Chapter 77 : Battle Begins!!!

March 15, Insori Grassland.

Hisoka strolled casually over the uneven stones, using his right hand to shield his eyes from the sun, enjoying the open view of the grassy plains.

"Chrollo is taking forever..." Hisoka muttered quietly, though he couldn't hide his excitement, his body trembling with anticipation.

Germain leaned against the massive stone formations, eyes closed, taking a moment to rest.

After a while, Hisoka nudged him, "They're coming... Chrollo's bringing Phinks, Pakunoda, Machi, and Bonolenov, just as we expected." 

Germain opened his eyes and scanned the horizon, spotting five figures approaching in the distance.

Chrollo, with his cross tattoo and fur coat, strolled towards them with a smile.

Phinks, blond hair neatly combed, dressed casually, walked carelessly.

Bonolenov, wrapped in bandages, resembled a mummy fresh from a coffin.

Pakunoda, elegant in a women's suit with snow-white hair peeking out, walked gracefully.

Machi's messy ponytail gave her a disheveled look, her cold eyes fixed on Germain.

The seven members of the Phantom Troupe gathered before Stonehenge.

"You..." Phinks began angrily, glaring at Germain, "You're after Chrollo's position! Did you even bother asking any of us? Do you think we're expendable?"

He moved aggressively, as if to grab Germain, but Chrollo calmly intervened.

"Phinks, remember what I said before you came?" Chrollo smiled, gently pushing Phinks back, "This is an internal matter."

Hisoka smirked, "Exactly what I thought. Good, Chrollo and I are on the same page."

Chrollo glanced at Hisoka, then turned to Germain, "I've never prevented anyone from challenging leadership, nor do I seek to hold onto it. But, I've always said, 'My orders are absolute.' Regardless of your ambitions or dissatisfaction, disobeying orders is not acceptable."

"Originally, you ignored Machi's call and disappeared, showing your attitude. That's why I considered sending Uvogin, Feitan, Nobunaga, Phinks, and others after you."

"But Hisoka suggested that we communicate, leading to today's negotiation."

Chrollo took a golden coin from his pocket, showing a twelve-legged spider on one side and a spider web on the other.

"I can stop the others from hunting you down and give you a chance to challenge me fairly for leadership. I'm not afraid of that."

"But first, three conditions must be met."

"First, Pakunoda will check your 'memory' to ensure you haven't been manipulated or brainwashed."

"Second, I'll flip this coin. You guess heads or tails. If you're right, the missed meeting is forgiven. If you're wrong, you'll lose a pinky finger as punishment."

"Third, at least two members must recommend you before I consider you for the leadership challenge. If I lose, I'll give up the position without hesitation."

Chrollo flicked the coin between his fingers thoughtfully, laughing to himself.

"Besides Hisoka's suggestion, something else intrigued me into coming for negotiations."

"There's news from Meteor City about a woman named 'Shizuku' donating a large sum of money. Her donation this month is second only to ours, the Phantom Troupe."

"The priest asked where she got the money. Initially, she claimed 'Germain' gave half and donated in her name."

"But she later denied mentioning 'Germain', saying she didn't know him at all. It's quite telling."

"At that moment, I figured out that when she mentioned 'Germain,' she meant you. I've met Shizuku several times. She's a good kid. If she's willing to help you, there must be a reason."

Smiling, Hisoka placed one hand on his hip and raised the other towards Germain.

"I think, Germain, you should consider these terms?"

"I've never seen Chrollo admire someone so much... Ah, I'm a bit jealous. If negotiations succeed, Chrollo might be willing to spar with me."

Germain pondered for a moment and nodded to Chrollo.

Chrollo smirked and glanced at Pakunoda beside him.

Pakunoda moved towards Germain, understanding the situation, but before she could take three steps, her arm was suddenly grabbed.

"Machi?" Pakunoda turned to see who grabbed her arm. "What's wrong?"

"Something's off," Machi quickly assessed, staring sharply at Germain. "The aura he's giving off... It's different again. No, it's even stronger than last time!"

In an instant, several "needles" shot towards Pakunoda and Machi's foreheads, but were swiftly deflected by the quick and alert Phinks and Bonolenov.

Pakunoda and Machi stepped back in surprise.

"You bastard!" Phinks pointed at Germain, furious. "How dare you ambush us!"

Phinks silently prepared for a fight.

Chrollo's expression hardened as he glanced at Hisoka standing next to Germain, noticing the devilish smile on Hisoka's face.

"It's not that straightforward..." Hisoka shrugged and chuckled. "As I've said, well-laid plans often go awry."

"It's always worth a try." "Germain" raised his hand and peeled off a layer of skin, revealing Illumi's pale, lifeless face.

"But your 'Texture Surprise' is much better than my 'needle disguise'. Apart from the sound, there's no flaw."

"Of course," Hisoka smiled at his 'friend'. "I'm quite proud of it. It's a shame Machi's intuition is so sharp."

Originally, Illumi planned to attack directly.

However, drawing from his years of experience as an assassin, he judged the chances of success for this direct attack to be too low. 

So, he decided to take the risk of disguising himself and getting close, aiming to use his 'needle' to directly control the two targets.

Clearly, his plan had failed.

Phinks' eyelids twitched violently, veins bulging in fury. "So you're working together! Where's Germain? Is Germain with you? Where is he?"

"You want to see him?" Hisoka narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Excellent. I'll take you to him. You two must have a lot to talk about."

Phinks felt a chill down his spine, and in the next moment, he was lifted and thrown out!

It turned out that while everyone was focused on Illumi exposing the 'Texture Surprise', Hisoka's 'bungee gum' quietly attached itself to Phinks' hands and feet.

Using 'bungee gum', Hisoka threw Phinks into the air and landed him in the stone circle behind them.

In the center of the stone circle, the real Germain looked at the falling prey and unleashed his 'nen' releasing his "Zetsu".

********

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