Chapter 96: A Little More to the Turning Point

"Master!!"

Sora, being called and embraced, stopped resisting in his dream.

Though not as bad as two days ago, Sora, who still refused to fall into the Abyss and refused to accept it again, stopped resisting when he realized the existence binding him, and obediently surrendered to himself.

And when he stopped resisting, Sora, who had only consumed the minimum amount of Life Energy necessary for vital activities, fell asleep enduring fatigue so great he couldn't even dream, while being held and spoken to by Karna.

"……I'm sorry, Karna. I've caused you trouble……"

"There is no need to apologize. Apologizing is meaningless."

Perhaps Karna was also frightened by Sora's exhaustion and was unusually flustered. When he said, "I haven't spoken enough," which should have been much better, Sora smiled bitterly and said deliberately: "You won't let me apologize?" I asked with an explanation that would usually be interpreted that way.

Perhaps Karna felt a chill upon hearing this, and Karna smiled bitterly: "I'm sorry. If this isn't cruel enough," then told him what he truly wanted to say.

"Master, you have no problems, so please do not apologize."

"Master did his best. The worst one is me, even though my fuel consumption is poor, I still fought with Illumi."

"……No, if there was a chance to counterattack, I should have taken your place at that time, but running out of Mana was my fault…… I'm sorry, I really caused you trouble."

"There is no such thing! I am not proud of it, but I am sure that even if I appeared, it would only increase Master's burden and worries!"

"……Yes."

He not only respected Sora's intentions, but he also knew that if he, who consumed a large amount of Mana, ran out as soon as he appeared, he would not be able to survive unless he severed Sora's life, so he knew how dangerous it was. Karna blamed him for being unable to change his personality, the reason being his own actions. He should not have said it confidently.

Instead, Sora managed to pry open her heavy eyelids and told her with a smile that she was dreaming.

"……But seriously, don't worry. It's okay. As you can see, I'm still alive. Gon is still alive, right?"

It had only been four days since joining the Brigade, but every time I woke up, I was badly hurt, exhausted, drained, and had lost a lot, but Sora still smiled and said "it's okay."

"I'm not pretending to be strong, I have legs to walk, hands to grab what I want, and a heart to move this body. Yes," he smiled, appearing relieved.

I know Sora didn't do or say anything that should be reassuring.

Even so, Karna hoped that Sora would not give up on life, and would smile as if saying that no matter how painful life is, it is happiness.

So Karna became strong again, holding Sora in his arms, hoping to give him the comfort Sora gave him, so that he would never let go of his arms and fall into the Abyss.

"……Ah. It should be fine. Master is still alive. And that kid named Gon seems unable to escape, but he is safe. So please, Master, sleep for a while."

"It should be fine. Even if Master rests, I will continue to hold him here so he won't fall again. And, of course, if that child named Gon is in danger, I will do as you wish. ……So, please, rest well and recover some Mana."

Karna knew that Sora was afraid of sinking to the point where he couldn't even dream, but Karna still hoped.

I know that hot stones are nothing but water. As mentioned before, I can only think that even if I swapped personalities with Karna and handed it over to her, it would only increase Sora's burden and trouble.

However, at this rate, Sora cannot move his body at all, so his chances of survival are extremely low. In Karna's memory, a boy named Gon Freecss is someone to rely on because he has the talent to be a child, but even so, his situation with the opponent is too terrible.

Even if using Karna here would shorten Sora's life by several years, if he regrets it and is killed a few minutes later, then the regret is meaningless.

Then why isn't Karna the one paying the price for his life? And from the bottom of my heart, I can't give Sora anything, although I regret my helplessness and cannot call myself a Charity Hero, I am still prepared to use my own life, which is for Sora's sake to keep Sora alive, I have decided.

However, he still wanted to pay a lower price for his life, so Karna asked Sora to rest and recover his Magic.

Of course, Sora had no objections to this either.

So, Sora clung tightly to Karna's body temperature and heartbeat, which proved that she was definitely here and that she was not alone. Stop.

