"Ah—Aisha! So, um… once you leave here, what are you going to do!?"
The meal had finished, and I was just thinking it might be about time to retire to my room and rest when Milluki suddenly asked me that.
"After I leave here? …Let's see. I think I'll be running around trying to obtain something I want. Oh, and Gon and the others… my friends, that is. I want to look for them."
Getting Greed Island was a given, of course—but I also wanted to see Gon and the others again. I'd left without even saying goodbye, so I wanted to apologize at least once.
…And I want to see my friends.
"I-I see… so what is it that you want?"
"Do you know about a game called Greed Island?"
"! Oh, that one…"
Oh, so he does know it. As expected of the Zoldycks. And Milluki seems like the type who's knowledgeable about games too. …Am I stereotyping?
"Getting Greed Island won't be easy…"
"True. But I've obtained my Hunter License, so I'm planning to use that to gather information."
With this, I should be able to obtain more accurate and reliable information than before. Thank you, Hunter License.
"…I-If you'd like, I-I could look into it for you. You know, Greed Island, and where that Gon guy and the others are."
"Huh?"
"Well, I'm pretty good with computers, and if I use my family's information network, finding people is easy! It'd be way faster than you doing it alone!"
That is an attractive offer… but still. Asking something like that of someone I just met today feels wrong.
"No, but that would trouble you, Milluki, and the Zoldyck family—"
"It's fine! I don't mind at all! Right, Dad!?"
"…As long as it's within the authority granted to Milluki, I have no objection."
What!? But wouldn't that involve moving a lot of money?
"But even using people costs money—"
"It's fine! The servants are doing their jobs anyway. Think of it as earning their pay! A-And if that still doesn't sit right with you, then, um… just count it as owing me a favor!"
A favor… owing the Zoldycks a favor is terrifying, but in this case it'd be a favor owed to Milluki, right? If so, maybe I can repay it somehow with something I'm capable of.
"Alright. If you insist that much, I'll accept your help. I'll definitely repay this favor."
"Yeah! Don't worry about it. I-It'll probably take some time to investigate, so you can stay here until then!"
"So easy to read… Aisha, you heard him. Finding Greed Island aside, searching for people takes time. You should stay here for a while."
"…Is that really okay?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'll be in your care for a while."
I bowed deeply in thanks. I never imagined I might end up staying more than one night at the Zoldyck estate.
But if I'm going to search for Gon and the others, doing it alone would be difficult. Where did they go after that? From my original-story knowledge, I vaguely remember "Heavens Arena," "Greed Island," and "giant ant monsters." There were more things, I think, so it's hard to predict where they are right now…
I'll accept Milluki's kindness for now.
◆
Mil's such an easy one to read. He's fallen for Aisha, hasn't he… Good grief. Of all people to fall for, he picked a troublesome one. That girl's far beyond Milluki's reach.
Still, Aisha herself is unbelievably dense. She hasn't realized that Milluki's in love with her. She noticed my presence, yet missed something that obvious… that's a bit much.
Well, no matter. Whether it's Mil's fault or thanks to him, if Aisha's staying here for a while, there's plenty I can ask her. I suppose I'll talk to her tomorrow.
.
Aisha stayed the night, and morning came. Breakfast was already over, and everyone in the family was going about their own business. Since Aisha likely had nothing to do, I invited her for a walk—and she followed me without hesitation.
…Does she really understand that we're assassins?
Needless to say, Milluki was glaring daggers at me when I invited her out.
"Nice weather today."
"Indeed. Perfect weather for a walk."
…How peaceful.
No, no—this isn't why I invited her out.
"By the way, Aisha. About Netero."
"Netero? Did something happen to that guy?"
She calls Netero that guy. We haven't known each other long, but I can tell she's not the type to refer to others that way casually. If she calls him that, they must be quite close.
"You said you're his rival… do you know his Nen ability?"
"Well, I do—but I won't tell you. Nen abilities aren't something you talk about lightly."
Hmm. As expected, she does know. And it's almost certain now that Aisha is a Nen user herself.
"No, no. I already know that old man's ability—Hyakushiki Kannon. I once had a rather painful experience with it."
"So you do? Yeah, I've had my fair share of bitter experiences with it too."
"Just as I thought. In battle, Netero's most troublesome weapon is Hyakushiki Kannon."
