"Five."
Amidst the countless red beams piercing through space, Illumi's flat voice announced the count.
*Snap.*
Two palms met, clasped, guiding my descent. Using Illumi's hand as a prop, I found my center of gravity and landed with one foot, precisely within the marked circle.
Bending down, I shed my residual momentum, narrowly dodging the path of the beams.
The next wave of attacks saw all beam trajectories reset.
"Three," Illumi said.
I raised our clasped hands upwards, signaling that my chosen circle was different from his. Then, we released each other and leaped towards our respective selections.
Together and apart, with perfect order.
To avoid the awkward situation of colliding due to conflicting targets and being unable to brake, resulting in injuries yesterday, we established additional cooperation rules as per the tradition of the Meteor City dungeon:
1. The small circles within the six designated landing spots on the field are numbered from one to six.
2. Before moving from the current circle to another, one must announce their target number (since I cannot vocalize, Illumi executes this rule).
3. If targets are the same, Illumi, who is responsible for counting, departs first, and I follow after a slight delay to avoid colliding with him. I jump to Illumi's right. The first to arrive, Illumi will catch my outstretched hand, helping me stabilize my center of gravity and pull me into the landing zone.
4. If starting points are the same, Illumi first announces the target number. If my target number differs from his, I raise my clasped hand; otherwise, I lower it.
The landing areas could only accommodate two feet, and Illumi couldn't always leave enough space for me. Unable to step outside the designated landing zones, I was forced to step directly onto his feet.
At first, I wondered if Illumi would hold a grudge and if I needed to guard against him later. But after stepping on his feet repeatedly, I adopted a "broken pot, thrown away" attitude, abandoning all reservations. Then, considering he was a scumbag, I gradually felt at ease and even enjoyed it.
Oh! It felt so good!
Stepping on Illumi's feet in broad daylight!
All because Illumi was not skilled enough to leave me sufficient space?!
Stepping on feet was a minor issue. The critical problem was that the counting segment and my delayed departure significantly increased the time needed for our reactions. Although we avoided collisions, the bullets fired along the beam paths waited for no one. In less than half an hour, we were regretfully eliminated due to the "eight-minute rule."
"It seems you're starting to get a feel for it," Zeno was not one to spare praise. "Very good. Learning to control the rhythm, this process will be quite interesting."
I nodded.
Zeno was right, the process was indeed interesting, especially the part where I stepped on Illumi's feet.
"...But my feet hurt a lot from being stepped on." Illumi's voice became very soft in the latter half, as if he were muttering to himself, sounding a little aggrieved.
Regardless, my hearing was sharp enough to catch the entire sentence, and I was confident Zeno had heard it too.
"Isn't that perfect?" Zeno said. "It can serve as your additional training."
"En," Illumi looked at me. "I thought so too."
"..." I doubted if he genuinely thought so.
In any case, without better cooperation rules, improving our abilities and coordination was the solution. The training continued day after day, albeit with some bumps. The number of times I could step on Illumi's feet gradually decreased, which was quite a shame.
Our uneventful life, filled with repetitive training, was disrupted when Milluki celebrated his third birthday. Except for Milluki himself, all members of the Zoldyck family knew that Milluki was about to face his first "baptism" in life.
Such a precious, memorable day, how could it not be documented with a camera?
Recording Milluki's embarrassing moments would allow me to leverage them later for technical assistance, which would be far more effective than Killua's threats of smashing his action figures in the original story, right?
I was truly farsighted!
This baptism for Milluki also included Illumi's first formal education of his younger brother, so Silva and Kikyo were present. The cold interrogation room was "lively" like a family gathering.
"What are you doing?" Silva asked, seeing me holding a camera.
I pointed at Milluki, who had just sat on the electric chair, and Kikyo was checking if Illumi had securely bound Milluki's limbs.
Then, I pointed to the camera in my hand.
"..." Silva was silent for a moment. "Then you must guarantee that whatever is recorded today absolutely cannot be taken out of the house or uploaded to the internet."
I nodded, patting my chest, assuring him there would be no problem.
Taking it out of the house or uploading it to the internet, I wouldn't be so insane!
"En, stand further away later, or the camera might be affected," Silva granted permission for the filming, adding a reminder.
Hooray! Silva was indeed much more accommodating than Zeno!
When I asked the butler to bring the lightest camera in the house, I diligently studied its usage.
Adjusting the lens focus, switching the camera to video mode.
I was a little nervous about my first photography job.
I wondered if Illumi was nervous about his first professional lesson to his brother in front of their parents.
With an expressionless face and inorganic eyes, Illumi's emotional control was still impeccable; I couldn't tell if he was nervous.
What about Milluki, bound to the electric chair? Perhaps because his family was present, he wasn't nervous at all, looking around with curiosity and excitement.
"..." Poor, ignorant child.
It seemed this lesson was entirely entrusted to Illumi. Kikyo and Silva stood more than a meter away, watching with folded arms as Illumi (9 years old) coaxed and deceived Milluki (3 years old).
"Millu, let's play a game of endurance," Illumi stroked Milluki's head, just as he always did, like a brotherly interaction. "Endure without crying, and without shouting. If you can endure until the game is over, Father will agree to give you a hawk like your sister's as a reward."
Illumi, you actually prepared this beforehand?! Right, I remembered Milluki liked New Orleans.