"……Yeah, I know…… I'm sorry, Mr. Karna…… I'll leave the rest to you……"

Sora prayed to Karna before closing his eyes, sleeping deeper in his dream, minimizing Mana consumption, and devoting all his energy to refining Mana.

"……Mr. Karna…… please everyone."

"Leave it to me."

Immediately replied to Sora's request.

Although I don't want to die, I respect the Master who only cares about others, but in my heart, I have no right to take care of myself.

He, who remained vigilant about the "outside," was able to react to the killing intent of Sora and Gon at any time, and Sora and Gon continued to embrace him as if protecting him.

"Coming."

Shizuku noticed an uneven trio entering the Hotel: a gentle boy with a baby face, a short person in black, and a browless American in a jersey, and called the three of them in front of him.

Then he explained what the three of them had encountered, and why he didn't pursue them immediately.

"I mean, why didn't you kill this person?"

Phinks pointed at Sora, who continued to sleep like a corpse, like a doll, and declared to hide.

It wasn't just Gon who was shocked by Phinks' words.

Of course, Pakunoda, Nobunaga, Kortopi, who got Kurapika's information from Sora's memory, Machi, who didn't know the name of the chain bastard yet, and Shalnark, who had just arrived, said: That?!! Phinks shouted.

When faced with most of the members currently gathered, Phinks was confused, but of course, he didn't know what was wrong with his remarks and suggestions.

"Huh? What are you guys talking about? If it's a hostage, one is enough, right? If this guy is Sora Shikiori, then this is the Goddess of the Sky from the Leader's Divination, right?"

"And if this guy kills at noon or if we do this, we can avoid the worst-case scenario."

To Phinks' statement, Feitan replied: "I agree."

Hearing this answer, the members other than Shizuku, that is, those who opposed killing Sora, all let out deep sighs.

Phinks' idea itself was correct. But this is the only conclusion I could reach because I knew nothing about Sora and Kurapika.

However, Pakunoda and the other two, who knew this was the worst move, couldn't state the basis for the news from the chain bastard, and as far as Eight Trigrams were concerned, they thought "that is the worst" purely by intuition, and of course, they couldn't explain it.

So, I left the persuasion of these two extremists to Shalnark.

"Hey, you guys. What kind of reaction is that?"

"I'm surprised…… Phinks, Feitan, think about it."

"Leaving such a message means that these two are worth being taken hostage by the chain bastard. However, the relationship between one of them, Sora Shikiori, and the chain bastard is probably not just a prank, but a sibling relationship. The chain bastard's priority is 90% (out of 10) higher than Sora Shikiori. So, do you think that if you quickly kill a high-value hostage, the negotiation and bargaining will go smoothly?"

"I mean, even if that chain bastard isn't real, if he is this woman's younger brother, his personality is similar, the worst-case scenario is killing this woman and making the 'Goddess of the Sky' unable to awaken forever. Obviously, the chain bastard is just playing the role of the 'Goddess of the Sky'."

"I definitely don't want to deal with this crazy woman or her brother. If it can be avoided, I think you should try your best to avoid it, right?"

Shalnark, who was witnessing Sora's "buchikire mode," explained that he should not interfere with this woman, and Pakunoda and others nodded deeply.

Phinks and Feitan were reluctantly persuaded by their words and reactions, withdrawing the overly aggressive idea of "killing Sora first." But this did not mean he had given up entirely.

Feitan was still going to strike back on September 1st; since he had personally experienced and understood the mystery of this woman's ability, he thought to himself, "Don't underestimate me just because I was unconscious," along with his feelings. He agreed with Shalnark's words.

However, to Phinks, who had just had his first head-on confrontation with Sora, she was nothing more than an ordinary woman, aside from her unusual appearance. This was an opportunity.

He was merely persuaded by Shalnark's words in the first half; since he still had a chance to take back the Leader, he thought it was worth utilizing, so he backed down. But this opportunity would disappear, or everyone would die five times over; if I judged that it would turn out this way, I decided to commit suicide first to avoid the worst future.

