Chapter 92: The Decisive Night, The Final Night Begins

"I am well aware that Mr. Karna does not mean anything bad.

But let me tell you. Why did you go out of your way to wear slippers, yet not wear a coat?"

"I am sorry, Master. I am truly sorry for being such a clumsy Servant."

In the pitch darkness where there was no up, down, left, or right, and where nothing existed except for each other, Sora knelt and preached to Karna. It was an extremely chaotic scene.

"... Hmm, enough. Anyway, even if it were transparent, it wouldn't be conspicuous. It is a thin chest that wouldn't even shake during an earthquake."

However, such an exchange could not last forever; Sora tried to end the conversation with self-deprecation, but while Karna kept thinking about his Master, Sora was simultaneously thinking secretly, "Is this person okay??"

"No, Master's chest is small, so it will not become a burden during battle; you can be proud of that. In fact, as a man, I feel absolutely no discomfort."

"Karna, are you ready to turn the lights?"

I admit I tried hard to keep up with Sora's self-deprecation, but he made the most positive statement about Sora's pitiful breasts.

"I'm sorry... I'm truly sorry for the communication problem..."

"I think you could call it a communication obstacle... Mr. Karna, I have been thinking about you for four years, but you are a rare person who is overly positive, to the point where you end up failing instead, aren't you??"

Although Karna did not resist and accepted his own mistake, Sora responded to the Demi-god Heroic Spirit opponent with a chokehold, and released her from the chokehold in a satisfied manner.

"No, really, Mr. Karna hasn't changed. I love you, I respect you, I rely on you, I trust you, and I really like your natural remarks that carry no malice, but even so, a little more would be fine. Can't you do something about it?"

"... Even so, I feel I am a bit better than I was four years ago. Kurapika said that as long as one listens to the end, one will understand what he wants to say."

"... If you listen to the very end, you were definitely misunderstood from the start. Isn't it just that Kurapika learned how to get along with Karna, rather than Karna growing?"

Sora crossed her arms, looking somewhat surprised, while Karna sulked in his rare way to defend himself.

But it was better not to make this excuse. Moreover, besides being surprised at Sora, he realized that it would be more accurate to say the other party had grown by learning how to get along with Karna, rather than herself as she had claimed.

Contrary to his cold and emotionless appearance, Karna's emotions were unexpectedly rich, positive and confident on every level, and blunt about his weaknesses.

Knowing this from their relationship four years ago, Sora wanted to get along peacefully with Karna, who hadn't really changed, but I cannot afford it.

So, Sora said: "Mr. Karna."

And the overly positive Karna, who seemed to have changed his mind after being shaken by Sora, replied with a slightly refreshed look: "Ah, I am sorry. Thank you for your guidance."

He realized he had no right to talk about others, but even so, every time he talked to Karna, I had long known there was no such thing as "What is wrong with this person's thought process?", so I pushed that question to the back of my mind and grabbed Karna's shoulders even harder.

"... Karna. What did you say to Kurapika and Illumi?"

".................. Nothing in particular..."

"Do you think a lie like that will work!?"

Hey, what the hell are you saying!? What did you say to Illumi, or even Kurapika!? I don't remember the conversation between Mr. Karna and Illumi and the others, but I remember Illumi was angrier than when he was with me and tried to kill me!!"

Even so, it would be better for Karna to share his memories not just with Sora, but beyond that, Karna had deliberately hidden most of the information about Illumi and Kurapika, so in Sora's eyes, Karna felt sorry from the bottom of his heart; he had become an incomprehensible memory, but that did not mean he could break his word.

I cannot do such a dishonest thing, but first of all, even for Karna, it is fine to talk about Kurapika; I do not want to tell someone I don't know.

Even Karna, who had barely experienced love in his life, knew that even if he did such a thing, no one would gain anything, nor would they be happy.

... Although I understand, I didn't expect that if I pointed it out in front of people unrelated to me, even with my personality, I would get angry, and he would answer directly, facing it: "I cannot do it. I am reflecting on it." It is a story that can never save Illumi.

Anyway, Sora only understood that Illumi's murderous intent toward her was growing stronger, so she at least wanted to know the reason, shaking Karna and begging him, but he had no selfish desires and always tried to find others instead of himself. A Charity Hero who prioritized charity, but a man as straightforward and stubborn as a lancer, who would not yield once he had decided, and even if he was shaken violently, he would not bite his tongue and would skillfully convey it to Sora.

"I am sorry, Master. It is truly my fault; I am sorry for making Master bear unnecessary resentment."

"So, Master. Do not retreat. I am your Servant, so there is no need. If you encounter that guy, replace me immediately. His murderous intent is something I should deal with."

Hearing Karna's words, the half-crying Sora suddenly widened her eyes and stopped trembling.

