Chapter 41: The Prophecy

After a while, Kuroro’s phone vibrated.

[Illumi: He has arrived in Yorknew City, but his exact whereabouts are unknown; still searching.]

Kuroro’s fingers flicked as he sent another message—

[Is he not by the side of the wealthy Rodalk Gondom?]

Buzz!

[Illumi: No, last night Rodalk Gondom attended the banquet at the Yorknew City auction, and there was no sign of the Zannendou.]

—[Please continue tracking Zannendou and notify me immediately once there’s any trace.]

[Illumi: OK!]

Kuroro put down his phone and sank into thought.

Zannendou was unaware of the kidnapping mission issued against him from this side, so any hostility between him and the Phantom Troupe was out of the question. Zannendou... Chain Hand... two seemingly unrelated people suddenly joining forces and ambushing Wogin; it was highly likely that the swordsman also fell to their hands—otherwise, he would have contacted the troupe by now.

Could they be old enemies of the Phantom Troupe? Very possible. Although every operation was carried out with utmost care to avoid leaving loose ends, Kuroro’s earlier years had been reckless, inevitably leaving one or two survivors behind.

Considering Zannendou’s rapid rise to fame in the Heavens Arena—both Kuroro and Hisoka were frequent visitors there—was there a connection? The moment Kuroro targeted Zannendou, the other party responded immediately. Such coincidence was suspicious.

Kuroro had briefly wondered if Illumi had leaked information, but having faced Illumi in combat, Kuroro was confident that with Illumi’s strength, even if he couldn’t capture someone alive, escaping would be effortless. Moreover, as the heir of an assassin clan, Illumi strictly adhered to assassin codes and would never leak secrets voluntarily. This thought barely lingered before Kuroro decisively dismissed it.

Suppose Zannendou and Chain Hand were relatives or bonded like family? Perhaps only one of them bore a grudge against the troupe, while the other was drawn into the conflict unwillingly.

What role did the tycoon Rodalk Gondom play in all this?

As Kuroro tried to connect the dots, Phinks had already placed the computer in the hall. Hisoka, resigned to protest being futile, logged into the Hunter-exclusive website under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Soon enough, they found some information.

“The bounty hunter Baku-san has been employed by the wealthy Rodalk Gondom since January this year as the captain of his bodyguard squad.”

“In May, Rodalk Gondom’s estate in Lomin City was attacked by the mercenary group Gigant Hyena.”

“Afterwards, Gondom publicly released casualty lists, and Baku-san’s name was absent.”

“In July, Gondom abruptly terminated contracts with several professional hunters, including Baku-san.”

Phinks scratched his head, “So, after regaining his freedom as a bounty hunter, Baku-san came to Yorknew and took a contract from the underworld to hunt the troupe?”

“And what’s his connection with Zannendou and Chain Hand?” Nobunaga rubbed his forehead, puzzled.

“Zannendou is Gondom’s security chief; perhaps they met during the estate raid.”

Kuroro stood behind Hisoka, staring at the screen thoughtfully. “The question is, is Baku-san actually Chain Hand?”

Pakunoda shook her head. “Unknown. The info on Baku-san comes solely from Gondom-related intel.”

Hisoka chuckled darkly, “Doesn’t seem likely. He’s a total rookie who suddenly got the strength to defeat Wogin and the swordsman? Impossible.”

“What if it’s [Restriction and Vow]?” Franklin suddenly asked.

Kuroro fell silent for a moment, then said, “Hisoka, check the Nortura Gang member list.”

“O~K~”

Hisoka hummed, tapping the keyboard and clicking the mouse. A page popped up: “Here they are.”

The screen displayed a long list of names, photos, and brief descriptions of positions.

Hisoka flipped through the pages until Maki pointed at the screen: “These few are special, looks like they’re bodyguards for the Nortura Gang boss’s daughter.”

On that page were five individuals with somewhat distinctive appearances.

“That top-left guy looks familiar. Right, he was the guard when I rescued Wogin,” Phinks pointed to the photo of the Nortura Gang’s bodyguard captain, Dazone, “I took him out. So Chain Hand could be among these people?”

By the end, there was no sign of Baku-san. It seemed he hadn’t joined the Nortura Gang—at least not publicly.

Kuroro looked at Phinks. “Are you sure Chain Hand is with the Nortura Gang?”

Phinks nodded. “Wogin said Chain Hand is a bodyguard for the Nortura Gang; that’s unquestionable.”

“The website updates with some delay. Maybe Chain Hand joined recently and hasn’t been listed yet. Since we don’t know what Chain Hand looks like, let’s find someone who knows him. We have Pakunoda, which is a huge search advantage.”

Kuroro issued orders, “From now on, two-person teams will search all those pictured with full effort.”

