Chairman Netero and the Twelve Zodiacs had assembled, and their arrival meant an immediate interrogation site for Oboro. Menchi and his team had already submitted their mission reports while aboard the ship. Since they had no knowledge of Owl's death, they were excluded from the interrogation.
The focus remained on one person.
Despite the distance between the coastal city and the Association's headquarters, the highest-ranking officials had made the trip especially for this occasion. Even the chairman himself had been summoned. The death of a Zodiac was no small matter.
Three Zodiacs plus Biscuit escorted Oboro to the entrance of the building. Though Biscuit and Oboro shared a close relationship, circumstances forced them into temporary opposition until his innocence could be proven. But while Mizaiston and Kanzai maintained a stern expression, Biscuit remained remarkably relaxed, chatting with Oboro along the way, mostly complaining and gently scolding him. From her understanding of him, she knew there must be more to the story. Besides, if Oboro had really wanted to escape, Geru alone wouldn't have been able to stop him.
"Oh, you're here too."
Standing at the entrance of the building was an old friend he hadn't seen for years, Wing. Time had passed, but his fashion sense remained unchanged: one side of his shirt still tucked into his waistband, the other hanging loose in his characteristic disheveled style. His aura had become more stable, his strength significantly greater than it had been during their time in the Heaven's Arena. But no matter how much Wing had improved, his speed could never match Oboro's. The gap between them would only continue to grow.
Wing had undoubtedly come out of concern after hearing the news. Seeing Oboro's relaxed demeanor as he waved with familiar ease, Wing felt his anxiety ease. Adjusting his glasses, he asked pointedly, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, don't worry," Oboro replied as he walked past with a smile.
"That's good." Wing said nothing more and followed the others upstairs, even though he couldn't take part in the questioning. He would have to wait outside.
The remaining four went up to the conference room on the top floor. When the door opened, everyone sitting around the round table came into view, their attention immediately focused on Oboro.
"Oh, you're here too?" Oboro's surprise was obvious.
"I was just bored and wanted to see what would happen to you, sinner." Ging rested his chin on one hand while drumming on the table with the other, radiating impatience. The formal atmosphere of the meeting clearly made him uncomfortable.
"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you," Oboro smiled.
"I wasn't expecting much," Ging replied with a curl of his lips.
"Well, now everyone's here, please take a seat!" Netero laughed heartily, acting as if this were a happy family reunion rather than a serious investigation. His demeanor was completely at odds with the gravity of the situation.
"Chairman!" Yorkshire snapped in frustration.
"Ahem Very well, since Oboro is here, let's begin." The old man's tone became slightly more serious.
At that moment, Oboro locked eyes with Pariston, who sat nearby with his fingers intertwined under his chin, meeting Oboro's gaze with his eternal smile. It was their first direct eye contact since Oboro had joined the Association. The exchange lasted only a moment.
Beans began to read through the mission documents, which detailed the activities and timelines of each member. Oboro's report matched the others, except for a conspicuous gap in time.
As expected, that gap coincided with Owl's death.
"According to Geru, he personally admitted to killing Owl," Beans concluded. Yorkshire stood up and declared sternly, "Mizaiston and Kanzai have also testified to statements Oboro made during the transport."
"Yes, I killed him with my own hands," Oboro nodded.
"Then there's nothing more to discuss. According to Association protocol, after internal processing, this will be turned over to the Justice Department," Yorkshire said, fixing Oboro with an intense stare.
"Do not rush to judgment. By protocol, if Owl had attacked first, my deadly response would be justified self-defense. I was protecting myself," Oboro raised a single finger.
"Where is your proof?" Yorkshire pressed. "The killing is a fact, but your claim of Owl's hostility is unsupported! With the victim dead, you can shift blame and distort the truth at will."
Throughout this exchange, Netero watched with great interest from his chair, showing no intention of intervening. He even had Beans make him tea.
"Well, he has some intelligence, though not much. That's why you've never managed to defeat him all these years," Oboro suddenly changed the subject, looking at Yorkshire while pointing at the smiling Pariston.
"Oh? Are you talking about me?" Pariston maintained his smile, feigning surprise. "Sorry, I was slow to react, this is the first time you've acknowledged my existence."
Bang! Yorkshire's face flushed as she slammed the table. "We're discussing your murder, don't change the subject!"