Then she narrowed her round eyes and smiled.

"That's terrible, Karna. Are you aiming for my body?"

After saying that, Sora teased: "Kyaa, ecchi!"

"Master. You don't need to worry about me. All I want now is your peace and happiness. Rather than consuming your personality, I would rather sleep here forever."

"So, if you don't want to die, lean on me for a while. Do you understand?"

"If Master wishes to temporarily transfer the right to use the body to me, the risk is negligible. No, this risk is a risk I continue to bear, even if I do nothing when Master includes me."

"If you are going to take a risk without doing anything, you should use me. Using me will put a burden on Master's body, but..."

"Mr. Karna."

Somehow, her fingertips moved away from Karna's shoulder and touched Karna's lips, and the words stopped halfway; Sora smiled and told him.

He was stubborn and obstinate, but his words were too kind for a disobedient child, so Sora answered with a smile, as if she liked it.

"Yes, I know."

"Because Miss Karna thinks of me, she will not ignore my opinions and what I want to do. Always holding the greatest respect for me."

"... That is why I think it is bad. After all, I often act like I am going to die; it is natural for me to get angry if you worry about me."

Saying this, Sora smiled happily.

She answered with a smile.

"But no, this body belongs to me, so what I do with this body is my responsibility."

Four years ago, this girl was like this.

She regarded those Servants who were nothing more than servants, tools, and weapons as "people"; she respected others but neglected herself, to the point where she couldn't say anything to Karna.

With such a precious smile, you don't treat difficulties as difficulties, but without even thinking, you carry them on your back and walk down any arduous path.

However, Sora's smile told her the answer that could have been predicted four years ago, yet without the childishness of four years ago. Although Karna's physical age was older than hers, she looked much more mature than Karna.

The room for a smile was not real. However, that was not the stubbornness and bravado of four years ago, but a sincere, strong smile that even hid the will to turn it into reality for the sake of the other person.

Karna realized that, unlike him, she would change.

＊＊＊

The relationship between Karna and Sora was much like Sora's Gem Sword.

Karna, who fell into "Pitch Darkness" and continued to protect Sora, was taken away when Sora escaped from "Pitch Darkness".

However, for some reason, Karna, in order to protect Sora, carried the armor that should have been assimilated with Sora's body, or rather, the existential element called "Karna" that Sora had absorbed seemed to be much stronger than the Gem Sword.

Just like that, I restored the personality of "Karna" within myself.

Moreover, if this were truly the case, if Servants other than Karna were also taken in, regardless of whether the Servants were willing or not, Sora's personality would likely have been consumed long ago.

Even if they are Split spirits who have fallen into the "Root" and completely severed ties with the Throne of Heroes, unless they are human-level mages, a human soul simply cannot rival the soul of a Heroic Spirit. If a Servant wants to reincarnate when being taken in, he will devour Sora's personality and seize his body.

And even if he did not have such a will, wanting to protect Sora like Karna does, I fear that this very wish would slowly erode Sora's personality.

The reason is this woman; just as she knows, "I don't want to die" and "I want to protect her" is madness, and she manages to keep something close to sanity, so even if she doesn't want to die, she commits suicide without hesitation. She just does it suddenly.

If you truly care for her, you would naturally try to stop her by force.

However, this naturalness erodes her personality.

Sora is not someone who possesses the power to decide personality changes. It is precisely because of the powerful spirit of a Heroic Spirit that it is possible for a Servant to ignore the body's owner, Sora, and forcibly make their own personality lie dormant and manifest, but Sora, of course, would strongly resist such unwelcome personality changes.

Due to this resistance, Sora's soul and personality are consumed.

Also, the reason memory sharing is too vague is that if memories are not shared at all, Sora's Servant would be judged as a "foreign object" and rejected, but if they are shared completely, the boundary between the two would be obvious. The personality would disappear, and Sora and Sora would react. Because the Servant's personality merges, or because Sora's personality is eaten, this is a last-minute Compromise of "allowing a foreign object to exist in Sora," so the shared memories are really just like memories in a dream, too Ambiguity; the moment I changed my personality and gained the right to use the body, I only remembered the bare minimum and couldn't recall the rest.

In other words, even if you force a switch to protect Sora or someone Sora wants to protect, the moment you switch, you will be unable to understand your current situation, and you won't know who you want to protect or who the enemy you need to eliminate is. You can enter a situation.

There is a way to overcome this situation.

All you have to do is interfere with Sora's memories.

However, as Karna explained to Hisoka and the others, this is an act of interfering with Sora's personality, blurring the line between "Sora" and "Servant."

It is truly a Miracle that Sora took in Karna and has not yet lost his personality, because the one who took him in is Karna.

