Plan Seven X Magician X One-Sided Promise

The young man had clearly noticed someone scanning him with Nen. He made a sound through his nose in a tone that could only be described as lilting, seemingly expressing his displeasure.

"Hmm-hmm~"

The corners of his eyes lifted slightly, and he chuckled. "Oh, my, how heartless~ I was the one who invited you first, yet you're still thinking about someone else~"

Qi Zhou had no desire to respond to anything this man, whom he had already decided had something wrong with his head, said.

The fist he held at his side was already filled with Nen, but he didn't know whether to strike first. The gap between him and the man before him was despairingly vast. If his opening attack failed and left him exposed, he really wouldn't have the slightest chance left.

The young man chuckled. Without warning, a playing card appeared between his fingertips. He brought it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. "Well~ Either way, even if the Troupe's number eight Spider is a little kid, he should... be able to entertain me a little, right~?"

As he spoke, a suffocating Nen pressure bore down on Qi Zhou like an avalanche, but the playing card in the young man's hand was even faster.

The card cut through the air, leaving a streak of light, too fast for Qi Zhou to react.

Only after that streak of light did the young man's voice slowly reach him.

With a screech, the razor-sharp card struck the wind barrier, producing an ear-piercing scrape. In an instant, the card sliced through the barrier and flew straight at Qi Zhou's throat without losing momentum.

But the wind barrier had bought Qi Zhou less than a second, just enough time for him to twist aside and protect his vital spots. The card grazed his arm, leaving a bloody cut, and traced a line of blood across the ground.

The night was moonless, and a thick fog suddenly rose.

"How disappointing~" Beneath the clock tower, the pervert stood casually, letting out a theatrical sigh.

"I could have joined the Troupe directly, but then that Chrollo suddenly said the vacant number eight position had been taken by a member undergoing an evaluation."

A look of disappointment crossed the pervert's face. He spread his hands in feigned helplessness.

"If number eight were strong enough, that would be one thing. I could at least have a good fight while killing him~"

"...Honestly, I spent so long looking in the central district before I finally found him. And he turned out to be a kid. The person the kid called over turned out to be another kid."

Qi Zhou: "..."

"I don't know what this number eight Spider you're talking about is."

While cursing Chrollo in his mind for the umpteenth time, he retorted in a low voice, "I never agreed to join the Troupe either. You've got the wrong person."

"Well~ Chrollo is the leader, so he probably wouldn't lie about something like that~"

Before Qi Zhou had finished speaking, the young man had closed the distance in an instant, coming within half a foot of him.

Qi Zhou's eyes flew wide. That eerily pale face was right up close to his own, and the man's narrow eyes looked him up and down. "That's right, white hair and blue eyes, hmm-hmm~"

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm not a member of the Troupe at all!"

Qi Zhou launched a sudden attack, throwing a punch at the young man's face with all his strength, power he had secretly been building up for some time.

He didn't expect the punch to hurt the pervert before him, only to force him back. But just as his fist was about to make intimate contact with the pervert's face, his expression changed.

He felt as if his fist had struck a ball of cotton, which instantly turned into rubber with terrifying elasticity. The full force of his blow rebounded, sending him flying.

The pervert curled his lips, extended a finger, and crooked it. "Oh, you're a little apple who loves to lie~"

A cord that had stuck to Qi Zhou at some unknown point suddenly pulled taut, yanking him back. He was flying backward so fast that he didn't even have time to adjust his posture before the pervert's smiling face was reflected in his eyes.

Then the pervert casually raised a hand and swung it, but the blow that landed on Qi Zhou was crushingly heavy.

His body slammed into the ground with a bang.

"Ugh..." Qi Zhou opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The excruciating pain inside his body and across his back made his vision go black, and he nearly passed out.

But he couldn't pass out yet.

Qi Zhou gritted his teeth and fought the overwhelming dizziness, getting to his feet little by little.

