Chapter 94: Struggle

"... Kurapika. Calm down and listen."

The moment I received the report from Senritsu, my eyes turned pitch black.

"... Sora-chan seems to have been captured."

The worst-case scenario had occurred.

I only wanted to avoid that; I didn't want to let it become reality. Only she would not be threatened by the Phantom Troupe, just to protect that alone. No matter how dangerous, I would trample over her wish to seize the Phantom Troupe. Although he swore, his stupidity once again led himself, and even Gon and Killua, into the most dangerous situation; he could not protect the person he had sacrificed so much to protect.

The scene before my eyes turned pitch black, and my whole body lost its strength.

I felt helpless, unable to do anything.

Only self-loathing and guilt weighed heavily on Kurapika.

………………But,

"――Senritsu! Please contact Wese and request her cooperation!"

This is a hopeless situation.

But I have not yet despaired.

It is not a dead end; I am not stuck. Everything is not yet finished.

Kurapika has no reason to kneel and give up.

That is why Kurapika regained his lost strength, stepped on his bent legs, and moved forward with his brain, using any means necessary.

I have not yet despaired.

Gon, Killua, and Sora are captured by the Phantom Troupe.

But no one has died yet.

No matter how much information is obtained, as long as he is not dead, he can do anything. No matter how small, there is always a chance for recovery.

As long as Sora is still alive, he will continue to be saved and be happy.

As long as he is still alive, Sora will continue to be saved, and he will be very happy.

So Kurapika's grasp on happiness has not yet been stolen. I can still protect you. I can take it back.

If Kurapika has not yet lost the dream of living happily with her, then no matter how hurt or lost he is, he will still continue to move forward.

Because I can live.

Thus, as soon as I requested Wese's cooperation from Senritsu, I immediately used my Mobile Phone to contact Leorio, and while following the Phantom Troupe, I more specifically determined and instructed the strategy Gon had proposed.

Gon's plan is to "utilize the Pitch Darkness."

The suddenly appearing familiar yet somewhat vigilant child, and the attack of darkness. Combining these two, even Chrollo, who is far superior to Gon, can be made to create a gap of a few seconds.

Moreover, if Senritsu eavesdropped on their destination—the Bechtacle Hotel—if they get there a step ahead, it is possible to do something that will lead to a power outage.

Kurapika had already decided on his position when he learned the news about going to the hotel.

If it is this kind of weather, I believe they will be waiting in the hotel lobby instead of the entrance.

It is not uncommon in the hotel lobby; you can see your position anywhere in the lobby, and move around unskillfully to catch them, and do not get too close to them. The reception desk is a place where a deaf person can see and sit.

The hotel reception desk only has female staff, but for the current Kurapika, there is no room to view her feminized face and delicate physique as a composite. Instead, I just think that a disguise will be convenient.

When I requested Senritsu's cooperation, I had already told Wese about the situation to a certain extent, so if she feels indebted to Sora, she might cooperate.

Of course, I have no intention of putting unrelated ordinary people in danger.

All she has to do is arrange a few people in the hall she is manipulating. If Kurapika disguises himself as a receptionist and pretends to serve customers with the people she controls, it is unlikely that an accidental situation will occur due to the fault of the ordinary people she deals with, and the strategy will not be executed... Kurapika also decided to use Wese, thinking that this could guide ordinary people so that they would not stand on Kurapika's chain trajectory when performing operations.

Failure is unacceptable, so be careful and certain. But quickly.

There is no time to stagnate, no room for regret.

Kurapika cannot live without moving forward, so he acted recklessly.

On the way to the Bechtacle Hotel, I turned off my Mobile Phone after deciding on the strategy with Leorio to a certain extent.

This is disadvantageous to Leorio, but if they don't know his face, he is just an amateur who has just learned "Ren" and "Hatsu," so the Phantom Troupe will definitely not be vigilant against Leorio.

Taking this opportunity, he completely entrusted Leorio to naturally inform Gon and Killua of the "utilize the Pitch Darkness" plan, as well as the information that it will be "executed at 7:00 PM." Somehow, Leorio complained on the phone, but no one spoke.

Then I tried to turn off my Mobile Phone.

If Pakunoda reads Sora's memory and discovers the connection between Gon, Killua, and Kurapika, he might try to steal their Mobile Phones and try to contact them.

No matter how you disguise yourself, if the receptionist's Mobile Phone rings at that time, it will be considered unnatural. If my memory is read and my face has already been caught, then I leave the moment I am noticed.

If the operation fails because of such a stupid mistake, then Kurapika would not die even if he died in many ways.

For a moment, I thought I was in a dangerous situation, but the call was made from a public phone.

