HxH: Ryomen... Satoru?

"Impossible! How could Killua possibly invite an outsider into our home?!"

The woman with the electronic visor strapped to her face erupted the moment the white-haired boy mentioned Killua's name.

She didn't just scream—she attacked.

Her elaborate gown did nothing to hinder her speed. Lifting her skirt with one hand and wielding a fan in the other, she moved so fast that only afterimages remained.

It was as if mentioning Killua had tripped a landmine in her mind—she snapped instantly.

…This woman was completely unhinged.

Cyr calmly raised his hand, drawing Inverted Spear from the Storage Curse's mouth to parry her fan.

A crisp clang echoed through the air as the specialized fan clashed against the Spear.

An invisible energy flickered at the point of impact—briefly thrown into chaos before dispersing.

With a flick of his wrist, Cyr effortlessly sent the fan flying. His weapon wasn't particularly sharp or long—it was thick, somewhat blunt, and covered in strange engravings that, for a split second, seemed to glow ominously.

Yet, despite its lack of an edge, its tip now rested against the woman's throat.

The entire sequence took place in just 0.2 seconds—too fast for the average person to even blink.

If he applied just a bit more pressure, if he twisted his wrist even slightly, the blade would pierce clean through her neck.

Blood dripped from his weapon onto the lush green grass.

"You should be able to tell I have no hostile intent," Cyr said evenly, retracting his spear. His voice was calm—almost casual—as if addressing her and someone else entirely.

"You're trying to take Killua away—!" the woman shrieked, clutching her bleeding throat, seemingly indifferent to the blood gushing from her wound.

She was completely deranged.

But then again, this was the Zoldyck family. Having a few screws loose was practically a requirement.

"Let him in, Kikyo."

A voice emerged from the darkness.

A man with long silver hair spoke.

"Why?! Husband—!" Kikyo screamed, her composure shattering completely.

Any trace of the refined noblewoman she had appeared to be earlier was gone.

She now looked like a full-blown lunatic.

…No wonder Illumi had the vibe of a horror movie ghost. He got it from his mother.

"Looks like I can go in now," Cyr muttered, paying no mind to the deranged woman. He simply lifted his foot and continued walking forward.

Kikyo did not stop him.

Instead, she simply stared at his retreating figure—until a sudden thought struck her.

That boy… looked a lot like Killua.

White hair. Blue eyes.

Something clicked in her mind.

Without hesitation, she gathered her skirt and sprinted off, screaming at the top of her lungs—

"Husband! That boy looks just like Killua! Could it be that you…?!"

Cyr noticed the way the black-haired, violet-eyed boy was looking at him and raised an eyebrow.

The boy remained silent, as still as a porcelain doll.

Meanwhile, the girl who had been thrown earlier slowly got to her feet. Ignoring the pain in her bruised throat, she bowed politely and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Honored guest, please follow me. The master wishes to see you."

Cyr shoved Inverted Spear back into the curse's mouth, completely ignoring the muffled grumbles from the creature.

"If you'd just done this earlier, none of that would've been necessary," he remarked.

To the others, however, it looked as though the white-haired boy had conjured a weapon out of thin air.

The girl said nothing. She simply turned and began leading the way.

The kimono-clad boy did not follow. He remained in place, watching them leave in complete silence.

---

"Husband—!"

"That kid… is he one of yours from outside?!"

"He looks only two years older than Killua!"

Kikyo, her face wrapped in bandages and her electronic visor, sounded completely shaken.

Silva Zoldyck—the silver-haired man seated on the large sofa, head of the Zoldyck family, and father to Illumi and Killua—sighed, looking somewhat exasperated.

"He's not my son."

"It's just a coincidence."

He knew for a fact that he hadn't fathered any illegitimate children. The ones he already had were more than enough, and the next heir was already decided. Why on earth would he go out of his way to have another child?

White hair and blue eyes weren't exclusive to the Zoldyck family. Was it so impossible for someone else to have the same features?

…Though, he had to admit, the resemblance to Killua was uncanny.

Silva ran a hand over his face. He was starting to struggle to deny it himself.

Similar features—white hair, blue eyes—and a face that bore more than a passing resemblance to Killua's.

If he didn't know with absolute certainty that the boy wasn't his, even he might have assumed he was a Zoldyck.

"Then why did you let him in?! He even claimed Killua invited him! There's no way—" Kikyo protested, unwilling to accept it.

"Enough, Kikyo."

Silva cut her off before she could finish.

"He pushed open the Trial Gate. All seven doors."

His voice was low, but the weight of those words was undeniable.

It wasn't that no one had ever done it before—Silva himself could do it with ease.

But for someone that young to accomplish it? That was something else entirely.

"One-star bounty hunter, Cyr Deville."

Silva casually tapped a screen beside him, bringing up a profile.

"Destroyed multiple mafia organizations in Yorknew City. The Mafia Association tried to retaliate, but the matter was ultimately dropped. Rumored to be from Meteor City."

The information had been provided by his second son, Milluki.

At the mention of Meteor City, Kikyo finally calmed down.

She also came from Meteor City.

The Zoldyck family's connection with Meteor City was actually quite strong. In fact, every wife of the Zoldyck head had been a resident of Meteor City.

Even their grandmother still lived there.

Not to mention, a large number of the family's butlers and servants had been purchased as children from Meteor City and trained from a young age.

"A child with this kind of talent… and Pampas didn't send him directly to us?"

Silva frowned slightly.

That was unusual.

By all logic, any child with exceptional talent would be sent to the Zoldyck family as soon as they were discovered.

They only accepted the best—anyone second-rate wasn't even considered.

So there was some doubt as to whether this boy truly came from Meteor City.

Of course, there was also the possibility that he was too exceptional—so much so that Meteor City had decided to keep him for themselves.

—Knock, knock… knock.

"Come in."

The butler, Gotoh, pushed open the door. The white-haired boy stepped inside.

"Kikyo, leave us."

The silver-haired man didn't even turn his head as he spoke to the woman beside him.

"…"

Kikyo gripped the sides of her skirt and left hurriedly, her entire posture radiating frustration.

"Sit."

Silva gestured to a small stool in front of him. His tone held no wariness or hostility—if anything, he sounded rather easygoing.

Cyr eyed the hard, backless stool with clear reluctance before settling onto it at a leisurely pace.

"I heard you're from Meteor City. Which district?"

Silva asked the question as if they were simply making small talk.

"District 12."

Cyr curled his lips slightly.

"District 12… How's Pampas doing?"

Silva chuckled.

So Pampas had this kind of connection?

Meteor City wasn't just tied to the mafia—it had ties to assassin families as well.

That was… interesting.

"He's doing better than great," Cyr yawned lazily before answering.

"That guy could thrive anywhere."

"Hahahaha—"

Silva let out a hearty laugh.

"True. No matter where he goes, he does just fine."

His tone carried a sense of familiarity with Pampas.

Then, just as suddenly, his expression shifted. His voice turned sharp.

"What's your goal?"

"I'm looking for Water Sapphire."

Cyr's tone remained completely relaxed.

"That stuff forms under volcanoes, right? I've searched several, but I haven't found any—so I came here."

He leaned back slightly.

"Your family does live on top of a volcano, don't you?"

His voice was calm, as if stating an obvious fact.

If anything, this only confirmed his suspicions—there was at least a ninety percent chance that Water Sapphire existed beneath this volcano.

Why else would the Zoldycks live atop a volcano?

Why else would they buy up all the surrounding land and forbid outsiders from entering?

If Water Sapphire, one of the Seven Beauties, or something equally valuable was hidden beneath this mountain—then everything would make perfect sense.

°°°

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