A super adorable girl falls right in front of you.
Even if you don't want to help her up, asking if she's okay isn't too much to ask, right?
Fine.
Even if you don't ask, that's understandable.
But running away like you've seen a ghost? What's that about?
The golden-haired beauty was none other than Biscuit.
She stared in disbelief at Morrow's retreating figure.
This outcome was completely outside any of her expectations.
In the brief moment she hesitated, Morrow had already vanished from her sight.
Biscuit took a deep breath, mentally tearing up her original encounter script.
In the distance,
Morrow weaved swiftly through the crowd before suddenly leaping onto the roof of a food stall-like stand.
Ignoring the startled gasps around him, he took the shortcut, running along the tops of the stalls to avoid the packed streets, heading straight for the exit of the Bull Market.
That was Biscuit…
Damn, my reaction was way too obvious.
But that clumsy act is exactly the kind of twisted humor Transmuters love, always thinking about how to 'mess' with people.
Frowning, Morrow dropped from midair toward the ground.
But while still airborne, he expelled aura from his feet, propelling himself upward as if stepping on air, landing steadily on the roof of a three-story building ahead.
Without slowing, he continued sprinting forward.
In the original story, Biscuit had helped Gon and Killua improve their skills, but before that, she had been solely focused on toying with them.
Transmuters were always this unpredictable.
Morrow didn't believe he could handle a sly fox like her.
Relying on his familiarity with the area, Morrow headed straight for the Sewer District.
The place was a maze of residential buildings, perfect for shaking off pursuers.
At worst, he could reuse his old trick: using the Star Mark on a bird for long-distance Shooting Star movement.
Right.
There was a flock of pigeons near the Bull Market's plaza. Before entering, Morrow had casually placed a Star Mark on one of them, just in case.
Even if he didn't end up needing it, he could always cancel it.
Best of all, marking a pigeon required almost no effort and barely any aura.
This was Morrow's confidence in evading pursuit.
Of course, the prerequisite for using the Shooting Star movement was maximizing the distance between himself and the pigeon.
—--
Far behind, Biscuit stood atop a clock tower with a clear view of the plaza, her eyes infused with aura to sharpen her vision as she locked onto Morrow's distant figure.
Not bad fundamentals. An Emitter?
Watching Morrow's jet-propelled ascent from afar, Biscuit rested a hand on her chin.
Expelling aura to propel movement... this was a technique most Emitters deliberately trained in.
With enough practice, it could even be used for high-speed movement.
However, most Emitters prioritized refining their hand-based precision, as it usually related to their rapid activation techniques.
Biscuit lowered her hand, then pushed off with her feet, launching herself like an arrow into the air.
She traced a graceful arc before landing on the roof of a distant building.
And yet, the clock tower beneath her remained completely undamaged. That was because she had diverted a small portion of her aura to protect the top of the clock tower before bursting her aura beneath her feet.
A seemingly simple technique, yet one refined through long and arduous practice.
Biscuit closely followed behind Morrow.
The distance between them was gradually closing.
At first, Biscuit had considered giving chase at full speed, but after observing Morrow's techniques, she decided to watch a little longer.
A footwork technique focused on agility and sudden changes in direction... Hmm? Using aura to correct flaws in power exertion, compensating for the lack of explosive force. Quite an interesting idea.
Seeing the gazelle-like footwork Morrow employed during his sprint, Biscuit couldn't help but silently acknowledge its merits.
However, the footwork lacked polish, likely something he had only recently learned.
Moreover, such disciplined footwork techniques usually originated from specific martial arts schools.
With this in mind, Biscuit finally increased her pursuit speed.
The two of them, one after the other, crossed several streets and eventually arrived at the less crowded Sewer Street.
Seeing Morrow head straight into the residential area with clear intent, Biscuit instantly understood his plan.
Sewer Street, huh.
Biscuit glanced at the nearly tourist-free shops lining both sides of the street.
This wasn't her first time here. Before seeking out Morrow, she had followed the leads to the antique shop owner who posted the blog content, confirming certain details.
As for that uncut emerald, judging purely by quality, it wasn't enough to warrant a special trip.
But its size and shape gave the gemstone immense potential for transformation.
That was what truly captivated her, making her eager to carve it with her own hands.
Chasing into the labyrinthine residential area, Biscuit relied on sound to pinpoint Morrow's movements.
The technique of Gyo, when concentrated in the eyes, significantly enhances visual functionality. Similarly, focusing it on organs like the ears or nose boosts their respective capabilities.
For a veteran like Biscuit, using enhanced hearing to track a target's movements and location wasn't anything particularly noteworthy.
—--
After darting around the residential area for a while, Morrow realized Biscuit was completely unaffected by the environment. He promptly abandoned his futile attempt to waste energy and aura on fleeing, instead climbing onto the rooftop of a high-rise building where numerous clothes and blankets were drying.
When he saw Biscuit leap up onto the opposite side of the rooftop, he immediately noticed the concentration of aura around her ears, thicker than anywhere else. Naturally, he understood how she had been able to track him as if she had x-ray vision.
"If you had kept running a bit longer, I might have actually lost you, little Emitter," Biscuit said, hands on her hips, looking at Morrow with a teasing smile.
Cut the act, you old fox, Morrow thought to himself, but his expression remained neutral as he replied, "You look younger than me. Someone as cute as you shouldn't act so high and mighty."
"Huh?"
Biscuit blinked, clasping her hands under her chin in feigned confusion. "I didn't quite catch that. Say it again?"
Calmly, Morrow repeated, "I said you're very cute, like a princess who stepped out of a painting. There's no need to put on such a mature act."
"Mhm."
Biscuit smiled earnestly. "But you're just saying that to flatter me, aren't you?"
"Just stating the truth," Morrow replied naturally. Speaking the language of men to men and of ghosts to ghosts; this could indeed be considered one of his talents.
But in front of an old Transmuter skilled in both lying and detecting lies, it was useless.
Biscuit studied Morrow's expression closely and smiled. "You're making me doubt my own judgment. Rather than an Emitter, you seem more like a Transmuter, don't you?"
"..."
Morrow silently met Biscuit's gaze.
Being older sure made her hard to deal with.
Muttering to himself internally, Morrow smoothly changed the subject. "Why are you chasing me?"
"Huh?"
Biscuit planted her hands on her hips again, annoyed. "I should be asking you, why did you run?"
"Exercise."