Chapter 114: The Colorless Child

"It's good that you've come, but what should I do?"

Shortly after arriving in the city of joy, Gramgasland, and boarding the airship and train, Sora began to speak.

However, when asked, Atalante apologized with a serious and apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, I was just considering the possibility of a 'specific deceased person,' so I don't have any information on the culprit who might be a living person. I must start the search from scratch."

"No, I'm not blaming you. Or rather, it's healthier not to think about the possibility of this disgusting matter, so don't worry."

Following Atalante's words, as it was just idle chatter, Sora suggested finding an inn for the time being, and Atalante naturally agreed.

"But is there any place where I can just walk in and stay overnight today?"

When Sora slipped away into the crowd after making the suggestion, Atalante was pushed in, saying, "What kind of privileges do you think a Hunter License has?"

Sora, who had originally thought the Hunter ID was nothing more than a driver's license, had completely forgotten the privileges it brought, so he continued to make excuses with a wry smile.

"That's right. But I feel a bit sorry; I seem to have taken the spot of a tourist who has been looking forward to this for so long."

"Ah, if I weren't here for this kind of work, I would want to take my time. 'Royal Charm'."

Sora looked at the bustling streets and the crowd, murmuring his impressions instead of making excuses.

This is a town based on tourism, so it is basically overcrowded all year round, but even now there is a big difference. As Sora said, the reason for this is "Royal Gram," which is the biggest event held in Gramgasland at the time.

This small town, Gramgasland, is an economy built on casinos, the entertainment that accompanies them, and the performing arts, so traveling performers and circuses come here all year round.

For them, the success of the Royal Gram, a luxury hotel run by the most powerful family in town, the Gram family, and the events hosted by the Gram family, is like a promise of glory to the box-office troupes. Apparently.

For Sora, who is not a fan, she has no interest in the importance of honor, but she really likes interesting and lively things, so it is a pity that she is here seriously for work, as this is an event that attracts her interest. Apparently. However, Atalante is different from Sora; he does not like lively things, and he replied flatly: "I don't understand the first half, but I'm not interested in spectacles like acrobatics."

To this, Sora smiled slightly maliciously and retorted.

"What a pity. I originally wanted to invite everyone around me next year, but Atalante decided not to participate. I think this is a good opportunity to introduce Killua and Gon."

"!? That's cowardly! If they come, I'll go too!!"

Hearing Sora's words, Atalante suddenly turned around and retracted her previous words, but found that she was just being teased by Sora's expression. She pouted and glared at him, but Sora said coldly.

Atalante herself thought it was fortunate that before coming to this town, she had spent about three days on an airship and had established a very friendly relationship with him.

However, Sora said that Atalante hates humans, but she likes children, so she was talking about a child who seems to have a good appetite... that is, Killua and Gon. Because she eats more than she eats. It is conceivable that when her attitude is stiff, she cannot just tease the child she wants to see.

Of course, there was no malice, and she also understood what Sora was saying, because she wanted Atalante to treat her like a child, and she herself felt a little cute, but with a childish motive, Sora's hand was still a bit annoying as it danced.

"... From the beginning, do you have any intention of respecting your elders?"

"Because I have the principle of being spoiled by elders, I also have the principle of spoiling juniors, just like you."

When Atalante retorted, Sora smiled lightly, indicating that he had no intention of reflecting.

This easygoing way makes people roll in his hands and enjoy their reactions, similar to Pariston, who is the most unpleasant human Atalante has ever met, but unlike him, even if it is annoying, it is annoying. I am lacking in space.

There is no discomfort, even if there is no discomfort, that is because he was aware of his care when he said "the principle of being spoiled by elders."

He teased Atalante not because her reaction made him feel amused, but because of Sora's words three days ago. She must be able to find the abolitionist. Although he held it, he was still grateful.

"So let's finish this work as soon as possible so that we can bring those beloved children here next year."

"... That's right."

Sora was fumbling with what to do, but he only saw what happened after he finished.

While thinking, Atalante thanked him for giving him a peaceful future where he wanted to achieve what he had done, carrying only guilt and hatred, and even if he solved this problem, he would be hurt.

What should we do to reach that future?

