Zeno Zoldyck

The grandeur of the audience room was familiar, yet subtly different. Haruto was seated on his throne, his council spread out before him. Their faces were masks of calm, a collective show of strength in the face of danger. The power emanating from them was palpable, an impressive display of control, each holding their Nen under tight reign. There was an unwavering solidarity among them, a unity that was all the more significant in front of a potential adversary.

Only one seemed to vary from the shared tranquility. A young woman, her aura projecting a violent storm of emotions. Her eyes were those of a fierce predator, focused intently on Illumi, unblinking. A whirlwind of energy swirled around her, tenebrous and violent, a raw display of her readiness to strike. Looking at her, Illumi felt an inexplicable unease, akin to peering into a chasm, dark and infinitely deep. It was as if her very existence was an epitome of a quiet, deadly storm.

"Welcome, Mr. Assasin," Haruto's voice resounded throughout the room, breaking the silence. His demeanor was composed, his aura exuding a sense of majesty that, despite its subtlety, was impossible to ignore.

Illumi studied Haruto, his icy gaze unwavering. Haruto's poise was commendable, he mused. There was a certain quality to him that demanded respect, and Illumi found himself begrudgingly acknowledging it.

"Your hospitality is surprising," Illumi commented, his voice a monotone. He didn't show any signs of being impressed or intimidated by the formidable group in front of him.

Canary, the girl who had glared at him earlier, let out a cold, humorless laugh, her eyes never leaving Illumi. "Your audacity is what's surprising," she shot back, her voice as sharp as shards of ice.

"Which country hired you?" Haruto's question cut through the thick silence like a knife, his eyes fixed on Illumi with an unyielding intensity.

Illumi didn't falter under Haruto's probing gaze. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "How about this: you answer one of my questions, and I'll answer yours," he offered.

Laughter burst from Feitan, sudden and sharp. His sardonic smile stretched across his face, his crimson eyes glinting dangerously in the dimly lit room. "You think you're in a position to demand anything?" His tone was mocking, a cruel edge to his laughter echoing around the room.

Illumi's gaze slid to Feitan, his face as impassive as ever. "I can leave anytime I want, so I believe yes," he stated, his tone steady. His response seemed to hang heavily in the room, almost daring anyone to challenge it.

Haruto leaned back in his throne, a quiet confidence radiating from him. He locked his gaze with Illumi's, a spark of defiant audacity dancing in his eyes. "Your backer will not be able to extract you before your head leaves your body," he threatened nonchalantly, his gaze sliding towards the window. "Don't you think?"

For the first time since entering the room, Illumi's icy composure shattered. Shock etched across his face, swiftly followed by a flicker of fear. His gaze swung towards the window where, hidden in the shadows, was none other than his grandfather, Zeno Zoldyck. The aging assassin, renowned for his decades of experience, was an enigma - how could this young ruler have found him?

Before Illumi could digest this revelation, Zeno appeared by his side as if materialized out of thin air. The room fell silent as Zeno's gaze swept over them, finally landing on Koshiro. "Koshiro," he greeted, his voice echoing around the room.

"Zeno," Koshiro responded, his voice steady despite the surprise twisting his features.

Zeno turned to Haruto, intrigue sparking in his eyes. He simply inclined his head in a silent greeting, "King Haruto."

Haruto's response was simple, a nod of acknowledgment, his gaze never straying from the elder Zoldyck.

Haruto's gaze grew glacial, his eyes narrowing at the elder Zoldyck as if piecing together the fragments of a forgotten memory. "You," he spat out the word like a venomous accusation, "Your aura irritates me." A peculiar discomfort crawled beneath his skin, an unspoken agitation for this man he'd never met before. An inexplicable urge welled within him – to eradicate the source of his discomfort, to keep... her? safe. The question mark hovering over 'her' seemed to blur his thoughts. Why was there a sudden image of a woman, like a fading illusion, etching itself in his mind?

"How did you find me?" Zeno asked. His question resonated in the tense air. Years of unblemished experience, of being the hunter, not the hunted, momentarily tainted.

Unfazed by the stoic assassin's question, Haruto flicked a dismissive glance his way. "Who hired you?" He parried Zeno's question with his own, a note of casual boredom lacing his words.

"Kakin," Zeno conceded, his tone accepting of Haruto's silent assertion of dominance. The single word hovered ominously in the room, the implications of an entire nation's machinations weaving a new thread into their conflict.

"And their demand?" Haruto probed, his gaze still resting on the horizon beyond the window.

But Zeno was not one to relinquish control entirely. "My question first," he retorted, raising an expectant eyebrow at Haruto.

With an air of nonchalance, Haruto leaned back on his throne, the slightest of smiles playing on his lips. "You were in my En," he declared.

The revelation was so unexpected it could have tipped the world off its axis. Silent gasps of disbelief echoed around the room. Unbelievable. Impossible. But, they couldn't refute the truth. Even Illumi, the seasoned assassin, who was tens of meters away when Koshiro intercepted him, was within Haruto's En. And Zeno, whose presence was unbeknownst to them all. Just how vast was Haruto's sphere of perception?

Haruto's unrelenting gaze remained fastened on the elder Zoldyck, his question hanging in the air like a dangerous precipice. "What was their demand?" he asked again.

Zeno's voice cut through the tension that gripped the room like a vice. "To ensure that the Meteor Kingdom is no longer a threat to Kakin."

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