Not only the others, but even Gon noticed Phinks's resentment. Gon did not lower his guard either, continuing to stare at Phinks while holding Sora, but the reminders from the Brigade members were of no use. Realizing that he was the type to be even more resistant if suppressed, he concluded that it was fine to be quiet for the time being; Shalnark became the acting Leader and continued the conversation.

"From now on, the eight of us will take action. We will follow up on the injured Pakunoda and the others. From now on, we will hunt down the Leader. As for the hostages... they don't seem very willing to pay attention to them, and paying attention to them is dangerous. Let's do both."

"If I find the car where the Leader is..."

Just as Shalnark was organizing the current situation in his mind based on the information Pakunoda and the others had told him, while simultaneously instructing them to take action, Phinks's Mobile Phone rang.

Who could it be at a time like this? Thinking this, Phinks took out the Mobile Phone he had temporarily stuffed into his pocket.

"It's the Leader's Mobile Phone."

"!!"

After telling everyone about this, Phinks answered the phone.

Of course, I did not think too much about the possibility that the Leader had succeeded in killing or escaping from the person who kidnapped him. This was not an expectation, but a small, normal possibility; however, both the Leader and the Phantom Troupe members were above the standard, suitable for an A-Rank bounty.

"Hello."

"From now on, I will give you three instructions."

"... Chain Bastard?"

That Chain Bastard who called Chrollo without any preamble... Kurapika ignored Phinks's question and quickly stated his demands.

"Generally speaking, this instruction is Absolute. If you do not comply, your Leader will be killed."

"One, do not pursue. Two, do not harm the two hostages. Three, represent a woman named Pakunoda."

"Do you want one thing before that?"

However, Phinks was hot-tempered but had strong nerves, so he interrupted Kurapika, who was proceeding unilaterally as if he were a recording.

"Regarding the second instruction, before we arrived, those two hostages seemed quite violent."

"!"

Gon was confused for a moment when Phinks suddenly started teasing him.

This guy intended to make it so that, according to what he said to Kurapika, the two people had no injuries other than the wrists Sora had injured herself.

It had no special meaning. He probably just wanted to get rid of the worry about what Gon, Kurapika, and the others had done to him.

"Then there is no room for negotiation."

However, after making a prompt decision, the motive was dismissed, and the call was cut off without hesitation, forcibly terminated.

Everyone couldn't help but stare at Phinks's Mobile Phone.

After two seconds of silence, Phinks tried to redial the phone he was looking down at, but fortunately, the other party had not turned it off, nor had they blocked the call.

"What?"

"Sorry, it was a lie. The two of you are not injured... no, it's just a minor injury. I am also treating them, so please forgive me."

"There will be no next time. Do not imitate nonsense. Come and take over Pakunoda quickly."

Kurapika had no look of anger or displeasure and continued to speak in a calm, admonishing tone, which was unpleasant for Phinks, but Kurapika was angry inside, yet he did not lose his composure from the start. Because he saw through the fact that Phinks's words were a lie.

Or rather, not to mention Killua and Leorio, even Chrollo noticed. The only one who didn't realize it was Senritsu, who couldn't hear the heartbeat of the person on the other end of the call with Kurapika—not her own, but if she knew Sora and Gon, she would have noticed the heartbeat and so on. She didn't even ask.

"If we suppressed those two who were committing serious violence, it would be impossible to end with broken bones. Would broken bones make them quiet?" he thought.

As for Chrollo, he knew from experience that if Sora went on a rampage, the Hotel would collapse before he could crush her. A deep sigh escaped from the cracks of the Chain.

Therefore, Kurapika, who sensed Phinks's intention, was of course quite angry, but on the other hand, since he said he was safe now, he did not lose his composure, boldly answered the phone, and hung up. The truth.

In other words, it was entirely Phinks's self-destruction.

It wasn't Kurapika, but being hit in the head by Pakunoda and Nobunaga, and later kicked by Machi. Of course, no one intended to act as Kurapika's representative, but they felt frustrated and annoyed as if it were a joke that Phinks didn't provide extra help.

