After sending Jobhan into the car headed for the sanatorium at the museum entrance, several members of the Troupe went up the stairs and reached the top floor of the museum.
On the huge platform on the top floor, each spider occupied a corner. Standing or sitting, they comfortably enjoyed the night wind brushing against their bodies.
"The mission was a complete success. The special assault team over there just wrapped up as well."
More than ten minutes later, Shalnark shook his phone.
"Machi just sent a message. The airship is already heading this way."
Chrollo gave a slight nod to indicate he understood.
Feitan, who hadn't gotten to slaughter freely nor snag any kills, complained in extreme displeasure.
"It was clearly a large-scale operation for the whole Troupe, but it ended way too fast."
"That's because our little guy just happened to counter the Nen formation."
Shalnark laughed.
"Otherwise, with Nen fish plus a Nen formation, it really would've been a bit troublesome."
"Kisho's transfer ability—"
Omokage turned sideways to look at Kisho sitting in the corner, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"It really makes people curious. Why don't you explain it to us?"
Kisho, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and returned Omokage's words exactly as they were.
"Your puppets and your Nen ability are also pretty interesting. Why don't you explain those too?"
As the gunpowder smell thickened, two waves of Nen pressure collided viciously without a trace, then separated at the slightest touch.
Omokage, who gained no advantage, withdrew his Nen. His expression didn't change, but his gray pupils dimmed.
This brat's Nen seems to have gotten stronger again—
But in such a short time, how did he do it?
Standing between Omokage and Kisho, Shalnark ran a hand through his hair in extreme annoyance and shouted at the two of them.
"Don't just start fighting out of nowhere. At least give a warning, okay?"
Kisho looked at someone whose hair had been completely squeezed together by the Nen pressure from both sides, his hairstyle now cosplaying Hisoka. He shrugged and offered a completely insincere apology to the innocent bystander who had been caught in the crossfire.
But he still couldn't help laughing out loud.
Shalnark shot him a furious glare.
"Boss."
Still sunk in depression, Feitan looked at Chrollo and asked unwillingly.
"After we go back this time, there'll probably be a long period with no activities again, right?"
Chrollo let out a soft "Mm."
Feitan: "..."
Before he could express his anger over this bad news, he heard Kisho speak up happily.
"Nice! Then does that mean we can act freely?!"
Chrollo looked at him and smiled.
"When there are no activities, members are indeed free."
"You're not planning to stay at the base?"
Shalnark, having fixed his hair, turned to look at Kisho.
"What do you want to go out and do?"
There was nothing to hide, so Kisho answered frankly and decisively.
"Of course I'm going to take the Hunter Exam."
"Eh?"
Shalnark's emerald-green eyes widened.
Then, he somehow pulled out a card from who-knows-where.
The green-framed card bore two enormous "X" marks, with a patch of vivid red sandwiched between them.
Like he was showing off, he waved the card in front of Kisho's eyes.
"You want to take the Hunter Exam? In that case, I guess I'm your senior~"
He squinted like a fox.
"So? Want your senior to give you some intel?"
Kisho firmly refused with great emotional intensity.
"I don't have money."
"Eh…"
Shalnark immediately showed a disappointed expression.
Still unwilling to give up, he continued his sales pitch.
"It's fine, the fee's not high! If worst comes to worst, you can owe it first!"
...
Time flew by quickly. Soon, the sound of the huge rotor blades of the helicopter airship shredding the air, mixed with the roar of the engines, came riding on the night wind.
The spiders on the platform looked up at the sky as a massive transport helicopter airship landed steadily on the wide platform.
The hatch opened, and Pakunoda appeared by the doorway.
Her gaze fell on Chrollo. Seeing the bloodstains on his shoulder, her face hardened as she spoke in concern.
"Boss?"
"No need to worry."
Chrollo smiled slightly at Pakunoda, soothing her.
"Kisho already took care of it for me."
Pakunoda glanced at Kisho, who was still chatting with Shalnark, then silently looked away, her expression easing slightly.
"Let's go."
Chrollo gave the order.
He looked at Shalnark and Kisho, then said helplessly to the two who hadn't heard the command at all.
"We'll talk after we get back to the base."
Just as he was about to step onto the airship, Chrollo suddenly stopped and turned back.
