HxH: I Will Be Supreme

Two days later, Oboro's team was finally assembled.

In the square in front of the Fells' palace, Oboro and five others stood ready, his private airship docked nearby.

Now, only Hisoka was absent.

"Too slow."

Oboro checked his phone and frowned.

Their men were busy counting tools and supplies.

In addition, Oboro planned to use the family's resources to set up a small base near the borders of East Gorteau for communication with the outside world. Once inside the country, they couldn't take any technology with them.

Including telephones.

Of the six present, two were Nen users hired by Mafia families, chosen by Oboro specifically for their practical Nen skills.

The best of limited options.

In raw power, they were far behind Mondel, the security captain of the Fells family.

The other three included a hacker named Dama, a bespectacled girl who resembled a top student, only seventeen this year.

Introverted and shy, she was in charge of gathering and transmitting information, mainly contacting the Association and researching the Bozwa people before joining.

She joined for the money and had little choice.

Another, who handled logistics, brought extensive expedition experience and medical expertise. Pingsen looked every bit the mercenary, highly capable.

The last, Dangeri, proved vital to the team. He'd been to East Gorteau before and understood the inner workings of the small nation. He was also an expert in environmental studies and climate, a former tour guide. He knew tribal cultures, languages, impressive knowledge.

A complete team needed many talents.

For extended missions and journeys, a gourmet hunter proved invaluable, people always needed to eat.

Time constraints forced Oboro to make compromises.

Finally, a black car arrived and stopped in front of the group.

Hisoka slowly stepped out of the door.

His gaze found Oboro in his neat suit, of course, and their eyes met.

"Been a while."

Hisoka smiled.

Although years had passed, there was no strangeness between them. Even for Oboro, the separation didn't feel long. The time had passed too quickly.

But Hisoka's aura, especially his eyes, did.

Oboro was sure that this man had become more unstable beyond aging.

Despite knowing everything about him, Oboro still couldn't like him.

He didn't know what Hisoka had experienced in the past years and he didn't care.

"We are leaving."

Oboro pointed blankly to the nearby airship and turned to climb the ladder first.

"It seems that not much has changed, except for the smell."

Hisoka narrowed his eyes, barely hiding his excitement as he whispered mosquito-softly.

The seven boarded one by one and the airship took off for East Gorteau.

Departure from Padokea.

Though small and cramped, the private craft was luxuriously appointed.

Dama and the others quickly went into work mode, discussing mission development and details in a separate cabin lounge, taking no chances.

Their employer was an underworld kingpin. The reward was substantial, but failure could be fatal.

Oboro and Hisoka entered the dining room together.

They found a table and sat down.

A steward served juice.

"You've become an association hunter?" Hisoka chuckled.

"Mm."

Oboro nodded.

"Is it interesting?"

Hisoka's tone suggested a deeper meaning.

"Not bad, lots of strong people. You could join if you are interested."

Oboro spoke lightly.

"Given your personality, you wouldn't ask for help so easily, so this mission could be fatal. Taking such risks and bringing so many people means that success will bring generous rewards! What's the price?"

"I don't even know."

Oboro met his gaze directly.

"You can't fool me. In this world, only power moves you to action, blindly, madly. Just like in Glam Gas Land, training day and night."

Hisoka spoke slowly.

"You came knowing that?"

Oboro remained indifferent.

"I fear you might die. After all, you can only die at my hands."

"Do not be naive. You have no chance to win now."

His eyes became cold and silent.

"Hehe."

So familiar.

Hisoka's expression became playful, this was the Oboro he knew.

He'd stayed at the Fells' residence recently and had learned about Oboro's last years, especially during the Heaven's Arena. From Lily's description, Oboro seemed warm.

But in Glam Gas Land, at the Moritonio Circus, Oboro maintained constant vigilance, extreme tension, deep coldness. Why? Because Oboro felt oppression, life-threatening pressure hovering above him, ready to strike at any moment!

Even Hisoka, an outsider, clearly felt this pressure.

The Oboro before him now was exactly the same.

Cold and ruthless.

His true face.

No pretense could change that.

It revealed the danger of this mission.

As they spoke, Dama entered with a laptop and nervously addressed Oboro: "Captain, the association procedures are complete. We can enter immediately after landing. I also found some information, deleted footage from an East Gorteau TV station. Just one clip they failed to completely erase, found in backups."

Oboro had instructed everyone to call him captain instead of boss.

The other four team members entered the dining room.

The screen began to play.

East Gorteau soldiers were gunning down scores of Bozwa in a forest. The scene was horrific.

The video, clearly filmed by a war correspondent, lasted only a few seconds.

Before detailed observation was possible, the image froze and the screen darkened.

"What was that?"

Nen user Kaki exclaimed beside them, apparently noticing something.

Oboro had already raised his hand, replaying the video and pausing on the last frame.

A shadow flew toward the camera, frozen in midair.

Its clothing identified it as a member of the Bozwa tribe.

The problem: the blurred figure was clearly dead.

The head was missing, organs spilled from the abdomen.

How could a corpse move with such speed and strength?

Oboro looked to Dangeri.

The guide spoke immediately, "East Gorteau's dictatorship operates purely on the whims of the monarch. The common people face nothing but oppression and exploitation. During my last visit, I heard that the then monarch was forcing mass conscription for the reconstruction of the capital. Disobedience meant immediate execution.

"The monarchy is inherited. The new ruler seems more brutal, but tribes like the Bozwa generally maintain small numbers in remote areas. Detection proves difficult. A massacre of this magnitude suggests an irreconcilable conflict with the military."

"East Gorteau may contain rich mineral deposits."

"You're suggesting the Bozwa tribe's territory overlaps with the resources the kingdom plans to mine," Oboro inquired.

"Yes."

Dangeri nodded.

None of this contextual information turned out to be central.

It wasn't mission-critical.

The key was to uncover the hidden threat of the Bozwa tribe. The conflict between East Gorteau and the tribe was outside the parameters of the mission.

"Under what circumstances can a person still fight after death?"

He looked at Hisoka.

"My thoughts mirror yours."

Hisoka didn't answer directly but smiled slightly and seemed to follow Oboros argument.

Such violations of common sense could only be explained by "Nen".