So she's fought it many times. She hasn't figured out how to defeat it, judging by her words—but she still has the strength to fight against it.
…More than enough strength, in fact.
"So, Aisha. How would you deal with Hyakushiki Kannon?"
This was pure curiosity. If she's fought Netero repeatedly, she must have thought about ways to counter it. I don't expect her to answer easily, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
"That's classified information."
As expected—
"—However… I suppose I can tell you a method that isn't mine."
"Oh? …Are you sure? We might use that method to assassinate Netero, you know?"
"That won't be a problem. Knowing it and being able to execute it are two different things. …And if you ever become enemies of Netero, I'll simply fight alongside him."
—!!
What pressure… To think she could impose this much on me.
"Well, I have no intention of making an enemy of that old man. …Or of you, for that matter."
"Thank you. I'd rather not be your enemy either. …Since you're letting me stay here for a while, consider this strategy my payment."
Whether it can be used or not aside, it's more than generous as payment.
"First, as a prerequisite, you need durability high enough to withstand Hyakushiki Kannon."
…That's obvious enough. But is that really a strategy?
"You only need to endure a few hits. Hyakushiki Kannon is an unavoidable blitz—your opponent strikes before you can act."
I see. I could probably endure several hits myself. If I focus on defense, maybe over ten? Hard to say without testing it.
"And even Hyakushiki Kannon can't be fired completely without pause. There's a very brief gap between techniques."
That much I'd predicted. But that gap is extremely short.
"If you can endure one blow and land your own attack during that instant, you have a chance at victory."
"…What?"
No, no—that's exactly the hard part I want explained.
"What you can do in that instant varies from person to person. Teleport into Netero's range, fulfill the conditions to manipulate him, activate an ability that neutralizes him, and so on."
"…That's—"
"Yes. It's practically impossible. The gap between techniques is unbelievably short. Activating an ability against Netero in that instant is beyond difficult—because his next Hyakushiki Kannon will activate far faster than the time required to trigger most abilities."
Threading an ability—especially a disabling one—through that barrage requires countless conditions. Doing so in a split second is nearly impossible.
"Or perhaps you activate it before the first hit? That won't work either. Netero has survived more battles than the phrase 'battle-hardened' can do justice. The moment he senses an ability being activated, he'll unleash Hyakushiki Kannon. And activating an ability normally while being struck by it is just as difficult."
So in the end, isn't she saying Hyakushiki Kannon can't be beaten? I asked for a countermeasure, but this feels more like listening to Netero praise.
"On top of that, most abilities that incapacitate opponents have poor compatibility with Enhancement types. In other words, most users can't endure even a single hit. Fighting fairly and breaking through Hyakushiki Kannon is essentially impossible."
"So I ended up listening to you gush about him, huh…"
"Gush!? Why would I gush about him!?"
With how happily she was talking, that's exactly what it sounded like.
Well, it was decent entertainment, at least.
"Hey! Are you even listening, Zeno!?"
◆
Honestly, that Zeno-san! There's no way I'd ever have those kinds of feelings toward Netero!
Well… okay, maybe I did sound a little proud when I talked about him, but that was just—how do I put it—a rival I can brag about, you know?
…Ah, whatever! Enough already! This ends here! Thinking about it any more is pointless.
Still, Zeno-san was clearly probing me earlier. He was testing the waters to get a sense of my strength. Well, what I told him shouldn't cause any problems.
Some abilities can be dealt with if you know about them, and others can't—even if you know everything. Netero's falls into the latter category. There are probably few abilities as impossible to counter as his.
I never mentioned my own ability, and with the way I explained things, there's a good chance he took me for an Enhancer. After all, I basically said I could withstand Hyakushiki Kannon to some extent. Naturally, he'd assume I'm either an Enhancer or one of the adjacent types—Emitter or Transmuter.
.
Anyway, getting back from the walk was fine and all, but now I had nothing to do.
Zeno-san showed me around a bit while we walked, but it was still only four in the afternoon. Dinner was a long way off.
I'd already finished my daily training. I'd even been training Nen while walking with Zeno-san. Angel's Veil is seriously amazing.
Thanks to it, training to extend the duration of Ken is so much easier. Normally, it takes over three days just to finish maintaining Ken—that's not training at all. But with Angel's Veil active, aura consumption increases tenfold. If you also run basic and advanced techniques in parallel with Ken, the drain gets even faster.