His wish to protect his master is as honest, straightforward, and pure as other upright Servants, but he respects his master honestly, and his actions and thoughts have no ulterior meaning. It is precisely because he discovered its value that, although he does not want to die, as long as he does not want to let Sora hinder Sora's actions, he gritted his teeth and endured, never interfering. He continues.

And he has a skill called "Poverty Perception," which allows him to see through others' personalities and attributes, and he will not be deceived by verbal excuses or trickery.

Speaking of skills, you might think of special things like Magic, Magic, or Noble Phantasm, and of course there are such skills, but regarding "Poverty Perception," he has spent his life in solitude, questioning the life and value of the weak, and Karna, who has the opportunity to grasp the true nature of his opponent, possesses the ability to grasp the essence of his opponent, so there is no possibility of eating Sora's personality.

And thanks to this skill, even if Karna suddenly changes his personality, the worst-case scenario, such as mistaking him for an enemy and attacking someone Sora wants to protect, will not happen.

So Karna prays for Sora from the bottom of his heart.

As long as Sora does not want it, he will not interfere with Sora himself.

No matter how much damage Sora takes, he will continue to treat it as a "dream" deep in his heart.

Although I do exist, I have no complaints about the situation where I can do nothing but continue to dream.

If Sora is happy, there is no reason for Karna not to be happy.

If I can keep dreaming that "Sora lives a happy life from now on," then can I spend such a happy time doing nothing? Just as I thought, this is a very satisfying thing for Karna.

But if Sora wants it, if he can rely on me, I hope he relies on me.

Karna didn't even use his Noble Phantasm, nor did he use the attack skill "Mana Burst (Flame)." I can continue to bear the same level of risk as I continue to bear without doing anything to operate myself, so I ask you to use me and make use of me.

Although he is prepared to be hurt, he hopes that Sora can walk the path he chose and go grab what he wants. Although I think so, I still hope for Sora.

Sora smiled and refused the request.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Karna. To me, you are someone I don't want to fight, if I don't need to fight. You are a proud warrior, so you might want to fight more, but I cannot give you happiness other than fighting. Miss Karna is kind, so a peaceful happiness suits her better.

And although I don't think anyone can hurt you, I still don't want my body to become a shackle for Karna.

So... if Mr. Karna wants to go out, I will lend my body to her, but basically I don't want to leave the whole battle to Mr. Karna. We are the same person, so if I get involved because of my weakness, I'm sorry."

He is just a Servant, and just a tool, so why care so much about himself? Karna did not ask this question.

I already heard it four years ago.

I believe she would give the same answer.

"The decision is because I love classmate Karna!"

Karna is the same.

Karna believes that everything in this world is equal. The whole world believes that all people are equally precious and valuable.

Even for the most evil act, he can always find something worth admiring.

Even if someone brought misfortune to those around them, that was just a Coincidence for that person. I have no doubt that if he hadn't made a mistake in timing, or even a mistake, he could have made many people happy.

Never underestimate anyone's value or significance. Because of her equality, those around her think that Karna is not interested in anyone and hates the whole world.

Even though he is charity, Karna is still half a person.

Even if I don't hate anyone, even if I find meaning and value in everything, I still want to care about those who care about me, give to those I want, and love those who love me. Start to like.

So, even if I am inexperienced in front of me, I do not yield to this reason, I want to experience that twisted Holy Grail War, even now, I want to be happy, even if I know this cruel life is nothing but a struggle, she loves her master more deeply than anyone, and wants to protect her, even if it turns deterrence into an enemy.

I hope, but if Sora doesn't want it, Karna won't do anything.

Of course, that is because he found meaning in Sora's wish, and if he didn't do so, he would eventually erase Sora with his own hands.

If you were persuaded by Karna's words here and relied on him obediently, then you wouldn't be here in the first place.

Because Sora is such a woman, that is why there is this "now."

Because I like her, I want to protect her.

So Karna sighed helplessly, and then answered with a slight crackle in his mouth.

"...... Basically, you don't seem to have any intention of relying on him."

A small part of Sora's words. Karna picked up the true feelings that the strong girl could not hide.

"That's right. After all, I don't want to die, and there are many people I don't want to lose, so even if I don't use the Noble Phantasm, I think I have to rely on you, a person ten times stronger than me.

...... So, Mr. Karna. I'm really sorry that I'm selfish, but can I ask you for a favor?"

Sora smiled awkwardly at the words he was noticed and picked up, admitting it.

And after all, he still covered up his weakness with a brilliant smile, saying it with a smile that made him misunderstand, so if the other party wanted to refuse without guilt, he could refuse, so Karna answered.

"Don't be sad. That's why I'm here."

As if Sora said not to worry, as if there was nothing to worry about, and as if he didn't want to feel guilty, Karna responded to Sora's plea with a happy smile.

