A heartfelt good by before they enter the unknown, unfortunately, something also lies in wait for them.

Everything had been packed the night before, Daniel slinging not only his stuffed bag over his shoulder, he carried Alluka's extra weighted plates for her vest in his hand. Killua on the other hand had not only his bag but one of Alluka's extra bags of clothes.

Daniel practically ran down the steps leading into the kitchen, placing the two bags down before heading back up to help Alluka and Killua carry the rest of the bags downstairs. It was here they met their host, their weapon creator Mikkel waiting for them after having dealt with a customer.

He gave each of the kids a hug, almost sobbing goodbye in the process.

Daniel took in the man's frame for a long time, committing to memory the figure of the person who guided them along their current path. The man slightly shorter than them gave a final pat on the shoulder, "You three stay out of trouble. You may have issues carrying those weapons around, especially the people who stop and stare. However, during your flight, you should be fine if you flaunt your Hunter's Licence."

"You knew about that…"

"Of course, I'm expected to know. I sometimes double as a Nen trainer… not just a blacksmith."

Daniel grinned, "That would've been nice to know in advanced."

"I'm a basic trainer… not an advanced one. I have no advice to off someone of your guy's calibre. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to NOT tell you to be careful out there. These are new weapons, which means the two of you will need to practice with each other. Otherwise, stay safe out there… if not for me… for your family and friends."

Killua gave a nod, grabbing one of the bags, "We'll try to stay safe out there…" The boy turned to his partner and sister, "We ready the go?"

The two agreed, Alluka grabbing one bag while Killua and Daniel carried the rest, heading out into the town. Stepping onto the cobblestone walkway, they headed towards the outskirts of the small town.

From the store door, Mikkel waved goodbye, his smile faltering as the three disappeared into the distance.

"~"

Ever since they left the shop, Killua felt a pair of eyes on them, watching them from the shadows. They've been staring for quite a while now. Even his partner knew about it, but the boy wasn't bringing attention to it, just in case it brought whoever was staring at them, into the limelight.

Killua decided to change their focus point, hoping that whoever was watching them would either lose interest in them or face them. If they did, they'll have a reason to use their newly made weapons.

The boy turned to his sister, "Are you ready to go on an adventure of self-discovery?"

The girl gave a firm nod, a weak smile following, "While I am scared… scared to explore this side of myself, I never quite understood… as long as I have my brother by my side and his supporting boyfriend, I think I'll be okay…"

Daniel gave a weak smile at the sentiment, "I'd gladly help you in whatever way I can…"

Killua agreed with his partner, "No matter what, I'll always love my little precious sister. She is a part of my world, as much as my partner is… not matter…" Killua pressed a finger to his sister's nose, "If she thinks I'm not giving her enough attention."

He earned a pout from her, but it wouldn't matter. He cares for her, even if she feels like she's being left out. He'll always, care for her.

"Easy for you to say…" The girl stuck her tongue out, stopping to face her brother, "I'm not the one wrapped around my boyfriend's finger."

Killua blushed, only for his attention to shift, "Wait, boyfriend… you're already sneaking out to see someone behind my back." The boy cracked his knuckles, "Who am I ki- I mean, meeting?"

"Nobody…" Alluka turned away, "I wouldn't introduce anyone if my brother can't respect me enough to make my own decisions."

Daniel burst into laughter, "I too would hide a lover if they threatened to put them in a body bag and drop them off in the middle of nowhere."

"First of all, as the surrogate father, nobody touches my precious little sister."

"Touch…?" Alluka raised an eyebrow, "I only just learned about that… I am not prepared for any kind of touching, let alone be intimate with anyone."

Killua shrugged, "I didn't want to talk about it… but given the circumstances, and pressuring from Daniel-"

"Which I did no such thing. All I said was to be more open with your sister, not have the birds and bees talk."

"Technically…" Alluka butted into the conversation, "I wanted to know how to deal with the situation. Now, I understand how your relationship is with Daniel, you may do those things or more… Not that I know or feel like I can begin to understand how you'd go about to do more than…"

Killua made the gesture.

"Yes… that…" Alluka reacted in mortification; that gesture is going to haunt her dreams, "I rather wait to hear about the more part. It… kind of disgusts me, not in an eww I have no brother if he does that, kind of way… more like I'd rather wait until the body I have, is the one I feel comfortable with."

Killua gave a nod, "That's how I'd rather you be… don't be like me…"

A raging, horny, want to be ploughed twenty-four-seven kind of guy… Daniel thought to himself, but then his partner had to have the audacity to look at him, as though he heard his thoughts being spoken out loud.

Seeing as Alluka didn't react, it was safe to assume Killua was giving him a look to keep quiet about what they do behind closed doors.