That was an unexpected side benefit of Angel's Veil. Thanks to it, my total aura has grown even more over the past three years. Of course, I didn't plan on completely exhausting my aura here, so I stopped partway through. Still… what should I do now?
As I was spacing out and relaxing in the room I'd been given, a visitor came by.
…Though it's kind of weird for a guest like me to call someone else a visitor.
"Aisha, um… can I come in?"
As expected, it was Milluki-san. I could tell just from his presence. Well, his footsteps are pretty obvious too…
"Go ahead. …What's wrong?"
"Ah, well, I found out a bunch of things about Greed Island, so I wanted to talk about it."
"Really!? That's amazing, Milluki-san! You figured it out that fast—just one day later!"
"N-no, that's because I borrowed your Hunter License."
Ah, right—the license. He probably used it to access hunter-only sites.
"A-anyway, there's a lot to talk about, so could you come to my room?"
"Of course. I was about to ask you myself."
He actually came to get me personally. He's a really nice guy. Someone in his position could easily have sent a butler instead.
"Then follow me."
"Yes."
"Oh, and… you can just call me Milluki. No need for honorifics."
"Is that okay? Then, nice to meet you again, Milluki."
Oh? He looks ridiculously happy after I said that!?
…I see. Just like Killua, Milluki probably never had any friends. In this environment, that's hardly surprising.
It's okay! Starting today, I'll be your friend!
I smiled at him—and suddenly he turned his face away and started walking faster.
…Huh? Did I do something wrong? Did he not like that?
"This is my room. G-go on in."
"Excuse me, then."
We arrived at Milluki's room. When I stepped inside, I was honestly surprised—it was much neater than I'd expected.
"Wow. It's really tidy."
"W-well, yeah."
The interior looked pretty stylish, actually—well put together. At the back of the room was a large computer, connected to all sorts of machines I'd never seen before. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with neatly arranged books. Maybe manga too? It wasn't nearly as otaku-esque as I'd imagined.
Sorry, Milluki. That was my prejudice.
"Alright, here's what I found. I still haven't located your friends yet. For now, this is just about Greed Island. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything on the people search."
That makes sense. Finding people whose whereabouts are completely unknown, just a day later, would be impossible. Any information about Greed Island alone would already be a win.
But as Milluki continued explaining, despair slowly crept over me.
Greed Island is a game created by Nen users. When the game starts, Nen activates and pulls the player into the game world. Non–Nen users can't play it. As long as the player is alive, the game doesn't stop—even if the power is unplugged. It only stops when the player dies. Apparently, if you find a save point, you can return.
…H-how did this happen!?
Nen activates and pulls you into the game world!?
That's right! Greed Island sends you into the game world using Nen!
How could I forget that, you idiot!? That's the single most important detail!
…[My Boss Attribute] would nullify it…!
Aaaaaaaaah!!
It's over… it's all over…
N-no, don't give up! If you give up here, you'll be a virgin forever, you know!? I refuse to accept that! There's still a chance the information is wrong. Maybe—just maybe, even with Boss Attribute, I can still play.
I'll despair when I actually fail to enter Greed Island. It's too early to give up!
"A-Aisha? What's wrong? You look pale."
"Ah—no, I'm fine. Sorry. Please continue."
"O-oh, okay."
For now, I should focus on obtaining Greed Island. Nothing else matters until then.
"Anyway, continuing. Getting Greed Island right now is extremely difficult. There are very few copies, and since the game doesn't stop unless the player dies, once someone gets it, it's very unlikely to return to the market."
…True enough.
"And there's also the billionaire Battera. He's been buying up every copy that does make it onto the market. He's even manipulating information about Greed Island so that details don't circulate widely."
So it's all his fault. Curse you, Battera.
"There's a rumor that several—maybe dozens—of copies will appear at the Yorknew auction this September. But Battera will probably buy them all."
"Then obtaining Greed Island is…"
"Extremely difficult. To get it legitimately, you'd need funds exceeding Battera's. Well, not necessarily more than his total assets—just enough to keep bidding the maximum amount every time until his money runs out."
That's impossible. My total assets are only about ten billion… a huge sum for a normal person, but pocket change compared to Battera's fortune. I probably don't even meet the minimum threshold.
