Point of View Switch: Kai
After saying goodbye to Biscuit, I step through the portal and emerge in front of the headquarters of the Tsukimichi Organization. As soon as I cross the threshold, the Wormhole Orb closes behind me without leaving a trace.
While I was in Aiai, shortly after recruiting Biscuit, I received a message from Nicholas through Information Transfer informing me that the operation had been a success. The people responsible for the Kituso serial kidnappings had been captured, and Catherine Belster, along with numerous other victims, had been rescued.
Since I needed a full report about what happened before contacting the rest, I decided to come here first instead of returning to my apartment at Heavens Arena.
Entering through the main entrance and making my way upstairs, I I'm immediately greeted by the sight of Riven, Tetsu and Natasha cleaning the offices. Riven is scrubbing the furniture with a scouring pad, Natasha is gathering rubbish into a large garbage bag, and Tetsu sweeps away the dust with a broom and dustpan.
The moment they notice me, they almost simultaneously abandon their cleaning supplies and hurry over to greet me.
"Welcome back, master! We were waiting for you!" The three of them call out in unison, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
'At least they haven't forgotten the manners I taught them.' A faint smile tugs at my lips. "It's good to be back."
My gaze sweeps across the room before returning to them.
"I see you've been fulfilling your duties as the agency's caretakers exactly as I instructed. And Natasha... I wasn't expecting to see you here yet."
"That's thanks to Nicholas contacting me." She replies, folding her arms with an unmistakable frown on her face. "I only accepted to join this agency because you promised to help me become stronger, yet you held a special training session without even telling me, while these two got to participate!"
She points accusingly at Riven and Tetsu.
Caught off guard by her sudden complaint, I raise both hands in a placating gesture.
"It's just that... You already had a scheduled match at Heaven's Arena, and after three losses, another defeat would've meant automatic disqualification. I didn't want that to happen."
"That's not important!" She cuts me off immediately.
"Nothing matters more to me than getting stronger—not even my Heaven's Arena registration! So don't leave me out of an opportunity like that ever again!"
"All right, all right. I get it," I concede with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't realize you felt that strongly about it. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
That finally seems to satisfy her, and while the tension fades, I take another look around the headquarters.
The place has changed considerably since I left. The furniture has been neatly arranged, the walls and floor look cleaner, and even the décor has improved with a few practical furnishings and some books on the shelves, making the office feel far more professional than before.
"Ever since you left, we've followed your instructions every day." Tetsu explains proudly. "We clean the headquarters, organize every package that arrives, complete our daily training... and we've taught Natasha how to handle all those responsibilities as well."
"Hmph. It wasn't exactly difficult to pick up." Natasha says with a dismissive shrug.
"In addition to that, whenever Director of Intelligence Nicholas needs extra hands, we assist him however we can." He continues. "In fact, Riven accompanied him on a mission yesterday."
Riven scratches his cheek modestly. "Honestly... Nicholas only brought me along because he expected things to get difficult and wanted extra reinforcements. Honestly, I mostly provided support."
"That matches the report I received." I nod, remembering that Riven was vaguely mentioned in the message. "Anyway, I'd like to hear the full details of the mission directly from Nicholas. Do you know where he is?"
"He's in his private office on the fourth floor, still working through some case files." Riven quickly adds, unable to hide his eagerness. "But before you go, would you spar with us for a little while? We'd like you to see how much we've improved."
"It would be an honor to receive your guidance, master Kai." Tetsu says with a respectful bow.
Natasha folds her arms again. "And I think you owe me that much after leaving me out."
At their sudden request, a weary sigh escapes me.
"...All right. Let's start with something simple. Show me your Ren."
Nodding in agreement, the three of them immediately spread out, adopting fighting stances before releasing their Ren to its fullest.
"How long can each of you maintain it?" I ask.
"I can hold mine for around 30 minutes," Tetsu answers. "Riven lasts about 18..."
"20!" Riven interrupts with a slight scowl.
"...20," Tetsu corrects himself with a smile. "and Natasha can currently maintain hers for about 12."
