Challenge Invited X Refused X Powerful Reinforcements?

Chrollo’s expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, he sent the man flying with a swift kick. Though the composure and leisure he’d displayed earlier had vanished, the black-haired leader of the troupe still calmly dusted off his clothes, lifted his eyes to survey his surroundings, and spoke with a light laugh:

“Come out, Hisoka.”

A profound silence followed.

Chrollo stood alone, smiling amidst the silence for a long moment, until at last a familiar, strange, and sensual voice rang out—

“Mmm~ You caught me, Chrollo.”

The figure that emerged with the voice was indeed the magician Hisoka, whom Chrollo had named earlier. What caused the thief to raise his eyebrows with a hint of understanding and surprise was the presence of another who appeared alongside Hisoka, stepping from behind the large tree where he’d been concealed—a grotesque figure with a face studded with nails, the so-called “Masquerade”...

“I see,” Chrollo said with sudden realization. “I didn’t expect you’d manage to enlist the help of the eldest Zoldyck.”

Of course, Chrollo didn’t recognize Illumi, nor did he know that Gittarackur was, in fact, Illumi’s disguised form. But he was aware of the connection between Hisoka and the eldest Zoldyck, and Hisoka’s attitude toward Illumi along the way—especially the blatant, proprietary “Little Illu, Little Illu”—was more than enough for Chrollo to deduce the true identity of the nail-faced anomaly before him.

This revelation also explained the earlier attacker’s inconsistent behavior and peculiar reaction at the end—it wasn’t a matter of impatience or a mistake born of carelessness; the man had been under Illumi’s control from the start, every move dictated by the Nen needles.

No wonder, Chrollo thought, that he’d sensed a faint dissonance besides his opponent’s excessive impulsiveness.

So that was the reason.

He touched his lips thoughtfully. This time, the situation was truly precarious.

First, he had no troupe members by his side to restrain or hold Hisoka in check. Second, he hadn’t detected the strangeness in time to break through and escape before Hisoka reacted. Now, having been cornered by Hisoka and facing the encirclement of Illumi—who seemed to have reached some sort of agreement with Hisoka and was apparently ready to lend him a hand—escape was hardly possible.

In sum, it seemed that a clash with Hisoka today was inevitable...

This was, indeed, the worst possible scenario.

Chrollo frowned slightly.

In stark contrast to him, Hisoka’s face had grown positively ecstatic. In his narrow eyes, now an intense golden yellow, the frenzy of battle lust and the satisfaction of an imminent wish fulfilled intertwined, forming a mesmerizing, bewitching glow that threatened to draw anyone in, from which there would be no return...

“Don’t think you can escape again, Chrollo.” The red-haired magician curled his lips into a strange, sweet smile. “I paid a hefty price to hire Little Illu, and he promised he won’t leave until our fight is over.”

At this, Hisoka’s smile grew even sweeter, whether from Illumi’s acquiescence or the long-awaited battle with Chrollo, it was impossible to say.

“So, think carefully, Chrollo,” he said, smiling like a red-haired devil luring his prey to downfall. “Will you fight only me, or—will you try to avoid our duel, only to end up facing both me and Little Illu together?”

As if he’d told a particularly amusing joke, the magician squinted and let out a low, humming laugh.

But the black-haired youth also let out a soft laugh at that moment.

“Hisoka, I admit this was almost a flawless plan,” he said, smiling. “First, you managed to manipulate this candidate—if I’m not mistaken, that’s the eldest Zoldyck’s ability?—to act as if he were plotting a careful ambush on me. Naturally, I wouldn’t devote all my attention to his threat alone, but at the very moment he struck, my vigilance toward my surroundings would inevitably dip, providing you with the perfect opening to cut off my escape route. That much is true.

“Then you lay out the facts, spelling out the only two options I have left. You know my character well enough to realize which is most advantageous—I’d rather face you alone than contend with both of you at once, wouldn’t I?

“I must admit, your efforts are worthy of recognition.”

The black-haired youth curled his lips, smiling with the dominance of a king surveying his domain.

“Unfortunately, Hisoka, you seem to have overlooked one small detail.”

“And that is...?” Hisoka prompted.

“You, who yearn with all your heart for a thrilling battle with me, would never truly allow that second scenario to occur, would you?”

“Even if it’s Illumi, you wouldn’t tolerate him interfering in our fight, would you?”

“So, if I simply focused on breaking away from the battle, what would you do then?”

Watching Hisoka’s face puff up, shifting from smug confidence to a pout verging on a dumpling-cheeked sulk, Chrollo smiled, certain of his victory.

“Hisoka, the options you offered me were never truly valid from the start.”

—Crack! The perfect finishing blow, shattering the magician’s last line of defense.

Hisoka, now fully dumpling-faced, turned to his friend with the nail-studded face, who stood by indifferently.

“Little Illu! Was my plan really that bad?”

The nail-faced man gave him a sideways glance, his expression making it abundantly clear that such matters were none of his concern—he would only do what they’d previously agreed.

Hisoka was utterly dejected.

Across from him, the black-haired youth looked as composed and steady as ever, as if he’d already reclaimed the initiative. The magician’s resentment flared like the shadowy tendrils of some demonic plant, surging forth in a rush!

“Mmm, Kurama, you’re there, aren’t you?”

Returning to his earlier unhurried demeanor, Hisoka raised his voice, calling out loudly while Chrollo looked on in bewilderment.

