Hunter x Hunter 279

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Hunter x Hunter
#279: Escape
[Text: The third floor of the central tower... // ...being protected by Morau's Smoke Jail, managed to avoid being damaged. However, it was blasted off a little to the left of its original position... // ...and it was only through a tenuous balance that it somehow managed to retain the shape of a building. // Meanwhile, in the centre of the ruins of the central tower's substructure, all that was left of it now recalling some kind of ancient fighting arena... // ...stood Yupi.]
[side text: What is Yupi planning now?!]

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Yupi: (I've abandoned my reason for pure fury... / I am nothing more than a foolish servant of the King, roaming about in search of prey... // That's what I want him to think...!! // That's what I'll make him think!) // WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING, LITTLE MICE?!! // I'LL SMASH THIS PLACE APART UNTIL I FIND YOU, SO GET OUT HERE!! // (He's sure to show himself once more!!) // RAAAAGHHH!!
Potclean: It's time.
Yupi: (Ready to seize the opportunity to strike just before I "explode"...!!) // GUAAAAHHHHH!!
[Text: Yupi thrust his body into a false fury.]
Potclean: Now adding interest.
Yupi: SHADDUUUUUUUPP!!!
[Text: As he was screaming his heart out in an attempt to draw out Knuckle...]

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[Text: Over in the throne room...]
Morau: ...... // (No matter what's going on outside... // I will keep this guy trapped!! // That has to be enough......!!!)
[Text: Approximately one hundred billion... // ...tiny creatures, small enough even to slip through the gaps between the individual particles of smoke...]

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[Text: With the tiniest of sensations, that their opponent Morau could never hope to sense... // ...slowly but surely... // ...began to make their escape from within the "Smoke Jail".]

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1. 
   A: Weaponry / Ammunition Storage Area
   B: Cultural Assets / National Treasure Area
   C: Leaders' Private Personal Storage Area
   D: Emergency Rations and Stores Area
   E: Leaders' Private Shelter Area
   F: Guards' Area
   

[Text: To the north of the palace lies a huge underground storage facility whose shape resembles that of a dragonfly.
[box: Palace]
[Text: At the very tip of the D-Area "wing" lies a storage area that Bizef has secretly appropriated for his own use in housing his women. // Having ascertained the location thanks to Marcos' information, Ikarugo headed towards this destination. // He used a truck to advance down the five-kilometre straight road at speed.

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[Text: At the same time as he reached the junction leading off to Areas A and B, // his Satellitonbo reached the storage area itself.]
Ikarugo: (The door is open!! This is a good sign!! // Palm put Bizef to sleep and headed for the palace!! // Chances are good that Bizef rushed out of the door forgetting to lock it as he chased after her. // But whatever the reason, this has to be quicker and lower-risk for me than having to use the weapons in the area to blast down the door myself. // !!]

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[Text: The Satellitonbo stationed in the soldiers' area spotted Brovuda. // Brovuda walked around fifty metres down the path to Area E... and then stopped in his tracks.]
Ikarugo: ......
[Text: To Ikarugo, this meant...]

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[Text: ...that a confrontation with Brovuda was now inevitable.]
Ikarugo: (Brovuda has his suspicions about me... // Why...?! What did I do wrong...?! // Calm down...!! // Think carefully and work out what he could have and couldn't have noticed......!!)

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Ikarugo: (Otherwise, you won't survive...!! // Did I do something during our exchange back there to make him suspicious...?! // Was there something unnatural in my impersonation of Fratta...? // My excuse that I was going down here under orders from Hagya could certainly have been seen as unnatural... // But... the fact that he didn't call me out on it straight away back there means...... that it wasn't a fatal mistake... // ...but rather, it simply cast a soft shadow in some small corner of Brovuda's heart...!! // And in order to determine the true nature of that shadow... // ...Brovuda's waiting for me there...!! // Was my mistake something that I'll be able to cover up...?! // Or else... / ...was it a grave mistake, and all he wants is that final confirmation of his suspicions...?!

