Ten minutes later, a group led by Chrollo appeared around the corner.
They found Hisoka sitting casually on the street, sipping juice.
A mont later, the Phantom Troupe mbers approached, each wearing a different expression. Hisoka, however, looked relaxed unfazed, as if nothing was out of place.
Within the Troupe, Chrollo's word wasn't absolute, but he was its brain the one who decided their direction and actions.
Hisoka had been instructed to return to the hotel after obtaining his Hunter License and regroup with the others. His wandering off like this wasn't just him venting emotions it was openly provoking the Troupe's rules… or rather, a direct challenge to Chrollo himself.
"Hey, we et again!"
Hisoka waved, squinting slightly as he grinned.
"Seriously… did you have to make us co all the way out here to fetch you?"
Machi sighed, pulling out a chair, crossing her arms, and glaring at Hisoka with clear annoyance.
Chrollo and the others took their seats as well.
"I'm a hero, so this kind of treatnt seems fair…" Hisoka joked lightly, though his half-closed eyes widened a bit as he felt a chill crawl up his spine.
The Troupe's seating was deliberate.
Machi sat to his left the closest to him. As his usual partner, she was the only one whose proximity he tolerated.
To his right sat Pakunoda,
and directly across the table was Chrollo himself.
Behind Hisoka stood Feitan, the only one still on his feet.
Chrollo remained silent, his gaze locked on Hisoka as if trying to read his mind.
"Hey, Hisoka," Pakunoda suddenly spoke, raising one arm casually about to place it on his shoulder.
"When did you et that Haze?"
"...What?"
The instant those words left her mouth, the air froze. The temperature plumted.
Feitan's hand shot from his pocket joints cracking ready to strike if Hisoka made the slightest wrong move.
Under the blazing sun, what had seed like a casual team gathering shattered in an instant.
Just as Pakunoda's hand was about to touch him, her expression changed slightly. She sensed sothing but too late.
With only a faint tap of Hisoka's fingertip, her arm dropped prematurely, missing its target.
It was locked in place by a Nen sphere, holding her tightly at her side.
"When…?" she gasped, shocked.
From the mont she'd approached and sat down, Hisoka had already planted his Nen on her without her realizing anything!
Swish!
Almost simultaneously, Machi's hands moved sharp Nen threads slashing through the air but Hisoka had already spun around, grabbed Pakunoda, and leaped back.
Machi shifted her hand seals, attempting to bind Hisoka's limbs with her threads but she caught nothing.
Feitan, the Troupe's fastest mber, lunged at that exact mont, perfectly synchronized with Machi's attack.
In the blink of an eye, his arm lashed out five or six thrusts each aid at Hisoka's vital points.
But even with his back turned, Hisoka's movents were ghostlike bending and twisting at impossible angles.
Using his Bungee Gum, stretched from his waist, he launched backward explosively, dragging Pakunoda seven or eight ters away.
It all happened in an instant.
The situation flipped entirely.
Pakunoda's arm was glued to Hisoka's Nen. When she tried to counterattack, her other hand was caught as well sealed in place.
The other Troupe mbers scattered and surrounded Hisoka in an instant.
Only Chrollo stayed seated, completely calm.
Onlookers sensed danger and fled in panic.
"Don't move… or you'll die," Hisoka murmured coldly.
Pakunoda froze then felt a sharp sting at her neck.
A hair-thin cut appeared on her pale skin, blood trickling from it.
Behind her ca Hisoka's chilling whisper.
He stood with a playing card pressed against her carotid artery, holding her hostage.
His eyes glimred with insanity, his grin gone, voice deathly calm.
"We've known each other for years… It'd almost be a sha to kill you like this."
"You can't escape…"
Feitan's voice was dark, his tone slow and deliberate.
"How do you want to die?"
They had him surrounded. Any direction he moved, he'd have to face several of them at once more than enough ti to execute him together.
"Oh really? Want to try?" Hisoka chuckled. "Honestly… when I joined you guys, I fantasized about fights like this. A one-on-one death match sounded fun! But none of you ever took the bait except Machi. Even when we cross paths, no one dares attack, because that would break the rules. Such a sha… you're all too cautious."
He licked his lips, eyes gleaming with madness.
"Yes… he's insane," Shizuku said matter-of-factly, nodding toward Hisoka.
Among the Phantom Troupe, internal fighting was forbidden.
Conflicts were to be decided with a simple coin toss.
Even when disagreents arose, they rarely escalated beyond words.
After all every mber was powerful. Every fight carried real risk.
No one wanted unnecessary trouble.
But Hisoka… Hisoka was different.
He'd joined the Troupe purely for fun. Over ti, that twisted joy had evolved into sothing darker he now saw every comrade as a potential plaything.
For him, battle was a ga and they were just… interesting toys.
It was terrifying.
Despite being restrained, Pakunoda didn't panic.
eting Chrollo's gaze, she said coolly,
"The leader forbade from testing you… but I still don't trust you. So this test is my decision alone. It has nothing to do with him."
"Oh?" Hisoka tilted his head, eyes shifting toward Chrollo with a crooked smile.
"You've passed the test," Chrollo said simply, eting Hisoka's eyes.
"Threat eliminated."
At that, the surrounding mbers slowly lowered their weapons and backed away.
"Another test?" Hisoka laughed softly. "Hehehe… I hope it's the last. My patience has its limits."
"Though I'd love to fight you all," he added, "it'd end badly for ."
"Keep talking and you'll die painfully," Feitan hissed.
"Jeje." Hisoka only smiled.
"Let go," Pakunoda said coldly.
Hisoka released her imdiately and walked back to his seat.
As he passed Machi, he muttered, "I'm a little disappointed… You didn't hold back at all."
"I thought… after all this ti, maybe there was sothing between us," Machi replied flatly, not even looking at him.
"Don't be stupid. The group always cos first. If you ever really beca a problem… I'd kill you myself. The best I can do is make sure you don't die horribly and keep your body intact."
"How touching," Hisoka said with a smirk.
Machi didn't bother replying. She knew his tone too well.
"What did you do, Hisoka?" Chrollo finally asked.
Every gaze turned toward him.
"Nothing," Hisoka said, smiling faintly. "Just lied to ss with you a little payback. Looks like it worked. You really care about that Haze, huh? He's the only one who can scare you."
He t Chrollo's eyes with a sly grin.
Everyone else fell silent.
It was obvious Hisoka was just toying with them as always.
Typical Hisoka.
Impossible to trust.
"How childish," Machi muttered.
"Isn't it fun? It's rare to see you all so scared," Hisoka chuckled.
"Alright then," Chrollo said, rising from his seat. "Let's proceed with the next stage of the plan once the last two arrive."
Shalnark sighed, a bit weary.
Aside from a few of the won, none of the Troupe mbers were exactly… normal.
He glanced at Chrollo.
The "two" he referred to were the new mbers replacing Franklin and Phinks.
"Let's go," Chrollo said, standing first.
The others followed.
Hisoka trailed at the back, idly shuffling his deck of cards.
Finally, one card stopped.
It was a Four of Hearts.
He smiled in satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)
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