If only I could use the assets I had back during the Ryusho days… but I donated all my personal wealth, handed the dojo over to Liina…
…What should I do?
"Can I ask one thing? You want Greed Island because you want to play it, right?"
"Yes."
Strictly speaking, it's because I want to turn back into a man—but to do that, I need to play anyway.
"Then you don't necessarily need to own Greed Island. You just need to be able to play it, right?"
"That's true. But for that, someone who owns it would need to—! Oh! I see!"
"Right. Battera. We don't know why he's collecting Greed Island, but let's put that aside. To play Greed Island, you need Nen users. And apparently, every time Battera acquires a copy, he holds a selection exam to choose players."
Exactly! If I can't get Greed Island myself, I can get someone who owns it to let me play! If Battera has a ton of copies, he'll need a ton of Nen users! If I can get in—
"He's already hinted that he'll hold a selection exam in September. He's acting like he already owns the copies, but… honestly, he probably will."
"A selection exam in September. Where?"
"Yorknew. The exact location hasn't been decided yet, but I'll contact you once it is. Um… could I get your contact info?"
"Of course. Here's my phone number. I really owe you a lot, Milluki."
"It's no big deal! Here—this is mine!"
The remaining problem is whether I can actually play Greed Island…
I already know the answer—but I don't want to.
"I'll keep digging into things on my end too."
"Thank you so much. I'll definitely repay you. If there's anything I can do, just say the word."
"A-anything!? You just said you'd do anything, right!?"
"I—I mean, anything I can do."
I can't agree to impossible things, after all.
"It's fine! I-I have a request. Could you wear some more girly clothes?"
…What?
"I mean, Aisha, you're cute, so it feels like a waste with clothes like that!"
"Th-thank you… and you're sure that's really okay?"
"Of course! I can lend you some clothes—no, I'll just give them to you!"
"No need. I have my own clothes."
…Granted, they were gifts too.
Sigh. I never thought I'd have to wear those again. I'd finally gone back to my old style since Liina and Bisky weren't around.
But I did say "anything I can do." I can't back out now. I owe him. I'll just endure it.
"Then I'll go change."
"Yeah! I'll wait!"
He looks really happy… Is this just a guy thing?
Well, yeah—guys do like seeing girls in cute clothes. Though honestly, some girls like that too.
Still… I never imagined I'd be changing clothes just to make a man happy…
Now then, which outfit… I brought everything, but… there's too much. I don't even remember the combinations.
…Huh? What's this piece of paper?
A memo? Inside—
Detailed outfit combinations… even underwear!?
When did someone put this in here!? "Underwear effective for seducing men"
…!? Like hell I'd wear that!
Honestly, putting effort into the stupidest things…
This is definitely Bisky's doing.
Not wearing women's underwear is my last line as a man! I protected that at the department store too… even if I got dressed up like a doll in exchange.
For now, I'll at least follow the clothing combinations written here. I can't coordinate women's outfits anyway.
"I-I'm coming in?"
"Yeah!"
He's way too excited… But, well, that's just male nature… right?
"Alright… This is the last time, okay? It's embarrassing."
"kwasedrftgyfujikolp"
Please speak in a common language.
How did he even make that sound? Some kind of Nen ability?
"This is bad… my soul is leaving my body. So this is my Avalon—my paradise."
"Please don't die, okay? Would that be my fault?"
"I've found my answer. I'm fine, Aisha."
What answer!? And you're clearly not fine.
"Please calm down."
"Y-yeah. Sorry. I got a bit shaken."
A bit?
"Okay, I'm calm now. Everything's fi—ah, A-Aisha, um…"
"Yes? What is it?"
He's acting even stranger now…
"T-this might be rude, but… a-are you wearing a bra?"
"No? I'm not."
"I REGRET NOTHING IN MY LIFE!"
Milluki—!?
He raised his right arm triumphantly and passed out!?
Have some regrets! You've got a ton of unfinished business! Don't die over my no-bra status!!
.
As I panicked over the collapsed Milluki, a butler entered the room.
Thank goodness—now we can do something about him!
…Or so I thought. That was incredibly naive.
"Milluki-sama, excuse me. Dinner is—!? You! What did you do to Milluki-sama!?"
