When Ronin woke up, he was lying across a broad, solid back. The wind howled past his ears, and cold rain lashed against his body.
"You're awake," a steady voice said—the voice of the person carrying him.
Ronin's head throbbed painfully as a flood of memories surged into his mind.
It seemed… he had transmigrated.
In his ears, he could almost still hear the long, final beep of hospital machines. Yet in his memories now were horrifying scenes of countless clan members tied up in the town square, their eyes cruelly gouged out while facing one another.
This was bad. Really bad.
Before Ronin could sort out the chaos in his head, a sharp, searing pain exploded around his eyes. A warm stream flowed down his face.
Blood.
Before he could even raise a hand to wipe it away, the world around him suddenly changed.
The solid back beneath him vanished. The sky spun violently, and pain shot through his arm before spreading across his entire body.
Boom!
When Ronin finally came to a stop, every inch of him ached. Following the direction of the earlier voice, he saw a massive log embedded in the ground ahead—right along the path they had been traveling.
"Run, Ronin! Run—now!"
The hoarse, urgent shout broke through the ringing in his ears. The voice was full of desperation.
Ronin shook his head and looked toward the speaker.
The man had fiery red eyes, now filled with fear and anxiety. He wore the distinctive clothing of a minority tribe, and a faint, hazy glow wrapped around his not-so-tall frame. When he saw Ronin struggle up from the ground, he immediately turned, muscles tensed, staring toward the direction the giant log had flown from.
As the man turned away, Ronin caught a glimpse of resolve in his eyes.
At the same time, the memories flooding his mind made the man's identity painfully clear.
That was his father.
No.
More accurately, the father of the body's original owner.
"Why did you stop running?" a voice sneered from the distance, carrying a hint of savage amusement.
A towering figure—far taller than Ronin's father—emerged slowly from behind the dense forest.
Now on his feet, Ronin could feel the burning pain all over his body. But the moment he saw the newcomer's face, and fully understood his situation through his memories, the pain vanished—replaced entirely by terror.
Because that face was one he had seen countless times in manga.
Spiky, hedgehog-like hair. A rugged face twisted with mocking amusement. Wolfish eyes that barely spared Ronin a glance before locking onto his father.
The man wore a wild bearskin outfit, with matching bearskin boots. Everything about him screamed brutality and raw savagery.
As he stepped closer, his aura surged violently—like a ferocious beast that had locked onto its prey and was ready to tear it apart.
Uvogin.
That was his name.
A frontline fighter of the infamous criminal group—the Phantom Troupe—from the world of Hunter × Hunter.
The instant Ronin recognized him, he stood up and made the only correct choice.
He turned around and ran.
"Heh."
A cold chuckle echoed from behind him, but Ronin didn't even dare look back.
Because he knew—if he stayed, he would die.
That was the only thought in Ronin's mind after grasping the situation and realizing Uvogin was here.
Hearing the movement behind him, his father's firm expression relaxed slightly. He stepped forward, subtly shifting his position to block Uvogin's line of sight, and unleashed an even stronger presence.
It was the aura of someone ready to sacrifice everything—burning his life away with no thought of retreat.
Uvogin glanced in the direction Ronin had fled, then withdrew his gaze and focused entirely on the man who had chosen to stay behind with death in his eyes.
But when he noticed the large bloodstain around the man's abdomen, a flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes.
Such fierce fighting spirit… trapped in a broken body.
What a waste.
That disappointment instantly transformed into even greater bloodlust and battle fervor.
Boom!
The sound of fists colliding exploded through the forest.
Ronin glanced back one last time. In the rain-soaked night, he could clearly see two figures crashing into each other amid the trees.
He didn't know how long his father could hold out. But he knew one thing for certain—his father was no match for Uvogin, especially since Ronin clearly remembered that his father had already been gravely injured while saving him.
The only small mercy was that only Uvogin had chased them.
If more of the Phantom Troupe had come…
Ronin turned his head forward and ran even faster.
After only a few steps, however, he suddenly stopped and looked back again.
By now, he was more than a hundred meters away from the battlefield. Yet despite the distance, he could still clearly see the fight—so clearly that even the flow of aura around their bodies was visible.
That wasn't normal.
His vision was far too sharp. And the speed of those two was obviously beyond anything ordinary.
Something was wrong.
But Ronin knew this wasn't the time to stop. He turned and continued running.
At the same time, his mind raced. Something had definitely changed about his body—specifically, his eyes.
The Scarlet Eyes.
Ronin remembered his identity.
He was from the Kurta Clan.
The Kurta Clan possessed the Scarlet Eyes, one of the Seven Great Beauties of the world—eyes that turned a deep crimson when their emotions surged.
From Kurapika's example in the manga, Ronin knew that once a Kurta learned Nen, activating their Scarlet Eyes could unlock special effects through "eye awakening."
For instance, when Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes were active, his Conjurer-type abilities temporarily became a Specialist ability: Emperor Time.
Emperor Time allowed Kurapika to use all six Nen categories at 100% efficiency.
So what was Ronin's ability when his Scarlet Eyes were activated?
He thought of his abnormal eyesight—but if that was all, it wouldn't help him escape Uvogin at all.
Another question followed.
Did he already know how to use Nen—the manipulation of life energy?
With that thought, Ronin raised his hands.
There was no visible aura flowing around them. Instead, he could clearly see a steady stream of energy circulating inside his body.
Was he currently in a state similar to Zetsu, completely sealing his aura within himself?
But judging from his running speed, Ronin wasn't sure. He was far faster than any normal person.
And when he tried to release that internal energy, he found it incredibly difficult—impossible, at least for now.
Still, since he had been able to see Nen on his father and on Uvogin earlier, Ronin believed he had already awakened Nen.
It was just… different from what he understood.
And that difference might be the key to whether he could survive Uvogin's pursuit.
Then Ronin froze.
He could see the flow of energy inside his own body.
That was absolutely not normal.
Maybe… he should take a closer look at the current state of his eyes.
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