The fighter was beaten badly by Feitan.
During the beating, the fighter still laughed loudly, "Haha... Levi... Hahahahaha... Ackerman... Hahahaha..."
When Feitan first made his move, Shalnark took out a lollipop from his game inventory and began watching the show with it in his mouth.
Everyone in the Troupe thought Shalnark liked sweets, which was true, but the main reason he was eating a lollipop at this moment was to patch up the spider tattoo on his tongue. This product for creating fake tattoos came from the Zoldycks, thanks to their technical support.
Shalnark himself didn't know who "Levi Ackerman" was, so Feitan directly obtained some information from Shalnark himself.
The interrogation went smoothly, with Shalnark telling them almost everything.
"Who is Levi Ackerman?"
"A corporal from the Wings of Freedom."
"What kind of organization is the Wings of Freedom?"
"Fighting giants and exploring beyond the walls."
Who understands this stuff! So who exactly is that Levi guy!
Shalnark, no, he should be called "Erwin Smith, the thirteenth generation leader of the Wings of Freedom," patted Feitan's shoulder. "I understand."
The fact that Shalnark, who was being beaten badly by Feitan, could still stand demonstrated Feitan's exceptional affection for his spiders (companions).
Previously, when the red-eyed (referring to the "Scarlet Eyes" state) Shalnark had caught Shalnark and called him "Leader," Shalnark immediately realized that Shalnark's mental state was not right. As a weak, helpless, and pitiable non-combatant member of the Troupe, considering the possibility of being mistaken for death by Shalnark, he decisively passed the hot potato to Feitan, who lived up to expectations and took it.
What does "companion" mean?
This is true "companionship"!
So when he was being beaten by Feitan, he didn't fight back at all, and it had nothing to do with whether he could defeat Feitan originally!
"Suddenly promoted to the position of 'Leader,' I feel I must share the joy with you. It's a kind gesture." The pat on the shoulder aggravated his injuries, and Shalnark covered his chest area, stabilizing his fractured ribs. "Even if our names have changed, we are still the same team."
"Don't you believe in the Leader's ability?" Feitan retorted.
"...That's a different matter." Machi's words were cut short.
"There is a final plan," Chrollo stated. "If that doesn't work, we'll have to make other arrangements."
[Reset]
To recreate the most deeply imprinted experiences, selectively replace and guide parts of experiences, implant changed concepts into the subconscious, and help change behavioral habits and solve psychological problems. This requires artificial induction of relaxation, monotonous stimulation, focused attention, imagination, and so on, to create a special psychological state of consciousness akin to sleep yet not sleep, a state of trance, etc.
In simple terms, it's another round of [Sleep Deprivation], to compensate for Shalnark's regret of not seeing anyone upon waking up. Because that was when she started going crazy.
It is not necessary, nor is it possible, to completely replicate the previous [Sleep Deprivation]. In their tests, they discovered that Shalnark subconsciously avoided that memory.
"Don't let anyone sleep, and effectively resolve negative emotions during that time... I happen to know some methods..." Chrollo murmured.
"No." x3
The three members, who rarely questioned Chrollo's statements, unanimously rejected Chrollo's idea, causing Chrollo to look confused.
Shalnark: "Stop playing around, Leader, you'll break it."
Feitan: "Leader, things you're interested in usually don't end well."
Machi: "...Mm."
"...Alright." Chrollo slumped his shoulders. His bangs had already fallen down, making his baby face look exceptionally youthful. His enthusiasm was suddenly dampened, looking very childlike. "Since Feitan and Machi both said so."
The interrogation expert and the unerring intuition had the same opinion, alright.
Shalnark: What about my opinion?!
After collecting all the little yellow rubber ducks scattered on the floor, Shalnark told Machi that one of the 999 little yellow ducks was missing.
Everyone searched, but couldn't find the last one.
Excluding the possibility of miscounting, then...
"Who has the last one?" Machi scanned the other three suspects.
Shalnark: "I don't."
Feitan: "I don't either."
Chrollo: "..."
Stare—x3
"...Alright." Chrollo placed the duck in Shalnark's hand, smiling as he explained, "A bit of occupational hazard."
"..." x3
Whether this statement was true or false was hard to tell, but Chrollo was indeed an unashamed habitual thief, stealing the Nen abilities painstakingly cultivated by countless Nen users.
The final plan commenced, with Shalnark, Feitan, and Machi taking turns to execute it, each with their own methods to keep Shalnark awake. Chrollo, excluded from the execution team, idly read a book or went for a walk, very leisurely.
"It probably wasn't necessary to call Machi," Feitan said to Chrollo when they were alone. "The current personnel configuration is a bit too coincidental—a cruel sense of humor."
"Who knows," Chrollo chuckled.
But it did contain a cruel sense of humor; all Troupe members who had close contact with Shalnark were gathered.
Before the more interesting developments could unfold, someone rang the doorbell of the seaside villa.
Closing his book and placing it on the sofa, Chrollo opened the door for the uninvited guest.
"Hello, sorry to bother you." The young man (185cm) standing at the door, like Chrollo (177cm), had black hair and black eyes. His tone of voice when speaking to people was equally polite, and his hair length was similar.
The biggest difference was their height; no, it was their eyes. Chrolo's eyes were as deep as obsidian, while the young man's eyes were like inorganic glass.
"Nice to meet you. No, I should say it's been a long time." Chrollo could not forget these eyes, because their owner had almost killed him more than ten years ago (Chapter 53). At that time, the other party appeared younger than him, but his displayed skills had left a deep impression on him. "Illumi."
"Ah, I didn't expect you to still remember me." Illumi raised his eyebrows in surprise, then added a slight curve to his lips, his tone clearly taking on a pleasant inflection. "Then it will be much easier, as there's no need for additional introductions. My sister is here, isn't she?"
"She's probably a bit busy right now," Chrollo replied.
"My sister and I have a se-cret-trans-ac-tion that has yet to be completed. I haven't been able to contact her these past few days, so..."
"Would you like to come in and wait?" Chrollo, as if being understanding, generously stepped aside from the doorway, making an inviting gesture.
"Mm." Illumi's expression returned to being blank.
As Illumi stepped inside, the door behind him quietly closed.
Click.