Hisoka Makes a Move

The Circus had a day off.

They needed to prepare for the Graham Grand Show a few days later.

All the members could relax and explore the city properly. After all, ever since they had arrived in Graham Galance, they had been performing nonstop... Now, the Circus had made quite a name for itself and achieved some success, or it would not have received an invitation to the Graham Grand Show.

The troupe members headed out in groups of two or three to enjoy themselves...

As for Hisoka and Oboro, they were naturally left out.

Hisoka had originally wanted to go for a walk with Oboro, but Oboro mercilessly refused him.

"Looking at your face puts me in a bad mood."

Those were Oboro's exact words.

Hisoka had even put on a wounded expression.

On the street.

With both hands in his pockets, Oboro silently followed behind Abachi. The girl had not noticed him, because Oboro had concealed his presence using Zetsu. He could not yet execute this application of Nen perfectly and could only use its principles to get as close to Zetsu as possible.

For someone at Abachi's level, that was already enough.

"Today should be the day..."

Oboro murmured.

Abachi was the only one in the troupe whom the ringmaster had assigned to purchase supplies today.

Based on his memories, if he counted the timing... Abachi would run into Moritonio, who had disguised himself and was in the middle of killing someone, after nightfall. The two would clash, then Hisoka would appear and drive the ringmaster away.

Wounding one of the ringmaster's eyes.

As a spectator, Oboro was looking forward to seeing that scene.

It would be interesting...

And it would let him see just how far Hisoka's training had progressed.

Even though they lived under the same roof, Oboro could tell that Hisoka deliberately hid his strength whenever he faced him.

The two of them had become Nen users around the same time. From Oboro's current observations, his aura reserves far exceeded Hisoka's, and his understanding of Nen was also beyond Hisoka's reach. But that did not mean he was stronger than Hisoka... because once a real fight began, the key to victory or defeat was something called combat instinct.

"Moritonio..."

At that thought, Oboro chuckled softly.

Although the old man had taught Hisoka and him how to train their Nen, he had clearly only taught them a fraction of it. He had never spoken of the core principles or crucial points of cultivation! It was not because he feared they would bite off more than they could chew, but more because he was wary and guarded against them.

If Oboro's knowledge of Nen had not surpassed Moritonio's, he might have been as grateful to the ringmaster as Abachi was.

Still, no matter what, it was the ringmaster who had opened the door to Nen for him...

It was just that... Moritonio clearly had not expected Hisoka and him to possess such potential. He had thought they would merely become the next Abachi. If the old man were given another choice now... Oboro felt that he might not necessarily help him.

That much could be judged from the ringmaster's attitude after Hisoka and Oboro became Nen users.

Before, the old man had genuinely admired Hisoka and taken good care of Oboro. But afterward... he had become far more perfunctory.

In contrast, his attitude toward Abachi remained unchanged.

Why was that?

Oboro could not figure it out either.

In the end, he could only guess... that it was jealousy, or perhaps resentment, at work.

Like how a failing student would irrationally hate a top student.

The existence of Hisoka and himself made the old man increasingly aware of his own inadequacy...

He followed Abachi through several markets and into a few department stores, stopping and starting along the way... Abachi was relatively withdrawn, but when no acquaintances were around, she showed some of the girlish traits appropriate for her age.

She liked small animals, and she would stop whenever she saw beautiful scenery.

Just like that... before they knew it, night had fallen.

"It's already evening... There shouldn't be anything else on the list to buy..."

Carrying several large shopping bags, the girl walked down from an overpass and entered the alley below, talking to herself.

"Let's head back..."

At that moment, some movement suddenly came from a dark corner.

"Hm?"

Abachi turned toward the sound and frowned.

"Waaahhh!"

An indescribable cry followed immediately after.

Abachi quickly stepped forward. She poked her head around the corner of the alley and looked down a narrow side passage, her expression changing at once.

A huge man in a trench coat with slicked-back hair was brutally murdering a victim.

The victim was pressed against the wall, his upper body completely crushed flat. Blood had splattered across the wall and ground, yet he was not dead, as if he still had one last breath left... Upon hearing footsteps, he weakly murmured, "Save me..."

Crushing someone to death while they were still alive?

That appearance...

Was he the murderous maniac John Doe?

Abachi's pupils contracted. She immediately dropped the shopping bags, gathered her aura in her hand, and infused it into the jump rope at her waist as she charged forward. "Stop!"

The jump rope was a prop she used in Circus performances and always carried with her.

As she spoke, she swung the rope. The ordinary jump rope stretched taut in the air like a steel cable and lashed at the target.

John merely shifted his feet slightly and dodged the seemingly fierce whip.

Bang! The rope's tip smashed the stone wall to pieces.

Before Abachi could get close, she was about to pull back her weapon and repeat the attack.

But she discovered that she could not pull the jump rope back. John had already grabbed it in his hand.

And his strength was clearly greater than hers.

"This attack contains Nen..."

"And he..."

"This murderous maniac is a Nen user too!"

