"What is going on?!" Rein asks, just as he finishes sealing the tunnel exit.
"This is heading in a direction I didn't anticipate," Rakshala replies calmly.
"Anyway, I'll soon know more. Don't speak to me for now—I need to meditate on things," she says with a smirk.
"Weird time to meditate," Rein mumbles.
"Leave her alone!" Grunah snaps at him, blocking his way.
She's using her Hatsu! This is perfect! She'll know what they're saying. The basin is small enough that she can stretch her En that far… and while the Troupe might sense her En, they shouldn't realize she's actually listening in!
Satisfied with Rakshala's quiet surveillance, Auren approaches his instructors.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have dragged you into this," he says, lowering his head slightly.
Buno laughs. "Oh, it was an interesting experience. Though… I'll be expecting a little 'service' soon."
He then shows him his hand, two fingers obviously crippled, one almost completely gone, while the other lost around half its length.
"You don't even need to ask," Auren replies with a small smile, though a hint of guilt lingers on his face.
"We were surprisingly inadequate when facing them," Bunu admits. "Just the guy with the katana and that girl with the string ability were enough to defeat us. We were completely overwhelmed. I'm honestly more than impressed you managed to kill one and capture another. You've already surpassed us, without a doubt."
Time passes. Around thirty minutes later, Rakshala approaches Auren privately.
"We need to talk." She says, her face serious.
"So… are they planning anything underhanded?" Auren asks, walking aside with her.
"They've been unusually quiet—they are just standing around," she replies. "I think they suspect we might have listening devices around here. I'm still keeping one ear on them through my En, but I don't expect to hear much of value. What do you think about the offer?" she adds, gesturing for Grunah, Rein, and the Marshmallow brothers to join them.
"I won't join them, at least not fully," Auren says firmly. "We both know what kinds of missions they take. Joining as a member would mean obeying orders—doing things I detest. I'll never surrender my freedom or compromise my beliefs just for power. More than that, I don't believe in serving two sides. Not when it comes to real organisations—not something like the Hunter Association, which is just a guild that issues tasks and just offers services. Real organisations, more like a family, in Hollow Blade's case, require you to be loyal. When you join one, you commit. I've said I'm ready to do that. Joining the Troupe would betray that. I won't."
"I see…" Rakshala says softly, smiling and patting his head. "That's what I wanted to hear, to be perfectly honest, though I would have accepted any decision you made."
"So how do we deal with this, then?" Rein asks, clearly growing a little impatient.
I like this guy. He's blunt, honest, and refreshing.
"Simple," Auren says. "I'll pretend to accept the offer. I'll tell them I'll act as a member in a practical sense, but I won't officially join. They've already hinted at why they want me—it's not just my strength, which is not bad, but frankly nothing too impressive… yet. Also, in the future, we need to stay far away from the Mafia. They can't be trusted. Once an organisation gets too big, you can't control the information flow anymore."
"I'm sorry about that, Auren," Rakshala says. "And I agree with you. He definitely knows more than he should. His interest in you isn't just curiosity… and he probably figured things out from talking to you and the brothers. I'm betting he was listening in."
"What could he have learned?" Grunah asks, frowning. "Buno and Bunu wouldn't crack—not even under torture."
"From what Auren told me, they mentioned their injuries over the phone, right?" Rakshala asks.
"We did," Buno nods.
"Some people don't miss a thing. They can even read your Aura, sense emotions—sometimes subconsciously. You weren't the slightest bit bothered by your injuries, were you?" Rakshala asks, turning to him.
"…I guess not?" Buno says, scratching his head, trying to remember.
Bunu suddenly slaps his forehead. "She's right. I'm sorry, Auren. I remember Buno even smirking about it while we talked. I wasn't worried either. Once we learned you had taken a member hostage, we relaxed and we even found the situation hilarious."
Buno's face goes pale as he finally understands their mistake.
Auren steps forward and grabs Buno's right hand—the one with the missing fingers. He activates Azure Restoration, lighting up the cave in a soft, azure glow. Within minutes, the hand is completely restored. Buno grins and flexes it, transforming it into a claw, then slams it into the rock wall, piercing deep into the stone.
"Good as new!" Buno says with a satisfied grin, admiring his restored hand.