He had no desire to spill the beans to Alluka, "Don't look at me… I'm keeping that between us."

"Good…"

Sometime during the conversation, they felt the feeling of someone stalking them dissipate. While Killua never stopped feeling like he was on edge, he was able to relax a little. He turned to his partner, checking to see his expression. He looked the same as him, able to relax.

"~"

It had been some time since the three left, the shop feeling somewhat empty without their presence. But on the other hand, he was able to work on some commissions now, to once more, get knees deep in work.

He had been hammering away, the sound of his door chime going off after a while.

"I'll be out there in a minute…"

Slow steps resounded out in the front of the shop, heading towards the back door, towards where his workshop was, "I said in a minute…" He stated once more, but the steps hadn't stopped.

When he felt a pair of eyes on him, his expression shifted, fingers tightening around his hammer, "You have two seconds to say what you want… or get out of my shop." He growled out of annoyance. It hadn't felt like Killua or Daniel, so it must be someone waiting for them to leave, so they could personally come after him.

He was met with the sound of a weapon being removed from a scabbard.

The man twisted around, holding his hammer as though it was a shield, "Give up, I'm not as-" His eyes widened when they fell on the weapon. That's Ben's Knife… that's trouble.

It was a long thin blade, one side curved like a scimitar, while the other was shaped more like a tick, a thin point protruding. He doesn't know if the blade was made from Celium, or something equally sharp as the material… but Ben's Knife is a blacksmith's dream to work on…

Or in his case… be worried about. His eyes flicked up to the person, trying to gauge if it was a disgruntled customer he had worked with previously. He had never met them. He couldn't place the sharp features, the fox-ish eyes in his life.

They looked sly, but given that he had a blade such as that, he'd be in serious trouble if he couldn't disarm them in the first hit "What you want…?" He repeated himself.

The man simply smiled in response, "Victor sends his regards…" Within that moment he charged, knife held high as if planning to bring down like a spear. Mikkel stepped out of the way, the man swinging with enough force to send him stumbling into the anvil.

Mikkel's eyes flicked to the knife, watching it plunge into the anvil. It was sharper than Celium, but he didn't know what it was made from, at least not unless he takes a closer look. The kind when he wasn't in danger of being stabbed by, said weapon.

When the man twisted around, facing Mikkel, the Metalsmith swung his weapon, the head of the hammer smacking him clear across the face. There was no scream, but the sound of flesh searing did make him believe he won the fight.

Not many would be able to walk away with a searing burn mark. But the person did.

Mikkel brought his hammer up by the handle, pressing it against their hands, stopping them from ramming the knife in his chest. He grits his teeth, the flames of the hammerhead way too close to his body, licking his flesh, causing him to sweat profusely.

I need to get him off me…

"~"

Killua stopped in his tracks, the feeling of uneasiness never quite leaving him. For a while now, that presence has been gone. There was no sense of bloodlust, but if they were highly trained, that feeling could've been snuffed out…

"Can you two, wait for a second?"

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked, his eyes shifting to the scenery as if observing his surroundings. Did whoever was staring at them come back? If so, was it only Killua that could feel their eyes on them?

Usually, he was preceptive to his own, surroundings, however, Killua was a skilled tracker and assassin. He'd be more hyper-aware of what was happening in his vicinity, to the point he could plan a murder around a target getting robbed.

Shifting his gaze once more, he looked into his partner's eyes. His boyfriend was tense.

"I just have this…" The boy thought about it for a second, "intense feeling like something is off."

"Like you forgot something?" Alluka asked, hopeful that it wasn't worse than her guess.

The boy bit his lip, still deep in thought, "Not exactly…" Killua shifted his posture, a hand being pressed to his chin, "I'm gonna double back. You two, go on ahead I'll catch up with you."

Alluka pouted at the change of circumstance, but given that Daniel had placed a hand on her shoulder, her brother's boyfriend must have realised something she hadn't. She'll go along with the change for now, but she expects a better explanation rather than a simple gut feeling.

Killua turned around, running back towards Mikkel's shop. If the man is okay, that means they were in trouble and he'll have to bolt back towards his sister and partner. But if Mikkel was in danger, he didn't know how he'd react in the circumstance.

Mikkel made it known he's not in favour of murders. Specifically, assassins…

But given the circumstance, killing might be the only option given the circumstance.

"~"

Mikkel managed to move his hammer, slamming it against the man's face once more. The act sent the enemy tumbling across the floor, lying still as if they were dead. But when he saw the man twitch, he moved to grab the first tool he could lay his hand on, the chisel.

Slowly the man began to stir, head slightly turning once more in his direction.