"Huh? N-no, I didn't do anything—"
"So you were an assassin targeting the Zoldyck family after all!"
Oh no. This is the "won't listen" pattern.
Before I could explain, the butler pressed some kind of button.
"Please wait! At least listen—"
"What's going on!!"
"Milluki-sama is unconscious! The culprit is the female guest! Method unknown! Nen ability suspected!"
Yep. No questions asked.
…How did this even happen?
.
"Don't let her escape!"
You've gotta be kidding me. Of course I'm running.
I dodged Nen bullets fired from behind and leapt over butlers rushing me from the front.
Seriously!? Everyone here is a Nen user!? This is such a pain!
Even after clearing one group, more butlers waited ahead. Front and back—nothing but butlers. The hallways are wide, but being surrounded like this leaves nowhere to go.
"Subdue her!"
As expected, they rushed me all at once. But you're still too soft!
"Gah!?"
I slammed every attacker into the floor using Aiki. Even against multiple opponents, Aiki isn't impossible. If you deliberately sync their breathing, it's easy.
I didn't finish them off—just knocked them unconscious and escaped.
…Milluki! Wake up already!
.
Butlers are everywhere~
"Don't charge recklessly! She's skilled! Stall her until the masters arrive!"
Thanks for the accurate orders. But could you not fire coins like a machine gun!?
"Ha! Hup! Hah!"
"You're stopping all my coins…!"
If I dodged or deflected them, they might hit other butlers or expensive decorations. Those coins were spinning like crazy—probably a Nen ability. Luckily, with my aura and perception, I could manage.
"This is pointless. I suggest you stop before damaging the furnishings."
Please, spare my aura. I used a lot training earlier—I'm under half capacity now.
…Should I turn off Angel's Veil?
I crushed all the coins I caught.
"Damn you…!"
Despite their anger, no one rushed me anymore. Good. If Milluki wakes up—or if Zeno-san or Silva-san arrives—things might change.
…That thought was naive.
"What are you doing!? Kill that vixen at once!"
And here comes Killua's mom. The balance just tipped—straight toward killing me.
"So you've shown your true colors, you fox! Not just Killua—Milluki too! I will never forgive you!"
"No, that's a misunderstanding—"
"Now! Kill her!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
I knew it. Damn it.
.
I ran and ran until I finally reached outside the mansion. Fighting indoors is better against large numbers, but I'd rather not wreck the place.
Once outside, I spotted Zeno-san.
Thank goodness—now maybe—
"You seem to be having fun. Mind if I join?"
Whatever. Let it all burn.
.
Zeno's aura surged. He concentrated it in his hands and shaped it into a dragon.
A Transmuter? Not certain yet.
…Let's test it.
"Yah!"
The dragon lunged toward me at terrifying speed. I barely dodged—and it immediately changed direction to pursue me.
Impressive. Just from this, I can tell his Transmutation skill surpasses that of an average Nen user. He keeps the aura connected to his hand—probably because Transmuters aren't great at Emission.
…Or maybe he's bluffing and could extend it. Can't let my guard down.
After dodging a few times, I deliberately brushed against the dragon—guarding myself with aura, of course.
"Hm?"
Zeno paused. He must've wondered why I touched it on purpose.
He's not trying to kill me. He's enjoying this.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I was just confirming your affinity."
"Oh? And did you figure it out?"
"Probably… Emission is your specialty?"
"Hm. I'm transmuting aura—why Emission?"
"Just experience."
By touching it, I could tell Transmutation wasn't his primary type. If it were, the power would've been near 100%. Instead, it felt closer to 60%.
That puts his affinity two steps away—either Emission or Specialist. Given how he reinforces himself, Emission is far more likely.
"Interesting… This is getting fun."
"Father, I'll assist!"
"Master Zeno, we'll help!"
"Well then, I'll join too."
"…I'm not having fun at all."
Please wake up already, Milluki…
And Silva-san—stop casually joining in!
◆
A week had passed since the day Milluki lost consciousness while standing at attention like a man.
…It was an incident I really didn't want to remember.
Fortunately, Milluki regained consciousness after about two hours and everything turned out fine. Still… even though the butlers apologized to me, Kikyo-san clicked her tongue in annoyance. Zeno-san burst out laughing, and Silva-san gave a wry smile.
