Chapter 52: The Joker's Gaze x The Unavoidable Trap
The candy, imbued with Aura, lay quietly in the little girl's hand.
The little girl's smile was so sweet that any normal person would find it impossible to refuse.
But Gotoh was not a normal person. He returned just in time, and true to his duty, he took the "blade" for Roy.
"Big brother has a toothache, so he can't eat candy. Thank you, sweetie."
"Really?" The little girl tilted her head, looking at Roy. Roy smiled and gave her a nod.
The girl's mother, a gentle-looking woman, tugged her daughter's hand at the right moment. "Ena, don't bother the nice young man."
She then gave Roy and Gotoh an apologetic smile.
Roy and Gotoh exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief. However...
Before they could fully exhale, that breath caught in their throats, and the tension returned, refusing to leave.
Right before their eyes...
The employee dressed as a clown was walking over.
He was surrounded by a group of children, scattering candy as he walked. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was getting revenge on his employer for his low wages. Every seated passenger along his path was given a piece. Soon, he arrived in front of Roy and Gotoh.
"Candy... chocolate-flavored... delicious... have one..." A deathly pale hand reached out.
The clown, with his comical red nose, grinned at Roy. His garishly bright red lips curled into a smile that stretched to his ears.
Roy looked up, meeting his gaze. The clown's smile was even sweeter than the little girl's. Roy's eyes passed over the clown's shoulder, landing on the tall figures guarding the terminal entrance in the distance.
He couldn't figure it out. What was the Hunter Association's reasoning? Why haven't they made a move yet?
Did they not notice the problem with the candy?
Impossible.
Since they are Nen users, they would have detected the Aura attached to it.
The only reason they would stand by and watch so many people eat the candy was likely to avoid causing a panic, which would allow the "Joker" to escape in the chaos.
But did the lives of ordinary people not matter?
Without an Exorcist, the Nen imbued in the candy would not be easily removed. Or perhaps they were confident they could kill the "Joker" in a single blow before he activated his ability?
Roy's mind raced. He directly refused the clown's offer. "Sorry, I have congenital diabetes. I can't eat sweets."
"Oh~ you poor little thing. Luckily, uncle has some sugar-free candy right here..." The clown flipped his hand and pulled another piece of candy from the large pocket on his chest, holding it out.
Roy: "..."
He shook his head. "I don't eat sugar-free things. They have additives."
"This is all-natural, no additives. You can eat it without worry," the clown said, his smile growing even sweeter.
"No additives means no flavor. It wouldn't taste good."
"Don't worry, it's full of flavor. Eat as you please."
"He said he doesn't want any!" Gotoh shot to his feet, his tall frame forming a wall in front of Roy.
"Whoa... whoa..." The clown acted startled, hastily raising his hands and taking two steps back. The candy in his pocket spilled out, causing several children to scramble for it.
Ding... ding... ding... Attention passengers... Airship Flight K3284 to the Heavens Arena is now boarding...
Please proceed to Gate G4 for boarding...
Ding... ding... ding... Attention passengers...
Just then, the airport broadcast began. The crowd surged forward, separating them from the clown.
He stood amidst the people, pushed back by the throng. His crimson eyes remained fixed on Roy. Noticing that the figures blocking the terminal entrance had begun to move, he reached into his pocket and tossed a handful of candy into the air. It rained down, causing the crowd to scramble once more. In the chaos, he blended into the masses and disappeared.
"He's on the airship." Gotoh had kept his eyes locked on him, and he saw it clearly. The moment he stood up, he had deactivated his Zetsu and used Gyo.
The young butler adjusted his glasses. "It's a good thing you had the foresight, Young Master, and instructed me to change our flight in advance."
Foresight?
Roy watched as the members of the Hunter Association pushed through the crowd in pursuit, and he fell into a thoughtful silence, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Beside him, the little girl had picked up several more pieces of "candy" and was happily eating them. She swung her short legs back and forth. "Mommy," she said to the woman, "it looks like that big brother is on the same flight as us."
The woman gave Gotoh an awkward smile.
Her answer was a cold glance from the butler, who then sat down without a word.
Half an hour later, Flight K3284 took off, carrying the "Joker" and the Hunter Association members into the sky.
Hearing the roar of the engines, Roy looked out the window, a chill rising in his heart.
It was obvious. The Hunter Association and the police were willing to hold an entire airship of passengers hostage to deal with the "Joker." High in the sky, with no land in sight, there was nowhere to run. Even if the "arrest plan" failed, the fall would kill him. But in that case, the poor passengers would be forced to become "sacrifices."
"I saw the dark side of the Hunter Association years ago, when I accompanied the Master on missions," Gotoh said silently, seeming to read Roy's thoughts. "Many of them don't really operate on a sense of justice. More often than not, they're just like us, taking money to execute a mission."
"However, the Master, and Master Zeno, at least have some consideration for ordinary people."
"They..." Gotoh gave a cold smile. "...when they get radical, they're not even human."
The Hunter Association mostly took on jobs from governments or corporations, which were then outsourced to its licensed Hunters. For Hunters who accepted these missions, the Association guaranteed a certain payment based on the risk and difficulty, regardless of success or failure.
In other words... the will of the state superseded the Association itself.
"Perhaps the higher-ups in the Minbo Republic, enraged by the loss of face, secretly made some kind of deal with the Padokea Republic," Roy mused. He suddenly thought of Netero's close friend, Jed, who had served as the Association's "shadow" in his early years, carrying out Netero's dirty work. It was no wonder he had harbored such a powerful grudge after his death.
"Are you two talking?"
The little girl, chewing on her candy, looked curiously at Roy and Gotoh. Their frequent, silent communication had clearly piqued her interest.
"Ena, I told you not to bother the nice young men."
"It's fine," Roy said with a smile, waving his hand as he saw the woman grab her daughter's pigtails in frustration.
His gaze lingered for a second on the candy she was chewing. He hoped the people from the Hunter Association were competent enough to prevent a young life from being snuffed out.
At 3:20 in the afternoon.
The airport broadcast announced that "Airship Flight K3285" was now boarding.
Gotoh, who had been waiting for some time, stood up and followed Roy, joining the flow of people onto the airship.
As fate would have it, even after changing their tickets, they were seated directly across from the woman and the little girl.
"With the sudden ticket change, the airline couldn't arrange a VIP cabin. I'm afraid you'll have to make do in a standard cabin, Young Master."
"There's tea, pastries, and familiar faces. There's nothing to make do with."
"That's right, big brother. This time the snacks aren't sweet and have no additives, so you can eat them without worry~"
Just as Gotoh sat down next to Roy, the little girl's mouth stretched into a smile that reached the back of her ears.
Roy and Gotoh froze. The cold muzzles of two pistols were pressed against the backs of their heads.
"Don't move!"