Chapter 127: The Kiriko Family's Shock × Two Old Men's Silence
Humans were humans. Magical beasts were magical beasts. Each had its own territory.
Cities on land belonged to humans. Jungles and swamps belonged to magical beasts. But at some point, humans began multiplying faster and faster, encroaching on beast territory, hunting them down. Meat for food, hides for clothing, heads for trophies. The beasts were driven back with nowhere to go, their living space shrinking year by year.
The Kiriko, as humanoid magical beasts capable of transforming into humans, had once hoped that with their unique status as "half-human" and "half-fox," they might mediate the conflict and win more living space for the beasts—even if just a small preserve where they could be kept safe.
But reality was cruel. In human eyes, "half-humans" were no different from beasts. Their attempts at "peacemaking" had only brought disaster. They were hunted en masse and nearly driven to extinction.
Fortunately, some Wildlife Preservation Hunters had stepped forward and spoken on their behalf. Now, under the Hunter Association's protection, they had been granted a small habitat where they could live in peace and occasionally do odd jobs for the Association to earn a little extra.
At the top of the mountain, beneath the towering cedar that pierced the clouds, the Kiriko family was in their cabin rehearsing their "script." It was that time of year again—the Hunter Exam.
The Kiriko daughter would scout ahead and monitor the candidates' movements.
The Kiriko father would play the magical beast. The son would play the kidnapped human. The mother would lurk in the forest to draw attention. Then they would wait for candidates to come knocking.
They would test "observation," "character," "adaptability," and "combat ability."
"Ever since that guy named Ging saw through us years ago, there hasn't been a single interesting candidate," the Kiriko son muttered, bandages wrapped around his head as he sat by the fire, sharpening a blade.
He remembered the boy with the ratty cap and a fishing rod slung over his shoulder. Not only had he identified them in a single glance, but his strength had been absurd. Any attack that hit him once would be copied and thrown right back. Utterly unfair.
"Stop complaining," the Kiriko mother said, stirring a pot of curry in the kitchen. She instructed the Kiriko father to add more firewood to the stove.
The father stood without a word, tossing in more wood. "Ging was the only candidate who passed the exam that year."
"It is no surprise he had that kind of strength. But our little girl has been out scouting for so long. Why is she not back yet?"
"Son, go check on her."
"Yes, Mother."
The Kiriko son grabbed his blade and opened the door. A gust of mountain wind hit his face, carrying with it a scorched smell. The knife slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.
"What is wrong?"
"Fire… there is a fire…"
"What?!"
The Kiriko father stuck his head out, followed by the mother. The family stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the distant forest ablaze with towering flames that painted half the sky red. They forgot all about the curry, transformed into their original forms, and charged frantically toward the forest.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Branches swayed wildly beneath their feet. Soon, their noses twitched. They caught the scent of the Kiriko daughter and relaxed slightly. They rushed to her side and perched on treetops, standing shoulder to shoulder as they gazed into the distance. Their narrow fox eyes widened in shock, jaws dropping.
"What is that thing?"
"It looks like a… bird? But it is huge!"
The massive golden bird spread its wings and whipped up a violent wind. Then it shot into the sky, its wings wreathed in streaming golden flames. Everywhere it passed, wind tore apart and clouds burned through, until it overlapped with the blazing sun overhead.
Only then did it turn and dive back down toward the boy at the center of the lake.
"Daughter, what on earth happened?" the Kiriko father asked, his expression grave after watching for a moment. He turned to the Kiriko daughter. "Do not tell your father that the boy in the lake is one of today's exam candidates."
"What if… he is?" The Kiriko daughter swallowed hard, nearly in tears. "I do not know what happened. That guy noticed I was spying on him and caught me. He asked me some questions. I took advantage of his distraction, jumped into the lake, and ran. Then he got mad…"
The Kiriko family: "…"
A sudden sense of impending disaster washed over them. Even the usually steady Kiriko father was already considering whether to call the Hunter Association early, pack up, and get out of here.
The giant bird wreathed in golden flames spread its wings wide enough to blot out the sky. That thing alone was terrifying. How much more terrifying must its master be?