However, his thoughts did not solidify before being interrupted, and nothing came to mind.

"! Mom!!"

"Hmm?"

A small figure darted in from the crowd and jumped onto Sora's waist. Sora looked at the person clinging to his waist with a confused face, and Atalante also looked at the same person with bright eyes and white teeth.

And the person being watched also looked up at Sora with the same dull face as Sora, and after pulling away a little, said.

"............ I am not your mother."

The person hugging Sora was a young girl of about ten years old wearing a White Dress.

Her clothes were cute, but her light silver hair was messy and short, and there was a large scar on her cheek.

Even if it was just for a moment, sometimes looking at it from the side, aren't you a police case? Atalante certainly loves children, but judging from her words and deeds, she couldn't possibly leave a lost child alone, and he smiled kindly and spoke to me.

"Are you separated from your mother?"

"... Yeah. Same clothes as my mom, so I got it wrong."

"Is that so? You tried your best to find your mom, you're a good girl, but it's dangerous to look for her alone. If you don't mind, can you let us help you find her?"

"Okay?"

When Atalante immediately answered "of course" to the child's question, he realized that he hadn't heard Sora's opinion at all.

I was sure she had no reason to object, judging from her words and deeds so far, but I thought it was really rude, so Atalante turned to apologize for ignoring her, and then tried to get her approval. Seeing Sora's face, the first thing that came to my mind was a question.

"... Sora. What is that face?"

For some reason, Sora was staring at the lost child with an indescribable expression, and the lost child was also looking up at Sora, tilting her head in surprise.

Of course, he didn't look bothered. I dare say: "Why are you here?"

"Ah... sorry, I made such a strange face. She is indeed another person, but I couldn't help but notice that she is a very familiar child."

"Do you look like someone you know?"

"No, I don't know you... I guess? I don't know why I became like that."

Atalante was convinced of Sora's awkward answer and the reason he was staring at her with an indescribable expression, but for some reason, Sora denied Atalante's affirmative answer. Or rather, from Atalante's perspective, what he said was incoherent and meaningless.

But before he could ask them, Sora squatted down and began to deal with the lost child, so Atalante put the question aside.

"Sorry, I'm not your mother. My name is Sora. What is your name?"

To Sora's question, the young girl answered with a cute shyness.

"... My paddy blood name is Jack."

"I... 'we'? And... Jack?"

Atalante felt confused by the girl's answer and repeated her words.

No matter how you looked at it, she was alone, but if given a first-person plural pronoun that clearly didn't fit her gender, anyone would usually only react this way.

And the unusual Sora, for some reason, held his head in his hands upon hearing this answer.

"What are you doing?"

"... No, it feels like a mystery from four years ago has been solved, it feels like the number has increased, and for the moment, the feeling of 'why are you here?' has increased....

By the way, might your father's name be Flat?"

"? We don't have a father."

Answering Sora's question, Jack tilted her head even more curiously, and Atalante was even more puzzled, so she asked: "What are you talking about?"

Sora said to himself: "Yeah, what am I talking about?"

"Alright, leave me alone and go find your 'mom'."

"Yes!"

Perhaps because she loved her mother, Jack responded to Sora's suggestion with a brilliant smile and took her hand.

Atalante, slow to act, withdrew her hand with a look of disappointment, and Sora suddenly burst out a little, glaring at her. However, when I gave a Suggestion to Jack: "Jack, hold your sister's hand so she doesn't get lost," Atalante's mood instantly improved.

When it comes to children, this woman is simple.

But Atalante's happy time ended quickly.

Atalante also held Jack's hand and introduced herself, asking where she had separated from her mother's personality.

Facing that voice, Jack shouted: "Mom!"

While the two were chasing Jack through the crowd, they saw a woman in her twenties, wearing a leotard similar to Sora's and heavy makeup, facing Jack.

Even calling it heavy makeup, it wasn't for a barbershop style, nor was it for youth. If one had to say, it was like a stage play.

She wasn't trying to make herself look pretty, but rather drew her eyeliner and lipstick deeper so that her eyes and lips could be clearly seen even from a distance, and she had painted two cheeks.

