In a world where eighty percent of humanity possesses superhuman abilities known as "Quirks," society naturally split into two contrasting halves: Heroes who stand in the light to protect justice and symbolize peace, and Villains who lurk in the dark to spread chaos and destruction. This is what everyone knows, and this is what is broadcasted every day on television screens and in official newspapers.
But what the average citizen does not know, and what top heroes and the most dangerous villains whisper about in locked rooms with sheer terror, is the existence of a third entity. An entity that neither acknowledges the light of heroes nor cares for the chaos of villains. They live in the deep abyss, where killing is not a crime punishable by law, but an inherited "profession," and an art refined by blood.
A living legend called: The Zoldyck Family.
A family of elite assassins, belonging to no faction and bowing to no authority. Their power is so terrifying that even the "Symbol of Peace" prefers not to interfere in their affairs, and the world government turns a blind eye to their flawless crimes that leave neither trace nor evidence.
This story is not about a hero seeking to save the world, nor a villain wanting to destroy it. It doesn't even talk about the glories of this terrifying family and its bloody history.
Rather, it is about their third son. The boy born with a talent that made the family elders believe he would be the greatest assassin in their history, the rightful heir destined to sit on the throne of darkness. But suddenly... he decided to leave all this behind and seek another path in a place no one expected.
And from here... the game begins.
In a dark, abandoned alley in one of Japan's crowded cities, heavy rain was pouring down, washing away fresh blood that had just splattered against the cold concrete walls. The neon lights from the main street reflected on the puddles gathered on the ground, creating a gloomy and desolate atmosphere.
"W-Who the hell are you?!"
Yelled a massive man, known in the underworld as one of the most dangerous wanted villains. His Quirk allowed him to turn his entire body into solid steel, impervious to bullets and projectiles. But right now... he was crawling on the concrete floor in genuine terror, panting heavily, his right arm completely broken and dangling by his side like a useless piece of scrap.
Standing before him, with quiet steps that made no sound despite the puddles, was a young boy, no older than fifteen.
His appearance didn't suggest any threat to anyone who saw him at first glance. He wore a baggy white V-neck shirt over a dark blue long-sleeved shirt that covered part of his hands. He wore baggy, grayish-blue shorts that gave him absolute freedom of movement, along with purple sneakers. Tucked under his arm, he carried a yellow skateboard decorated with circular red stripes.
Raindrops dripped from his rebellious silver hair, sliding down a face completely devoid of emotion. There was no sign of effort or exhaustion on him; instead, he looked at the terrified, massive man with cold, lifeless blue eyes, like a predator looking at a pitiful prey.
"Steel?" the boy whispered in a quiet voice, yet it cut through the sound of the rain like a sharp blade.
Killua slowly raised his right hand. In a terrifying moment, his knuckles cracked audibly, and in a way that transcended human limits, his nails elongated, turning into razor-sharp claws that gleamed under the faint moonlight breaking through the clouds.
"Tell me..." Killua tilted his head slightly, his eyes piercing the man's soul, "Is your steel stronger than the Testing Gates of Kukuroo Mountain?"
"I'll kill you, you insect!" the massive man roared, trying to activate his Quirk, his chest and neck turning into shining solid metal in preparation to attack.
In the blink of an eye, the silver-haired boy vanished.
The massive man saw nothing but a shadow brush past him. He heard no footsteps, felt no draft of air. The villain froze in place, feeling no pain at first... just a strange coldness spreading through his chest.
The man looked down with terrifying slowness. There was a perfectly hollow, circular hole in the left side of his steel chest. Blood began to pour out profusely.
The man slowly raised his trembling eyes to see the boy standing before him, his back turned, his baggy clothes unsullied by a single drop of blood. And in his raised right hand... he was holding something red.
It was a heart... a human heart, still beating forcefully between Killua's claws.
Thump... thump...
