Going to learn Nen

It was very early morning, and Hiruma had gotten little sleep. He left his room, clean and dressed, following the unemotional footsteps of the girl with deep purple hair; she was the ever-so-stoic child; she wasn't made for displays, even when hurting or sick.

"Mother, we came."

Kalluto made a respectful noise when they stopped at a thick silver fortified door adorned with patterned and oval-shaped lumps of the same material in a cramped, century-old nook at the castle's heart. It appeared to be the entrance to a stronghold.

"Come in, children."

Kikyo responded in an unusually subdued tone. Hiruma didn't appear to be the only one who could have slept better.

'She couldn't have forgotten the invitation she made herself?'

He paused momentarily before returning his attention to his new sister, who was drawing his attention with her gesture to enter the room first.

Today, as she escorted him here, the precious little Kalluto wore a black kimono with crimson trim. She had the airs of a zombie doll, the murder kind of plaything, to go with her dead complexion and chaste hairstyle.

She had Zoldyck blood, so she had her own fearsome style. Hiruma couldn't tell if she was intentionally aiming for the sober violence style she displayed this morning. The tone seemed to fit her composed temperament and abilities; Kalluto was not to be approached if one only had a superficial understanding of her strengths; she was precise and brisk in her assassin accomplishments.

According to the adults, she was third on the list of gifted children, right after Killua and Hiruma; Illumi never disputed that ranking, which spoke volumes about his sister's abilities. Hiruma found it difficult to comprehend after recalling that the enigmatic Illumi was only a slightly above-average Zoldyck in terms of natural talents.

Milluki, the inactive child, didn't need an honorable mention; he was naturally the least endowed. But only in the physical sense. He was also content with the moniker Zoldyck black sheep.

Milluki had his own languid purpose in the family, thanks to the internet. A purpose that others couldn't easily copy or supplant because he was an atypical and stand-alone genius. Even in the Zoldyck household, his IQ, immature but disturbing wealth, and shady connections were impressive.

Zoldycks had online fan clubs, and the fat man once boasted at a family dinner table that the newly installed and young president of the Republic of Padokea was his big fan, which elicited no major reaction from the grown-ups, not because the kid was a tyrant, but because they had no regard for people who weren't experts*.

Killua still had no idea what the hidden meaning behind that simple expert* word meant. Hiruma and Kalluto, on the other hand, were more enlightened; they had always been familiar with the coded family language regarding Nen, despite not being The-One-True-Heir like Killua. Killua had to go through certain ordeals as the lawful successor to increase his base potential. They didn't, at least not as much.

No one could tell Killua until Silva and his lieutenant Illumi had permission. Even when Silva sent him to Heaven's Arena at the age of six in this life, Illumi was quietly guarding him in the back against the world and its secrets.

Hiruma knew because Killua was unaware of a lot of inside information in the house.

Being the legal heir wasn't the ideal position to sit in.

It was like being the house's biggest puppet. Hiruma's predecessor didn't tell Killua anything, not because they didn't get along; they did; he didn't tell because he never imagined Illumi or Silva would want to harm his brother. If they did, it was because that was how the previous Hiruma imagined things had to be.

He was a mischievous Zoldyck, but unlike Killua, he never considered leaving the house.

The predecessor was not incorrect, but he needed to be completely correct, which he was not. The only conclusion from watching the original was that Killua was not cut out to be a true assassin.

But being one wasn't fun, was it? What, after all, was a true assassin, if not a fucking robot? Hiruma, the newcomer, figured. He would never kill everyone like a machine just because he was told to. If he didn't like it, fuck the job! He had a lot of ideas.

"Go ahead, Kalluto."

Hiruma smiled as he declined Kalluto's polite invitation to enter first; his sister was adorable. Except for the oddball Killua, Zoldyck's killing assignments were usually done in groups of two or three.

When he wasn't working with the family, Illumi used outside help. Maybe Hisoka. Hiruma didn't know if Illumi had a friend yet. Only Hisoka would be qualified to be a "friend."

Hiruma remembered Illumi having the assistance of someone like Milluki behind a computer even when he worked alone.

Hiruma considered training his sister to be his loyal follower, hoping she would eventually become his partner, but that sounded bad given her age. Even though he didn't have those* thoughts when he was 12 in his previous life.

Moments later.

Everyone was sitting inside a large, reinforced room, with Hiruma hoping it would be the last time he felt the need to be on guard.

His mother's robotic eye relaxed when she got to talk about what she was teaching them today instead of wishing them a happy 9th birthday.