The Strongest Assassin of the Zoldyck Family!

Within her own abilities, Sally had always strived to do everything she could. Even if she failed, she knew she had given her all.

Because of this, Sally's strength was actually quite formidable—she had reached the level of a C-rank Nen user. However, having forgotten so much, if she were to fight now, she'd rely solely on instinct and muscle memory.

Late at night, Ron received a message. There was no match scheduled for him the next day. As a result, his application would be recorded, awaiting the next contestant who applied for a match. The Sky Arena would then pair them up and set a date for the battle. But by then, Ron would no longer be at the Sky Arena. Someone would be lucky enough to earn a victory without any effort.

Meanwhile, Nina had completed the preparations just in time. Although some items were still missing, they were just small things that could be easily explained away; Sally didn't suspect anything because of it.

A large bed over two meters wide comfortably accommodated the three of them.

"This is wonderful!" Sally exclaimed, looking at Nina and Shizuku beside her. "Having friends like you is amazing. Otherwise, with my lost memories, I wouldn't know where to go."

"If only I could remember," she sighed. "I don't want to lose the memories of our time together, especially how we became friends. But even if I can't recall, it's okay. I'll cherish you all in my heart and never forget again."

In the corner of the room, White Bear sprawled out in its dog bed, its massive form lying every which way. It didn't look like a dog at all—more like a person with no sense of sleeping posture. Sally couldn't help but smile.

The next morning, the first thing Shizuku did upon waking was open her notebook.

Curious, Sally asked, "Shizuku, what are you doing?"

"Shizuku has short-term memory loss," Nina explained, having just woken up. "She often forgets things, so she writes important stuff down in her notebook."

"I see," Sally nodded in understanding. "That must be tough for you, Shizuku, just like when I first realized I'd lost my memories."

After a moment of silence, Sally turned to Nina. "Nina, I didn't do anything bad to Shizuku because of her condition before, did I?"

"No, you've always been kind," Nina shook her head. "You treated Shizuku just like we treat you now—we're the best of friends."

"Really? That's a relief." Sally smiled again upon hearing this. "We're the best of friends!"

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Nina went to open it.

Ron stood outside.

"Nina, Lisa, Shizuku, I'm heading out," Ron said. "After I leave, just stick to the plan."

He looked at Nina. "Nina, keep an eye on them. After all, they both have memory issues."

Nina nodded. "Yes, Big Brother."

"If anything comes up, contact me right away."

"Understood."

With that, Ron turned and left, carrying his suitcase. He took the elevator down, where a car was already waiting for him.

---

The car sped along, and soon the massive airship terminal came into view. Ron boarded the airship according to his ticket and found his seat.

A burst of lively chatter filled the cabin. A group of children, accompanied by several adults, entered. They seemed to be students from a school participating in some group activity organized by their teachers.

Ron glanced at them before closing his eyes to rest.

"Excuse me, which class are you in?" A teacher stood beside Ron's seat, adjusting his glasses as he looked at him. "Could you tell me your name and student ID number?"

Because of the teacher's question, many students turned their attention toward Ron.

Ron opened his eyes. "I'm not a student at your school."

Another teacher quickly came over. "I'm so sorry; our colleague here has poor eyesight. Please forgive us."

"It's alright," Ron shook his head and closed his eyes again.

However, just before he did, he caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye.

"The Phantom Troupe's Shalnark?" Ron thought, frowning slightly. "Why is he here?"

Meteor City had just experienced chaos—the invasion by the KUTE thieves and the Underworld Mafia eyeing them from the outside. If the Phantom Troupe wanted to negotiate with the Elders, now would be the best time.

"However, after the major upheaval at their second experimental base and the Yorknew invasion, the Underworld Mafia probably doesn't have the resources to continue targeting Meteor City."

"Between Shalnark and me, who's stronger now?" Ron pondered.

Currently, Ron's strength was outstanding among C-rank Nen users. With the emergence of his fourth Nen Beast, he'd received significant feedback, boosting his aura capacity once again. Ordinary Shadow Beasts were no match for him anymore. As for the higher-ranked Shadow Beasts, Ron hadn't encountered them yet and couldn't make a judgment.

But at this point in time, Shalnark wasn't as strong as he would be during the Yorknew arc in the original storyline. Moreover, Shalnark's role was primarily that of an intelligence specialist, much like Chii; he wasn't particularly skilled in combat.

Just then, Shalnark also glanced in Ron's direction.

---

However, it wasn't because he'd noticed Ron's fleeting gaze. Instead, Shalnark had sensed the aura emanating from Ron.

"A Nen user?" Shalnark assessed Ron for a few moments. "At his age, possessing such aura? He's a genius, just like the Boss!"

Shalnark recalled scenes from his childhood. Back then, after the death of Sarasa, they had met a Nen instructor. A few years later, Chrollo made a decision that everyone agreed with—the official formation of the Phantom Troupe.

They all went to the place the Nen instructor had mentioned and learned Nen there. However, everyone progressed differently. Some learned quickly, while others struggled.

Chrollo was undoubtedly the most outstanding among them, followed by Feitan and Machi. Then came Uvogin, Phinks, Franklin, and Nobunaga. Shalnark himself and Pakunoda were comparatively slower.

Their later performances in strength corresponded to their initial aptitude when learning Nen. Gradually, Uvogin, who had been the strongest before learning Nen, was surpassed by Chrollo and Feitan. Phinks also surpassed Nobunaga.

Machi's situation was somewhat special. Initially, Shalnark had thought Machi had the highest talent among them because, before learning Nen, she was the only one who could see the aura around the Nen instructor; none of the others could. However, Machi's strength within the Phantom Troupe didn't become the highest but remained in the middle ranks.

"Maybe Machi's potential hasn't been fully tapped," Shalnark mused. "And then there's Sarasa. If Sarasa had learned Nen with us under that instructor, her talent would likely have been exceptional—probably even surpassing mine."

"Those who display strong personal traits before learning Nen often have greater talent. Sarasa and Chrollo are like that, just in different ways."

Shalnark fell into memories of his childhood.

"And then there's Sheila..."

Sheila had been Sarasa's best friend but was relatively distant from the others. When Chrollo decided to form the Phantom Troupe, Sheila didn't join. Instead, she chose to leave, deciding to seek justice for Sarasa in her own way—walking a different path than the Phantom Troupe.

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