Kikyo-san even went so far as to accuse me of manipulating Milluki with a Manipulation-type ability. I truly can't deal with that woman.
Well, whatever. I'm leaving the Zoldyck estate anyway. I probably won't have to see Kikyo-san again. And at last, I'd finally found out where Gon and the others currently were.
"Thank you for taking care of me for so long."
"Mm. You should come again sometime. You'll be welcome."
"If you see Killua, give him my regards."
"Listen carefully. Protect Killua from danger, even if you must stake your life to do so. If you do that, I'll forgive all of your past insolence. …But if you try to seduce him, I'll kill you."
"…Don't lay a hand on my brother, Aisha-nee. Milluki-nii is fine, though."
"Hey, Kalluto! A-ah, sorry about that, Aisha! Don't mind what a kid says!"
I wish I'd been able to get a little closer to Kalluto-chan. She's almost always with Kikyo-san, so we didn't have many chances to talk.
But still—why does she call me "big sister"?
Though… being called "big sister" by such a small child doesn't feel bad at all.
"It's fine. I don't dislike being called that."
"R-really!?"
"Yes."
She's cute, isn't she? Maybe since she doesn't have an older sister among her siblings, she decided to call me that.
"But was it really okay to lend me the Zoldyck family's private airship?"
They really took care of me in every possible way. This is bad… how am I supposed to repay all this?
"It's no problem. You're only using it one way, after all. Besides, we caused you trouble with that previous incident."
Ah… when you put it that way, maybe I don't owe them that much anymore. Still, I stayed here for several days, so I'd like to repay that part at least.
"Then, thank you very much, everyone. Take care!"
"Mm. Stay well."
"Farewell."
"Try not to die, at least."
"…Bye."
"I'll contact you again once I learn more about Greed Island!"
After saying my goodbyes, I boarded the airship. All things considered, it was a really enjoyable time.
I became friends with Milluki and got to enjoy all sorts of video games. Silva-san seemed strict, but the gentle smile he showed when talking about his family left a strong impression. Being with Zeno-san was the most relaxing—drinking tea together and taking it easy was genuinely soothing. I didn't really manage to get along with Kikyo-san or Kalluto-chan, though…
Oh—and who exactly was that yokai-like old man I occasionally saw?
Well, whatever. Time to depart for my next destination.
◆
…So she's gone. What a strange girl she was.
She seemed like a girl her age, yet also like a shrewd old man. Just when you thought she was clueless, she'd see right through your intentions. A person with a truly unique charm.
Milluki seems to have fallen for her—not just her looks, but who she is inside. And seriously, too.
"Dad… I have a request."
"…What is it?"
Well, I can guess what he wants to say. Turns out he really is a man, after all.
"Make me usable within six months."
"You'll see hell, you know?"
"I've been seeing hell since the day I was born, haven't I?"
His resolve is firm. He's got that serious look in his eyes—the one he shows from time to time.
"Fine. In six months, I'll make you a proper user. That is, if you can keep up with my training."
"I'll do it!"
Is this another change brought about by Aisha's presence? Whether this will turn out to be a blessing for the Zoldyck family—or not…
Well, no one can know the future.
◆
After about four days of travel by airship, I finally arrived at my destination.
Or rather, not so much a destination as the place where the person I wanted to meet was.
The person I came to see was Kurapika.
After asking Milluki to search for them, the first ones found were Gon and Killua. Apparently, they're participating as fighters at Heavens Arena. I don't know their exact goal—training, perhaps? It seems like a good place to gain experience.
Next was Leorio. It seems he returned to his hometown and is studying to become a doctor. Milluki found him quickly after checking the address listed on the Hunter-only site.
And then—Kurapika.
He appeared to be searching for a job brokerage agency—one that was highly specialized. The Senritsukai… a difficult-to-find agency located in a hidden place, brokering all kinds of work, from underworld to legitimate, to capable individuals.
Hearing this, something immediately came to mind: Kurapika's revenge and his long-cherished wish.
Revenge against the Phantom Troupe. And most likely, recovering the Scarlet Eyes. That must be Kurapika's ultimate goal.
But as he is now, Kurapika wouldn't stand even a one-in-ten-thousand chance against the Phantom Troupe.
