Not much time passed before the door to the captain's quarters opened.
Three men stepped out.
They moved forward together, disciplined but unaware.
Each took about three steps into the hallway before anything registered as wrong.
Then gunfire erupted.
The woman and the young man stepped out from opposite corners at the same time.
Both weapons roared almost simultaneously, the tight hallway amplifying the sound into something deafening.
The first guard was hit in the chest and neck.
He collapsed backward before he could even raise his weapon.
The second tried to turn, but rounds tore into his shoulder and head, dropping him instantly.
The third managed half a step before bullets punched through his torso, spinning him sideways as he fell.
It was over in seconds.
Shell casings hit the floor and rolled. Smoke lingered in the air. Blood spread quickly, mixing with what was already there.
Conrad watched closely, his eyes steady, his aura completely suppressed. Their execution was clean. No wasted shots. No panic. They didn't check pulses. They didn't need to.
The woman lowered her gun first.
"Clear," she said.
The young man nodded and moved forward, stepping over the bodies without hesitation. They entered the captain's quarters together, weapons still raised.
Neither of them spared a glance for the dead.
The door remained open.
Conrad waited several seconds after they disappeared inside. He didn't rush. He shifted his position silently, moving to the corner where they had been standing earlier. From there, he had a clear angle toward the open doorway while remaining out of sight.
He pressed his back lightly against the wall.
Then he focused his Nen.
He didn't use Gyo on his eyes this time. Instead, he guided aura toward his ears, enhancing his hearing just enough to catch low voices without distorting them. It took effort, but he kept it controlled.
Inside the room, footsteps echoed faintly.
Then the young man spoke.
"So this is the chest."
Conrad pictured it immediately.
"The Chest is probably locked both mechanically and electronically."
The woman answered calmly.
"Move aside. Let me open it."
There was a brief pause, followed by the sound of metal tools being placed on a hard surface.
The faint click of mechanisms followed.
Conrad listened carefully, counting seconds in his head.
She knew what she was doing.
Whatever device she was using worked quietly and efficiently.
Conrad recognized the rhythm of someone bypassing a lock rather than breaking it.
Inside, the young man exhaled slowly.
"Once we have it, we leave immediately," he said. "No celebrating."
"I know," the woman replied. "We're already pushing our luck."
Another click.
Then silence.
Conrad narrowed his eyes.
One minute passed.
Then another sound soft, hollow, like a lid being lifted.
"It's open," the woman said.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Even Conrad could feel the weight of that silence.
Two hundred million Jenny sat inside that chest.
The young man finally spoke again, his voice lower than before.
"Red Diamond… yeah. That's it."
The woman let out a quiet breath.
"Careful. Don't touch it with bare hands."
Fabric rustled. Something heavy shifted.
Conrad stayed perfectly still.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
The job was done.
The guards were dead.
The diamond was in their hands.
From here on, everything became unpredictable.
And him.
Conrad reviewed his options quickly.
He could act now.
They were distracted. Their guard was lowered. They had already crossed the line into murder. Whatever happened next would be on them.
Conrad didn't move yet.
He waited, listening.
Inside the room, the woman spoke again.
"Once we're out, we split up. No staying together."
"Agreed," the man said. "Too much heat."
Conrad exhaled slowly through his nose.
They were smart.
"But, not smart enough to look back to see if they are being hunted..."
As the duo exited the captain's quarters and headed back the way they had come, Conrad remained still at the corner, his back against the wall.
He slowed his breathing and cleared his thoughts.
There was no hesitation left in him now.
He had already decided.
These two would be his first murder in his life.
The footsteps drew closer.
The woman stepped out first, followed closely by the young man.
They were relaxed too relaxed.
Their focus was on the hallway ahead, on escape routes and timing.
They never checked behind them.
That was their mistake.
The moment they turned the corner, Conrad moved.
He launched forward in a single motion, closing the distance instantly.
There was no warning, no dramatic pause.
His hand came down in a precise arc, a clean karate chop aimed at the side of the young man's head.
He put his full weight and intent into the strike.
The impact was decisive...
Sound of the young man skull that crushed was the most delightful.