[103] : Saving Gon and Killua!

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...

"Huh? You're saying Gon and Killua went to track the Phantom Troupe?" Airmid and Mellie exclaimed in surprise after returning from their outing and hearing Leorio's explanation.

Although they hadn't encountered the Phantom Troupe directly, Hisoka, whom they met during the Hunter Exam, was a member.

If they were to equate the Troupe's members to Hisoka, it would be like a "criminal gang composed of thirteen Hisokas."

The thought itself was terrifying.

Unlike Airmid and Mellie's astonishment, Mika, who had anticipated this, only felt a sense of resignation.

They no longer needed to worry about money.

All they needed to do was steadily increase their strength and wait for Battera's recruitment.

Why get involved with the Phantom Troupe?

Despite his inner complaints, Mika understood their motivations.

"It's because of Kurapika, isn't it?"

Leorio nodded slightly in response to Mika's question.

"Yes. Actually, the moment we saw them, Killua knew we couldn't take them down. But we still wanted to find their hideout."

"I figured as much." Mika shook his head.

This was typical of Gon.

Unlike protagonists in other hot-blooded manga, Gon Freecs, the protagonist of Hunter x Hunter, wasn't a paragon of virtue.

His personality was untamed and wild.

This might be attributed to his childhood spent playing with wild animals in the forest, without any human companions his own age.

As a result, Gon lacked a conventional sense of right and wrong.

His actions were driven by curiosity.

At the same time, Gon was fiercely loyal to his friends.

He would readily risk his life for their sake.

He had no fear of death.

So, upon learning that the individuals they were tracking were the Phantom Troupe, the very group that had massacred Kurapika's Familia, Gon was determined to capture them.

He was the epitome of a true friend.

"I wonder if Gon and Killua have been captured by the Phantom Troupe."

After a moment of thought, Mika turned towards the empty air beside him and said, "bring out the Tracking Compass."

"Okay!"

Leorio was taken aback, hearing Mika speak to an invisible presence.

"What's going on?!"

"It's a sort of Nen beast," Mellie explained to Leorio. "Some Nen users can create unique lifeforms with their abilities to assist them in battle."

"Since these Nen beasts are made of aura, you won't be able to see Gabriel unless you learn 'Gyo.'"

"Gyo?"

Mellie sighed, seeing Leorio's continued confusion.

Unlike Gon, Killua, and Kurapika, who had diligently honed their Nen abilities after becoming Hunters, Leorio, whose primary motivation for becoming a Hunter was to avoid medical school tuition, had focused on his studies, aiming to enter a prestigious medical university.

Therefore, his Nen training was limited to the most basic technique, "Ten."

Before encountering Gon and Killua again, he wasn't even aware of the other three fundamental principles: "Zetsu," "Ren," and "Hatsu."

"That's a more advanced Nen technique. You'll learn it eventually."

"I see," Leorio replied, nodding.

Meanwhile, after receiving the Tracking Compass from Gabriel, Mika looked at the clustered points of light and sighed. "It seems Gon and Killua have been captured."

Anticipating the upcoming chaos in Yorknew City, Mika had collected the auras of Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio when they first met.

He had also collected the auras of seven Phantom Troupe members during his earlier rocket launcher attack on their airship.

Now, Gon and Killua's auras overlapped with those of the Phantom Troupe.

"Gon and Killua have been captured? What do we do?!" Leorio, who had been relatively calm until now, panicked.

Unaware of the vast difference in strength between Gon, Killua, and the Phantom Troupe, he had unwavering faith in his friends.

But now, they had been captured.

The reality of the situation finally sunk in.

"Don't worry, I'll go rescue them!"

Although Gon and Killua had managed to escape the Phantom Troupe in the original story, that didn't guarantee their safety in this altered timeline.

Their initial escape was successful because the Troupe didn't know about Kurapika's abilities.

However, through their conversation, Killua had deduced Kurapika's Nen ability.

If Pakunoda were to read their memories again, they would have no chance of escape.

Moreover, Mika's presence in these worlds inevitably caused a butterfly effect.

Blindly believing that everything would play out as it did in the original story would be foolish.

Mika didn't believe in plot armor.

In his view, what defined a protagonist?

Someone with exceptional conviction or talent, who had experienced extraordinary events and survived. That was a protagonist.

They didn't survive because they were the protagonist.

They became the protagonist because they survived.

Take the Hunter x Hunter world, for example.

Killua, born into a family of assassins, endured torturous training from a young age. After escaping his family, he found solace and a new beginning with Gon.

Kurapika, the sole survivor of his Familia's massacre, trained relentlessly to avenge his people, willing to sacrifice his own life for revenge.

Leorio, who witnessed the death of his friend due to poverty and lack of access to medical treatment, aspired to become a doctor and provide free healthcare to those in need.

In terms of their backgrounds, who among them had a less compelling story than Gon?

Even Ging Freecs, Gon's father, had a more legendary life than his son.

Therefore, upon entering this world, one shouldn't rely on the illusion of plot armor.

The characters should be treated as real people, not mere plot devices in a story.

"Airmid, Mellie, come with me. Since we're rescuing hostages, I need your strength."

"Of course! We're partners, after all!" Mellie replied without hesitation. Airmid nodded in agreement.

They returned to their room to change into their combat attire, shedding their current casual outfits.

"What about me, Mika?" Leorio asked anxiously.

"Leorio, you should continue with the task you and Gon agreed upon. We'll bring them back safe and sound," Mika reassured him.

