Chapter 40: Debut X Doubt
A separate meeting occurred a few hours after the Phantom Troupe's discussed their affairs of raiding the York New Underground Auction, Kurapika stood amongst his fellow Hunters working for the Nostrade Family. They were positioned in a semi circle standing in front of their current leader and a projector.
"You must win the three items on this list from the Underground Auction. Money will not be an issue," Dalzollene–their leader– addressed them, wearing a brown long sleeve shirt and blue jeans. He had natural spikey hair and tattoos underneath both eyelids which reached his cheek bones. The lights in the room turned off as the projector hummed to life, instantly casting its glow onto the back wall.
He spoke as the projector displayed the designated items: the mummy of Princess Corco, a tissue used by the Sonne Limarch, and lastly the Scarlet Eyes.
Kurapika's eyes immediately widened, fixating on the pair of glowing eyes submerged in liquid solution to preserve the beauty of his fallen brethren's eyes. To subdue his fury, he balled his fists, stabbing himself with his freshly clipped nails.
The observant and always listening Melody heard the raging pounds of Kurapika's heart, instantly realizing the cause of his anger, connecting a similar reaction to a previous incident. The Scarlet Eyes. They clearly held major significance to the boy.
"We've received prior knowledge of a potential attack on the Auction, so be prepared for any follow up orders. However, our main priority is keeping Lady Neon and the Boss happy by completing these three objectives. Understood?" Dalzollene asked.
'An attack?' Kurapika thought, taking careful note to remember this detail and the level of danger of such an endeavor.
Kurapika and the rest of the hired Hunters nodded their heads in acknowledgement. They were quickly dismissed and tasked to be alert and ready to be sent out to the Auction. Having some time to himself, Kurapika exited the hotel room, stepping out onto the balcony.
His golden hair was gently knocked by a calming breeze, the captivating sun slightly dipping over the horizon, painting the sky in pink and purple. In his pocket, Kurapika's phone buzzed but before answering the call, he took a few deep breaths.
He answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Kurapika." Sinbad's soft and confident voice rang from the line. Then, Kurapika remembered he sent Sinbad his phone number on the Hunter Association Website. "I'm assuming you will be at the Underground Auction tonight."
"Hi, uh, yes, I will be attending but I am not sure where I will be stationed," said Kurapika, tracing his left hand on the stone railing.
"Hopefully, not inside the building," Sinbad said. "I have important information to tell you and since we are friends and I've known you longer, my allegiance remains with you."
Kurapika stiffened. "What is it already? What's with the long preamble?"
"Have we been away for so long you have forgotten my natural charm and way with people," Sinbad said with such a tone Kurapika knew he was smiling. "Fine, I will cut to the chase. The Phantom Troupe is attacking the Auction tonight."
'What!' Kurapika clenched the beetle shaped phone in his hand. Unable to refrain from the subconscious reactions his body committed from the mere utterance of that name. 'But of course, only they will have the gull and ability to launch a successful heist on the Underground Market goods.'
As soon as the shock wore off, an immediate question arose in his mind but before he could ask, Sinbad started to speak.
"Aren't you going to ask me how I collected such information?" Sinbad teased.
"Well go ahead," sighed Kurapika, playing into Sinbad's antics.
"I was just speaking with them not too long ago," Sinbad casually revealed. "I've taken a liking to one of their members and since I killed Hisoka, they've asked me to join them."
Kurapika's head felt like it was going to explode from this shocking news. "You killed Hisoka?"
Annoyingly, Sinbad laughed. "That is what you are worrying about?"
"I can only deal with so much new information at a time!" Kurapika shouted into the phone. "How could you fall in love with a member of the Troupe?!"
"Woah, I didn't say anything about love so let's ease it with that 'L' word," Sinbad said, urgently. "I also did this for you."
"For me?" Kurapika huffed, unable to believe him.
"Of course, I would do anything for a friend," Sinbad said. Again, Kurapika could tell he was smiling. "And my friend is going to need a lot of help if he is going to kill the Phantom Troupe."
"You infiltrated the Phantom Troupe's inner circle, close enough to speak face to face and even seducing one of them to help me avenge my clan?" Kurapika asked in disbelief, more so speaking it out loud to himself at the absurdity of it all.
"Come on, it wasn't as difficult as you put it, plus seducing one of them was a bonus," Sinbad replied. "But the real question is, are you prepared?"
Kurapika took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and out his mouth. He watched as the sun vanished behind the horizon. "I've already put my life on the line, I couldn't be more prepared."
"Good, because I have a plan," said Sinbad.
…
Gilgamesh maneuvered his arms to make it easier for Imane to slide on his black tuxedo, he marveled at his own stature and magnificent presence as he stood in front of the hotel's full body mirror. Then, he tilted his head forward, allowing for the black tie to wrap around his neck and patiently waited for Imane to finish her routine work.
Once complete, he looked down at Imane who rocked her hair in thick curls, wearing a yellow flowery spaghetti strapped dress. "You stay here"
"The car is already waiting for your arrival downstairs," replied Imane, calmly.
Without saying anything else, Gilgamesh strode away and exited the hotel, climbing into the designated car which was heading toward the Underground Auction.
In twenty minutes, Gilgamesh was dropped off at the entrance of the Underground Auction venue. He exited the vehicle, climbed the stone steps, and entered the building. Dozens of men dressed in all black loitered about in the main open hall, some in couches or sofas, walking about with platters on open palms, and others talking in larger groups, purposefully speaking louder than the others to control the room.