*This guy has a plan.jpg*
"En!" Milluki, who hadn't experienced the harshness of the human world, was full of confidence, his eyes filled with longing as he nodded. "I can do it!"
"Good boy," Illumi (9 years old) flashed a sinister (?) smile.
"..." This must be the smile of a devil.
Alright, holding the camera steady, I would record this sinful footage and place it in the "Black Chapter," so that good people could take heed.
Following the principle of progressive education, the lessons progressed from simple to difficult.
However, no matter how much he cajoled, the physical pain remained unchanged. Milluki went from being startled and frowning to having a flushed, bitter face, and then crying out, all within three minutes.
"You failed so quickly, Millu?" Illumi lowered the current to the minimum. "But it's your first time playing this game, so I can give you another chance. Try to endure it properly this time."
The current slowly increased again. Although Milluki was the weakest in combat among the Zoldycks in the original story, he was still a Zoldyck product, with greater endurance than an ordinary person. He clenched his fists tightly, gritted his teeth, and used all his might to endure the pain in order to get the game reward.
"Yes, just like that, it's very simple, isn't it?" Illumi coaxed. "Endure a little longer, and you'll get the game reward."
"...En," Milluki managed a muffled response through his gritted teeth.
"Oh, Illumi, you've become a reliable older brother," Kikyo commented emotionally. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Add more, add more, keep adding.
Without looking at the numbers on the controller, one could tell the change in current intensity by looking at Milluki's expression.
Illumi constantly hovered at the limit of Milluki's endurance. Each time Milluki was on the verge of tears, he would reduce the current intensity until Milluki, unable to bear the repeated extreme challenges, cried out, "I... I don't want the hawk anymore! I... I quit!"
Alas, this was the correct choice, but Milluki didn't know that he had no choice at all.
"...Eh?!" Illumi feigned surprise. "You can't be willful, Millu."
"This kind of game is very basic," Illumi said. "Once you get used to it, it's nothing. Your sister even treats this game as bedtime milk; she has to do it before sleeping."
"..." Don't suddenly bring me up!
"Really?" Milluki looked at me with his tear-filled eyes.
Milluki, not yet as plump as in the original story, although his eyes weren't as big and round as Illumi's back then, and his eyes were slightly sharper at the corners, he could still be considered a cute little cat for now.
As much as I pitied him, I didn't want to admit that I had electrotherapy before bed, making me seem like a pervert... I was just accumulating experience points for my future Nen abilities, alright!
Seeing my lack of cooperation, Illumi immediately shifted his target and asked Kikyo, "Am I telling the truth, Mother?"
"Yes," Kikyo covered her mouth and laughed. "After doing it, he looks so peaceful and satisfied, so cute."
"En, Sister really likes doing this," Illumi nodded.
"..." Hey, mother and son, don't describe me as so mentally ill! I'm just accumulating experience points, experience points! Not because I like electrotherapy!!
Milluki's gaze towards me had changed.
No, really, no need. I don't need this kind of admiring gaze. I bet when Milluki grows up and understands more, he won't have this admiring gaze; he'll look at me like a pervert.
"Therefore, this game is mandatory. As for whether you get the reward, it depends on how well you perform," Illumi asked Milluki, "Do you still want the hawk?"
"...Yes," Milluki answered without hesitation.
The Zoldycks were particularly lenient with talented children, meaning they showed favoritism, as seen in Killua's pampered treatment in the original story.
As long as they didn't violate rules or cross lines, they would turn a blind eye.
Thus, Illumi squandered the authority bestowed by his elders, savoring the pleasure of being in a superior position, wantonly playing with Milluki. Even when Milluki couldn't endure the pain and started crying and screaming, no one stopped Illumi.
Milluki's crying turned into hiccups, and he was sobbing breathlessly.
Only when a large wet patch appeared on the chair did Illumi look surprised and belatedly reduce the current intensity.
"..." Fortunately, I was born earlier than Illumi and didn't become his brother or sister.
Milluki's favorability towards Meurs +1 (pity vote).
Illumi's lesson wouldn't end until Milluki was exhausted.
He patiently played the game of lifting high and then dropping with Milluki, mastering the balance of not causing "trouble."
Sadism is a way to control another person's emotions. His character is a control freak, so naturally, he is also a complete sadist.
Ah, yes, today was his debut in educating his brother. He valued it highly and had prepared long in advance; he was so invested, so engrossed.
The camera lens had long since shifted from Milluki's tear-streaked face to capture Illumi's upturned lips, his unblinking dark eyes, and his focused expression of calculating every detail.
I held my breath and looked at Kikyo and Silva; their attitude was always one of tacit approval.
It is said that a certain people who love reading teach their children by smearing honey on books, so that children start by licking books and develop a love for them from a young age, knowing that books are good and sweet.
It is the sweetness of control, the taste of power, the taste of strength that Illumi is savoring. His cruel nature is like a prairie fire, spreading into a sea.
"Truth, goodness, and beauty" are qualities that sheep must learn for society to be stable.
Here, it's different. Becoming strong, the pursuit of power is what is correct.
They are a wolf pack. Sheep eat grass, wolves eat sheep; it's only natural. This is the company's "wolf culture," a necessary quality for successful enterprises.
Wildness. Brutality. Greed. Tyranny.
Illumi possessed all four. He was indeed an outstanding student of the Zoldyck private school, the eldest son most valued by his elders.
He was truly excellent (in the Zoldyck sense).
"..." I understood.