So what was he supposed to do? Chrollo looked at the kid in front of him, feeling a bit troubled.

"Alluka, right? Just so you know, I go for what people care about. That kid cared about his fishing rod, so I broke his hand. If it's you, I'll crush your…" Chrollo stopped mid-sentence because he felt an intense killing intent.

It was coming from Illumi.

Chrollo slowly finished, "…your legs. I'm not joking. You want to see the outside world? If I break your legs, you'll never be able to go out again in your life."

Chrollo wasn't wrong about aiming for weak spots, but he was facing someone far stranger.

Because as long as Alluka wasn't dead, Killua could just make a wish to heal himself!

So as long as he had the will to fight… the result would only be a win. And if he lost, then Chrollo would also lose. In the last round, Chrollo had already shown he wouldn't give up his exam qualification just to kill someone. Gon had proven that.

But who else could act like Gon? People aren't machines.

And Saiki Kusuo was sure that the moment Chrollo really tried to hurt Alluka, Illumi would kill him on the spot — without hesitation, without caring about the exam, because to him his little brother mattered more than anything. No one was allowed to touch him except himself!

Saiki Kusuo also really didn't want Alluka, who'd been protected since childhood, to get hurt.

In the end, he knew nothing would happen, but letting his brother be tortured to the brink of death was something Saiki Kusuo couldn't just watch without stepping in.

[We should put a Nen needle in Alluka too.] Illumi thought to himself.

Saiki Kusuo: No, you can't. There's a Nanika inside him, that's why you didn't do it, right? In case something unknown happens.

"Big brother Chrollo, want to play rock-paper-scissors with me?"

"No." Chrollo answered right away, crossing his arms. He figured the only way out of this round might be forfeiting, because this kid was nothing like Gon — way too fragile.

Something felt wrong.

Saiki Kusuo suddenly felt uneasy.

"Big brother Chrollo, can you give me a hug?" Alluka held out his hands.

"I think… we're not that close yet." Chrollo replied cautiously. Alluka's clothes were very loose, and coming from a family of assassins, it wouldn't be strange if he had a knife hidden somewhere.

No, no no no! Saiki Kusuo snapped to attention — Alluka was making requests! If someone refused four times, they'd have to pay the price for the last wish!

What was the last wish again? Who made it? Was it me going to the moon? Would the price be bad? But based on past tests, the price for refusing was death at minimum! Refuse four times and you're guaranteed to die!

At that moment, Illumi's killing intent suddenly vanished. Clearly, he had realized what Alluka was doing too.

What to do?

Expose him, or…

Illumi's decision was to raise his needle.

Even if it meant both he and Alluka losing their exam qualifications, he would shut Alluka up.

But he didn't act right away, because someone else had also noticed.

"Alluka!" Killua shouted, "What are you doing?! Alluka! Give up, we already agreed on that, right?"

It was the first time Killua had yelled at Alluka. He flinched, bit his lip, and said, "This is Alluka's match. Alluka wants to finish it himself!"

"If you die, you'll lose your exam qualification!" Killua shouted back.

That line sparked a lot of confusion.

Oh, was he warning Chrollo? But Chrollo only tortured people until they were near death — everyone knew that.

Gon had wanted to watch the match till the end, but he'd already passed out earlier and been sent somewhere else to rest.

This showed just how terrifying the stranger was—he let the opponent leave alive, only for them to collapse on their own a while later.

There was no way he was trying to warn this Alluka kid not to kill him, right? That would be a joke. They had all just seen how dangerous he was.

He was still as cold as ever.

Suddenly, Chrollo jumped back three steps.

He admitted that, though he was never careless, he had indeed let his guard down for a moment just now. If this kid had some kind of poison that his assassin family happened to be immune to, he could have been in real danger of losing his life.

Saiki Kusuo: There's no such poison, but you really are in danger.

It was instinct—Chrollo's sharp sense from walking the edge between life and death so many times told him something dangerous was close. But he couldn't see it.

He cautiously moved further away, but making a request didn't require distance—only that the voice be heard.

[No one will die.] Alluka couldn't reveal too much, but gave Killua a firm look.

No one would die? But the price surely wouldn't be something a person could bear easily!

Alluka spoke firmly. Behind Saiki Kusuo, to his right, Illumi had already raised his needles.

"Stran—"

[This is the only way to solve it.] Illumi's thoughts. Three needles filled with powerful nen.

"…Stranger, surrender!" Alluka said.

At that moment, Saiki Kusuo used an ability he hadn't touched since he was a baby—a telepathic trick that made someone forget what they were going to say, replacing it with his own words, letting the body speak faster than the brain.

Surrender?

"Candidate Alluka Zoldyck, are you confirming your surrender?" the judge asked.

Geez, why even ask? He already said surrender. Just end the exam, Saiki Kusuo thought.

But Alluka shook his head hard. "I didn't surrender, surrender, I won't!"

Uh-oh. Alluka had realized what happened, and he couldn't be controlled.

"Chairman Netero, he just said 'surrender.' Doesn't that count?" Chrollo asked upward.

"Hohoho, surrender must be willing surrender. Looks like those two words weren't said voluntarily, so it doesn't count." Netero stroked his beard. "Candidates in the audience, we're not stopping you from cheering or shouting from outside the ring, but if you interfere, you could lose your qualification. Take care of yourselves."

That was basically aimed at him. Saiki Kusuo looked away.

But it wasn't over.

If anyone was losing their qualification, it would be Illumi. The match went on, and once again, Illumi raised his nen needles.

[…Alluka, stop the fight.] Saiki Kusuo finally said.

If this led to Chrollo's body being cut in half, or his limbs broken—even if Alluka said he wouldn't die—it was still too dangerous.

It would not only expose abilities, but any injury to Chrollo could change the whole Yorknew story. The entire Hunter x Hunter plot would be thrown off.

Saiki Kusuo couldn't imagine the fallout. If the Phantom Troupe leader died in the Hunter Exam, it would make no sense. Would the spiders attack the Hunter Association in revenge?

So he spoke up. Plus, two others had already made the choice for him—Killua and Illumi, both in the "stop" camp. He could follow his family's lead.

---------------------------------------

You can read 15 chapters ahead on patre on

patr eon.com/JYouyi