The Ten Dons—the pinnacle of the Mafia Community that ruled Yorknew City from the shadows.
While the public auction had ended its second day with great success, the Underground Auction was postponed or cancelled again following the first day.
Just as dissatisfaction and frustration were about to explode among the Mafia who'd suffered casualties, Yorknew City's largest intersection and adjacent plaza were cleared under strict security.
Watch if you want, help if you want, but do not interfere.
If anyone acted without the Ten Dons' permission, they'd face permanent banishment from the Community and become targets for purging.
Upon hearing this, roughly half the Mafia gathered in surrounding buildings as sightseers, while the rest sent troops to organize a mixed force against the Phantom Troupe.
When the Phantom Troupe appeared at the intersection, what began could only be called a massacre that made even slaughter seem lukewarm.
The Mafia members were annihilated in mere minutes and vanished without a trace thanks to Shizuku's Blinky.
As everyone fell silent in fear and trembling, figures stepped forward before the Phantom Troupe.
Gon's group joined by the Shadow Beasts faced the Phantom Troupe—missing two legs—in nighttime Yorknew City.
***
Gon's group advanced through the intersection with its cracked concrete and broken streetlight bases—looking normal at first glance.
"Tch, they showed us something to kill the mood."
Though the Mafia were villains steeped in underworld work, Leorio couldn't suppress his turbulent emotions at the mass slaughter that occurred before his eyes.
"Sorry, Doc. If we'd come out from the start, some would underestimate the Phantom Troupe. We needed to make the small fry understand it's impossible."
"It's about the Ten Dons' reputation, right? Even understanding doesn't make it pleasant to watch."
Against Rabid Dog, who'd grown oddly attached to Leorio since the tooth treatment incident, he voiced dissatisfaction—able to understand but not accept.
Gon and Kurapika also frowned, while Killua, Gin, and the Shadow Beasts showed no particular concern.
"Don't worry about what others do on their own. Don't forget we got dangerous prophecies—one moment of carelessness means total wipeout."
"Exactly. We've laid schemes but there's no guarantee they'll work. Everyone survives!"
Gin released his compression, and Gon's group amplified their aura with Ken.
The other Shadow Beasts besides Rabid Dog—eyes widening at the aura's strength—judged they wouldn't be deadweight at least and performed Ken.
For coordination purposes, they split into Gon's group and Shadow Beasts, readying battle formations to annihilate the Spiders.
***
The Phantom Troupe, having finished work that didn't even qualify as a warm-up, wore savage smiles watching the main players walk toward them.
"Chain bastard's group matches Hisoka's memory. So the guy who got Shal is that one among the Shadow Beasts? Doesn't look strong at all."
Uvogin, excited from scattering Mafia small fry, felt let down by an opponent who didn't look as strong as Pakunoda's memory showed.
"This idiot—he's skilled enough at deception that none of us noticed until Shal got taken down. High chance he's also camouflaging to look weak."
"Machi's right. I'm leaving that high-priority target to Uvogin. Phinks and the others, hang back and whittle them down until the Shadow Beasts' abilities are clear. Given Mafia nature, there'll be more underhanded types than pure combat power."
Though inferior in numbers, the Phantom Troupe showed no anxiety—including non-combatants, they thought only of winning, overflowing with confidence and pride.
Then the muscular man Uvogin locked onto led the Shadow Beasts away from Gon's group, obviously attempting to flank them.
"Uvogin, Franklin, Phinks, Machi—handle the Shadow Beasts. Nobunaga, Bonolenov, Hisoka—handle chain bastard's group. The rest move based on battle conditions."
At Chrollo's instruction, each advanced toward opponents. As distance closed, tension filled the air over when combat would start.
Initially one expected mutual probing and observation, but not a single member assigned to Shadow Beasts intended to wait.
"Entertain me a bit, you little animals!!"
Uvogin roared and charged first, with Machi and the others charging without any delay.
Chrollo frowned seeing even the Emitter Franklin rush in, but judging that side would be settled quickly, he focused on the chain bastard.
"Die, you—!? What the!?"
Before the attacking Uvogin's group, all Shadow Beasts except Rabid Dog—who'd stepped back—burst like balloons, scattering poisonous creatures like leeches and centipedes from inside.
Simultaneously with the bursts, from above, Owl carried by Shadow Beast Bat conjured Fun Fun Cloth at maximum size.
"Super cutie-pie!"
Confirming Rabid Dog escaping while uttering mysterious words, Uvogin's group ignored the leeches and centipedes, desperately trying to escape Fun Fun Cloth's range.
"Machi!?"
At Franklin's scream-like call, Chrollo looked again to see Machi on the verge of being swallowed by the mysterious ability Fun Fun Cloth.
Unable to move even a step, covered in leeches and centipedes with a despairing expression, Machi shifted her gaze from empty space to Chrollo and shed a single tear.
"Chrollo, I'm sor—"
Fun Fun Cloth covered the area and, mouth puckering, rapidly shrank.
"One captured as planned. What an unpleasant ability."
"Duhuhu, but leeches attached. Now they'll be eroded by bleeding and poison."
"Total war from here. Crush them without carelessness, yup."
The real Shadow Beasts—identical to the Eleven Black Children balloon Shadow Beasts that just burst—faced Uvogin's group.
Chrollo, seeing Machi's expression and tears, barely suppressed emotions about to boil over and continued gauging battle conditions.
(The one whose info was extracted was Machi, and her memory was manipulated? So the traitor is definitely Hisoka?)