Killua watched the heart slow down between his fingers with absolute coldness, as if observing a broken machine. The massive man fell to his knees, his eyes bulging in shock and terror, before his face hit the concrete, losing his life before he even realized how he died.
Killua sighed in boredom. He crushed the heart in his hand, stopping it completely, then casually tossed it into the puddle beside him. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hand carefully, and shook his joints back to their human form.
"Mission accomplished," Killua said as he yawned lazily, putting his hands in his baggy pockets and heading toward the exit of the dark alley. "This target was as boring as the last one. I didn't even have to use my Quirk to kill him. Steel? It seems the villains of this outside world possess nothing but empty titles. How pathetic."
He exited the alley, embracing the main street lit by the glare of colorful billboards and neon lights. He completely ignored the passersby running to take shelter from the rain. He stopped in front of a vending machine sitting on the corner, inserted some coins, and bought a box of his favorite snack, "ChocoRobo." He opened it immediately and began chewing the crunchy chocolate pieces with enjoyment, trying to ignore the suffocating emptiness squeezing his chest every day.
Suddenly, his footsteps stopped.
He was standing in a large plaza, in front of a giant screen hanging on one of the glass skyscrapers. The screen was broadcasting a news report with exaggerated enthusiasm, the announcer's voice echoing across the area:
"The entrance exam for the greatest academy in Japan is approaching! U.A. High School for Heroes! Where the strongest teenagers from all over the country gather to refine their Quirks and protect justice!"
Killua was about to look away and yawn again, if not for the screen suddenly switching to breaking news.
"The Symbol of Peace has arrived! All Might saves the day once again!"
On the giant screen appeared an unnaturally muscular man, wearing a brightly colored costume of red, blue, and yellow, laughing loudly and obnoxiously. He was facing a giant monster tens of meters tall, destroying city buildings with a single blow.
With one simple motion, without any complex techniques or showy moves, the massive man took a step back and shouted, a broad smile never leaving his face:
"TEXAS... SMASH!"
All Might punched the air with terrifying force. He didn't just knock down and destroy the monster; the massive air pressure generated by that punch changed the entire weather, tearing apart the dark clouds in the sky to suddenly reveal bright sunlight.
The people in the street around Killua stopped walking and began to cheer and clap happily: "All Might! He's the greatest! We're safe as long as he's here!"
But Killua... stopped chewing.
The piece of chocolate remained suspended in his mouth. His blue eyes widened slightly, and his pupils contracted like a wild cat that had just sensed a lethal threat. Even though he was only watching him through a screen from far away, his instincts as a professional assassin blared like a warning siren in his mind.
Inner Monologue (Killua): "That punch... it wasn't just pure physical strength. There is a terrifying, frightening pressure behind it. This man wearing this ridiculous costume and laughing like an idiot in the middle of a battle... is not a normal human."
Killua felt a slight shiver, a shiver he hadn't felt in a long time, run down his spine.
"He's a monster. His destructive power might be on the level of my old man, or even Grandpa Zeno... and maybe it surpasses them by miles."
A small, sly smile filled with anticipation began to form on Killua's face, evaporating the suffocating boredom that had controlled him minutes ago.
"The Symbol of Peace? Heh... It seems this outside world contains real monsters hiding behind broad smiles."
He looked at the U.A. Academy logo that appeared at the end of the commercial, composed of two overlapping golden letters.
"If I go there, I'll be able to see this 'All Might' up close... and maybe I'll find someone who can entertain me among his annoying students."
Killua threw the empty box into the trash can with extreme precision, placed his skateboard under his arm, and turned back to return to his family's isolated mansion at the peak of Kukuroo Mountain.
"I'll go back home now. I'm sure my brother Milluki is waiting for me down in the torture room for the routine 'punishment' session because I was late in executing the mission and disappeared from sight for a while..."
He put his hands in his baggy pants pockets and walked coldly under the final drops of rain.
"...But this time, I have a completely different plan."
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