If Kurapika's worry is true, he would use Sora and Gon's Mobile Phones to catch them off guard or threaten them, so I am quite sure this call is not from the Phantom Troupe, but from my public phone. I don't remember the time to answer the phone being too long; Kurapika does not have the luxury of answering incoming calls.

Kurapika picked up the phone.

If I don't remember hanging up, I ignored it and turned off the power, but one person came to mind.

That is why Kurapika answered the phone and immediately told him what he had to do.

"Squala? I want your cooperation."

"... What should I do?"

The person on the other end of the phone also sounded tired, but because I came with this intention from the beginning, the back-and-forth could be carried out without wasting effort.

In order to get rid of the shadow that could not be shaken off, Squala did not see the beloved shadow on himself, because he did not want to continue to regret looking at the beloved shadow and run away, he said unscrupulously, "I really am." I started doing what I wanted to do.

"Wait here."

Chrollo arrived at the originally scheduled destination, the Bechtacle Hotel, and stood majestically in the center of the lobby, waiting for the arrival of Phinks, whom he had summoned, and Nobunaga, who had captured Sora.

Although he disguised himself as a corpse to avoid the Mafia's pursuit, Killua's confidence that he did not think he was in a position to be hunted, and his confidence that he had no chance to realize his own confidence was not excessive, were spat out on his Tongue. His heart...

"Senritsu, can you hear me? If you can hear me, give me a signal...!!"

Senritsu, if you are going to ask, give me a signal...!!"

From now on, anyone entering the Inn will be vigilant, even if they haven't encountered Leorio at all, so Killua prayed that they would walk ahead of them, his lips barely moving, just letting out a sigh. He earnestly called Senritsu.

If Senritsu is in the lead, there is still a hand here.

There is a hand called "Create Pitch Darkness."

If it were Kurapika and Leorio, they should be able to set it up by telling them to "Multiply Pitch Darkness."

And Gon had no way to tell him his strategy, but he was smarter than Killua at the last moment, just like when he was at Trick Tower, or yesterday when he escaped from the Phantom Troupe's hideout. I trust that I will not break the Obstacle.

I am confident that I will do well.

The only problem is the timing of when to do it.

There is no point in creating Pitch Darkness just by causing a power outage. Regarding that Phantom Troupe, even for a moment, a gap will not be born. It is impossible for them to escape or kidnap people from the Brigade.

Kurapika cannot catch Pakunoda or Chrollo unless at least one of them, whether it be himself or Gon, takes violent action at the moment of the power outage and diverts their attention.

And in order to "divert consciousness," the eyes must be accustomed to the darkness in advance.

Closing your eyes for a few dozen seconds is enough to adapt to the darkness, but if you close your eyes for no reason, you will arouse suspicion, and if you close your eyes, you won't know the moment the power goes out, and you won't be able to react quickly.

It is meaningless if it is not activated at the moment of the power outage. Killua called out to Senritsu over and over again with a voice quieter than the footsteps of an insect.

At the time Sora was caught, it is certain that Kurapika's intelligence had already been grasped by Pakunoda. Just as Sora said, Chrollo seems to be obsessed with Sora and her eyes.

So far, the only information obtained from Pakunoda and the others is that they have captured Sora, and there has been no communication yet that they have extracted information from Sora about Kurapika or their relationship, but it is probably only a few minutes' walk away. Killua explained that because it is a 20-minute distance, he probably intended to speak directly after collecting as much information as possible while walking.

If the operation is to continue, it is best to kidnap Chrollo before Sora and the others arrive, then kidnap her or Chrollo when Sora is brought in, and then provide information to Pakunoda or others.

Before the information extracted from Sora spreads and is shared by the entire Phantom Troupe, if one can kidnap Pakunoda herself or Chrollo, who is the most valuable as a hostage, even if they cannot escape, there is a way out. Conversely, if you cannot do it, you are not far from poverty.

And the biggest worry in this strategy is Sora's actions based on tilted ideas that no one can predict or imagine.

Gon might still have a way to convey this plan, but Sora certainly does not. But that in itself is not the problem. On the contrary, Killua would be much more comfortable with a woman who suddenly panics in the dark, and the longer and deeper the relationship, the more elusive she becomes.

If I'm not good enough, I'll be brought in, and when I see them, I'll shout "Killua! Gon! What are you doing!?" That's it.

Although it is a strategy to help Sora, she is the person most likely to ruin it. I am being rude, but I am worried about Sora's selfishness, so if possible, I really want to execute this strategy when Sora is not around, Killua thought, and although his voice was as low as possible, he continued to call out to Senritsu, shouting with all his might.

It was not Senritsu who responded to the call.

"What time do you think it is?"