'Neither Riven's nor Tetsu's aura output has increased dramatically since I left, and Natasha is naturally still behind them after joining the training later.' As I observe the flow of their aura, I quietly release my own Ren.
'I suppose that's to be expected. Two weeks isn't nearly enough time for ordinary Nen users to achieve dramatic growth.'
'Still, their aura moves far more smoothly than before, and their control has improved considerably. It isn't a total loss.'
With that last thought, our brief combat training session begins.
Five minutes later...
Tetsu, Riven, and Natasha stand before me sweating and breathing heavily as their Ren flickers from the intense workout.
After these few minutes of sparring—dodging, deflecting, and occasionally forcing them onto the defensive—I've formed a clear picture of their progress.
Riven and Tetsu have both improved their hand-to-hand combat considerably, and they're making much better use of their aura in close-quarters fighting.
Riven, in particular, has made noticeable progress with his Hatsu, "Soul of the Wild". His transformations are faster and more fluid than before, and he even managed to transform two different parts of his body simultaneously, something he couldn't do when I last saw him.
Tetsu, meanwhile, still lags behind in that area. Without a personal Hatsu, there's only so much he can improve through the fundamentals alone. As an Enhancer, choosing between further refining his natural strengths or branching into another Nen category is a difficult decision.
Truth be told... even I'm not sure which path would suit him best.
As for Natasha...
Her fundamentals have become steadier, but there has been little visible progress beyond that. Then again, she's only recently begun learning Nen. Judging her now would be unfair.
"I can see you've all improved a little," I say, folding my arms. "but you've still got a long way to go. To achieve your goals with Heavens Arena and this agency, you must keep training diligently, and never neglect the fundamentals. Strength isn't built overnight."
The three of them straighten instinctively at the praise.
"We will!" Riven answers immediately.
"And remember. Even during something as simple as a conversation, you should always stay alert." As I emphasize my last point, I casually raise a finger, shaping a small 8 out of aura above its tip.
None of them reacts, and that leads me to let out a disappointed sigh.
"You didn't use Gyo!" I yell at them, and the three of them instantly freeze. "I specifically told you to use it whenever I raised a finger!"
"Do 500 squats as punishment!"
The room falls silent for a moment.
"...Yes, sir." Riven answers dejectedly.
Natasha clicks her tongue in annoyance, while Tetsu simply accepts the punishment without complaint.
A moment later, the three of them begin their squats.
"Keep at it." I say as I head toward the staircase. "Once you're done, finish cleaning the headquarters. I'm going to see Nicholas and get a full report."
Just as I reach it, Riven calls after me. "Wait, master Kai! There's something I'd like to ask you!"
I glance back, watching him still doing the squads while looking up at me.
I turn to look at him as he continues with the squats. "When do you plan to return here to work full-time? The agency can't really grow without its director around... and having you here more often would make our training much more effective.""
I consider the question for a moment before answering.
"I'll probably be dividing my time for another three months or so." I pause with one foot on the first step. "Once the year starts drawing to a close, I'll shift my focus toward expanding the organization."
With those last words, I leave the three of them to their punishment and make my way upstairs.
A few moments later, I arrive outside Nicholas's office, and opening the door, I find him seated behind his desk, calmly reviewing a stack of case files.
Unlike the cluttered workspace we used to share before this building became our headquarters, everything is neatly arranged and meticulously organized.
The moment I step inside, Nicholas looks up from the documents spread across his desk and his eyes widen at seeing me appear.
"Boss... you're back!"
"I am." A smile crosses my face. "I received your message through Information Transfer, so I came here as soon as I could. I wanted to hear every detail from you directly."
Before leaving for Greed Island, I had entrusted the organization entirely to Nicholas and assigned him to handle the kidnapping case on his own.
This had been his first field assignment as a Blacklist Hunter, so naturally I was eager to hear how it had gone.
"...Of course." Nicholas lowers his gaze. "I wanted to tell you everything that happened as well."
Something about his reply immediately catches my attention. Rather than the satisfaction of someone who had successfully completed his first mission, his expression carries an unmistakable trace of anxiety.