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Ikarugo: (I can't afford to hope for the best...!!) // Is anybody here?!! // (I have to assume it was a major mistake!!!) // I'm an envoy of the secretary! // (Depending on the answer... No......!! I can't take any chances. // I have to go in there with the assumption that I'm going to be attacked. // ...I'll be killed...!!) // I'm an envoy of the secretary!! I'm here under orders from the secretary!! // Shinka Bell!! (Palm's codename) If you're here, you need to come with me, quickly!!
[Text: There was no way that an actual envoy would come calling at Bizef's storage area.]
Woman: Ah - !
Ikarugo: !
[Text: This was a predetermined signal to determine that Palm was an ally.]

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Ikarugo: ......If you were in here, then why did you not respond? // Is there anyone else here?
Woman: I - / I wouldn't know about any of that...
[Text: The woman, for her part, thought that this must be a test of loyalty organised by the Secretary.]
Woman: Secretary Bizef-dono says... I mustn't leave this place... // ...and I'm forbidden from having any contact with anybody other than him, so...
[Text: The other four women reacted similarly. // The source of their doubts was that "It's odd for an envoy to come here when there's a private phone line straight to Bizef". // Thinking that the arrival of such a strange person meant that they were being tested to see if they could "stick to their orders calmly even when faced with an unusual situation", they all refused to converse with Ikarugo at any length. // And that suited Ikarugo perfectly fine.]
Ikarugo: Here we are...!
[Text: He was aware that their chances of survival would be far higher if they stayed right where they were. // Besides, Ikarugo did not have the time to spare worrying about the lives of others, never mind trying to protect them.]

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Ikarugo: There!! // Nen-writing!!
[TN: This writing, inscribed using aura alone, could only be read through the use of Gyou. // This far reduced the risk of it being discovered by Bizef, compared to leaving a message on paper or a recording device.]
Ikarugo: If I have not... // ...contacted you by the time of the attack on the palace......]
[Text: You must act under the premise that I have died.]
Ikarugo: ......

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[Text: He had been prepared for this outcome, but still, the pain Ikarugo felt was as though he had lost a part of his own body. // Over five minutes had now passed since the initial invasion of the palace; Palm's part in this mission was long since over.]
Flashback!Morau: If by any chance Palm is dead, or a similar situation arises, // you are to use your Satellitonbo and the radio contact to support your comrades in any way you can. // You should pretend to be contacting your commander, whilst actually informing Meleoron of the situation...!! // Mixing truth with lies in order to confuse the enemy is an important mission... it's up to you!
Ikarugo: (And this is all dependent upon the fact that Meleoron's existence and my own betrayal remain a secret!! // In other words... / Brovuda, who lies ahead of me, with clear doubts forming in his mind...)
[Text: Ikarugo, whilst trying to concentrate on his mission...]
Ikarugo: (Must be eliminated...!! // No matter what!!)
[Text: ...at the same time strongly resonated with the side of himself that refused to give up on rescuing Palm.]

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Brovuda: ! // Hey. / You finished that mission for Hagya?
Ikarugo: Yeah. // Well, pretty much.
Brovuda: ...... // Hagya...... eh?
Ikarugo: ......

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Brovuda: He'd get mad if you called him that, you know?

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Brovuda: ......Right. // One fake, eliminated.

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Brovuda: Hm? // Empty? // ...... / Eh, whatever. // I'll just have to ask Hagya.
Ikarugo: ...... // (This way, the suspect is dead...!)

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Ikarugo: (Now, if Brovuda just makes sure the others know about this...... / I'll be able to move about freely.........!! // But to think that Hagya had chosen some kind of different name to be called by...! How could I have known that?! // It's certainly true that I myself didn't know the name... / Will that be enough to convince the others...? // I have to think up some kind of explanation that will convince them if I run into them... // ...... / ...... // ......No, it's no use!! // Brovuda fired without a moment's hesitation back there!! // That's proof that anybody who doesn't know Hagya's new name is going to be treated as an "enemy"!!! // If I'm discovered, that'll mean battle!! // That's what I have to be prepared for when I go back up there!!

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Elevator: Please enter the numerical code.
Brovuda: ?
Ikarugo: (.........? // The elevator isn't going up......? // Don't tell me... // ...he came down here not even knowing about the identification numbers?! // This is my chance!! // The perfect either-or choice!!)
[side text: The octopus gleams!!]