"!?"

Suddenly, an angry voice resounded throughout the hall, and not only Gon and the others, but even the people from the Brigade unconsciously focused their attention on the owner of that voice.

He naturally let the target know of this person's existence, so that no one would be surprised to see it.

(Leorio!?)

At the conversation corner of the hall, Gon and the others realized for the first time that Leorio was the one who had been hiding behind a newspaper listening to the radio since he first came to the hall.

Leorio, who was unexpected to them, used his appearance, looking like a gangster, and yelled at his Mobile Phone.

"Huh? What are you looking at?"

When I did that, I shredded Chrollo and the others who were looking at me.

This is the gangster setting, it's terrible, yelling at you in public, so if someone stares at you, it's natural to react like this, but Shizuku asked Chrollo coldly, "Do you want to turn it off?" The person doing this is the most nerve-wracking. Perhaps he is more desperate doing this.

"Let me go, don't make eye contact."

However, in the process of meeting with his comrades, Chrollo naturally could not forgive Leorio for killing a thug who had a relationship with him, which drew his attention.

And, using the life he picked up, Leorio told us.

"Oh!? Isn't this a spectacle!?"

One!? Oh, that's the story, you idiot. Damn it, thanks to a stupid subordinate, I'm in "Pitch Darkness"!!"

They were already prepared.

"Are you sure!? This is my only time 'blinded'! Next time, do you know what I did wrong!?"

Listen well!! "Exactly seven o'clock"!! Come to the Hotel at that time!! If you are one second late, you will be fired!! I'm fired!!"

Thus, Gon and Killua managed to express what to do and when to do it very naturally.

Killua didn't know, but thanks to Gon's "Borrow Pitch Darkness" plan, there was no need for Killua to propose, and the preparations were completed.

Leorio's radio was also one of the props for the strategy.

If the radio is playing a station that receives a time signal, it will be an accurate signal. As long as the person causing the power outage does not make a mistake in time, they can take action almost at the same time as the power outage, and even with their eyes closed, they do not have to listen to the second hand of the clock.

If you are ready, it is your turn to prepare.

Killua made a faint clicking sound on his wrist, with a gusset line tied to his wrist, ready to release the joint at any time.

Then he calculated the time it would take him to remove the joint, get rid of the restraints, re-insert the removed joint, and start attacking.

(Removing the joint takes about 0.7 seconds, and instantly breaking free to attack...

I can afford it...!! Even if they suddenly lose power, it will take their eyes a few seconds to adapt to the darkness!!)

Gon probably has no way to get rid of his restraints, but if he can escape, he can do anything.

The chance of winning is slim, but they are coming.

After that, I pray that Pakunoda and the others will not return with Sora, if possible, until the operation is completed.

If Pakunoda returns to share the information he got from Sora, then most of the meaning of this operation will be lost.

Most importantly, the person who wants to help the most is likely to be the one who ruins the strategy the most, so not only Killua, but possibly Leorio, Kurapika who doesn't know where he is hiding, and even Gon said to Sora: "I'll come because I begged you." Even if you come, don't do anything unnecessary!!", carefully staring at the clock and praying so as not to look unnatural.

(3 more minutes...!!)

However, reality is ruthless.

"The park is here."

Pakunoda and the others had a hard time buying a grace period before the operation to bring Sora in.

The other comrades who were ordered to come when Gon was caught have not arrived yet, and they cannot leave just like that, but the situation is still terrible.

However, when he saw Sora brought by Pakunoda and the others, he said: "It's you!"

The hair growing in front of his chest was pulled down.

However, even with his hair hanging down, Sora now lacked the femininity that Gon naively toyed with and complimented, the honesty Killua displayed, or the desire Kurapika felt to see him.

The pain from the thick bandages covering his tightly closed eyes transformed the soft, delicate atmosphere created by Sora's hanging hair into a vanishing fragility—a fragility that made you wonder why it hadn't snapped yet.

I heard from Kurapika that Sora had gone blind from the aftereffects of overusing "Immediate Death," reaching an unprecedented degree.

Even so, both of them thought Sora's aftereffects were the worst they had ever experienced, so they only assumed their own vision had been deteriorating for a long time.

Although his vision had deteriorated to the point where he couldn't recognize people's faces, he walked around unhurriedly; he couldn't believe his vision had worsened to this extent. I couldn't do anything to attract the people around me whom I couldn't see.

I know Gon and Killua.

The side effect of overusing Sora's eyes, the "Evil Eye of Immediate Death," is a decline in vision.

And the precision of that magic eye increases in inverse proportion to the vision.

When they realized this was a vision used to reject what they should have accepted, the two of them were speechless and went mad, trying not to look at it.

