Adam stared at Rimo, his eyes burning with an almost fanatical intensity.
At this moment, in Adam's perception—distorted through shock, fear, and the aftereffects of [Five Senses Sharing]—Rimo no longer looked like an ordinary Nen user. His presence felt closer to something absolute, something that stood above the rules Adam had relied on his entire life.
"You… want to follow me?"
Rimo repeated Adam's words, his tone carrying a rare trace of uncertainty.
If he remembered correctly, he had just killed all of Adam's teammates.
The sniper in the attic.
The black-haired boy.
The cataract manipulator.
The long-haired Transmuter.
The bald Enhancer.
The conjurer with dual pistols.
Six people in total.
Not only was Adam not grieving—
There was even a strange excitement in his eyes.
"That's right! I want to follow you!"
Adam's voice was firm, unwavering.
"In the past, I believed that the strongest force in this world was intelligence—strategy—calculation."
His fists clenched slightly.
"But your existence, Lord Rimo, made me realize something."
"The more one relies on schemes, the easier it is to fall into situations beyond calculation."
Adam lifted his head, his gaze filled with a fervent conviction.
"In the face of absolute Nen output… absolute aura control… all strategies collapse!"
"Only overwhelming power—only absolute violence—is the true foundation of this world!"
"And you—"
"You are that truth made manifest!"
Rimo blinked.
"…Huh?"
Violence, sure—he could understand that part.
After all, his fighting style leaned heavily toward overwhelming force and spatial suppression.
But "truth"? "Manifestation"? What kind of mental leap was that?
Rimo frowned slightly, studying Adam.
"…Specialist?" he thought.
In Hunter × Hunter, Specialists often had abilities that deviated entirely from conventional Nen categories—abilities tied to perception, cognition, or unique conditions.
Adam's [Missing Wave], especially in its advanced form [Five Senses Sharing], clearly exceeded the boundaries of standard Manipulation.
It wasn't just control.
It was synchronization of consciousness.
A network.
A shared mind.
That level of abstraction… it fit the profile of a Specialist.
"I know my words may sound absurd to you," Adam continued, lowering his head slightly.
"But I can swear it."
He paused.
"…May I know your name, my lord?"
"Rimo," he replied instinctively.
The moment he spoke—
Adam knelt.
Without hesitation.
"I, Adam, swear upon my life and Nen—!"
His voice rang out with absolute conviction.
"In this life, I will never betray Lord Rimo! If I do, let my aura collapse and my heart stop instantly!"
The moment the vow was spoken—
Something changed.
An invisible pressure tightened around Adam's body.
In Hunter × Hunter, Nen was deeply tied to resolve.
And vows—especially those with severe conditions—could drastically amplify a user's abilities.
Kurapika's chains were the perfect example: power born from restriction.
Adam's oath was the same.
A self-imposed condition.
Absolute loyalty in exchange for enhanced Nen performance.
Rimo could feel it.
Adam's aura stabilized, becoming sharper, more cohesive.
"…He's serious," Rimo thought.
Not hesitation.
Not impulse.
But genuine belief.
"Oaths and limitations…" Rimo murmured inwardly.
"A double-edged sword."
The stricter the condition, the greater the return.
Adam's combat ability might not have been exceptional before—but with this level of resolve, his support-type Nen would likely evolve further.
Rimo exhaled slightly.
"…So I gained a subordinate?"
And for some reason—
Another one.
"…Why are they always men?" he muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Adam remained kneeling.
"I beg you, Lord Rimo—allow me to follow you. I will prove my worth. Even if it is only handling trivial matters, I will not disappoint you!"
Rimo waved a hand casually.
"Alright, get up."
Refusing at this point would only complicate things.
Besides—
A Specialist with a network-type Nen ability had value.
"Thank you, Lord Rimo!"
Adam stood immediately, positioning himself behind Rimo with complete respect.
Rimo turned slightly.
"By the way… your name again?"
"Adam."
"…Right. You're the leader."
Rimo glanced outward, his En still faintly active.
"Confirm something for me. Everyone from your group—are they all here?"
"Yes."
Adam answered without hesitation.
"Other than myself, all members have been eliminated by you."
His tone was calm.
Too calm.
No grief.
No regret.
Only acceptance.
Rimo nodded.
"Good."
Then, without further concern, he issued an order.
"Go clear out the remaining members of the Evans family."
"I'll deal with Francis Evans."
"Yes!"
Adam disappeared instantly, entering Zetsu as he moved.
For someone like him, who specialized in coordination and reconnaissance, suppressing presence was second nature.
Rimo watched him leave, then looked up at the manor.
"…Having subordinates is convenient," he admitted.
With Adam handling cleanup, there was no need to expand En constantly and track every target manually.
Less aura consumption.
More efficiency.
Without wasting time, Rimo leapt upward.
His hand moved.
[Bombing Space].
A section of the roof collapsed inward, space itself tearing open as he created a direct entry point.
As he expected—
The top floor.
The head of the family's quarters.
His En had already confirmed it.
As Rimo dropped down—
The guards inside reacted instantly.
"Enemy!"
"Adam's team failed?!"
"Damn it—!"
Gunfire erupted.
Automatic weapons filled the room with a storm of bullets.
Rimo didn't move.
Didn't even raise his hands.
"…Noisy."
[Unlimited Spell].
The space around him distorted subtly.
Every bullet—
Stopped.
Then reversed.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
In a confined environment, there was no escape.
The guards were instantly riddled with their own attacks, their bodies collapsing under the recoil of reflected force.
Blood pooled rapidly, forming a thin stream across the floor.
"Tap."
Rimo stepped forward, his shoe landing in the spreading blood.
Ignoring the corpses, he walked calmly toward the inner room.
"Excuse me."
Inside—
Francis Evans stood before a mirror.
Calm.
Composed.
He adjusted his collar, smoothing his hair as though preparing for an appointment rather than death.
The gunfire had already told him everything.
Adam had failed.
Which meant—
This was the end.
Rimo didn't interrupt him.
Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat down.
Waiting.
After a few moments, Francis set down the comb.
He turned.
"…Apologies for the delay."
His tone was polite.
Measured.
"I didn't expect Wright Nosra to hire someone like you."
Rimo shrugged slightly.
"He got lucky."
Francis gave a faint smile.
Then—
He drew a pistol.
But instead of aiming at Rimo—
He placed it under his own chin.
Rimo raised an eyebrow.
"…Suicide?"
Before pulling the trigger, Francis spoke again.
"To be honest… I bear you no personal grudge."
"Even though you destroyed our organization… the true cause lies with Nosra."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"So let me offer you one final piece of advice."
"Leave the Nosra family."
The room grew quiet.
"The moment I die… the Fanobi family's final revenge fund will activate."
"It will be used to hire the most feared assassin family in the world—"
"The Zoldyck Family."
Rimo's gaze flickered slightly.
Zoldyck.
That name—
Actually meant something.
Killua.
Silva.
Zeno.
Top-tier assassins.
Even within the Hunter world, they stood at the peak.
Francis continued:
"If you stay with Nosra… they will come."
"Whether you survive… is your choice."
Then—
"Bang."
The gun fired.
Francis Evans slumped lifelessly in his chair.
Silence returned.
Rimo sat there for a moment.
Then stood.
"…Zoldyck, huh."
As he stepped out into the hallway, the sound of his shoes echoed against the blood-stained floor.
"Interesting."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So this is the 'unexpected variable' mentioned in the prophecy…"
Now—
Things were getting entertaining.
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