The night air outside the restaurant was cold.
Neon lights reflected across rain-slick streets while distant traffic hummed throughout the city.
Yuzuki walked beside Chrollo Lucilfer calmly, hands tucked into his pockets.
But despite how relaxed he appeared, his senses remained sharp.
Behind them
The presence continued following.
Seven different auras.
Poorly concealed.
Heavy.
Predatory.
Yuzuki sighed.
"They're still there."
Chrollo nodded lightly.
"Mhm."
Then after a brief pause, Chrollo casually turned into a narrow alleyway between two buildings.
Yuzuki immediately understood and followed.
The deeper they walked, the quieter the city became.
Until eventually only dripping rainwater echoed through the alley.
Yuzuki glanced sideways.
"You don't really need to come with me, you know."
Chrollo raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Oh?"
"I can handle these guys myself."
Chrollo smiled faintly.
"I'm sure you can."
"Then?"
"I don't mind helping."
Yuzuki sighed dramatically.
"Seriously, Chrollo."
"I'm fine."
But Chrollo merely continued walking calmly.
"No."
"I'd quite like to see this myself."
Yuzuki clicked his tongue quietly.
Then
The alley shifted.
Presences emerged from the darkness one after another.
Rooftops.
Fire escapes.
Shadowed corners.
Seven figures surrounded them completely.
All radiating Nen.
All armed.
The atmosphere immediately grew dangerous.
Chrollo looked around once.
Then sighed softly in genuine disappointment.
"…You know."
His calm voice echoed lightly through the alley.
"It's not really assassination if you announce yourselves first."
One of the masked men stepped forward.
Tall.
Scarred.
A long blade resting against his shoulder.
The apparent leader.
"Well…"
He shrugged lightly.
"Didn't really expect to find the leader of the Phantom Troupe standing beside the target."
His eyes gleamed beneath the mask.
"That's a much bigger payout."
Chrollo tilted his head slightly.
"Dawn Seven?"
The man smiled.
"Glad to know our reputation precedes us."
Yuzuki narrowed his eyes slightly.
'So they're professionals.'
Chrollo folded his hands into his sleeves.
"Now that you know who I am…"
"…are you still stupid enough to attack us?"
The leader laughed quietly.
"Depends."
His eyes shifted toward Yuzuki.
"Who knew this brat would be worth fifteen million Jenny?"
Yuzuki's expression darkened instantly.
"…Fifteen million?"
The leader nodded casually.
"Easy bounty."
"Alive or dead."
Then he grinned slightly.
"But finding you with Chrollo Lucilfer?"
He slowly raised his blade.
"That's the kind of jackpot assassins dream about."
Chrollo looked genuinely appalled.
"…You came here for fifteen million?"
His tone sounded almost offended on their behalf.
The assassins frowned slightly.
Chrollo sighed.
"Do you really value your lives that cheaply?"
Yuzuki suddenly muttered darkly,
"…Damn that Vasco."
His eyes grew colder.
"I haven't forgotten my revenge with him."
The assassins visibly stiffened slightly at the sudden shift in aura.
The leader narrowed his eyes toward Yuzuki.
"You're just a kid."
Then he slowly turned toward Chrollo.
"But you…"
"…you're the real threat here."
Yuzuki's Six Eyes scanned the group rapidly.
Enhancers.
Emitters.
One Manipulator.
Several experienced Nen users.
Not elite.
But dangerous enough to kill ordinary Hunters.
Yuzuki spoke calmly.
"All seven are Nen users."
Chrollo nodded.
"Yes."
Then he glanced around the cramped alley thoughtfully.
"It's probably better if we split up."
"Our fighting styles might interfere with each other."
Yuzuki immediately shook his head.
"No really."
"You seriously don't need to help."
"I can handle them alone."
Chrollo smiled faintly.
"And I seriously don't mind helping."
Yuzuki frowned.
"Chrollo."
"Yuzuki."
The two stared at each other for several seconds.
Meanwhile the assassins looked increasingly annoyed.
Finally the leader sighed loudly.
"This is getting boring."
He pointed his blade toward them.
"Just decide already."
Yuzuki clicked his tongue.
"…Fine."
Then suddenly—
BOOM!
He vanished down the adjacent alleyway at high speed.
Three assassins instantly rushed after him.
The remaining four stayed behind.
The leader smiled slowly.
His aura rising.
"Well then…"
He pointed his blade toward Chrollo.
"…you're with me."
