One month later.
Shalnark and Phinks, who happened to be passing through Shangha City, arrived at Omokage's location. They looked at the ruins before them and the deep gouges scarring the ground.
The two had originally planned to inform Omokage about the upcoming "gathering."
They hadn't expected to arrive only to find news of Omokage's death.
"What exaggerated destructive power..."
Shalnark couldn't help but marvel. He studied the scene carefully and analyzed:
"To destroy the building and the ground to this extent, this definitely isn't something Omokage could do... It looks like he ran into an Enhancer or Emitter expert."
"In terms of destructive range alone, this guy seems comparable to Uvogin."
Saying that, Shalnark looked at Phinks beside him and asked seriously: "Phinks, between him and Uvogin, who do you think is stronger?"
"Tch, do you even need to ask? It's definitely Uvogin!" Phinks scoffed.
"Uvogin is one of the top fighters in the Troupe. Defeating a guy like Omokage... isn't that impressive."
Shalnark said: "Regardless, the strength shown by the opponent shouldn't be underestimated. The most important thing to do now... is to inform the Leader about Omokage's death and see what he arranges."
"Yeah." Phinks nodded, unusually rational.
Shalnark took out his phone and dialed the Leader, Chrollo.
The call connected.
Shalnark relayed everything he saw, including his thoughts and deductions, to the Leader.
After listening, Chrollo didn't show much reaction. He simply asked calmly:
"Roughly when did this happen?"
Shalnark made a rough estimate: "Visually, maybe a few weeks ago, or a month or two. It shouldn't have been too long ago."
"Are there any obvious clues or traces left by the opponent?"
"Unfortunately, there's just a pile of rubble, wood chips, and dust. Even if there were, Phinks and I probably wouldn't be able to find anything," Shalnark said.
"Then forget it."
Chrollo said: "I'll arrange for others to investigate Omokage's killer through the internet later. Once we have intel on the target, I'll issue further instructions based on the situation."
"For now, relay the news of Omokage's death to all members. ensure everyone's safety and keep an eye out for suspicious targets."
"Even if you find a suspected killer, no one is to act rashly without my permission."
"Understood," Shalnark said.
"Also, I'll look for suitable candidates to join the Troupe and fill the vacancy left by Omokage. Once I've confirmed a candidate, I'll let you know," Chrollo said.
With that, the call ended.
Chrollo sat alone in his room, flipping through a book on the table, lost in thought.
"Investigation takes time..."
"But the vacancy left by Omokage needs to be filled by a suitable member."
While pondering, Chrollo thought of Hisoka, whom Machi had recommended earlier.
Although he hadn't met him, according to Machi's description, Hisoka's overall strength was quite good and met the standards for joining.
As a founding member of the Troupe, Chrollo naturally trusted Machi's judgment and vision. So, he decided to contact Machi and extend an invitation to Hisoka.
For Hisoka, who had been plotting this for a long time, the invitation was redundant.
He accepted almost without hesitation.
He only wanted to use this identity to get closer to the Leader, looking forward to the day he could fight him.
...
On the other side.
After defeating Omokage.
Satchi, who had lost his eyes, was taken away by his brother Sam.
After bidding farewell to the two, Yuu used the new addition to his resume to accept high-paying and high-difficulty commissions more easily than before.
However, ever since Satchi lost his eyes to Omokage...
Yuu gradually leaned towards accepting solo commissions.
Even for missions that required other participants, he would inform the client in advance... that he was unwilling to team up with others.
After all, sometimes having too many people to look out for tied his hands. Even he couldn't take care of too many people.
Initially, most clients were particularly dissatisfied with this.
But later, clients discovered that whether it was protecting a target, hunting criminals, or escorting treasures...
Basically every time, Yuu could complete the commission perfectly and quickly on his own.
So, the trust in this "White-Haired Hunter" among clients gradually increased.
Since most clients were wealthy civilians or mafia bosses, Yuu gradually made a name for himself in the underworld.
And maybe it was because of his looks...
As his fame grew.
Yuu also noticed that the proportion of female clients among the designated commissions he received was gradually increasing.
...
Time flew by.
It was now early May, 1996.
Yuu was approaching fifteen, and his physical stature had matured significantly in all aspects.
His overall strength and status had improved considerably, but at the same time, his personality had become colder and more withdrawn than before.
The reasons were multifaceted.
Aside from being a lone wolf for a long time, there was another layer...
One day, at noon.
Yuu, wearing a fitted casual outfit and sunglasses, arrived at a dilapidated building in a remote location according to a message he received on his phone.
Entering inside, Yuu saw a red-haired man he hadn't seen in a long time—Hisoka.
"Yo~"
Seeing Yuu arrive, Hisoka, who had been waiting for a long time, greeted him with a smile, saying:
"Long time no see. You've really grown a lot."
Yuu looked at Hisoka and said:
"You forged an identity just to commission me to come here. Whatever your purpose is... just say it."
Hisoka smiled and said: "Hehe... so cold."
"I know clearly that you're secretly investigating the whereabouts of the Phantom Troupe, so I thought I'd bring you a big gift."
"Also, if I'm not mistaken, you killed Omokage... right?"
"So what if I did?" Yuu said indifferently.
Hisoka smiled, returning to the main topic: "How about making a deal with me?"
"I know the information you want, but in exchange, you have to have a fair one-on-one duel with me later."
"Tell me first, what information... If it's indeed what I need, I'll naturally agree," Yuu said.
"Regarding the Troupe's next move."
"How do you know?"
"Because thanks to you killing Omokage, I successfully joined the Troupe not long after. Although it was bound to happen sooner or later, it seems if I were a step late, I wouldn't have been part of this operation."
Hearing this, Yuu understood and agreed to the deal without much hesitation.
Having achieved his goal.
Hisoka said with a satisfied look:
"The Troupe's next operation is located at the National Museum of the Kakin Empire."
"This time it's a full gathering. The operation time is set for the collection exhibition in two months."
"Just a reminder, if you want to enter, you need to buy a slot... As far as I know, the admission slots are pitifully few. But with your strength, you should easily think of a way to get in."
"Is the information reliable?" Yuu confirmed.
"At least the information I received here is like this," Hisoka said. "I can't guarantee 100% accuracy."
Yuu could tell the other party wasn't lying. Knowing Hisoka's character, he wasn't someone who liked to fake things in this regard. So he turned to leave.
Hisoka watched Yuu's retreating figure and asked with interest: "By the way, do you want to know who killed those brothers?"
"No need."
Yuu stopped in his tracks and said coldly: "I won't let any of those guys off anyway."
"Also, you shouldn't be one of them, right?"
...
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