---

Thud!

"One more time."

"Ready… go!"

Thud!

"One more time!"

"Ready… go!"

Thud!

"One more time."

"Ready… go!"

The sounds of impacts echoed continuously from within an abandoned building.

Inside, Gon and Nobunaga were locked in an arm-wrestling match.

However, Gon was no match for Nobunaga's strength.

His wrist was repeatedly slammed against the stone table, the relentless impacts turning his hand into a bloody mess.

Despite this, Nobunaga insisted on continuing.

Besides them, the remaining members of the Phantom Troupe were present, excluding Uvogin, who had been killed, and Chrollo, who had left to hunt down Neon Nostrade for her Nen ability.

Eleven members in total, including Nobunaga.

After being brought back to the Phantom Troupe's hideout, Killua felt a surge of relief upon seeing Hisoka among them.

He believed that Hisoka, who held a peculiar interest in Gon, wouldn't allow him to die.

Hisoka subtly signaled to Killua with his eyes, urging him not to reveal their acquaintance.

However, the next moment, Gon's surprised gasp upon seeing Hisoka sent shivers down both Killua and Hisoka's spines.

Fortunately, Killua reacted quickly.

He immediately noticed Shizuku, who had arm-wrestled Gon at Leorio's makeshift stall during the Hunter Exam.

"Ah, it's that big sister from the arm-wrestling match!" Killua exclaimed, feigning childish excitement.

But Shizuku's reaction left him dumbfounded.

She didn't recognize him.

Thankfully, Franklin and Feitan, who were standing next to Shizuku, had also seen Gon and Killua before, confirming their claims and preventing their connection with Hisoka from being exposed.

"Oh, so you beat Shizuku in arm-wrestling?" Nobunaga asked Gon, his interest piqued.

"Yeah!" Gon nodded.

"Then arm-wrestle with me!" Nobunaga challenged.

And so, the scene unfolded as described before.

Thud!

"One more time."

"Ready... go!"

Following Nobunaga's command, Gon strained his muscles, putting all his strength into the arm-wrestling match.

However, Nobunaga remained unfazed, his expression indifferent, as if he wasn't even exerting any effort.

"How strong is my arm strength among the Spiders?" Nobunaga asked casually.

"Probably seventh or eighth?" Franklin replied nonchalantly. Machi added, "It's not weak, but it's not particularly strong either."

"Exactly," Nobunaga said, his gaze fixed on Gon. "The strongest among us was a man named Uvogin, but it seems he was killed by the Chain User."

Thud!

"One more time!" Nobunaga refocused on Gon.

"Ready… go!"

As their hands locked, blood trickled down Gon's bruised hand.

"Uvogin was an Enhancer, and also a very straightforward guy. A simple-minded fellow who loved a good brawl."

"On the other hand, he was incredibly punctual. Franklin and I often argued with him because we were always late."

"In a fistfight, I would have been completely at his mercy."

Nobunaga continued to talk about Uvogin, his gaze fixed on Gon.

"We knew each other even before the Troupe was formed. I understood him better than anyone."

"That guy… Uvogin, he would never lose a fight. He must have been ambushed and killed by some cowardly tactic."

Tears welled up in Nobunaga's eyes as he spoke.

As comrades who had fought side-by-side, Nobunaga and Uvogin shared a bond that surpassed all others.

"I'll never forgive him! I'll find him, even if I have to kill everyone in my path."

"The Chain User harbors intense hatred for us. He was hired by the Nostrade Family. Even if you don't know him personally, you must have heard rumors."

"Think carefully! Tell me everything you know, every single clue!" Nobunaga roared, his voice filled with rage.

Killua's heart skipped a beat as he processed Nobunaga's words.

He had figured out the Chain User's identity.

It was Kurapika.

"I haven't heard anything!"

While Nobunaga held Gon's hand in a vice-like grip, Gon struggled against him with all his might.

He was furious after hearing Nobunaga's words.

"Even if I had, I would never tell you!"

"I thought you were all heartless bastards, but it seems you can cry for your comrades too!"

Gon glared at Nobunaga, his eyes burning with defiance.

His body began to glow with aura.

"If that's the case, then just a little... just a tiny bit, why couldn't you show that same compassion to the people you've killed?"

Fueled by his rage and amplified by his Nen, Gon slammed Nobunaga's hand against the stone table with surprising force.

At that very moment, Feitan appeared behind Gon.

"Brat, you've gone too far!"

Grabbing Gon's arm, Feitan pinned him against the table.

"Gon!" Killua instinctively lunged forward.

But the next moment, Hisoka's card grazed Killua's neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

"Move again, and I'll cut you."

"Answer our question!" Feitan said coldly. "Do you know the Chain User?"

"I already told you, I won't tell you anything."

"Hmph!" Feitan chuckled ominously, as if about to do something drastic.

"Feitan, let it go," Nobunaga intervened.

"Let what go?"

"What you're about to do."

"You know what I'm going to do?"

"You're going to break his hand."

"Starting with his fingers, slowly peeling off his fingernails."

"I don't care where you start. Just stop."

"Why should I obey you? I have no reason to follow your orders."

Feitan and Nobunaga glared at each other, their animosity palpable.

Sensing the escalating tension, the other Troupe members were about to intervene when a sudden sphere of energy enveloped them.

"An enemy!"

The Phantom Troupe's expressions turned serious.

...

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