Chapter 78: Trust in Kurapika
Ronin's Shadow Clones had rushed to the first floor upon detecting the Troupe's presence.
One clone managed to reach the stairs leading to the basement just as the floor was shattered by Jupiter.
It was a good opportunity.
Unfortunately, the last clone arrived after the battle had ended. Otherwise, Ronin would have loved to flood the basement with a Water Style jutsu.
After the three clones dispelled and returned their experience to the main body, the fourth clone remained hidden in the shadows, observing.
The battle on the first floor didn't last long.
While Ronin stalled the five members below, the assassins outside breached the building.
The Zoldyck duo, realizing they couldn't kill Isley while facing five opponents, chose to retreat.
Ronin watched coldly from the shadows. He saw through it.
The Zoldycks didn't care about any Troupe member other than #8 (Isley). Their contract was likely specific: Assassinate Spider #8.
Ronin had a theory.
Did the Zoldycks join this chaotic mission primarily to make killing #8 easier under the cover of the larger conflict?
But they probably didn't expect the situation to change so drastically.
Because of Ronin's interference, the remaining 11 Spiders had adopted a tight formation.
This actually made assassination much harder.
However, given their professionalism, the Zoldycks wouldn't give up. They would try again.
Unless someone killed their employer first. No client, no contract, no need to work.
Of course, they wouldn't refund the deposit.
But who hired them to kill #8?
Ronin had no info. He only recalled Silva warning Killua in the manga not to touch the Phantom Troupe.
According to Killua, Silva rarely complained about work, so that warning was high praise for the target's strength.
Silva likely gave that warning after completing the assassination of #8 and realizing the Troupe was more trouble than they were worth. The timeline matched perfectly.
If Ronin didn't want to fight the Troupe himself, he could hire the Zoldycks. But after today, the price to kill a Spider would skyrocket.
However, coordinating with the Zoldycks could make killing Spiders much easier.
Forget it.
Ronin rubbed his temples. This was too complex. He'd leave the thinking to Kurapika.
Intervening downstairs with three clones was also part of Kurapika's plan.
Kurapika wanted to make it crystal clear to the Troupe that Ronin's strength had improved again in just a few days.
Ronin felt the three clones were sufficient demonstration.
Why did Kurapika arrange this?
According to him, it was to accelerate the Troupe's realization that Ronin's power growth was tied to the Scarlet Eyes.
Kurapika believed the Troupe would figure it out eventually.
Ronin's power spiked every time he met them, always shortly after acquiring eyes. He hadn't exactly been subtle about it. As long as the Spiders weren't idiots, connecting the dots was inevitable.
Ronin felt helpless. He really hadn't thought that far ahead. He wasn't the type of genius who saw N-steps ahead.
But Kurapika had already prepared the next phase. He believed the best outcome was to force the Phantom Troupe into a corner where their only option was to go to Kakin and retrieve the eyes from Tserriednich for them.
Compared to the mysterious and politically shielded Kakin Empire, Kurapika viewed the Troupe as the easier target to manipulate.
But how to force them?
Aren't we worried they'll just destroy the eyes to cut off my power source?
When Ronin asked this, Kurapika didn't explain fully. He just told Ronin not to worry.
Ronin sighed. People in this world had too many schemes.
Damn Hisoka. His rating of Enhancers seems increasingly accurate. When will we Enhancers stand up for ourselves?!
Whatever. I'll just trust Kurapika.
Ronin stopped thinking. He formed a seal, activated Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique, and ascended rapidly, disappearing into the night sky.
Gunfire continued to echo from the building below.
At midnight, the Mafia released a statement with photos: The Phantom Troupe was dead.
They claimed to have cornered the Troupe in the outskirts and riddled them with bullets and rockets. The photos showed several mangled bodies.
Lying on the sofa reading a comic book, Ronin glanced at the photos on Kurapika's laptop screen.
"Kortopi's fakes," Ronin stated the obvious truth. "What's your move?"
"Smart people who bought the intel package will know they're fake. So we don't need to do anything. If the Troupe wants to hide, let them hide," Kurapika said calmly.
"The key is collecting the scattered Scarlet Eyes. Once the Troupe realizes the secret behind your power, they will act in the shadows."
"I don't believe they will move as a group of 11 to chase rumors of eyes. They have to split up to beat us to the punch. And splitting up gives us opportunities!"
"The dilemma is theirs. Do they let us keep collecting eyes and getting stronger? Or do they risk splitting up to secure the eyes first? It's a lose-lose problem for them."
Kurapika typed furiously, closing a chat window with Miria that flashed words like Fake Death, Hire, ASAP.
"I can guarantee their speed won't match ours. In the end, to get eyes, they will have only one choice left: Go to Kakin and find Tserriednich!"
"You're not worried they'll destroy the eyes?" Ronin asked again.
This was his main concern. Absorbing eyes was crucial for his evolution.
"I won't gamble with our people's eyes," Kurapika said with absolute seriousness. "That's why I've woven a narrative tailored for thieves who love to steal treasures."
"Even if they get the eyes, they won't destroy them until they are absolutely certain they can't use them for themselves! Moreover, even if we did nothing, they would eventually think of hoarding the eyes to threaten or trap us."
"So, setting a trap that encourages them to do exactly that is actually safer for the eyes than leaving it to chance!"
"The only real danger is if we back them into a corner too hard and they snap."
Ronin nodded. "What do I need to do?"
"Wait," Kurapika sipped his coffee. "Wait for the Phantom Troupe to expose a flaw. Then kill them."
"I like that plan," Ronin turned back to his comic. "Can we get the eyes from the auction the day after tomorrow?"
"Already secured," Kurapika lifted a briefcase from beside the desk. "With an offer the Southernpiece House couldn't refuse, buying them early wasn't hard. Especially using the identity of Raymond, a Ten Don, makes tracking the seller trivial."
Then, Kurapika changed the subject abruptly.
"Brother Ronin, if you recall that day, would it help you break through the bottleneck you mentioned?"
"Hmm?" Ronin paused, then understood. "I don't know. Maybe. But even if my eyes don't undergo a qualitative change (Mangekyō), it's fine. My current power is enough."
Kurapika nodded and dropped the subject.
Ronin didn't elaborate either. The criteria for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan were still just a hypothesis to him.
He told Kurapika because over these few months, he had come to see the boy as family in this world.
And also to give Kurapika a clear understanding of his capabilities for planning purposes.
It wasn't a vital secret anyway. Just informing his tactician about a potential power ceiling and a theoretical way to break it.
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