Hisoka had always wanted to have a fierce battle with Chrollo.
In his view, the Troupe was already at the end of their rope.
So, as Morrow said, they should cherish this opportunity.
Hisoka narrowed his eyes slightly, resting one hand on his waist, gazing at Chrollo with a hunter-like posture.
His aura did not hide the raw desire that surged from the depths of his heart.
But it was not merely a desire for battle; it was more like...
A fervent craving for combat intertwined with a primal need stemming from human instinct, and it was this intertwining that constituted the essence of Hisoka's aura at that moment.
"This guy is a pervert, right...? Do you know him?" Kanzai felt a wave of discomfort just from sensing Hisoka's aura and glanced sideways at Kurapika and Kalluto.
Kurapika didn't know how to respond and could only remain silent.
Kalluto took a couple of steps sideways towards Kanzai, quietly distancing himself, "We don't know this kind of pervert!"
Kanzai nodded in agreement.
The aura released by Hisoka was like a signal.
On the Troupe's side, the few members led by Chrollo were all ready to engage.
Although Chrollo was locked onto by Hisoka's aura, his heart was as calm as ever. With a wave of his hand, the Skill Hunter appeared out of thin air.
"Pakunoda, information."
His gaze was fixed on Morrow, reminding Pakunoda in a tone devoid of any emotion.
After the bombardment of the star rain ended, Pakunoda had already conjured a revolver.
Hearing Chrollo's reminder, years of tacit understanding allowed her to instantly realize that Chrollo was ready to provide cover, so she decisively raised her gun, aiming at Machi and Kortopi.
Before pulling the trigger, she first locked eyes with Machi and Kortopi.
Without any need for communication, relying solely on the trust between team members, Machi and Kortopi understood in that moment and lowered their guard against Pakunoda's actions.
"Bang, bang!"
Two gunshots rang out over the ruins.
The Memory Bombs embedded with information accurately pierced through the foreheads of Machi and Kortopi.
In an instant, information about Morrow and Kurapika's abilities flooded into Machi and Kortopi's minds like data.
This was not a slow interpretation but rather the most concise and efficient understanding that Pakunoda had pre-extracted, as if files were directly etched into their brains.
Machi and Kortopi's pupils slightly contracted, then quickly returned to clarity.
The transmission and digestion of information occurred in the blink of an eye.
To be able to prepare so swiftly in such a situation...
It could only be said that they were indeed a long-standing A-Class criminal organization.
But it was meaningless.
Morrow raised his arm, gathering a Nen group in his palm, and calmly said, "One for each."
As soon as the words fell,
The shooting stars condensed in Morrow's palm suddenly split apart, transforming into a rain of light that surged toward the Troupe members like a torrential downpour.
Faced with this sudden downpour of star rain, the Troupe members swiftly dodged, maneuvering through the dense explosions.
On the ruins.
The sound of explosions was deafening, and dust filled the air.
When the aftershocks of the explosions subsided, the Troupe members were forced to scatter.
It was at this moment that they realized the Shooting Star released by the opponent, while not lacking in power, seemed to have each split Nen bullet's landing point meticulously controlled.
It was clear.
This wave of attacks wasn't meant to kill but to divide their positions.
The Troupe members' gazes pierced through the dissipating dust, focusing on Morrow.
Aside from Chrollo, the rest of the Troupe wore solemn expressions.
In their eyes, Morrow, who had launched two consecutive waves of attacks, was undoubtedly a monstrously strong opponent.
Moreover, based on the intel from Feitan's memory fragments, this monster hadn't even used his full strength during his fight with Feitan.
Because of this realization, an invisible pressure weighed on Pakunoda and the others.
At that moment,
Kanzai and the others each chose their opponents.
With Chrollo already taken by Hisoka, Kanzai relied purely on instinct to determine that Machi was the strongest among the present Troupe members.
Thus, with the mindset of a senior, Kanzai straightforwardly chose Machi as his opponent.
Kalluto had always been particular about strength, so after Kanzai picked Machi, he wanted to at least choose an opponent who appeared strong on the surface.
However, the Troupe didn't give Kalluto the chance to pick.
Because Amanda, driven by hatred, had already stepped forward to confront Kalluto.
"..."
Faced with this outcome, Kalluto could only shoot Amanda, who was nursing a shoulder injury, a disdainful look to express his feelings.