Their reactions were obviously strange, so it wasn't strange that they noticed their connection to Sora at this time, but Machi and Shizuku were meeting for the first time (three days ago, they met as "Red Coat"). However, I was worried about Sora and the exhausted Boyuetian, especially Nobunaga, whose right hand was covered in blood, who didn't care about the two children at all.

And Chrollo—

"! ………………"

From the moment Shizuku told him that Pakunoda and the others had arrived, he turned his gaze toward them; from the moment he saw the Sora they brought, Chrollo's eyes widened slightly, remaining silent, but Pakunoda and the others walked to Chrollo's side. In front of him, *suta-suta*, he hurried to the other's front.

I know how obsessed they are with the Leader, Sora, but I didn't expect them to suddenly arrive here speechless and expressionless, the three of them returning with a lingering, shaken tension. However, Chrollo not only ignored the three people who brought Sora, but also ignored the confusion of Machi and Gon left behind him, only looking at Sora.

Someone was standing in front of Sora, so he raised his head.

Even through the bandages, the "Death Line," thinner than a capillary, pierced his whole body, shining with a pale light even in the darkness of blindness, allowing Sora to perceive the shape of a person, but as expected, he could only distinguish the "physique" of the other's face. Of course, I couldn't identify the face, so Sora asked, "Who is it?"

Chrollo did not answer the question, but took action.

"!!??"

Chrollo suddenly tore off the bandages without a sound.

He didn't untie the bandages wrapped around him, but directly grabbed the bandages wrapped around Sora's face, tore them open, and ripped them off Sora's face.

"What are you doing!!"

Gon screamed unconsciously, and Machi, who didn't want to make a sound, covered her mouth with her hand, but first of all, Chrollo was the most eye-catching person, so in his heart, he said exactly the same thing as Gon.

Fortunately for Gon and his friends, Chrollo's behavior was so sudden and cruel that even if Sora were a complete stranger, Gon's behavior wouldn't be unnatural. The surroundings were mixed with various emotions, and because they were face-to-face, no one noticed the slight discomfort in Gon.

But no one felt truly happy about it.

After the bandages were forcibly removed, the three scratches on Sora's pale face made everyone's head burn with rage.

However, although there was no blood on his face, the person in charge of the bandages was torn to shreds, and even his expression wasn't surprised; he remained completely unresponsive.

Sora was so quiet that the people around him were confused, but fortunately, he didn't make a fuss.

"What happened to your eyes?"

Seeing that his eyelids were sealed by bandages, Chrollo asked with slight dissatisfaction.

Not only Gon and his friends, but even their other members were attracted by this reaction and question.

I know he is obsessed with Sora's eyes, but this man is really only interested in Sora's "eyes."

And his obsession with "eyes" is unusual even for his comrades-in-arms.

If Chrollo had been looking forward to it, no matter how many treasures her companions brought back that she expected, if it were clearly discovered that her companions were acting abnormally, she would be the first to worry.

However, the current Chrollo didn't notice the abnormal behavior of Pakunoda and the others at all, nor did he notice that Nobunaga was injured, even though in Gon's eyes, they were so selfishly worried.

Responding to Chrollo's reaction, Sora sneered.

"Ah... I thought it was you. What is this for, anyway?"

"—Is this satisfactory?"

The eyelids opened.

Seeing what appeared under those eyelids, let alone Chrollo, the members who were startled by Chrollo's words and actions, and even Gon and Killua, who knew what was under the eyelids, held their breath.

"--Amazing."

No one could deny the words Chrollo said while admiring, but not many people could affirm it at the same time.

A vivid sky blue, so beautiful that the existing "seven colors" faded and became hazy.

This is the color of heaven. The color of heaven. It should not be allowed to exist in the Human World.

That is why it strongly reminded me of "death."

No one could deny the beauty of those eyes, but not many people could be obsessed with them, because that is the end of the high sky, the "Abyss" of "".

Not many people can continue to look straight at "death" itself and reach out to seek it.

Even if you don't understand where those eyes are connected from, if the head is an idiot who doesn't realize that those eyes themselves are the "Death God," the Phantom Troupe could not have become A-class criminals.

However, Chrollo's ecstatic gaze turned to the beauty of the blue sky and reached out his hand.

Even Pakunoda and the others, Machi and Shizuku, who saw Sora's magic eyes for the first time and didn't know how "deadly" their vision was, could tell at a glance that they were "with these eyes." "Don't do this." Although Chrollo's instinct was sounding an alarm, he asked for it so defenselessly that he thought he was being manipulated by something.

"Explosion, handsome! You can't see!"

"Uh!?"

However, before the members could stop Chrollo by shouting "Leader!"