In response, Sora smiled happily like Karna, hugged Karna's chest, covered his face, and said "Please."

"Mr. Karna. Please use my body."

"So, please protect those children... Kurapika, Killua, Gon, Leorio and the others... they are my reason for wanting to live."

As if to hide her own tears and ensure that her greatest fear would not happen in Karna's heart, she continued to plead, disregarding herself.

Karna withdrew that plea, which seemed like an atonement for something.

He spoke to that earlobe.

"... The sky. Last night, I talked to Kurapika about 'Deterrence'."

The story suddenly changed, but Sora did not bring it up, merely shaking his body as if startled.

I have no intention of breaking my promise to Kurapika. I will not tell Sora about his restrictions and promises.

However, just as Kurapika knew this was merely a struggle to hide things, Sora also knew his life had been saved by "Deterrence," yet he struggled to remain silent. Karna confessed.

I didn't say that, so Sora wasn't angry.

Just rest your forehead against Karna to hide your face and remain silent. From Karna's mouth, it withered in his arms, as if he were afraid of how Kurapika might react.

Karna patted her back comfortingly.

Just like Kurapika did last night.

"Don't be afraid. Master knows from last night's 'punishment' that Kurapika had no reason to refuse him, right?"

Whether in the "Dream World" or because it was a vivid memory that neither Sora nor Karna could forget, Karna clearly knew about Kurapika's punishment of Sora.

I remember.

This is why Karna told Sora there was no need to be afraid or worried.

"Master. I know your happiness is that Kurapika is still alive."

"But you should be happier. You are very happy wanting it. I also don't want you to fight. Those are all my lines, like how a gentle and peaceful happiness suits me."

"So, Master. You don't have to feel guilty for using me to survive. I myself wish for your survival and your happiness."

"... It's okay, Master. You can live. I want you to live. Even if you lose the protection of Deterrence and become the next enemy of Deterrence, there are still people who want you to live happily."

"I might lack actors, but if this is what Kurapika wants... you know there's no point in feeling guilty, right?"

I want to live, but when I finish the role of Deterrence, I am afraid the world will turn around and kill me. If you turn it into...

Even though he became an enemy of the world, he affirmed Sora's wish and told him that he possessed the happiness of wanting Sora to live; Sora smiled slightly in Karna's arms.

"... No. Karna-san. Even if you and Kurapika, or others, have the same thought, it is not 'lacking actors,' but 'lacking roles'."

"Those of you who have such thoughts are even more precious, even more remarkable."

If Karna correctly used a phrase that is often misused, then Sora would describe him using a misused phrase.

She happily expressed that what was lacking was not the actor side, but the role side; she smiled triumphantly, thinking it was what Sora said, and Karna smiled too.

"... Yeah, but thank you very much, Mr. Karna."

"Also, I'm sorry for making you say things that are hard for me to say."

After leaving Karna, Sora was not angry because of the "Deterrence" Kurapika spoke of, but thanked him instead, yet Karna said: "Don't worry, I just wanted to talk to you." He put it away.

I was curious how he could talk about such a heavy topic, but if it were Kurapika's situation, the moment he didn't say anything to Sora, I couldn't tell him, I didn't want to say it. Knowing it was a story, Sora didn't say anything else.

Also, it is possible that Karna was serious and said it without thinking, so in this case, I would think, "What on earth is this person thinking?" I felt it made no sense, so I just let it be. Go.

It was truly terrifying; Karna didn't notice at all, placed his hand on Sora's forehead to check his temperature, and suggested: "Master should return."

"Since I am here, they cannot be deeper than here, but if Master interferes with me, it will consume some Mana."

"It should be better using Master's body, but if this continues, Master's fever won't go down. This was not my intention, so please take it easy."

"Ah, I guess dreams still consume Mana."

Sora had thought of Karna's advice from the beginning, so he seemed to regret it, but he still agreed and decided to end this reunion.

Sora relaxed his body, floating on the water, and drifted gently to the surface.

As he rose from the bottom of the water to the surface, Sora said goodbye to Karna, who would fall asleep again in his depths.

"See you in a while, Mr. Karna. See you in a while."

At the same time as the farewell, Karna stared at Sora with wide eyes; Sora smiled and said he would come here again, even though he was so afraid of sinking, even though he was so afraid of falling, he hoped to get a... I looked up at the Master returning to the world I wanted, and smiled.

"... Ah. Goodbye. Master."

The truth that could not be spoken because I thought of Master. I said I also wanted to see you.

Sora also happily asked about that wish and surfaced, but when Sora remembered something he had completely forgotten after surfacing, he destroyed the peaceful atmosphere himself.

