"They still got caught?"
By the evening of September 3rd, Xiang Nan received a photo.
It was from Hisoka.
Inside the Troupe's temporary hideout, Gon and Killua had been brought before the Spiders.
They got caught because they got involved in the Ten Dons' bounty operation targeting the Troupe.
Originally—back when the plot hadn't been altered and Uvogin was dead—the Troupe didn't know who the chain user was. They would've mistaken Gon and Killua as allies of the enemy and tested them. But now, things had changed. Uvogin was still alive… which meant there was no longer any need to keep them alive.
And knowing the Troupe, they'd kill the two without hesitation.
Even though they weren't flaunting their survival after Uvogin's incident, these two kids still managed to pick up a trail.
Gon and Killua really did have talent.
Or maybe it was just fate.
Either way, by this point, Hisoka had only one option—go to Xiang Nan.
Because he knew—at this moment, the only one the Spiders would listen to was Xiang Nan.
Otherwise… Gon and Killua were as good as dead.
As soon as he saw the message, Xiang Nan gave Shalnark a call.
"Alright."
Shalnark didn't ask any questions. After hearing Xiang Nan's order not to touch the two brats, he agreed immediately.
He didn't know what Gon and Killua's relationship with Xiang Nan was, but to prevent any leaks or interference with tonight's operation, there was no way they could let them go. So for now, they'd just be locked up.
After all, Xiang Nan only said "don't kill them"… not "don't restrain them."
It was a lucky coincidence, then, that Nobunaga—just like in the original story—ended up as their jailer again.
The Spiders had more important things to deal with tonight. Two surprise intruders weren't their priority.
At 9 PM, in the cemetery building of Yorknew City, a major underground auction would begin.
This was the Troupe's big chance to take out the Ten Dons.
Chrollo had already arrived at the venue and made contact with Neon, the treasured daughter of the Nostrade family.
Because of Kurapika, the Troupe had already investigated the Nostrades thoroughly. They'd discovered how much the family head cared about Neon—and how fiercely he protected her.
To put it bluntly, the Nostrades only rose to power so quickly because of Neon's naturally awakened Nen ability.
Chrollo was very interested.
Xiang Nan, posing as a participant from the underworld, had also made his way into the venue.
Earlier that day, the mafia had already recruited a group of elite assassins and Nen users—including Silva and Zeno Zoldyck, Kurapika, and others.
Many of them were the same side characters Chrollo killed in the original story.
At this point, the Ten Dons were convinced the Spiders had already slipped into the venue.
After the Shadow Beasts were wiped out and the earlier clashes with the Troupe, there was no turning back. The battle was already underway.
Glass in hand, Xiang Nan scanned the extravagant hall just in time to see Chrollo—disguised as a refined nobleman—knock Neon unconscious and quietly take her away. He smiled faintly.
Neon's ability, Lovely Ghostwriter, was a divination‑type Nen power—basically a future-predicting skill. And in Xiang Nan's eyes, it was extremely rare… and very important. If he planned to send the Troupe into the Reincarnation Dimension, then an ability like that could be game-changing.
They could use it to predict what might happen in a new world before stepping into it. As a future teammate, Chrollo obtaining this ability through Skill Hunter was a strategic win for the whole squad.
But shortly after Chrollo left, Xiang Nan noticed movement from some of the mafia higher-ups in the venue.
This had been a trap from the start.
Clearly, the Ten Dons had laid out their countermeasures for the infiltrating Spiders.
Xiang Nan downed the rest of his drink, shoved his hands in his pockets, and strolled off in the direction Chrollo had gone.
After a bit of walking, he reached the dark top floor and found Chrollo in a spacious, hidden room.
"You made it," Chrollo said with a faint smile. "Here to enjoy my performance?"
He already knew what the Ten Dons were up to.
And he was aware that the venue was crawling with top-tier enemies.
They'd probably show up any minute.
"I saw it already—the one in the hallway."
Xiang Nan casually gestured behind him. One of the minor characters had already been taken out by Chrollo.
It was the long-haired assassin who liked folding paper cranes.
"Just a warm-up," Chrollo chuckled.
"You get his ability already?" Xiang Nan asked.
"Yup."
"Quick work."
Xiang Nan gave him a nod of approval.
He glanced at the "hostage" tied to a chair, completely still. Another one of the Dons' hired assassins, clearly.
Just bait for whoever showed up next.
"They're here…"
Xiang Nan's expression shifted. He glanced toward the dark hallway just beyond the door. "You need help?"
"Nah, just sit back and enjoy the show."
Chrollo opened his conjured book and summoned Indoor Fish.
Two fish swam out and started eating away at the hostage's flesh, drawing muffled cries of pain.
Xiang Nan shrugged and walked over to a corner, fading into the shadows.
A moment later, a glint of cold steel shot through the door—straight for the hostage.
But Chrollo, hidden behind the chair, casually caught the knife mid-air.
He leaned out just slightly, calmly staring toward the empty hallway. "Come on out. Just the two of us now—no interruptions. Let's play, shall we?"
"Heh-heh."
With a low laugh, another side character stepped into view—the same one who died to Chrollo in the original.
He wore camo gear and a red military cap.
His grin was full of bloodlust, excited by the idea of a brutal fight.
From the shadows, Xiang Nan silently watched as Chrollo and the assassin clashed in a fast, violent battle.
Of course, he already knew how it would end.
And sure enough, before long… the "hostage" in the chair had changed.
Now it was the red-capped assassin, getting chewed on by Indoor Fish.
His face was frozen in horror.
"Heh… don't forget the two Zoldycks are still out there," Xiang Nan's voice drifted from the darkness.
Only then did the red-cap realize someone else had been in the room the whole time.
"No big deal. I trust the Zoldycks' efficiency."
Chrollo smiled. Once the fish had devoured most of the body, he smashed the suite's sealed window. The fish immediately vanished into the night.
They were in a penthouse. Even though the door had been open the whole time, the room had been completely sealed.
A cold breeze swept in.
Chrollo unwrapped the cloth from his head and looked out at the glowing skyline of Yorknew. Eyes closed, arms raised like a conductor, he started to move in rhythm—completely immersed in this "symphony of slaughter."
Xiang Nan watched his back.
He had to admit—Chrollo's presence and charisma were magnetic.
He always had everything calculated, stayed calm, and adapted to every situation with surgical precision.
And when he mentioned the Zoldycks' "efficiency," he was referring to Illumi, who had already accepted the mission to kill the Ten Dons.
If Illumi had taken the job, there was no chance of failure.
So as long as Chrollo could stall against Silva and Zeno, he'd be fine.
Even if something went wrong and he couldn't buy enough time, he was confident he wouldn't die—not to those two.
Because Xiang Nan was here.
On the surface, the Troupe's relationship with Xiang Nan looked like one of subordination.
But Chrollo was sure of one thing: to Xiang Nan, the Spiders were valuable.
And as long as they were valuable, Xiang Nan wouldn't let him die.
He'd factored Xiang Nan into his plan from the beginning—and had already guessed Xiang Nan would show up.
That's why he'd been so calm when they met.
"He's using me…"
Of course, Chrollo didn't know the future plot. All his moves came from cold, logical deduction. Not knowing if he could survive against two Zoldycks, using an "outsider" like Xiang Nan as backup made perfect sense.
Xiang Nan raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed by the fact that he'd been calculated into Chrollo's strategy.
Because he knew—he wouldn't need to lift a finger.