"Germain?!"
And… I… we?
Sheila looked past Germain and finally saw two familiar figures.
A small drop of rain blurred Shizuku's glasses despite her efforts to shield them with one hand. With the other, she gently waved at Sheila as a greeting.
Kurapika was drenched, golden hair sticking to his sharp, cold face. But the rain did nothing to diminish his presence.
Germain, Shizuku, Kurapika… they really came. They actually came… The call I made— it actually brought them here!
Sheila hadn't dared to hope too much. But… the most important thing was… they were here!
Still, seeing Kurapika among them surprised her. She had assumed he would never involve himself in Meteor City's troubles.
Or maybe… he truly didn't intend to.
Sheila quickly understood why Kurapika had come.
Because the Phantom Troupe was here.
Kurapika extended his hand and pulled Sheila up from the muddy ground.
"This is strange," he said calmly. "For some reason, every time I run into you, it's to save you."
Sheila was already feeling overwhelmed, and after hearing that, she was at a complete loss for words.
At that moment, in the gloomy rain-filled night, the remaining demons finally reacted. One by one, they turned their attention toward Germain.
It was inevitable— the massive, radiant moonlight greatsword in his hands was simply too conspicuous. Grand, beautiful, and utterly sacred.
Only then did the demons realize one of their own had fallen to Germain's group.
And in an instant, they moved like well-trained mercenaries, raising their weapons and opening fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A hail of bullets rained down on Germain and the others.
Before Sheila could react, the sound of clanking chains rang out. A silver chain wrapped around her waist, yanking her into the air and flinging her backward.
"Be careful!"
Sheila, being a skilled Nen user, quickly adjusted mid-air and managed to land smoothly.
Looking up, she saw Kurapika retracting his silver chain after throwing her out of harm's way. Without hesitation, he rushed forward alongside Germain and Shizuku.
Bullets never even got close. As soon as they were fired, Shizuku's Blinky opened its massive mouth and swallowed them all. Then, like a magic trick, it spat them back out—firing them straight at the enemies!
The demons holding firearms were stunned. Some were immediately hit by the ricocheting bullets, causing sparks to fly upon impact.
However, their bodies were too tough. Ordinary bullets couldn't pierce through their hardened flesh.
Even so, the unexpected counterattack left the demons shocked.
They exchanged glances, quickly realizing that this group of people—just like the "Ant King," "Ant Queen," and the "Royal Guards"—were Nen users.
The only other place they had seen such abilities was among the so-called "Elders of Meteor City" and the "Phantom Troupe members."
But now, only two of the "Elders" remained. The "Phantom Troupe" had just three members left. The strength of Meteor City's original inhabitants was already at its breaking point.
A little more effort, and they could wipe them out completely—turning Meteor City into their own territory and expanding their influence further.
But where did these Nen users come from?
Despite their surprise, the demons didn't hesitate. They discarded their useless guns, tossed aside half-eaten flesh and organs, and slaughtered the struggling prisoners.
Then, with savage intent, they charged forward.
They felt no fear. After all, hadn't they already taken down several Nen users from Meteor City by sheer numbers?
They would do the same now.
The demons surged from all directions, moving at terrifying speed. In just moments, they would unleash their overwhelming strength.
But Germain didn't give most of them the chance.
Charging ahead, he gripped his massive Sacred Moonlight Sword with both hands, holding it horizontally. His Nen surged—flowing with perfect control in an instant.
Shing—
With a sudden, sweeping slash of his greatsword, a wide, crescent-shaped azure blade tore through the air without mercy!
Shhhhhh—
The demons barely had time to register their shock before the blue light engulfed them. Their bodies were instantly obliterated, washed away like sludge in a raging flood.
Boom—
The crescent slash continued forward, slicing cleanly through the nearby cluster of low-rise houses. The structures were split in half, revealing the sparse furniture inside.
So strong…
Sheila stood frozen, completely stunned. She had never seen Germain fight before. She had only heard rumors, but they never truly shocked her.
After all, building a nuclear bomb and detonating one in front of you were two entirely different things.
Most of the demons had been wiped out in that single strike. The few remaining ones hesitated, finally realizing the sheer horror of what had just happened.
Even the elite "Royal Guards" had never unleashed such devastating power.
Panic took over. Without a second thought, they turned and ran.
But Germain, Shizuku, and Kurapika gave chase. There was only one thing left to do—wipe them out completely.
Germain's greatsword slashed.
Shizuku's Blinky struck like a hammer.
Kurapika's chains pierced through flesh.
One by one, the last demons fell, never to rise again.
Shhhhhh—
The rain poured harder, as if washing away the sins of this place.
Germain, Shizuku, and Kurapika turned back and walked toward Sheila. The young woman, who had just barely escaped death, suddenly broke down, covering her face as she sobbed.
"T-Thank goodness… you… you're here… thank goodness…"
She choked on her tears, unable to form a coherent sentence. The overwhelming relief left her shaking.
These past days had been full of hardships, and tonight's events pushed her to the brink of despair. She couldn't imagine a future for Meteor City anymore.
But then, Germain, Shizuku, and Kurapika arrived. They brought something unexpected—hope.
Just when it seemed like everything had come to an end, footsteps echoed through the rain.
Shizuku, Kurapika, and Sheila tensed up, turning toward the sound. But Germain's eyes narrowed—he already knew who it was.
Through the never-ending downpour, two figures emerged. One had a messy ponytail—Machi. The other wore a soaked women's suit—Pakunoda.
For a moment, Machi and Pakunoda froze when they saw Germain, Shizuku, and Kurapika. Then, their brows furrowed, and anger flashed across their faces.
"You? Why are you here? What are you doing in Meteor City?"
Behind them, the Meteor City combat unit came to a stop.
As soon as they realized who Germain and the others were, their expressions darkened.
The Phantom Troupe held an almost sacred status in Meteor City. Many here had spent their lives dreaming of becoming part of it.
They admired the Troupe's ruthless ways—the freedom to kill, to steal, to take whatever they wanted.
And on top of that, the Troupe always redistributed their stolen wealth back to Meteor City. That alone earned them the love and admiration of countless people.
To many, it was the ideal way to live.
But over the past year, the group they had idolized suffered its worst defeat since its founding.
Most of its members were dead. And standing before them now—Germain and Shizuku—had risen to their current status by stepping over the Troupe's corpses.
That was why the people of Meteor City saw them as traitors.
The Phantom Troupe was on their side. Anyone who opposed them could only be a traitor.
And yet, these traitors had the audacity to return?
***********
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