A woman, clearly wearing circus or some kind of performance makeup, was facing Jack, looking down at her, and lashing out at her.

"Where did you go!? You said you were about to perform, why are you wandering around on your own!?"

"... Sorry, Mom."

"Sorry! Why would you do that when you don't have time!?"

Not only did she scold the lost child, she also threw the jump rope in her hand onto the ground like a whip, threatening to hit the child with the rope at any moment. "What are you doing!?"

Atalante's angry roar made the woman jump, and she lifted her face for a moment, but she didn't think she was being yelled at, instead looking around. This reaction also touched Atalante's nerves.

"I think the responsibility for a child getting lost should lie with the parent for not taking good care of the child and not taking measures like holding hands!

First of all, it's good that you returned safely without injury! What you are doing is not discipline, not a reprimand, it's shirking responsibility!"

If she had been scolding him out of worry for her child, Atalante should have intervened to soothe her, but the woman's reprimand was clearly directing her frustration at Jack, so Atalante refuted the woman to her face.

Then, the woman stared at Atalante blankly, and then said somewhat dumbfoundedly: "... Is that so... isn't it?"

"... That's right. No, why was I so angry...? Sorry, sorry, Jack."

"No, it's okay Mom, it's our fault for leaving without rehearsing."

The irritable, twisted face turned around, the woman squatted down to apologize to her daughter, and Jack admitted her own fault and forgave her mother.

Then she looked up at Atalante beside her and said:

"Don't bully my mom."

"Hm?"

"Yes."

Atalante was horrified to discover that the innocent smile that had previously been directed at her had turned into a look of hostility.

Jack also cast a hostile gaze at Sora, but Sora was not saddened by that gaze, instead looking straight at her with the same smile as at the beginning.

"... If you apologize to your mom, I will forgive you."

"Um, thank you. I'm sorry for suddenly interfering."

"Ah, ah... I'm sorry for being so rude when we first met."

"No no, sorry, let you see something ugly. By any chance, did you two find this child? If so, sorry again! Please forgive me for the inconvenience."

"No, that's not true! We just found it, we found it while we were trying to find it, so we didn't do anything!"

Sora responded immediately to Jack's concession and urged Atalante to bow as well.

Atalante didn't fully understand the situation yet, but when she apologized honestly in her confusion, the mother was also confused and apologized again.

When she apologized again, Atalante felt ashamed of her low boiling point and insisted that she was not worth apologizing to and was not qualified to be thanked.

"By the way, you said the performance would go down, but is the time okay?"

"Ah! Sorry! I'll thank you later!

Jack! Go!!"

Perhaps realizing that time was running out, she said: "We'll thank you later." But without asking for Sora's name or contact information, she held Jack's hand and ran.

Jack turned around and waved at them, even while running with her mother. Through the apology, perhaps she had forgiven him as she said, and her smile was innocent.

Atalante waved at Jack with a kind smile.

Then, after the two had run away for a while, she shouted to Sora.

"Let's go."

"Received."

They didn't explain anything, but they knew each other, so they didn't say a word, nor did they ask, and they followed Jack and her mother as they ran away.

Confused by the reaction of Jack's mother, Atalante combined this reaction with a cool head during the apology battle.

He expressed his frustration with the child and scolded him in a way that seemed reasonable.

It was as if he had been dreaming just now... as if the reaction manipulated by someone was part of the emotions inflated by what Sora called a "pleaser," which was something he had not originally wanted. It just looked as if they had been pushed.

That mother and Jack were highly likely to become targets of the "pleasant criminal" that Sora and Atalante were looking for.

That is why I cannot Escape from here.

Judging by the mother's makeup and demeanor, there was no doubt that both mother and child were involved in the entertainment industry.

If you have an exclusive contract with an event attendant at a Hotel somewhere, that is fine, but if you are a member of a traveling troupe like a circus or a freelance traveling performer, if you miss it, you will leave this town not just tomorrow, but even tonight. Perhaps.

Perhaps the Nen Ability to "elevate" parents was not very strong. That is why it might have been resolved after Atalante's reprimand.

