An elderly man was navigating a labyrinthine path with desperate intensity. It was a maintenance corridor, a place never intended for general passengers. There were no windows, only a web of exposed pipes running across the walls and ceiling. Perhaps due to the earlier explosion, the lights flickered incessantly, making the dark, narrow passage appear even more ominous.
The man's name was the Grandfather of the Galaxy. Ordinarily, he maintained an air of mystery and composure, but he had no such luxury now. His trademark robe's hood had fallen back, exposing his face. He was sprinting at full speed, drenched in sweat and snot.
The Grandfather of the Galaxy had been defeated by the duo of Chel and Tokunosuke. He should have been out of the game already, but he had managed to recover from unconsciousness. The robe he wore was an object created through Conjuration, and it possessed a slight degree of defensive capability. Thanks to that, the time he spent unconscious had been shortened.
However, it might have been more fortunate for him to remain unconscious. Then, he wouldn't have been hunted by these hair-raising pursuers.
"SENSEIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!"
His ability, Self-Liars, granted power to multiple people and manipulated them. It was predicated on using others as military force; whether fighting or defending, he required the cooperation of others. Therefore, he had first attempted to gather pawns.
Due to the chaotic state of the game and the ship, there were many spectators gripped by extreme anxiety. For a mentalist iTuber like him, it wasn't difficult to manipulate those people with clever words. He had quickly secured a force of about twenty people.
Then, the nightmare arrived abruptly. The forces he was supposed to have under his control became entirely uncontrollable. The Grandfather of the Galaxy's voice no longer reached them. All he could do was run.
He followed the emergency exit pictograms glowing dimly in the gloom. Blindly trusting those electronic displays, he kept fleeing.
The location of Pomerni that Milky had shared was in a corner of the warehouse area. According to her investigation, the place itself was just an ordinary warehouse, and there seemed to be no conspicuous gimmicks installed.
However, that only applied to physical weapons or traps. If Nen-related traps had been set, even Milky couldn't judge them. The Hatsu of Nen users are infinitely varied, and many are unpredictable unless one is present when the ability is actually activated.
"I can't say for sure until I see the place with my own eyes. But there's no need to worry too much. No matter how powerful a Nen ability's effect is, it isn't omnipotent."
For example, Blade said it was impossible to create a trap where an intruder died instantly the moment they stepped into a room. To achieve that, an unimaginable level of resolve and a Vow would be necessary, making it unrealistic.
In the line of Hunter work, there are many situations where one must fight on the enemy's home turf. In fact, since they already knew something was set up, Blade argued that sixty percent of the danger had already been avoided. It was natural for unknown traps to be set in enemy territory; the important thing was not to miss the warning signs.
Keep up your Gyo and don't miss even the slightest hint of aura. If you pay attention to that, you will rarely be taken by surprise.
"Based on the information from Milky, let's organize the facts we've uncovered so far. First, Mr. Pomerni is in a state of insanity, likely being manipulated by a Manipulation-type ability. Furthermore, several hostages captured by the administration are nearby. These hostages are confined in sealed plastic cages, and lethal poison gas will be dispersed in twenty minutes."
There was still time left. They would arrive at the destination by then, return Pomerni to his senses, and rescue the hostages.
"Manipulation-type abilities almost always use some kind of 'medium' to control the target. For instance, 'making the target wear an accessory infused with the user's aura.' Conditions and tools are necessary to activate the ability."
If they observed Pomerni with Gyo and traced any suspicious flow of aura, it would be possible to find the medium. If they found and destroyed it, the manipulation would be canceled. The key to this operation was speed. They needed to release him from the controlled state before Pomerni could take any action.
Pomerni's combat strength wasn't a particular issue. He was a manipulated civilian; there was nothing he could do against three Nen users. The enemy likely knew that. Beyond that, there was a risk the enemy would make Pomerni take actions to hinder their goal.
For example, using himself as a hostage and threatening suicide to prevent them from interfering—vile methods were conceivable. That was precisely why the speed to instantaneously find and destroy the medium was vital. This role had to be left to Blade.
"What should we do?"
"Hmm, for now, nothing in particular... the necessary actions will change depending on the situation. Just keep in mind to handle things flexibly."
No matter how much I pumped myself up, Noah and I were amateurs in combat. No, since I couldn't use Hatsu, there was even less I could do than Noah.
I wasn't even at the stage where I could use Gyo yet. While I could confidently leave the role to a professional Hunter who had survived countless life-and-death situations, I felt frustrated at being unable to do anything at the crucial moment despite suggesting the rescue.
"Six, there is something I need you to do."
