There's a long staircase from the arena to the registration area. Now, Saiki Kusuo has kicked half of the staircase away. Faced with the staircase suddenly split in half, the people above and below the stairs are in a panic and silent.
[Crazy, crazy! They started fighting right here!]
[Go to the arena to fight!]
[No, even the arena would be destroyed at this level, right?!]
[What a scary Dark Continent!]
Saiki Kusuo carefully listens to the surrounding thoughts and quickly understands. So that's why he broke the staircase.
He raises his hand to restore it.
[Is it restored?]
Chrollo: "It's turned into a row of uneven stones."
Looks like it's restored to who knows how many years ago, damn.
"But there's still half of the staircase left. You can go up by using the other half. Can you climb the stairs?"
I'm not disabled. Of course, I can climb stairs. You should be careful with your own feet.
Saiki Kusuo takes three steps. Although he can't see the shape of the stairs with heat sensing, he knows there are stairs ahead. He can still move forward by feeling his way in the dark. Besides, he has a certain perception of the surrounding area. As long as he focuses a little, he won't do something stupid like bumping into a wall.
That's on the condition that he can still focus while using telepathy and heat sensing at the same time. Well, for a psychic, that's a piece of cake... two out of ten... one, zero point eight, zero point five. A tiny thing.
Chrollo steps on the steps Saiki Kusuo walked on, but finds that the steps are shaking. Then, they vibrate, scatter, and fall apart!
Because the steps are not wide anymore, Chrollo jumps away and lands below: [That was close! Almost sprained my ankle.]
Saiki Kusuo sees Chrollo unnaturally jumping off the stairs in the heat sensing. What's wrong? Did you sprain your ankle so quickly after I just reminded you?
"Walk slowly. Let me go in front," Chrollo says.
[Huh? Why?]
"The steps you walk on seem to break apart and disappear."
What is this, a disposable block from a game?
The broadcast urges again: "Contestants for the first round of the tag team battle in Area 0! You will be directly teleported to the arena if you don't arrive!"
They have a teleport option. Why didn't they use it sooner? Our journey to the arena is very difficult!
Chrollo steps on the uneven stones below and jumps several times, landing on the steps in front of Saiki Kusuo: "Let's go quickly."
Why not just wait for the teleport?
Saiki Kusuo carefully controls his steps as he moves forward. He doesn't have the skill to jump up multiple steps like Chrollo does.
Being able to climb the stairs one step at a time is already the biggest challenge.
Saiki Kusuo finishes climbing the stairs, and the entire staircase is gone.
The people around are full of fear and avoid him.
Saiki Kusuo pulls down his hat. Yare yare, it's a good thing it's Shalnark now. It's just that the path he walks on turns into rubble and collapses. Nen users should be able to do that, right? Shalnark's automatic control form should be able to do this, right?
After walking over the stairs and onto the road, the road finally doesn't collapse.
Chrollo dares to approach at this time. This time, he reminds him: "Be careful. Five steps forward, and there are stairs going down."
He's telling the stairs to be careful, right?
On the way down, Chrollo observes as he walks: [Is that person in Area 0 "Get Out, Poor Ghost"? Didn't expect it.]
Like a fake name that only poor people would come up with.
Saiki Kusuo can only see the heat sensing image of the person in Area 0. Red, orange. Judging from the temperature, he's a calm person with an even body temperature.
Chrollo: [Didn't expect "Get Out, Poor Ghost" to be Illumi.]
Sorry for instantly thinking of Illumi, the richest guy who saves up the most money in the whole Zoldyck family, as a poor ghost.
But, if Illumi is one of them, and the tag team match requires registering together...
Saiki Kusuo hears Illumi's thoughts: [Why hasn't Hisoka arrived yet? It took a lot of needle people to monitor. This is the only chance to fight Chrollo one-on-one.]
What's with the one-on-one fight? Isn't Shalnark even a person anymore?
In the arena, as soon as Saiki Kusuo and Chrollo enter, Illumi greets them.
"Yo, Boss, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Chrollo chuckles: "There are things I want to ask you too. Can we exchange information?"
"Of course. If it's the coat, I brought it."
How considerate, Illumi. But the coat hasn't returned to Chrollo's hands yet?
Outside the arena, a little girl in red who was snoring with her head up suddenly wakes up when she hears the word "coat."
Kagura shouts: "Oh! Is the boss going to use the coat?!"
Very loud, attracting everyone's attention.