"First of all, Owl was assigned to this mission by the Vice President. I believe he knows exactly what was going through Owl's mind and what his true purpose was." Oboro's gaze returned to Pariston as he offered a slight smile. "Second, we encountered the Kakin Empire's investigative team on the island. They were all skilled Nen users, some of them truly exceptional. If they were merely investigating, they wouldn't have ambushed our team. They were clearly targeting me."
"I can confirm that," Geru raised her hand. She had seen the bodies of the masters Oboro had mentioned. If they had attacked her group instead, casualties would have been inevitable. Instead, they all died by Oboro's hand.
"This was a three-star mission, classified information. Their arrival on the island was too precisely timed to be a coincidence. The details of the mission had been leaked; there was a traitor on the team. This revelation could severely damage the Association's reputation."
"You mean this was all orchestrated by Owl and outside forces?" Yorkshire's expression changed slightly.
"But why target you specifically? What's the reason?"
"The reason is," Oboro paused meaningfully.
"Enough." Netero interrupted suddenly. "What Oboro said is basically correct. I've received concrete evidence of Owl's connection to the Kakin Empire."
Beans handed over a file. Seeing this, Yorkshire realized that the chairman probably knew the truth all along. This hearing was merely a formality, a way to provide an explanation to the Association and its members.
The file contained records of Owl's movements in and out of the Kakin royal palace, complete with photographs.
"The Kakin royal family?" The Zodiacs exchanged glances.
Ging didn't even look, having anticipated this outcome. Pariston's ever-closed eyes opened fully as he met Oboro's gaze, something changing in his expression.
These weren't documents that an ordinary person could obtain. If nothing else, it proved one thing: the Fells family had agents inside Kakin's royal palace.
"Don't be too shocked. There will be many more surprises," Oboro's veiled glance at Pariston carried a deeper meaning.
"Is this prepared especially for me?" Pariston seemed pleased.
"You're the wolf, and I prepared this for the wolf, you're just a side character, unworthy of such effort."
"No matter how thoroughly you wipe, the stench remains," Oboro shook his head in derision.
Even under public ridicule, Pariston maintained his unusual composure. The other Zodiacs watched, sensing a clear animosity between the two men. What coded message lay beneath their exchange?
Owl's mission had been Pariston's arrangement, rendering that angle of attack useless. The Vice Chairman must have covered his tracks thoroughly, leaving no evidence behind. At least in the Chairman's eyes, there was no trace of Pariston's involvement; all motives pointed to Beyond.
"Regarding this matter, the Association will conduct a follow-up investigation. For now, Oboro has violated no rules and is cleared of wrongdoing." Netero put down his teacup, his smile fading.
Oboro had sent him this information beforehand, which undoubtedly included everything related to his son.
Yorkshire clutched the documents, clearly unsatisfied. The chairman knew it, Oboro knew it, but the old man had made his decision and didn't intend to share the full truth.
What Oboro claimed was certainly true, but it was also certain that it wasn't pure self-defense. Why? The Zodiacs? With a position now vacant, Oboro could of course replace Owl.
Yorkshire could almost see a giant hand reaching for the Hunters' Federation throne. She sank back into her chair, frustrated by her own failure. She had rushed in without understanding the whole picture and made herself look foolish.
Moreover, Oboro's earlier remark about her inability to defeat Pariston made her want to crawl into a hole. He knew about that too?
Yorkshire suddenly looked at the calm Pariston. Noticing her gaze, he turned and smiled.
Bastard!
Tears almost welled in Yorkshire's eyes.
"Now that this matter is resolved, considering the circumstances of Owl's death, Oboro, you will," Netero began quietly.
Everyone knew what the chairman was about to say. This time, no other opinions would be asked, it was a direct appointment.
"I'm sorry, Chairman, but I have no interest in becoming a Zodiac. You should find someone else."
The ambiguous statement landed like a thunderbolt.
Yorkshire, who had been hanging his head, picked it up with an incredulous expression. Everyone else seemed equally shocked.
Only Ging gave Oboro a serious look, while Pariston seemed to see what cards Oboro was playing.
"That guy's got quite an appetite!" Ging muttered.
From the current situation, this first clash between Pariston and Oboro would probably end in a stalemate. Pariston must have achieved his goals, but he couldn't increase his advantage any further.
Should they try to stop him?
But an intervention would probably be futile.
Ging looked at Netero and frowned.