His shoulders are tense, his voice is quieter than usual, his fingers tremble, and although he tries to hide it, there's a weight behind his eyes that wasn't there before. It's as if something went wrong.
"Nicholas..." I say gently. "Did something happen during the mission?"
He remains silent.
"If something's troubling you, tell me." I pull out the chair opposite his desk and sit down. "I don't know whether I'll be able to help... but carrying everything by yourself rarely makes things any easier. Talking about it can ease some of that discomfort, even if only a little."
For several long seconds, Nicholas says nothing. His gaze drifts toward the desk as he quietly gathers his thoughts.
Eventually, he lets out a slow breath, raises his head, and meets my eyes.
He tells me how his Specialist ability, "Save Point", had worked exactly as intended, allowing him to live through the same day twice.
The first time, he tracked the kidnappers to an abandoned power plant. Despite his best efforts to remain undetected, his presence was discovered shortly after he infiltrated the building. He managed to shake off his pursuers and reach the warehouse where Catherine Belster and the other captives were being held in deplorable condition, only to trigger a hidden Nen trap.
Unable to prevent it, he watched Catherine Belster die a gruesome death at the hands of a man claiming to be one of the Shadow Beasts. After a desperate battle, Nicholas himself was also killed after taunting his enemy.
That death activated Save Point.
The second time—the timeline we are living in now—he approached the operation completely differently.
Bringing Riven, his Nen doppelganger, and my own duplicate as additional manpower, he successfully overwhelmed the kidnappers, rescued Catherine together with 18 other captive women, and ultimately received the agreed payment from the Metropolitan Police Department.
However, even after reliving the day and correcting his mistakes, Nicholas had not escaped unscathed. Although he had managed to rescue most of the captives, two of them had still been murdered before his eyes, a memory that continued to weigh heavily on his conscience.
But what truly haunted him wasn't their deaths. It was the fact that, for the first time in his life, he had been forced to kill another human being.
During his second confrontation with the Shadow Beast, he had been forced to end the fight with lethal force, acting purely on instinct to survive. Even though he said the man was a murderous bastard who deserved no sympathy, taking his life had shaken Nicholas to his core.
Fortunately, the Nen doppelganger modeled after me had been there to support him.
I don't particularly like the idea of a Nen construct imitating me having to counsel someone in my place, but according to Nicholas words, the clone had told him exactly what I would have said under those circumstances. Thanks to that, he had managed to regain his composure, carry out the interrogation, and complete the mission.
"I don't think I could've pulled myself together, or questioned the survivors with the composure and ruthlessness expected of a Hunter, if your clone hadn't been there." Nicholas lowers his gaze. "Even now... I still can't get those images out of my head."
He falls silent for a moment before taking a slow breath.
"But I'm trying to follow the advice he gave me about not becoming obsessed with what happened. I want to learn from it... so I can do better in the future."
Nicholas slowly clenches his fist, his resolve returning little by little.
"I'll keep moving forward. I'll learn to face the harsh reality of the world I chose to enter, and I'll build my own principles—my own code—to guide me as I strive to become a great Hunter."
Nicholas's eyes suddenly widen in surprise as, without thinking, I step forward and wrap him in a hug.
"You went through all of that... and despite everything, you still found the strength to take the right steps and keep moving forward." I gently stroke the back of his head as a tear slips down my cheek. "I'm proud of you, Nicholas. Truly proud."
It was the honest truth.
For a long time, I had worried that Nicholas's gentle nature would make it difficult for him to face the darker side of being a Blacklist Hunter. More than once, I'd considered assigning him exclusively to intelligence work and organizational management, leaving the field operations to me and other employees.
And yet, he had proven me wrong.
He had endured the anguish of taking a life for the first time, pushed through the guilt and horror that followed, and still found the resolve to put on a brave face as he confronted a gang of dangerous criminals without wavering.
He hadn't come out of that mission broken. He had come out stronger.
As his martial arts instructor, the co-leader of this organization, and above all... as his friend, I can't be prouder.