I nodded without hesitation at Blade's words. Blade's expression was grim as he spoke. I thought I might be given a difficult task, but if there was anything I could do, I intended to do it. However, the instruction he gave was vastly different from what I had imagined.
"It is 'resolve.' The resolve to accept it if this operation ends in failure and we cannot save Mr. Pomerni."
I couldn't understand what he was saying. Why did I have to prepare for failure before the operation had even begun? I even felt a surge of resentment toward Blade's attitude, which seemed to express such easy resignation.
"I didn't intend to mention this, but... I brought my own apprentice to this fan meeting. His name is Parneck. He's aiming to be a Plant Hunter but is still stuck at the amateur level. I've been looking after him for about three years; he's a cheeky and uncute man."
He spoke with biting words, but I could tell Blade had a deep level of trust with that person. He had invited that apprentice to this meeting using a 'Special Invitation Ticket.' In other words, that person was currently among the hostages.
However, I recalled Blade clearly stating that he had no relatives among the hostages. That meant he had been lying. I didn't feel like blaming him for it, but considering his personality, lies and secrets felt out of place.
"Do you know why I lied?"
I thought for a moment. It was likely to avoid bringing discord to our alliance. There were examples like Jack High, who fell into the administration's trap because his people were taken hostage. If he had spoken truthfully, his position might have lost some of its neutrality.
"That's one reason. Another is that I prioritized your protection mission. Even if my apprentice's life were lost, I had no intention of telling you. I intended to keep it within my heart without saying a word."
He weighed the execution of his mission against his apprentice's life and chose the former? Wasn't that too cold-hearted?
"I've taught Parneck the mindset of a Hunter. Even without professional qualifications, he possesses the spirit of a Hunter. I cannot leave Six alone, and even if I went to save my apprentice by doing so, he would despise me rather than thank me."
Blade told me to try thinking from the opposite perspective. If I were a hostage captured by the enemy and being used as bait to lure someone important to me, would I wish for my life to be saved at the cost of putting that person in danger?
The answer was clear. I wouldn't want to be saved. If so, was what I was trying to do wrong? My mind began to tangle.
"It isn't wrong. There can be no wrong in the desire to save someone. However, at the same time, you must prepare for when that desire isn't granted. It's harsh to say, but that possibility exists."
If Pomerni couldn't be saved. In a state where the heart is dominated by anger and sadness, one cannot make calm judgments. And the enemy won't miss such an opening. Pomerni doesn't want Six to die. Saying that, Blade firmly convinced me.
I understood the logic. But I didn't feel like I could do it. I didn't have the strength to decide on that resolve without hesitation like Blade...
"Wait, Blade, could you stop scaring my Mommy so much?"
"It's necessary. I can't just say sweet things."
"Blade, after all is said and done, you're agreeing to the operation to free Pomerni and the hostages anyway, right? Your apprentice is among those hostages, isn't he? Even over your mission, there must have been a part of you that wanted to save him if possible. Can you really say it's a decision made without even one percent of personal feeling?"
"Th-that's..."
Blade faltered. Uncharacteristically, Noah was gaining the upper hand in the verbal sparring.
"Mommy already has a resolve that's more than heavy enough. If you're trying to put more weight on her, Blade, then it's actually us who lack resolve. It's not about 'if we fail.' No matter what happens, we make it succeed. That's why we're here. Right?"
"...That's true. I didn't expect to be lectured by you. It seems I still haven't done enough mental muscle training. Muscle! Muscle! Muscle!!"
Noah struck an exaggeratedly smug pose, and Blade let out a strange laugh while doing squats. I realized they were trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere.
But my expression didn't brighten. What Blade said was correct. If the rescue operation succeeded smoothly, there would be no problem, but what if it didn't?
As I was preoccupied with my disorganized thoughts, I noticed Blade suddenly stop moving and focus his attention on a single point. In that direction was a dead end in the path. No, to be precise, there was a door. It led to a narrow passage used by workers for facility maintenance.
Blade opened the door. I felt a strange presence in the air flowing from beyond it. Something was up ahead. I had no proof, but I just felt it.
"It's a vicious aura. It's still a distance away, but if we continue like this, there's a risk of an encounter. We should move locations early."
I had no objection. The path to our destination would be a bit of a detour, but it would be better to bypass it through another route. We still had time. Just as that plan was being decided, I thought I heard a faint voice from the back of the passage.
"I heard a voice..."
"Eh? Did you hear something?"
It was a tiny echo on the verge of being inaudible, but I certainly heard it. It was the voice of someone seeking help. Blade's enhanced hearing had obtained even more detailed information. Someone was being attacked by something deep in this passage.
A new choice emerged in our decided course of action.
To save them, or not.