Chapter 78: Reunited
"Kortopi is dead."
Chrollo Lucilfer's face remained serene, a mask of calm composure. He relayed the news to Machi, whose eyes flickered with a brief, sharp emotion.
"It was confirmed by Number 4," Chrollo added.
Machi's hands clenched into fists, then slowly relaxed. Her face hardened. "Do we retaliate?"
"Retaliate against whom?" Chrollo asked calmly.
"Before the ship exploded... that girl with the black hair and glasses. The one who claimed to be from Meteor City," Machi said, her voice cold. "She could be a lead."
Chrollo didn't commit either way. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Rather than hunting down an unconfirmed killer, I'm more inclined to fill the vacancy Kortopi left behind as quickly as possible. Perhaps... with that girl you mentioned."
"I've already got Shalnark monitoring the survivor lists from the rescue operation," Chrollo continued, his tone analytical. "But honestly, the chances of finding her—or whoever attacked us—are slim. Setting aside the mystery of who controlled Kortopi... if that girl is truly from Meteor City, she won't have a real identity for us to trace. Even if she does, it will be a fake. Probably several."
The Spider comes first.
The limbs can be replaced.
Even the Head.
The founding tenets of the Phantom Troupe flashed through Machi's mind. She was silent for a moment.
"If we can't find her... we could return to Meteor City to find a replacement for Number 12."
"Mm..." Chrollo picked up a book, flipping through the pages idly.
Machi sighed. "Danchou, you have no intention of going back to Meteor City anytime soon, do you?"
"Machi, we are thieves," Chrollo said simply, his eyes scanning the text. "Since there is something we want to steal... we shouldn't give up halfway, should we?"
"Finding clues about the King Zhenwu Treasure isn't that easy..." Machi muttered. Then she frowned. "Also, Danchou... why do you keep calling Number 4 'Number 4'? Why don't you use his name?"
Chrollo turned a page. "Mm... because it just came to mind. Machi, do you doubt Omokage's ability?"
"I don't doubt his ability," Machi said flatly. "I doubt his brain. He changes his face so often, who knows if his mind isn't broken too?"
"Who's there?"
In the dark alleyway, the mafia hitmen, having just disposed of a traitor, spun around, weapons drawn.
Their leader, a man with dark skin, thick lips, and wild grey hair, stepped forward. This was Rabid Dog (Ziyuan/Purple Ape), a member of the Shadow Beasts. His cold eyes bored into the darkness where Kai stood. "Come out!"
Come out just because you said so?
Kai scoffed internally.
He instantly activated Zetsu, completely erasing his presence. Like a ghost, he slipped away silently, leaving the hitmen shouting at empty air.
Rabid Dog and his men waited, tense and ready. But nothing happened.
Growing impatient, Rabid Dog signaled his men to fan out. They chased down several alleys, bursting onto the main street, scanning the crowds desperately for the intruder.
But it was useless. The target had vanished.
Rabid Dog knew it had to be a Nen user. If he had been skilled in En, he might have caught them before they slipped into Zetsu. But now? They were gone, blended perfectly into the sea of mundane humanity.
"Finish cleaning up the traitor's body," Rabid Dog ordered his men, pulling out his phone. He walked back into the alley, dialing a number.
...
Less than thirty seconds later, Rabid Dog's face reappeared at the alley entrance. His eyes, glowing faintly with Gyo, swept over the street one last time. He scrutinized every passerby, looking for a flicker of Aura, a sign of nervousness.
Nothing. Everyone looked normal.
Either they're gone... or they're very good at hiding.
Inside a coffee shop across the street, Kai sat by the window, sipping a latte. He watched Rabid Dog playing peek-a-boo with the air until the Shadow Beast finally gave up and left.
So that's a Shadow Beast, Kai thought, impressed.
The man's Aura had been potent.
Kai wasn't at his peak right now, but even if he were, the raw quantity of Aura coming off Rabid Dog was intimidating.
A fight between Nen users wasn't just about numbers, but still... this guy wouldn't be an easy opponent.
In the manga, the Shadow Beasts were slaughtered by the Phantom Troupe like cattle. Uvogin killed four of them by himself—spitting a piece of skull like a bullet, biting half a head off, screaming another to death. They looked weak.
But Kai suspected that wasn't because the Shadow Beasts were weak. It was because the Troupe was absurdly strong.
Remember, Porcupine and Rabid Dog had managed to pierce Uvogin's skin and tear chunks of flesh from his shoulder—a man whose body could tank an RPG round without a scratch. That wasn't something a weakling could do.
The Hunter world had ten major mafia families spread across the continents—the Ten Dons. And their strongest enforcers were the ten Nen users known as the Shadow Beasts.
Kai had always suspected the V5 governments were behind it all. Five continents, ten Dons... two per continent? And ten Shadow Beasts... one for each Don?
It was too neat. Too organized.
The Ten Dons and the Shadow Beasts felt less like independent criminals and more like permanent, government-sanctioned positions for managing the underworld.
Anyway, not my problem, Kai decided. I have things to do.
He touched his chest.
Including the two tourists at the Zoldyck gate, he had absorbed three wisps of Death Aura recently.
His heart felt stable. He wasn't anywhere near the danger zone for another transformation.
He finished his coffee, asked the barista for directions, and headed for a department store.
Dolle Harbor. Near Heaven's Arena.
In a hotel room, Shizuku stood in the center of the floor, wrapped in a shimmering layer of Ken. She was mid-training when she felt a distinct thrum from the ring on her finger.
Daytime?
She glanced at the window. The sun was shining brightly.
She activated the Crescent Moon mark.
{Shizuku! You there? Shizuku? copy!} Kai's voice bounced energetically in her mind.
{I'm here...} she replied, confused. She picked up her phone. Kai's last text had been three hours ago. {How far does your Moon reach during the day? Did your train get closer?}
{That's a good question...} Kai replied evasively, launching into a rambling conversation about nothing in particular.
They chatted for a while until Kai suddenly said, {Dora-D-Mon, come outside.}
{Outside?}
Before she could ask why, Rock Sparrow, who had been dozing on the windowsill, woke up and started chirping frantically, fluttering against the glass.
Shizuku opened the window and looked down.
Across the street, standing on the sidewalk, was a boy in a baseball cap. He looked up, saw her, and grinned, waving his hand.
{I thought you were taking the train for a few more days?} Shizuku asked mentally as she grabbed her room key and hurried out the door.
{Eh, I switched to an airship,} Kai replied casually. The connection was flawless now that they were within line of sight. {See that big pack?}
As she emerged from the hotel lobby and crossed the street, she saw the bulky backpack slung over his shoulder.
{I bought a parachute. Just in case the ship blew up again. Luckily, I didn't need it!}
Kai walked across the street to meet her, dodging traffic. He stopped in front of her, spreading his arms wide with a grin.
"Haven't seen you in days! Miss me? Come here, give your Boss a hug."
"Chirp!" Rock Sparrow swooped down from the window, diving for a hug.
"Not you!" Kai swatted the bird away.
Shizuku's lips quirked in a tiny, almost imperceptible smile.
She stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around him.
(End of Chapter)