"!! Wait a minute, I just remembered, what on earth did Karna-san say to Illumi!?"

Since he had already surfaced, it was no longer Sora's will, but the self would naturally be attracted to the surface consciousness like iron sand attracted to a magnet, so it would not sink again. I could certainly see Karna awkwardly avoiding eye contact, even though he had become much smaller.

However, Sora told Karna that he would not use the method of leaving it to Karna until the end, just because he met Illumi, even if this was Karna's fault.

Illumi's feelings, I didn't mean to tell you, although I didn't ask it from others' mouths, I don't understand why, and Sora, who had to respond to the growing killing intent, was too pitiful, too sorry. Karna decided to give Sora a hint because he actually thought he should have noticed.

"Master! Love bends in the face of reality, but love is neutralized by love, so be careful!"

"Why did you suddenly come? The shota writer words of Luvia's servant's abuse came out!?"

However, the overly direct hint was also too direct; fortunately, unfortunately, nothing was conveyed.

"Why did you suddenly come? The shota writer words of Luvia's servant's abuse came out!?"

Sora jumped up from the bed and stood up, screaming the most inappropriate thing to end a reunion after four years.

Then he looked left and right, muttering somewhat awkwardly: "... Ah, I'm awake."

Apparently, the conversation between Sora and Karna in the dream was shared, so there was no problem. That situation didn't happen, I remembered everything normally.

And fortunately, in Kurapika's room, Kurapika's colleagues Senritsu and Wether were sent out to accompany him to buy Neon, and he slept alone, so there was a certain degree of incomprehensible sleep-talking, or who woke up. I didn't even ask.

However, if there was no one, Sora would be in trouble.

"... What time is it now?"

While muttering to himself, Sora re-wrapped the loosened bandages himself.

A bandage was wrapped around her own eyes.

It wasn't just the bleeding; after the baton was passed to Karna, the pain had long since vanished, but even so, Sora could not undo the bandage.

I know this is meaningless. But, in the struggle, Sora had tied it too tightly; it wouldn't come loose so easily, and I would wrap it around my eyes so they wouldn't open.

After wrapping it, Sora groped around on the bed for a while, but couldn't find anything that looked like a television remote, so Sora gave up on collecting information and lay back down on the bed.

Just as Karna said, the consumption of Magic Aura was much better than when letting Karna use the body, but even while I was sleeping, my breath had barely recovered.

He couldn't find a thermometer, and even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to read it.

"I'm tired, but I don't feel cold; it's probably in the upper 7 degrees, right?"

I remember it started getting cold when it went over 38 degrees, and based on this, my physical condition hadn't changed at all since talking to Kurapika, and Karna was fine too, but the fuel consumption was terrible. I took a deep breath and sighed.

However, even lamenting couldn't restore my aura and physical strength, so Sora continued to lie obediently on the bed, partly because of her promise to Kurapika.

I'm not sleepy, and free time is best, so I wanted to go thank Kurapika's colleague for hiding me; I didn't apologize for Karna's escape, but of course I wanted to walk out of this room, and I knew I would cause a lot of trouble for the colleague who hid me, even if it shouldn't have anything to do with Kurapika, so I wouldn't do that.

So, in bed, Sora just wondered if Kurapika would come home, if he would bring Gon and the others, or if the female colleague who was the original owner of this room would return. I waited patiently.

And Sora's wish to "do something about the boredom" was realized in a way Sora had never expected or intended.

I could never say I was lucky; rather, it developed in a direction that should be called the worst.

"... A dog? I wonder if this Hotel accepts pets."

When I was lying on the bed absent-mindedly, I heard barking coming from outside the house, and Sora couldn't help but mutter to herself.

It came from the opposite direction of the sound of rain, and the distance was relatively close, so I noticed that the dog wasn't walking outside the Hotel, but in the hallway; however, as it approached, its barking started to get louder and louder. It didn't sound like there was just one, so it wasn't noisy or uncomfortable, but when I realized there were a great many of them, I felt confused.

Are there too many guests with pets? Or perhaps there was a pet-related event outside of the Auction? Sora thought about all sorts of things to relieve the boredom, but reality often exceeded his imagination.

"Hey! Are you awake!? Stand up!?"

"Huh!? Who!? Who are you?! What is going on!?"

The moment Sora noticed at least 10 dogs had stopped in front of his room, Sora shifted from his bored thoughts to his usual Death Match, and I lay on his bed, ready to move in any way. I wanted to, but the words of the other person who entered made me worry about myself.

And Squala, who entered with scarlet eyes tucked under his arm, remembered that he and she were only meeting for the first time, and hurriedly gave a limited explanation.

"I am Kurapika's colleague, Squala!"

"Phantom Troupe Spider, I found where you are!!"