Just as Sora suddenly shouted what was originally only a greeting to a handsome guy, while being countered by Pakunoda's hands, Sora raised his free leg, wanting to kick Chrollo in the crotch, but as expected, he was blown away while hot, and Chrollo dodged lightly; he didn't seem to be floating in the air.

He was in a relaxed mood, but his voice was relatively natural and impatient.

"Hey! Don't dodge."

"You should have avoided it! What are you doing suddenly!?"

"That's what I'm saying! Or rather, I've decided, next time I meet you, I will definitely throw a Hatsu punch at you! Shut up and catch me!"

Chrollo slammed into Sora, and Sora seemed dissatisfied with Chrollo avoiding the money. I learned of an unpleasant decision after being told.

Not only Chrollo, but Nobunaga and Kortopi couldn't help but poke at Sora's unpleasant decision, "What's with that ominous move name!?" You can stop the quarrel-level argument.

As a result, Sora's sudden arrival drew even more attention due to Chrollo's conspicuous behavior, but because it was such a low-level argument, the people around them interpreted it as a quarrel between friends, or between hotel guests and staff. It decreased; the vision Chrollo had blinded himself with due to his frantic obsession was corrected, and Gon and the others also bought more time until the surgery could proceed, so I think this was a good result for everyone. Of course, no one appreciated Sora.

Not only Gon and Killua, but Gon and Killua also noticed Chrollo staring at them and asked, "What are you doing?" It is my fault. Others, "Thank you for your hard work," in helping to capture Sora, and how much information they had obtained.

"I know the most about what the Chain Bastard is, but even this kid doesn't know his ability.

... I'm sorry. Other than that, I haven't studied it yet. Or rather, if possible, I don't want to see this child's memories again. Of course, if it is an order, I will do it immediately."

Chrollo's question made Gon and the others impatient, but Pakunoda's answer was unexpectedly inexplicable; because they hadn't studied it yet, they felt relieved.

Upon hearing Pakunoda's unusual words "I don't want to see his memories" for the first time, Chrollo also tilted his head. It looked like he could only see Sora, but Chrollo noticed that the emotions of the three of them were very low.

Perhaps that is why Chrollo only answered "Yes" to Pakunoda.

I didn't ask him why he didn't want to see his memories.

I didn't even ask, so I didn't ask.

Although he knew Sora was the one who killed Uvogin, Nobunaga did not seem to suppress his killing intent that was about to erupt at any moment; instead, he appeared somewhat drowsy. For the first time, the answer popped into the clever Chrollo's brain.

Sora next month Uvogin make a shadow

Because he saw not only Nobunaga, but also Pakunoda as Uvogin's face, Pakunoda told her that he did not want to read her memories, so as not to sympathize with the "enemy" who had cut off half of their limbs. He prioritized Pakunoda's wishes because he realized

"I don't mind, as long as I know about the Chain Bastard, it's enough of a harvest. Besides, if you have a connection with these guys, you can investigate this."

Chrollo let Pakunoda follow him while turning his gaze toward Gon and Killua.

After that, Nobunaga seemed to finally notice the existence of the two, and although his tension was still low, he spoke to them with some interest.

"How did you get caught again? Did you have a change of heart and want to join the group?"

Seemingly to avoid Sora's gaze, and also to make Sora's existence disappear, Nobunaga spoke to Gon and Killua with great interest, but even though they found something strange, he was still concerned. Since I didn't have any obligations, I tilted my head to look at the clock to see how much time was left until the surgery was finished, and then tried to find a way to buy another two minutes.

By the time Gon shouted "What are you doing!?", Sora should have already known of their existence, but Sora still didn't look at them, said nothing, and did nothing.

Perhaps because of this, the Phantom Troupe still did not think they might have a point of contact with Sora or the Chain Bastard, and their vigilance was not that high.

Perhaps she was not surprised, because she knew Gon and the others had also been caught when she was caught.

If that were the case, the possibility that Killua's worry about Sora's driving being too normal would ruin the strategy was minimal; on the contrary, it was an advantage for them.

Her wit at the last moment was better than Gon's, thanks to her crazy idea of refusing to die, and although Sora's eye condition is so painful now, I have been looking forward to her vision from the beginning. If you can't do that, there is no problem with a sudden power outage. I haven't told you the tactics yet, but Sora should be able to handle it well.

"Phantom Troupe you me I just don't know the bounty

"As a result, did you not follow me again?

Well, let's get along. What?"

"No"

That is why, even though he only revealed the information he "knew about the Chain Bastard," Killua used his brain to somehow execute this strategy, getting a very natural reaction and action.

"I chased you because there was a bounty.