"Kisho."
Kisho, who was following behind him, was clearly lost in thought. Not noticing that Chrollo had already stopped, he nearly bumped into him before snapping back to his senses.
"...Ah?"
Chrollo smiled.
"You need to be at least twelve years old to register for the Hunter Exam."
Kisho's eyes flew open.
"Eh?!"
...
On the airship...
Uvogin shouted in shock.
"What?! The brat isn't even twelve?!"
Phinks shouted in shock.
"What?! The brat isn't even twelve?!"
Feitan: "Oh? Nobunaga's arm strength isn't even as good as a brat who hasn't reached twelve?"
Nobunaga flew into a rage from embarrassment.
"...The boss couldn't beat him either!"
Kortopi replied honestly.
"The boss is a Specialist."
Nobunaga's embarrassment turned into uncontrollable fury, and then he exploded.
The helicopter airship immediately began to shake violently.
Seeing an air disaster about to occur, Shalnark roared.
"—Don't fight on the airship, hey!!!!"
Phinks' furious voice came from the cockpit.
"Don't release Nen pressure on the airship!"
And as the core figure who had nearly triggered an air disaster, Kisho silently squatted in the corner, shutting himself down.
Shalnark squeezed out from among the others and sat down next to Kisho, wearing an expression of "bros for life" as he hooked an arm around Kisho's neck.
"Well, it's not like there's no solution at all."
Kisho turned his head to look at him.
"What solution?"
"It's very simple."
Shalnark smiled and replied.
"Just change your age in the national registration system to be one year older."
Kisho: "..."
It really was something he hadn't thought of—a surprisingly simple and brutal method.
But...
Kisho looked at Shalnark and asked seriously.
"By what you're saying, from the first Troupe operation—I mean the mission at Whale Manor."
"When you gave me the fake proof, you told me it was fake."
Kisho stared into Shalnark's eyes.
"In fact, that proof really existed."
The boy said solemnly.
"The information recorded on the ID—Noah Barton—was a real person."
"Ah, you figured it out?"
Shalnark shrugged, not the least bit embarrassed about being caught lying. He glanced sideways at Chrollo, who was flipping through his Nen book.
"I only said that because it was the boss's order. If you have an issue, you can go ask the boss."
Kisho: "..."
"But I wasn't completely lying when I said it was fake."
Shalnark raised an index finger and shook it.
"At the time, that identity information had already been canceled. That is to say, although 'Noah' once existed, in the official database he really was already dead. His age at death was five. Cause of death: medical accident, rescue unsuccessful."
Kisho's eyes snapped wide open.
How could that be—!?
He had clearly seen scene after scene in the laboratory within Noah's memories. The Noah in those memories was definitely more than five years old!
So—
Kisho suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.
Did someone forge Noah's death certificate, erase proof of his existence in the world, then take him somewhere else and subject a five-year-old child to five years of inhumane experiments?!
A Nen as deep as an abyss suddenly erupted from Kisho's body, sweeping through the entire airship in an instant.
A pair of silver-blue eyes slowly opened, stirred by the overwhelming emotions of the other self within his body.
The violently rocking airship dove toward the ground, only to pull up at the last possible moment just before impact.
"Hey! I said don't release Nen inside the airship!!"
Bonolenov's extremely protesting voice came from the cockpit.
"Do you think this is fun?! Want to switch places and fly it yourselves?!"
However, no one in the cabin paid Bonolenov any attention. Everyone simply stared in utter shock at the boy who had released Nen pressure just seconds ago.
Chrollo's Nen book was open to a certain page in his hands. He gazed at Kisho, then after a long moment, asked softly.
"Have you calmed down?"
Only Nen deeper than this could suppress Nen.
Kisho remained silent, then nodded faintly, almost imperceptibly.
After receiving the affirmative response, Chrollo closed the Nen book and spoke calmly.
"No matter what the issue is, it'll have to wait until after we get off the airship."
Kisho sat there without moving, then silently closed his eyes.
"I'll find out the truth, Noah."
He quietly pressed a hand to his chest, as if soothing the other soul within his body.
"If there really is such a group of people, I absolutely won't let them go."
"I swear, I will make them—pay the price!"