A standard looking man adorned in an eggshell tuxedo approached Gilgamesh. "Sir, I was assigned to escort and handle all of your affairs during the Underground Action."
Gilgamesh nodded as the people in the background turned toward his direction, noticing this sudden arrival of a big shot. The man turned and Gilgamesh followed him into a separate room where Gilgamesh lounged and waited till the time for the Underground Auction to begin.
Finally the start of the Auction was announced and the same gentleman from earlier retrieved Gilgamesh and ushered him into the expansive auditorium, a room basically filled of chairs and an elevated podium. However, Imane did manage to secure a silk feather pressed cushioned seat for His Majesty.
He found his seat at the far left corner of the room and patiently waited for the Auction to begin, ignoring his bidding competition as they flooded the room and found their seats. Once the majority found their seats, a short black haired man and a much taller man with strange long earlobes stepped into view on the elevated stage, entering from the velvet curtains.
The shorter black haired male stood in front of the taller one as he addressed the room, speaking into the microphone on the podium. "Let's get down to business at hand, shall we?"
Gilgamesh yawned as the taller man behind the speaker activated his Nen, the ends of his large fingertips unhooked itself, revealing gun barrels. The man had stitches and scars all over his face.
"Time for you to die," he said.
Dozens of bullets shot from the ends of his ten fingertips, shooting directly into the unexpected crowd, each bullet tore through flesh and bone. The first five rows of people were dead in seconds, in the next ten seconds, the majority of people were gunned down. A Nen Users in the crowd activated their abilities to block the bullets, but they were too weak, inevitably dying like the rest.
A beautiful lady in a revealing black dress ran toward the back door and after failing to hear because of the man's gunshots or being too scared to listen to anything else, the woman ignored Gilgamesh's warning and exited the Auction floor, running directly into a waiting member of the Phantom Troupe.
During the entire shootout, Gilgamesh remained seated in his relaxing chair as his right leg folded over the other, his chin resting comfortably in his left palm. He patiently waited for the rest of the weaklings to die before speaking because he didn't wish to raise his voice over the nosy gun shots.
"Filthy low life thieves, you dare try to steal my treasure?" Gilgamesh uttered, staring at Franklin.
The short one standing in front of him, Feitan smiled. "You must be Gilgamesh."
Gilgamesh's glare fell down to the short man. "I don't remember giving you permission to speak, small child. I will not tolerate a second offense."
"He is completely unharmed," Franklin whispered into Feitan's ear.
"Gossiping in front of your King?" Gilgamesh said, slightly agitated at the disrespectful scene happening in his presence. "Why would I receive damage from an attack comparable to the stingers of mosquitoes?"
Simultaneously, the doors next to Gilgamesh opened, a tall muscular and rough looking man entered the Auction room. In his right hand, his fingers crushed the skull of the pretty lady who desperately fled. A malicious smile carved on his face, absorbing the bloody scene in front of him. He tossed the woman's corpse into the bloody pool of dead bodies. Then, Uvogin's attention fell onto the sitting and relaxed Gilgamesh.
"I will speak whenever I please," rebutted Feitan.
Gilgamesh activated his Nen, dozens of golden circles of floating Nen manifested around him.
"Wait! Feitan!" Uvogin shouted. "Let's flip a coin."
A vein protruded from Feitan's forehead before blitzing toward Gilgamesh, dark blue Aura flooded from each Aura Node in his body. He Enhanced his fingertips, flexing them into a single point like a spear shot from a cannon.
A golden slightly jagged blade exploded from one of the golden floating circles, even with Feitan's enhanced eyesight and perception, he barely managed to spot the flying projectile, immediately he knew dodging was impossible. He fueled more Nen into his fingertips, increasing the density and strength as much as possible to clash with the blade. His sharp fingernails met blade.
Feitan's right middle and ring finger were sliced off, the impact of Giglamesh's conjured blade shattered the remaining fingers and hand. If Feitan didn't alter his arm, he would have lost his whole arm, instead the spear penetrated his right shoulder and sent him backward. The end of the blade protruded out of his body and stabbed into the wooden stage, keeping him locked in place.
In the next instant, Gilgamesh launched a second strike, which happened while Franklin could lift up his hands and imbued his fingers with more Nen to launch a second volley of bullets and Uvogin's thick quad muscles flexed, his whole body radiating with crimson Nen and a dense ball of red Nen compacted around his dominate right fist as a second conjured blade flashed through the room like a golden comet, penetrating Feitan's mouth. The majority of the blade ran through the man's face, his lips wrapped around the weapon's hilt.
"Go ahead, Mongrel," Gilgamesh said, flicking a finger at Feitan. His tone withheld any emotion. "Your Majesty gives you permission to speak."
"Dual Machine Gun: Ambidextrous Automatic Weapons!" Franklin activated his Nen Ability.
"Big Bang Impact!" Uvogin roared, pulling back his Nen Enhanced fist. He was only two feet away from Gilgamesh's chair.
"King of King's Shield: Uruk's Defense!" Gilgamesh activated his Nen Ability in time to defend. A gold and orange ball of dense impenetrable Nen engulfed the King right before Uvogin's fist exploded against the barrier.
The inner walls of the Auction room shattered from the force of Uvogin's attack, dust, splintered wood, and crumbled stone kicked up from the ground. As soon as the scene settled, Uvogin's eyes bulged at Gilgamesh's unfazed reaction, completely unharmed from inside his undamaged shield.
"Imp–" Uvogin's words were silenced as the room descended into complete darkness as if they sank into the dark abyss.