Illumi deduced fairly quickly that this mysterious ability was something you've never done before. You continued to struggle to break free from his grip, not even paying attention to what your Nen was doing.

As all the aura from his needles was fully absorbed into you, he stared at you with amusement, as if he finally acknowledged your existence. "You're a Specialist, aren't you?" he asks you nonchalantly, tilting his head as he leaned closer.

You never replied. Instead, your eyes went wide as they stared at Killua coughing up some blood, struggling to get up on his feet.

"Killua..." you mumbled.

Illumi's brows furrow. He immediately pulled on your arm and grabbed you by the neck, lifting you up until your feet were dangling in the air. You began coughing and choking as you clawed at his hands.

"(Y/N)...!"

"Kil... now I understand why you took an interest in her." Illumi chuckles as he glared at you, tightening his grip around your neck. "So if I kill her, you should finally come back to your senses, right?"

You froze as flashes of crimson red play in your head.

Without any warning, Illumi began releasing enormous amounts of malicious Nen. Those black hole eyes bore into you. It was almost hypnotizing, forcing you to succumb to its pure darkness.

You stared into them, still frozen in place.

"If you remain in that Zetsu state, you'll die," Illumi smirks.

Your eyes widen at the thought. "N-No..." you mutter, desperately taking in as much air as you can. "I'm not.... l-leaving him..."

Once again, Illumi felt that strange feeling, but this time, it was coming from him. His already wide eyes widened even more as he looked down on himself, watching his Nen flow into your body of its own accord.

Illumi tightened the grip around your neck even more, but it only made it worse. His Nen was absorbed into your oxygen-deprived body, coating you in a thin layer of Ten before turning into Zetsu.

"I'm losing aura..." Illumi mumbles as slight fatigue sets in. When too much Nen escapes from the body, it can result in extreme fatigue, and that was what Illumi was starting to experience.

Illumi's grip slightly weakened, but it still wasn't enough for you to break free. Just as you were about to think of some risky plan to get out, you suddenly see a huge flash of bright blue lightning from above.

"Narukami!" Killua yells, dealing a flashy blow of Thunderbolt to Illumi, effectively stunning him. On instinct, you tensed up and closed your eyes, expecting all that energy to flow and electrocute you as well. However, it somehow... didn't.

Illumi winces. His lack of Nen to protect himself made it hurt more than expected. As his body spasms a little from the electricity, Killua took this chance and carried you away to a safe distance from him. You found yourself gasping for air as color returned to your face, before sighing in relief.

Interestingly, you stopped absorbing Illumi's Nen the moment he let go of you.

"(Y/N), your Nen!" Killua stared at you in disbelief.

"Huh?" You looked up at him in confusion, before your eyes widened in realization. "Ah! I'm still in Zetsu!"

"No! That's not what I–"

You quickly activated your Nen once more, aiming to shroud yourself in Ten. However, as soon as you opened your Aura nodes, tremendous amounts of Nen rushed out. It was way more than you initially expected.

"H-Huh?" You narrowed your eyes, finding extreme difficulty in controlling your Nen.

Killua immediately carried you even farther from Illumi. He couldn't risk you getting hurt while you're in this vulnerable state.

Seconds went by, and Nen continued to rush out of you. Killua was reminded of the time Wing forcibly opened up his and Gon's aura nodes. You didn't go through the same method, as you were able to open all your nodes on your own at a very young age.

Killua set you down. "(Y/N), listen." He looked at you right in the eye. You were panting from the struggle of controlling your Nen, but you still managed to return his gaze.

"Will he... will he follow us?"

He shook his head. "Now that Illumi has seen what you can do, he'll be forced to retreat and come up with a new plan. We'll be fine."

"Thank god..." you sighed.

"But seriously, you need to regain control of your Nen!" Killua grabbed your shoulders. "Close your eyes."

You followed him without question.

Killua sighed in relief. "Remember what Four-eyes taught you? About Ten?"

You nodded. You thought about that time Wing taught you how to control your Nen.

'Use any stance that helps you to focus. Then, visualize your aura flowing like blood through your body... Now visualize that flow begin to ebb and hover around your body.'

It was like the violent crashing of waves had stopped. The waters began to slow down and still, forming little ripples in its place.

You took a deep breath, feeling yourself calming down. Your ragged breathing steadied, and slowly, you were able to regain control of your Nen.

Killua finally relaxed as he lets go of your shoulders. Suddenly, he flicks you on the forehead.

"Hey!" You shot your eyes open, rubbing your forehead. It seems your Ten has stabilized, but it felt a little stronger than before.

Killua smirked, resting his hands on his hips. "Absorbing Nen, huh? Who knew you had that in you?"

You smiled sheepishly. "I guess... my training worked?"

Killua sighs in exasperation, before pulling you towards him for a hug. He was oddly gentle, making sure he didn't touch any of your serious injuries.

"K-Killua?!"

"You're so reckless..." he whispers. You could almost hear him sniffling. "Thank god you got out of that in one piece... you idiot." He continues, snuggling against the crook of your neck.

You found yourself relaxing into his arms. "Yeah..." you mumbled, wrapping your own arms around him as you closed your eyes.

Killua was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. Even so, being in his arms and basking in his scent made you feel like... you were finally home.

_ _ _

Illumi felt yours and Killua's presence getting farther and farther until finally, they faded away.

His eyes were locked on the area both of you disappeared to. Some branches were snapped into two and the bushes looked a little deformed. From first glance, Illumi's expression looked like his usual poker face. But upon closer inspection, his eyes were as cold as ice, giving your escape route a deathly stare.

He noticed he had a little less Nen than before. Turning his gaze to his hands, he watched his Ten flow a little fainter than usual.

His upper lip curled in irritation. "What a troublesome girl," he spat, before turning around and walking away.