"Squelch..."
The playing card, coated in [Ken], pierced through flesh and fascia, stabbing ruthlessly into Roy's heart like a sharp knife!
The silver-haired boy stared at Hisoka in "disbelief." His raised fist fell, which Hisoka dodged with a wicked smirk by tilting his head. Finally, the fist traced a shallow arc and dropped weakly...
"Ugh..." A mouthful of blood sprayed from Roy's mouth, soaking Hisoka's shoulder.
The magician let out a groan of pure pleasure, "Ah...", half his hand gripping the playing card buried in Roy's chest. He had never felt as exhilarated as he did today...
He tilted his head back, covering his face with one hand. His shoulders trembled as he let out a suppressed chuckle that grew louder and louder until he was laughing maniacally... With a twist of his hand, he viciously shredded Roy's heart!
"Ugh..." Another mouthful of blood spurted out, splattering onto Hisoka's face.
The red-haired youth, having finally exacted his revenge, was in high spirits. He leaned close to Roy's earlobe, blew softly, and said, "So, this is magic..."
"Magic that can deceive the eyes of others and blind their vision..."
"You're despicable!"
"Thank you for the compliment. In battle, one must use every means necessary!"
"Is that so?" Roy, his mouth stained with blood, held onto his last breath. He struggled to lift his head and looked calmly at Hisoka, saying, "I don't believe it. Unless,"
"You look me in the eyes!"
Hisoka lifted his head and was suddenly stunned. He saw... a trace of blood-red slowly creeping into Roy's eyes, accompanied by three pitch-black, silent tomoe that spun slowly, instantly sucking his entire being in!
In a daze, he seemed to see a crow. With a "Caw...", it flapped its wings and dropped a single black feather...
[Sharingan], open!
[Genjutsu · Infinite Void]!
Everything before his eyes shattered with a "pop" like a bubble.
There was no "severed arm," no "playing card," and no "imagined pierced heart." When the "illusion" dissipated, the "truth" was revealed... Roy was completely unharmed.
In reality, from the moment Hisoka struggled to climb out of the garbage pile, Roy had played along, pretending to be deceived by [Texture Surprise]. Yet, silently and preemptively, he had activated his Sharingan, planting the seed of [Genjutsu] within Hisoka!
"Thump..." Immersed, immersed, and then silence... Amidst a hazy chaos, an entire [Demon Slayer World] flooded into Hisoka's mind.
The youth felt as if he had suddenly fallen into an abyss, like a drowning man unable to control his descent, falling, falling, and falling...
He saw birds, fish, and insects. He saw clusters of wisteria flowers. He saw a fresh world vastly different from the Hunter world. Finally hitting the bottom, he suddenly crashed into a secluded courtyard filled with the scent of wisteria. When he looked up, with a flurry of movement, he found himself surrounded by a group of swordsmen holding various Nichirin Swords, each differing in build, attire, and appearance.
"Praise the sun." The tallest among them, a monk who was clearly blind yet constantly weeping, silently chanted a Buddhist prayer...
"Clang..." A Crimson Sword, burning with raging flames that looked even fiercer than Kastro's, suddenly flashed before him. Immediately after... came a hearty shout: "This man is an enemy of the Master. We might as well just chop him up!"
Following Kyojuro Rengoku, who was the first to draw his blade, Tengen Uzui, Muichiro Tokito, and Sanemi Shinazugawa... all drew their swords and closed in...
In just an instant,
Hisoka was engulfed by the reddish-brown aura of the blades.
His head was severed from his body...
"..."
His body trembled incessantly... In Meteor City, within the courtyard of the pale church... Hisoka, caught in the illusion, had just healed his severed arm and stood before Roy once more, only to suddenly freeze!
His rebellious, spiky red hair, as if encountering some great terror, suddenly drooped down. This drooping acted like a signal to Hisoka's physical body, causing him to tremble uncontrollably from head to toe... shaking like a leaf...
In the surroundings, the spectators waiting for him to strike—such as Chrollo, Pakunoda, Shalnark, Uvogin, and Nobunaga—exchanged suspicious glances. They heard someone whispering nearby, asking with equal confusion, "Strange, why did he suddenly stop moving?"
The group then cast their gazes toward Roy, who was calmly walking past Hisoka—who was trapped in [Genjutsu · Infinite Void]—with his hands behind his back.
The boy's silver hair cascaded like a galaxy, and the divine robe he wore was completely spotless.
He quietly brushed past Hisoka's shoulder. At a certain moment, he pinched a wisp of moonlight, using it as a blade, and gently tossed it behind him... The moonlight tenderly swept across Hisoka's neck, and then...
