Chapter 32: Finalizing the Plan

Kurapika’s mind was in a whirl.

How could his senior brother be here? Hisoka... the Phantom Troupe... Had his senior joined the Phantom Troupe? No, that was impossible. Though his senior had a sharp tongue, he was a good person at heart and would never associate with the scum of the Phantom Troupe.

Hisoka let out a low chuckle, remaining silent.

Hesser walked up to Kurapika and snapped his fingers a few times. "Snap out of it. Don't worry, I haven't joined the Phantom Troupe. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: I’m planning to wipe them out."

Kurapika finally regained his composure, looking confused. "The Phantom Troupe has crossed you, too?"

Hisoka explained, "When Chrollo gathered all the members yesterday, he issued two tasks. The first was to steal all the items from the underground auction, and the second was to search for the whereabouts of the 'Nen-Slaying Blade' in Yorknew City."

"Nen-Slaying Blade?" Kurapika found the name rather... strange.

"What kind of ghost of a nickname is that? Who came up with such a stupid name!" Hesser fumed. "Shouldn't it be called the 'Sword of Fire Protection'? At the very least, 'Nen-Slaying Sword' sounds better than 'Nen-Slaying Blade,' right? 'Nen-Slaying Blade'... it sounds like some bizarre, perverted freak!"

Hisoka didn't seem to care and continued to explain to Kurapika, "Your senior has become quite famous in the underground world over the past few months. Everyone is saying that 'someone has obtained the legendary Sword of Fire.' It seems the rumors are true."

Kurapika immediately understood. His senior’s conjured Nen ability was complete.

Hisoka’s gaze toward Hesser turned feverish and dangerous. "Oh my, I really want to engage in a life-or-death battle with you right now..."

"Like I told you before, once we've wiped out the Phantom Troupe, I'll face you in the highly anticipated Heavens Arena Floor Master challenge."

Hesser waved a hand and turned to Kurapika. "It seems you have a lot of questions, little Kurapika. Ask away; your senior will answer them one by one."

Kurapika glanced at Hisoka but remained silent.

"Just treat him as a temporary partner. It's fine, go ahead and ask." Hesser found a somewhat clean chair, sat down, and crossed his legs.

"Senior, are you being targeted by the Phantom Troupe?"

"More or less. After I finished developing my Nen ability, I happened to run into some bad luck and drew a bit too much attention. Then, that greedy thief Chrollo set his sights on me."

"So, you and Hisoka meeting here is to..."

"Obviously, it's to discuss how to take down the Troupe. It just so happened that Hisoka-san said he had another expert he could recruit. When I asked who, I slapped my thigh—it was my junior brother! We know each other well! So I egged him on to call you too. You captured a Troupe member earlier, didn't you? Did you kill him?"

"No. The captain said he wanted to use him to claim the reward from the Ten Dons... Wait, we were very discreet, and we only just captured him. Senior, how did you know?"

"When you were playing that high-speed chase game with the Troupe, I was nearby. I even ran into the assassin Chrollo sent."

"Speaking of assassins, you didn't kill Illumi, did you?" Hisoka suddenly interjected. "We agreed on that earlier—you aren't allowed to kill him."

"No, no, I didn't. I actually hit it off quite well with the eldest son of the Zoldyck family," Hesser said, waving him off.

"Illumi? Isn't that Gittarackur from the Hunter Exam... He's Killua's brother!" The more Kurapika heard, the more confused he became. "What is all this? Senior, explain yourself clearly!"

Hisoka and Hesser exchanged glances. Hisoka’s expression clearly read, *Your junior is a bit slow,* while Hesser shrugged, *He's just a kid; he'll grow out of it.*

"Let me break it down for you. A few months ago, my Nen ability was finished just as a mercenary group attacked the villa where my friends were staying, so I wiped them all out. Who would have thought a few stragglers would escape and leak my Nen ability to the underground world? Chrollo found out, and since he can steal other people's abilities, he got greedy for mine. He must have found out from somewhere that I was coming to the Yorknew auction, so he planned to kill two birds with one stone: steal the auction items and send his members to track me down, even commissioning the Zoldyck eldest son, Illumi, to kidnap me. Hisoka-san sent me a text to warn me. I was skeptical at first, but after defeating Illumi, I decided to take the initiative and eliminate the Phantom Troupe directly. It's as simple as that."