What kind of weirdo attracts the attention of the entire arena?
"No, not yet..." Before Illumi finishes speaking, Chrollo's coat is already in Kagura's hands, thrown out in a javelin-like stance.
Illumi: [...What useless Dark Creature subordinates.]
Sorry, maybe their settings are just useless. Saiki Kusuo also covers his face.
The coat moves very fast, generating heat from friction with the air to the point that Saiki Kusuo can see a slight change in temperature.
Chrollo sprints, runs, jumps, and saves the coat. He lands in a cool pose with one hand on the ground. Why can the heat sensing even evaluate coolness? That's because of the audience's reaction.
Applause rises and falls, as if everyone is participating in a sports competition.
The Dark Creature on the judge's seat: [If this was gymnastics, I'd give that move a ten!]
So, I said, it's not a sports competition.
Chrollo is holding the coat like he's holding a princess. The conversation starts as usual: "Thank you. Illumi, if I'm not mistaken, the last person who hasn't arrived yet is Hisoka, right?"
"Yeah. That's right. Boss is so smart."
You're still calling him Boss. Illumi, can't you feel there's something wrong with your behavior?
Chrollo chuckles: "Are you here to cooperate, or to challenge me alone?"
"The latter. Hisoka has wanted to fight you one-on-one for a long time," Illumi answers truthfully.
At this moment, even Chrollo is no longer so relaxed.
A being like Hisoka, even for him, is almost impossible to defeat without injury.
Now that he's in the arena, escaping is a bit difficult. Besides, it's a tag team match. If he runs, he can't protect Shalnark's points.
Giving the points to Hisoka is the worst option, because he cares more about having fun than about everyone's victory.
Chrollo covers his mouth and thinks. Only Saiki Kusuo knows that his brain is working fast, even though he looks calm and casual.
Soon, Chrollo reaches out to Saiki Kusuo.
"Shalnark, lend me 'Black Voice'."
Has your brain gone bad?
Chrollo's Skill Hunter appears in Chrollo's hand.
Chrollo says: "Illumi, members shouldn't fight each other internally. How about you and Shalnark exit the field directly later?" [Disguise it. Illumi will give this information to Hisoka. Hisoka will be wary of the antennae in my hand.]
Talking and thinking on two fronts at the same time. This guy is so busy.
"Black Voice" is Shalnark's ability and needs to be used with the antenna.
Saiki Kusuo: [Where did you get the antenna?]
[I'm going to have to ask you to try a little here.]
[Where did I get the antenna?]
[The antenna is bat-shaped, red, with needles extending from the bottom. It needs to be able to pierce someone's body, about the length of Illumi's needles. Try a little.]
[Even if you describe it in detail, I can't make it. That's something Shalnark made himself. There's no price tag on it, right? Can't do an even exchange.]
[...Try a little.]
[Is "try" all you can say?]
Saiki Kusuo also tries to imagine it, but he's not as good at the Creation ability as Kusuko. Yare yare, let's just pretend to give him the ability first.
Saiki Kusuo reaches out, suddenly feeling two things appear between his fingers.
[?? Did it really try and make it? Out of thin air?!]
Now that you made me try, what's happening?
Chrollo takes the two antennae from between Saiki Kusuo's fingers and examines them: [Although the shape is right, the bat is pink...]
The invisible Saiki Kusuo: [What's wrong with pink?]
[Very good. If asked, I can say Shalnark is in love.]
[Is he?]
[No.]
[Then don't spread rumors.]
Chrollo also presses the handprint on the Skill Hunter against Saiki Kusuo's palm. He opens his book, [As I expected, nothing there.]
This guy is still trying to steal it?
Chrollo: [Next, I'm going to fight Hisoka one-on-one. What should I do? Should I use "Double Face"? There's no source for dolls.]
Saiki Kusuo slowly moves away from this person.
The holder of "Double Face," that elder from Meteor City, seems to treat both living people, dead people, and puppets as puppets. I don't know how bad the old man's eyesight is.
Since there's no source for dolls, is this person going to use real people? Really?
If that's the case, I'll knock them both into the ground to stop them. But there's no need to worry now. Why? Because this battle is impossible. It's more important to keep a calm and stable heart.
After Saiki Kusuo walks away, Illumi also walks to the same side.
He deliberately approaches Saiki Kusuo.
"Shalnark."
What's up? Do you want to have a private conversation with Shalnark? Then I'll have to tell Shalnark tomorrow. How tiring.
