Phinks muttered under his breath before suddenly raising his voice.
"Well, the leader did say so."
Shalnark nodded knowingly. "Yeah, with all these clues piling up, I can't believe there's no connection between that Leiert family and the mysterious figure!"
Phinks cracked his knuckles, his tone growing colder and more menacing.
"Once this chain-user business is over and I've got the chance, I'm heading straight to the Leiert family to get some answers."
"Count me in," Feitan said in a muffled voice, before retreating into silence once more.
Shalnark smirked and tapped at his phone. "I've got a photo of that Paikasi here. Make sure you recognize him when you see him."
He pressed a couple of buttons, and soon the picture circulated among the group.
Machi studied the image, her frown deepening. Something about it didn't sit right with her, but she couldn't pinpoint why. That uneasy feeling gnawed at her—a vague sense that something wasn't adding up.
"The Leiert family... and Paikasi..."
Ronnel, standing silently nearby, rolled his eyes in exasperation as he listened to their conversation. Sure, they'd pinpointed the right family, but the level of misunderstanding was comical.
They've zeroed in on Paikasi, the bodyguard uncle who's practically invisible... Talk about someone getting dragged into this for no reason. Should I warn them? Nah, not my problem.
"Alright," Shalnark said, taking his phone back, "while we keep tabs on Paikasi, we still need to figure out what to do about the boss being kidnapped."
Just as he finished, the shrill ring of a phone broke the tension.
"Looks like it's from the boss's phone," Phinks muttered, pulling his phone out and eyeing the caller ID. His expression darkened.
After a glance around at the others, he pressed accept. "Moshi moshi?"
On the other end, Kurapika's cold voice cut through the line. "Listen carefully. I'm giving you three orders."
Phinks froze. Everyone in the room fell silent, their attention now fully on him. Kurapika continued:
"First: Do not follow us. Second: Do not harm the hostages. Third: Let Pakunoda answer the phone."
Phinks' jaw tightened in frustration. "The two brats are already half-dead," he snapped, trying to provoke a reaction.
Click.
Kurapika hung up without a word, leaving Phinks glowering at his phone. After some back-and-forth, Pakunoda reluctantly stepped forward to take the call. She listened in silence, her expression grim, and when the call ended, she turned to the others.
"Head back to the base. I'll meet them alone," she said firmly before leaving the hotel.
As Pakunoda disappeared through the doors, Phinks, Shalnark, and Feitan exchanged glances. A moment later, they all stepped forward.
"Wait! What do you think you're doing?" Machi's voice rose sharply, stopping them in their tracks.
"The chain-user said we all had to return to base," Machi argued, "and Pakunoda is supposed to go alone."
"Yeah, that's what he said," Phinks replied with a shrug, tilting his head. "But so what?"
"If we don't follow his orders, the boss will be killed!"
"And if the boss dies," Feitan interjected, his voice cold and dismissive, "then we kill the chain-user in return."
Shalnark chimed in, his tone casual but resolute. "If Pakunoda goes alone, there's no guarantee she'll make it back. I'm with Phinks and Feitan on this one."
The tension in the room grew palpable.
"I agree with Machi,"
"We should follow the orders and head back to the base."
The divide was clear: two factions with entirely different approaches.
Phinks turned his sharp gaze toward Ronnel. "What about you, Ron? You've been quiet. What's your take?"
Ronnel paused, feeling the weight of their stares. After a moment, he shrugged.
"The rule's simple: the survival of the troupe comes before the life of the leader. If the boss dies, someone else can take his place."
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