"I knew I wasn't wrong about you." I tighten the embrace slightly. "You're exactly the one I need beside me. Let's keep growing together until we become the best Blacklist Hunters."
Unable to hold back his emotions any longer, Nicholas returns the embrace. "...Yeah."
Neither of us says another word.
We simply remain there for a couple of minutes before finally stepping back and quietly wiping away the tears from our faces as we return to our chairs.
Once we've both regained our composure, I decide to change the subject.
"By the way... you said the man guarding that facility claimed to be one of the Shadow Beasts and that he worked for the Ten Dons, right?"
Nicholas nods.
"That's what he said. Do you think that could bring trouble to the organization?" He asks, looking worried.
I spend a few moments considering the possibility before answering.
"Hmm... I wouldn't rule it out. There's a chance we could attract their attention, and our agency might become the target of their subordinates and the many organizations under their influence over the next few weeks."
I shrug.
"Still, if things unfold the way I expect, that won't be a long-term concern. After the Underground Auction in Yorknew City, the Ten Dons will no longer be in a position to threaten us."
Nicholas tilts his head.
"I remember you were unusually determined to have the Nostrade Family hire us as security for the auction." A curious smile appears on his face. "Does that mean you've already planned something?"
"You could say that." A faint smile forms on my lips.
Rising from the chair, I head toward the office door.
"I'd like to stay and talk a little longer, my friend, but there are still several people I need to contact and a number of preparations I have to make before returning to Greed Island. I'll be in my office for a while, so if anything comes up, you know where to find me."
"You're going back already?" Nicholas asks in surprise. "I thought you'd stay a bit longer so we could go over the Glam Gas Land case together."
"It's just I recently found myself a teammate." I rest a hand on the doorknob. "I'd like to spend a few days working alongside her so we can get used to each other's rhythm. After that, I'll shift my attention back to the organization until the Yorknew auctions are over."
Nicholas blinks.
"...Her?"
Somehow, that single word seems to interest him more than everything else I'd just said.
"Boss..." He looks at me with undisguised curiosity. "Knowing you, you'd never choose to work with a woman like that unless there was a very good reason. So... what kind of person is she?"
With one hand on the office door, I glance back over my shoulder.
"She's an extraordinarily capable woman." A small smile crosses my face. "Someone whose strength, judgment, and experience make her an indispensable ally—and someone whose trust I intend to earn, as I'm certain she'll play an important role in what's to come."
With that, I leave the office, leaving Nicholas alone with the towering stack of case files spread across his desk, and make my way to my office as the organization's director.
After settling onto the sofa by the coffee table I have for guests, I pull my phone from my pocket. The screen lights up with a long list of missed calls from the very people I was planning to contact first today.
"Gee, looks like I've been away longer than I thought." I mutter to myself as I scroll through the call history before selecting a name. "Judging by the time, they probably haven't spent the money yet.""
I wait for a couple of ringtones and finally, a voice I know all too well answers from the other end.
<
"Sorry I disappeared without warning." I lean back against the sofa with an apologetic smile. "I got tied up somewhere without phone service—or any access to cyberspace, for that matter."
"But I'm back now. So... what did you need, Killua?"
<
A brief scuffle breaks out on the other end of the line before Gon finally manages to take the phone, and his voice comes through again.
<
"Hey, Gon. It's great to hear your voice too." I can't help but smile. "So, how have things been since we went our separate ways?"
<
Gon went on to fill me in on everything that had happened since then: their vacation on Whale Island, the box Ging had left behind, the message about Greed Island, and finally their trip to Yorknew City in search of information about the game.
"So the reason I have 10 missed calls from my favorite little snoop is because you want information about Greed Island now that you've found out I'm working for Battera to clear it." I conclude with a faint grin.
<
<
A small smile finds its way onto my face as we effortlessly slip back into our usual banter.
"Oh yeah? Then let's hear it. What's your big lead?"
Before Killua can answer, Gon blurts it out.
<
I cover my face with one hand and let out a long, weary sigh.