... A guy who suddenly hurt a woman's face is going to join this group of heads! If it's true, I don't even want to see your face!"

Thinking that not mentioning Sora at all would be unnatural, Killua integrated his true feelings into the role of a fearless, stubborn child, closed his eyes tightly, and turned to leave.

Gon also took advantage of Killua's words and turned away with equal disgust.

"Kuku, Commander, what is this about!? Good shot, right?

These guys have a kind of guts similar to Uvogin!"

Nobunaga smiled slightly at their reaction and recommended that Gon and the others join.

He laughed so hard he couldn't stop crying, trying to convince himself that these people were very similar to Uvogin.

Precisely because he felt Nobunaga was painful, Chrollo coldly ordered Pakunoda to hand him over, letting him give up gracefully.

"... Pak, look at these guys again"

"!!"

Gon and the others hadn't taken out the rags yet, but Chrollo still thought they had a connection with Sora.

He knew more about Sora than Gon and the others imagined.

Judging from Sora's words and actions, he should be blind, but in the accusations when the bandages were just removed, and in the conversation with Nobunaga, the child had already been captured just like himself. Doing nothing, even if I didn't notice.

Thinking about how the "Kogyoku" I guessed turned into my younger brother, and even if there was only one customer in the auction raid three days ago, I wouldn't let him escape; I can't catch him now. I thought so. It is impossible not to be interested in or care about the kidnapped child.

At the very least, I would be suspicious and ask: "Why did these people catch the child?" It is the same.

"Okay. What are you asking?"

Therefore, Chrollo ordered to interrupt Nobunaga's hesitation and deprive them of the information Pakunoda could not extract from Sora.

"What are you hiding?"

Because it was simple, Killua was impatient with the words that could extract the most necessary information in the shortest time.

However, at the same time, Leorio's radio broadcast said it would be seven o'clock in one minute.

"This is useless!"

So I gave up on the idea itself and told Pakunoda everything I could think of; Pakunoda had already approached Shizuku and entrusted Sora's restraint to Shizuku to buy time. By the way, I kept thinking "Don't do anything unnecessary!", so I was looking forward to Sora's break time.

However, at times like this, Sora would say nothing.

A feeling different from before, Killua shouted, "Make the air fresh!" I felt uncomfortable with Sora.

In the future written in the Prophecy, Chrollo remained vigilant about Sora's actions, perhaps because of the "Sapphire warrior" who was going to tear off their limbs. Hung up.

Sora didn't even look at her while talking to Chrollo. I really don't know where I am looking or what I am looking at.

"I can't afford it. Whether I have it or not, it won't change my job."

It's not bragging or anything, it's just telling the truth.

Just as he said, Sora had no way out.

In the battle with Uvogin, the Demon Eye, which had already exceeded its limit, was still uncontrollable.

Precisely because we have seen too much "death," and precisely because we can see nothing but "death," it cannot be used in this place where there are ordinary people we have to protect and who have nothing to do with it.

With the current Sora, I can only distinguish by physique, so even Gon and Killua have a chance to catch up with Kortopi, who is the same height.

Furthermore, this is compensation for letting Karna use his body. Since his Magic Aura has barely recovered, he cannot use Magic or Nen Ability.

Additionally, if he were to hand it over to Karna, Sora would have to sacrifice his own life to make up for the lack of Mana, so regardless of Sora's wishes, this should be the last resort.

To minimize the burden on Sora, Karna seems to be able to fight even in the "Absolute" state, and I believe he could win even in this state, which is far from a concession. That is what Sora thinks, but even so, fighting a six-man squad while protecting Gon, Killua, and the ordinary people around them is truly terrible.

If it were Karna, I would at least take him to a hideout where there are no ordinary people around them; even if the number of opponents increased, I think it would be better than here, so I decided to go with the current Sora. There is no option to replace him with Karna.

I cannot afford it.

But we still have choices.

Of course, Gon and Killua are still alive, and only three people know about Kurapika.

This is why Sora is smiling.

The future and hope have not yet vanished. Even if I cannot afford it, I have not lost what I can do.

Compared to the despair of the past two days, having to be burned by scorching heat or falling into the abyss of escape, the current situation is simply a joke.

So Sora did not even look at Gon and Killua, whose chins were being held up by Pakunoda, and just answered with a smile.

"Whether I can afford it or not, nothing I do will change.

To live, I don't want to die, I want to live, I want to live happily, so I have been struggling until the moment I die."

No one knew if there was any meaning in Sora's eyes, which should have only seen "death," being cast toward the reception of the Inn.

However, the moment the receptionist slightly raised the corners of her mouth in response to Sora's words, the Hotel was enveloped in darkness.

"!!?"

