After giving it some thought, Yuu agreed to Biscuit's deal.
Although he knew Biscuit wasn't a bad person, to avoid any disputes, Yuu made a disclaimer before agreeing...
"Even if I owe you a favor, I can only help within my capabilities.
"As for anything that crosses my bottom line, or something boring, that's non-negotiable."
Like killing innocents, for example.
Biscuit agreed to this. She then promptly contacted the client for Yuu and, after a brief exchange, finalized the arrangements.
She even threw in a free ride.
...
In the blink of an eye, several days passed.
It was afternoon.
From high in the sky, Yuu looked down through the window at the lush green mountains and fields. Soon, he spotted the destination of this journey.
A bustling town surrounded by mountains.
"That's the location for this mission, Shangha City."
Although Yuu felt like he had heard the name of this town somewhere before, the impression wasn't very deep...
...
At that moment, Biscuit walked up to Yuu. Looking down at the town below, she said:
"By my estimate... we'll arrive in ten minutes. You should get ready."
"Once we land, the client will be waiting for you near the clock tower in the city center. You should be able to find him easily... after all, he's someone you know."
"Someone I know?"
Hearing this, Yuu was puzzled.
But seeing Biscuit's deliberately mysterious look, he didn't ask further.
...
Ten minutes later.
Biscuit stood at the exit, waving goodbye to Yuu, who had just disembarked from the airship. After a few casual reminders, she departed.
...
Following Biscuit's information, Yuu quickly found the client near the clock tower in the city center.
A disheveled man with a melancholic air, wearing a shirt and carrying a laptop bag. He looked to be in his thirties.
"It really is someone I know..."
Yuu recognized him. It was Satchi, who had served as an examiner for the Hunter Exam.
His aura was stable and reliable; Yuu could spot him in a crowd with a single glance.
As Yuu walked toward Satchi, Satchi also noticed the white-haired boy he had met a few times before.
Presumably, he also relied on his perception of "Nen."
The two met in the shade of a wall, and Satchi spoke first:
"I didn't expect the person Miss Biscuit recommended to be you..."
Satchi didn't mean to look down on Yuu.
After all, he knew the boy possessed considerable combat ability and was an outstanding presence among the candidates.
Plus, seeing him after more than half a year, Satchi could tell just from the change in his aura that Yuu had grown significantly.
For a standard commission, this boy's strength might actually be sufficient.
"But this time... it's different."
As a seasoned Blacklist Hunter, Satchi had participated in numerous fugitive hunts and knew exactly how dangerous heinous criminals could be.
The reason he posted an A-Rank commission...
Was precisely because he knew the criminal involved this time was particularly tricky—undoubtedly a powerful Nen user.
Against such an enemy, being dragged down by a partner could easily lead to a fatal situation.
Thinking of this, Satchi couldn't help but sigh.
However, considering that this was the candidate highly recommended by Miss Biscuit, a 2-Star Hunter...
Satchi decided to reserve judgment for a while.
...
Yuu looked at Satchi, unbothered by what the man might be thinking, and asked:
"Regarding this commission, I only know the criminal's methods are unusual. But I haven't heard the details..."
"Follow me. Let's talk somewhere else." Satchi said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning to leave.
...
A few moments later.
The two arrived at a sparsely populated drink shop and sat at an empty table in the corner.
Satchi opened his laptop.
He pulled up a map marked in multiple places and showed it to Yuu, saying:
"These are the locations where the victims in this case disappeared. There are about forty people... and that's just the number we've discovered."
Hearing this, Yuu frowned and examined the map carefully...
He noticed that the marked locations were extremely scattered, and with such a high number of victims, he couldn't help but question:
"Is this... a group crime?"
"It's possible, but based on my Nen ability, the aura on all the victims comes from a single person."
After speaking, Satchi closed his laptop and stood up.
"Next, I'll take you to meet a surviving victim. I'll explain more on the way."
Yuu nodded, stood up, and followed.
...
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of a hospital in the west of the city.
Even from a distance, Yuu could hear terrifying cries and wails coming from inside.
"The criminal this time likes to gouge out the victims' eyes..." Satchi whispered.
"So no matter what you see later, keep a straight face."
"If I sense even a hint of discomfort from you, you can pack your bags and go home tonight."
"This is for your own good..."
With that, Satchi pushed open the door and entered the hospital.
Yuu followed Satchi's footsteps through the deserted corridors, heading toward a ward in the deepest part of the building.
As they walked, the hoarse crying grew closer. Yuu's heart sank; he could already visualize the victim's tragic state.
"Who exactly... could be this cruel?"
The next moment, they entered the ward.
Just as Satchi had described, the first thing Yuu saw was a boy of about twelve or thirteen sitting on the hospital bed, clutching his empty, pitch-black eye sockets and wailing.
The nameless boy's face was washed with tears of blood, and his body was covered in horrific scratches. He looked to be in immense pain.
It was hard to imagine... what kind of terrible demon he had encountered.
"The targets chosen by the criminal are all teenagers like this... and this one is a rare survivor," Satchi whispered.
"You wait outside first. I'll talk to his mother. Wait for me at the door."
Hearing this, Yuu looked at the woman nearby.
The boy's mother looked dazed, her hair graying.
When she noticed Satchi's arrival, she rushed forward and grabbed Satchi by the collar, spewing hoarse words from her mouth.
Pieced together, it was a single wish—
Catch that demon.
...
Yuu wasn't good at handling situations like this, so he followed Satchi's arrangement and waited at the hospital entrance.
The scene just now finally jogged his memory about the story of this city.
At the same time, he roughly guessed who the demon hiding within it was...
Phantom Troupe member—Omokage.
A Specialist Nen user capable of diving into others' hearts and using their memories to create puppets.
He called himself the "God's Puppeteer."
The former member #4 before Hisoka joined the Troupe.
His greatest joy in life was collecting the eyes of others and using the stolen eyes to create his favorite puppets.
Based on the information he had now, Yuu was certain... the target of this commission was this vicious criminal from the Troupe.
Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, and thinking of the dozens... perhaps even hundreds of innocent people who had suffered the same fate, Yuu felt a pang of sorrow.
Yuu muttered to himself:
"A scourge like that... really should be dealt with sooner rather than later."
Fortunately, now that his memory was refreshed, Yuu had a lead for this commission.
As long as he could find Omokage's younger sister, the girl named Retz, he could trace the vine to the melon and find Omokage's location.
"If I'm lucky, maybe I can drag that guy out today..."
Thinking this, Yuu activated "Gyo" and silently observed everything around him, trying his luck.
...
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