The next day at noon.
Sunlight spilled into the room through gaps in the curtains, casting several warm patches of light onto the floor.
Leo sat up from the bed and gave a long, wide stretch.
His bones gave a slight crackle, and he felt completely refreshed.
The matter with the Doctor was over, and having a rare moment to relax, he slept until noon.
Last night, they had returned to the Hunter Association Headquarters.
Before the yacht docked, Machi Komacine gathered everyone on the deck.
Moonlight spilled over the sea, making the waves shimmer.
The group formed a circle, listening to Machi Komacine speak.
"During this operation, the Doctor and her subordinates resisted fiercely."
His tone was serious.
"We were forced to take forceful measures. Since the Doctor's base initiated a self-destruct sequence, we were unable to leave any survivors or any data."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"I will submit the mission report in this manner. It will ensure that no intelligence regarding your performance in this battle is exposed."
He looked at Leo.
Leo shrugged with an indifferent expression.
"Yeah, you're the best at these reports, so I'll leave it to you. Just tell me if you need me to hit something."
Machi Komacine sighed helplessly.
Working with this bunch of uncultured fellows was more exhausting than fighting for his life against an enemy.
Sophia blinked, putting on a cute expression.
"Mr. Komacine, you've worked hard! Thank you so much!"
Machi Komacine looked at her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Leo spoke to Sophia, Shizuku, and Kastro.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Once we dock, we'll go our separate ways."
Everyone nodded.
A long while later, the yacht docked.
Sophia, Shizuku, Kastro, Machi Komacine, and Ashir were the first to go ashore.
Ashir followed Machi Komacine toward the Association.
Sophia and Shizuku left together, while Kastro also departed alone.
Hisoka was the last one to walk off the yacht.
Leo leaned against a lamppost, watching him.
Hisoka walked up to him and stopped.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds.
"What are your plans now?"
Leo asked.
Hisoka pondered for a moment and looked up, a strange light flickering in his golden pupils.
"Hmm—I'll probably go look for more toys~♦"
Leo had expected this.
He smiled and then asked.
"Do you want to join my team?"
Hisoka tilted his head, looking at him.
"I believe I still owe you a duel."
Leo continued.
"Do you want to settle it now?"
Hisoka's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then, he laughed.
"Oh my~ I didn't expect Lord Leo to still remember our promise!"
His voice carried a strange vibrato.
"Hmm—as much as I'd love to have a fight with you, I don't exactly have a death wish."
He paused.
"Let's save it for later!"
Leo looked at him.
"As for joining your team..."
Hisoka shook his head.
"No need for that."
He turned around, his back to Leo, and waved his hand.
"But if there's anything else this exciting, remember to find me~♦"
"Goodbye!"
With that, he walked into the distance without looking back.
Under the moonlight, his silhouette gradually merged into the night, finally disappearing at the end of the street.
Leo looked in that direction, smiled, and also turned to leave.
Leo left his room and walked toward Machi Komacine's office.
The corridor was quiet, with only a few staff members passing by and nodding to him.
Leo responded to each one, his pace relaxed.
Pushing open the office door, he saw Machi Komacine sitting at his desk, which was piled high with documents.
His brow was furrowed as he held a report in one hand and rubbed his temples with the other.
Leo plopped down on the sofa, picked up an apple from the table, and took a bite.
"Yo, isn't this the famous Zodiacs' Ushi?"
His tone was teasing.
"Why are you sitting here with such a long face?"
Machi Komacine looked up at him, put down the document, and rubbed the corners of his eyes.
"It's all because of you guys."
His tone was weary.
"I have to handle the cleanup. I've already reported to Chairman Netero, and he said to let the matter rest here. Since the Doctor is dead, so be it."
"By the way, Ashir left with Sophia and the others."
Leo took another bite of the apple, the crunch sounding crisp.
"Hmm—weren't you already mentally prepared for this outcome?"
He leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs.
"The old man doesn't want us wading into these muddy waters. If we really found something, we'd probably be silenced, and it would implicate the Association's people too."
Machi Komacine looked at him.
"Are you going to give up?"
Leo grinned, a smile full of wild defiance.
"Of course I'm going to pull all those high-and-mighty bastards down!"
Hearing this answer, Machi Komacine also smiled.
Leo finished the apple in a few large bites, tossed the core into the trash can, and stood up.
"Then I'll leave this place to you. I'm going."
Machi Komacine nodded without asking more.
Leo turned and left.
At the airport, Leo sat in the departure lounge, watching the Airships take off and land outside the window.
He got up, walked into the gate, and the Airship ascended, piercing through the clouds and flying toward the Heavens Arena.
Outside the window, a sea of clouds surged, and the sunlight spilling over them shimmered with a golden light.
Leo leaned against the back of his seat and closed his eyes.
At the same time.
Somewhere on the continent, inside a luxurious villa in the suburbs.
The room was pitch black, with only a massive round table placed in the center, the seats around it empty.
