Silva had to be at least six-and-a-half feet tall. Just standing there, he exuded an immense, crushing pressure.
That pressure didn't come from his height, though. It radiated from the inherent danger he projected.
Ronin's Sharingan, hidden behind his contact lenses, could clearly see the massive aura rolling off Silva and Zeno.
And that was just them in their Ten state—their resting mode!
Hisoka, on the other hand, didn't feel as overwhelming to Ronin. Hisoka's gaze was mostly fixed on Silva.
It seemed Silva's strength had piqued the interest of the "Fruit Farmer."
The man in charge of coordinating the assassins against the Troupe this time was Zenji, the bald mafia guy who had narrowly survived the massacre at the Cemetery Building.
His expression was grim.
The seven people in this room were the strongest fighters they could gather on short notice.
Zenji knew exactly where he stood. His only goal in this conflict was survival.
The slaughter at the Cemetery Building had left him with deep psychological scars. For the past two days, every time he closed his eyes, images of those murderous maniacs flashed through his mind.
"Everyone is here," Zenji said gravely. "The client wants the Phantom Troupe eliminated. The auction will reopen in the building in one hour. The Phantom Troupe will likely show up again. once you spot them, take action immediately. As for the details and methods, that's up to you. As long as the job gets done, we won't ask questions. If you need anything, just say the word, and I'll have it prepared for you."
Zenji had no intention of hitting the front lines. He was logistics, pure and simple.
Even if they failed to stop the Troupe, the worst he'd get was a scolding. He wasn't stupid enough to bet his life for a little money and reputation.
One of the three freelance assassins—a thug-looking guy—immediately made a request. He wanted a baseball bat.
Zenji agreed without hesitation.
The other two freelancers—a middle-aged repairman and a pretty young woman—started discussing communication methods and code names for the operation.
It looked like they planned to stick together.
Their plan was doomed to fail, though. The Zoldycks weren't the type to team up with strangers, and both Ronin and Hisoka preferred working solo.
However, in Ronin's view, the trio's decision wasn't wrong.
If the Troupe dared to make a move today, none of their members would be alone.
Given the trio's strength, facing a single Troupe member one-on-one meant certain death. If they faced two or more, sticking together might give them a one-percent chance of escaping alive.
"This feels like playing house."
Sure enough, Zeno was the first to lose patience.
His gaze swept over Ronin and Hisoka. Out of the five other Nen users in the room, only Ronin and Hisoka sparked any interest in the old assassin.
"We will operate in our own way," Silva added.
Zeno then pulled a stack of business cards from his robe and started handing them out to everyone in the room, Zenji included.
Ronin took the card. It listed not only a phone number but also the address of the Zoldyck estate.
For a family of assassins, they sure were high-profile.
"If you want someone killed, contact me immediately. I can give you a thirty percent discount. It's a special offer, don't miss out," Zeno said, pitching his murder services like an ordinary door-to-door salesman.
"Zoldyck? You're the Zoldyck family?" The red-haired girl's mouth hung open in disbelief. "I heard no one has ever seen your true faces."
"We don't particularly use disguises or sneak around," Zeno explained casually.
The three freelancers fell silent, holding the business cards.
At that moment, Hisoka stepped forward. "I'm used to working alone, too. So you guys can figure out the communication stuff yourselves."
With that, he walked out of the room.
Ronin pocketed the card and followed him. If there was going to be action, he was more interested in seeing how the two Zoldycks would handle it.
As for the three freelancers, Ronin couldn't care less.
By accepting this mission, they should have already prepared themselves for death.
"Wait, I have a blueprint of the building here," Zenji shouted as the door opened.
But neither Hisoka, nor Ronin, nor the Zoldycks following behind them had any interest in taking a map.
The four of them left the room without exchanging a word, quickly disappearing down opposite ends of the hallway.
"That white-haired kid... he's in disguise," Silva said as they walked.
"Mm, I noticed. It's a high-level technique, too—probably related to his Nen. Also, there was a constant stream of aura extending from his left hand into his pocket. It looked a bit like Transmutation," Zeno analyzed.
"Plus, he seemed to recognize us immediately. He even looked a bit eager to try something, which is unusual for a Transmuter. That redhead, on the other hand... he was interested in you, too, but he's better at hiding it."
"Yeah. For a split second back there, I thought he was going to lunge at me regardless of the situation," Silva said, recalling Hisoka's demeanor.
The way Hisoka had looked at him... for a moment, it was like a hunting dog spotting prey. It reminded him of their family guard dog, Mike.
"He's smarter than Mike," Zeno remarked, instantly understanding Silva's comparison.
"True," Silva nodded. "Mike's been a bit restless lately. I wonder if it's mating season."
"If it gets bad, just neuter him," Zeno suggested. Compared to his parents, Mike was indeed a bit too aggressive.
While the Zoldycks discussed their dog, Ronin turned to look at Hisoka. "Are you planning to keep following me?"
Ronin had stopped at the top of the stairs a minute ago.
But Hisoka showed no intention of going down. He just stood there, nearby.
"I was wondering... if I killed you, would it count as an initiation gift for joining the Troupe?" A playing card appeared in Hisoka's fingers, flipping back and forth like a dexterous coin.
"Why me?" Ronin was curious. Did Hisoka recognize him?
"Hmm~" Hisoka narrowed his sharp, fox-like eyes. "Because I feel like you're pretty strong. You could help me kill some time."
So he hadn't recognized him.
"The Troupe isn't a good place to be. Joining them won't necessarily get you what you want," Ronin said, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.
As for Hisoka's interest, Ronin didn't mind it much.
In a one-on-one fight, he didn't fear Hisoka. In fact, he was curious to see who was stronger between them now.
If Hisoka was interested in him, Ronin felt the same spark of excitement upon seeing the magician.
Ronin had actually hoped to run into Hisoka at Heaven's Arena.
Based on the timeline, the fight between Hisoka and Kastro should be happening there soon.
Running into him here in Yorknew City was an unexpected bonus.
The only pity was that Hisoka hadn't picked the best time or place for this.