Even so, Phinks still didn't understand what went wrong, saying, "I did it out of good intentions." Nobunaga said, "Go to hell!"

Against the backdrop of their relatively carefree exchange, Pakunoda responded to the call, though rudely and angrily, "Hello."

"First, you are the only one listening to this conversation. Move to a distant place."

Phinks's self-destruction only displeased the other party and did not take away Kurapika's composure.

Feitan also discovered that he was trying to listen to the conversation between Pakunoda and Kurapika using the Headset attached to Phinks's Mobile Phone. Pakunoda did not consider the possibility that he was just speaking out of caution and didn't really notice.

After seeing Killua's memories, he already knew that one of his companions had the ability to read the other's mind with the sound of the heart.

Thus, Boyuetian obediently followed the instructions, took off the Headset, and walked to a place near the stairs where there were few people.

When he told him he had moved, Kurapika told Pakunoda, who already understood Senritsu's ability, that after telling him that perjury was impossible, he gave Pakunoda the instructions he wanted.

The instruction itself was exactly what I had expected, so now I am willing to follow it quietly, but Kurapika told me coldly on the phone that the instruction was different from Pakunoda's Prediction, so I was a little hesitant and worried about her. It happened.

The boy named Kurapika, whom Sora and her two children remembered, was usually rational and intelligent, but perhaps because he was a naturally passionate person, he should have the flaw of being emotional at the most important times, but I didn't know it was the same on that side. No, Pakunoda felt that he had not lost his composure in such a situation where precious companions were being held hostage.

Judging from his relationship with Sora, Pakunoda was not as important as he thought, so it was impossible for him not to worry, and if Chrollo were there, he had already told him that he was not worthy of being a hostage.

Someone as important as your own life, or even more important to you, is taken hostage; I look at my memories and can't figure it out.

Of course, I didn't have any room for maneuver at all; perhaps I was just desperately suppressing and covering up the fact that my heart was full of anxiety and I couldn't extricate myself.

In that case, although it was an opportunity we could use, it was convenient, but the situation was not optimistic; Pakunoda increased her vigilance against Kurapika and replied that she would follow his instructions.

"Once replaced. It is someone other than the man just now."

After Pakunoda responded, Kurapika gave her further instructions, and in response, she handed the Mobile Phone to Nobunaga.

It seemed that he had a lot of room, and this remark, which was extremely negative about his trust in Phinks, matched Pakunoda's image of Kurapika, highlighting a strange, mismatched calmness.

"I've changed."

"From now on, I will meet with Pakunoda alone. The others, return to your hideout."

"10 people always stay in the same place. The hostages too. Give this Mobile Phone to Pakunoda and prepare another Mobile Phone. I will contact you with that phone from time to time."

At that time, if even one person is missing, the hostage will be killed. Fine."

Nobunaga received a call and heard the voice of the man he had considered his best friend's enemy an hour ago.

Just because he didn't attack him directly, he was still the enemy of Uvogin, but he already knew who he had attacked directly, and how that woman had done it. Or, perhaps because he knew his best friend had died not with regret, but with satisfaction, Nobunaga's interest and attachment to the Chain Bastard had faded significantly.

Nobunaga ignored the insidious revenge of killing this person, letting Sora feel the same way.

The first thing is that it doesn't fit my gender, but at the same time, I saw a verse describing my future.

The words "Do not forget your enemy" made Nobunaga stop his thoughts that were about to spiral out of control, looking for something to swing his fist at, though he could no longer see where to strike.

He explained that the prophecy written on that fortune-telling must be to track down this person, and the Chain Bastard was his "enemy."

If this man, who had never faced him directly before, was his "enemy," then he had not forgotten him. Since he hadn't seen him from the beginning, it was impossible to turn a blind eye, so perhaps treating Sora as his true enemy as a shadow, and treating the Chain Bastard as an outburst to pursue, was "wrong." He chose to do nothing, explaining that this would lead to Nobunaga.

"…………Oh."

