Germain stood in the crowd and noticed Kurapika nearby.
Kurapika was discreetly watching the hijackers, his face showing indecision. Perhaps he was contemplating whether to act despite having lost his two swords. Facing armed gangsters with only his bare hands was overwhelming for him.
Fourteen gangsters surrounded them, their rifles pointed downwards. None of them wore masks, indicating they weren't concerned about being recognized.
This made their intentions even more alarming.
Among them was a middle-aged man with a beard and scars on his face, who appeared to be their leader. He stepped forward, surveyed the panicked crowd, and coughed a few times.
Everyone turned their attention to him.
"My name is Somerset," the scarred man announced openly. "These are my brothers and comrades."
"I apologize for hijacking this airship and for choosing you as our captives. If it were possible, I would prefer that you land safely and reunite with your families and friends. That would be a wonderful thing."
Somerset's words carried a dangerous undertone.
Many who understood the hidden meaning shuddered, and some of the more fearful individuals began to cry softly.
"We also wish to be reunited with our loved ones. Unfortunately, that is no longer possible for us. Once I have finished speaking, you can contact the police, leave a suicide note, and communicate with anyone you wish."
"But for now, you must remain silent, or I will not extend you any further mercy."
At this point, most adults began to realize a dreadful possibility—a grim future that seemed inevitable.
The criminals had no intention of landing the airship, and even if they did, it was not going to be a conventional landing.
Many people wanted to scream, but Somerset's threats and the guns pointed at them kept them quiet.
Somerset looked around for a moment, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "How many of you know about the 'Nowell Mercenary Survivors Mutual Aid Fund'? Does anyone know? No one?"
After a pause with no one answering, Somerset seemed disappointed. "Haha, that's right. We can't expect you to care. After all, it doesn't concern you."
"To put it simply, we are mercenaries working for the V5 powers, the Kakin Empire, or small countries."
"But war causes heavy casualties, and the families of the fallen are left without support."
"To help these bereaved families live decently, the 'Nowell Mercenary Survivors Mutual Aid Fund' was created."
Somerset paced the spacious airship hall, making sure everyone saw his serious expression.
"Many mercenaries invest their own money to protect the families of their fallen comrades, ensuring they don't suffer from hunger, cold, or become outcasts."
"However, there are too many families and too little money." Somerset shook his head and sighed. "We have no choice but to seek help from the state agency that once employed us."
"Just as we expected…" He looked at everyone. "No one cares about us. We're just mercenaries, not official soldiers. Hehe, hehe…"
"Given this, we've decided to make a big statement so that the international community can't ignore us. In half an hour, this airship will head towards the city of Itlo."
"Of course, it's more likely that we'll be shot down before we get there and crash into the mountains. But that doesn't matter. As long as the airship crashes."
"Then, they should realize that the lives of mercenaries' families are just as important. Spending a little more money to support them could prevent many of these 'plane crash tragedies'."
As Somerset spoke, the crowd in the airship hall could no longer hold back their fear and began screaming and crying.
"It's hopeless, isn't it?" Somerset listened to the cries and smiled at them. "At least you have half an hour to say goodbye to your families. Our fallen brothers and comrades weren't so lucky."
"We didn't want to choose you either, but there's no other way. Just accept your fate. At least we'll be with you until the end, and you'll know why you died."
"Okay, make the most of the time you have left. Remember, you still have half an hour."
After Somerset finished speaking, he turned and headed toward the cockpit of the airship.
The captain and others were also among the hostages. The airship had been set to autopilot temporarily, and now Somerset would manually control it.
He was a pilot, so flying the airship was easy for him.
Germain observed the chaotic hall. After Somerset left, people cried and made phone calls under the watchful eyes of the remaining thirteen gangsters.
Some called the police for help, while others contacted their families.
Others approached the criminals, trying to persuade them, but were shot in the head before they could finish their plea.
The sound of gunfire and the sight of blood pushed the panic on the airship to new heights.
The criminals stood with indifferent expressions.
As mercenaries who often raid villages, they had seen such scenes many times and showed no mercy, regardless of the presence of women, children, or the elderly.
Among the crowd, Germain and Kurapika were the only ones who stayed calm.
Kurapika, however, didn't seem ready to give up. He continued to breathe rhythmically and considered various possible solutions.
Germain used his "Gyo" to scan the group and found that among the fourteen gangsters, Somerset and two others were "Nen users," while the rest were just ordinary mercenaries.
The three "Nen users" were only at the "Brave" and "Apprentice" levels. It seemed their talent was limited, and they couldn't advance further.
This meant Germain's combat strength was far superior to theirs.
One of the "Nen abilities" involved either disguising a gun to carry it on the airship or manipulating "space" like Shizuku and Knov.
The "Nen abilities" of the other two were unknown, but Germain felt this was sufficient.
Since they weren't very strong enemies, it was better to end the fight quickly.
He quickly made his plan. To minimize casualties, he needed to eliminate all thirteen gangsters in a short time and then find Somerset.
After finalizing his plan, Germain acted immediately.
He stepped out of the crowd and approached one of the gangsters.
The gangster showed no signs of stopping and aimed his gun to shoot.
But in the next moment, the gangster saw only a black shadow coming towards him, and then everything went dark!
********
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