The Star Mark could be applied to any lifeform with offensive capabilities.
Even something as small as a mosquito was no exception.
And as the marked lifeform perished, the Star Mark would vanish, serving as a warning to Morrow.
Pursuers, huh...
Morrow glanced at Kalluto, who remained unconscious.
This clinic charged exorbitant fees but was said to have its merits.
Aside from only accepting one patient at a time, its confidentiality was supposedly airtight.
But now, it seemed that wasn't entirely the case.
Morrow stepped into the adjoining room and casually picked up a scalpel from the operating table.
—--
Clinic, first floor.
A broad-shouldered elderly woman crossed the threshold into the dimly lit lobby, illuminated only by a small night-light.
She was Tsubone, a veteran butler of the Zoldyck Family.
Accompanying her was a younger woman, her granddaughter, Amane, also a butler of the Zoldyck Family.
They had rushed here after receiving intel about Kalluto's whereabouts.
Tsubone swept a casual glance across the faintly lit lobby, about to speak when a faint sound suddenly came from the staircase.
A bag tumbled down the steps, bouncing into the center of the lobby.
Tsubone and Amane immediately turned their attention to it.
Hiss...
The sound of air escaping from the bag was unnervingly clear in the otherwise silent hall.
Soon, the hissing was joined by a dense, buzzing hum.
Tsubone's eyes narrowed slightly, her aura reflexively gathering in her vision as she activated Gyo. Instantly, countless tiny pinpricks of light became visible in the air.
Amane, heeding Tsubone's silent cue, also activated Gyo and saw the same scattered points of light.
Or rather, the glowing auras of a swarm of mosquitoes.
An ability that controls mosquitoes, but the Nen on them is pitifully weak.
Amane's sharp eyes tracked the insects as they dispersed through the air, sensing no threat whatsoever.
If this was just for surveillance, she could understand.
But seeing them now, she couldn't fathom the enemy's intent.
Were they meant to spread disease or some kind of mind-control effect?
With Nen this fragile, that was impossible.
Lost in thought, Amane instinctively glanced at Tsubone.
Tsubone was scrutinizing the scattering mosquitoes, equally puzzled by their purpose.
But there was no need to dwell on it; they were here for Kalluto.
"We are..."
Tsubone began, ready to announce their identity.
But before she could finish, the lobby erupted with the deafening crash of shattering glass.
Dozens of Nen bullets, streaking like meteors, burst through the windows on either side. Their trajectories arced gracefully through the air...
aimed not at Tsubone or Amane, but...
The mosquitoes!
In an instant, Tsubone realized the truth.
"Amane, Ken!"
Still, she barked the order without hesitation.
Because in that split second, her battle-honed instincts told her the mosquitoes weren't the ability itself; they were guidance.
Though "guidance" wasn't quite accurate.
The mosquitoes clearly weren't being controlled. However, they were utterly incapable of blocking these Nen bullets. Thus, after obliterating the insects, the homing projectiles continued along their trajectories.
The intersecting endpoints of these numerous flight paths converged precisely on Tsubone and Amane within the hall.
Amane had initially assumed the ability was mosquito manipulation, never expecting it to be an Emitter type.
The sudden barrage of Nen bullets shattering through the windows was entirely unforeseen.
Fortunately, Tsubone's timely warning prompted her to instinctively employ the advanced Nen technique of Ken, enveloping her entire body in maximally solidified aura.
The swarm of Nen bullets arrived as promised, detonating against Tsubone and Amane in an instant.
Violent energy erupted outward, overturning tables, chairs, and other furnishings in the hall, accompanied by deafening explosions.
—--
At that moment, Morrow, gripping a scalpel, seized the opportunity amidst the lingering shockwaves of the explosions to flash behind Amane.
A menacing aura coiled around the razor-sharp blade.
Who are they...?
As the turbulent shockwave swept past, Morrow's blade thrust toward Amane's vitals, only for his peripheral vision to catch sight of another formidable old woman radiating an overwhelming aura.
Her bear-like physique and signature thick twin braids instantly revealed her identity to Morrow.
Tsubone, the Zoldyck Family's head butler directly subordinate to Silva!
Without the slightest hesitation, Morrow abruptly halted his attack and recoiled.
Tsubone's massive hand swept past where he had been standing just moments before.
Morrow's sudden withdrawal had, by sheer coincidence, allowed him to evade Tsubone's lightning-fast counterattack.
Only then did Amane snap back to reality, her pupils trembling violently as if plunged into an icy abyss.
Had Tsubone's retaliation not forced Morrow back, she would likely have been fatally stabbed.
Yet Tsubone paid no mind to her granddaughter's reaction, instead feeling a flicker of surprise at Morrow's decisive retreat.
The moment she realized the Nen bullets were targeting the mosquitoes, Tsubone had anticipated this scenario.
She had prepared to turn the tables, waiting for Morrow to take the bait, only for him to display such sharp instincts, aborting his assault at the critical moment.
Impressive judgment.
Despite her astonishment, Tsubone's counterattack continued.
She lunged forward, her aura-clad palm surging toward Morrow with ruthless precision in speed and angle.
A terrifying old woman…
Morrow shuddered with lingering fear. Just this single exchange had vividly demonstrated Tsubone's terrifying combat experience.
So when he saw her first strike miss, he had no time to think, instinctively activating the footwork of Rhythm Echo.
In an instant, his body swayed like a willow leaf, weaving a series of afterimages between slow and rapid motions.
This flawless decision caused Tsubone's second pursuit to strike only empty air, landing on Morrow's fading silhouette.
Rhythm Echo?!
After her second attack missed, Tsubone halted her pursuit, staring in undisguised shock at Morrow as he rapidly retreated.
Only now did she finally get a clear look at his face.
He was merely a young man.
So young, yet so formidable.
From the early warning measures upon entry, to the tactical setup using mosquitoes as homing beacons for a sneak attack, and finally, his impeccable judgment, all that had been displayed in such a short span of time made Tsubone keenly aware of the young man's extraordinary abilities before her.
Unlike Tsubone, who possessed explosive analytical speed, Amane took a moment to regain her bearings before turning to attack Morrow.
What greeted her was a scalpel hurtling through the air.
Amane's pupils contracted sharply.
A large hand suddenly appeared before her, fingers deftly catching the aura-wrapped scalpel mere centimeters from her face.
Once again, Tsubone had come to her rescue.
Beads of sweat formed on Amane's forehead as she stared at the boy standing before the clinic entrance, clearly younger than herself, her emotions in turmoil.