Following Kurapika's instructions, he handed the Mobile Phone to Pakunoda again.

It was unsettling to let Pakunoda go on like this alone, but the Kurapika in the memories of being shot was usually annoyingly rational, yet at his core, he had an emotional side similar to Uvogin and me.

Since both sides had hostages, I didn't think they would do something so shortsighted, but if they disobeyed orders and lost their temper, Nobunaga thought it would be dangerous for Chrollo and Pakunoda, so Nobunaga ended the short call. As he left, I silently saw him off.

I could imagine what kind of instructions Boyuetian had given me and where I was going without being told verbally, or even having eye contact, so Kortopi, Machi, and Shizuku were as silent as Nobunaga. However, the three who came as reinforcements all started to pursue Boyuetian, and Nobunaga hurriedly stopped them.

"Hey, wait!"

"This is an instruction from the Chain Bastard. We return to the hideout. Let Paku go alone."

Stopped by Nobunaga, when I told the three who turned back my blank expression, Phinks said with a blank look.

"Oh, yes, you said something like that. Don't follow me or something."

"How about it?"

Once these words were spoken, not only Nobunaga, but even the others who didn't want to pursue Boyuetian were speechless for a moment.

"What... you still don't understand!? Killing or not doesn't matter!!"

Nobunaga understood Phinks's words and grabbed his chest, yelling at him, but Phinks tilted his face as if to say, "What is this guy talking about?"

"Are you stupid? In that case, you'll end up killing the Chain Bastard."

＊＊＊

Hearing Phinks's words, Gon, who had been silently observing the situation, held Sora as if to protect him, completely unable to understand and unable to speak, but the Phantom Troupe's Ambiguity words were different from Gon's.

Nobunaga and the others fell into a bitter silence, as if poked in a sore spot.

The Pakunoda who had silently seen them off fell silent, but Feitan, who was trying to pursue her, agreed with Phinks's words, just as he had suggested killing Sora first.

"The Leader said so too, the top priority is the Phantom Troupe."

"Nobunaga, your way of thinking, the Phantom Troupe, this is an insult."

Feitan's words made Nobunaga's expression even more painful; not only Phinks, but even Shalnark, who had opposed killing Sora, continued to speak as if adding to the blow.

"This case is clearly different from the case I lied about before. Tracking down Pakunoda here is a must!! It is absolutely a must!"

"I agree. It makes no sense to let Paku go alone. It's too early to kill Sora, but if he continues to act according to his instructions, the 'Goddess of the Sky' won't wake up, and we'll have to deal with it. It's like fortune-telling, you'll escape."

Although afraid of Sora, Shalnark didn't want to listen to Kurapika's demands, as if peddling flattery, so he calmly tried to persuade Nobunaga.

However, even after being told so much, and even if he understood that Shalnark's words were correct, Nobunaga was not the only one who intended not to pursue Pakunoda and follow Kurapika's instructions.

"I agree with Nobunaga's point of view."

"Me too."

"Now?"

Phinks raised his voice upon hearing the words of Machi and Kortopi.

I know he is right.

Especially since Nobunaga and Kortopi were shot by the memories of Kurapika that Sora got from Pakunoda, because they knew to some extent what kind of person he was, so even if they pursued Pakunoda as Phinks said, Kurapika was the key. I don't think Chrollo will be killed unless he shows his emotional bad habits.

Even so, Machi, Nobunaga, and Kortopi could not agree with Phinks and the others.

Following the Chain Bastard's orders is extremely shameful and irritating; if I wanted to use Sora to become stronger and take back the Leader, I could have done it, but even so, the three of us might lose the Leader. I bet on the possibility of the Leader returning safely, rather than it being very likely on the way.

For Kurapika, both of them are valuable hostages, so if he respects and obeys them, he insists that the possibility of the Leader being respected is also high.

"...... I'm surprised. This isn't a story. Hey, Shizuku. What about you?"

As if to dismiss the three of them, Phinks snorted and asked Shizuku, who had not spoken before, for her opinion.

