Mels's heart pounded.
But this wasn't the "heartbeat" of love that Mels had initially desired.
Instead, it was the killing intent born from Mels's disappointment in the Phantom Troupe member, Hisoka.
Kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him.
With great effort, she restrained herself, feigning calmness, and wrote in her notebook: [Hisoka, you really... understand me so well.]
"Of course," Hisoka replied with a doting smile, appearing completely at ease. "Because I like you so much, I've always been watching you."
Mels still noticed his unnatural, small movements, as if he were ready to flee at any moment.
I want to cut open his corpse and hang it on the park swing, Mels thought.
Am I being too sensitive, Mels thought again.
Mels knew that the worse her mood, the more prone she was to oversensitivity. The slightest careless action or glance from others, or a delayed message reply, could keep her up all night, overthinking everything.
Thinking of her own troublesome nature, Mels redirected some of her aversion back to herself.
Thus, she suppressed her killing intent towards Hisoka, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a fleeting kiss and a somewhat weak hug.
Then, concluding with "One shouldn't be too engrossed in playthings for too long; it's time to get back to business," she stepped out of Hisoka's range of perception.
If Hisoka weren't an NPC tied to the original plot, Mels wouldn't have to restrain herself. But Hisoka played a relatively important role in the original story's Greed Island arc. It was he who suggested to the other Phantom Troupe members to let go of those currently unrelated to the Chain User (referring to Gon and Killua). Otherwise, given the Troupe's disregard for human life, they might have casually killed Gon and Killua, who knew the location of the Troupe's base.
Although Hisoka was present in the original story, actively protecting his favored "young fruits" (referring to Gon and Killua), Hisoka's relationship with the other Phantom Troupe members was poor, making it inconvenient for him to offer suggestions to them. With his strength, could he have rescued the two children from under the noses of the Phantom Troupe? Would he have done so? He had infiltrated the Phantom Troupe for years to fight Chrollo. Would intervening against the Troupe now ruin his meticulously laid plans?
If she were to kill Hisoka, it would be best to do so after he had fulfilled his role in the original plot. But that would be at least... five years from now.
Could Mels endure for so long? Or would Mels even be alive at that time?
She didn't know.
Don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know.
When she left, why didn't Hisoka try to stop her at all?
Hate Hisoka! Hate him! Hate him!
Mels picked up a chair and smashed the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel room.
Crystal-clear glass shards rained down with the chair she swung, scattering like fallen diamonds in the sunlight.
Mels threw the chair out the window. It landed on the expansive lawn surrounding the hotel, shattering into pieces, but missing anyone.
Then, she ripped out the power cord of a floor lamp. The lamp's slender pole was more convenient to use than the chair.
The decorations on the table were swept to the floor, and the framed artwork on the wall was split in two.
The sofa, television, table, cabinet, vase, mirror – everything within her line of sight was smashed.
It felt so good to do things she wanted to do but dared not in the "real world."
If she accidentally broke a bowl, her mother would scold her, let alone breaking something more expensive. Her family was very, very poor; they had no money to buy new things.
It's okay, now I can smash anything I want.
So happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy.
The commotion of her wild smashing inevitably attracted hotel staff. After repeated knocks and no response, they used their card keys to open the door.
Like a hurricane had passed through, the room was in disarray, with white feathers that should have been in pillows flying everywhere. Only one person was present, and there were no bloodstains around, suggesting it wasn't the scene of a multi-person fight.
Before they could compose their thoughts, a suitcase was thrown at their feet by the person, startling them and causing them to instinctively flinch backward.
Then they saw that the casually unlatched suitcase was filled with neatly stacked cash, in denominations of 10,000 jenny.
"...Excuse me! We are very sorry to have disturbed you!" The older hotel employee, more experienced, immediately pressed down on the back of the other employee, bowed, and apologized.
Next, he nimbly gathered the suitcase and the fallen money, tugged his colleague along as they repeatedly bowed, carefully and quickly closed the door, and hurried away.
Hmm, it's good to have money.
Mels paced back and forth, the glass shards and other debris crunching under her feet.
Aside from the walls, there was nothing else in the room for her to destroy.
Gathering her Nen into her fist, Mels began punching the wall.
This is bad, the effect is far worse than manual wall-smashers like Silva or Uvogin.
You're terrible, Mels.
The phone used for contacting the Phantom Troupe members lay on the ground. Mels glanced at the messages Hisoka had sent; they were no different from before.
