"People go to extremes," Gotoh put the coins away and said evenly. "Years ago, when I followed the master on jobs, I heard him say: people who get stuck in cul-de-sacs are terrifying. They only trust their own system, which makes them purer than ordinary folks…
"If they do good, it's great good; if they do evil, it's great evil. Once Nen awakens—the more extreme, the stronger; the more obsessive, the madder. Their friends tend to be the same…"
"Just like Moritonio—and that guy."
The pervert aggregation law… like attracts like, unlike repels—was that it?
Roy let go of Hisoka and calmed, a flash crossing his mind that he couldn't quite catch. He stood there frowning, and a night breeze peeled the "face" from Moritonio, revealing his true features.
Roy blinked, stepped forward, and saw his own reflection in Moritonio's fading pupils…
"Blood Magnet"… inject "magnetism" into aura to exert real pressure—Moritonio, driven by the desire to attract people, had trained a Nen ability whose essence was magnetism!
Every object with mass has a magnetic field; manipulate the field and you get magnetic force. The sun has a field and storms, too—can attract and repel—and thus control fields!
Roy's eyes brightened—he'd grabbed it. Inspiration flared; he visualized the sun and imagined magnetism flowing into his Nen. Like a lodestone, he reached toward Moritonio: a few fallen leaves shivered, struggled, then lifted into his palm.
[Notice: Nen Property Change +10]
[Note: "Truth of the Sun," current Lv1: 11/100]
[Effect: Magnetism. (Host can imbue Nen with a magnetic property to manipulate others' magnetic fields; control strength scales with level.)]
[The stronger Nen becomes, the wider the control radius and the tougher the targets you can affect…]
Roy smiled, clenched—leaves powdered to ash—and opened his hand. A gust lifted the dust and carried it away.
Tonight's "show" was finally over. He snatched up the cane blade and, without looking back, said, "Let's go."
They left the alley into the pitch-black night, called a cab, and roared off…
Tap, tap… About ten minutes later, after Roy departed, light footsteps sounded. Out of the dark walked another "Roy"—hollow-eyed, stepping over Moritonio's two halves, expressionless as he headed for Hisoka.
From inside the wall came a creepy laugh, floating to his ear: "Friend, mind lending a hand? The wall's got my head stuck—it's getting stuffy in here…"
Illumi considered, then stepped up, palmed a Nen pin, and drove it toward Hisoka's chest. "Relax—if you're dead, it won't be stuffy."
"Heh-heh-heh… that is a good method, but…"
BOOM! Hisoka's Nen-wrapped fist crushed the wall; he pulled his head free. In the same breath he slipped past the stabbing pin with Gyo, rocked back two steps, and stared at Illumi with a crooked grin.
"You're not him… but you put on his face◇…
"Let me guess, hmmm—you're secretly in love with him… so you struck at me out of jealousy?"
Hisoka's eyes crescented, burning into Illumi. Illumi said nothing—his long black hair kicked back like a cat whose tail you've stepped on—fur bristling.
Swish, swish… He flicked more pins—fast, vicious, each aimed to kill.
Hisoka laughed, delighted. "Heh-heh-heh… looks like I hit the mark…"
His hand dipped and came up with Nen-charged playing cards—he threw them to meet the pins.
DING DING DING DING… Steel rang on steel—echoing through the chill night.
…
"Yin…"
Glam Gas's taxis are as wild as its magic.
On the way back to the airport,
Roy hooked coins with his fingers and pulled them back and forth through the air between himself and Gotoh—getting the feel of "magnetism."
The driver kept sneaking glances. "Kid, that's slick. That 'pulling things from thin air' trick's no worse than what's-his-name's 'Sky Swimming.' If you took that on the road, you'd make a killing…"
"Moritonio," Gotoh said, gathering the coins Roy tossed back, equally surprised at the new trick—and at the slight pull wrapped in Roy's aura, just like the man's.
"Yeah, him," the driver smacked his head. "What a memory… I was just saying I'd take my girl to see him in a few days. Forgot already."
"You won't get the chance."
Skree—
The airport. Roy flicked a few coins; they clinked into the driver's hand. He opened the door without turning. "Keep the change."
They headed into the terminal.
The driver scratched his head, stomped the gas, and rattled off in a puff of oily smoke…
Beep—
Security cleared.
Boarding soon for the United States of Saherta. Compared to Dentora, Glam Gas's gate lounge had more oddly dressed folks.
A man wrapped head to toe in bandages; only eyes showing. Another in a turban with a cobra looped round his neck. One with bow and quiver, bright feathers at his brow. One built like a bear, shirtless, cords of muscle on display. Another in full ninja kit doing one-handed handstand presses…
"They'll be Hunter Exam candidates. As long as they registered, they'll be let in."
Gotoh found them seats. Noticing Roy's gaze linger in one direction, he followed it. On the far right of a row sat a quiet girl—
beautiful golden hair pinned with a simple stick, wearing distinct ethnic dress, reading intently… pretty, but nothing else remarkable at first glance.
"You know her, young master?"
Roy shook his head—not "know," recognize.
Blue tunic and white trousers—too distinctive. And the way she kept touching her glasses, so conscious of her eyes… Roy dared conclude: a Kurta—bearer of one of the "Seven Most Beautiful Colors" of the world—scarlet eyes…
"Hello."
Perhaps sensing his gaze, she looked up and smiled politely—then went back to her book. From the title page, it seemed a travelogue.
~~~
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