If he could bring Ronin's head to Chrollo, Chrollo might even treat him as an honored guest. Joining the Troupe would probably be effortless—especially now that the Troupe was missing not only No. 4, but also No. 11.
Unfortunately, Hisoka was destined to be disappointed.
Ronin's aura shifted into Ken. He reached behind his back and drew the short blade he was carrying.
He took disguises seriously.
A young Kakashi was also skilled with a blade—after all, his father, Konoha's White Fang, had been a master swordsman.
Hisoka's gaze sharpened. With a flick, the playing card in his hand shot toward Ronin.
But through the Sharingan, Ronin clearly saw the pink aura connected to the card.
Hisoka had used In, hiding the aura connection that ran back to his hand. He'd also applied Shu to the flying card, making it sharper and deadlier.
So this guy's mastery of Nen fundamentals was already at an expert level.
Ronin made his judgment instantly. At the same time, Shu coated his own short blade, and with a casual swing he sliced the playing card cleanly in half.
But in the process, Hisoka's aura stuck to the blade.
Hisoka's fingers twitched, tugging the long strand of aura as he tried to rip the short blade right out of Ronin's hand.
Bungee Gum—Hisoka's Transmutation ability.
It gave his aura two properties: rubber-like elasticity and glue-like stickiness.
Put together, it became one thing:
Chewing gum.
"Hm?" Hisoka murmured, confused.
Because when he pulled, the blade didn't move. It didn't budge an inch.
Ronin had seen through his trick!
That thought had barely formed when Ronin's arm snapped into motion.
A force even stronger than Hisoka's pull exploded from Ronin's arm. Meanwhile, Ronin's free hand had already coiled at his waist—
the starting stance of Big Bang Impact.
That ultimate move, once Uvogin's, was brutally effective—and after Uvogin's death, it had become Ronin's signature.
Hisoka's body was yanked by the counter-pull, dragged rapidly toward Ronin.
Hisoka didn't cut the aura line—so he must have had another plan.
Ronin's gaze dropped to Hisoka's fist, which was also winding up at his side.
A head-on clash?
The Sharingan let Ronin clearly see aura flowing toward Hisoka's fist.
But to Ronin, that was obviously a bad choice.
The moment they closed—
both fists fired.
BOOM!
A faint crack of bone sounded, and Hisoka was blasted backward—yet Ronin's body also lurched forward with him.
Because Ronin's punching hand was now coated in a layer of pink aura.
Hisoka's aura.
At the same time, Ronin noticed something else:
The playing card he had sliced in half suddenly sprang up from the floor as Ronin stumbled forward, shooting toward Ronin's back.
It still carried Hisoka's hidden aura.
As he pitched forward, Ronin released the short blade from his grip and, in one motion, reached into the small pouch at his waist.
Two senbon needles shot out and struck the card.
The needles pierced it and pinned into the wall behind. The card still tried to fly forward, but when it came within two meters of Ronin, it stopped.
Because the senbon hadn't only pierced the card—they'd also snagged the residual Bungee Gum aura on it.
Bungee Gum stuck to the senbon, and the senbon were nailed into the wall.
The elastic property was strong—but it had a limit.
Stretched to Ronin's back at two meters, it reached its maximum.
The next second, the Bungee Gum snapped, and the card shot forward again.
But Ronin's raised foot slammed down hard mid-stagger.
A tremendous force erupted from his stomp. The floor couldn't take it—cracking and collapsing.
Ronin dropped down through the broken floor, and the card struck the rubble kicked up by the collapse.
Hisoka slammed into the wall. He flexed his arm, drew back his aching fist, and tried to pull on the Bungee Gum attached to his fist—intending to yank Ronin back up.
But Hisoka's brow lifted—because the aura line recoiled back toward him.
Ronin had cut the Bungee Gum connection on Hisoka's fist in the instant he fell!
How?
Hisoka swept his gaze around. The short blade wasn't visible.
It must have fallen down with Ronin when the floor collapsed.
Hisoka expanded his aura outward—En—and leapt to the side. A short blade shot up from the floor where he had just stood.
If he'd been even a fraction slower, it would've pierced his foot.
A ripe fruit. Interesting.
Hisoka retreated repeatedly, pulling more playing cards from his person and flinging them around the area.
Then, at the moment he stopped, he lifted a foot and stomped the floor hard—just like Ronin had.
The floor cracked, and Hisoka dropped down through it.
As he fell, a short blade threaded through the descending rubble and stabbed straight for his heart.
At the same time, a clear "Bang!" reached Hisoka's ears.
Hisoka snapped both hands inward mid-fall.
His dropping body stopped abruptly. Ronin's blade narrowly missed, grazing past him.
But blood sprayed from Hisoka's thigh.
A Nen bullet—copied from Sidney's style—had struck the outside of his thigh.
But in that same instant, more stones shot down from above toward Ronin in chaotic trajectories.
Behind the stones were hidden playing cards.
Ronin swung his short blade and retreated rapidly, but the blade felt heavier and heavier—the aura stuck to it kept accumulating.
Even with the Sharingan's dynamic vision, a few stones or cards still cut across Ronin's retreating body.
They were only small wounds on his arms or legs, but his expression grew more serious.
Ronin halted near the stairwell.
He threw the short blade away—too much of Hisoka's aura clung to it. Even if he used lightning chakra to shake it off, it would take time. He couldn't replicate the quick purge he'd done mid-fall by briefly activating Lightning Release Chakra Mode to cleanse the aura from his fist.
Hisoka landed on the floor. He didn't continue attacking. Instead, his eyes settled on the "Nen thread" that had been present on Ronin's left hand the entire time.
Hisoka hadn't gone all-out—and Ronin likely had a trump card too.
"What's your name?" Hisoka brushed his hand over his fist. The swelling and redness faded, returning it to normal.
"Hatake Kakashi," Ronin answered, giving the name of his disguise—then suddenly turned and leapt down the stairs.
At that moment, footsteps sounded above—mafia men were rushing toward the fight.
Hisoka frowned slightly. He didn't linger.
And he didn't chase Ronin either.
~~~
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