Ron recalled the overwhelming strength of the Ant King—an apex predator born from the perfect fusion of biology and Nen. If he could Observe the entire event, the Nen beast it produced might surpass anything he had seen before. The thought made him all the more eager to witness what would emerge. This wasn't just another addition to his power—it was the chance to seize a force that could change every battle to come and pave the road to the dark continent.
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Upon arriving in the city where Claude was located, Ron saw that the crystal sphere—which had previously stopped—had once again begun absorbing traits. A glance showed the progress had reached thirty percent.
A massive city entered his view. Ron took out his phone.
"Mr. Claude."
"Mr. Ron?"
"It's me. Is the Dark Sonata ready?"
"It's ready. Just come directly to the church."
"Alright."
The church was easy to spot, the tallest and grandest building in the city—a true landmark. Machi could drive straight there without any directions. Before long, the car pulled up at the church entrance, and a figure emerged from inside.
"Mr. Ron?"
"Yes."
"Please, come in."
The gate opened, and Machi drove in. In the rear garden of the church, Ron saw Claude. Middle-aged and clearly younger than Lawrence, he nevertheless carried an equally strong presence—an A-rank Nen user. His expression looked worn; it was clear the matter of the Spirits weighed heavily on him. Even if the Spirits were part of the church's own ranks, their victory would mean Claude's certain death. No one wished for that fate.
"Mr. Ron," Claude greeted, stepping forward.
Ron gave a slight nod. "Mr. Claude, where's the Dark Sonata?"
"It's ready," Claude said, then paused. "In principle, Mr. Ron, I shouldn't doubt you. But I've made no progress here at all, and now you're asking to take the Dark Sonata. If you just leave with it, I'll be at a great loss."
Ron's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"I'd like to ask you to kill two of the Spirits first. Once that's done, I'll give you the Dark Sonata."
"You're going back on our agreement. That's not what we settled on before."
"No, no, Mr. Ron, I'm just concerned. As long as you take care of all three Spirits, I will absolutely give you the Dark Sonata."
Ron regarded him for a moment. He couldn't tell whether Claude was planning to cheat him, simply didn't trust him, or had other motives. But Ron wasn't about to break his principles for Claude's sake.
"Mr. Claude, the Zoldyck family's way of doing things is simple—when we agree on terms, we stick to them. We don't change because of threats."
"So, you've decided already?" Claude smiled without answering.
Ron met his gaze. "Fine. If you want me to kill Spirits first, that's possible—but in that case, I'll only kill two, not the three we originally agreed upon. After I've killed two, you'll give me the Dark Sonata, and we'll be square."
Claude shook his head. "That won't work. We agreed on three."
"But we also agreed you'd give me the Dark Sonata now, didn't we? Claude, surely you don't think you can take all the benefits for yourself?" Ron's tone turned cold. "If that's the case, then there's nothing to discuss. I'll forgo the Dark Sonata entirely, and as for Lawrence, I'll collect payment from him personally."
He turned to leave.
"Ron, wait—hold on. I didn't say it was impossible," Claude said hurriedly.
"Then take out the Dark Sonata."
"I'll take the option you suggested. You kill two of the Spirits, then I'll give it to you. You only need to kill two."
"Certain?"
"Certain."
"Alright, then show me the Dark Sonata first. Otherwise, I have no reason to believe you truly have it. As far as I'm concerned, you've already lost your credibility."
Claude signaled to the side. Before long, someone returned carrying a parchment scroll. Ron instantly recognized the aura it emitted—it was indeed the Dark Sonata.
Ron nodded. "Two days from now. We meet again."
With that, he left with Nina and the others.
At the hotel, Ron passed the time watching as the Observer's Extreme Intention absorbed the surrounding traits, and waited for night to fall. He glanced toward the church, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Claude's actions still didn't make sense. Ron had already taken care of two Spirits for Lawrence; was that not enough to earn trust? Even if Claude distrusted him, did he really have so little confidence in Begrossé? No one would casually choose to antagonize them.
"He'd rather have me kill one fewer Spirit just to delay payment… Either he never intended to give me the Dark Sonata, or there's some past conflict between him and the Zoldyck family. So be it. If I kill two and he still doesn't hand it over, I have plenty of ways to make him regret it. Worst case, I'll help the opposing faction. If they win, they'll become the official members of the Begrossé Church."
Time passed, and soon night arrived.
Ron and his group emerged. Under Ponzu's orders, countless bees spread out across the city. Chii hacked into the city's surveillance network. A figure appeared in Ron's sight.
Claude had provided no intel, so Ron would have to gather it himself. But after dealing with the Terror Lord and the Witch of Sound, this wasn't difficult—his strength exceeded that of the Spirits.
The target was a well-built human walking among ordinary citizens. It was obvious he wasn't like the rest; the surrounding people all had red eyes, their minds and wills influenced, but he alone remained calm. Ron could also sense the aura emanating from him—it was similar to that of the Terror Lord and the Witch of Sound.
He sent the feed to the Library Prison, before the Witch of Sound.
"Do you know this man?" Ron asked.
She looked at the screen. "I do. I've dealt with him before. Didn't expect he'd join the opposing faction. Is he your current target?"
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