Six months.
That was how long Moro had been mastering his Nen ability.
In terms of technique, manifest aura, or even potential aura, Moro was far outclassed by the seasoned opponents before him. Worse still, he lacked real combat experience with Nen.
He—
Had never sought much. If anything, his goal was to live well, eat well, and sleep well. So, he avoided trouble, focusing on earning money to repay Melena while quietly refining his Nen.
As for combat, he had sparred a few times with Saixin, posing as an Enhancement-type user. But those were mere skirmishes, nothing serious.
Now, with his life on the line, did he regret not spending more time honing his strength? Moro felt no regret—or rather, he had no spare thoughts for such things. All he knew was that he had to rely on his Nen ability to find a sliver of hope in this near-certain death.
But before unleashing his ability, he needed to create an opening—
In the brief silence, Moro's mind raced.
Chrollo had halted Bonolenov's attack out of curiosity, but Moro knew Chrollo wouldn't wait patiently for answers. After all, Pakunoda's memory-reading ability could extract all his secrets once he was captured. Even if he revealed Chrollo's Bandit's Secret and its vows and limitations, it wouldn't shake Chrollo's focus.
So, how could he seize this fleeting chance to speak? What words could strike at the hearts of these Troupe members?
In the face of mortal danger, Moro's mind burned with ideas. Then, a name naturally surfaced—
Sarasa.
The name tied to the Phantom Troupe's founding, a lingering wound in the hearts of Chrollo, Pakunoda, and Shalnark.
"Sarasa."
Without hesitation, Moro shouted the name buried deep in their souls.
On the rain-soaked street, a name that should never have been uttered here erupted with a force that shook Chrollo, Pakunoda, and Shalnark to their core.
How did this boy know Sarasa's name?
In the moment their confusion arose, Moro acted.
Deceptive Meteor.
Moro raised both hands, conjuring an egg-sized, fluorescent green Nen bullet in each palm. The bullets shot out, streaking toward the momentarily distracted Pakunoda and Shalnark.
A direct strike at their vulnerability!
The green Nen bullets reached them in an instant. But Bonolenov, unaffected by Sarasa's name, reacted at the last second, shoving Shalnark out of the way to dodge the incoming bullet.
At the same time, Chrollo, with his extraordinary composure, regained his focus and pulled Pakunoda to safety.
Both fluorescent green bullets missed their mark.
Meanwhile, Moro sprinted toward one side of the sidewalk. The person guarding the back door, with their ferocious killing intent, was undoubtedly the Troupe's assault specialist. Until they showed themselves, Moro had no intention of heading that way.
His only escape routes were the sidewalks on either side.
He glanced back at Chrollo's group. Deceptive Meteor had missed… Ultimately, his lack of mastery over Hatsu (Nen ability development) had slowed his execution.
Still, in this brief minute of confrontation, Moro had come to truly appreciate Chrollo's brilliance. The named characters from the original Hunter x Hunter were not to be underestimated.
Moro looked away, undeterred by the missed shots. His Deceptive Meteor had a second phase…
"Sorry," Shalnark said, regaining his composure on the empty street, his brow furrowed.
Bonolenov gave Shalnark a curious glance, then turned to Moro, sprinting through the rain, and gave chase.
Chrollo's eyes were icy as he darted past Bonolenov, cutting through the rain's mist to pursue Moro. Shalnark and Pakunoda, their minds steadying, followed close behind. Questions lingered, but capturing Moro alive would answer them all.
Ahead, Moro glanced back at the pursuing Troupe members. "Almost time…" he muttered, calculating in his mind as he raised his right hand, ready to receive the returning meteors.
His Deceptive Meteor was a composite Emission-Manipulation ability with a 100-meter range. When the meteors reached their limit, they would freeze in midair for 1 to 5 seconds, a duration Moro could set before launching them. When the pause ended, the meteors' power, speed, and size doubled, then homed back toward Moro with a tracking trajectory.
This second-phase power boost was the ability's vow effect. The limitation? The returning meteors could harm Moro himself. If nothing blocked them, he had to dodge or withstand their impact.
The reason for this risky limitation lay in the tree-ring tattoo on his right hand. Covered by the tattoo, his hand was as tough as a basalt shell, allowing him to block the returning meteors.
Timing it perfectly, Moro abruptly shifted his position. Amid the relentless rain, two faint sounds pierced the storm. Then, two deep fluorescent green beams tore through the rainy night, carrying a dangerous aura as they sped toward Pakunoda and Shalnark.
The sudden attack caught them off-guard. With Chrollo and Bonolenov ahead, no one could assist them. Shalnark barely reacted, twisting his body just enough to avoid a direct hit. The meteor struck his waist, blasting away a chunk of flesh as if torn by a beast's jaws.
Pakunoda was a fraction slower. Blood sprayed as a meteor punched a hole through her upper body, her strength collapsing as she crashed to the ground.
The sudden turn of events disrupted Chrollo and Bonolenov's pursuit.
Seeing his attack land, Moro channeled over half his manifest aura into his legs, sprinting forward with all his might. He had done everything he could—if he still couldn't escape, he'd accept his fate.
As he thought this, a face flashed in his peripheral vision—a sinister expression with seething rage in its eyes.
Feitan?!
The thought barely formed when a cold sensation hit Moro's nose. His consciousness snapped like a taut string, slowly yet swiftly stripped away.
In his final moment, a question surfaced: Am I… dead?
Cold. Shaking.
Moro's eyes snapped open, greeted by vertical rusty iron bars. A cage?
"Where… am I?"
Taking in his surroundings, he froze. The sensation of death lingered, but it was quickly overtaken by memories.
He was back at the moment he first transmigrated, one year ago!