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Chapter 131: Conflict and the Dummy
Image (Glam Head a canon character (No official name) Petter is used in this fanfict as his name)
Royal Glam has always maintained a pristine reputation. Even when the Moritonio Troupe mysteriously disbanded after a performance and its ringmaster disappeared, no one suspected Royal Glam of any foul play. Of course, Royal Glam had no hand in the matter. The one who killed Moritonio was Hisoka. Furthermore, the ringmaster, Moritonio, wasn't some innocent victim; he was a serial killer.
Image (Abaki: A canon character from Hisoka past)
Seeing the makeup on Abaki's face slowly jogged Ronin's memory of the Moritonio Troupe. It was a Hisoka spin-off drawn by Sui Ishida, the author of Tokyo Ghoul, which Togashi-sensei had even recommended. It detailed the process of Hisoka learning Nen after being picked up by the circus. It could be said that Ringmaster Moritonio was the teacher who guided Hisoka in mastering Nen, and Abaki was Hisoka's senior martial sister. The manga concluded with Hisoka discovering Moritonio's identity as a serial killer and secretly engaging in a life-or-death struggle with him. Hisoka displayed his unparalleled combat talent, killing his opponent with [Bungee Gum] before leaving the circus.
Ronin never expected the world to be this small. After all this time, he hadn't bumped into a young Hisoka, but he had run into Hisoka's enemy. He wasn't overly interested in Abaki's backstory, but he was highly intrigued by her abilities. However, seeing the fishing rod in her hands reminded Ronin of a certain spiky-haired boy—Gon.
I wonder if Gon's fishing rod was part of the reason Hisoka was so drawn to him back then.
Abaki's ability was clearly tied to the fishing rod. Judging from her previous performance, her Nen ability development also incorporated spatial attributes. This was a major avenue of development for Emitters. A prime example was Knov, while Leorio represented those just scratching the surface. The pirates on Greed Island also fell into this category. The other developmental path was purely focusing on Emission effects—like Razor's condensed Nen volleyballs, Franklin's [Double Machine Gun], Zeno Zoldyck's [Dragon Head Kiga] and Dragon Dive, and the mountain-shattering Nen shockwaves unleashed by the resurrected Ant King.
It was hard to say which path was superior. However, integrating spatial attributes undoubtedly made Emission abilities far more valuable in terms of utility compared to purely pursuing destructive power. At least, that was how Ronin understood it.
.....
As they emerged from the theater, the crystal ball had already begun projecting the situation inside. Once the last audience member had left, the security personnel locked down all the theater doors. Simultaneously, armed guards began appearing inside. Through the crystal ball, Ronin and the others clearly saw the actors on stage go from waiting in anticipation to panicking in confusion at the sight of the armed guards.
"Lord Petter, what is the meaning of this?" Norman, the Centaur and leader of the Freak Show Troupe, took the initiative to step forward.
"Nothing much, I just want to borrow some things from everyone. I assume you'll do me this favor!" Petter Glam rose lazily from his chair, his eyes filled with greed as he scrutinized everyone on stage, except for Abaki.
"Borrow what?" The look in Petter's eyes alone made Norman deeply uncomfortable. He knew he wouldn't get a good answer even if he asked, but right now, they were entirely at his mercy. He had no say in what was about to happen.
"Just a few things you possess that others don't. For example, your lower half, her extra head, and his pristine white fur..." Petter pointed them out one by one, targeting the very traits that made these Freak Show Troupe performers abnormal. If they lost these body parts, they might not die, but they would completely lose their livelihoods.
To Petter's surprise, the people he singled out didn't display the fear they had shown earlier. Instead, their eyes were filled with numbness and resignation. It was as if they had lived through this exact situation countless times before.
"I apologize, but I cannot agree to your request." Norman maintained his polite etiquette, but the aura around his body silently shifted from [Ten] to [Ren], making his stance perfectly clear.
Petter laughed, wagging a finger dismissively. "You don't need to, because I was only being polite."
He waved his hand at his men. "Don't ruin my precious collection. Try to take them alive."
As a high-ranking executive with substantial authority within the Glam Clan, Petter didn't need to lift a finger; his subordinates would accomplish his goals for him. But the moment his words fell, Abaki—the one he cared least about and hadn't even factored in—moved faster than the Glam Clan's lapdogs.
She fiercely swung her fishing rod toward Petter. The fishing line whistled through the air, shooting straight at him at breakneck speed. However, a tower-like figure stepped in front of the hook and reached out to grab it. Just as the hook was about to make contact with the man's palm, it flashed and vanished!
The security guard who had moved to intercept it whipped his head around, only to see the hook materialize right in front of Petter, striking him dead center. Flesh and blood tore as the hook pierced into Petter's arm. Abaki yanked the rod, snapping the line taut. Petter let out a bloodcurdling scream as the hook caught on his arm bone, yanking him forward into a stumbling dive toward her.
Watching everything unfold through the crystal ball, Ronin was in no rush to intervene. He had noticed something wrong.
During the performance earlier, Petter had already seen Abaki's ability. Why would he and his security detail be hit so easily?
It didn't take long for the others to reach the same conclusion. That included Abaki, who had cast the hook. Even though Petter was screaming at the top of his lungs, not a single drop of blood sprayed from the torn skin on his arm!
It's a dummy!
Abaki realized it instantly, but it was too late. The dummy's hand reached out and firmly grasped her fishing line.
"Caught you." A mechanical voice emanated from the dummy's mouth. Nen began to creep along the fishing line, rapidly eroding its way toward Abaki.
Abaki's heart skipped a beat. Before she could decide on her next move, the security guard who had tried to grab her line vanished from his spot.
Crap! She reached into her pocket, instantly producing a pair of scissors. She had to cut the line first!
As for her attacker, she didn't even spare him a glance. Because the moment the man appeared in front of her, a pair of hind hooves slammed into his chest!
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