Chapter 57: Opportunity

Hisoka belongs to the Transmutation category, bordering on the Enhancement and Conjuration categories.
Theoretically, Hisoka can harness 80% of Enhancement-type efficiency.
If used to hurl playing cards, the destructive power is still quite considerable.
Therefore, when Machi confronted Silva face-to-face, Hisoka, approaching from behind, was fully capable of launching a fatal ambush against Machi.
This is precisely one of the most common outcomes in Nen combat involving "numerical superiority"—the ability to eliminate a notoriously troublesome opponent within an extremely short span of time.
Yet, Hisoka's assault bypassed Machi...
From this, Moro perceived that Hisoka held an almost extreme regard for head-on combat, one that could even be called a bottom line.
Alongside a sense of lingering emotion at this realization, Moro could not help but feel a strong sense of regret.
Had he been the one to replace Hisoka in that exact position, he could have stealthily eliminated Machi and reaped a massive amount of leveling experience.
However, doing so would most likely have drawn the relentless pursuit of Chrollo and the others.
As for the rules of joining the Phantom Troupe?
Leaving aside the fact that it would be a sneak attack carried out during a Troupe operation...
The target of the stealth kill would be a founding member of the Troupe, as well as a companion who grew up alongside Chrollo and the others...
Under such circumstances, only a fool would believe in these so-called recruitment rules.
Moro had personally verified the truth of this logic.
Thus, in order to gain rewards, one must inevitably face risks.
Since he could not manage to stride fearlessly into the plaza right from the start like Hisoka did, he naturally did not deserve the opportunity to harvest a vast amount of experience just moments ago.
At this thought, Moro's regret instantly vanished like smoke into thin air.
Even if he were to live through it again, he would still choose to come to the rooftop of the tall building.
One tackles tasks commensurate with one's capabilities.
The subsequent risks of launching a surprise attack on a Troupe member in the open plaza were simply too great; compared to that course of action, Moro still preferred to snatch the head of Omokage, Member No. 4 of the Troupe, right out of Hisoka's hands.
If he remembered correctly, Omokage ultimately escaped by faking his death.
And Hisoka, fully aware of this fact, nevertheless allowed Omokage to leave.
Grasping this intelligence, he would decide whether or not to make a move depending on the situation.
Although there was a possibility of being targeted by Hisoka afterward, it was still far better than facing the majority of the Phantom Troupe head-on.
Moro reined in his stray thoughts and looked out into the distance at the figure stepping out from under the lights.
Whether it was an illusion or intentional on Hisoka's part,
Moro always felt that Hisoka's walking posture exuded a hint of alluring sensuality. If this were to fall into the eyes of the ambushed Omokage, it would undoubtedly constitute a hundred-percent provocative gesture, wouldn't it?
"A regular troublemaker is a fine thing. It would be best if you become the center of attention just like this, Hisoka."

Murmuring softly to himself, Moro closely monitored the shifting battle situation down in the plaza.
With Hisoka's sudden intervention, the standoff between Machi and Silva paused for a split second, while Omokage, the target of the assault, directed an icy glare toward Hisoka, who was sauntering over with swaying hips.
Immediately afterward, as time resumed its forward momentum, Machi refocused her primary attention back onto Silva.
"Nen Threads: Web."
Moro-ish—no, Machi abruptly raised both hands, and the Nen threads transformed through Nen-based transmutation turned into a crisscrossing fine mesh.
Although she was a natural Transmuter, her exceptional talent and grueling, diligent training endowed her with the ability to simultaneously unleash one hundred percent of Enhancement-type efficiency.
Consequently, her Nen threads possessed the properties of the Enhancement category.
"Don't even think about escaping."
Spreading the web of threads, Machi leaped backward. While briefly widening the distance, she instantly ramped up the output intensity of her aura, and then violently hurled forward the web whose surface area had suddenly expanded.
In an instant, the glimmering web enveloped Silva like the grid lines of a chessboard.