The Kiriko family could not even imagine.
Crackle. One of the hidden cameras finally gave out and burned through.
Aboard the airship bearing the giant Hunter Association logo, Netero and Zeno sat in silence, watching a corner of the monitor go dark and dissolve into static. For a long time, neither spoke.
When they finally thought to say something, they turned to each other at the same moment and asked, "Have you ever seen one?"
"What species is that?"
Both old men froze, surprised by the collision. They fell silent again, racking their vast experience, desperately searching for even a shred of information about that "golden bird." Sadly, they could not find so much as a single feather.
"It can only be a product of the Dark Continent," Netero finally concluded. In his experience, if no corresponding species could be found in the known world, it had to come from the Dark Continent or some unexplored ruin yet to be discovered by humans.
Zeno frowned. "Impossible. Forget going there—if the old man even thought the boy was considering it, he would break his legs."
Thanks to his father Zigg, the Dark Continent had become a forbidden topic in the Zoldyck household.
Unless…
Zeno suddenly thought of a possibility. His voice gradually weakened. "Unless the 'game' this boy is playing is not the same 'version' Silva and I played."
Netero raised an eyebrow. He clearly knew something. He asked casually, "Did the old man let him make contact with Zigg?"
Zeno did not answer.
Netero thought, As expected. That would explain the unknown Nen beast.
Using the "residual heat" of the remaining cameras, Netero watched the giant bird sink into the boy's head and shrink in the blink of an eye into a plump crow with a single golden tuft of hair standing upright on its forehead. He narrowed his eyes. "Game of the Dead is far more than just a game. Whether Zigg is truly dead or not, even the old man probably cannot say for sure."
"Roy was most likely chosen by Zigg. It is no wonder the version he is playing differs from yours and Silva's. After all…"
The strongest human sighed, his tone drenched in distant memory. "That is just the kind of person he was—boundless imagination."
Crackle.
The monitor went completely dark.
Having lost sight of the boy, the training room fell into another long silence.
By the sofa, Beans dug his toes into the floor, caught between the two, not daring to speak. He wanted to step out for air but was afraid of "startling" the two lost in thought. For a moment, he could neither leave nor stay, so he simply stood there like a piece of furniture.
Hum. The propeller blades churned the air, pushing the airship gradually closer to the venue.
Kiriko family station.
Center of the lake.
The massive golden bird shrank in an instant into a plump crow with a tuft of standing golden hair, perched on Roy's head. With a thought, the boy recalled his aura. The crimson tide of Nen receded.
It revealed a forest burned through within a ten-mile radius and a lake bed that had run completely dry.
"Young Master…" Gotoh's concerned voice called from the shore.
The young butler adjusted his glasses and rushed to Roy's side, followed by Rika, still unable to hide her shock.
"So this... This is Nen. This is what a Nen user can do…"
If she could wield this kind of power, even if the Kurta Clan lived openly in the world, no one would dare covet them.
The girl could not help thinking it. She became even more determined and hurried after Gotoh.
Whoosh. As the Nen that had been released returned to his body, Roy suddenly felt as if he had been hollowed out in an instant. His legs weakened, and he quickly steadied himself on Gotoh's shoulder.
At that moment, the interface popped up with a reminder:
[Alert: Aura depleted. Urgent replenishment required.]
[Alert: Nen Beast interface has been activated.]
[Three-Legged Golden Crow (Unnamed)]
[Status: Juvenile (100/100,000)]
[Rank: S+]
[Manifest Aura: D+ (964/10,000)]
[Potential Aura: ?]
[Racial Talents: Chasing the Sun (Inactive)… Mastery of Solar Flame: Lv1 (25/1,000)… Chariot Rider (Inactive)]
[Evaluation: Growth-type Nen beast. Limitless potential.]
What kind of situation is this? Because it is "limitless," it nearly drained me dry?
Roy leaned on Gotoh, catching his breath, and reached up to stroke the crow's little head. "From now on, I will call you Sol. How about that?"
The plump golden crow bit Roy's finger, as if expressing its displeasure.
Roy said firmly, "Your name is Sol."
His head throbbed. The plump crow pecked him again. Rika covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.