At that moment, Abachi was deeply shaken.

Compared to his, her combat experience was clearly far too immature.

In the instant she froze, John bent down and appeared before the girl, ruthlessly driving a knee into Abachi's lower abdomen.

"Gah!"

The girl suffered the heavy blow and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

The weapon in her hand also fell to the ground.

Abachi collapsed limply, unable to stand for the moment. She had already lost the ability to move.

She could not withstand even a single blow!

"It's over!"

Looking up at the murderous maniac standing before her and staring down at her, the girl's mind went blank.

John slowly bent down, spreading his hand as he reached for Abachi.

At that critical moment, a blurred afterimage shot at John from behind... Neither the aura nor the angle and speed of the attack had been something the murderous maniac expected at all.

A spray of blood shot through the air.

A sharp object sliced through John's left eye.

He only reacted the instant he was injured... Otherwise, that sudden attack might have cut off half his head!

Hisoka landed in a crouch, a bloodstained playing card pinched between his fingers.

Turning his head and looking up, he gave the enemy a strange, eerie smile. "Out for a walk? You look... like you're having a lot of fun..."

"..."

John.

The next second, Hisoka suddenly launched himself forward and slashed horizontally at the man with the card.

Seemingly sensing that the boy before him would not be easy to handle, the killer retreated several steps and avoided the attack... Then, his gaze lingered on the two of them for a few seconds before he leaped up, using the buildings as cover to flee.

He quickly vanished into the night.

"Hisoka!"

Abachi forced herself upright and called out.

Hisoka stared in the direction where the enemy had disappeared. Rather than give chase, he looked at the bloodstained ace of spades between his fingers and fell into thought.

"He got away... That bastard."

"Still, his eye was injured too. He should get caught, right... Hisoka, thank you..."

"Hisoka?"

Seeing Hisoka lost in thought, the girl called to him. "You... what's wrong?"

"Nothing... It just felt like... the sensation of cutting him wasn't quite real." Hisoka came back to himself and smiled casually. "Let's go."

"Okay."

Then the two picked up their things and left.

However, before leaving, Hisoka's eyes seemed to casually glance toward a certain spot.

"Tch... He noticed me?"

Only after they had disappeared did Oboro reveal himself from a dark corner.

Recalling Hisoka's gaze just now... a chill ran down his spine.

"Could it be... that just through his familiarity with Nen and its applications, this guy figured out the state of Zetsu on his own?" The longer Oboro spent with Hisoka, the more he could feel the terror of this monster.

Without understanding how Zetsu worked, Oboro had used Nen to seal himself off. For a newcomer like Hisoka, it should have been difficult to see through.

Unless... he had already understood that very concept.

"That instant attack... the timing of the strike and his ability to find a lethal point to attack were both perfect, beyond reproach. And this is still a Hisoka who hasn't fully matured yet. Once he gains more real combat experience and improves his abilities..."

"As for Moritonio... his level was... average."

The scenes he had just witnessed flashed through Oboro's mind as he made his assessment.

The fact that the old man had failed to notice the instant Hisoka attacked already said everything.

The difference between them was obvious.

With that, he also left the scene of the murder.

"John... Isn't he that serial killer?"

"Is Abachi alright..."

"The performance is drawing near. Everyone should be extra careful."

When Oboro returned to the troupe's venue, he found that everyone had already come back and gathered in the hall, discussing the matter.

They had clearly heard about what happened to Abachi.

Meanwhile, the ringmaster Moritonio sat on the sofa, warning everyone.

Nothing about his appearance or condition gave anything away.

Oboro merely greeted them before returning to the dormitory.

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw the room filled with steam. The bathroom door was open, and Hisoka was lying in the bathtub, taking a bath.

Half his face was submerged underwater as he blew bubbles.

"Want to join me?"

Seeing Oboro arrive at the bathroom door, Hisoka sat up and warmly invited him.

Oboro stared at Hisoka, his heart skipping a beat, though not the slightest change showed on his face.

Because... the water in the bathtub seemed to have changed. It had become extremely viscous, like glue... As Hisoka raised his palm, it clung completely to his arm and fingers in a paste-like mass.

"It's only been this long, and his use and understanding of Nen have already reached this level?"

"And he figured it out himself..."

Though he hated Hisoka, Oboro had to admit that this guy was... inhuman! "Close the door when you bathe next time. I don't want to dirty my eyes."

Oboro said coldly.

"Hehehehe..."

Hisoka altered his Nen. Suddenly, the water stuck to his body returned to normal and fell away.

"You were there too, weren't you?"

Hisoka asked with a half-smile.

"We've lived together for so long. I'm very familiar with your aura..."

"..."

Oboro.

His Zetsu was neither perfect nor mature. Theory and practice were two different things. As long as even a trace of aura leaked out... Hisoka could detect it.

That showed just how terrifying the latter's vigilance was as well.

"Well? Are you satisfied with my performance?"

Hisoka looked at Oboro.

Bang! But Oboro's only response was the sound of the door being slammed shut.