The magician's head lightly fell off, just as he had experienced in the illusion, severed from his body. With a "thud," it hit the ground.
"Roll..." The head tumbled like a watermelon until it stopped at Roy's feet.
Hisoka's narrow eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the boy, as if asking, "Why?"
Roy stopped in his tracks at the right moment. He looked up at the projection of the Champion Owl resting on his shoulder as it flapped its wings and flew high into the sky. Through the thread of karma connecting him to Hisoka, the boy heard a "poof" as Hisoka's head and body, just like Guzman before him, transformed into a tattered, decapitated doll...
Roy stated without joy or sorrow, "Because your illusion is merely an illusion. But for me... if I want it to be real, it becomes real; if I want it to be fake, it becomes fake!"
He lifted his foot and brought it down... The doll that had died in Hisoka's place was instantly crushed to pieces beneath Roy's heel...
Suddenly, a fire ignited, engulfing and devouring the remains in flames...
Controlling that thread of karma, Roy locked eyes with the individuals in the Kakin Empire through the projection of the Champion Owl.
He mouthed silently, "[Targeted Tracking Technique], go!"
In the Kakin Empire, within the palace of the First Prince, in front of a massive screen as clear as a water mirror.
Old Brigade Commander Grant, Guzman, Benjamin on his throne, and his host of private soldiers all fell into an eerie silence.
Only the sound of a "Tap..."
The soft sound of Benjamin gently tapping the armrest of his throne echoed leisurely through the grand hall. In a daze, it felt like heavy hammer blows, leaving Grant and the others bewildered, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
'What happened to Hisoka?'
'Why did he stop moving?'
'Roy Zoldyck must have done something to him!' Thoughts tangled like overgrown weeds, impossible to burn away with a wildfire.
Grant and dozens of Benjamin's private soldiers instinctively looked at Guzman beside them... To know the answer, they obviously had to ask the person involved, namely... Hisoka, who had been saved by the [Scapegoat Doll]!
Clearly, as the private soldiers Benjamin Hui Guo Rou relied on the most, Grant and the others were not ignorant of the [Church of Truth], which had recently become popular in the Kakin Empire and the V5, sweeping across the entire continent like a flood. Instead, they had done ample intelligence work... It was widely rumored within the church that as long as one believed in the [Truth] and successfully received the divine protection to become a [Bishop], they would gain one chance to cheat death. This was highlighted as key intelligence on the desks of high-ranking officials in various countries.
Facts proved that no one could refuse a chance at a [Scapegoat] resurrection. This was also... one of the underlying reasons why the [Church of Truth] was currently allowed to preach with authorities turning a blind eye.
"Guzman, I assume you know what to do," Old Brigade Commander Grant said, squinting as he glanced at Guzman.
Guzman's green hair swayed in the wind. With a gloomy and uncertain expression, his Nen perception sensed... Hisoka had already resurrected within the altar of the [Church of Truth]'s base in the Kukan'yu Kingdom... With another glance, he recalled the phantom of the Champion Owl. Watching the screen dissipate and Roy's face vanish with it... the shock and gloom in his heart were no less than Grant's and the others'!
'Flames, light transformation, a suspected soul-oriented mental shock, coupled with sharp swordsmanship. According to the divine right of kings, this guy is at least a [Count]. And a [Count]... this is far more than what he displayed last time. Which means...'
'He hasn't just stepped onto the [Path of Faith]. Instead, he has already walked quite a distance down this path, acquiring a significant amount of "Nen capacity" and "Nen abilities"...'
His mind raced... Guzman forcefully suppressed his fluctuating emotions, stepped out from the crowd, and bowed to Benjamin Hui Guo Rou, saying, "Of course."
"I will go ask Hisoka right now."
"Once I have the results, I will inform Your Highness immediately!"
The bizarre nature of "Nen abilities" lay in intelligence gathering. Other than Hisoka himself, even with the blessing of a divine reconnaissance artifact like the Champion Owl, Guzman couldn't immediately discern exactly what type of [Mental Secret Art] Roy had used just by looking... However,
Before Guzman could straighten his back,
And before Benjamin Hui Guo Rou could respond,
A soft whisper suddenly blew into the hall through the palace's massive window frames along with the wind, echoing in everyone's ears...
"Found you..."
"Who's there?"
"Click!" Guns were cocked, and swords were drawn.
The palace instantly went on high alert!
The private soldiers, led by Old Brigade Commander Grant, immediately closed in on Benjamin Hui Guo Rou, invisibly forming a human wall to firmly protect him behind them.