Several screens on the round table lit up simultaneously.
Five silhouettes emerged on the screens at their respective seats.
The first to speak was a middle-aged man wearing a meticulous suit.
His hair was combed neatly, and he wore a steady smile, but his eyes were filled with coldness.
"The Doctor is dead. You all should have received the news by now."
A woman's voice rang out, her tone icy.
"Years of our investment have all gone to waste. I said back then that someone like the Doctor must be held firmly in our grasp."
"What a pity; some people always think money can solve everything."
On another screen, a man with a sinister face snorted coldly.
"Hmph, I wonder who was the first to raise their hand back then. Now you're quite good at shifting responsibility."
The woman's voice suddenly turned shrill.
"You!? You all agreed to it yourselves; I didn't force you!"
Just as the two were about to argue, an old and majestic voice rang out from the screen at the head of the table.
"That's enough."
The arguing stopped abruptly.
The person at the head of the table did not show their face, appearing only as a blurred silhouette.
But his voice silenced everyone.
"You've all read the Hunter Association's report, I assume."
The others nodded one after another.
"We've seen it. The Doctor and all the data were destroyed in the explosion."
The screen at the end showed a man with an ordinary face whose age was hard to determine.
But his voice carried an uncomfortable femininity.
A person wearing a long white robe also spoke.
"I have already cleared all traces; everyone related to this matter has been thoroughly dealt with."
The remaining four nodded in satisfaction.
The man at the end continued.
"There is a name in the report: Leo."
He paused.
"Regarding this Leo, I specifically looked into him. There are only records from the last three years. Before that, it's a complete blank."
The woman frowned.
"Hmm? Someone from Meteor City?"
The man at the end—Liam—shook his head.
"Uncertain. But his records for these past few years..."
He flipped through the documents in his hand.
"He has wiped out many criminals, including the Genei Ryodan. The Aistan Island incident was also resolved by him. After being a Hunter for just over a year, he was promoted to a Two-Star Hunter."
His tone became subtle.
"Interestingly, according to my deductions, Biscuit Krueger is his master."
The woman looked blank.
"What on earth is the Genei Ryodan? And who is Biscuit Krueger?"
Liam let out a sneer.
"It's normal for you people in high positions not to know."
He explained.
"The Genei Ryodan is a criminal group from Meteor City. To put it bluntly, they're a pack of wild dogs raised in a trash heap; they bite quite hard, though. Their strength is decent, but that's about it."
"As for Biscuit—"
He paused.
"She is the eldest Disciple of Shingen-ryu."
At the mention of 'Shingen-ryu', the expressions of the people on the screens all changed at once.
The woman exclaimed.
"Shingen-ryu! That's that old fellow Netero's!"
Silence, a long silence.
Netero. This name was like a massive mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts.
Even though he was just the Chairman of the Hunter Association, and even though one person couldn't stop the entire V5—killing the few people sitting here wouldn't be a difficult task for him.
And once they were dead, there were plenty of people willing to take their seats.
V5 would never settle scores with Netero for a few dead people, especially since Netero had a group of Association personnel under his command. The Association had always worked for V5 and was a competent enforcer; it wasn't worth turning against them for these few.
The man in the suit broke the silence.
"Are we just going to let it go?"
His voice was filled with resentment.
"We invested so much, and the losses are immense!"
The other man in the long white robe spoke.
"Hmph, since they caused us such heavy losses, we'll just eliminate this Leo and everything related to him."
He spoke casually, as if they were merely discussing clearing away a few pieces of eyesore trash.
The woman and the man in the suit looked at him simultaneously.
"Then what about Netero?"
"I don't want to face that old man!"
The person at the head of the table finally spoke.
"Don't worry."
His voice was calm, yet carried a disturbing certainty.
"Someone will naturally take care of Netero."
The woman and the man in the suit exchanged glances and nodded reluctantly.
Liam spoke up.
"Suit yourselves. A mere Two-Star Hunter won't be able to make any waves against you."
His tone was dismissive.
"I've checked; Leo is closely related to the Colton Gang Family."
A trace of a smile curled on Liam's lips.
The man in the white robe said disdainfully.
"Since they destroyed our results, we'll start by taking out this Colton Gang."
The person at the head of the table nodded.
"Hmm, since you have ideas, handle it that way."
He looked toward Liam.
"I recall you are responsible for managing the underground order of the Yorbian Continent; let the Ten Dons handle it!"
Liam nodded.
"Just a pack of obedient dogs. Give them a little incentive, and they'll bite obediently."
The woman snorted coldly.
"We've raised those fellows for so long; it's time they did some work. Letting them handle such a small matter is a good use of them."
In just a few sentences, the life and death of the Colton Gang were decided.
The person at the head of the table spoke again.
"Everyone, is there anything else?"
Silence.
"If not, then the meeting is adjourned."
The five screens went dark at the same time.
The room fell back into darkness, with only the moonlight from outside casting a few faint shadows on the floor through the gaps in the curtains.