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Killua finally found himself face‑to‑face with Illumi.
To everyone's shock, Illumi slowly plucked the Nen needles from his skull and revealed his real face…
Killua had never imagined that this odd‑looking man was actually his older brother.
With one of Illumi's needles still embedded in his brow, Killua could summon no will to resist; raw, instinctive fear swallowed him.
Under Illumi's questioning and terrifying aura, sweat poured off the boy—he did not dare fight back.
Instead, the killing intent and anger he couldn't vent at Illumi burst onto an innocent by‑stander: Bodoro.
Gon, knocked unconscious in his earlier bout with Hanzo, had already been carried away and saw none of this.
Illumi won the match; Killua quit the arena and returned to Kukuroo Mountain.
Throughout the encounter Illumi's full‑blown "bro-con" was obvious to Xiang Nan.
Apart from Illumi's twisted need to control Killua, Xiang Nan sensed something more like protection—an almost doting indulgence.
Threatening to kill Kurapika and the others in order to force Killua to withdraw—insisting that "people like us don't have friends"—was Illumi's way of instilling his own "creed" in his brother, guiding Killua's growth as he (mistakenly) believed best.
Anyone willing to plan so carefully for a sibling's future is already making a statement.
If Killua could become the greatest assassin in Zoldyck history—maybe even head the next generation—Illumi would sacrifice himself without hesitation, even die for him.
Illumi's devotion to Killua far exceeds normal imagination; it merely looks warped from the outside.
Later Xiang Nan ran into Leorio and voluntarily forfeited—no desire to waste time—doing Leorio a favor that made the man stomp and rant about being looked down on.
The Hunter Exam of this year thus ended.
Exactly eight of the ten candidates earned licenses; only Killua and the dead Bodoro did not.
All told, Xiang Nan's plunge into the storyline and entry into the Association had gone quite smoothly.
Gon awoke the next day.
Under the lead examiner's briefing, the group learned the Association's rules, basic facts about the Hunter world, and professional tracks.
It was simple:
After joining, the Association provides information but never meddles in a Hunter's actions or choices.
A pro Hunter must obey only one thing—the Ten Hunter Commandments.
Break them, and management will post your violation internally.
Gon also heard what happened to Killua and clashed publicly with Illumi.
Illumi truly meant to strike Gon—but Hisoka had already stepped in to "protect his cub."
Xiang Nan did not intervene. Once he had his license, he left for Association headquarters without further contact with the protagonist group.
A few days later he arrived alone in the city that housed HQ.
The building before him wasn't a towering skyscraper, but it covered a large footprint; watching the steady flow of people at the doors stirred complicated feelings.
Politically, the Hunter Association carried little weight in the world's power structure, yet socially its influence was huge—a "central stage" in countless stories. For players and for Hunters alike, the place held special meaning.
Pause over, he noted that most people coming and going were ordinary staff—the Association's rank and file.
The building was not Hunters‑only; keeping the organization running required many civilian specialists.
Inside felt like entering a normal corporation.
At reception he completed detailed registration to finalize his Hunter record.
The staff were friendly and efficient, quickly creating his file and personally guiding him floor by floor to learn the layout and departments.
Xiang Nan chose a medical track—Incurable‑Disease Hunter.
Already a physician with experience, diving deeper into that field suited him perfectly.
Medicine hosts many Hunter specialties—Poison Hunters among pharmacists, Virus Hunters, and so on. "Incurable‑Disease" was simply one branch in the broader category.
While touring, Xiang Nan encountered one of the Twelve Zodiacs: the Dog, Cheadle Yorkshire.
Long green hair, dog‑ear headband, calm and collected.
Cheadle was a three‑star Specialist‑Disease Hunter—same medical domain as Xiang Nan—and also a legal scholar.
They passed each other; Cheadle, busy with management duties, paid no mind to an unfamiliar face.
The escort noticed Xiang Nan's look and explained:
The "Twelve Zodiacs" are the twelve Hunters Chairman Netero personally acknowledges. Their raw Nen might varies, but each is an undisputed top expert—at least three‑star—in his or her own field.
Out of respect for Netero, most adopt Zodiac‑themed attire.
Netero entrusted day‑to‑day Association operation to the Zodiacs, sparing himself much trouble—though only a few really handle the work; the rest all have their own agendas. Netero knows this; forming the Zodiacs was largely his way of adding fun to life, hand‑picking "opponents" to challenge himself.
The escort assumed Xiang Nan was curious about Cheadle's looks or rank—but in truth, he was gauging her power.
"She's… a bit weak," he thought, withdrawing his gaze.
Not much threat in combat, but as an administrator her intellect and problem‑solving were clearly first‑rate—the poise and focus she exuded in a single glance made her memorable.
The Zodiacs' strength lies less in raw fighting power than in overall capability.
Minutes later, while Xiang Nan and the guide continued their tour, they ran into yet another character near the elevator.
The guide immediately bowed.
After a brief exchange, the newcomer said cheerfully, "A new colleague? Perfect—nothing pressing on my end. Let me show him around, if he doesn't mind."
The man's gentle face and easy smile radiated warmth.
"Mr. Xiang Nan," the staffer said, turning to the impassive newcomer, "this is our Association's vice‑chairman—and also one of the Twelve Zodiacs."
~~~
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