“What about Zannendou?” Maki asked.

“Once we find Chain Hand, Zannendou will naturally be uncovered as well. You can form your own teams, but at least two people must stay at the base.”

“Captain, who will you team up with?” Shidou raised her hand.

Kuroro ran his hand through his hair, his slicked-back style falling into a middle part, then took a bandage from his pocket and wrapped it around his forehead, covering the cross tattoo.

“I’m going solo. Hisoka, help me look up something.”

Hisoka shrugged indifferently, “O~K~ What do you want to check?”

“The Nortura Gang boss’s daughter. I need detailed info on her.”

...

September 3rd, 7:16 p.m., Cemetery Building.

Dressed in a black suit, bandage wrapped across his forehead, Kuroro sat in the café on the second floor. Opposite him was a beautiful young girl in a short skirt.

Her name was Nion Nortura, a collector of human organs. Kuroro’s public mission was to escort her to the auction.

However, after a series of attacks and disturbances, boss Wright Nortura, worried for his daughter, entrusted her to a group of elite bodyguards under his direct command and forbade her from attending the auction. Being willful and rebellious, Nion sneaked out from under the watchful eyes of these unfamiliar and disobedient guards to attend the auction anyway.

Now, with the Cemetery Building heavily guarded by police and gangsters, how could they let an unnamed little girl inside?

Just as she fretted, Kuroro approached and, using some means, smoothly brought her inside. Nion was quite taken with this handsome, witty stranger who had helped her greatly. Their conversation grew livelier.

“So, you’re good at fortune-telling?” Kuroro sipped his coffee, clearly interested.

Nion nodded with a grin, “Yeah, big shots often ask me to tell their fortunes. They say I’m always right.”

Typical girl boasting in front of a crush.

“They say? Don’t you actually tell fortunes?” Kuroro asked pointedly.

Nion quickly defended, “It’s a superpower! I have a power where my hand writes automatically.”

“Sounds impressive. Then tell my fortune, too.” Kuroro leaned forward slightly, tactfully expressing his wish while keeping the newly acquainted girl comfortable.

Nion nodded, “Sure! Write your full name, birthdate, and blood type on the paper.”

Kuroro asked a nearby waiter for paper and pen, then wrote the information as requested. Nion took the paper, glanced over it: “Kuroro Lucilfer, twenty-six? Much older than me, and such a strange name.”

“My friends call me ‘Captain,’” Kuroro smiled.

“That’s even stranger, hahaha,” Nion laughed. “Alright, I’ll start. But don’t peek while I write, or it won’t work.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I’ll only look after you finish.”

Nion grinned, twirling the pen twice between her fingers, then her eyes glazed over as her right hand involuntarily rose.

In Kuroro’s eyes, a grotesque Nen beast was hugging Nion’s right hand with two short arms, beginning to write on the paper. He respected their agreement and didn’t look her way.

This was a Special Nen ability: Angel’s Automatic Notes! The subject writes their name (pen name or stage name acceptable), birthdate, and blood type on paper, then Nion writes a divination poem on the same sheet. If the subject is absent, a photo is required.

The automatic notes produce prophecies that vary by person, usually consisting of four to five quatrains describing events expected within the next month.

When an ominous prediction appears, the poem contains warnings that, if heeded, can avert disaster.

Nion’s precognition cannot be used on herself.

After finishing swiftly, Nion stopped writing and was about to boast when the café suddenly plunged into darkness, followed by a chorus of complaints. Then a woman’s hurried apology explained a power outage that should be resolved shortly.

Kuroro instinctively released his aura but found no abnormalities; it truly was an electrical accident.

After five or six seconds, the lights returned. Nion rubbed her eyes, dazzled by the sudden brightness, and handed the paper to Kuroro.

“Done. Take a look. My method is unique—four or five four-line poems that predict the next month’s events. But here there are only two stanzas; it probably means the matter you need to watch is ending soon.”

Kuroro took the paper and read line by line—

“The twilight sky will soon be illuminated; spiders hiding in dark corners will be exposed.”

“Three blades of vengeance from the past are too sharp; the spider’s strongest limbs must unite.”

“The trumpet for a grand funeral has sounded; the fallen limbs have already issued a warning.”

“Surface wealth is but an illusion; excessive slaughter brings backlash.”

“Golden flames cling like festering sores; only the smiling clown can impose restraint.”

“The avenger who tasted blood lurks in shadows, targeting only the spider’s head.”

“Fiery red eyes lock onto the spider’s sharpest limbs; the sword of rules has struck one.”

“Losing half its limbs harms not the spider’s advance; you will lead the remaining limbs in a requiem.”

A single tear slid down Kuroro’s cheek.