If that were the case, there would be no problem, but if there was even a little bit of aura left, it would be because of that residue, and I would get angry at the child again over small things I wouldn't normally think of. If you accidentally hit someone with an object, or throw something at them... if it were a Heavy blunt object, a knife, or hot oil, the tragedy would be compounded again.

So Atalante ran.

Perhaps this time I can save you. You might be able to catch the most annoying "funny criminal" in the shortest amount of time.

With such expectations, she told Sora, "This is a good start," but Sora's reaction was indecisive.

"Hmm... well, if you say it's suspicious, then it's the most suspicious."

"? Your speech is strange today. This reaction is not suspicion, but rather the victim of the 'pleasant criminal' you were expecting."

"Yeah... well, it seems Atalante was very angry at Jack and didn't notice, but at least his mother definitely has some kind of 'just in case.' When I looked at that person's face, I was 'Hard' and it was a bit like a black stain, but it was a stain, and when I accepted your reprimand, the stain faded and disappeared."

Seeing Jack being unreasonable at Sora's answer, Atalante's head got hot, and she forgot what she had come to this town for.

The mother had a "Nen," and that "Nen" had the effect of severely wounding Jack, which was never the real intention, but it was enough for Atalante to be saved. I was just thinking that the possibility had almost disappeared, and I can say I am lucky to have found an object that could be protected as soon as I arrived in town.

So Atalante could not understand Sora's reaction and asked again.

"Moreover, why are you so articulate and so anxious?"

"Well, it is true that I am happy about the current situation, just as it is good to say that the parents and children are victims, and there are immoral aspects, but if we are not good at it, she will get her, and we are gathering intelligence. If you think we might have fallen into the worst situation, then our meeting at this time must have been a coincidence."

"Yeah. Precisely because she is the epitome of..., that girl is so irregular, which makes it even more baffling."

Affirming Atalante's words, Sora hinted that "Jack is suspicious."

For a moment, he protested almost excitedly, but Atalante remembered immediately. Needless to say, Sora had some doubts and mysteries about Jack.

"Jack," which is clearly a boy's name for a girl, is also quite strange, but there are also parents who give their children such names, so it can only be considered Harassment.

That mother didn't look like that type, but perhaps her father wanted a boy. If so, that is a scary story, but it is not a very rare story, so I can put it aside for now.

The funny thing that cannot be let go is Jack's weird first-person pronoun.

Since we met, I haven't dealt with them for ten minutes, so we didn't talk properly, but in that short exchange, Jack referred to himself as the plural form "we."

It was clearly strange, but he used the first-person pronoun so naturally that if he had lost the reason to ask why from the beginning, he would realize that he just accepted it and ignored it. Nina," responding to Sora's words.

"... Now that I think about it, it is too unnatural for a good girl who can protect her mother there to escape the rehearsal and go out alone.

Perhaps, the culprit is not only the parents but also the child, who is actually able to manipulate every move of the child while the child is still alive, guiding him to go further, making the parents unable to bear it and go astray?"

"That is possible, but Jack's first-person explanation doesn't work. Or rather, Atalante, I didn't even realize that."

While running, Atalante remembered the unnatural parts of Jack and made an assumption, but while agreeing with this assumption, he pointed out that the most suspicious part of Jack had no explanation, and Sora said in surprise.

There was no nuance of stupidity or surprise, but even so, perhaps he didn't even notice that he was looking down at what was frustrating, he stared at Sora and asked: "What are you talking about?"

Sora answered quietly while running.

"He is a reminder of the dead. The first-person plural might be because multiple Dead Spirits are fused together."

"..................... Teeth!?"

"... Is it possible? Is it possible that 'Dead Spirits fuse multiple ghosts, maintaining unity, and are visible to ordinary people'?"

"Since I have seen such an example, I can only say that it is possible."

Atalante and Sora whispered, barely looking at the acrobatics performed on the Hotel stage located in the center of Gramgasland, so as not to disturb other spectators.

Of course, the content of the story is the thoughts of the dead, and what Sora said is "Jack," which can only be described as non-standard.

I explained it before the performance started, but if even Sora found it hard to believe, Atalante would definitely not be so easily convinced. Continuing to answer

"Atalante doesn't seem to have noticed, but that mother... Abaki-san is also a Nen Ability user.

