Gotoh's determination was so strong it could practically bend reality.
Saiki Kusuo couldn't just flat-out refuse a child in front of everyone.
He didn't really want to take care of these kids, but turning them down would still hurt their feelings.
With a sigh, he decided to sit cross-legged and held out his hand, letting the child come to him instead.
That way, it would still count as a hug, but he wouldn't have to move.
And if he didn't move, he wouldn't risk accidentally hurting the kid with his strength.
He sat down.
Nanika immediately understood what Kusuo meant, and with a big smile, happily crawled into his lap.
When it came to relaxing, Kusuo was a pro.
He loosened up so much that his whole body went limp, and even his eyes looked a little blank.
"Haha! Hahaha!"
Nanika clapped her hands with joy while sitting in Kusuo's arms.
[That's enough. Time to get down now.]
Saiki Kusuo used telepathy to gently remind Nanika.
But Nanika was even more childish than Alluka and stayed comfortably in Kusuo's lap, treating it like a safe place to play.
Still troubled, Kusuo suddenly felt someone pulling on the back of his shirt.
He was so relaxed that he almost fell backward.
What's going on now? He sensed a black-haired boy climbing up behind him.
Hey, hey, give me a break, Milluki. My body's not a jungle gym!
Isn't there a climbing frame in the corner of the room or something?
"Killua—look at me!"
Milluki even shouted proudly.
Killua, the smartest kid in the house, turned his head—and his big blue eyes lit up.
A huge sense of danger! Hey hey hey hey hey… [Gotoh!] Saiki Kusuo cried for help.
Gotoh covered her mouth behind him: [I'm so touched. Young master's never been surrounded like this before… That blush on his face… Young master's feeling shy!! *Sob sob sob sob…*]
I'm not shy at all!
Sheesh, this is bad… I wonder how those people hiding out there are doing...
"So this is the Zoldyck estate? Not even a lock on the main gate, huh."
"Just wait till tomorrow—they'll regret messing with us!"
Aren't we already at the front door? But it's fine. The Zoldyck gate weighs at least a ton each side. Hardly anyone who's tried breaking through ever made it...
"Brother Saiki, you're teasing me~"
Saiki Kusuo wasn't even listening. He lowered his head and quietly used clairvoyance. To do it, he had to cross his eyes a bit. Nanika giggled in his arms.
There was no one at the front gate, but on the far side of the wall—out of sight of the gatekeeper—there were people using climbing gear, slowly making their way up.
"Ha! Stupid Zoldycks, didn't think someone would go over the wall, huh?"
Why didn't they prepare for wall-climbers?! Just having tall walls doesn't mean you can skip electric fences and stuff!
"Hehe, Big Brother, that was fun!"
Yeah yeah, sure. Saiki Kusuo was troubled, and his eyes landed on Tsubone. She could definitely handle this—but how could he tell her...?
Just then, Tsubone's face stiffened for a second, but she quickly smiled at them again.
"Young masters, I'll step out for a bit. The master will be home soon."
So her glasses really are for surveillance.
If Tsubone steps in, everything should be fine.
She left quickly and also arranged for a butler to keep watch outside.
Still, the bad feeling wouldn't go away.
What is it exactly...
Saiki Kusuo quickly figured it out. Among the group from earlier, there were people who could use Nen. Nen users have slightly different life signals, but his ability only reads thoughts—he couldn't tell the difference.
Even though the group was still in place, two people had already entered the Zoldyck estate from another location!
How'd they get in? Climbing the wall wouldn't be that fast, right?
"Big Brother, Big Brother, smile a bit!"
How can I smile right now? If I lose control, Kukuroo Mountain might get cut in half.
Saiki Kusuo's face grew more serious. He suddenly stood up and let go of Nanika. Milluki, who was clinging to his back, nearly fell off.
"Kusuo-sama?!" Gotoh caught the almost-falling Milluki.
[Gotoh, can you fight?]
There were two intruders. One had the ability to make a hole in doors, letting people pass through.
The other looked like the fighter—dressed like an assassin, maybe a ninja.
Gotoh bowed respectfully and said, "Everyone in the Zoldyck family is trained with basic combat skills. But young master, you aren't suited for learning to fight, and the little masters are only allowed to be taught at a certain age. Right now, no one else is allowed to teach them anything related to combat."
[I'm not asking that. I mean—how good are you in a fight? The two guys at the gate have already been taken down.]
Saiki Kusuo glanced around and saw that only Killua was still a bit farther from him.
[Killua, come stand next to me.]
"Huh? Why?"
Kids around two or three are at peak rebellion—they understand you, but they often do the opposite.
[I'm serious. Come here right now. The back gate's already been opened!]
The back gate?
Killua turned around. One of the Nen users had drawn a circle on the wall near the door. That was their Nen ability—draw a circle, and it turns into a door!
What came through first wasn't a person—it was throwing knives.
Stay calm. Gotta stay calm. Saiki Kusuo shielded the child. The path of the knives wouldn't hit Killua. Saiki stayed calm, thinking about his next move.
He couldn't move too fast, or he might lose control. If he wasn't careful, he might end up being the one who hurt the kids. That might even be what he saw in that future vision—his powers going out of control.
As long as he kept Killua behind him, he could guarantee his safety. It was his first time facing a Nen user, but they probably couldn't hurt him.
His own safety wasn't the issue. The problem was that acting would expose his power. Was there a better way to handle this?
Saiki Kusuo was deep in thought—but he missed something.
Gotoh, who could fight, had already left his side. She rushed forward to block the knives. A bad choice. It would've been better if no one had gone.
From Saiki's view, both the knives and Gotoh's movements were slow.
But even so, Saiki Kusuo had a problem—he had a child on his back, and another one clinging to his chest.
These kids were as fragile as glass bottles. He couldn't move even a little.
He didn't even dare use his unpredictable psychic abilities—like teleportation—to stop what was happening. If he did, Gotoh might die in a blink.