Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

In less than three minutes since they'd met, Bisky had already started feeling an instinctive unease. This reaction couldn't be natural; it was far too easy to fall under Beyond's influence.

Beyond was even more intimidating than she had imagined.

Especially for people like them, who were close to Chairman Netero, he held an almost irresistible allure.

However, she had to resist and stand with Germain and the others—they were her true allies.

"If you have anything to discuss, let's talk right here," Bisky said, forcing her expression and tone to remain cool and distant.

Beyond smirked slightly, raising his internal assessment of the old man's disciple by a few more points.

However, his interest lay more in the man standing beside Bisky: Germain.

Just a moment ago, Beyond had been quietly observing each of them.

Among them, Shizuku stood with her hands slightly raised, clearly in the starting stance for activating her Nen ability.

Through her black-rimmed glasses, she scanned those around her with suspicion.

Although she glanced at Beyond once, she quickly looked away, as if abandoning the idea, and focused her attention on keeping an eye on Saiyu, Muherr (the mercenary leader), and the others.

It was a wise judgment. This young woman took one look and immediately sensed the overwhelming gap in strength between us, so she decisively withdrew and focused on opponents within her capabilities.

Beyond turned his gaze to observe the other two.

Sheila looked terrified, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Kurapika, on the other hand, appeared relatively composed.

It was clear that, under Germain's guidance, he had learned to control his aura and emotions well. Yet, in Beyond's eyes, he still had many weaknesses, as his training time had been too short.

Of all the people present, only Germain stood silently beside Bisky, holding his aura in check, containing his Nen.

This didn't mean he had given up on fighting.

On the contrary, it was as though he had compressed a spring to its limit; his stance was ready to explode into action at any moment.

Elite level Nen users and above often visualize certain moments of the impending battle in their minds before it even begins, almost like predicting the future.

This process resembles a mental war simulation, drawing from vast amounts of information processed at high speed.

Beyond glanced at Saiyu, then at Muherr, who had sharp, elf-like ears reminiscent of a creature from Western mythology, and smiled faintly.

You both must have seen it by now, haven't you?

Indeed, upon seeing Germain's stance and sensing his aura, Saiyu and Muherr had both envisioned something.

Saiyu saw a cleaver slashing across his face, while Muherr saw a Firearm blasting through his chest.

Both of them stood there, bodies frozen, minds racing, trying to find a new approach for attack.

At that moment, yet another vision flashed in their minds.

Saiyu saw himself engulfed in flames from a flamethrower, while Muherr saw a spiral staff piercing his lower body.

This wasn't an accurate vision of the future, of course, as there were too many complex variables involved, and neither Saiyu nor Muherr could be sure if Germain had other tricks or hidden cards up his sleeve.

But even so, it was something hard for them to accept.

Both of them frowned, deep in thought, their minds once again battling against Germain. Outwardly, they appeared as if they were simply daydreaming.

Beside them, Beyond stroked his long beard, retracting his gaze before he looked directly at Germain, peering past Bisky, who stood in front of him.

The moment he saw Germain, Beyond realized that this man's "aura" far exceeded his own.

Although a strong aura alone couldn't determine the outcome of a battle, it was still astonishing.

Beyond could resist Germain's overwhelming aura, but Saiyu and Muherr were not so fortunate.

As for the weaker mercenaries, all they felt was a chilling sensation. They couldn't see the aura's full manifestation, which, in a way, was a blessing for them.

In response to Bisky's words, Beyond let out a hearty laugh.

"To be honest, this isn't the best place for a talk. I can't fully express my sincerity here. But yes, some things are better laid out from the start."

"Was it you who killed the Fourth Prince Tserriednich?" Beyond glanced at Kurapika. "I already learned from Saiyu that you people have quite the interest in the 'Scarlet Eyes.'"

The atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically once again.

But Beyond, seemingly oblivious, continued speaking.

"When the prince's collection disappeared, we guessed it was probably you… This has put us in a difficult position. The Kakin Royal Family is our biggest sponsor, after all."

"If you can't offer us something truly beneficial, I won't be able to completely smooth things over for you."

"It's a real shame. We had such a promising collaboration ahead of us, but it's all been ruined by trivial matters like this."

"Who killed whose family, who had their eyes taken—compared to the 'Dark Continent,' such things are insignificant. I abandoned all notions of family half a century ago."

Kurapika narrowed his eyes, while Sheila silently prayed, trembling.

At that moment, Beyond's aura surged, towering over Germain like a giant, giving him an intense sense of pressure.

"Do you know the Four Great Classical Novels? I enjoy reading them in my spare time, to pass the time."

"I would much prefer to form a 'Peach Garden Oath' with you rather than 'drive you up Liang Mountain.'"

"Whether you're willing or not, I've waited half a century. I want Kakin's 'means,' as well as your 'means.'"

Beyond made a declaration of his unwavering ambition.

In the original timeline, shortly after Chairman Netero's death due to the "Ant King's" brutal attack and the explosion of the "Poor Man's Rose," the Kakin Empire and Beyond launched an expedition to the "Dark Continent."

They planned to board a massive tanker, the "Black Whale," or "BW1," which could accommodate up to 200,000 people in a single voyage.

Obviously, this type of ship couldn't be built and launched in just a few months. It would require a long period of construction and testing, likely several years.

This raises the implication that the Kakin Empire and Beyond may have somehow anticipated Chairman Netero's death and made secret preparations. It's hard not to consider conspiracy theories under these circumstances.

Could the so-called "Chimera Ant Disaster" have been orchestrated by the Kakin Empire and Beyond?

The "Chimera Ant invasion of the Six Continents" has historical precedence, which is why professional Hunters like Kite were so familiar with the Chimera Ants' behaviors, originating from the "Dark Continent."

Chimera Ants, with their strict, pyramid-like social hierarchy, revolve around their central figure—the "Ant Queen."

Even after the "Ant King" is born, breaking away from this hierarchy, only the "Ant King and his Royal Guard" fully detach; most of the remaining Chimera Ants continue to gather around the Queen.

The "Ant King" would then forcefully attempt to create a new "Ant Queen" by mating with other species, initiating a new cycle.

Ordinarily, the Queen wouldn't leave the nest, as she's heavily guarded by numerous Chimera Ants.

Yet, the end result was that she was found injured, drifting alone in the sea near the NGL Nation.

It's hard not to think this was more than a coincidence.

Furthermore, the "Chimera Ant Disaster" may not have been the first attack aimed at Chairman Netero in the past half-century.

This was likely the last attempt, and the only successful one.

Evidence may not even be necessary; often, whoever benefits most is the prime suspect as the mastermind.

Beyond operates this way—ruthless even toward his own father.

Now that he's finally captured Germain and the others, he won't let them escape.

Next, he plans to extract Germain's "methods" and then use Kurapika or the lives of Shizuku and Sheila to give the Kakin royal family an answer.

That is all. 

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