Damn Hisoka, she risked being hurt and put so much effort into "dating," and Hisoka acted as if nothing had happened?
Damn Hisoka! Damn him! Damn him!
Unlike in the "real world," with the enhancement of Nen, Mels didn't need to feel pain to cause actual damage to the wall.
Smashing a large section of the wall provided a visual release that somewhat appeased her anger.
...I'm still so angry.
Even smashing the entire hotel, or killing everyone in it, would probably be useless because these actions would have no impact on the culprit, merely scratching an itch.
...I really want to kill Hisoka.
To meticulously torture him, day and night. When she's too lazy to do it herself, she could have the butler do it, torture him, torture him, until she got bored and then kill him.
The Zoldyck family's prison cells have all sorts of tools, and there's no need to worry about anyone disturbing her.
Deep within the Zoldyck stronghold, no one could save Hisoka.
Haha.
It's so convenient being the evil Zoldyck family; almost any dark thought can be realized in the Zoldyck household, it's practically routine.
But still... it's boring...
When you do bad deeds every day, and bad deeds become "routine," they also become repetitive, monotonous "daily tasks."
After torturing and killing Hisoka, what remains is still emptiness.
...Emptiness.
The emptiness of having invested a limited amount of emotional capital.
Who can fill it?
Mels surveyed the ravaged hotel room, which was like a physical manifestation of the void in her heart.
Who can fill it?
As if her soul had left her body, Mels stood numbly, her limbs gradually growing cold.
Who can fill it?
Mels began to scratch at her neck, blood gradually staining her hair nearby.
Who can fill it?
Mels began to scratch at her arm, blood gradually staining the floor nearby.
Who can fill it?
"...Mother," Mels murmured, walking towards the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
The people below only saw a falling figure, but they did not hear the sound of something hitting the ground.
When Mels returned to Kukuroo Mountain, Kikyo was lecturing Killua incessantly. Killua had finished his Heaven's Arena arc and returned home, but his heart had not, showing absentmindedness in training or missions, even wanting to befriend the trainee butlers guarding the courtyard. This greatly deviated from Kikyo's ideal educational path for Killua, provoking Kikyo's strong displeasure.
Meanwhile, Killua moved the lollipop in his mouth from left to right, then from right to left, repeatedly. His impatience was reaching its limit.
He had already devised four or five escape strategies and hadn't decided which one to implement.
"...Mother."
A lamenting female voice suddenly broke into Killua's thoughts, and also interrupted Kikyo's lengthy discourse.
Killua first saw Kikyo's shocked, gaping expression, as if struck by lightning, before turning to look at the source of the sound.
It was his sister, Kikyo's only daughter, Mels Zoldyck, standing there, her hands hanging by her sides, her fingers tightly clenching the hem of her skirt, creating a cascade of wrinkles.
"...Mother," Mels called out again, her tone more sorrowful, and her face showing a look of sadness.
No one knew why she was sad.
But everyone noticed that she was not wearing a "voice-emitting device," and her voice seemed to be naturally produced.
"...Mother," Mels took a step towards them.
The sorrowful voice and expression were things Killua had never seen in Mels. And Killua suddenly remembered that his sister was born without vocal cords and couldn't speak, which was why his mother was so surprised!
"...Mother," Mels took another step towards them.
Out of "instinctive" fear of the "unknown," Killua instinctively stepped back, forgetting the lollipop in his mouth. It fell out and hit the ground with a "thud."
Kikyo snapped back to reality, walked past Killua, and meaningfully pressed Killua's shoulder as she moved to meet Mels.
Rather than pondering questions about Mels's brain surgery, vocal cords, or the reasons for her sadness, it was imperative to stabilize the situation first.
Kikyo opened her arms towards Mels, making a gesture to embrace her. Behind Kikyo, a butler quietly and swiftly removed Killua Zoldyck, the most important heir of the Zoldyck family, and firmly covered Killua's mouth, so Killua couldn't utter any objections.
Fortunately, Mels at this moment was not paying attention to anything other than Kikyo. She responded to Kikyo's gesture, rushing into Kikyo's arms like a gust of wind, and whimpered softly, "...Mother."
"Mel," Kikyo's voice was so gentle it could drip water. "My Mel."
Mels hugged Kikyo tightly.
On the airship back, Mels practiced this word hundreds, thousands of times. Her proficiency was very high, and only after feeling reasonably satisfied did she have the courage to speak the word in front of others, "...Mother."
But it was only this word.
"What happened, Mel?"