It was really too small, so I said, "Aren't you the Phantom Troupe Spider?" But Sora's expression was somewhat grave, and he said, "I understand. Excuse me, could you take out my coat and shoes?" Then he got off the bed.

Squala had already clenched his fists, thinking that if she didn't believe me, or if she panicked, I would knock her out and take her away, but she believed me so easily that I was disappointed. "Squala? Aren't you in a hurry?"

While Squala was taking Sora's coat and shoes out of the room's closet, he asked, "You believe so easily, don't you?" While putting them on, she replied, "I heard the name of the colleague who hid me from Kurapika this morning."

But, by the way, the continuation of the words had a body, without a cover.

"Well, I thought of the worst possibility for a moment, which is that someone from the Brigade was impersonating the name of Kurapika's colleague, but I didn't think you were very strong, so I decided to believe you normally."

"That's terrible!!"

Squala shouted, knowing that this woman was the one who killed the eleven members of the Phantom Troupe, and gave her a dog leash instead of a guide dog.

Squala didn't say anything more. But Sora continued to speak alone.

"That's not bad. It's just a fact."

"So, if you encounter the Brigade, leave me and run away. You have no chance of winning, and I can't protect you right now."

"I don't want to be a hindrance to my benefactor who hid me, so I beg you to really run away. After all, they are chasing me or Kurapika."

Although Kurapika told me how much I hid him, under the premise that I had to protect Squala, whom I had just spoken to, I thought I couldn't do it easily, so I was told to give up on myself, especially Squala, who couldn't speak, looked back at Sora, and Sora found that his own eyes were covered by thick bandages.

The way he tried to sacrifice himself so naturally made me very annoyed.

Because I knew a colleague who, due to his self-sacrifice, returned with a lukewarm face even though he was desperate.

Sora's words and actions annoyed him, not because he sympathized with his colleague Kurapika.

There are important people. There are people I want to protect with my life. I don't regret my life for that person.

Because at that moment, I felt I saw a case where Squala's own feelings headed toward the worst ending.

My own lover Eliza, I was very annoyed because I was proven that my feelings for him might end in self-satisfaction.

That is why Squala grabbed the arm that didn't catch Sora's lead and pulled her, even if it was with force.

"Whoa! Hey, what!? I can run by myself!?"

"Shut up! If you were going to abandon me so easily, I wouldn't have protected you in the first place!!"

Sora, who was suddenly grabbed by the arm and told to run, shouted in confusion, but Squala roared and pushed Sora into the car.

At the end of the day, this is a kind of self-satisfaction. This is a job where I only do shady work, but I am complacent, and I don't want to do anything I can't tell my lover about.

Moreover, I don't want to see the future that might turn out like this if I take one wrong step, nor do I want to see the despair that Eliza fell into.

So I think I will keep it.

For myself, this woman who is too strong, too fragile, and too dangerous.

So I put Sora in the car and ran from the Hotel.

... Squala and the others escaped in the passenger seat, and the scarlet eyes watched them.

I drove away from the Hotel, but it was just in time for the rush hour to go home, and the weather was quite good, it rained, causing a traffic jam, and Squala and the others' car was also caught in it.

If the car's movement stopped completely, I would choose to abandon the car and run away, but since it continued to move at a slow bicycle speed, Squala, whose face was at the Hunter scene, judged that considering Sora was harder to be discovered in the car than outside, Squala and the others chose to drive.

Inside the car, Squala explained to Sora how he suddenly took her out, but he just ran away because Kurapika told him that the remnants of the Phantom Troupe were heading to the Hotel.

Kurapika didn't tell Squala that the corpse found last night was fake, and Kurapika confirmed that they were going to the Bechtacle Hotel and hid Sora. There was no such thing, so Squala's move was just "just in case".

However, Sora was stroking the head of Squala's dog in the back seat, and twisted her mouth.

"Are the remnants still in Yorknew and heading in this direction?"

"... I wonder if they would do such a thing?"

"? What do you mean?"

I had heard briefly from Kurapika about the details of the Phantom Troupe's auction raid last night, and because the assassin hired was from the Zoldyck family, and Sora had been hit by the same Materialization System blind spot as Kurapika, I had not yet realized the corpse was a Forgery.

However, because Sora knew a thing or two about the Phantom Troupe, the amount of information Squala gave him was too little, making him feel very uneasy.

"Well, apart from the 11th incident two days ago, I have already had two counterattacks with the Phantom Troupe, but I think they are good at finishing things; otherwise, they wouldn't fight unless they were sure they could win. As for the number 11, being so close, I cannot deny that I was lucky to win.

They have a strong sense of camaraderie, so it doesn't feel inappropriate for the remnants to come for revenge, but my impression is that, as an organization, it is not that emotional."

