Awakened Kalluto, Manipulators

Even though it took her much longer than her brother, Kalluto eventually gained control of her Aura and opened her eyes. Kikyo taught her how to open Gyo after she stood and completed the water divination test.

With the last hurdle, it took about an hour from when Hiruma had his Nen probed to when all of this was completed, which was also a good record.

Kalluto was nine years old and already a monster in her own right. Hiruma, on the other hand, was built and raised differently, which Kikyo was well aware of, even if he once again challenged her lifelong knowledge in the fog outside yesterday.

Hiruma was not surprised to learn that his sister belonged to the Manipulation category. His mother, on the other hand, appeared overjoyed at the discovery.

She said this with obvious affection as she looked at the leaf moving on the surface of the cup's water,

"Moving leaf. Not bad... Not bad. You're a manipulator just like me, Kalluto. It'll be easier for your oldest brother and me to guide you that way."

"Manipulator? What is it? Illumi is one too?"

Kalluto, the other Nen novice, inquired a rare and cute little smile on her face. Hiruma didn't have to ask why his sister was beaming for the first time this morning; she was a Mama's girl, a Mama's soldier through and through.

Kalluto had always been like this. When Kikyo responded with pride in her voice, the boy smiled as well, thinking of a diverting, loosely knit memory.

"Hmmm. So why not? After all, you have yet to enter Hatsu's domain, but it can't hurt to expound a little..."

"Your brother Illumi and I belong to your Manipulator category. Manipulators, as the name implies, manipulate Nen and various other things. We are string pullers who can do anything we want if we have the power and creativity. Because it is a resourceful type similar to the Emission type, you have twice the advantage in mid to long-range conflict. Wires are pulled over weapons, our bodies, and the living. And by the most skilled of us, even the dead. Your adversaries..."

"Our strength and attainments with Aura get more impressive as we go in that direction, in fact, a lot more when we can almost virtually treat the entire world as our toy. One of our flaws, if there is one, in comparison to Transmuters is that we do not easily transform the thorough character of our Nen; instead, we root and displace it."

Kikyo went into greater detail before adding,

"If I had to give you one particular piece of advice, coming from a distinguished Zoldyck manipulator I had the privilege to read on after entering this house, it would be not to try and integrate these skills of ours with Conjuration. It's tempting, but we manipulators have enough control over our environment and surroundings; we don't need to enlist the help of the unworldly and lawless. Don't waste your time and energy on Conjuration if you aren't a true Conjurer; even true Conjurers struggle to master their own field."

Hearing Kikyo, Kalluto nodded intently. She would take notes if she were in class. Hiruma, on the other hand, frowned; he felt strange learning about something so recently. A crazy idea flashed as he looked at his fake twin sister, his future murder partner.

'Are manipulators truly that powerful?'

'If that's the case...'

Hiruma had a bold thought; earlier, he had been considering how to persuade his sister to be a good soldier for him. He didn't need to spend or do much to bring her on board in the future.

The turn-based combat was nothing more than his last hope for survival and escape. Hiruma didn't need thousands of monsters in the future; he only needed three at all times.

Recalling how those monster units couldn't betray or turn on him even if they died, were corrupted, or resurrected, and could be summoned from anywhere, he paid closer attention when his mother said,

"The last thing you should remember about manipulators, Kalluto, is that we can be considered commodities and corpses refiners. Of course, not in the way an enhancer can be if it works for him, but we benefit from direct and long-range control over these sporadic things. Your brother, Illumi's accomplishments in these prospects are difficult to match throughout the open and dark worlds outside."

Kalluto smiled and nodded once more.

Hiruma smirked wickedly as he listened to his mother's final two sentences in his corner.

She let him sit for a moment to forget his exasperating face, which she sometimes scorned as much as she adored.

Just minutes after Kikyo finished boasting about her skills and manipulation once more, Kalluto returned from the world outside her grand fantasies.

She recalled something while staring at her brother, who hadn't said anything in a long time, and inquired,

"Mother, what kind of Nen is Hiruma? Did he fail the test?"

Kikyo made an unusual noise.

"Don't worry about your brother for now,"

she said with a sigh and snorted.

"He's another monster in the mold of your great-grandfather..."

"Monster?"

Kalluto inquired, perplexed.

"He belongs to the Enhancer category."

"It's a very irritating type of Nen, and not just because of its nature; the users often happen to be," Kikyo replied, continuing with the same sigh.

"??"

The sentence left Kalluto needing clarification. But after seeing her mother's tight expression, she asked no further questions.

Hiruma, the annoying and diminutive ball of Zoldyck-evil, only chuckled on the inside. After his mother explained how she would teach practical knowledge in the afternoon, they all left the fortified room for a rare family brunch.