Paper fan, kimono, wooden clogs.
A doll-like haircut and delicate features.
These characteristics allowed Morrow to immediately confirm the identity of the newcomer.
Moreover, judging by the poorly concealed killing intent leaking from Kalluto, it was clear he was here for him.
Had he taken on an assassination request…?
When Morrow had previously considered Feitan's whereabouts, he had even speculated about Kalluto's tracking abilities, but he never expected their meeting to happen under these circumstances.
That said, the Zoldyck Family truly was eccentric.
To dare assign a child the task of assassinating a Nen user.
Even if he had already mastered Nen, at such a young age the risks far outweighed the rewards.
Yet it was precisely this seemingly bizarre upbringing that bred one resilient monster after another.
At the same time, he couldn't help but think, if the person who had come knocking today had been Illumi, or even Silva, things would have been far more troublesome.
Morrow's gaze lingered on Kalluto's face, which looked no older than six or seven, and suddenly felt that the Zoldyck Family's eccentricity wasn't such a bad thing.
In truth, Kalluto had already fulfilled the basic requirements of the request and had no real need to continue pursuing Morrow's assassination.
Yet the self-willed nature of a Manipulator sometimes manifested as a display of stubbornness.
Kalluto stepped out of the alley and onto the street, slowly unfolding his fan to cover the lower half of his face. His small frame was enveloped in a dense aura of Nen.
"I believed I was well-hidden and restrained my killing intent thoroughly."
His deep-purple eyes reflected Morrow's figure as his voice, youthful and clear, carried an unnatural steadiness for his age.
Morrow studied Kalluto while releasing his own aura to its maximum extent, replying calmly:
"After all, that's merely your own subjective opinion. In reality, the killing intent you leaked was as hard to ignore as the filthy water on the ground."
One of the benefits of experiencing countless Death Replays firsthand was that Morrow's sensitivity to killing intent had sharpened considerably.
So it wasn't entirely fair to say Kalluto's concealment was poor; for his age, it was already remarkably skilled.
Unaware of the reason, Kalluto's expression chilled at Morrow's dismissive tone.
Even as a member of the Zoldyck Family, hardened by hellish physical and mental training from childhood…
He was still just a child; even as a Zoldyck, his inexperience showed in every move…
"Die."
A childish voice, laced with icy killing intent.
Kalluto channeled his Nen, releasing a handful of slender paper strips from his left hand and letting them scatter toward the ground.
At the same time, he flicked his right wrist, sending a gust of wind from his fan to envelop the loose paper, transforming them into a sudden barrage of arrows aimed at Morrow.
Faced with the oncoming storm of razor-edged paper, Morrow simply sidestepped, evading with ease.
Ting-ting-ting…!
The hardened paper strips shot past Morrow, embedding themselves into a nearby iron gate with sharp metallic clinks.
Ignoring the noise behind him, Morrow abruptly looked up at the sky, crisscrossed by tangled power lines.
Countless small triangular paper flakes drifted down like snowflakes, appearing utterly harmless.
But Morrow knew better; these paper triangles were the conditions for Kalluto's ability. Seemingly innocuous, they concealed the power to strike directly at a target's most vulnerable points. The sharp, elongated paper fragments that appeared more destructive on the surface earlier were mostly used as a diversion.
Morrow swiftly averted his gaze and strode toward Kalluto, flicking a Nen bullet upward with his finger as he moved.
If those triangular paper pieces stuck to his body, it would be a serious problem.
But the issue was, for Kalluto, attaching those triangular paper pieces to his opponent was also an extremely troublesome task.
Just like now.
Kalluto's eyes followed the Nen bullet Morrow had launched into the sky.
Under his watch, the Nen bullet burst like fireworks mid-air, obliterating the triangular paper pieces drifting down like snowflakes.
The residual force of the explosion didn't even damage the nearby residents' essential utilities, such as power lines.
This alone demonstrated the man's precise control over his Nen bullets.
Damn it.
Kalluto's heart tightened. Biting his lip slightly, he saw Morrow striding toward him and immediately swung the wide sleeve of his kimono.
Instantly, a flurry of paper pieces scattered from his sleeve.
Kalluto took two steps back, then, like a dancer, gracefully waved his paper fan.
With each flick of the fan, the paper pieces that should have fallen to the ground suddenly seemed to come alive, swirling toward Morrow like a blizzard of willow catkins.
Yet Morrow's sharp gaze picked out the hidden triangular pieces among them, once again discerning Kalluto's overt intentions.
After all, he was still just a child; even as a Zoldyck, his inexperience showed in every move…
Even without knowing the specifics of those triangular paper pieces, their purpose was so obvious that any Nen user would be wary.
Splash!
Morrow suddenly swept his leg through the filthy water on the ground. The dispersed aura wrapped around the murky liquid, weaving a watery curtain in front of him that tore a gaping hole through the incoming storm of paper.
At the same time, steadying his stance, Morrow continued forward while the surging aura around him shattered into fine, starlit specks. They expanded outward in a radiant circle, illuminating the dim alley like a dazzling galaxy.
「Starlight Convergence」
Bathed in starlight, Morrow advanced through the flurry of paper.
Kalluto's eyes flickered as he leaped back in alarm, yet his paper fan subtly gathered killing intent.
The first wave of paper arrows he had unleashed earlier now rebounded from the residents' iron gates, arcing through the air like a rain of arrows descending upon Morrow from above.
Morrow's gaze remained fixed on Kalluto, yet he seemed to perceive every shift in his surroundings.
The descending paper arrows appeared just as clear to him.
When the arrows collided with the starlight, ripples formed, yet Morrow merely adjusted his steps slightly, effortlessly evading every sharp-edged sheet.
Then, in one decisive motion, he stepped into striking range.
With each of his attacks effortlessly neutralized, Kalluto's expression shifted. He immediately reinforced his paper fan with aura and swung it upward in a diagonal slash toward Morrow.
Morrow's eyes gleamed with starlight. Leaning his upper body back to evade the slash, his right hand shot forward, aiming for Kalluto's arm.
A sudden surge of danger enveloped Kalluto, forcing him to jerk his hand back.
Fearing the length of the fan might delay his retreat, he decisively abandoned it mid-motion.
This action made it clear… he had already given up the fight. Morrow's outstretched right hand failed to grasp Kalluto's wrist, instead catching the paper fan that Kalluto had discarded. The look he then directed at Kalluto carried a hint of disappointment.
To surrender the fight so easily... the resistance was far too weak.
Kalluto barely managed to withdraw his hand and immediately retreated at top speed.
The gap between them was too vast...
So vast that he couldn't see even a sliver of opportunity, yet he could keenly feel the suffocating pressure bearing down on him.
After several exchanges, Kalluto completely abandoned the assassination mission targeting Morrow. As he swiftly retreated, the thought of disengaging from the battle had already taken root in his mind.
Hmm?
Suddenly, he noticed Morrow's gaze.
It was the kind of look...
That treated him like prey utterly devoid of value!
Kalluto's deep-purple pupils contracted sharply, and he was overwhelmed by an indescribable mix of shame and fury.
Damn it!!!