"Uvogin… is he really gone?"
"What's with you?"
Neon looked at the teary-eyed Chrollo, her curiosity piqued.
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about your prediction—dead on, as usual! Haha!"
"Yes, yes, I told you it'd be accurate!"
Chrollo's words soothed Neon, who seemed content, drifting into her own thoughts. But he, meanwhile, was focused on other things.
"Captain Mojin from an Ancient Eastern Kingdom? Is that a person, or maybe a place? Sounds more like a title… but what does it mean?"
Chrollo's face turned pensive. He often covered his mouth while mulling over details aloud.
The ancient Eastern Kingdom exists in their world, Chrollo recalled. Even Menchi, one of the Hunter examiners, mentioned it once, citing sushi from a small island in the East.
During the second phase of the Hunter exam, Satotz, the first test examiner, had chatted with Buhara about it:
"In the distant ancient Eastern Kingdom, there's a fighting art called karate. Its practitioners pursue strength relentlessly, dedicating their lives to the journey."
Sound familiar?
Even in this world, they'd heard of karate, so it made sense that obscure terms from ancient Eastern culture would surface occasionally. But Chrollo had yet to understand their meanings.
The word was likely lost on nearly everyone in the Hunter world, especially with its heavy regional history. Yet Chrollo made a mental note: after the Yorknew City mission, he'd seek out Ruins Hunter's or archaeologists to unravel its mystery.
With a decision made, he carefully tucked away Neon's prophecy and resumed his conversation with her, switching to smooth small talk. Years of navigating the world had honed his skills in this, and handling someone like Neon was simple.
As they strolled down the corridor, Chrollo suddenly struck her with a knife-hand blow, knocking her unconscious.
With her identity as the Nostrade Family's heir exposed, he handed her over to nearby Mafia members, then slipped away in the ensuing chaos. Just before disappearing, he sent a message to his entire group.
Four simple words: "Stir up some chaos!"
Uvogin deserved a grand farewell, just as the prophecy had foretold.
In the building's surveillance room…
"Such speed! I doubt anyone else could catch that move so clearly, except for me."
A man in an assassin's hat fixated on Chrollo's swift hand strike replaying on the monitors, his eyes glinting with excitement.
"It's been a while since I've found prey like this… You're mine."
As he fell deeper into his bloodlust, Ronnel, the real observer in the room, also spotted Chrollo on screen.
"Finally… Chrollo."
Ronnel glanced at the monitor once more before heading out.
"I'm looking forward to this battle."
Ronnel wasn't the first to sense Chrollo's presence. Before him, assassins hired by the Ten Dons had picked up on the disturbance and moved to intercept. But, with their limited power, they met a swift end.
In the conference room, Silva and Zeno Zoldyck sat in silence, monitoring developments. Neither had moved since their arrival.
After Silva ended a call, he turned to Zeno.
"Target's been found, Dad. Shall we move?"
"No need," Zeno replied with closed eyes. "Let those assassins wear each other out. We'll move once they're exhausted."
"But what if that guy, Kay Taylor, reaches the target first?" Silva asked.
He was cautious about Kay Taylor—a powerful figure worth watching. Silva had already gathered intel, assessing how it might impact their mission.
Zeno smirked. "All the better."
"That Kay Taylor is strong, and our target's no slouch either. If they clash, the aura disturbance alone will reach us.
Once they've weakened each other, we'll clean up. It'll be easiest to complete the mission with minimal risk.
With that, Zeno settled back, projecting his Nen across the entire building—a powerful radius capturing every movement within.
Silva nodded, staying sharp. Both of them increased their focus, readying themselves for the coming fight.
The Zoldyck family, after all, prepared meticulously for every mission.
As assassins readied to engage, Kurapika moved to implement his own plans.
"Neon's been found. Come with me, Kurapika. Wipe out all the assassins if needed. Neon's safety comes first!"
Light Nostrade hurried to Neon's location, Kurapika in tow. Though Light owed much of his status to Neon's prophetic powers, he was surprisingly self-aware, free from the ego that often accompanied such power.
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