And when Amanda saw that look, the bloodlust she already harbored toward Kalluto surged like a volcanic eruption, fully manifesting in her aura.
Meanwhile,
Kurapika chose Pakunoda.
If Kanzai and Kalluto had selected their opponents based on "psychology and preference," Kurapika had approached it purely from a "tactical standpoint."
He had already witnessed Pakunoda's Conjured revolver.
Though he could somewhat guess, based on Chrollo's mention of "intel," that the revolver's ability was related to information transfer...
He couldn't rule out the possibility that it also had conventional lethality.
Given this, Kurapika, with his Dowsing Chain ability, naturally saw Pakunoda as the most suitable opponent.
This was a choice made to ensure victory.
In a way, this was likely where Kurapika and Chrollo were similar.
Kanzai, Kalluto, and Kurapika had all settled on their opponents, but Morrow remained motionless, as if detached from the situation.
Meanwhile, Hisoka eagerly positioned himself directly in front of Chrollo.
"Are your eyes only on Morrow...?"
Noticing that Chrollo's vigilance remained fixated on Morrow, Hisoka pressed a playing card against his chin and said:
"So, you plan to keep ignoring my enthusiasm like this? If so, I'll be very disappointed, Chrollo."
"..."
Chrollo didn't respond at all, only a trace of cold bloodlust flickering deep in his eyes.
Originally, he had planned to deal with Hisoka, the mole, the night after next...
But he hadn't expected things to escalate like this. Currently, Uvogin and Nobunaga, who usually take the vanguard positions, are absent. Moreover, Kortopi and Amanda's abilities require some preparatory work.
One could say that in this kind of sudden encounter, the situation couldn't be worse.
To change this, what I should do now is provide Kortopi and Amanda with the necessary mediums (dolls) and take down Hisoka as quickly as possible.
With this in mind, Chrollo had a clear plan.
Hisoka keenly sensed the bloodlust hidden deep within Chrollo's eyes.
Right now, he was particularly sensitive.
So when he noticed Chrollo's murderous intent directed at him, the corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.
"Truly... wonderful."
Hisoka murmured softly, his tall and muscular body slowly bending into a slightly peculiar charging stance, the playing cards between his fingers hovering before his chest.
Chrollo watched expressionlessly as the nearly frenzied aura radiated from Hisoka. His thumb flicked the page of his book, turning it once more.
The thought of providing Kortopi and Amanda with the necessary materials for their abilities was his top priority, but Hisoka seemed to have misunderstood something.
"The Vanity's Secret."
Chrollo extended his left hand to the side, aura flowing like silk into his palm, instantly outlining the contours of an antique vanity before quickly materializing it.
Perhaps due to personal preference, or because Specialization types excel in Conjuration and Manipulation abilities, most of Chrollo's "collection" consisted of Conjuration-based abilities.
But one thing was certain.
No matter what type of ability he stole, Chrollo could wield it with near-perfect mastery.
This skill might stem from the mechanics of Skill Hunter, but at its core, it came from Chrollo's own innate talent for mimicking others.
As the Nen stabilized, the fully manifested vanity displayed intricate carvings, its mirror surface blurred, with a chilling aura pulsing along its edges.
Hisoka narrowed his eyes. When Chrollo activated his Conjuration ability, he made no move to interfere, merely observing with interest.
It wasn't entirely due to overconfidence or curiosity; rather, the moment he saw the vanity's outline, he could immediately tell it was a Conjuration-type ability.
Thus, without knowing its exact effects, the safest approach was always cautious probing rather than reckless aggression.
"A vanity, huh..."
Hisoka examined the somewhat antiquated vanity, unable to immediately deduce its ability.
Chrollo wasn't surprised by Hisoka's passive reaction.
Though their interactions hadn't been long, it was enough for him to understand Hisoka's way of doing things.
Caution was only part of the reason.
Hisoka...
What he sought in battle was complete submission from his opponent.
That was why he "generously" allowed Chrollo to fully manifest his ability.
"Let me say this first; your habit of looking at me with those predatory eyes was never something I cared about."
Chrollo slid his left hand into the vanity's blurred mirror, his expression blank. "But now, it seems such blatant provocation isn't entirely without merit."
"Oh?"
Hisoka's grin froze for an instant, the exaggerated curve of his lips slowly receding. He understood the implication behind Chrollo's words.
Was this a way of thanking him for his "selection"?
The answer soon became clear.