"...Mother."
"Why are you sad, Mel?"
"...Mother."
No matter what Kikyo said, Mels would only repeat the word "Mother."
On another side of the Zoldyck mansion, Killua was finally freed and could question the butler who had forcefully taken him away from his mother and sister, "Gotoh! What are you doing!"
"I am very sorry, Young Master Killua," Gotoh replied with a standard ninety-degree bow.
"Sister's... Forget it, you wouldn't know even if I asked," Given the situation, even mother was caught off guard, let alone Gotoh. So Killua changed the subject, deliberately muttering his plan, "Why are you specifically sending me away? Is there something you can't tell me? Ha, then I definitely have to find out."
As expected, Gotoh blocked Killua, "Please remain here and do not disturb them—this is Madam Kikyo's wish."
"Of course, I know it's Mother's wish," Killua put on a proud young master demeanor, his chin held high, his tone commanding. "I just want to know *why* you're specifically sending me away. If you don't let me figure it out, you won't stop me."
"Under pressure" from his young master's "intimidation," Gotoh "had to" reveal more information, his tone compromising. "You know... Miss Mels is special. Allowing her to go out freely is already exceptional kindness from Master Silva."
"I know! You all say Sister has mental problems." Killua's dissatisfaction became more obvious. "I said Sister is fine, and you all said it's because you haven't let me see her. You always exclude me, and this time too, you just chased me away. What do you take me for?!"
"I am very sorry, Young Master Killua," Gotoh maintained his bowing posture.
There were things he couldn't say, and things he genuinely didn't know. In short, as a servant, he couldn't be overly curious and had to be cautious with his words.
"If I don't go to them, I'll go to Milluki... alright?" Killua mumbled, and this time he was not stopped by Gotoh.
Milluki, who was happily browsing the internet in his room, felt terrible.
Since Killua returned to Kukuroo Mountain from Heaven's Arena, everyone in the house except Milluki was very happy.
This kid Killua hadn't learned anything good outside; instead, he learned to pick on the weak. Whether he was bored or not, he liked to come and bother him. But Dad, Mom, and Grandpa all sided with that kid. Being his brother was like a curse from past lives; it was incredibly annoying!
Damn it, the only person in this house who can control that kid is Big Brother, but Big Brother is obsessed with work and doesn't come home often. Damn it, when I have the chance, I must instigate Big Brother to educate Killua more!
"...What is it," Milluki shot an annoyed glance at the uninvited guest he had failed to intercept (in fact, he had never succeeded in intercepting).
"Sister is home," Killua said.
"Oh." Isn't that a given?! What's so special about it!
"Sister can speak!" Killua raised his hand, then remembered he had lost the lollipop in his mouth long ago, so he lowered it halfway and put his hands back in his pockets. "She also cried!"
Actually, she didn't cry, but it looked like it was close. Rounding up is acceptable.
"What's so special about that!" Milluki said so, but his body was honest. His fingers flew across the keyboard, switching the computer screen to the home surveillance feed.
As a result, he only found Mels hurrying towards the main residence, nothing particularly special.
"..." x2
In terms of surveillance achievements, Milluki couldn't compare to Kikyo. If there were parts Kikyo didn't want to be seen, Milluki naturally couldn't see them.
"Ahem, everyone has their little secrets, and Mom and Sister are no exception," Milluki gave a fake cough to alleviate the embarrassment of finding nothing. "Don't meddle. Otherwise, I'll tell Mom."
Killua "Tch'ed," and as he left, he made a move towards Milluki's figurines. Milluki, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, immediately bristled and yelled, "Don't touch!" jumping up from his chair. Killua, however, was just teasing him, made a face at him, and then ran away like lightning, infuriating Milluki.
Though the Zoldyck mansion was vast, it was desolate. Killua knew the boundaries of his "freedom." His playful and lively smile, fitting for his age, faded from his face as he teased Milluki. He gazed into the darkness of the corridor for a moment, turned his feet, and chose another direction.
At this time, Mels and Kikyo were in Mels's room. Through Kikyo's one-sided speculation and probing, Kikyo confirmed that Mels's current sadness was due to a certain man, and that man was alive.
"It's okay, Mel. I'll just break his limbs and bring him here."
"..." Mels shook her head.
"How about making him regret being born into this world?"
"..." Mels shook her head.
"Oh dear, Mel, you're not planning to do nothing and let yourself be bullied, are you?!" Kikyo couldn't help but shriek again.