Having roughly understood from Machi's state, Chrollo arrived at the correct answer but assumed the worst-case scenario derived from memory-affecting abilities.
(No, if memories are manipulated, everyone including me is a possibility. This is also one reason Shal was targeted first. Quite the clever scheme.)
If Shalnark were still safe, Chrollo would have used Black Voice to eliminate the possibility of his own manipulation, but that ship had sailed. Their interaction at assembly had backfired from overconfidence in Pakunoda's ability.
(Hisoka shows no sign of moving. I must move even more carefully.)
Chrollo instructed the three non-combatants to stand by and conjured Skill Hunter, opening a certain page.
(You laid hands on what's mine. In return, I'll take what's yours.)
Burning the image of Kurapika ostentatiously manipulating chains into his eyes, he vowed to steal everything.
***
With the Phantom Troupe split in two and successfully capturing Machi with Fun Fun Cloth—an advantageous situation.
Surprisingly, the flow up to this point had proceeded entirely as planned, with even the corresponding Troupe members perfectly matching.
(For things to match expectations this far—what did Shalnark see to be confident of winning even in this situation?)
Unlike the Shadow Beast side where chaotic battle had already started, Kurapika's group still showed no major movement, continuing quiet combat.
Even with numerical difference, considering the Shadow Beasts disadvantaged, Kurapika found the current situation—with disparity in battle conditions—not particularly good.
"What do we do, Kurapika? That Uvogin guy's worse than expected. If I don't support that side, they'll get ground down."
Representing Kurapika—who lacked freedom from mutually watching Chrollo—Leorio's words after checking battle conditions starkly showed their gradually disadvantaged side.
"As far as Dowsing Chain showed, attention on Leorio is thin. They're probably aiming for the assumed ability theft. Don't overextend—stay back."
"Got it."
Under utmost caution, Leorio adjusted position. Once Shadow Beasts were within En range, he activated One-Man Doctor.
Leorio's current En had maximum radius of ten meters, but having learned to shift En's center, he could extend nearly twenty meters at maximum.
"Porcupine and Worm! You two fall back and get treated by the Doc! When injured, withdraw in turns so the line doesn't break!"
What was creating unexpectedly favorable conditions for Shadow Beasts was definitely Uvogin, but Franklin and Phinks also moved tremendously troublesomely.
Uvogin at the front, capable of trampling everything.
Franklin using Double Machine Gun from range—not just whittling but going for kills.
Phinks covering both while watching for opportunities like a crouching tiger.
Despite over three times the forces, the Shadow Beasts were clearly being pushed back.
"You guys push harder! We're the Shadow Beasts!!"
As if responding to Rabid Dog's encouragement, the Shadow Beasts squeezed out everything they had.
And Kurapika's group remained motionless because their strategy aimed for ultra-short decisive victory.
The plan: unleash Hisoka at the optimal timing, have Gin stall Bonolenov and Killua stall Nobunaga while Gon and Hisoka defeated them.
Kurapika showing off chains was half-decoy, serving as a wedge against Chrollo whose actions were unpredictable.
However,
"...Killua, can you still go?"
"Ha, piece of cake. Could do this till morning."
Despite the vanguard being one beast and two children, Killua's spirit was being worn down faster than expected by Bonolenov and Nobunaga, who never let their guard down and maintained maximum vigilance.
(Bad. With Shadow Beasts' endurance unknown, we're losing ground. Should we push through with favorable matchups?)
Even from Kurapika's position slightly behind, Killua's exhaustion was obvious. He judged initiating action from their side better than continuing as is.
"Continuing further accelerates our disadvantage. We attack on keyword."
At Kurapika's instruction, Gon's group amplified Ken further and readied. Seeing this, Bonolenov and Nobunaga also amplified aura.
Only Hisoka smiled wickedly, focusing his sights on Chrollo behind despite watching Gon's group.
(Such an ideal development is unexpected. ♥ Should I snatch them away when Gon's group makes a move? ♠)
Here, an unexpected situation occurred.
Against Hisoka leaking ominous aura, the Troupe side—unable to fully abandon suspicion—overreacted.
"Gah!?"
The mentally exhausted Killua triggered his ability slightly early at the shift in bloodlust, releasing Narukami—horizontal lightning using Nobunaga's reflexively drawn sword as a lightning rod.
"Stored Muscle: Cancelled, Muscles Mean Power! Additional Release, Even More Power!"
"Ohhhhhn!!"
Seeing opportunity as lightning hit Nobunaga—who possessed one-hit-kill attack power—Gon charged, while Gin released a restraining "roar" at Bonolenov.
"Pervert Clown!!"
Here Kurapika shouted the keyword for Hisoka. Even Hisoka, about to move, froze momentarily after being released from chains.
(Got him!!)
Unable to move from electrical paralysis, Nobunaga could only watch despite realizing Gon approaching was the one who'd taken down Shalnark.
"Nobunaga!?"
As Pakunoda's scream echoed and Gon's full-power strike was about to land, a quiet, out-of-place sound rang softly.
"Killu, Stay."
For some reason, a voice echoed along with heavy, pitch-black aura that suddenly appeared.
"Gon!?"
Gon, taking in his back a needle resembling crystallized ominousness, collapsed on the spot.
"Mission complete. I'll take my payment, Chrollo."
"Why are you here, you damn brother!!"
The Zoldyck family's eldest son—Illumi Zoldyck—had entered the battle.
***
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