Germain ignored Saiyu's jokes, staying alert and ready to face attacks from any direction, including a potential backstab from Saiyu. He still didn't fully trust Saiyu.
Saiyu pouted but didn't give up on Germain and Kurapika. He planned to watch and see what would happen.
Suddenly, the situation took a turn for the worse for Germain. From behind them, towards the back of the train, there were several loud explosions, shaking the carriage.
Explosions?
Germain didn't turn around; he continued to face the four people in front of him with caution.
At that moment, Illumi pointed to himself and then to the rear of the car.
"I replaced Hisoka's No. 4. Chrollo found a bomb maniac and two followers to replace your No. 8. This is a temporary backup."
"We agreed on this. I controlled several people to search for you from the front of the train, car by car. Uvogin used a faster method, while the three crazies started from the back."
"But it seems they used an even easier approach. Maybe they're not looking for you but just seeking some fun."
A bomb maniac?
Anyone recruited by Chrollo into the Phantom Troupe would naturally be dangerous.
They would likely be Nen users with a murderous nature and now it fits the profiles of "bomb maniac" and "three person group."
After Illumi's comment, Germain recalled something.
But he wasn't sure; theoretically, that person should still be hiding on "Greed Island," pretending to be harmless.
Of course, leaving "Greed Island" and returning to the real world shouldn't be difficult for that person. As long as Chrollo offered good enough conditions, they wouldn't mind earning some extra money before going back to their original job.
"Hey," Nobunaga interrupted Illumi rudely. "You've said too much."
"Oh," Illumi exclaimed, covering his mouth as if he just realized. "I think I overshared. Uh, Germain, just ignore what I said."
Germain waved his hand, signaling that it was okay.
Illumi nodded in relief and turned to Nobunaga. "Is this okay?"
Nobunaga glanced at the strange scene before him, his expression cold, but he didn't say much. They were only temporarily working with Illumi, and once their task was done, they would get rid of this annoying guy.
Uvogin couldn't hold back any longer. He clenched his fists and said fiercely, "I think we don't need to waste time. Let's just do it!"
He stepped forward but suddenly paused.
At that moment, everyone in the room felt something off and turned toward the door, which creaked open.
A man with long, fiery hair, his face covered in thick white powder decorated with star and water drop designs, smiled sweetly and leaned against the door, peeking inside.
"I told you there were three crazy people in the back. They tied everyone in the carriage as human bombs and blew the whole place up into a bloody mess..."
"They looked terrifying. They scared me. Can I hide here for a bit... or am I bothering you?"
Hisoka, dressed in a circus costume, made a grand entrance.
"Hisoka!" Uvogin exclaimed, surprised, gritting his teeth. "You're here too... Just right, I'll deal with you all today."
Nobunaga didn't say anything, but he slightly unsheathed his sword, showing his stance.
"Hmm~" Hisoka let out a curious sound. "The smell of hatred... is so strong..."
He reached into his mouth, pulled out a playing card, and smiled at everyone.
"Germain, thank you for inviting me. This is indeed a grand dance today."
"Chrollo, Illumi, and Germain—my three favorite targets are all here."
Hisoka placed his hands on his hips and turned to face the people he mentioned in the box, clearly getting very excited.
Before leaving on the cargo ship, Germain sent a text message to Hisoka.
The message was straightforward: the "Phantom Troupe" might be tracking him and his companions. He mentioned that Chrollo would likely show up in the Kakin Empire and asked Hisoka if he could get involved.
Previously, Hisoka had been hunting down "Phantom Troupe members," aiming to break the spider's legs so he could face Chrollo one-on-one again.
However, in the past two months, the "Phantom Troupe" had regrouped, and Hisoka lost his chance to take out any lone members.
He also learned that Illumi had joined the Phantom Troupe and formed a temporary alliance with Chrollo. Hisoka's goal was to achieve victory at any cost, not to face pointless death.
With Chrollo and Illumi working together, and so many obstacles in his way, he knew he had to wait for the right moment.
When Germain's text arrived, Hisoka realized it was the best opportunity he had seen in months. With Germain and his companions backing him, he could have a one-on-one fight with Chrollo again.
So, Hisoka agreed and took the airship, arriving in the Kakin Empire faster than Germain, Kurapika, and Saiyu, even boarding the train at the same time as them.
This set the stage for the current situation.
Hisoka's sudden entry into the battle must have thrown Chrollo's original plan off balance, but he quickly adapted.
"Uvogin, Nobunaga, you deal with Germain," Chrollo said, conjuring an open book in his right hand, making a rustling sound. "Illumi, you can deal with the Monkey, right?"
His allocation was based on the actual situation on the site.
The combined efforts of Uvogin and Nobunaga came from countless bloody battles. In theory, there was no problem with them handling Germain, and it also satisfied their desire for revenge.
Chrollo understood Illumi's character well. Without absolute certainty, Illumi wouldn't take action. At most, he would only watch from the sidelines and wait for the right moment.
Chrollo had also recognized Germain's companion, "Monkey" Saiyu. The "Twelve Zodiacs of the Hunter Association" were quite famous.
He noticed that even though Saiyu stood next to Germain, his attitude was ambiguous, and he was also watching. It was very likely that he was another "Illumi" person.
It made sense for Illumi to deal with someone like him.
It wasn't realistic to expect Illumi to fight to the death, but if he could hold Saiyu back, that would be enough.
As for Kurapika, who was obviously a "newbie Nen user," Chrollo didn't take him seriously, so he wouldn't bother assigning someone to deal with him.
********
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