Chrollo's left hand, which had been submerged in the mirror, slowly withdrew.
As he pulled back, ripples formed across the blurred mirror surface.
And from those ripples, Chrollo forcibly dragged out an exact replica of himself.
The ability The Vanity's Secret allowed the user to create a powerless duplicate of themselves through a mirror.
Then, using items on the vanity, such as lipstick, eyebrow pencils, foundation, or even hairpins, the user could dress up and adorn the replicated version of themselves.
Once the makeup was complete, the replicated puppet would be granted an extremely precise form of mobility.
The strength of this ability lay in the fact that once the Nen user created a duplicate of themselves, they could withdraw the vanity to reclaim the diverted aura output back into their own body.
Withdrawing the vanity would not affect the continued existence of the replicated puppet.
Additionally, the original creator of this ability held the belief that the replicated version of oneself, before being adorned with makeup, was no different from an inanimate object, utterly devoid of value.
In other words, to the original creator, an unmodified replicated puppet was no more significant than an ordinary stone on the side of the road, rather than a peculiar creation born from Nen.
Its existence, in and of itself, was nothing more than a mundane object.
Only after being meticulously adorned would its nature fundamentally change, allowing it to fully embody the uniqueness derived from Nen.
This perspective on the ability seemed to stem from a philosophy of rebirth born out of an inferiority complex.
When Chrollo used this ability, it was clearly not intended to be used against Hisoka.
After all, no matter how patient Hisoka might be, he wouldn't wait for Chrollo to finish adorning the replicated puppet with makeup.
Chrollo's true purpose was to use this ability to provide a medium for Kortopi and Amanda's abilities.
After pulling out the replicated puppet, he abruptly exerted force with his arm, flinging the doll toward Kortopi in the distance.
Watching Chrollo's actions, Hisoka fully grasped the gratitude implied in Chrollo's earlier words.
Precisely because he had chosen Chrollo as his opponent,
Chrollo could effortlessly provide his allies with ability-based support.
"Are you looking down on me?"
Hisoka's smirk vanished entirely, replaced by a rare calmness in his voice, though his eyes burned with a purer, more destructive desire. "Or are you especially looking down on me?"
"I don't care what you think."
After throwing the doll toward Kortopi, Chrollo immediately withdrew the vanity, reclaiming his aura output.
However, to ensure the ability remained active, he couldn't use any other abilities from his book and had to maintain his right hand holding it.
Perhaps, in Chrollo's mind, there truly was no intention of looking down on Hisoka; he was simply prioritizing the outcome of this team battle.
But regardless of his true thoughts, this behavior was undeniably a form of disregard toward Hisoka.
Hisoka was displeased.
But just as Chrollo had said, he didn't care at all about Hisoka's feelings.
Meanwhile,
Kortopi received the ability medium provided by Chrollo.
"Amanda."
He called out Amanda's name, then decisively activated his ability.
"Gallery Fake."
Extending his left hand to touch the replicated puppet identical to Chrollo, he concentrated his aura output, and another doll was copied at an astonishing speed with his right hand.
But just as he attempted to replicate a second doll, an intense sense of danger prickled at his temples.
He hadn't been careless.
While using his ability, he had been closely monitoring Morrow's movements.
Though he didn't understand why Morrow seemed to be standing idly by, as long as the distance was sufficient, there would be time to react.
Yet when Morrow teleported toward him, Kortopi viscerally felt death approaching.
In that critical moment, his Ryū simply couldn't match Morrow's speed; there was no time to redirect the aura output from his hands into defense.
Thud.
A hand enveloped in dense Nen pierced through Kortopi's heart.
Kortopi's body convulsed violently. His single eye, peeking out from his long hair, stared blankly at Morrow, now mere inches away. In an instant, he felt all his strength rapidly draining away.
Morrow casually withdrew his hand and glanced sideways toward Hisoka and Chrollo.
"Don't mind me. Carry on."
Morrow's expression remained calm, as if he had merely tossed something worthless into the trash.
Hearing Morrow's words, an odd look flickered across Hisoka's face.
Chrollo's pupils contracted slightly, his features unconsciously tensing as a shadow of gloom rose in his heart.
Those in other combat zones hadn't even properly engaged yet.
But they all noticed Morrow's hand piercing through Kortopi's chest.
Wait... It's over already?!
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Bonus chapter @250 power stones and next one @300