"What about you guys?" Killua and Gon exchanged a glance. "We're fine," they said.
Milluki sat alone at another table, not with the four of them. He had his headphones on and took out his phone, showing no interest in their conversation. If it weren't for the current situation in Yorknew and his concern that Killua and the others might run into trouble, he wouldn't have bothered coming out at all.
In the short time since they'd entered the café, Milluki had already set up surveillance across the entire place. A low buzzing sound came from somewhere—you'd think it was a fly, but it was one of Milluki's bombs. A tiny black dot stuck to the wall might look like a bug, but it was another one of his traps.
"Kurapika, I remember during the Hunter Exam, you said you were seeking revenge on the Phantom Troupe because they wiped out the Kurta Clan, right?" Killua said, pulling out a slip of paper. It was a bounty notice for the Phantom Troupe—issued by the Underworld Mafia. Not everyone had access to this kind of intel. Only those who had demonstrated significant ability were approached.
Kurapika's face darkened visibly when he saw the pictures. "That's right," he said. "It's them. I've already fought one of them before today… but unfortunately, his companions came and rescued him."
Killua's pupils contracted. Even Milluki, hearing this, looked over. Gon and Leorio didn't have as strong a reaction. They didn't fully understand just how dangerous the Troupe's members were.
"Kurapika, does that mean you're now stronger than a member of the Phantom Troupe?" Killua asked, clearly in disbelief. He still remembered clearly what his father, Silva Zoldyck, had said about them: "They're an extremely troublesome bunch. Don't take any jobs targeting them. It's not worth it. Absolutely don't provoke them."
Milluki had heard that same warning. In fact, he had been present when Silva said it. Milluki knew exactly how strong his father was—and that he himself was nowhere near that level. Even Illumi wasn't. As for Ron's strength, Milluki wasn't sure. But if someone earned that kind of comment from Silva, they had to be truly powerful. Milluki didn't think he'd ever receive that level of acknowledgment.
And yet this Kurapika, who didn't even look that formidable, had defeated one of them?
Milluki's gaze lingered on Kurapika, studying him. No matter how long he looked, he didn't feel Kurapika seemed powerful enough to beat one of the Troupe. "He doesn't look that strong," he thought.
Killua was even more puzzled. He knew Kurapika better than Milluki did—they had taken the Hunter Exam together. Back then, Kurapika didn't even know Nen. Among the examinees who passed, his strength had only been middle tier at best. If they had fought, Kurapika would've been stronger than Pokkle, Leorio, or Gon—but still nowhere near Killua's level. So how had he surpassed him so quickly? Killua had trained far more, yet now he was the weaker one?
"My situation is a bit different," Kurapika said. "When I'm facing a Troupe member, I'm not the same as when I face other opponents. You can't measure my strength as a general standard. And the one I fought had already been in a battle—he wasn't in top condition."
That explanation eased Killua's concern a bit. If Kurapika had really grown that powerful in such a short time, Killua would've started questioning the value of all his own harsh training.
Leorio couldn't help asking, "Kurapika, are those Troupe members really that strong? Are they totally out of our league? I was just talking to Gon and Killua about whether we should try capturing one of them. The bounty's huge—two billion Jenny per head. The stuff Gon wants from the auction is crazy expensive..."
Before he could finish, Kurapika cut him off. "No. Absolutely not. The Phantom Troupe members are extremely dangerous. There's no way any of you could handle them. Don't even think about trying to capture one. In fact, don't even interact with them. Stay as far away as possible. If you don't, you'll die."
Leorio froze. "They're really that strong?"
Kurapika thought for a moment. "You can think of them as thirteen Hisokas." That comparison immediately gave Leorio a concrete sense of what he meant. His neck instinctively shrank into his shoulders. "That dangerous, huh..." In the Hunter Exam, Hisoka had been terrifying—like a walking nightmare. If not for Hisoka holding back, Leorio would've died back in the wetlands during the first phase. Even though he survived, Hisoka still haunted him.
Gon turned to Killua. "Killua, is Ron free? Since Kurapika got time off, we haven't all been together in a while." During the exam, in the Trick Tower, Ron, Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika had formed a temporary team. To Gon, that felt like fate.
"I'll call and ask," Killua said, taking out his phone.
Not long after, Ron answered. "Killua, what's up?"
"Ron-nii, do you have time to meet for coffee? Kurapika finally got a day off—we're all here at this spot…"
Ron glanced at his schedule. "Wait a moment."
"Okay." Killua hung up and looked around at the group. "Ron said to give him a moment."
Before long, Ron walked into the café. He greeted Milluki first, then sat down beside Killua. Three people on one side of the table—Killua, Gon, and Ron. Across from them sat Leorio and Kurapika. But since Gon and Killua were kids, it didn't feel crowded.
Leorio couldn't help but feel nostalgic. "This reminds me of our time in Trick Tower. Hard to believe that was so long ago… and look how much we've all changed."
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