Benjamin Hui Guo Rou's hand, which had been tapping the armrest, abruptly stopped. He and Guzman, who was below the throne, simultaneously looked toward the corner where the screen had disappeared. In the grand hall, beneath the glazed tiles, a pair of calm eyes faintly emerged. Chasing the vanished phantom of the Champion Owl and following the thread of karma, they crossed the distance of time and space, firmly fixing their gaze on Guzman below, as well as... the "important figures" who were involved with the [Church of Truth], held high-ranking positions within it, and had each been granted a chance to cheat death...
For example, in the Kakin Empire, at the seaside dock adjacent to the royal palace, Beyond, who was inspecting the progress of the [Black Whale].
For example, deep within the royal palace, the King of the Kakin Empire, Nasubi Hui Guo Rou, who had personally established the Seed Urn Ceremony and finalized the Succession War.
For example, Botobai, who, under Netero's orders, was secretly investigating the [Church of Truth]. Having already gathered a significant amount of intelligence, he was currently holding a quiet closed-door meeting at a stronghold with a defected, big-bellied Bishop.
Or for example... the Second Princess of the Kukan'yu Kingdom, who was suspected to be connected to the [Sonata of Darkness].
And Pariston, who had just parted ways with Beyond and shared a deep relationship with him. Although not a high-ranking member of the [Church], he had already been brought into its sphere of influence.
At this moment,
The instant Roy's eyes appeared overtly and covertly in the sky,
These individuals all froze simultaneously. Then, some were shocked, some let out suppressed chuckles, some frowned, and some grew vigilant... Their expressions varied, but uniformly, their emotions surged, unable to remain calm!
'Hehehe, what a familiar pair of eyes. Is that you, Roy Zoldyck?'
At the seaside dock of the Kakin Empire, Beyond's rugged face stared intently at Roy, instantly recognizing him.
"It's him... it's him... it's really him!"
'My precious darling, my most beloved... Roy!'
'Hahaha... So you've been waiting for me to find you too, haven't you?'
On the Yorbian Continent, a new Hunter Exam had begun. At a certain entrance, Tonpa, who unfortunately shared the same testing site as Pariston, was suddenly startled by Pariston falling into a state of sudden madness. Cursing inwardly, Tonpa scrambled away on his short, stubby legs, putting as much distance between them as possible... Perhaps it was this very intuition to foresee danger that allowed him to participate in over thirty consecutive Hunter Exams and remain unscathed. In short,
On this late night, with the moon high in the sky,
Certain people and certain factions were destined to toss and turn, unable to sleep through the night.
Among them, Botobai was no exception.
His battle with the boy during the Hunter Exam years ago had not been fully satisfying. This Three-Star Terrorist Hunter, widely recognized as the strongest beneath Netero, wore a face painted like a Peking Opera mask, exuding an imposing aura without anger. He reached out to soothe the startled, big-bellied Bishop.
With another glance, he looked up deeply into Roy's eyes, his heart filled with agitation and anticipation.
"Don't worry, this person is also a Hunter from our Hunter Association."
"A Hunter?"
"That's right, a Hunter."
"Phew..." The big-bellied Bishop patted his chest and rolled his eyes at Roy. "Acting all mysterious and scaring me like that. Since he's a Hunter, is he in counter-terrorism like you?"
"No," Botobai crossed his arms, silently watching as Roy's gaze, projected along the thread of karma, slowly dissipated. He said with an ambiguous tone, "His mission is heavier than mine, and much more difficult."
The big-bellied Bishop immediately grew interested. He let out an "Oh?" and asked curiously, "What kind of Hunter is he?"
Botobai watched until Roy's gaze completely vanished. Tilting his head to look down from his imposing height, he faintly spat out two words through his teeth: "God-Slaying!"
"He said he wants to be a [God-Slaying Hunter]!"
With a "thud," the big-bellied Bishop tumbled out of his chair and dove under the table in a split second...
"Crazy! Damn it, your Hunter Association is full of lunatics!"
"You dare to say anything, you dare to take any job! Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
Retribution? Botobai sat by the table like a small mountain, suddenly snorting two long streams of air from his nose... He thought to himself, 'When it comes to that boy, it's hard to say who will be whose retribution...'
"Poof..." In the secret room, the pair of eyes belonging to Roy finally dissipated.
Looking across the entire island surrounded by Lake Mobius, only the pair of eyes above the First Prince's palace in the Kakin Empire remained suspended in the air. They locked onto Guzman from above, the crimson glow surging deep within the pupils, piercing enough to make one's heart tremble!
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