"Since the Leader is dead, wouldn't there be no one to stop such emotional remarks and actions at all?"

When Sora answered Squala's question, he was shocked by the fact that Squala had counterattacked twice, and not just the 11th Phantom Troupe matter.

"It's not impossible; are all the road-blockers, including the Leader, dead, and the rest just impulsive idiots who put emotions first? Or vice versa. If they survived because they didn't go to the front line, it's not impossible." Consistent with the support, I think it is more natural to think that the remnants are more like those who suppress their emotions and act rationally.

And if there is such a person, even if he has other purposes, such as revenge on me or Kurapika, I think he will temporarily postpone it and leave Yorkshin. It has a bounty, the Mafia's eyes are on you, and there is an Assassin with a record of killing their own leader. If you want to take revenge and hope for the organization's revival, it seems you would choose to temporarily ensure the safety of the remaining members."

That said, Squala was satisfied with the "certainty," but due to the lack of information, Sora's hypothesis had a loophole, so I added to it.

"Ah, the bounty for the Phantom Troupe has been withdrawn; at least they found out that the deceased were from Meteor City, so the community must be afraid of friction and retaliation from Meteor City."

The added extra content reduced the possibility of Sora leaving Yorkshin to ensure the safety of the remaining members.

However, this was smaller than the probability of Sora being out of the game; if one thinks logically, it would be strange if their remnants were still staying in this city.

First of all, it is doubtful whether the important Phantom Troupe knows that the bounty has been withdrawn; even if the Mafia community gives up on conquering the Phantom Troupe, Blacklist Hunters do not care about the community. The news that the A-Rank Phantom Troupe appeared in Yorkshin must have been known long ago, so there is still no advantage for the remnants to stay in this city for a long time.

Therefore, what Squala said was actually just a supplement to facts without special meaning, but to Squala's surprise, Sora, reflected in the rearview mirror, presumably opened his eyes wide under the bandages, looking as if he were right there.

Sora said to Squala, and Squala was confused by her reaction.

"The bounty has been withdrawn? Then why are Kurapika and the others still chasing the remnants?"

When asked, Squala answered with a puzzled expression, as if saying: "Why are you asking me this?"

"Eh? The Phantom Troupe is his family's enemy, right?"

Sora did not really hear Squala's answer.

His words were ignored, and Sora thought seriously.

Sora thought that Kurapika contacted him because he went to see Gon and the others, and he was helping them hunt down the remnants so they wouldn't act recklessly for the bounty.

But if the bounty was withdrawn, that would be a different story. Putting that aside, Killua definitely didn't want to annoy the Phantom Troupe without a bounty.

Of course, Sora had an idea that the remnants were trying to hunt down the remnants for Kurapika, but Kurapika, who was able to break through the Phantom Troupe to some extent, calmly made the same guess as Sora. Staying in this town a little longer, even if they were there, they would be powerless to take revenge, and I could persuade them to stop their actions.

As a result, they were actually still in the city, although it might be for different purposes, but they were heading towards the Hotel where they were staying, so it didn't matter if I followed them, but in any case, they withdrew their bounty for Sora. Even so, I couldn't think of any reason to hunt down the remnants of the Phantom Troupe.

Sora suddenly became quiet, and even the bandages showed that his brows were furrowed, and I eased the tense atmosphere.

At the same time, I asked Squala a question I had been wanting to know from the beginning, but I didn't have time to ask.

"By the way, Squala. What are these dogs? Are they your employer's pets?"

"Hmm? No, not my employer, but my... I don't want to call it a pet, or a weapon or a tool, but I can only say so..."

Inadvertently, I seemed to have answered as if I had exposed my Nen Ability, but since I am a Nen User who has many dogs, it is easy to imagine that he is a Manipulation ability user who manipulates those dogs, so I gave up trying to hide or deceive.

In the eyes of Squala, who had to take responsible care of her, she didn't want to call the dogs weapons or tools, but she could only say what the person himself said, so she lowered her head as if mocking herself. Sora raised a crazy voice from the back seat, "Hmm?

Squala was confused by Sora again; when he learned that the bounty had been withdrawn, Sora was as surprised as he was, but Sora asked without hesitation.

"... Aren't you of the Incarnation System? If these children are Squala's weapons, what are the teeth...?"

Unable to understand what Sora was asking and why he would misunderstand, Squala tilted his head and answered.

"What's in the passenger seat? This is the Scarlet Eyes I won yesterday."

After getting the answer, Sora immediately performed a Penetration.

He pierced and killed the most cruel souvenir of the beloved, which was a fake "dead point" that existed to tease his heart with his filigree.

"!?... Is it counterproductive to replace Karna!!"

Hearing Squala's answer, Sora clicked his tongue, muttered to himself, unbuckled his seatbelt, suddenly leaned over to the passenger seat, and reached out.