However, Shizuku was at her own pace, tilting her head and saying, "It's a coin, right?"

Inexplicably suppressing Shizuku's dizziness, Phinks stated that disagreement within the scope of orders is a rule, and what Nobunaga and the others said violated the basic rules of the Phantom Troupe.

She placed her finger on her chin and thought for a while before answering.

"Hmm, maybe I'm on Nobunaga's side. I don't want the Leader to die yet. Of course, Paku won't either."

"...... Or rather, even if I move here, I might not be able to gain the initiative from the Chain Bastard, so I think it's better to stay quiet. If you use a child named Sora badly, and try to take the initiative in a bullish way, even if the 'Goddess of the Sky' doesn't wake up, you will buy the anger of the 'Sapphire Guardian' and make a prophecy. I think I'll reach the goal."

At the first half of Shizuku's sentence, Phinks glared at her, half-surprised, half-angry, "Is this the same person?"

Not only Phinks, but also Feitan, who liked her and was pursuing Pakunoda, and Nobunaga, who was not pursuing Pakunoda, were frustrated by Shizuku's opinion. Shalnark, as if thinking about something, asked Shizuku with a bitter face: "Why are you like this?" I asked.

Why would Shizuku ask such a simple question? Like saying this, I tilted my head again and answered honestly.

"Because according to the prophecy, Paku, Nobunaga, Shalnark were killed, and there is one more person who is 'Aogyoku Sky', but that 'Guardian' came out."

According to Shalnark and the others, if this child named Sora is important to the Chain Bastard, as long as this child is in our hands, even if we disobey the Chain Bastard's instructions, the Leader will not be killed, and if he becomes strong, I might be able to take the initiative, but if I go too hard and hurt this child, it will definitely bring the anger of this child's 'Defender'. Isn't that making the prophecy come true?"

"...... I think Paku might be afraid of that, so he left alone according to the instructions."

Basically, he doesn't show off, and when he thinks he has something to say, he is just a weak-willed natural speaker, so the members completely forgot about this, but Shizuku can keep her own pace wherever she goes, so she can look at things calmly in any situation.

And I can't remember the fact that I forgot, which is reflected in her speech forgetting Hisoka's death prophecy, but she remembers in detail what she remembers. The content of the prophecy that other members calmly forgot, and which even shook the Leader's advantage, is the "Goddess of the Sky". The Phantom Troupe pointed out that it is said that the "Sapphire Guardian" cut off half of the limbs.

"When 'Aogyoku' and 'Shojin' are split in two, we are at a disadvantage. If you hurt them, the 'Goddess of the Sky' will wake up, so if we want to gain an advantage, I think we have to deal with them so that we can kill 'Aogyoku' and 'Shojin' at the same time."

"So I think it's best to leave this to Paku. In Paku's prophecy, there is a sentence 'Shoot the Sapphire', so maybe only Pakunoda can kill the Chain Bastard and Sora."

On the other hand, Shizuku said that he did not stop Pakunoda when he left alone, nor did he follow him, because he remembered Pakunoda's prophecy in detail.

That said, Phinks was also certain that the blood in his head had begun to rise because of Nobunaga's every word and action.

However, even so, it was not enough to fully convince him to let Pakunoda stay alone.

If there were no Prophecy of Pakunoda's death, he would have understood by now, but that Prophecy told him that Pakunoda had the possibility of killing two Hardened balls, while the possibility of being killed was extremely high...

However, at the same time, if he knew that disobeying the Chain Bastard's instructions to pursue Pakunoda would happen, he would pursue Pakunoda without hesitation.

The members recalled their fortune-telling and tried to decide whether to follow the instructions or follow the instructions, but before that, Shalnark's Mobile Phone announced an incoming call.

"It's the leader's Mobile Phone, hooray."

Pakunoda had only been out for about five minutes, but when he called to confirm that he said this was abnormal, Shalnark was surprised and said, "Seriously, how much do you love the hostages?".

Phinks answered the phone, but before Kurapika could finish saying "Hello," he demanded, "Bring those two hostages."

