak attacks are one thing, but failing at them? The Zoldyck assassination family is ashamed of you.
Feitan probably didn't learn "Nen" through conventional means. Besides increasing his aura, I couldn't see any application of "Nen." However, it's also possible that he's still in the warm-up phase. People full of confidence in victory tend to be arrogant, liking to watch defeated opponents perform with all their might only to fail miserably, like a comical play.
Illumi, although unable to defeat Feitan, is an assassin skilled in guerilla warfare. With agile movements and maintaining a safe distance from the enemy, as long as he's not hit, he won't be defeated easily. Isn't the Zoldyck's internal competition moniker well-earned?
Amidst the panicked crowd, I moved to a corner of the dessert shop, opened the limited-edition dessert box. Inside the crystal-clear, ice-like oval jelly, several small flowers bloomed, as if frozen in amber, their vibrant life and colors preserved.
I scooped a spoonful into my mouth. It was smooth and tender, as sweet as spring water formed from melting snow, moisturizing my dry spirit.
It was... so delicious!
The flowers were pickled, sweet and sour, tantalizing my taste buds, making me hungrier with every bite, unable to stop.
Moving the dessert aside, Illumi, who had been thrown back, landed at my feet.
"Sister, remember to save some for me," he said, then quickly leaped up, dodging the next attack.
"..." Looking at the bloodstain on the spot where he had just lain, I felt genuine admiration.
Feitan's foot landed on the bloodstain, missing his target. He glanced at me. "Delicious?"
"..." I nodded.
A piece of broken glass flew over. Feitan dodged, and I propped up the table, blocking the shards.
After safely finishing a portion of dessert and restoring the packaging, I placed it down. Then, I formed claws with my hands and, stepping on the scattered broken glass, charged towards Feitan.
The shop's limited space also limited Illumi's guerilla tactics. The disadvantage of not knowing "Nen" was gradually becoming apparent. I need to force my "Nen" to awaken before Illumi does!
Feitan curled his lips and extended his hand towards me. His ferocious "Nen" came like a winter gale, sharp as knives, sweeping towards me.
My skin felt like it was about to be scraped into strips by these blades. My feet felt glued to the floor, making it difficult to move. I squinted and lifted my heavy foot towards the center of the storm.
The sky darkened. The sound of my racing heart filled my ears. I couldn't hear anything else until the storm suddenly stopped.
My vision swayed. I instinctively supported myself on something nearby to remain standing.
A human-shaped figure was embedded in the wall ahead. I shook my head, steadying my thoughts, and saw that the person stuck in the wall was Feitan.
"Is this 'Nen'? Life force is truly tenacious," Illumi pulled out a piece of glass stuck in his arm and tossed it aside, then commanded the person supporting me, "Zizor, kill him."