How could Silva be restrained by such a web? Employing the footwork of Rhythm Echo, he shook out a lingering afterimage right at the landing spot of the web, while his actual body had already circled around.
However, Machi possessed a pair of innate pupils capable of perceiving aura. Relying purely on her eyesight, she saw right through Silva's Rhythm Echo and instantly raised a hand to pull backward on a Nen thread connected to the net.
Under her manipulation, the web seemed to possess tracking capabilities as it chased relentlessly after Silva.
Witnessing this, Silva silently glanced at Machi, inwardly marveling at how formidable this group of people truly was.
While marveling, Silva's movements were by no means slow; he directly raised a hand and unleashed an aura blast toward the incoming web.
Boom!
The aura blast struck the web, and the resulting destructive force completely obliterated it.
"So fast..."
Seeing the astonishing speed with which Silva mobilized his aura and released the energy blast, Machi's pupils contracted slightly, deepening her acute awareness of Silva's true strength.
Yet, in her subsequent actions, she did not hesitate for even a fraction of a second due to Silva's formidable power.
Almost simultaneously with the detonation of the aura blast, Machi closed in on Silva's flank, the glimmer of Nen threads faintly flashing between her fingers.
The shorter her Nen threads, the greater their tensile strength.
The web of expanded surface area from just a moment ago had merely been a means to buy this exact opportunity.
Just as Machi intended to use her Nen threads to slice through parts of Silva's limbs, Silva twisted his waist with even greater velocity and lashed out with a kick squarely against her shoulder.
Thud.
A jellyfish-like wave of air pressure violently burst outward.
Mochi—Machi let out a muffled grunt, her entire body flying sideways like a cannonball.
Silva withdrew his leg, and just as he steadied his posture, his path was blocked by several bullets.
It was Pakunoda who had raised her revolver and opened fire.
Naturally, these few bullets stood no chance of harming Silva; they merely delayed him by a fraction of a second.
Simultaneously.
Holding playing cards between his fingers, Hisoka lunged forward toward Omokage with his upper body leaning ahead.
Along the way, he crossed paths with Machi, who was flying sideways through the air.
Their gazes intersected briefly in mid-air.
A flash of wariness and surprise crossed Machi's eyes, whereas Hisoka displayed only unadulterated combat intent.
The next instant.
Hisoka rushed up to Omokage, using his playing cards like a blade to slash directly at him.
Faced with Hisoka's swift and ferocious onslaught, Omokage didn't even have the chance to utter a single question regarding his identity before he was forced to leap backward in evasion, dodging Hisoka's card-slash.
Inevitably, his evasive maneuver granted Hisoka an opportunity for pursuit.
Hisoka stepped forward, retracting his right arm while simultaneously raising his knee to drive it straight into Omokage's abdomen.
Omokage's expression shifted as he crossed his arms downward to block Hisoka's knee strike.
Thud.
A dull impact echoed out.
Omokage managed to block the knee strike, but was sent flying backward by the sheer force accompanying it.
This was precisely the outcome Hisoka wished to see.
He had no desire to partake in a chaotic group brawl, so his intention was to isolate Omokage away from the main battlefield first.
"Boss...!"
Shalnark watched Hisoka barge into the fray, a frown involuntarily forming on his brow.
Chrollo glanced at Hisoka, who was pursuing Omokage like a rabid dog. Considering Omokage's ability to summon multiple puppets, Chrollo surmised there would be no major issues in the short term, and promptly made his decision: "Eliminate the one who killed Lucius first."
"Understood."
Shalnark and Kortopi unconditionally trusted Chrollo's arrangements, both moving in close toward Silva instantly.
Up on the rooftop of the tall building.
Moro watched Hisoka's maneuver of isolating Omokage from the battlefield, as well as the tactical reaction of Chrollo and the others focusing on dealing with Silva, and a thought sparked in his mind.
An opportunity!