The Fells' mansion had turned into a blood-stained battlefield. At the palace entrance, waves of armed gangsters poured in, only to be cut down by a group of hypnotized Nen users. Their bodies piled up as more rushed to their deaths. Blood ran like rivers across the ground, the faces of the fallen gang leaders frozen in their final expressions.
The overwhelming stench of blood permeated the air. Just thirty minutes ago, this elegant venue had been filled with beautiful music and socializing. Now it was deathly silent. Not even the waiters and servants of the Fells family had been spared. The death toll was too high to count.
"Your ability is quite handy," Quick remarked, his birthmarked face turning toward Gabwich, who stood amidst the carnage. Quick had merely picked off isolated Nen users as the opportunity presented itself, barely exerting himself.
Most of the Dons' private forces had fallen fighting each other or succumbed to hypnosis. Gabwich's ability, "The Lone Hypnotist", worked in two ways: either by knowing the target's name, or by making an initial subconscious contact based on their actions. If the target could not break free of this initial contact, they became Gabwich's puppet, bound to his commands.
At the palace gates, the brutal battle continued. Less than ten hypnotized Nen users were systematically slaughtering the endless stream of gangsters, but Quick and Gabwich's direct intervention was no longer necessary. The supposedly fearsome Mafia, who controlled world-class forces, had proven pathetically vulnerable to their attack.
Of course, this was only because the Dons were completely unprepared for the arrival of the Phantom Troupe. With proper warning, even if their private forces weren't enough, they could have hired powerful assassins who would have caused the Troupe considerable trouble. This was exactly why Chrollo had been wary of Hisoka's possible betrayal.
If Hisoka had warned the family, the Fells would not have crumbled so easily at the slightest touch.
"The others should have finished their targets by now, right?" Quick mused.
Gabwich stared blankly in one direction. "Considering the level of the Shadow Beasts and our captain's abilities, it shouldn't have taken long to eliminate them."
"Feitan sent word that the Dons are dead," Quick said, checking his phone. "But they haven't located David or Felslily yet."
"No movement on Hisoka either. Kubi and Peelev are still looking. This palace complex is huge, even moving fast, it takes time to cover everything. David was just talking on the main screen, which means he's here somewhere. He can't escape, he's just hiding."
"I'm going to help with the search. Stay alert," Quick said before walking away.
Due to the limitations of his ability, Gabwich had to stay to maintain control over the hypnotized Nen users. If he left, they would break out of their trance.
---
In the backyard of the palace, an invisible war had come to a quiet conclusion. The six Shadow Beasts, initially brimming with confidence, had discovered a harsh truth: they were nothing but prey.
The battle between Machi and Leech proved most revealing. Despite Leech's dismissive attitude toward the seemingly fragile woman, Machi's strength and explosive power far outweighed his own bulky frame. His attacks found nothing but air as she effortlessly dodged, and their subsequent exchange of blows demonstrated her superior mastery of Nen.
The fight lasted less than three minutes.
Using "In" to conceal her threads, Machi's fluid movements allowed her to wrap a strand around one of Leech's arms without him noticing. As he attempted to counter her apparent vulnerability, his arm was suddenly severed and sent flying through the air. The injury didn't stop him as he lunged forward, massive hands reaching for her throat.
But as he lunged, Machi spun around to face him, her delicate fingers wrapping around his wrist with surprising strength, nullifying his attack.
"What?" Leech's eyes widened in shock. Despite his superior size and the genetic mutations that pushed the Shadow Beasts beyond human limits, he couldn't free himself from Machi's iron grip. Unknown to him, she ranked sixth in arm wrestling among the troupe members, just behind Feitan but surpassing even Chrollo.
Still holding him with one hand, Machi raised a single finger. With a gentle hook of her finger, strings tore through Leech's body. Blood spurted as the threads sliced through skin and muscle.
"Are you really a woman?" Leech asked, his face crisscrossed with bleeding thread marks. His voice was one of genuine curiosity, not fear or panic.
Machi's expression remained cold as she ignored the question. Leech's mouth suddenly opened, preparing to spit at her, but his counterattack was far too slow. She had anticipated it.
With a sharp tug on her strings, Leech's body disintegrated into bloody pieces that fell to the ground. Death was instantaneous.
Machi let out a contemptuous snort as her threads receded into her fingertips. Turning, she saw that her companions' battles were also coming to an end. Even the arrogant Mad Dog had fallen to Chrollo in a battle of two against one.
The dying beast lay beneath their leader's foot. Chrollo's clothing was torn from the fierce exchange, but he was unharmed. Nearby, Shalnark had already used his antenna to take control of a scarred Shadow Beast.
Shizuku was brutally efficient, using Blinky to crush the skull of another Shadow Beast. Her innocent appearance hid her ruthless nature.