"..." Mels shook her head. "...Mother."
Kikyo took several deep breaths and swallowed her previous words.
Throughout the entire exchange, Kikyo only inquired about the reason for Mels's sadness, never mentioning the brain surgery or vocal cords. "It's okay, it's okay, Mel. Do whatever you want, and Mother will support you."
After Kikyo fell silent, in the now quiet atmosphere, Mels finally had a chance to gather her tears. She buried her head in Kikyo's embrace, soaking a large portion of Kikyo's clothing in front of her chest, sobbing until her body convulsed, crying until she couldn't cry anymore.
Exhausted from crying, Mels lay on the bed, still tightly clutching Kikyo's sleeve.
"...Mother," Mels closed her eyes, her voice as light as a sleep-talk.
"I'm here, Mel," Kikyo gently stroked Mels's head.
On the way back to Kukuroo Mountain, Mels had not rested at all and had been in a state of anxiety. Now that she had finally had a good cry, she still couldn't sleep. Only after Kikyo injected her with a strong sedative (a lethal dose) did she finally fall into a fitful sleep.
Kikyo, whose sleeve was being held by Mels, found it inconvenient to move, so she contacted a butler to deal with Mels's bleeding bandages.
Cutting open Mels's blood-soaked clothes, the condition beneath the bandages was quite bad. Her neck, arms, and thighs were scratched bloody and raw, and Mels had only simply wrapped bandages around them without any further treatment.
Kikyo: The desire to kill cannot be hidden.jpg
But it's okay. At least Mels chose to come home, chose her, and even called her "Mother" herself. As if to make up for the nearly twenty-one years of absence, Mels called her "Mother" many, many times today. It seemed Mels had finally realized that this was the best place for her.
Kikyo felt a warm, comforting happiness as if her whole body were submerged in warm water. She raised the sleeve not being held by Mels and licked the part where she had wiped Mels's tears earlier. The faint salty taste tasted sweet in her mouth.
For the next few days, the Zoldyck family members couldn't see Kikyo at the dining table. Kikyo stayed by Mels's bedside day and night. If Mels didn't want to go out and wanted to stay in bed, Kikyo followed her wishes.
Rather, Kikyo was even happier. Her Mel wouldn't go out anymore and could belong to her forever.
Only after Mels's condition stabilized did Kikyo appear before the Zoldyck family members, refreshed. Her excellent mood meant that lack of sleep had no effect on her.
"Oh dear, this is unavoidable," Kikyo said, covering her lips with a fan, her tone full of unconcealed self-satisfaction. "Mel has been calling me 'Mother,' and she only depends on me."
Kikyo was still holding back from mentioning that Mels only slept while sucking her finger.
"She didn't say anything else?" Zeno asked.
For example... "Grandfather" or "Father."
"She can't say anything else yet," Silva visited once, but Mels hid under the bed and remained silent. "Although I'm not sure how she got vocal cords. I think it's likely the effect of Nen. Because her brain has also returned to its pre-surgery state."
As long as Mels's mental state was stable, the brain surgery itself was not crucial, as the "failsafe" had already been confirmed to be in her heart.
"In any case, I will take good care of..." Before Kikyo could finish, her tone suddenly changed, and her voice became sharp with excitement, "Mels!"
Mels, who had refused to leave her room, was walking towards them. Kikyo saw Mels first through the electronic eye.
Mels pushed open the conference room door and, facing the Zoldyck elders, bowed her head slightly. "I've come to say hello. I'm going out."
Both sentences were spoken with the help of a "voice-emitting device," and her demeanor was like someone post-brain surgery, with little emotional fluctuation.
After speaking, Mels only looked at Silva, the main decision-maker among the three, completely ignoring Kikyo. Her purpose was clear—the temporarily deranged Mels needed the patriarch's permission and also needed to prove she still possessed reason.
She calmly met Silva's gaze, completely different from the Mels who would hide under the bed upon seeing Silva before.
Silva remained silent for a moment.
Kikyo felt the balance tipping, her resentful expression gradually softening. "Mel, you don't need to go out. I can help you with anything. People outside will only hurt you!"
"If you want to go out..." Silva raised his hand to stop Kikyo's speech. "Mels, you must promise us one condition."
...A condition.
Mels's shoulders tensed slightly. Facing two Zoldyck patriarchs simultaneously, she had no chance of winning, so she couldn't refuse any unreasonable condition they might propose on the spot.
"Next time," Silva said finally, "you are not allowed to return crying."