Even Phinks, who denied breaking Kurapika's trust in the deal, responded, "This guy..." and threw Shalnark's custom Mobile Phone into the corner of his clothes, Gon and Sora were bound together with rope. Before the board, let the Mobile Phone make a face-to-face call.

"Sora. Gon. Are you okay?"

"... Sorry. I am safe and uninjured, but Sora..."

"Don't worry. You don't need to apologize. I can hear you, so I know what Sora did.

How is Sora's condition now?"

Kurapika almost knew what Sora had done to save Gon, and when Sora was heard saying "Damn old man" during the power outage, Kurapika made Gon cry with guilt.

"Sora cut his wrists to get it out, but Pakunoda handled it. I'm going crazy."

"How is the fever? Aren't you running a high fever, can't you burn yourself to death without a metaphor?"

"Heat?"

"Really. Then it's fine. Don't worry. It's just that you used too much Aura and exhausted your gas. If you get enough sleep and rest, you will recover."

In Gon's view, it was precisely because of the high fever that he was worried about falling asleep, but when he learned that Kurapika "did not metaphorically burn himself to death," his voice was truly relieved, and so was Gon. Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief, and the strength that had been exhausted from my whole body dissipated.

"Are they all here?"

Kurapika asked about the movements of the Phantom Troupe, and Gon honestly said they were all there, but until recently they had been arguing about whether to pursue Pakunoda, and they hadn't even tried to return to their hideout. That, the Phantom Troupe side was miserable.

Using hostages as contacts, this kind of lie would not work. I know, but after keenly realizing that the Chain Bastard was really sharp, Phinks would become the representative for the hostage call, providing more last-minute Suggestion.

"Hello."

"Let me tell you one thing.

There is someone here who can see through your lies. That is why Pakunoda meekly followed our instructions. It doesn't matter how many small things you did there. The leader is just dead.

Return to the hideout within 30 minutes. I will contact you as soon as possible."

Before Kurapika could finish speaking and hang up the phone, Gon spoke up, telling Kurapika on the other end of the phone the information he had just learned from the members' conversation in the group.

"Kurapika! Don't meet Pakunoda!

It is said that Pakunoda will kill Kurapika and Sora!"

Machi hurriedly covered Gon's mouth, but he had already said the most important part.

After learning about the advantage part of the Prophecy, the members stared at Gon, waiting for the other party's reaction, praying that Kurapika would not take the Prophecy seriously.

"... I see. Okay. Let's keep that in mind."

The answer that came back was one where I wasn't sure if I was serious or just going with the flow.

However, speaking of this, Phinks heard Kurapika laugh once.

I don't really like that kind of relaxed laughter, Phinks said, "Are you willing to meet? Mr. Kurapika, you have a lot of courage," the only person who made his face pale was the one who let his mouth slip, and Kurapika didn't seem to care at all.

Although it was a bit disadvantageous to Gon, in Kurapika's view, regardless of Pakunoda's ability, he estimated that Gon would at least secretly reveal his name, and even if all his information was leaked, he was prepared for battle. It was already done, and Kurapika was not in a hurry.

And Kurapika took Gon's "Prophecy" seriously. I know Chrollo made inflammatory remarks, and he had already completed his escort target fortune-telling, so I don't know that his ability was stolen, except for the members who lacked data, everyone was fortune-telling. He didn't realize it, but if it was Gon's credibility, then Chrollo's fortune-telling information was enough.

So Kurapika answered with a smile.

"It's not like I have the guts. It's just that this cannot be a reason to be afraid.

... The one sleeping there is a second-hand idiot, but the future seems invincible because it is intangible."

"Hmm?"

Kurapika told me with a smile.

Why don't you lose your cool even when you know someone has been told that there is a possibility of killing you and the person you love is coming towards you?

"In an infinite possible future without a Fixed shape, it seems that even a woman who can kill gods cannot kill.

... But a future that has already taken shape, determined to be 'that way,' that is another matter. It doesn't necessarily have to be her who comes to kill."

