The airship continued its journey.
He kept the couple within his peripheral vision, careful not to stare or draw attention.
While waiting, Conrad didn't waste the time.
He maintained Ten, keeping his aura thin and stable around his body.
From time to time, he shifted into Gyo, briefly strengthening his eyes to observe the flow of aura around nearby passengers.
He also practiced entering and exiting Zetsu, timing the transitions until they became smooth and natural.
Three hours passed like that.
Then the couple moved.
They stood up almost casually, gathering their things as if heading for food or the restroom.
Conrad noticed immediately.
He didn't react at once.
He waited, counting slowly in his head.
Ten seconds.
Then he stood.
As soon as he stepped into the aisle, Conrad entered Zetsu completely.
His presence vanished.
He followed them at a safe distance.
The couple walked into the large central hall of the airship, where meals were being served.
The area was crowded.
The woman and the man blended in easily, moving with the flow.
Conrad stayed near the edge, using reflections from polished surfaces and windows to track them without looking directly.
They didn't stop.
After crossing the hall, the couple turned into a narrower hallway.
This one was quieter, with fewer passengers and more security signs.
The direction was clear.
The captain's section.
Conrad slowed his pace slightly, letting the distance grow.
The guards weren't visible yet, but that didn't mean they weren't nearby.
As the couple reached the end of the hallway, they exchanged a quick glance and continued forward without hesitation.
Conrad stopped near the corner and leaned lightly against the wall, still in Zetsu.
He smiled faintly.
"So their plan is on," he whispered to himself.
Five minutes passed.
The couple reached the entrance to the captain's quarters.
The hallway narrowed there, clean and well-lit, ending at a reinforced metal door.
The only access point was a straight ten-meter stretch with nowhere to hide.
Two guards stood in front of the door.
Both wore dark suits and black sunglasses, their posture straight and alert.
Each held a compact scorpion-type machine gun at chest level, fingers close to the trigger.
Their eyes scanned the hallway constantly.
The couple slowed their steps.
They exchanged a quick sideways glance, careful not to draw attention.
Neither spoke.
Conrad stood ten meters behind them, pressed lightly against the wall, completely suppressed in Zetsu.
From the guards' perspective, only two nervous civilians had entered the restricted area.
The woman shifted slightly to the side. Her breathing changed.
The young man nodded once and reached toward his waist, his hand sliding under his jacket.
A small blade appeared in his grip, thin and sharp.
Conrad narrowed his eyes.
Is he going to try to kill them with that dagger?
That would be suicide.
Guns at this distance would tear him apart before he took two steps.
Before Conrad could decide whether to intervene, the woman suddenly screamed.
The sound was loud, and filled with panic.
Both guards snapped their attention to her instantly.
Their guns lifted a few degrees, safety clicks audible.
"Please!" the woman cried, falling to her knees.
"Please don't kill me! I didn't know! I swear!"
Her voice cracked.
Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her hands to the floor.
"I didn't know this area was restricted! Please, I'm sorry!"
The guards froze.
"What is this crazy bitch talking about." both of them thought.
One of them glanced at the other, confusion flashing across his face.
The hallway wasn't supposed to have civilians like this, let alone a hysterical one.
"Ma'am, calm down," one guard said sharply. "Stand up slowly."
The woman shook her head violently.
"Please! I'll do anything! Just don't shoot!"
Behind her, the young man stiffened.
His hand tightened around the blade, but he didn't move.
His eyes were locked on the guards, waiting.
Conrad watched carefully.
It was a distraction.
As the guards stepped closer to the woman, their attention shifted fully onto her.
One of them lowered his weapon slightly, his posture changing from alert to cautious.
He turned his head toward the young man, clearly about to ask a question.
That was the moment.
The young man moved without hesitation.
He stepped forward and slashed upward with the dagger.
The blade cut cleanly across the guard's throat.
Before the body even finished collapsing, the young man took a short step to the side and struck again.
Two movements.
Two cuts.
The second guard dropped almost immediately, his weapon slipping from his hands as blood spilled onto the floor.
The hallway filled with the sharp smell of iron and blood, lots of it.
Both men collapsed in silence, their bodies twitching briefly before going still.
Blood spread across the polished surface, pooling beneath them.
The woman stood up instantly.
There was no panic left in her expression.
"Take the gun," she said sharply.
The young man bent down, grabbed one of the scorpion-type machine guns, and checked the magazine with practiced speed.
"There will be three more guards inside," the woman continued.
"When they come to check what happened, we shoot."
Conrad watched from behind, unmoving.
The young man wiped the blade quickly against his sleeve and held it loosely at his side.
He's better than I thought, Conrad admitted silently.
This wasn't a random thug.
The timing, the precision, the lack of hesitation this man had killed before. He hadn't relied on strength but on positioning and timing.
If Conrad didn't have Nen, getting close to someone like that would be dangerous.
"I thought they would be not great at close combat and would not prefer to take such action."
"But, it seems like my understanding of people is not great and I am pretty inexperienced in this matter."
Conrad told himself.
"I think, that young man is either a serial killer or a ex army type of guy."
"Ordinary thieves, can not be this calm."
"But of course, my comparison is limited to Earth, not to this world..."
Very dangerous.
The woman dragged one of the bodies slightly to the side, clearing the center of the hallway.
She glanced at the door to the captain's quarters, listening.
Footsteps.
Muffled voices.
The guards inside had noticed something.
The young man raised the machine gun, positioning himself beside the doorway.
The woman moved to the opposite side, picking up the second weapon.
Their earlier appearance nervous civilians was gone completely.
They were ready.
Conrad stayed in Zetsu, pressed against the wall farther down the corridor.
He didn't move.
He didn't interfere.
Not yet.
It would be best if two sides clear each other out and then he move to strike.
He trusted himself but he was not fool enough to attack and block bullets from automatic sub-machine gun.