The gap between Nen users and non–Nen users is immense. And on top of that, they're A-class criminals—among the strongest of Nen users. Even if I tried to stop Kurapika, I doubt he'd abandon his revenge. His resolve is unyieldingly firm.
I could stop him by force… but that would require doing something extremely drastic.
Stopping him is impossible. But if things continue like this, Kurapika will definitely die.
Then the answer is simple: give him power.
The power called Nen.
Fortunately, Kurapika holds a Pro Hunter license. That alone is a sufficient pretext to teach him Nen.
Helping someone pursue revenge gives me pause—but I value Kurapika's life more. Even if that leads to the death of one of the Phantom Troupe members… I'll prioritize my friend over criminals I don't know.
This is the spot where the Zoldyck agent tailing Kurapika is stationed. Using the receiver Milluki gave me, I followed the signal from the transmitter Kurapika carries.
"Good work. This is Milluki's receiver—please take it."
"…Thank you. The target is currently moving about 30 meters ahead."
"Yes, we've already confirmed it on our end. Thank you very much."
"…It's just my job."
The man in black slowly walked away.
…So cool.
Now then—time to reunite with Kurapika.
◆
…What is going on?
I finally found a brokerage that could offer work to help me achieve my goal—and yet I was turned away? They say I don't meet the minimum requirements. But what exactly are those requirements?
Having a license isn't enough. And according to what that woman said—my exam still isn't over.
The exam isn't over? Does that mean I'm still lacking something as a Pro Hunter? What is it—power? But it doesn't seem to be simple physical strength.
What was beside her? I couldn't see anything—but being able to see it must be the minimum requirement.
Which means that Pro Hunters—more precisely, seasoned Pro Hunters, not just those certified this year—can see things that others cannot.
…I should look this up on the Hunter site. I might find some clues.
At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears.
"Kurapika-san!"
"—! Aisha!?"
Why is Aisha here!? What has she been doing all this time!?
"It's been a while, Kurapika-san."
"Ah… yeah. Long time no see, Aisha. You look well. We were all worried about you—you vanished after the Hunter Exam."
"S-sorry… I was badly injured and ended up hospitalized for about a month."
"What!? Are you okay now?"
She doesn't look hurt anywhere—just like she did during the exam.
…No, her clothes are quite different now. So she wears outfits like that. I suppose Aisha is a woman, after all.
"Yes. I've fully recovered."
"I see. That's good, then. If that's what happened, it can't be helped."
"I'm glad to see you passed the exam too, Kurapika-san. …Though it's unfortunate about Killua."
"So you heard about how the exam ended?"
"Yes. …I also heard that everyone visited the Zoldyck estate."
She knows that much… Was it really a coincidence that Aisha is here? Something about this feels… deliberate.
"Aisha, why are you here? Was our meeting really a coincidence?"
I'll ask her directly. I don't think Aisha would lie to me.
…Or rather, I don't want to think she would. I want to believe in my comrades. How sentimental of me… I never thought I'd form friendships I could call that in such a short time.
"No, it wasn't a coincidence. I came here because I had business with you, Kurapika-san."
So she intentionally came to find me. But how did she know where I was?
"And your location—I asked the Zoldycks to look into it. I'm sorry for acting on my own."
"What!? …What connection do you have with the Zoldycks?"
To be able to ask them for something like that…
Aisha… just who are you?
"No connection, really… This was actually my first time going to the Zoldycks. I heard you all did something reckless by visiting them, so I chased after you… but by the time I arrived, everyone had already left…"
I see… She went all the way to the Zoldycks out of concern for us. And yet, I doubted her…
"…I'm sorry, Aisha."
"No, it's fine. I acted on my own. More importantly, I'm just glad everyone was safe. That was basically a suicide mission, you know? Going to the Zoldycks with your current strength."
…That's not quite what I meant when I apologized, but—never mind.
"Still, I'm impressed you managed to ask the Zoldycks to help with a search."
"They were surprisingly nice people once you talked to them. Their profession is a bit hard to accept, though."
Nice people, huh…
I don't know the Zoldycks that well myself, but I doubt anyone else could describe them that way except Aisha.
"So—what is it you want with me?"
"Yes. Let's get to the point. First, I need to confirm something. Kurapika-san—have you given up on taking revenge against the Phantom Troupe?"
"Give up? Never…! I could never give it up!"