'Just as I expected... they're following the same path as in the original timeline. Next comes the shopping spree, the online scams, and 800 million jenny down the drain.' I think, recalling the events of the manga.
'Luckily, it looks like I got back just in time. I'd better steer them away before they make the same mistake.'
"Honestly... I wouldn't recommend doing that."
<
"For starters, it's incredibly risky. I'm guessing you're planning to buy and sell online, right?"
<
"That's exactly the problem." I shake my head. "The safest marketplaces don't offer the kind of profits you're looking for, and the places that do are crawling with scammers everywhere. The moment they realize you're inexperienced, they'll find a way to take every last jenny you have."
Killua is the one who answers this time.
<
"And that's exactly why I'm worried." I let out a weary sigh. "One successful deal is all it takes to make beginners like you lower their guard. The moment you start thinking you've figured everything out and trust someone else... you've already become an easy target."
"Fake listings, manipulated photos, forged appraisals, investment schemes... there are countless ways to swindle people looking for quick profits. That's why, whenever possible, expensive purchases should always be made face-to-face."
Silence follows on the other end of the line, and taking advantage of it, I continue.
"Besides, even if you somehow doubled or tripled your money before the auction..." I pause for emphasis. "...you still wouldn't get a copy of Greed Island."
<
"Because the man who currently employs me, the billionaire Battera, is determined to buy every single copy that appears on the market. It doesn't matter how much money you manage to raise, he'll always outbid you. Trying to compete with him at the auction is a waste of time."
<
Even through the phone, I can picture the stubborn look on his face. Gon wouldn't give up on Greed Island that easily... but I also know him well. He may be stubborn, but not irrational. As long as it leads him toward the same goal, he has no problem abandoning one approach in favor of a better one.
"If all you need is access to the game, you don't have to buy a copy."
"Battera and the Hunter leading his operation, Tsezguerra, are still recruiting skilled Nen users to help clear Greed Island. Once they've secured the new copies, they'll start holding selection tests. Pass the evaluation, and you'll be allowed into the game without spending a single jenny."
<
Killua falls silent for a few moments.
<<...He's got a point. Buying and selling online is a gamble, and even by my family's standards, Battera is ridiculously wealthy. If Kai's right, we can reach Greed Island and keep everything we earned at Heaven's Arena.>>
<>
Seeing that I've managed to steer them in the right direction, I decide to leave them with one final piece of advice.
"But remember it—you'll still have to meet their standards if you want to pass the selection, so I hope neither of you has been slacking off with your training."
<
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Listening to the two of them bickering over the phone, I can't help but let a laugh escapes me.
Their friendly rivalry hasn't changed in the slightest. If anything, it seems to be pushing both of them forward.
'Killua has already developed his Hatsu, and Gon is still polishing the fundamentals before taking that step. It's good to see they've both continued training exactly as I'd hoped.'
'With that in mind, I'll have to step up my own game to make sure they don't catch up too quickly.'
Before their argument can escalate any further, I cut in.
"Actually, Gon... I wouldn't worry too much about creating a Nen ability just yet. A strong Ren, solid aura control, and proper application of the advanced techniques will be more than enough to pass Tsezguerra's selection."
"If I were you, I'd spend the rest of the month strengthening those fundamentals instead of rushing to create a Hatsu—or trying to make enough money to buy the game."
Silence falls over the line for a moment.
<<...Okay.>> Gon is the first to answer. <
<
After a brief pause, Gon speaks again.
<
I smile faintly.
"Well... if you really want to know, it's been quite an eventful month."
"It all started after we said our goodbyes. Tsezguerra drove me to the airport so I could catch a private blimp..."
For the next hour, I tell them about everything Nicholas and I have been through over the past month: entering Greed Island, establishing our mercenary agency, purchasing our headquarters, traveling across the Yorbian Continent, tracking dangerous criminals, and building the organization from the ground up.
Gon and Killua listen with complete attention, interrupting me every now and then with questions whenever something piques their curiosity.
