Midnight arrived, and the rain only grew more violent.
Inside the antique shop, Moro carefully put away the jade figurine. It was his biggest "lucky find" in recent memory; with a bit of networking, it would fetch a handsome price. That was the standard rhythm of the business—though most of the profits were dutifully handed over to Morena. Moro's real harvest was the lingering Nen trapped within the artifacts.
He locked the cabinet and glanced at the door, then at the clock. It was past twelve.
"Sanosuke should be back by now."
Thinking of his hardworking employee, Moro started a kettle of water.
Sanosuke was the shop's sole employee—a man who worked like a mule, never complained, and was remarkably easy to manage. Moro had sent him to meet a client that morning; if all went well, he'd be returning with a few more handcrafted pieces.
Since the first ring on his hand was now full—even if it remained dormant—Moro planned to keep absorbing Nen to see if he could ignite the second ring. Relics didn't lose their market value just because their aura was drained, after all.
Moro brewed a pot of tea, poured it into Sanosuke's thermos, and sat on the sofa to wait. He would check the new haul for Nen, and then... they would disappear into the night.
He wondered what Sanosuke would choose: to follow him into the unknown, or take a payout and part ways? Knowing the man's stubborn loyalty, it would likely be the former.
Moro watched the door, listening to the rhythmic drumming of the rain.
Half an hour passed. Through the roar of the storm, a new sound emerged. Moro stood up, a faint smile on his face, sensing his partner's arrival.
Creak—
The door swung open. A tall man with rugged, honest features stepped casually into the shop. It was Sanosuke. His black suit was drenched, and he carried two heavy briefcases.
"Boss, big haul!" Sanosuke closed the door behind him, a look of genuine excitement on his rough face.
Moro's eyes flickered down to Sanosuke's right foot as it crossed the threshold. His smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but he instantly smoothed it over. He pointed toward the counter where the steaming thermos sat.
"Good work. I made you some tea."
"Heh, Boss is always looking out for me. No wonder those sisters next door are so head-over-heels for you." Sanosuke set the cases down and walked toward the counter, beaming.
Moro ignored the teasing. "What took you so long?"
"The rain is a nightmare. I got stuck in traffic for ages on the way back." Sanosuke picked up the thermos and took a long swig.
"Yeah... the rain really is something."
Moro watched him from the side, his expression unreadable. He reached behind his back and pulled out a handgun. While both he and Sanosuke were Nen users, they kept firearms for utility.
Sometimes, a bullet was the most efficient tool for a job. For instance—
Moro suddenly raised the gun and aimed right at Sanosuke's side.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out in rapid succession. The first shot was intentionally wide. The following two were aimed directly at Sanosuke's lower back.
Sanosuke's pupils shrank. He moved with explosive speed, leaping away and narrowly dodging the lead tracers.
"Boss?" He landed in a crouch, looking at Moro with a face full of bewildered confusion.
His answer was a driving elbow strike as Moro closed the distance in a blur.
Sanosuke's confusion vanished instantly. At the last possible second, he raised his arms in a cross-guard.
BOOM.
The collision of bone and muscle produced a heavy, muffled shockwave. Fueled by Nen, the impact sent a visible ripple of air through the shop.
Sanosuke had lost the initiative. Despite blocking the strike, the sheer force sent him skidding backward. He tumbled toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. His body didn't hit the glass, but the aggressive aura leaking from his defensive posture did.
CRA-SHHH!
Under the pressure of the Nen, the entire glass pane shattered into a million shards. The wind and rain instantly invaded the shop.
Sanosuke stood against the storm, his face now a mask of cold indifference. He looked at Moro and asked, "How did you realize?"
"At first, it was just a question in the back of my mind," Moro said, keeping his gun trained on the man. He frowned. "But now? I'm certain."
"Heh." Sanosuke gave a slow, simple-minded grin, finally understanding why Moro had intentionally missed that first shot—it was a test of his reflexes.
Moro's frown deepened. "Drop the pathetic imitation."
"How disappointing. I thought I played the part perfectly," 'Sanosuke' said, the warmth leaving his voice. "So, what was the mistake? What could possibly give me away that quickly?"
"Your right foot," Moro said, his eyes cold.
He wasn't joking. Sanosuke was a fanatic devotee of fortunetelling. He never did anything without consulting his charts a day in advance. For today—a day that had technically started at midnight—Sanosuke's reading had been absolute:
Whether entering or exiting a room, you must lead with the left foot, or face a week of divine misfortune.
Moro knew this because Sanosuke spent every waking hour trying to convert him to the "world of divination."
The impostor, unaware of this specific quirk, stared blankly. "Oh? Is that so..."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Moro emptied the magazine. In the deafening roar of the gunfire, bullets streaked toward the man.
A flash of annoyance crossed the impostor's face. He twisted his body mid-air, weaving through the path of the bullets as he retreated further into the street to create distance.
According to his intel, the shop owner was an Enhancer. His strategy was simple: don't let the kid get close, and wait for his comrades to show. More importantly, he needed time and space to deactivate his transformation. Without returning to his true form, he couldn't access his full aura capacity.
He backed out onto the wet pavement, expecting Moro to give chase. Instead, he saw the boy standing calmly inside the ruined shop, his aggressive intent suddenly replaced by a cautious, guarded stillness.
Careful and conservative... the man thought. He smiled. This made things easier.
Standing in the pouring rain, the impostor raised his left hand. He began to spin his index finger in a rhythmic circle while humming a low, eerie tune.
Inside the shop, Moro tossed the empty gun aside. He watched the "fake" Sanosuke's strange behavior with confusion that quickly turned to realization. The man was reverting.
Nen began to swirl and surge around the impostor. In a matter of seconds, his facial features and body structure underwent a violent transformation.
The man who emerged was a head shorter than Sanosuke, shirtless, wearing nothing but boxers. His body was a map of strange, hollow holes of varying sizes.
Moro's heart hammered against his ribs. He knew that face. He knew those holes.
A member of the Phantom Troupe...
Bonolenov.
Author Notes:
Sanosuke: Per your request, I have renamed the original character "Saixin" (赛信) to Sanosuke (inspired by Sanosuke Sagara from Rurouni Kenshin).
Bonolenov: This is the established name for the Hunter x Hunter character, kept for accuracy within the established universe.