The moment Ronin realized the Troupe was heading for the first floor, he sent all his Shadow Clones rushing to intercept them.
When Bonolenov's Jupiter ability smashed through the floor, one clone had already reached the stairwell leading down.
Ronin saw it as a golden opportunity.
Unfortunately, by the time the last clone arrived, the fight was already over. Otherwise, he would have loved to flood the entire basement with a massive Water Style jutsu.
After the three clones were destroyed and their experiences flooded back into his mind, the fourth clone stayed hidden in the shadows, choosing not to reveal itself.
The skirmish on the first floor didn't last long.
While Ronin was stalling the five members in the basement, the rest of the Troupe stormed the building from the outside.
Realizing that killing Number 8—Isori—was impossible in a two-vs-five scenario, the Zoldyck duo chose to retreat.
Watching from the sidelines, Ronin saw the situation clearly.
The Zoldycks didn't care about the other Spiders. Their contract was strictly for Number 8.
Ronin had a theory.
Perhaps the Zoldycks had joined this chaotic operation specifically because they thought the confusion would make taking out Number 8 easier.
They probably hadn't expected things to go sideways so quickly.
Because of Ronin's interference, the remaining eleven members of the Phantom Troupe were now grouped up tight.
That defensive formation made assassination infinitely harder.
However, given the Zoldycks' professional standards, they wouldn't give up just because one attempt failed. There would be follow-up attempts.
Unless someone found their employer and killed them first. No client, no contract.
Of course, they wouldn't refund the deposit.
But who had put the hit on Number 8?
Ronin had no clue. He only remembered a scene from the manga where Silva warned Killua not to mess with the Phantom Troupe.
Killua had interpreted that warning—coming from a father who rarely complained about work—as high praise for the Troupe's strength.
Since Silva gave that warning after killing a member in the past, the timeline seemed to align perfectly with current events.
If Ronin didn't want to deal with the Troupe personally, he could just hire the Zoldycks himself. Although, after tonight's mess, their price for killing a Spider would definitely skyrocket.
Still, coordinating with the Zoldycks would make killing Troupe members much simpler.
Forget it.
Thinking about it gave Ronin a headache. He'd leave the complex plotting to Kurapika.
Attacking the Troupe in the basement tonight had been part of Kurapika's plan, too.
According to Kurapika, the goal was to show the Troupe that Ronin's strength had improved significantly in just a few days.
Ronin felt the three clones had done a pretty good job of demonstrating that power spike.
Why did Kurapika want this?
He wanted to accelerate the Troupe's realization that Ronin's power was tied to the Scarlet Eyes.
Kurapika was convinced they would figure it out eventually.
After all, every time Ronin fought the Troupe, he was stronger. He hadn't bothered to hide it. Unless the Spiders were idiots, they'd connect the dots: every power-up happened shortly after he acquired a pair of eyes.
Ronin felt a bit helpless. He wasn't the type of mastermind who could think N-steps ahead like that.
But Kurapika was already miles ahead. He believed the best-case scenario was to corner the Phantom Troupe so badly that their only option was to go to Kakin and retrieve the eyes from Tserriednich for them.
Compared to the mysterious and politically insulated Kakin Empire, the Phantom Troupe was a much easier target to deal with.
But how to force their hand?
And wasn't there a risk the Troupe would just destroy the eyes to stunt his growth?
Kurapika hadn't explained the details, simply telling him not to worry.
Ronin sighed. The people in this world had way too many schemes.
Damn Hisoka. His opinion on Enhancers is starting to feel painfully accurate. When will we Enhancers get some respect?
Whatever. I'll just trust Kurapika.
Ronin stopped thinking. His hands formed a seal.
Earth Style: Lightened Boulder Jutsu.
Gravity released its hold on him, and he ascended rapidly, disappearing into the night sky.
---
Gunfire continued to echo from the building below.
Around midnight, the mafia released a statement accompanied by photos of "dead" Troupe members.
The story was that they had cornered the Spiders on the outskirts of the city and turned them into swiss cheese with RPGs and machine guns.
Ronin, who was already lying on the couch reading a manga, glanced at the photos Kurapika had pulled up on his laptop.
"Kortopi's handiwork. They're all fakes," Ronin said bluntly. "What's your move?"
"Anyone smart enough to buy intel on the Troupe knows they're fake. We don't need to do anything. If the Troupe wants to play dead, let them," Kurapika said, his eyes scanning the screen.
"The key now is collecting the Scarlet Eyes scattered elsewhere. Once the Troupe figures out the secret behind your power growth, they will act.
"I don't believe they'll move as a group of eleven to chase down rumors. To beat us to the eyes, they have to split up. And once they split up... that's our chance.
"They're the ones in a bind now. Do they let us keep collecting eyes and getting stronger? Or do they risk splitting up to snatch the eyes first? It's a dilemma."
Kurapika's fingers flew across the keyboard. A chat window with Millia flashed on the screen—words like fake death, hiring, and ASAP blurred by before he switched tabs.
"But I'm certain of one thing: they aren't as fast as we are. By the time they realize what's happening, only one option will remain for them: go to Kakin and find Tserriednich."
"You're not worried they'll destroy the eyes?" Ronin asked again.
It was his biggest concern. Merging with the eyes was critical for his evolution.
"I would never gamble with our brethren's eyes," Kurapika said, his voice deadly serious. "I've already planted a narrative that will stop them.
"Even if they get their hands on some eyes, they won't destroy them unless they are absolutely certain they can't use them for themselves. These people are thieves; they covet treasure.
"Besides, even if we did nothing, the Troupe would eventually think of gathering the eyes to use as leverage against us.
"So, it's better to set the trap ourselves. By controlling the narrative, we actually have a better chance of preserving the eyes.
"The real danger is when we corner them completely. That's when rats bite the hardest."
Ronin nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"Wait," Kurapika said, taking a sip of coffee. "Wait for them to expose a flaw. Then kill them."
"I like that plan." Ronin turned back to his manga. "Can we get the eyes from the auction the day after tomorrow?"
"Already got them," Kurapika said, lifting a small case from the floor. "It's not hard to get things early if you offer a price the Southern Peace auction house can't refuse.
"Especially with the authority of a Ten Don like Raymond. We found the seller easily."
Suddenly, Kurapika changed the subject entirely.
"Ronin... if you were forced to relive that day, do you think you could break through the bottleneck you mentioned?"
"Huh?" Ronin paused, then realized what Kurapika meant. "I don't know. Maybe. But even if my eyes don't evolve, it's fine. My abilities are already strong enough as they are."
Kurapika nodded and dropped the subject.
Ronin didn't push it either. The exact conditions for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan were still just a hypothesis for him in this world.
He had told Kurapika about the bottleneck for two reasons. One, after months together, he genuinely saw Kurapika as family.
Two, Kurapika needed a clear understanding of his strength to plan effectively.
Telling him wasn't a huge risk. He hadn't revealed everything—just that his power had a ceiling and he had a vague idea of how to break it.