Though Hisoka had clearly taken more damage than Machi, his sheer will was a touch stronger. As a result, while Machi remained pinned to the wall, all she could do was watch helplessly as Hisoka slowly walked away.
Just as the unwillingness in Machi's eyes was about to overflow—
"Tsk tsk. Even in death, nen can bring someone back. Nen really is a fascinating thing, isn't it?"
A soft, mocking voice echoed through the dim corridor. Both Hisoka—who was mid-step—and Machi—still stuck—froze in place the instant they heard it.
The voice was strangely comforting to Machi's ears. Her eyes widened, and before she could stop herself, she cried out:
"Ronnel?!"
Right after she spoke, a figure appeared at the far end of the corridor, directly ahead of Hisoka.
"So it was just a small favor~."
Seeing the familiar black trench coat and that unmistakable face, Hisoka licked his lips and murmured:
"Well, this is a surprise. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Machi breathed a quiet sigh of relief the moment she saw Ronnel appear.
Good… he didn't leave after all.
Without a word, she began focusing on the glue binding her, trying to break free. If she could just get loose, maybe she and Ronnel could take Hisoka down together.
"Yeah… what a coincidence," Ronnel said with a faint smile. "I was just checking to see if you were alive or dead. Sent a message to Shalnark already, told him you were dead. But seeing you like this…"
He glanced at her, then smirked. "Well, now it looks like I might've lied. And I hate looking unreliable~"
His gaze settled on Hisoka.
"I heard everything you just said, word for word. I am a member of the Phantom Troupe now, after all. So, tell me, Hisoka—what do you think I should do?"
...
"Oooh, I feel a bit of killing intent, little Ronnel~," Hisoka said with his usual grin, a playing card materializing between his fingers. "Truth be told, after that fight with Chrollo, I had you pegged as my next opponent."
"Well, I'm flattered," Ronnel replied, eyes calm, voice cold.
"No need to act so distant, little Ronnel. You're still dressed the same, huh? Black trench coat—same as when we first met~"
Hisoka's aura began to build, slowly but surely.
"And you still look like a clown," Ronnel shot back. "Except now your outfit's in tatters thanks to the blast. Maybe that's a sign."
He cracked his neck, loosening up.
"You may look revived, but I'm guessing the internal damage remains. You don't stand a chance against me like this.
"Actually, even if you were at full strength, the outcome wouldn't change."
Ronnel began walking forward.
"Oh—and one more thing. That disgusting nickname, 'little Ronnel'? It needs to disappear from the six continents."
...
"Well, I guess it's fate that we fight today~," Hisoka said, suddenly holding multiple cards.
"'Done'... you still remember that word?" Hisoka's eyes gleamed with eerie delight. "That was what you said during our first bout back in the Hunter Exam. Fitting that we use it again now."
"First battle, last battle… yeah. I guess you could call it fate," Ronnel murmured, eyes flashing.
And in the next instant—
Both figures vanished.
Boom!
Machi was still straining against the adhesive when suddenly, the restraint snapped and she stumbled backward. Her trained reflexes kicked in and she regained balance instantly.
Huh? I didn't break free on my own...
She turned around, puzzled.
What she saw made her breath catch.
...
"It seems nen after death doesn't always come with a power boost~."
Ronnel stood in front of her, smiling calmly as he held up a severed head—Hisoka's.
Machi's gaze shifted from the head in Ronnel's hand to the headless corpse lying on the ground. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Was Hisoka… really killed? Just like that?
Facing someone like Hisoka, even the leader needed help from Shalnark and Kortopi to formulate a detailed plan. It took careful execution, step by step, to even trap him.
And yet, while she had been struggling with glue, she'd heard them talking one moment… and then a boom the next.
...
Hisoka's nen was lifted. He's dead. Was there even a full second between them?
Machi was no amateur—she was one of the top fighters across the six continents. She understood exactly what it meant for a battle to end that fast.
There was a massive gap between their strengths.
If Ronnel had killed some no-name, fine—instant kill would be expected.
But his opponent was Hisoka.
That psychotic murderer. That infamous beast of Heavens Arena. The fourth member of their Phantom Troupe. A man even Chrollo had to approach with caution.
And Ronnel… had finished him in under a second.
...
Does he have enough strength to destroy the entire troupe? Maybe even... more than the captain?
Machi looked at Hisoka's corpse, still wearing that same twisted, amused smile he'd died with.
Her eyes filled with complicated emotion.
She had been the first person in the Troupe to lay eyes on Ronnel's potential.
Back then, in Heavens Arena, his fighting style was rough—barely decent at best.
The leader had invited him not for his strength, but for what was suspected to be an ability to erase nen. At the time, even Kortopi might've been able to beat him.
And now...
Now she was watching Ronnel hold Hisoka's head like it was nothing.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)