When the time signal on the radio announced seven o'clock, Killua and Gon opened their tightly closed eyes.

Thanks to Pakunoda's self-deprecation when she was young, why was the phrase "My brain is filled with other things, I cannot read my memories" almost shameless? Thanks to the kind and polite explanation, it was barely in time.

And the one who made the Brigade confused by the darkness was neither Killua nor Gon, but a predetermined person in a sense, and as expected, it was not distorted.

"Gander!!"

"Ahhh!!"

"!? Shizuku!?"

Sora, who was bound behind Shizuku, attacked Shizuku at zero distance and kicked him with a free leg, thereby breaking free from the restraints.

He should not be able to see, so even if the Hotel has a power outage, it will not affect Sora. Deaf.

For Sora, the "sudden power outage" had been handled to the extent that she could act immediately; it was just within the scope of her assumptions.

Just as Killua expected, he decided not to worry about Sora, who is strong at the last moment, and showed Sora that he is not the type of person who would worry about him.

"Component!!!"

(!! The guy on the right came out!?)

In an instant, the wrist joint entangled by the thread was pulled out, the arm was turned forward and reinserted, and the left arm that Pakunoda was holding by the chin was pinched by both hands and snapped.

Then, kicking Pakunoda's chin with his toe, Killua completely broke free from his restraints.

Gon also kicked Pakunoda's arm away from Killua's fierce kick; he tried to escape by kicking Gander's side, but he could not break free from Gander's restraints.

Fortunately, Gon only mastered the Four Major Principles; Gon did not know how to use "Hard" to increase attack power, not only in his eyes but also in certain parts of his body. Away from Killua, while enduring the enhanced Gon's kick.

(Don't let go of this guy left behind!!)

(Gon!!)

It was a thread made "just in case," and it could not be cut by simple force. If separated from Gon, Killua would not be able to remove Gon's wrist joint.

In that case, there is only one way to release Gon's restraints.

(Damn it!! Cut the thread... kill or I have no choice!!)

In order to dig out the user's blood-clot heart, Killua changed his fingertips with movements he was already accustomed to, and then headed toward the blood clot.

However, their progress was blocked.

"Killua!!"

He could still anticipate it; the person blocking him was not the Phantom Troupe, but Sora, who had survived after escaping from Shizuku's restraints due to the commander's prophecy and the order "Never chase him."

Unexpectedly, Sora stood between Machi and Killua in words and actions.

"Clench your teeth!"

"Ha!? Hey, hey!? Gulu!!"

Of course, even using the darkness, there are people in the Phantom Troupe who can use "En," and Sora must have guessed it.

That is why I have to complain about this no matter what! Thinking this, Killua was kicked by Sora and sent directly to the entrance of the Inn.

Killua broke the glass door and escaped, but he immediately got up and tried to return to the Hotel.

Thinking calmly, there is no point in returning to Kurapika, and I know it is better to cooperate with them.

Nevertheless, I still cannot escape.

Even at a time like this, I still cannot read the mood; if I don't throw a punch, I won't be satisfied; he does nothing but make a mess.

Rather than hitting himself, who was just saved, it is better to defeat Sora, who does not want to die but does not put himself first.

However, when Killua returned to the Hotel, he was suddenly grabbed by the neck and stopped.

If it were a human hand, Killua would have subconsciously shaken it off and returned to the Hotel, but Killua's thoughts stopped for a moment, only feeling a slight fishy smell coming from the back of his neck.

Just then, that large dog, slightly smaller than the culprit of the sigh, Killua, but one could tell at a glance that it was well-trained and tough, grabbed Killua's collar and easily lifted him up. Put him on his back.

Then, still unable to understand the situation, Killua was carried by a dog to the prepared car and thrown out violently.

In a situation Killua did not understand, Gon also saw Sora's overly enthusiastic help (?), so he was more confused than ordinary people and the involved Brigade, and his movements paused for a moment.

However, Sora, who knew nothing about the first plan, could not be stopped.

As if she were the planner of this strategy, she acted without hesitation.

When kicking Killua, she took it out of her coat pocket.

And it emitted a glow, reflecting the faint light source coming from outside the Hotel.

When he realized what it was, Gon also realized what Sora was trying to do and screamed.

"Sora! Stop!"

No longer pretending to be strangers, calling out the name.

What Sora was doing, or what he was about to do, was not something the Phantom Troupe, who hadn't yet grown accustomed to the darkness, could afford to ignore, but even so, Sora could not see. A suicidal act of attack.

This was why the Brigade prioritized Gon, who still hadn't escaped Machi's arrest.

If he were alone, considering his current actions of trying to help them, he would at least be an effective hostage against Sora.

