Saiki Kusuo took Tsubone's glasses and put them on.
[Is this okay, Alluka?]
"Wow, they fit you perfectly! It's like you were meant to wear glasses, Brother Kusuo!"
Everyone turned to look at Killua, who finally realized the mood and quickly covered his mouth.
All eyes were on Alluka again.
She clearly thought they looked good too. She reached out and said, "Big brother, take off the glasses!"
Are you messing with me?
Saiki Kusuo stared at Alluka, then slowly took off the glasses he had just put on two seconds ago.
As soon as he blinked, the kid in front of him now had a white mask on her face. Her eyes had turned into dark, empty holes—like she was wearing a skull.
That was terrifying. For a second, he thought his x-ray vision had gotten stronger and he was seeing her bones.
"Wish. Make a wish," Nanika said, taking slow steps toward Saiki Kusuo.
He stood still as Alluka hugged his leg. Then he looked over at her parents.
"Go on, Kusuo. Let's see how it grants wishes," Grandpa said.
Great. But can someone first tell him what kind of wish he's supposed to make?
The cake was already gone!
Should he ask it to bring back the cake just like before? But what if it works like his clone technique and the cake gets pulled out of everyone's stomachs…
Saiki Kusuo's brain raced. In two lifetimes, he had never really thought about asking anyone for anything. Seconds ticked by, but he couldn't come up with a single wish.
Then, in the middle of his panic, he heard Grandpa's thoughts:
[Dad once went to the Dark Continent. Is Alluka because of that? If only he were here…]
Saiki Kusuo didn't hesitate.
[Bring Grandpa's dad here.]
Great-grandfather Maha Zoldyck: ?
Father Silva Zoldyck: ?
Alluka Zoldyck: Who's that?
Saiki Kusuo immediately sensed Alluka's confusion. What's going on? Great-grandfather is alive, Grandpa is alive… it can't be Grandpa's dad, our great-great-grandfather, right? He should've passed away long ago.
So… is it going to be an urn?
"Okay." Only Nanika calmly agreed.
Right after she spoke, a black hole opened in the ceiling.
An ominous presence came from the black hole, and Grandpa instantly gave the order: "Get the kids out of here!"
In that moment, Killua was the first to be protected, followed by Milluki who stood next to him. When Illumi turned toward Kusuo, Hatsu noticed Kusuo was holding Alluka in his arms—the one no one dared to touch.
"Kusuo, put her down…"
Illumi frowned. [You're being reckless.]
It's not that he didn't want to—it's that he couldn't! Alluka had climbed up on her own. Why don't you come help me put her down, Illumi?! Saiki Kusuo held Alluka tightly. It was obvious—summoning something from the Dark Continent had taken a huge toll on her. Now she had reverted to her usual self and was sound asleep on Saiki Kusuo's shoulder.
Seeing that Alluka had returned to normal, Illumi didn't say anything more. Things were too urgent anyway, and they were quickly escorted out of the basement.
As the basement door closed, Silva turned back. Inside were Great-Grandfather, Grandpa Zeno, and possibly three or even four generations of the family heads.
…No one knew whether they were doing something good or something terrible.
Saiki Kusuo stood in a corner holding Alluka, just like a family member waiting outside an emergency room. Everyone was on edge, waiting for what would come out of that room.
"Why, Kusuo?" Illumi suddenly asked in the dim light. "Why would you grant Alluka's request? Her powers are extremely unstable. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"
Everyone turned to look at Saiki Kusuo. He lowered his head and looked at the sleeping Alluka in his arms.
[Because she's family,] Saiki Kusuo answered. [Because she's family. I don't think Alluka would ever hurt me.]
Those words quietly moved everyone. Their mother, Tsubone—deep inside, their feelings toward Alluka and Saiki Kusuo began to change just a little.
A while later, the door opened. Silva and Maha brought good news: the kids' great-grandfather had returned.
But there was bad news too—he carried power from the Dark Continent. It was even more unpredictable than Nanika's. Once his condition stabilized, he would take a look at Alluka.
"There's no need to be afraid that Alluka will hurt any of you. Alluka is our family. The Zoldyck family never gives up on our own," Silva said the moment he came out. "That's what your great-grandfather said. Don't be afraid of her, Illumi."
Among all the kids, Illumi was still the most cautious when it came to Alluka.
"Yes, Father." Illumi still had his own concerns, but when it came to the unknown, he trusted the judgment of the adults more.
"That's enough for now. Let's head back upstairs. There's been a sudden spike in strange incidents lately. We'll need to keep learning more about Alluka's powers."
Everyone relaxed and started heading up. On the way, Kikyo leaned over and whispered in Silva's ear, "Dear, Kusuo said the exact same thing just now…"
No matter how quietly she spoke, Kusuo still heard it loud and clear. His cheeks turned a little red, and he sped up his steps.
Illumi noticed something. "What's wrong, Kusuo?"
The underground was too hot.
"Is the hard part… [Are you shy?]"
The underground was too hot. Thanks.
All these years, he'd always been kind of an outsider, so why did he suddenly feel like he had this strong family role now?
One big brother was already enough trouble, and now he had this many family members… way too much trouble.
Alluka, who was sleeping with her finger in her mouth, moved a little in Saiki Kusuo's arms, so he slowed his steps. She settled back down.
"You're really taking care of your little sibling," Illumi said, poking his head out from behind.
Why was Illumi always hanging around like some ghost? With his messy hair, he really looked like one too.
"Ah, then let's go get a haircut together later."
Huh? Saiki Kusuo slowed his steps.
Did I just say that out loud? …I don't think I did.
Strangely enough, even though Saiki Kusuo barely showed any expression, Illumi could always sense how he was feeling from the tiniest movements. He'd pick up on that emotion and current Hatsu energy to figure out what Kusuo was thinking.
"Kusuo's hair's gotten long. Alluka's too. Let's all get a haircut—maybe I'll try short hair."
Illumi, what the hell are you thinking? Long black hair is your whole thing!
Saiki Kusuo tried to imagine what Illumi would look like with short hair, but Illumi suddenly patted his shoulder, snapping him out of it.
"You'll understand once it's cut."
How is he reading my mind again? Is being a big brother supposed to come with psychic powers?