He was clearly, dealing with a zombie-like entity, someone being manipulated. His face was heavily burnt, white-like pus oozing from where the eye socket once held their eye. Mikkel readied his weapon, the person charging him once more.

He swung once more, completely missing the target.

The hammer hit the anvil, cancelling out his Nen ability due to the impact before sliding across the floor. Even if that hadn't happened, he built the shop with the intent to reduce the chances of anything that could spontaneously combust. However, just because the building wouldn't burn up in flames, doesn't mean the heat wouldn't eventually char the flooring.

Mikkel brought his hand up, grabbing the hand that threatened to stab him, the blade inches from his eye.

Whoever they were, they were running on adrenalin like a junkie. They were utterly broken, focusing only on the task issued to them. Victor, ordered his death… and they planned to complete, said task. Mikkel needed to disarm the enemy and make a break for his hammer.

If he's going to survive this, he'll need to cave the crazed man's head in.

Whether it was through mere luck, or just an unfortunate customer walking in at the wrong time, he heard his door chime.

He wasted no time, screaming at the top of his voice, "Call the police, there's a maniac in here." Rather than hearing a phone dial, he heard feet move through his shop. Either that was the second goon in cahoots with the maniac attacking him, meaning he was about to die…

Or there was a dumbass about to act like a hero "What are-"

There was a sudden shift of weight, a figure appearing before them, right on top of his attacker. Pale white hair fluttered from above him, clawed hands digging into the arm holding the knife. The arm was then pulled back, almost snapping it in the process. Thinking his saviour was going to pull the crazed man off him and cast him aside like a sack of potatoes, he instead heard a loud 'crack' resounded in the shop.

The person was killed without hesitation, quick and easy.

One second the crazed man was trying to stab him, the next second, his head was twisted, forced to stare at the person who just snapped his neck.

Mikkel threw the body off him, panting heavily, "He was like a god damn zombie…" The man took in a deep breath, trying to calm down his shaking frame. He almost died. Had the white-haired boy, Killua not come back and saved him, he would've died…

"Are you okay…?" Killua asked, double-checking the body to see if they stay dead, considering the man had called them a zombie.

Mikkel grabbed the person's hand, prying the Ben's Knife from it.

"Wait, is that a Ben's Knife?"

"Yeah…" Mikkel nods, eyeing the blade for any indicators of what it's made from "Whatever it's made from, it could pierce Uskiolthil. I'm lucky I noticed it earlier because I would've been stabbed if I blocked it with my hammer. How do you even know it's a Ben's Knife?"

"My father has a thing for collecting those… he's fascinated by them, not so much the craftsmanship, but rather… the serial killer side of him."

"I prefer the metalsmith side of that man… than the kill-" The man stopped, this time turning to face the young boy, "Wait, why is your father intrigued by the serial killer side of Benny Delon?"

Killua crossed his arms, "Look… earlier you stated I can't or will defend someone who let's say… they kill people for a living. If I tell you… your perspective of Alluka and myself will change." Mikkel crossed his arms, staring at him, expecting to reveal his secret. The boy sighed in defeat, "My full name is Killua… Killua Zoldyck."

"Zoldyck… as in the renowned assassins whose gate to their home is treated as a tourist spot, rather than a trespasser will die, Zoldyck…?"

"Yup… that's the one."

"You… You wouldn't happen-"

"To have killed people, yup. Unfortunately trained from a young age. My first kill was around seven, maybe six."

"I…" The man stumbled back, surprised from the revelation, "I don't know how to react… what to say…"

"A thank you would be nice…" The boy joke in a sarcastic manner. With all things to be considered, he was dreading the man's reaction. Most people would look at him with disgust… contempt. Within a snap of his fingers, Mikkel could go from regarding him as a client… a respected friend to someone he wanted nothing to do with.

He wouldn't even be surprised if the man decided to turn around and request the Yo-Yo's back.

The man stared at the boy, mouth gaping, "I… I…"

"Want the Yo-Yo's back?" He tested the waters, gauging the man's reaction.

Mikkel's reaction changed from being confused to now questioning the boy's reaction. The fact Killua came from a line of assassins, now explained away everything he's come to learn about the boy. He was grateful for being saved, no matter if they come from a line of killers "Oh god no… keep them."

Killua reacted in shock, surprised at how quickly he turned around, "Huh…?"

"I made them for you! I'm not asking them back. It's the fact those things make sense now… the pain resistance… the lack of reaction when you cut yourself. Your childhood… it isn't messed up, but rather fucked. Who would do such a thing to their child?! They should've…" He took a deep breath, "The past can't be changed. I… I guess a thank you is in order."

The man turned his attention back to the corpse "I… I think you should go. I'll deal with this." He brought his hand down, almost touching the body. But he found himself stopping before doing so, "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were going?"

