Over the years, Ron had seen many at the bottom of society—the destitute in Meteor City, the exploited fighters controlled behind the scenes in Heavens Arena, the impoverished population of Taris Kingdom's capital, and the struggling commoners of the United States of Sahelta. Yet among all the V5 nations, despite its strict and arcane hierarchy, the Kingdom of Fiora had the happiest lower-class lives in relative comparison. It was a good place for people content with their placement in the hierarchy.
At first, Ron had felt that the people of Meteor City were uniquely pitiable. But after witnessing more of the world, he came to realize that those who lived at the bottom, no matter the place, were all equally tragic.
"And as for the Phantom Troupe… their strength is undeniable, and their crimes are many... but beyond that, I don't know much more. The ones I've interacted with the most are just you and Hisoka. Still, I can sense it—you two aren't the type to commit crimes just for the sake of it."
You would think that a maniac like Hisoka was a part-time serial killer. But no, as long as he didn't get excited by a strong opponent he was generally normal.
Machi's eyes flickered slightly. "Your understanding of Meteor City is far greater than that of most outsiders. When many people hear those two words, they react only with disgust and contempt, like they're seeing trash. The more informed ones respond with fear instead. Ron, your talent is excellent, and your strength is great… but this world is filled with danger, and dangerous people. Be cautious. Don't trust anyone too easily. People outside are too good at pretending."
Ron's brows moved slightly. "Does that include you, Machi?"
Machi was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, even me."
Ron smiled faintly. "Why are you warning me about this? Because of my view on Meteor City?"
"That's right. Of all the things I've heard outsiders say about Meteor City, yours was the most tolerable," Machi answered plainly, making no comment on whether it was fair or unfair. Perhaps she had already accepted that fairness had no place in this world.
"Thanks for the reminder. I will."
Ron glanced at the sky beyond the rail. "It's getting late. Let's go back inside."
"You go first."
Ron returned to the airship cabin while Machi leaned against the railing, staring into the distance in a daze. In Meteor City, there were many things beyond one's control. As a child, she hadn't known what worry was.
Alongside Uvogin and Nobunaga, the three had formed a small group, living off scavenging, and while it wasn't luxurious, it hadn't been unhappy either.
Because of some conflicts and disputes, they met Chrollo and the others. Back then, Sarasa was the glue that held everyone together. They all participated in dubbing old videotapes—a rare bit of fun in their otherwise dull junk-town lives. Then, all of a sudden, Sarasa died, brutally murdered.
Her body had been torn into countless pieces, reduced to chunks of flesh. Just imagining the pain Sarasa endured before death was enough to make Machi's blood boil. The murderer must have been beyond cruel.
From the moment she saw Sarasa's remains, Machi could never hear her name again without feeling a rush of rage. She wasn't the only one—Chrollo, Feitan, Phinks, Uvogin, Nobunaga, Pakunoda… all of them felt the same. That's why they had formed the Phantom Troupe, under Chrollo's call. Only Sheila chose a different path and did not join them.
Later, they learned Nen together and began developing their abilities through team-based training, dividing roles based on talents and needs. That way of life had already gone on for many years. At first, Machi had been resolute—blaming everything on the outside world. If Meteor City had been abandoned, then no outsider should be allowed to reach in.
Anyone who tried to take from Meteor City would have their hand cut off.
And the Phantom Troupe had succeeded. After making a deal with the elders and gaining control over most of Meteor City, human trafficking incidents related to Meteor City had drastically decreased. Those who dared to reach into the city had also become fewer. The Troupe's fearsome reputation grew stronger, and so did the world's fear of both Meteor City and the Phantom Troupe.
But Machi had also seen things outside—things that made her question. It wasn't just the people of Meteor City who lived terribly. The poor in many other places suffered just as much. Was isolating Meteor City truly the perfect solution? Would tragedies like Sarasa's never happen again?
She couldn't help but wonder what the real purpose of their actions was. Was it for the people of Meteor City to never experience a tragedy like Sarasa's again? To prevent them from being bullied by outsiders? But were outsiders really so different from the people of Meteor City in her eyes?
Their original motivation had been Sarasa—but Sarasa was already dead. No matter what they did, she would not come back. If the goal was simply revenge, then it was Sheila's path that was more correct. After all they had done, risking their names, committing crimes, making countless enemies, to protect those in Meteor City—was it really worth it? Was it all just because of the name "Meteor City"?
For the longest time, Machi had believed so. But recently, she had begun to waver. Meteor City was vast. The majority of its people she had never met, never interacted with. Did they truly have to go this far for people they didn't even know?
The airship continued to fly at high altitudes. A soft light flickered. Ron didn't speak with Machi again.
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Two days later, the airship descended. Ron disembarked with the crowd. Outside, a figure appeared to have been waiting for quite some time.
"Cousin Illumi."
"Get in, Ron."
"Okay."
The two got in the car. Illumi drove them to a hotel where he had booked a suite—two rooms in total.
Once they were inside—bang—the door closed. Illumi sat cross-legged in the living room.
"I'll explain the commission this time," he said. "The client is the Phantom Troupe. The target: the Ten Dons within the Underworld Mafia."
"The reward includes a material from a disaster-class Nen beast… and one hundred billion Jenny in cash, as well as certain assets held by the Underworld Mafia."
"Also, Meteor City has provided a large volume of intel on the Mafia, which will significantly improve the convenience of our operation."
"But the exact difficulty is still unknown. We'll need to conduct reconnaissance before we move."