Other than the details of Greed Island itself, I answer every question they throw at me, and before I know it, the three of us have spent more than an hour simply catching up.
"And... that's everything that's happened so far. Well, I think this is probably a good place to end our conversation."
<
"Sorry, Gon, but it's getting late, and I still have to get back to Greed Island. I already promised someone I'd meet them there." I explain.
"But you don't have to worry. If you decide to stay in Yorknew for the auction, then we'll be seeing each other much sooner than you think."
<
"It turns out Nicholas managed to secure our organization a bodyguard contract from an important client in that city. All we have to do is obtain a particular item for them, and they'll guarantee us entry to the auction at the beginning of September."
<
<
While Gon is busy celebrating the news, Killua, ever the skeptic, is already thinking through the practical implications before asking.
<
"If that were a problem, I wouldn't have accepted the contract in the first place." I reply with an amused smile.
"Working for Battera doesn't require me to stay in the game at all times. As long as I don't stay away for too long, there's no issue with me leaving the game temporarily to take care of other business."
Given my clear answer, Killua falls silent for a moment before finally giving in.
<<...Fine. I'll take your word for it. But if you don't show up, I'm never letting you hear the end of it.>>
<>
In response to Killua's challenge, a smile tugs at the corner of my lips.
"I'm also eager to see how much you've grown since our last meeting. So you'd better not disappoint me either."
"Anyway, I should get going. I'm looking forward to seeing you two—and everyone else—in Yorknew City at the beginning of next month. Take care."
<
'I'm glad to know they're both still moving forward.'
'And thanks to my guidance, they won't throw away most of their savings chasing impossible profits online and making bad investments. Instead, they'll try to enter Greed Island through Battera's selection instead... and that should keep them away from the Phantom Troupe too.'
The thought brings a small sense of relief. But it doesn't last.
'That certainly eases one of my worries... but there are far bigger challenges waiting ahead.'
'Yorknew City Arc is almost here, and there are still too many moving pieces I need to account for: the Nostrade Family, the Underground Auction massacre, the Shadow Beasts, the Ten Dons... and everything that follows.'
My thoughts eventually settle on the two people who concern me the most.
'More than anyone else, I have to prepare for Chrollo and Kurapika. They're easily the two most dangerous strategists I'll be dealing with in Yorknew City. Their intuition borders on the absurd, and both have an exceptional talent for turning impossible situations to their advantage.'
'Under Chrollo's leadership, the Phantom Troupe transformed Meteor City into a place even world governments hesitate to interfere with. He manipulated the Mafia, robbed the Underground Auction right under their noses, and in the original timeline became the first person to defeat Hisoka in a direct fight.'
'And Kurapika may be even harder to deal with.'
'In little more than a year, he rose to command the Nostrade Family, recovered nearly all of the Scarlet Eyes scattered across the world, and navigated Kakkin's political struggle more effectively than almost anyone involved.'
'Worse still, I'll be working alongside him as part of the Nostrade security team. Between his ability to read people through nonverbal cues and Melody's extraordinary senses, carrying out my plans without being discovered will be almost impossible.'
I lean back against the sofa and let out a long breath.
'This won't be a battle I can win through strength alone. If I want myself and the others to survive this crusade, 'I'll need to think several moves ahead, anticipate every possible outcome, prepare contingency after contingency, and rely on the people around me far more than I have until now.'
'For the first time in a long while... I don't think I can overcome what's coming on my own. I'm going to need every reliable ally I can gather if I want to pull this off.'
"It's going to be extremely difficult. I'd better refine the plan a little more before I head back to Greed Island and meet up with Biscuit." I murmur, lowering my gaze to the contacts list on my phone.
"But first... let's see how Bodoro's training has been going."
A faint smile crosses my face as his name appears on the screen.
"I'm curious whether he's finally decided on a Nen ability... and whether he's ready to challenge me to a rematch."
After a brief pause, I chuckle to myself.
"Who knows... if he's reached a high enough level of Nen proficiency, and I keep pushing, I might even convince him to join the organization. That would give me one more ally I could rely on."
With that, I press the call button.