So at first I thought he could only be seen as a person with abilities, but judging from Mr. Abaki's words and actions, if Jack also appeared in the performance, he could also be seen as an ordinary person.

Then, who is Mr. Abaki? Either you know Jack's true identity, or you don't. Do you know or believe that you and that child are not real parents?"

Sora said while opening and looking at the program describing the performance content.

Looking at this show and performance, the only new thing I learned is that the woman Jack called "Mom," who just showed me the acrobatic feat of jump rope and tightrope walking, is named Abaki.

I don't know anything.

I still don't know if Jack is really an ordinary person who doesn't even count as having talent.

... But the program does have her name.

Atalante also stared at Jack's name on the program, but finally made up his mind to ask about the possibility he didn't want to admit, which he wanted to look away from if possible, and the possibility he first thought of when he learned about this was that Jack was the soul of the dead.

"... If Jack is the mind of the dead............ This series of events was not caused by a pleasant criminal, but that child..."

"Oh, no. No, I can't be sure yet, but the possibility is low."

However, in the situation where Atalante was prepared to die, the question I asked was too easy to answer as I pleased, and I was weak, and although this was exactly what I wanted, I was usually angry.

"Then tell me first!"

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot because Jack was so real.

But I don't know enough to say for sure, but it's indeed unlikely. First of all, that child is not a new death. It is decades of history, not three years.... Well, seriously, what is that child"

"... That's so amazing that I can't help but forget. Or rather, you know so much just by looking?"

If Atalante skillfully whispered and yelled at him, Sora would apologize and tell him the reason for forgetting to say it, and if she told him a reason that was not the pattern Atalante assumed at first, Atalante would shudder. I was persuaded and pushed to another place.

"Ah, I know just by looking, or rather, my eyes are easy to focus on before I learn, so I can understand the new and the old from experience."

"... Have you seen enough? To become a rule of thumb?"

Atalante, who no longer knew where to be surprised, and Sora, who smiled bitterly as if he had encountered trouble; Jack's abnormal behavior had returned.

"Hmm... its history of several decades, in the eyes of an ordinary person, is quite normal, and it is formed by the fusion of multiple ghosts, each one unique, but it is not impossible. It is in 'What is 'Is it? Is it a Miracle?'"

Among them, one can only say that multiple people fusing, personalities fusing, without collapsing, is truly a miracle. This April, I also confronted a spirit fused from seven people, but it was completely mixed with the original personalities and was not a single person at all. Chaotic, chaotic, it became.

However, although that girl certainly absorbed more people than the dead and then fused them together, she is completely fixed by the personality of a girl named 'Jack'."

Even if he does not know much about the spirits of the dead, he knows that Jack is an existence that cannot exist.

Atalante noticed that Sora's eyes were slightly sad regarding this question.

Although I noticed it, Sora still spoke immediately, so I could not stop him, saying: "If you don't want to say it, you don't have to."

"... Normally, even the best people, if people with completely different tastes and preferences fuse together, it will only lead to chaos. Similar colors are better, but if you stack numbers, it is still the same.

... That is why 'those girls' were colorless souls from the beginning, with no color to mix.

... Atalante. The spirit of the dead named Jack is definitely a 'collection of Mizuko'."

Atalante was speechless at Sora's answer.

So only Sora continued to speak.

He talked about the most fragile and purest souls in the world.

"Atalante. Mizuko never curse anyone. Mizuko never curse anyone, even if she was aborted for selfish reasons, let alone natural miscarriages and stillbirths, and the misfortune where the mother is not at fault.

Because those children do not know hatred. Although he had the sprout of wisdom, he knew nothing when he died, so he does not hate anyone, nor does he even want anyone to love him. Mizuko is the closest soul. It is just the primal wish of 'I want to live' and 'I want to be born', which in itself is a faint and weak Qi.

The story of Mizuko being cursed is just the parents' own sins staining the colorless soul, producing a bad influence. It is not the will of the Mizuko herself, it just reflects her guilt like a mirror."

Sora continued to explain what "Mizuko" is; it is not the vengeful spirit of an unborn child.