"I… I see…" Grunah mutters. "I half-expected something like this… just not at this level."
"You shouldn't be sharing this information!" Rein interjects sharply. "Why did you even show it to us?!"
"Of course. I've done my best to hide this ability—but the Troupe knows. I'm sure of it," Auren replies. "The Elders might know, too, since they're the ones who hired them. At least some parts of it. So just now, I decided to share it with two of our own Elders. Both of you helped me clean up this mess, so take this as a sign of my trust. How could outsiders know something this important, while you don't? I hate the very idea of outsiders knowing more than part of our own sect."
"It's not a sect, Auren…" Grunah corrects gently.
"Of course it isn't…" Auren mutters, rolling his eyes.
"Your plan to offer a practical collaboration might actually work, Auren," Rakshala says. "Whatever you've decided, I'll support you."
"Leave it to me," Auren says. "I'll speak with them myself."
"..."
Exactly one hour later, both parties stand across from one another once again.
This time, Chrollo looks directly at Auren. "Have you given it some thought?"
"I'm prepared to accept your offer—under a few conditions. You might not like them, however," Auren says. "But first, let me ask you something. It's just a hypothetical question, of course… how would you feel about becoming an Elder of Hollow Blade? I would appreciate a completely honest answer."
Chrollo rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I might be interested. But it would only be a transactional relationship for me. I wouldn't commit to the role fully. My focus remains with the Troupe."
Auren shrugs. "Then we agree. That's my answer as well. I've committed to Hollow Blade, and I won't betray them. I hate the idea of dual loyalties. With intimate groups like the Troupe—or Hollow Blade—you either commit or you're just an opportunist using one side for convenience. I can't take anyone seriously who claims otherwise."
"Hmm… too bad then," Chrollo says, his expression calm.
Auren raises his hands slightly. "I'll still join, if you are interested, but not as one of your numbered members. You're twelve total, with you as the leader, right? Make me the unofficial number thirteen, then. I'm willing to use my ability and strength when needed—but if anyone spreads word about it, you won't like how I respond. Push something into a corner, and it might just bite."
Chrollo's eyes sharpen. Then he smiles.
"When I heard what you did from the Elders, I started digging a little. I watched your matches in Heaven's Arena, scoured press footage, tapped a few spies, and inspected security camera records the Elders had collected. Your… let's call it 'recovery speed'... is remarkable. Along with the odd coincidence that people around you—like a certain billionaire, or a particular tragic girl who enjoys playing with you—suddenly get better, their wounds or injuries somehow vanishing."
"See?" Auren says, turning to Buno, Bunu, Rakshala, Grunah, and Rein. "They know."
Buno raises his healed hand smugly, morphs it into a claw, and points at the Troupe.
"The boss was right…" Uvogin mutters, wide-eyed.
"Interesting," Feitan says with a curious nod.
"So that's why you told me not to reattach his fingers…" Machi says under her breath. "You knew. I had a feeling at the time you were planning something, but I didn't expect this… I was still skeptical when you told us earlier, but it's true…"
Looks like she's a talkative one.
"Here's what I demand," Auren says firmly. "My ability comes with strict conditions—it's not easy to use, and it costs me something significant every time. I won't go into detail, I'm sure you understand that a hatsu this potent can't be used without cost. In return for my cooperation, I want information about the Elder who targeted me. I want your promise, sealed by contract, that you won't reveal my ability to anyone—not even future members. I want an agreement that you won't sabotage or attack the Hollow Blade directly or indirectly."
"In exchange," he continues, "we won't target the Troupe. If possible, we'll avoid all interactions. I'll join you—not as a full member, but as an acquaintance. We can talk about full membership later, if you are still interested. I'll support you when I can, especially in critical moments. But I'll refuse missions or actions that go against my moral compass. I don't expect that to be an issue, but I do have certain limits. Also, I won't waste my time doing menial tasks either. As for payment… whatever. I'm sure we can come to an agreement."
The surrounding Troupe members look puzzled. Some seem mildly surprised. All appear to be deep in thought.
Rakshala, for her part, remains completely composed, her expression unreadable.
Finally, Chrollo stretches out his hand.
"Accepted."
Auren steps forward and takes it.
Let's make the best of this…
-------------------------------------
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