That's right. No matter what anyone says, I can't discard this black hatred toward the Phantom Troupe! Just thinking about them living freely makes my eyes feel like they'll turn scarlet again!
"I see… then I was right. I need to teach you Nen. Kurapika-san—do you know what 'Nen' is?"
"Nen? Some kind of code word?"
It's clearly different from words like gratitude or aspiration. Otherwise, she wouldn't bring it up like this.
"It seems you don't know. …'Nen' is a collective term for the ability to freely manipulate the energy called aura that all living beings possess."
…This suddenly sounds very suspicious.
Is Aisha involved in some kind of cult? If so, I hate to do this to her—but I'll have to use my usual line to shut down these kinds of solicitations.
"Sorry, but my clan worships spirits, and—"
"—It's not a religion!"
"I-I see. Sorry. It just sounded hard to believe, so I reacted without thinking."
"Well, it's natural to think that way when someone suddenly says something like that. …Please come with me. It'll be faster if I show you."
She led me out of the city. Even if she shows me… well, I trust that Aisha isn't the type to lie about something so pointless.
We reached a desolate area far from the city, with no one around. It seems Nen isn't something you can casually show to others—if it even exists.
"Alright. I'm going to punch this rock now."
"This rock… you mean that huge boulder?"
It looked at least five times her height. Surely she isn't saying she'll break that?
"No, I'm punching this one."
She pointed to a rock about half her height. That much, at least, I might be able to break myself with enough effort now.
"Here I go. Hah!"
"—! Impressive. To think you'd shatter it in a single blow."
It seems Aisha's strength still surpasses mine. Of course, power isn't everything—but it's one of the clearest indicators.
…I need to train more. Losing to a woman in strength stings a bit. Or—was that Nen? So this is the secret behind Aisha's strength?
"Indeed… Nen is incredible."
"Huh? That was just a normal punch. I didn't put Nen into it."
...I need to train. Absolutely need to train.
"At my current level, this is about the limit of what I can break with my bare hands."
"No, that's more than enough. Very much enough. It's important, so I'll say it twice."
"Ah—thank you. Next, I'll use Nen to break that big boulder. Please step back—fragments might fly."
I did as she said. Could a human really shatter something that massive?
"Watch closely."
She lightly—truly lightly—swung her fist toward the boulder.
The next instant, the massive rock exploded into countless fragments.
…I am, quite literally, experiencing the phrase "my jaw dropped."
A human… destroyed a boulder like that? Even a cannon wouldn't cause that level of destruction. And yet, it happened right before my eyes.
"This is the result of reinforcing my fist with aura. …Are you convinced now?"
"Y-yeah."
"That's good. If this still hadn't worked, I was thinking of flying next."
"Nen can do that too!?"
"That depends on the person. I'll explain the details later, but Nen differs from individual to individual. What I can do might not be possible for you—and vice versa."
So Nen isn't a single, uniform thing.
"Will you teach me this Nen?"
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm here for."
That is truly something to be grateful for. To accomplish my goals, I need power—power that even the Phantom Troupe can't defeat.
But—
"Why do you want to teach me Nen, Aisha?"
Nen must be a power meant to be kept secret. Otherwise, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed it already. Is it really okay to teach something like that to me so casually?
"…Nen is originally a mandatory skill for Pro Hunters. Since our work is dangerous, new Pro Hunters who haven't learned Nen are sometimes assigned instructors. There are exceptions, of course."
—! That woman's words at the brokerage… She must have been referring to Nen!
"Aisha! Is this aura something invisible!?"
"Nen users can see it. Non–Nen users can't."
I knew it. That clears everything up. This alone is reason enough to thank her.
"And the main reason I want to teach you Nen is—"
"The Phantom Troupe can use Nen too, can't they?"
"…Exactly. All Pro Hunters—except newly certified rookies—are Nen users. And the Phantom Troupe, A-class criminals said to be extremely difficult even for them to capture… there's no way they aren't Nen users."
…That's why she brought up the Phantom Troupe earlier.
"If you challenged them as you are now, defeat would be inevitable. …I don't want you to die. Because you're my friend."
"Aisha… thank you."
Ah… you really are far too good a friend for someone like me.
_________________________________
You can continue reading through chapter 26 on Patreon and support us. Links for the next chapter are available in the comments section.