It was over, just as expected. While the Dons' Shadow Beasts were formidable and could threaten individual Troupe members when attacking in groups, they stood no chance in one-on-one combat.
Chrollo knelt beside Mad Dog and calmly questioned him about the whereabouts of David and Felslily. Bloody foam bubbled from the beast's mouth as he struggled to speak. Chrollo listened impassively.
"Feitan has eliminated the Dons," Shalnark announced cheerfully, checking his phone.
At this news, Chrollo's foot came down hard, obliterating Mad Dog's head.
The last surviving Shadow Beast, now Shalnark's puppet, might come in handy later. "Even the Shadow Beast doesn't know where they are," Shalnark mused, stroking his chin.
"The Dons operate separately from the Fells family," Chrollo observed. "They probably know nothing of the family's arrangements."
"No further attacks have been reported," Machi added. "Four Shadow Beasts remain. The man with the glasses was one of them. Where did he go?"
"It appears that David and the woman were warned," Shalnark said with a smile. "Given the time between the exposure of the Zoldyck family and Oboro passing on the information, they made the best decisions they could. They're probably planning their escape now, with the remaining four Shadow Beasts as protection."
"Strange, but shouldn't the Shadow Beasts obey the Dons? These four seem to work exclusively for the Fells family."
Shalnark's phone suddenly rang. Everyone turned to look.
"It's Hisoka!" Shalnark's eyes scanned the message. "He found the targets! But there's a complication. Besides the Shadow Beast, there seems to be another expert. Peelev and Kubi are closest and heading there now."
"Location?" Chrollo asked sharply.
"Some kind of dark room."
"Move," Chrollo ordered. The five troopers and their Shadow Beast puppet immediately went back the way they'd come.
They left only trampled flower beds and the grotesque remains of the Shadow Beasts as evidence of their battle.
---
Meanwhile, Peelev and Kubi followed Hisoka's coordinates to a palace entrance. Strangely, the gates were open, revealing pitch darkness inside, unlike the other brightly lit buildings. Playing cards protruded from the vital points of numerous corpses scattered across the floor.
Just inside, they stopped at the sight of a figure standing in the shadows a few feet away. Their tension eased as they recognized Hisoka, casually shuffling his cards while leaning against a wall.
"Why are you out here? Where are the targets?" Peelev asked, his bandaged form tense with suspicion.
They had assumed that Hisoka had already engaged the enemy.
"Look, they're inside," Hisoka purred, his face twisted into a malicious grin as he pointed down a dark corridor. "The targets are pretty well protected. I couldn't do it alone, so I retreated. They're still hiding in the dark room, probably planning something. I've been keeping watch to prevent them from escaping. Your timing is perfect."
As he spoke, Hisoka approached them.
Peelev and Kubi accepted his explanation without question. The three of them walked towards the corridor together.
"The others mentioned four surviving Shadow Beasts probably protecting the targets," Peelev said. "The three of us should be enough to handle them."
Neither noticed that Hisoka deliberately fell behind them.
"By the way, Hisoka," Kubi's long hair swayed as he turned. "You mentioned another expert. Who are they?"
Suddenly, Hisoka's hands landed on their shoulders from behind. His grotesque face appeared between them, grinning broadly. "He's right in front of you."
A pair of scarlet eyes glowed in the darkness ahead.
The sound of rattling chains filled the air.
"Hisoka!!"
Peelev and Kubi reacted immediately. Through the dim light, a chain whipped forward at Peelev with devastating force. The descendant of the Gyudondan tribe could only dodge, having no time to deal with Hisoka's betrayal.
Kubi was exposed!
He tried to counterattack, to push Hisoka back, but as a support member of the troupe, his fighting skills were among the weakest. He was nowhere near the level of Hisoka.
And he had left himself completely open.
When Kubi raised his arm, Hisoka grabbed it and snapped it in one fluid movement. A kick to the stomach sent Kubi flying into a distant wall, blood spurting from his mouth. Before his body could slide down, Hisoka was there, using Bungee Gum to pin Kubi's limbs and torso to the wall. Only his head remained free.
After securing Kubi, Hisoka turned to Kurapika who was coming out of the corridor. "I've helped you considerably," he grinned. "Don't forget this favor."
Kurapika ignored Hisoka, his attention was on Peelev. He removed his tribal cloak, revealing beige tights underneath. He raised his chain-wrapped right hand and fixed his burning scarlet eyes on his prey. Instead of threats or taunts, he began to recite Kuruta tribal verses, a requiem for the dead.
"Hisoka, you betrayed the troupe," Kubi spat from his position against the wall.
"You will die horribly!"
"Chrollo won't let you live."
Hisoka tilted his head and looked back. "Oh? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Kubi fell silent.
The madman had often expressed his desire to fight the troupe. Maybe those hadn't been idle words after all.
Madman!