"Your outfit is too similar to my mother's. If you choose to wear electronic eyes to change your image in the future, I will charge a copyright fee on behalf of my mother."
...Stay calm. Maintain a calm heart.
"Shalnark, if Chrollo is beaten too badly, will you go up and help?"
Do you have to chat with Shalnark? I don't know how to answer this question.
"Silence? If Hisoka dies, I'll go up."
?! What is this? Why are you telling me this? And Illumi, you and Hisoka...
"I'll go up to collect the body. In fact, Hisoka being killed by the Boss is the best ending."
Saiki Kusuo feels the dark aura emanating from Illumi.
Are you the actual Dark Creature? How many Dark Creatures are there in our family?
"The engagement ring will take effect. I will inherit Hisoka's body as inheritance. As an manipulator type Nen user, you can understand that, right..."
I can't understand. I can't understand at all, especially since the target of control is Hisoka!
Saiki Kusuo takes a deep breath.
Stay calm!
After waiting for Hisoka for a long time, the broadcast finally sounds again.
Broadcast: "Contestant Hisoka Morow has not arrived for a long time. Now, teleporting player Hisoka Morow to the arena!"
So that's why, being teleported leads to losing your online name.
However, Hisoka will not be teleported here. Why? Because the current Hisoka is a dead object...
[Huh? Is that Hisoka?] Illumi says in shock.
Hisoka appeared? Where? How? Can Dark Creatures do things I can't do? Such as restoring a statue to a living person and then teleporting them?
Chrollo says:[As expected, Hisoka was turned into a statue.]
Oh, so it's Hisoka's statue... the statue came here?!
[Illumi looks surprised, so he probably doesn't know about the petrification ability, nor does he know that this is Hisoka, so he won't protect it.] Chrollo thinks, covering his mouth. [In other words... destroying this statue now can say goodbye to Hisoka forever? If I don't say goodbye now, he'll come and fight me to the death one day.]
Saiki Kusuo says with a dark face: [To be fair, I'll have you say goodbye to the world too.]
[Huh? You want to be fair even in this situation?]
[This is an accident I caused. I don't want it to lead to someone's death.]
Chrollo regrettably says: "Okay, then, Illumi, this statue seems to be considered Hisoka. What are your plans for the next battle? Who will win and who will lose?"
Didn't expect it to create a situation where Illumi and Chrollo will fight one on one.
"No, I can give up. But is this Hisoka? The details of his body are exactly the same. Was he petrified by Nen users?"
Why are you so sure they are exactly the same?
Illumi looks at the referee, but receives confirmation from the referee.
"Every action of every player who enters the arena is watched closely. We won't make any mistakes."
Saiki Kusuo, playing Shalnark, is thinking: But aren't there mistakes right now?
After all, Saiki Kusuo's illusion is not a change in his own physical form, but a change in the way everyone who sees him views him.
To break his illusion, you have to use a super-long telescope to spy on him from outside the range of telepathy.
"I'll only help Hisoka this one time. It's a bit irresponsible to end this so hastily." After thinking it through, Illumi raises one finger. "How about you choose a competition that I'm sure to lose to delay the time?"
He asserts that Hisoka will not be resurrected, unless they delay for more than 24 hours.
Also, which competition? This is an arena. Doesn't it all involve violent battles? Can they decide to play rock paper scissors?
A psychic won't have doubts. Saiki Kusuo quickly hears some of the surrounding thoughts. So that's how it is. The specific content of the competition can be determined by both sides.
Chrollo becomes cheerful, wearing his coat on his arm: "Okay, if we're not going to fight, then let's be civilized."
A thief and an assassin are talking about being civilized.
"Illumi, do you know shogi?"
Playing chess? Yare yare, but someone as busy as Illumi probably wouldn't...
"Yes." [I played it with grandpa.]
He actually can?
"Then let's play shogi. Okay with you, referee?"
The referee, who was wandering around, immediately replies: "Of course, we have that competition. But considering the limited space in the arena and the lack of time, your competition time can be up to half an hour. We need to limit the time for both sides to make their moves."
Normal shogi games take between half an hour and an hour and a half to play.
Looks like it's a one game win. Saiki Kusuo stands beside them, preparing to relax in a no-thinking, quiet rest.
"Then, to save time, how about a maximum of 10 seconds to make a move?" Chrollo says.
...
In such a hurry?