---
Rainwater exploded beneath Yuzuki's feet as he sprinted through the narrow alleyways of the city.
Behind him, three assassins pursued relentlessly.
Their footsteps echoed across rooftops and steel fire escapes.
Fast.
Coordinated.
Experienced.
But to Yuzuki?
Slow.
Very slow.
One assassin vaulted over an air-conditioning unit while weaving hand signs.
Nen surged around both his arms.
The aura twisted unnaturally before condensing into several spinning crescent blades.
"Slice Current."
The assassin swung his arm.
SHHHK!
Compressed aura blades tore through the alleyway.
Walls split apart instantly.
Trash bins exploded into fragments.
Yuzuki glanced back lazily.
Then leaned slightly sideways.
The blades passed inches from his face.
One clipped a nearby building instead.
BOOOOM!
Concrete burst apart violently.
Yuzuki whistled softly.
"That's pretty dangerous."
The assassin smirked beneath his mask.
"Flattered."
Then suddenly
A second assassin appeared above Yuzuki.
Enhancer.
Massive.
Muscles bulging beneath a sleeveless coat.
Nen wrapped around both fists like iron gauntlets.
"Crash Hammer!"
The giant brought both fists downward.
Yuzuki stopped running instantly.
Turned.
And caught both fists with one hand.
BOOM!
The entire street cratered beneath them.
The giant assassin's eyes widened.
"What—"
Yuzuki looked genuinely confused.
"…That's it?"
Then he punched.
A simple straight punch enhanced with Nen.
CRACK.
The giant's ribs folded inward instantly.
His body blasted through a nearby convenience store window.
Glass erupted across the street.
The building shook violently.
The assassin collapsed unconscious among shattered shelves.
Yuzuki blinked once.
"…Oops."
The remaining two assassins froze briefly.
Then their killing intent intensified.
"You bastard!"
The third assassin finally moved.
Manipulator.
Thin.
Quick.
His Nen spread invisibly through the alley.
Suddenly the shadows around Yuzuki distorted.
Then sharpened.
Dozens of black tendrils erupted upward from the ground.
"Shadow Stitch."
The tendrils shot toward Yuzuki from every direction.
Walls.
Ground.
Ceilings.
Even surrounding streetlights.
Trying to bind him completely.
Yuzuki looked around curiously.
"Oh."
"That's actually kinda cool."
The Manipulator snarled.
"Die!"
The shadows tightened.
Then suddenly
Yuzuki flexed slightly.
BOOOOM!
Pure enhanced aura exploded outward.
The shadow restraints shattered instantly.
The backlash slammed the Manipulator into a wall.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
His eyes widened in horror.
'Monster…'
Yuzuki tilted his head.
"You guys are assassins, right?"
The blade-user leapt forward furiously.
Aura crescents swarmed from every angle.
Yuzuki finally stopped smiling.
Then moved.
He slipped between the aura blades effortlessly.
Every motion minimal.
Every step precise.
Like water flowing around rocks.
The assassin panicked.
'Why can't I hit him?!'
Yuzuki suddenly appeared directly in front of him.
The assassin froze.
Yuzuki stared at him for one brief moment.
Then smiled.
"You should've asked for more than fifteen million."
WHAM!
His punch connected with the assassin's stomach.
The man folded around Yuzuki's fist instantly.
Then blasted backward through three brick walls consecutively.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The body finally stopped after crashing into a parked truck hard enough to flip it sideways.
Silence.
The Manipulator assassin stumbled backward in terror.
Rain poured heavily now.
His breathing became ragged.
'What the hell is this kid?!'
Yuzuki walked toward him slowly.
Calmly.
The assassin screamed and sent every remaining shadow spear forward simultaneously.
Yuzuki didn't dodge.
Didn't block.
He simply grabbed one shadow spear midair.
The assassin's eyes widened.
"…Impossible."
Yuzuki pulled sharply.
The Manipulator was violently yanked toward him.
Then Yuzuki's fist met his face.
CRUNCH.
The man's skull slammed into the pavement with catastrophic force.
The street cracked outward in a spiderweb pattern.
The assassin twitched once.
Then stopped moving.
Rain continued falling quietly.
Yuzuki looked around at the destruction.
Collapsed walls.
Wrecked vehicles.
Unconscious bodies.
One dead.
One dying.
One already gone.
Then he sighed.
"…That was kinda disappointing."
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
And casually walked back toward Chrollo's direction.
Leaving three broken assassins scattered throughout the ruined street behind him.
---
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