Sora knew he would make such a choice.

This was why Sora ignored Gon's pleas, making him unable to ignore the Phantom Troupe even if he couldn't see.

"Hurry up! You damn old man!!"

Just as the sound of something hard dropping to the floor of the lobby and the smell of rust arrived, the words Sora spoke made the entire team alert, "Do you have any more friends!?"

And just after Gon's restrained words, everyone in the Phantom Troupe involuntarily turned their faces toward the direction where Sora might be, and kept their distance.

Whether saved or not, the Aura around it should have been too weak, but even without seeing or wearing a "Circle," one could see the massive Aura suddenly radiating out.

A massive Aura, so much so that even ordinary people panicked by the power outage noticed something and calmed down.

Furthermore, the Phantom Troupe remembered.

Three days ago, on the first day of the Auction, the foul play "Red Coat" used to escape when countering an attack from "Red Coat."

Even Uvogin, who blocked a rocket launcher with one hand, chose to avoid the slash of light.

I remembered the existence of the Sword.

From the Brigade's perspective, this was interpreted as him choosing to help Gon at the cost of sacrificing ordinary people, but Gon knew Sora wouldn't do that.

He was the only one who hadn't seen Sora's Jewel Sword, so he didn't know how powerful it was or what the conditions for its appearance were, but he did know one thing.

That one of the conditions for triggering the Magic Miracle was that Sora be injured.

Gon's eyes, accustomed to the darkness, watched as Sora, in order to match the activation conditions and increase his own power, cut his own left wrist, just like in the match with Hisoka.

Even so, he knew Sora had no intention of using that Sword. Without a doubt, this was nothing more than a threat to stop Gon from interfering.

As if to confirm that Gon's imagination was correct, Sora held the Sword stained with the fresh blood flowing from his wrist and ran toward Gon without firing the Mana contained within the blade. Machi caught Gon with a string in a flash and blew him away, so he didn't mistake it for Kortopi, and directly swung his right arm forward, which was wrapped in a red ribbon without the Jewel Sword.

As Sora swung his right arm, the Sword and the Aura wrapped around it vanished, throwing the Phantom Troupe into even greater confusion.

The reason the Jewel Sword disappeared was because one of the conditions for the Materialization of the Jewel Sword, "not being within the range of Direct Death," was lifted, and Sora entered the range.

Because I discovered.

A heavenly, beautiful color that would not be damaged even in the darkness found a thinner and smaller "Death Line" within the "Ten" thin thread of the button, cut it, and released Gon.

Realizing his thread had been cut, Machi realized that the words of Chrollo, Shalnark, and Hisoka about Sora's eyes were not exaggerated at all, nor were they even crazy.

The ending where everyone ran away made Machi grit her teeth in anger, but it was too early to draw conclusions now.

"!? Sora!!"

Just as Gon shouted, I heard the sound of something collapsing.

Immediately after, Nobunaga shouted in a voice that sounded slightly relieved: "He's out of gas!"

It seemed that Sora had exhausted the Aura he originally had to save Gon in order to restrain Gon, and had completely collapsed.

In the eyes of the Phantom Troupe, who had become somewhat accustomed to the darkness, a faint figure was captured.

A child ran toward the person who had fallen, wanting to hold him in his arms and escape. The thought of running away himself didn't even cross the edge of his mind.

But, of course, the Phantom Troupe would not allow such a thing.

Nobunaga, who had accurately pinpointed the positions of Gon and Sora using "En," stood in front of Gon, who was holding the weak and limp Sora with a tearful face, and struck a pose of love and anger.

"—If it moves, I'll cut it this time."

Saying this, he cut the thing thrown from behind as an example.

What I was almost cut by the reflection was a throwing knife.

Even after Nobunaga displayed his swordsmanship, Gon did not give up.

If he moved, even Sora, who had fainted from exhaustion of Aura, would die. I couldn't do that, so I just didn't want to do that, because my purpose was to protect Sora.

In those eyes, Nobunaga also saw the image of his own close friend.

I don't want to kill you, I thought.

This child, and the woman who should have been an enemy, were doing their best to protect the child.

"It's a pity."

"This isn't a good place... I'm keenly aware that Shalnark hates being dragged into this..."

Hearing Nobunaga's harsh words to shake off his hesitation, I used all my strength to press down on the original wound kicked by Gon, and my intuition was right. No, I said in a tired voice.

"Yeah... although I'm sorry to the Leader, but after all, that child is inside... right?"

Similarly, after being kicked by Sora, Gon was also hit, and Shizuku frowned, her broken ribs hurting, and the leg hit by Gon also itching.

"Where is the Leader...?"

Everyone finally realized that Chrollo was not there.