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178 HxH: Tombbound Power
🕑 Added 2024-11-03 07:23:41 +0000 UTC"Ah, yeah, he's part of our group. Surprised you knew that?" said the man, standing on a high slope, his body covered in inflated airbags. He looked down at Ronnel and his companions with growing disdain.
"Is this supposed to be the Phantom Troupe? There's one with a sword, and the others are like kids who haven't grown up."
"Two kids, and… a dwarf? Doubt they've honed their Nen as long as I have."
A dwarf?!
Ronnel and Machi aren't short, so the "dwarf" he meant could only be...
"These idiots..." Feitan muttered. His face darkened under his cloak as murderous intent flickered in his eyes, and a chilling aura radiated from him.
Who do you call a dwarf?!
That Shadow Beast was very lucky—or unlucky—to hit Feitan's sore spot.
"Hey! Don't underestimate them, Rabid Dog get killed like this!" shouted one. But his cautious words were met with frustration.
"Quit rambling! These fools' lives are ours to take!"
"You…" sighed, then jumped toward a weaker-looking figure nearby.
"Owl, huh?" Ronnel murmured with a half-smile as he observed the owl-like Shadow Beast approaching.
The beast didn't respond, instead revealing a familiar furoshiki—a convenient pocket cloth he had used when they'd booked the car earlier.
(T/N: Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese fabric wrap)
"Nen, Fun Fun Cloth!" Ronnel thought, grinning as he moved in to face the beast head-on.
(T/N:The Fun Fun Cloth is used by Owl to shrink whatever ends up in the cloth, whether it be an object or a living being, without any physical harm.)
Meanwhile, Feitan and Nobunaga were already locked in battle with the other Shadow Beasts.
Elsewhere, inside an abandoned building where Chrollo sat, an exchange unfolded.
"I just remembered I have an appointment," Hisoka said, receiving a nod in return before he walked off with his usual feline grace. Chrollo, seated high above, watched Hisoka's retreating form with an unreadable expression.
"Wow~"
A small, convenient furoshiki was unrolled, and the stolen underground auction items scattered everywhere.
"Looks like our mission for today was a success," Ronnel said as he released the lifeless owl's body from his grip.
"I wanted him alive for questioning," Machi remarked, binding a wounded, limbless Shadow Beast with Nen threads. "But since we got the auction items, this works too."
"Take it back and get whatever info we can, especially about the Nostrade family's daughter."
Ronnel glanced at the half-man, half-beast creature and shrugged, then carefully stashed the auction items and bodies into his space backpack.
"Tsk, no matter how many times I see it, that ability is damn useful," Nobunaga commented. Nearby, Machi and Feitan were already loading the captured beast into the car.
"Let's go, Nobunaga. We'll interrogate him back at the base."
"But… what about Uvogin?" Nobunaga asked, clearly worried for his Meteor City partner.
"Don't stress about it," Ronnel reassured him. "If Uvogin wasn't taken by the Shadow Beasts, then it's likely the mafia around here. After capturing Uvogin, they'd probably report it to headquarters to brag. Shalnark can use that intel, and we can track which family's involved."
"Sounds reasonable," Nobunaga replied, nodding before climbing into the car with Ronnel.
"Ronnel, you're sharp. Almost like Shalnark—finally, another brain in the Troupe!"
"Or maybe you're just slow?" Feitan quipped.
"What did you say, Feitan? Want me to kill you?!"
"Oh, you're welcome to try~"
"I'll take you down!"
It was nightfall, and Ronnel was in full "Analyst Emperor" mode, watching the rest of the group with a knowing smile, enjoying their performances as they all played their parts.
Meanwhile, Killua, Gon, and Leorio were back in the city.
"Killua, how about an arm-wrestling rematch?" Gon asked.
"No thanks. Hard pass!"
"Come on, Gon," Leorio chimed in. "You've already taken down so many challengers, you're bound to draw some big fish soon!"
"But, Leorio…"
"No buts! Trust me!"
Back at the Troupe's base, Kurapika had successfully brought Uvogin to the Nostrade family mansion. Despite Boss Dalzollene's best efforts, he couldn't inflict much damage on Uvogin. Only after Kurapika landed a solid punch that caused a nosebleed did Dalzollene report to his superiors.
And right then, the mafia member handling that report happened to be controlled by Shalnark, who'd just been updated on the situation.
Within the Troupe's gathering place, an abandoned building, Shalnark lay lounging in an exaggerated pose while Kortopi sat quietly in a corner, hair disheveled, only one eye visible from behind her tangled locks. Hisoka was off on his date with Kurapika.
After finishing her manicure, Pakunoda joined Machi and Nobunaga, who had just returned to share intel. The team settled into a rhythm—Feitan wrapped up his interrogation of the half-man, half-beast, gleaning all the intel he could before sitting down to read.