Although there was a traffic jam, he was still moving, so Squala couldn't stop Sora's action immediately. It was pierced.

If you are a Nen ability user, even if you use "Hard" for Nen, you can penetrate a glass bottle with your bare hands.

Although I decided to resign today, I couldn't believe Sora's behavior until I realized that I had destroyed the Collection that my employer, that stupid girl, wanted at all costs. Things happened, and my mind went blank.

As soon as Sora pulled his hand out, the cloth that originally wrapped the Scarlet Eyes had no holes and lay flat on the passenger seat like a deflated balloon.

The things inside disappeared like escaping air.

"Squala! Throw the car away and run!! This is probably a fake from the Phantom Troupe and Nen!!"

I knew it from the beginning.

The thing in Squala's hand was a substance created by "Nen".

Even if I closed my eyes, I knew it.

However, his vision didn't seem to be accurate, and the object of Squala's control was "dogs," a creature with high intelligence; as long as he didn't use his ability, as long as they were properly trained, they would follow detailed instructions, so the number was limited. Because there were so many, I didn't always let the dogs provide the aura.

That is to say, since Squala's dogs had only been real dogs from the time they entered the room until now, Sora misunderstood that what Squala was holding was his weapon or something.

If this cognition is corrected, and if it is known that it is "Scarlet Eyes," then the part of Sora that felt out of place will be unraveled, and the most persuasive hypothesis will be generated.

If there is an evil Materialization System super-powered person in the Phantom Troupe who can create a substance that can continue to materialize for nearly a whole day even after being taken out of his hands, then it is easy to speculate that the possibility of this corpse is also a fake made by that super-powered person. It is possible.

Kurapika probably got the information from Hisoka. This is why he and Gon decided to pursue the Phantom Troupe again.

Because they knew that except for No. 1 who was killed by Sora, they had lost nothing.

Because we know our peace is built on too fragile thin ice.

Knowing that they were likely challenging the Brigade to protect Sora, Sora bit his lip, regretting as if he knew nothing.

But I had no time to regret.

If they were trying to protect her, Sora had to survive to fulfill their wishes.

So, Sora gave instructions to Squala, who was stunned by her Scarlet Eyes suddenly disappearing like magic.

"Hurry! The corpse is likely a fake! The Phantom Troupe is still alive! We are far from the wreckage!!"

"What's more, I haven't heard of it until now, yet it suddenly appeared; this suggests that what I created is very likely an Emission-type item!!"

As Sora spoke, he regretted getting angry enough to kill him instantly and erase him.

If it acts as an emitter as I guessed, and if I use Squala's dogs to take it to another place and dump it, unless it's bugged, I'll very likely divert their pursuit, but I regret it. It's just a waste of time and thought.

So I quickly changed my mind and decided to abandon the car and hide in the crowd, rather than continuing to be stuck in traffic and unlocking the car doors.

Moreover, Squala said that the Nen would continue to appear even after being removed from his hands, yet Sora could erase that Nen with a single strike. Although it was completely white, even so, he was a Nen user. He had experienced a massacre in his own way.

Casting this incomprehensible problem to the back of his mind, he also shifted his train of thought, made the same decision, braked, took the dogs and Sora, ignored the horns of other cars, and fled.

However, it was already too late for Sora, who noticed Squala's actions, and everything else.

"Don't move."

Shortly after a dry bang, the asphalt at Squala's feet cracked.

Gunshots rang out, and Squala, Sora, and the dogs stopped in their tracks.

When Squala turned around, there was a man who looked like a Japanese samurai, a beautiful woman with a hooked nose holding a pistol, and a petite person with a face full of long hair and an unknown gender.

The only one I recognize is the samurai, but I know the other two are not unrelated.

"Thank you for coming out."

"Thanks to this, I can save myself the trouble of checking everyone in the passing vehicles."

A beautiful woman holding a pistol said with a sarcastic smile.

Apparently, they were already very close when Sora destroyed the Scarlet Eyes.

"Wow... sorry. It looks like it completely backfired."

Just as Sora said, if they were not within line of sight, Sora's judgment was correct, but if they were already within line of sight, then Sora's actions were equivalent to letting them know they were looking for them.

However, Sora could not know where the Phantom Troupe was right now; although he wanted to quit, Squala was still carrying the Scarlet Eyes to please his employer, so he blamed her, and I don't care.

Even so, despite Squala hiding behind him, Sora still stepped forward and blocked in front of Squala.

"So you ran."

Without even turning around, he said it naturally.

To her, the samurai always drew his Sword, stood in an introverted stance, and revealed a fierce expression and killing intent that seemed to be a mixture of hatred and joy.

"... Are you Sora?"