“Come help me block Chrollo’s escape. After the exam, I’ll give you whatever treasure you desire most. How about it?”

He’d seen the whole thing earlier: when the conflict broke out, he and Illumi had been watching from the sidelines, and Kurama had used some sort of device to snatch away the controlled candidate’s number badge. Hisoka guessed the culprit was Kurama because, among this year’s candidates, only Kurama was a Nen user besides the three of them.

As expected, before his words had even faded, a gentle voice responded, “Is that so?” From the shadows of a nearby tree, the figure of a red-haired youth gradually came into focus, as though passing through a shimmering veil of water.

***

Kurama had, of course, noticed the arrival of Hisoka and Illumi long ago.

In fact, he’d already confirmed their presence while approaching, thanks to a report from the combined Eyes of Kenbo and dandelion scouts.

So it was easy to deduce what was happening—the target Kurama had chosen was only a decoy meant to attract the troupe leader’s attention; the true threat aimed at Chrollo was Hisoka, the battle maniac.

Even so, Kurama had chosen to act under the watchful eyes of Hisoka and Illumi. For one, his vines were swift and their appearance differed greatly from ordinary plants. For another, Kurama was, after all, a Manipulator-type Nen user; even if his use of plants was recognized, it wouldn’t expose his greatest secret.

Besides, if Hisoka and Chrollo really started fighting, Hisoka would have no time to concern himself with Kurama.

As for Illumi...

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t be curious, but Kurama wasn’t worried—perhaps because of the ambiguous “friendship” between them.

In short, the fox spirit’s plan was to seize the number badge and slip away once the two sides began their battle. But unexpectedly, events took a turn: Hisoka’s seemingly flawless scheme was seen through by Chrollo, and in a moment of impulse, the magician had exposed Kurama’s presence as well.

Kurama shook his head helplessly and canceled his concealment.

Yet, though he verbally agreed with Hisoka, Kurama remained standing where he was, smiling but making no move to join the fray, clearly not intending to take sides.

“One treasure isn’t enough to buy my help, Hisoka,” the fox spirit said with a wink. “You know, Chrollo and I just signed a truce moments ago, witnessed by you and Gittarackur. How could I go back on my word?”

His final words were so righteous that Hisoka nearly puffed up again in indignation.

“What truce? Did either of you actually take that seriously?” the magician retorted, raising an eyebrow. “No matter, if you won’t help, why not fight me in Chrollo’s place? You should know I’m very—very—interested in you~”

—Especially after that brilliant “performance” you just gave.

Hisoka’s gaze conveyed that unspoken message.

The fox spirit offered a casual shrug.

“If I can’t win, I can at least run faster than you,” he replied meaningfully.

Hisoka realized Kurama referred to that near-perfect, imperceptible barrier he’d used earlier—something neither he nor Illumi had detected until it was triggered. To be honest, Hisoka wasn’t at all confident in breaking through a technique whose very nature remained a mystery.

So the magician turned plaintively to Illumi.

“Little Illu~~”

The nail-faced man glanced at him again. Just when Hisoka thought he’d ignore him as before, Illumi unexpectedly reached out... and patted Hisoka’s head?

“Click.”

“I know... But I’m so unwilling! It’s so rare to get Chrollo cornered like this.” Like Kurama, fluent in the mysterious language of the Zoldycks, Hisoka pouted and pleaded with Illumi. “You know how sly he usually is! It’s so hard to catch him alone and guarantee he won’t just slip away!”

Ignoring the way Chrollo flinched at Hisoka’s description, the magician filed his complaint, utterly aggrieved.

Illumi glanced at Chrollo, face expressionless.

Yet the troupe leader thought he saw, for an instant, a hint of a smile in Illumi’s eyes.

Not sure if he was imagining it, Chrollo shook his head, deciding he could linger here with Hisoka no longer.

“Well then, that’s that.”

With those words, he truly turned and walked away, not the least concerned about a sneak attack from Hisoka.

Though unwilling, the magician knew, just as Chrollo had said, that what he craved was an absolute, fiery, one-on-one duel. Even with the advantage he’d created, if Chrollo didn’t cooperate, the fight would bring him no pleasure.

So, regretfully, he could only watch Chrollo depart.

He also knew that once Chrollo was gone, Kurama wouldn’t linger, either—having accomplished his goal, the red-haired youth would likely find a place to rest, just as Illumi intended.

Just as that thought crossed Hisoka’s mind, he saw Illumi squatting down and digging a hole at lightning speed...

“Little Illu...” You’re efficient, but couldn’t you keep me company a bit longer?

The magician was once again filled with woe.

But Illumi ignored him. Once he’d finished digging a sizable pit, he turned to meet Kurama’s curious gaze.

Illumi paused for a moment, then began pulling the needles from his face, one by one...

As the needles came free, his cheeks shifted and changed, until, after a violent distortion, the terrifying, grotesque nail-studded visage transformed into a refined, handsome young man.

“Ah, that feels much better.”

The odd, mechanical language of the nail planet was replaced by the gentle, neutral tones of a young man. With large, dark eyes, the beautiful youth shook his head nonchalantly, ignoring Hisoka’s pitiful look, and lifted his gaze to Kurama.

“Let me introduce myself once more,” he said, breaking into an uncharacteristically bright smile.

“Illumi Zoldyck. Gittarackur... was just an alias.”