"... That girl might not have been born in this town, but this place has always been composed of casinos and related businesses. What could it be.

I don't know if it is lucky or unfortunate, the Mizuko were not polluted because there were many people who treated it as a job, aborting without feeling guilty."

From Atalante's perspective, he gritted his teeth at the story of the woman he hated most.

However, like Sora, Atalante tore her children to pieces before they became human-shaped and threw them away like trash. I don't want to say it, but I also can't say I'm not happy.

"It has begun! Next, please take a look at this fairy-like cute figure, and the skilled knife skills you could never imagine!!"

Introducing the throwing knife user Jack!!"

The host, a young clown, used a microphone to introduce the "girl".

Jack, who appeared from under the stage, was wearing a swimsuit instead of the one-piece dress she wore before the performance. Atalante was angry because he turned the sexual desire of such a small child into a spectacle.

Jack walked to the center of the stage shyly, perhaps unfamiliar with her stage costume. Becoming a professional like a comedian.

Starting with juggling six knives hanging from her waist, the host said the target hit rate was 100%. Although it was a bit off from the knife-throwing program, the audience threw an apple into the air, and she cut it in two. Her knife skills were no exaggeration, shocking the audience with pure technique and winning applause and cheers.

No one felt curious or uneasy about the empty stage.

I am sure she was there.

No one would have thought that the "girls" were not even allowed to be born, which was simply praising her.

And the final performance.

A woman with her limbs fixed by ropes... dynamite with a long fuse at the feet of Abaki, who is called mother by the "girls"... disguised as firework-like gunpowder.

The host clown explained that before the bomb exploded, Jack would throw a knife to cut the ropes binding Abaki, and then the fuse would be ignited.

The fuse was about 2m long, but the fire spread rapidly. It burned halfway in less than 20 seconds, but Jack was faster than that.

The ropes binding Abaki were thick, so you couldn't untie them just by scraping. However, despite being restrained so tightly that if the knife slipped by a few millimeters it would brutally cut off Abaki's limbs, Jack released Abaki with a minimum of four knives in less than 30 seconds. But the audience was not excited enough, and the excitement subsided all at once.

But the moment Abaki was released, Jack threw off her professional face, shouted "Mom!!", and jumped to hug Abaki.

While the whole venue was warm and relaxed, only Atalante looked like she was about to cry.

I don't want to call it lucky that there are many women who do not feel guilty about killing their own children.

But I cannot say I am not happy.

Precisely because there was no sense of guilt, the "girls" were not stained by anything. While colorless, they snuggled together, and unknowingly, they became a single form.

That is why there is a "now".

I cannot say "now" because I do not want to deny the "girls".

I do not want to deny Jack, who is laughing happily while hugging her mother, and Abaki, who is holding Jack tightly in her arms and showing off her daughter to the audience, receiving warm applause.

Because of this, Atalante held her hands tightly and said to Sora beside her, whose gaze turned from sad eyes to calm, gentle, and compassionate eyes.

"... Sora."

"Of course."

To Atalante's determination, Sora replied that it was only natural.

We don't know anything.

Whether the culprit of this series of events is a pleasant criminal, whether it is a specific dead person, whether Abaki is truly the target, and whether Abaki knows Jack's true identity, I don't know if Jack is involved in the series of events.

But I think the parent-child relationship is not a lie. I want to believe you are not lying.

Without a doubt, this is something I want to protect and save.

I said it with a sense of mission; if I let go of Atalante, I must also let go of this child. This is everyone's beloved daughter, Jack.

Mr. Sora, I am not familiar with the Assassin Jack from Apo or FGO, but I am familiar with Berserker Jack, so this is a subtle reaction, just like the main story.

Jack's settings are the same as the original, but completely opposite, so her appearance is different from the original.

I will explain this in the main story later, so please wait a moment.

For the time being, in the original work, I wrote my rules to ensure that an HxH character appears, not just the original characters and the star system of Katatsuki characters. Otherwise, I feel there is no point in writing the HxH original.

However, in this second part, I feel my rules are only barely safe, and I feel I am safe.

It is a bit strange that Abaki is called an HxH character... but apart from her, there are no other characters. I definitely want to release it one day.