64 Chapter 61: A Fake News!

"..."

Raymond let out a heavy breath, feeling his Nen slowly stabilize.

His gaze shifted to Sin's struggling seal, on the brink of collapse.

With a grim tone, he muttered, "...This is going to hurt more, Sin."

Suddenly, Raymond took control of his rampaging Nen within the seal.

It clashed against the seal relentlessly as if determined to break it open.

Then, with a sudden stillness, Raymond redirected his Nen, swirling it towards himself and devouring it back into his own being.

The abrupt change in movement within the seal intensified the pressure on Sin.

"Shit..."

Gritting his teeth, he felt blood trickling from his mouth, nose, and ears.

His complexion turned deathly pale, the pain evident in his expression as he struggled to withstand the overwhelming force bearing down on him.

"I can't—"

Sin muttered, his voice trailing off as his vision began to blur.

Darkness encroached upon him, and he collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, Sakujiro was nearby.

"...Good job, Sin."

He swiftly caught Sin before he hit the ground, gesturing for others to assist in getting Sin immediate medical attention.

Simultaneously, his seal emitted a sharp cracking sound, swiftly breaking apart.

The crowd watched in disbelief as the arena, with Raymond at its center, was reduced to dust.

However, they felt nothing else, for Raymond had managed to reclaim the torrent of Nen he had unleashed earlier.

Ignoring the disbelief crowd, Raymond slowly made his way out, leaving the whole arena in silence.

Meanwhile, in one of the private rooms on the 200th floor, Hisoka's expression twisted into a strange mix of excitement and delight as he watched the confusing match between Raymond and Cassandra unfold.

"..."

Unable to detect Nen through the monitors, Hisoka could only observe the chaos without fully understanding its source.

Yet, he recognized the sheer power behind the destruction wreaked solely by Nen.

Its destructive level was even beyond what the leader of his small group could do.

"Kekeke..."

Hisoka licked his lips in anticipation. "So, you're a floor master now. Does that mean I only need to qualify to challenge you?"

"You creepy clown, cut it out with that face," a woman's annoyed voice cut through the air.

Ignoring her, Hisoka continued to grin, much to her irritation.

"You said you wanted to get stitched up. Show me where quickly, you idiot," she snapped, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

Hisoka turned to his guest, unfazed by her demeanor. She was a petite woman with pink hair tied up messily, her blue eyes sharp with anger.

It was Machi, the #3 Spider of the Phantom Troupe.

Hisoka's smile widened as he gently displayed his arms and legs, detached but still functional, to Machi.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight, "That's disgusting. How do you even manage to keep those arms and legs functioning?"

She asked with slight surprise in her tone.

"It's a magic trick," Hisoka replied casually with a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

Machi rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Fucking clown," she muttered under her breath, exasperated by Hisoka's antics. 

Machi shook her head with clear irritation on her face, as she approached Hisoka.

"Hmph!"

Her expression turned serious as she focused her aura, creating a bright light between her hands as she channeled her Nen.

Pulling out her sewing needle, Machi swiftly began to sew up Hisoka's detached arms with skillful precision.

"As always, what a fascinating ability you have there," Hisoka remarked with his eyebrows raised with curiosity as he watched the whole process.

He observed closely as Machi's hands moved quickly, stitching up his arms before moving on to the next.

"Shut up!"

Machi retorted sharply while her focus remained unwavering as she continued to stitch up the rest of Hisoka's limb.

After an hour of meticulous work, she finally finished as she wiped a sweat from her forehead.

"That's it, I'll leave. Never call me again..."

Machi announced, gathering her belongings.

"Why the rush? Just enjoy some time in the city..."

Hisoka suggested casually while trying to move it around without his Bungee Gum. He nodded in satisfaction as Machi continued to walk toward the door.

"I hate big crowds," Machi responded with a frown.

Hisoka shook his head, remembering how Machi's eyes had flickered with unease while watching the fight on the monitor earlier.

He asked with a smile, "Don't you have anyone you know here?"

"...Hah! I don't know anyone in the city," she replied defensively.

Hisoka chuckled, feigning hurt, "That's harsh. Don't you know me?"

"You?" Machi looked at Hisoka with disdain before shaking her head. "I'd rather forget you for eternity..."

"Kekeke, that's cute..." Hisoka chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Then, his expression shifted as if he remembered something, "Oh right..."

"Hmm..."

Hisoka hummed, appearing lost in thought.

Machi grew impatient and urged him, "Chop chop, I gotta go fast..."

"Ah, yes. I heard there was this auction in Yorknew City. I wonder if we're going there?" Hisoka mused.

"That auction was canceled, you dummy. We're not going anywhere!"

Machi snapped back.

Hisoka tilted his head in confusion, "Really? But I heard it was just fake news..."

"...Are you just going to tell me this nonsense and nothing more?" Machi demanded, her tone sharp.

"Kekeke, I thought it was important. My bad!"

Hisoka chuckled and sounded unapologetic.

In an instant, a sharp sewing needle flew across the room, grazing Hisoka's cheek.

A thin line of blood trickled from the wound as Machi's voice echoed behind her, growing fainter as she walked out of the room, "Annoying fucking clown..."

With a smirk, Hisoka touched his cheek, relishing in the sting of the wound left behind by Machi's parting shot.

"..."

Hisoka's playful expression slowly faded, replaced by a look of nonchalance as he glanced towards the door through which Machi had exited.

"...Poor girl, she's going to be used," he murmured, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on the spot where Machi had disappeared.

He observed how Machi seemed to recognize Raymond, prompting him to connect the dots and roughly guess Raymond's intentions.

Considering the way Raymond had conveyed his message to the Phantom Troupe through him, Hisoka knew Machi would dwell on his words with the way he relayed the fact.

She was a careful person and wouldn't dismiss such rumors, especially coming from someone like Hisoka.

"Now, I've paid back my debt, kekeke..."

Hisoka chuckled, his eyes filled with ecstasy once again as he contemplated the prospect of facing Raymond on the 250th floor once he had earned the qualification to challenge the floor master.

---

Follow me on Twi-tter (X): @mythoast

Do you want to read 15 chapters ahead of the schedule? Here's where you can find them:

p@treon.com/mythoast

avataravatar
Next chapter