"We were but… I think this guy was following us before he stopped to come to you. Did he say anything… incriminate himself in any way?"

"Yeah… he said Victor sends his regards…"

Killua's expression went dark from the name. Mikkel helped them craft weapons to protect themselves; somehow, Victor caught wind of this fact. Had the man never involved themself in their life, he wouldn't have become a target to the monster hunting them from the shadows.

Victor, even though he couldn't be in their vicinity, was somehow watching them. If he hadn't come back because of his gut feeling, Mikkel may have been killed, without ever being aware of the situation.

The man reached for his phone, preparing to call the cops, only to be stopped by Killua grabbing his wrist. The man turned his attention to the boy, "I'll explain the situation, you won't be incrim-"

"Call… Vastorie…"

"Why…?"

Killua's attention shifted to the man, eyes staring deep into his soul, "Trust me…"

When Mikkel dialled the man's number, Killua snatched the phone out of his hand, waiting for the connection. When he heard the pick-up, he didn't wait for Vastorie's childish response, he immediately explained their dilemma "Don't you dare fucken hang up."

"Killua?" The man let out a surprised gasp, unexpecting the boy using another person's phone to get in contact with him.

"This won't be a, me chastising you, moment… as much as I'd like to. Victor sent one of his goons to attack Mikkel."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me! He has spies… You may think you're doing the right thing to pretend you don't care about your family, but something has changed." The boy shifted his posture "So, do your fucken job, and bloody protect your child."

There was a pause, silence on the other end. Surely, Vastorie was deep in thought from his words. Hell, the boy wouldn't care at this point if his boyfriend's father finally decided to pull his head out of his ass and help them. But, Killua would be in way over his head if he continued to believe he'd alone, will be able to protect those he cherishes, without someone in the background pulling strings

"You thought we'll be safe because you have eyes on Victor, instead, we haven't been safe… we're still being targeted. We're heading towards someone else. Get your act together and help us out you selfish bastard…" The time for retaliation is now… if he won't act now, we'll be doomed to look over our shoulders for the rest of our life until that man is dealt with…

Throwing the phone to Mikkel, he spoke calmly, "I'm sorry to leave you like this, but I'm heading back to my sister and partner. The fact that you were attacked, means we're still in danger. I need to tell that man what transpired, while I explain what happened to Daniel and Alluka. My partner may feel guilty about it, but once he knows you're okay; that his father may intervene… he'll be relieved. If there's another spying on us… there has to be more hiding in the shadows."

Without giving the man a moment to question him, Killua left, heading back to his partner and sister, leaving the Metalsmith feeling confused.

He brought the phone up to his ear when he heard Vastorie screaming for a response, "Shit… fuck man my ears!"

"What the fuck happened?!"

"Look, I was attacked by a guy I've never met. He was holding a Ben's knife."

"What does the Ben's knife look like?"

"Long, scimitar-shaped, pointed tip at the back. Designed probably to disarm, but the slight curve looks like it's been designed to carve into flesh from an angle. Why?"

"Mid-to-late-era style knife… probably in the 60s era of knives. Not poisonous, but dangerous. Whatever you do, don't hand that knife over to the police. Hide it, I'm going to grab it."

"No! This shit stabbed through my anvil. I'm going to study it… find out what it's made from."

"It's too dangerous to keep it on you, I would advise-"

"My shop… my rules. I'm studying this blade, now tell me what… the fuck is going on! I just got attacked, this man… Victor was mentioned. Who exactly is he? I want details…"

"Victor… is my father; it looks like I'm going to be dancing with the devil. For the moment, hide the knife and call the police, get them to deal with the body. I'll look at the report later, maybe even tamper with the investigation. I don't want the news reaching my father's ears. However, for you… I want you to update me for the next week, once per day, while I make sure nobody else is in the vicinity that can target you… can you do that?"

"Sure, but what kind of danger is your kid in…?"

"The kind, that mother hen doesn't approve of."

"Now isn't the time to be joking around… YOUR SON IS IN DANGER!"

"I'm not joking… the man just pissed me off. It's time I retaliate, make him realise my initial threat wasn't a challenge… nor was it a joke." Vastorie hung up the phone, staring at the wall for a second longer.

Pulling out a list of names, his finger scanned through the addresses, seeing which one was the closest to his father right now, who also, happened to have some sort of influence. When his finger stopped, he spoke the name calmly "Senator Kevin Goldwin…" tapping the name once, he slammed the book shut, "You fucked with the wrong man… Father."

This is the final chapter of the Weapon crafting Arc.

In the next chapter, Vastorie returns before we move onto Alluka's Arc, while also switching with Roseara Island Arc.