Hisoka clapped softly in appreciation.

Kurapika pondered for a moment and asked, "Killua, Illumi's younger brother, is a good friend of mine and has also come to Yorknew City. Should I tell him?"

"No need. This has nothing to do with children. Let him have fun in Yorknew City."

Hesser sat cross-legged on the chair, his expression turning slightly more serious. "To be honest, I'm furious. A cute little thing like me, harmless and beloved by all—how could anyone have the heart to poison me? I've decided: I will completely erase the Phantom Troupe from this world. Consider it a public service. Hisoka-san, are you really a member of the Troupe?"

"Oh my, you see right through me."

Hisoka wiggled his finger. "I’m just faking my membership; even the tattoo on my back is a fake. My only goal is to fight the leader. Joining forces with you two should satisfy that wish, right?"

Hesser snapped his fingers. "Fine. We can create a one-on-one environment for you to have your life-or-death duel with Chrollo. But if we finish off the other members and you still haven't settled things with him, don't blame me for stealing the kill."

Hisoka let out a strange, gleeful laugh; he was clearly already excited.

"Senior, do you think we can make use of the Troupe member we captured?" Having spent time with Hesser, Kurapika was starting to grasp his way of thinking.

Hesser nodded. "When your captain goes to claim his reward from the Ten Dons, he will inevitably call the liaison. As long as the Troupe kills the liaison beforehand, they can impersonate him and find your hideout to rescue that big oaf."

*Ring-ring-ring!*

Kurapika's phone rang. He glanced at Hesser and Hisoka, who signaled for him to answer. As soon as the call connected, a frantic female voice came through:

[Kurapika, it's a disaster! No. 11 of the Troupe escaped!]

"What? Did he escape on his own?"

[No! His companions disguised themselves as mobsters and infiltrated the area. We were sent by the captain to protect the boss, and the captain, who was left alone in the interrogation room, has most likely been killed! We're moving to Plan B now. You need to come back!]

*Beep!*

Kurapika put the phone down, silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to Hisoka. "Hisoka, do you know where the Scarlet Eyes are?"

"Sorry, that happened before I joined."

Hisoka, possessing high social intelligence, immediately explained, "The leader gets bored easily; once his interest wanes, he sells things off. The Scarlet Eyes are likely the same."

"...Senior, what should I do?" Kurapika trusted Hesser deeply—not just because of his immense strength and their friendship, but because his mind moved with incredible speed, and he was full of ruthless, clever plans. Someone like this would be a terrifying, hopeless enemy, but as an ally, he was a source of great comfort.

"Once you go back, first secure the position of captain of the bodyguard team. If there are targets you need to protect, have them relocate to a neutral hotel that has no connection to your organization. Have the new recruits register under their own names, not the veterans."

Hesser immediately provided a plan:

"No. 11 of the Troupe, the one you captured, is named Uvogin. He’s a straight-shooter who loves a good fight. After being captured, he’ll feel deeply insulted. With the help of that professional Hunter inside the Troupe, they’ll track you down in no time. Pick a location that’s easy to find and wait for him. When the time comes... we’ll give the Troupe a surprise. But for now, I need you to do me a favor."

"Right now?" Kurapika asked, confused.

"Yes. Come with me to the outskirts of the city to retrieve something."

Hesser stood up from the chair and stretched. "Hisoka-san, you go back to Chrollo. Remember what I told you."

"Heh heh heh... Trying to keep me in the dark about what it is? Doesn't matter."

Hisoka waved his hand. "Chrollo is a very shrewd man. I can only say I’ll do my best regarding what you asked of me."

He said no more, turning and walking into the darkness, vanishing without a sound.

Only when no other presence remained within his 300-meter 'En' did Hesser look back at Kurapika. "I know what you're thinking. Hisoka-san is just a loose pawn; I have other ways to keep him in check. Don't worry."

Kurapika nodded. "That's good. Hisoka is too insane; I wouldn't dare trust him completely. By the way, is your Nen ability complete? Izunavi would be very happy to hear that."

"I'll show you in a little while. It's super cool!"