The atmosphere had shifted. What had once been a battlefield of raw emotion and power had now become a stage for an unspoken confrontation, one that went beyond mere fighting. Gon's presence was undeniable, a force of nature that Kilua had once revered, but now, standing before him, Gon was something else entirely. He was a stranger with a familiar face, an enigma wrapped in an aura of darkness and dread.
Kilua's heart pounded, his thoughts clouded with confusion and fear. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. This wasn't the Gon he knew. The Gon who laughed freely, who fought for his friends with an unshakable belief in justice, was nowhere to be found. Instead, this was a Gon who had embraced something darker—something Kilua could feel deep in his bones.
The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Gon hadn't just returned—he had transformed. He had crossed a line that Kilua could never imagine crossing. His best friend had become a shadow of his former self, consumed by a force far more dangerous than any Nen ability.
"Gon…" Kilua managed to say, his voice hoarse, almost pleading. He didn't know what he was asking for, but he needed to understand. "What happened to you? What did you become?"
Gon didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Kilua with those haunting eyes, and for a brief moment, there was something almost human in them. Something that made Kilua's heart ache, as if he could still see a glimmer of the boy he once knew. But then that flicker of humanity was gone, replaced by the cold, unwavering resolve of a being who had seen too much, endured too much.
"I became what I needed to be," Gon's voice was soft, but there was an edge to it, a sharpness that sent a chill down Kilua's spine. "I've seen things, Kilua. I've learned things that you can't even begin to comprehend. You're still trapped in your childhood, in your ideals, but I had to grow up. I had to survive."
Kilua's hands trembled as he struggled to process Gon's words. This wasn't just a change in appearance. This was a fundamental shift in who Gon was, in everything he had believed. Kilua had always admired Gon's pure heart, his boundless optimism. But now, there was nothing pure about him. He was a weapon, a force of destruction.
"No…" Kilua whispered, shaking his head. "This isn't you. This can't be what you really want."
But Gon only stared back at him, his expression unreadable.
"You don't get it, do you?" Gon said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "This is who I am now. The boy you knew… he's gone. And it's too late to bring him back."
Kilua's heart shattered. He couldn't accept it. He refused to accept that the Gon he had shared so much with, the Gon who had been his closest friend, was gone forever. But deep down, he knew that Gon was right. Something had changed in him, something irreversible. And there was nothing Kilua could do to stop it.
The silence between them grew heavier, each second stretching into eternity. Illumi, who had been watching silently, finally spoke, his voice cold and mocking.
"How touching," Illumi sneered. "The little boy is in denial. But it's too late. The damage is done. Gon has already made his choice."
Kilua's eyes darted toward Illumi, his anger flaring. But before he could respond, a wave of crushing energy swept through the battlefield. Gon had released his Nen, and it was unlike anything Kilua had ever felt before. The air thickened, the ground beneath them trembled as if reacting to the power that surged from Gon.
Kilua struggled to stay on his feet, his body fighting against the overwhelming force. His own Nen felt insignificant in comparison. It wasn't just power—this was a darkness, a malevolence that seeped into the very fabric of the world around them.
"You're not the only one with choices to make, Kilua," Gon said, his voice filled with a strange, cold determination. "I didn't come back to save you. I came back to finish what we started. The world doesn't care about our past. It only cares about what we can do now."
Kilua's mind reeled. This wasn't a battle between brothers. This wasn't even about revenge or survival anymore. This was something far deeper, something that transcended their friendship, their loyalty to each other. This was a reckoning.
Gon stepped forward, his Nen crackling with raw power. Kilua, despite his exhaustion, managed to lift his hands, summoning his own Nen in a desperate attempt to block the incoming assault. But it was futile. Gon's power was too overwhelming. With a flick of his wrist, the energy surged forward, sending Kilua sprawling to the ground.
The impact was jarring, and for a moment, Kilua couldn't breathe. His body felt like it had been crushed under a mountain. He tried to push himself up, but his muscles refused to obey. His vision blurred, his head spinning with pain and confusion.
"Kilua," Gon's voice cut through the haze, low and mocking. "You still don't get it, do you? You're too weak to stop me now. You always were."
Kilua's mind swirled with the words. "I never was as strong as you…" he whispered to himself, the weight of the truth settling deep in his chest. "But I never wanted to be."
In that moment, Kilua understood. This wasn't about strength. It wasn't about being the strongest, or the fastest, or the most powerful. It was about survival. And Gon had chosen his path.
As Kilua lay on the ground, broken and battered, the reality of their situation set in. He had lost. They had both lost.
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