He stared fixedly at the pervert before him, gasping for breath.

Whether in physical strength, the strength of his Nen, or his reactions and experience in combat, he was hopelessly outmatched.

He couldn't find the slightest chance of winning. What should he do... What was he supposed to do...?

"Hmm~ You've got a nice look in your eyes."

The pervert looked back at Qi Zhou, a pleased expression appearing on his face.

He walked toward Qi Zhou step by step, the playing card between his fingertips repeatedly spinning and disappearing.

The pervert abruptly stopped. With a flexibility ordinary people could scarcely imagine, he leaped backward, effortlessly dodging the rock spikes that shot up from the ground. But the instant he landed, his figure stalled.

The moment the pervert's feet touched the ground, the previously level surface suddenly sank. In that fleeting opening, before he could adjust, a blaze lit up the night and hurtled toward him like a meteor.

"Oh my~~"

The corners of the pervert's eyes lifted as he calmly watched the little kid whose one eye had turned silver-blue. The excitement in his eyes was almost tangible.

The flames struck him and exploded with a roar. After the dust settled, the pervert strolled leisurely out from the other side.

The little kid, meanwhile, had vanished from where he stood.

The pervert stared at the empty spot. "Hmm~ Now that's a little more interesting~"

Qi Zhou passed through the thick fog and appeared around another corner of the clock tower.

He knew his Nen fire couldn't hurt the pervert at all. He had only used it to create an opening and hinder him for a moment, then obstruct his vision.

His Nen currently had almost no power and could only cause his opponent a little trouble. But that was enough, as long as it bought him an instant.

A-Wu had his eyes closed, his back against the clock tower wall.

Qi Zhou bent down and picked A-Wu up. When he felt A-Wu's heartbeat, the dense emotion in his eyes faded a little.

Thankfully, he was still alive.

But just as he was preparing to take A-Wu and hurry away, a playing card appeared without warning against his neck.

"Got. You~"

The pervert's voice sounded satisfied and pleased as he slowly said to Qi Zhou, who could barely move under the weight of his Nen pressure and killing intent, "Stand still and behave~ If you dare make a move, I'll kill you right away~"

Qi Zhou froze. In silence, he forced his trembling body under control, along with the urge to turn and run.

Cold sweat had soaked through his clothes.

"What a good boy~ You went to all that trouble to create an opportunity, but instead of escaping, you wanted to take your companion with you. Well, I'll let you pass. Answer a few questions properly, and I'll let you and your little friend go~"

The pervert smiled. "Don't worry~ Don't worry, I don't want to kill you anymore~ After all, both of you are such cute little apples~"

Qi Zhou: "..."

The pervert's voice rose at the end as he asked, "You know Chrollo, don't you~?"

"...Yes."

"Ah, I knew it~" The pervert smiled with pleasure. "And you killed that Suoerte, or whatever his name was, too, didn't you~?"

Qi Zhou knew he meant Suoerzite. After a moment's silence, he said, "...I did."

"Then there's no mistake. I thought the Troupe's number eight would definitely head deeper into Meteor City. Honestly, I was looking in completely the wrong direction~"

The pervert paused for a moment, then said, "All right, that's that~"

As his words ended, the playing card against Qi Zhou's neck vanished from between his fingertips.

Once the killing intent dissipated, Qi Zhou clutched A-Wu and darted forward, putting distance between himself and the pervert. Then he turned to stare at him, wary of any move he might make next.

Even though the gap in their strength was as vast as that between heaven and earth, and nothing he did would help, he would still fight back with everything he had.

"Nice look in your eyes~" The pervert slowly crouched down.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. "Your name is Qi Zhou, right~~ I'll remember that name. I'll come find you again~"

He slowly stood, his figure fading into the fog. A moment later, his terrifying Nen pressure finally began to dissipate.

Only then did his voice reach Qi Zhou's ears:

"Until then, make sure you don't die~"