Kurapika couldn't afford it. The current situation was full.

However, the only thing that made me laugh was that I didn't want to give up.

The future we want to reach has been decided, but the path to that future and the specific form of the future have not been decided.

I had no intention of giving up just living by her side, laughing, a happy future, no matter how impossible. Without hesitation, without hesitation, a bad habit, pressure, pressure, I couldn't stand it, and most importantly, my sanity was blown away, my emotions didn't Explosion, I continued to move forward.

Even if you don't do what you want to do, if it is necessary to reach the future you want, you can do anything with a sincere smile.

This is why Kurapika is smiling now. Smiling and answering.

Although it was already ridiculous, the information Gon conveyed was just for Kurapika's convenience, so he had no choice but to laugh.

"Do you want me to thank you?

Thank you for letting something that was once invincible go its own way and turn into an easily destructible and killable 'future'."

Whether it was sarcasm or serious, Kurapika said just that this time and hung up the phone.

"~~~~~~You fucking brat!!"

"Wait! Are you going to break it, you idiot!!"

Either way, these remarks were enough to drive Phinks crazy.

Phinks, who had inadvertently dropped Shalnark's Mobile Phone on the floor, used all his strength to stop him.

"It seems all seven of them will return."

In the end, everyone reluctantly agreed; since Kurapika had the ability to see through lies, chasing Pakunoda would not seize the initiative from Kurapika, and the three remaining at the hideout would receive the message and return to hide according to Kurapika's instructions.

Franklin and Bonolenov spoke of Kurapika's flawlessness and how he never gives up the initiative, half in disgust and half in respect; although I am deeply impressed by Kurapika's growth, I just cannot understand it right now.

(This is the chance to leave here and lead the battle, but I must use Separation at the center, otherwise the leader will die.)

(Hmm, if Attila gets an erection, I won't get an erection here.)

If it were Hisoka, seeing the blue fruit he had been eyeing ripen would bring him a twisted sense of joy, but because it grew more than he imagined and did not open, he is dangerous. I am very dissatisfied that I have already lost the chance to have a "one-on-one with Chrollo," and I want to obtain it by crossing the bridge and using Forgery on the Prophecy.

Thus, Hisoka sought help.

"I see. Please help me," I sent an email describing the situation at the time to some extent, and in less than a minute, I received a simple "ok" reply.

There was nothing wrong with the content of the reply or the time it was sent, but for some reason, this reply was extremely reluctant, unwilling, and dissatisfied; yet it was precisely Hisoka's imagination that made him feel he had no choice but to accept it. But this was not a persecution complex either.

And the reluctance and unwillingness were likely because this was just Hisoka's request and not his main job, but the dissatisfaction was because Sora had already exhausted his Aura and was unconscious, so this was the perfect opportunity to kill him. Hisoka laughed, as he was certain he would be in a position where he had no choice but to watch.

From the perspective of wanting to kill Sora, Sora's current situation was indeed an unprecedented opportunity, so Hisoka was not at all worried about disregarding his own request to kill him.

Hisoka always had the same thoughts as Karna when he saw him, so if Sora woke up and said or did something unnecessary, that worry was nothing more than groundless anxiety compared to if he had been sleeping the whole time.

Rather, it is to have you thank me for giving you a reason not to kill me, and for giving me the chance to be by your side, but if I said that, I would definitely try my best just like after Karna's Heavy remarks. He would find a way to kill Hisoka, so he decided to look forward to it properly later.

I just waited for the arrival of Illumi, who disguised herself and replaced me.

The future fragments are ready.

A point was raised, but it is of no use when it comes to visions of the future.

There is still a little bit left until the turning point.

The divergence of this world line lies in whether it will continue with the compilation event or the Pruning Event.

Will the world continue, or will it be truncated to continue the world?

Without anyone knowing, we continue to move forward.

... But this is the best thing.

After all, the ending for both is the same.

The only difference is whether it is near or far.

Called the end of meaninglessness, for the sake of living and progressing, it is best not to know where you are going.