Chapter 29: Ambush and Counterambush

September 1, 11:12 PM. The Gorde Desert, west of Yorknew City.

In a desolate canyon on the edge of the desert, the remains of various gang members were scattered everywhere. Several members of the Phantom Troupe stood amidst the carnage, looking at one another.

"Was that... 'The Chain' earlier?" Shizuku, the beautiful girl with glasses and a curvaceous figure, tilted her head in confusion.

"A chain suddenly appeared and bound Uvogin's body..." Phinks, short in stature, spoke in a dark, sullen tone. "He only saw his chance after Uvogin was injured from fighting those four 'Shadow Beasts.' How stupid."

"Is it Uvogin who's stupid? Or the Shadow Beast that dragged him away?" Nobunaga, dressed in samurai attire, asked with a grin.

Franklin, who bore a striking resemblance to Frankenstein’s monster, scratched his head. "If I understand Phinks correctly, he probably thinks it’s both. Uvogin can’t move because of the poison, and those leech eggs are still inside him. We have to go save him."

"We can still find him if we go now. I stuck a needle in him the moment he was snatched." Machi, a beautiful woman with her unruly hair tied back and dressed in fitted combat gear, twitched the invisible thread between her fingers. "I used Zetsu to erase the thread's aura; they won't find it unless they use Gyo. No matter where they go, this thread will remain connected."

"Okay, let’s go after them before they realize it! Maybe we can take out the rest of the Shadow Beasts while we're at it." Shalnark, a young man with blonde hair, clapped his hands. "It just so happens these gangsters arrived by car, so we have transportation."

Franklin scratched the back of his head. "Leave one for me; I'm going to steal some beer. If he doesn't get enough beer, those leech eggs inside Uvogin might hatch even if we save him, right?"

"Let's do it."

Everyone moved immediately. With the exception of Franklin, who went to steal alcohol, the others boarded a fast sedan and sped off in the direction the thread extended.

Ten kilometers away, atop a towering hillside, Heze was humming a tune, one hand tucked into his pocket as he watched the scene with a leisurely air. He curled his right thumb and index finger into a circle in front of his eye, using Nen to achieve the effect of a telescope. This was a technique called the "Heart-Source Eye," one of the Shingen-ryu skills created by Isaac Netero, the Chairman of the Hunter Association; it required a master with extremely refined control over Nen to execute.

"Just like the manga plot. Little Kurapika snatched Uvogin from the Troupe, and the others are being intercepted by the Shadow Beasts while giving chase. Ah, there they are."

Through his 'telescope,' Heze clearly saw six eccentrically dressed characters—typical chuunibyou types—blocking the sedan pursuing Kurapika. The Troupe members began to engage them. Currently fighting the Troupe were Owl, Bat, Rabid Dog, Worm, Porcupine, and Leech—wait, Leech, Rabid Dog, and Porcupine had already been wiped out by Uvogin, and Worm was half-dead. In total, there were ten combat-ready Nen users.

However, it didn't look like they were even on the same level as the Troupe; they were being utterly crushed.

Heze was enjoying the show when a cold night wind stirred up a cloud of yellow sand behind him. A bizarre figure appeared silently, making not a sound. The individual was slender, dressed in a green martial arts suit covered in round-headed needles, his long black hair dancing in the wind. Strangely, the swirling sand didn't make a sound as it brushed against him. He slowly raised three needles held between his fingers, locking onto the back of Heze's head.

Suddenly, a golden flame flashed in the depths of his eyes. Acting on pure, subconscious instinct, the figure leaped backward, narrowly avoiding a golden cross-sword that had slashed horizontally from a strange angle.

Heze turned around, resting the cross-sword on his shoulder with a casual expression. "Oh my, isn't this the eldest son of the Zoldyck family? Do you need something from me?"

"Strange. I had already concealed my aura and sound. Do you keep 'En' active at all times, even now?"

Illumi Zoldyck, who belonged to the same Zoldyck family as Killua, tilted his head with a blank, doll-like expression. His large, lifeless eyes held a sense of indifference and malice. "This job isn't going to be easy... what a headache."

Heze was curious. "Someone put a bounty on my head? I’m the most peace-loving, non-confrontational person there is. Who could be so wicked and low-class to actually put a price on a cute guy like me?"

"Sorry, the client's information is mission-classified. I cannot say." Illumi held his palm up and waved it slightly. "Please don't ask any further. I have an honest nature where I answer every question asked of me, and if you keep asking, it will give me a headache."

"Heh... then let me guess. Is it the leader of the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo Lucilfer?"

Heze made no move to attack, leaning on his cross-sword as if they were just chatting. "I felt like I was being watched back at the hotel, but you had retracted all your Nen, so I couldn't tell if it was the kidnappers drawn by those two old men or a Nen master targeting me. I just took the opportunity to come out for some air and do a bit of fishing. Turns out, I really did catch a big fish."

"Terrifying... to maintain a large-scale 'En' at every moment. Your potential aura capacity is indeed as extraordinary as the rumors say."

Illumi was not thrown off by the probing, showing no reaction at all to the name Chrollo Lucilfer. "I thought this was a simple kidnapping mission. It seems I’ll have to seal all four of your limbs and use needles to control your brain."

As soon as he finished speaking, the rocks beneath Illumi's feet shattered. He lunged forward with explosive speed toward Heze. Veins popped on the surface of his left palm, and his fingernails extended into sharp, demonic hooks, aiming to gouge Heze's elbow joint.

Assassination Art: Snake Awakening!

"Heh, guessed right? Getting desperate, are we?"

Heze twisted his elbow, slamming a heavy, Nen-infused strike into the terrifying claws. The force was unexpectedly light—it was a feint!

He had him! Illumi's right hand whipped through the air like a lash, snapping toward Heze's knee joint. But just as it was about to make contact, Heze’s right leg blurred. The next instant, Illumi's left hand, which he had hurriedly moved to protect his chest, went numb. He felt as if he had been struck head-on by a high-speed truck and was sent flying backward.

The two were fighting on a high ridge; the summit exploded with intense dust and rock fragments, and the two figures shot out from the smoke one after the other.

Heze caught up to Illumi in mid-air. With a single glance, he saw that the man's left arm had been shattered by his kick. Heze showed no mercy, his hands forming claws as he struck at Illumi in the air. Even having sacrificed his left arm, Illumi’s right hand and legs were deadly weapons, whipping through the air with explosive, cracking sounds.

A series of dense, rapid-fire cracks and dull, heavy thuds echoed through the sky.