Phantom Troupe's Web

Chapter 53.

"Found them!" Shizuku's voice rings throughout the deteriorating building, her stature walking over to the long-haired adolescent who places the item in front of them, two of their fingers gently laying on top of the tube lids.

The teenager activated their En, a soft white glow encasing their small body. "Got it. There's something of the same shape approximately 2,500 meters in that direction," they inform the group, pointing a finger to their left as an indication of the direction. "We should hurry. The effects of the En will fade in a few hours," the adolescent explains to the ringleaders of the troupe.

"Do you have a map?" Chrollo asks, looking over his shoulder at Phinks who pulls out one and hands it over. He opens it, analysing the colourful imagery as he searches the general direction Kortopi had pointed. "North-northeast...2,500 meters. The Beitacle Hotel," he identifies the location of the copied Scarlet Eyes.

"Boss," Nobunaga calls, stepping forward to the man and the woman beside him. "Let me go. Please," he requests.

Chrollo stared at the swordsman for a moment, thinking to himself before agreeing to his proposition. "But I'm coming with you," he interjected before glancing over at three of the troupe members. "Paku, Machi, Shizuku – you're coming too. Shal, you'll switch with Kortopi," the ravenette orders, turning to look at the named members before looking back at his right-hand companion. "Iris. You know what to do."

The dichromatic-haired woman waves a dismissive hand, silently bidding the group goodbye as their footsteps descend into silence; their figures fading into the shadows of the dimly lit hideout. Illuki lets out a soft sigh, turning her head to meet the yellow orbs of mischief; the two of them hold contact for a few seconds, a sinister smirk appearing on the magician's painted face which causes the female to scoff, turning away from his gaze and standing up – gathering the remaining members' attention.

"I'm bored. Shall we play a game of cards~?" she suggests with a singing tone, offering them a closed-eye smile.

•••

Unknown to the eldest Zoldyck, her younger brother sits in the rain – wearing a black hoodie zip-up to blend with the night. He peers over at the plot of seemingly new buildings with Melody from the rooftop, their hands cupped around their ears.

"The rain keeps me from hearing what's being said, but there are people talking over there," the bucktooth female tells the assassin heir, pointing in front of them in the direction she had been talking about. "Judging by the footsteps, there are five or six, including some women. They're heading in the opposite direction from those abandoned buildings," the soft-spoken hunter informs, leading the investigation.

"That's amazing," Killua comments, lowering his hands from his ears, perplexed by her hearing ability. "Gon and I have trained hard, but I can't hear a thing."

"This just happens to be my ability. For Kurapika to ask me for help...He must be getting really desperate," Melody says, the two of them jogging after the troupe members through the town. "He wants to do everything himself, right?" she asks.

"Oh...Yeah, that's true," Killua agrees. He doesn't mention his sister. He doesn't mention how there's only one member of the Phantom Troupe who cannot be killed by Kurapika's chains.

It's silent between the pair for a moment before the petite woman speaks, turning to look over at the white-haired boy. "Would you happen to be an assassin?" she questions, explaining how his silent footsteps gave away his previous profession before halting and painting forward. "They're 100 meters around the next corner."

"You can pick out their footsteps?" the Zoldyck heir asks. Before Melody can answer or make them turn back, she finds the young boy climbing a building and calling their mutual friend on his friends. From the roof of the building, he peers over the railing to see a group of Spiders walking casually in the streets. "The woman's here. She's with her buddies. There are six of them moving together. The guy with the topknot's here too," Killua reports to the trio of Hunters, using binoculars to spy on the troupe members. "One more thing. There's also a guy that we didn't see yesterday. I bet he's the leader. Nee-chan isn't with them either," he adds, glancing at them.

"Can you describe him?" Gon asks, referring to the unknown man the two of them hadn't seen before.

"He's wearing a purple coat with a reverse cross on the back. He has black, slick-back hair. I can't see his face," Killua describes before retreating and grumbling into the phone. "And they're very alert! I'm too afraid to circle around front!"

"Where are you now?" Kurapika's voice suddenly appears through the device, holding a map in his hands.

The white-haired boy discloses his current location, trailing after the group of Spiders who enter a train cart; he briefly hangs up the call with the trio, feeling the device vibrate in his pocket – an indication, from Melody who was in the same cart as the Spiders, to know when they'd leave. He dials the blonde hunter back, informing him where he and Melody are before getting hung up on.

Rain falls on the city, soaking bypassers while clouds cover the night sky. Among the passengers leaving the station, a group of six thieves walk down the stairs in all their glory – Chrollo leading them. "It's moving," Kortopi tells the group, glancing in the direction of the copied item. "Descending slowly," they describe the movement.

"An elevator," Chrollo answers the Conjurer's description of its movements before asking his own question. "Are they leaving?"

"Let's hurry, boss," Nobunaga urges.

Chrollo turns to the three women behind him, talking with an even tone. "We'll apprehend him as a group. Stay close enough to provide assistance. Pakunoda, once we capture him, get information on Uvo," he instructs them before turning his back on them. "After that, Nobunaga, they're all yours. Go!"

Instantly, the group break out into a sprint, heading for the hotel. They run along the side of buildings to prevent getting caught in foot traffic, bouncing over amazed, umbrella-covered civils as they pursue the supposed chain user. "Target moving forty kilometres per hour, towards two o'clock," the one-eyed teen informs their comrades, unfazed by the rain and cardio.

"He must have gotten into a car," Chrollo responds. The group hop onto the streets, sprinting ahead in silence when the leader breaks it. "We're being followed."

"Since when?" Machi asks, glancing sideways with her peripheral vision.

"Oops, I was too focused on chasing the target," Shizuku comments, focusing ahead.

Nobunaga curses under his breath, pulling his sword from its cover and throwing the fabric away. "Is the chain user behind or in front of us?" he asks, grunting in frustration.

"Nobunaga, Pakunoda and Kortopi – go ahead," the ravenette orders, the named trio rushing forward before he and the other two turn – halting their movements to face their pursuers. "Did you see them?" the leader asks the short-haired woman and pink-haired woman who vaguely answers him with the chasers' locations – one behind the trash bin and the other hidden in the alleyway. "Okay. Keep using Gyo," Chrollo tells the girls, walking ahead towards the seemingly empty street with Machi and Shizuku following after him.