"Will the Troupe really show up?" Neon wasn't sure, and the automatic pencil in her hand looked eager to move.
She'd already divined Ronin once this month.
But if she switched the target to a Troupe member, she could still produce a short one-day prophecy poem for that day.
"They will. It was in the poem you gave me." Ronin's tone was unusually firm, and he adjusted his aura to its absolute peak. "If we count the timing, they should be here soon."
"Then we'll hide first. When you're done here, contact us," Kurapika said. He knew that if he and Neon stayed, they'd only become burdens.
By Ronin's estimate, Kurapika and Neon might have a chance against the Shadow Beasts.
But against the Troupe?
Certain death.
The gap was still huge.
To bridge it, Kurapika's recovery chain was the key.
Only a chain that could relieve fatigue and restore stamina would let them recover faster after training and return to peak condition sooner.
It still wasn't as outrageous as Biscuit's "Cookie" ability, but it wasn't far off either.
For Ronin and the others, it was already more than enough.
What remained was real combat experience, and the slow grind.
At the same time, heading toward Gordeau Desert weren't just the Phantom Troupe—
but also the Ten Dons' strongest force: the Shadow Beasts.
What happened at Cemetery Building had naturally alarmed the Ten Dons, the highest decision-makers of the top mafia across the six continents.
The Phantom Troupe's reckless violence made the Ten Dons decisively deploy the Shadow Beasts.
As for how the Shadow Beasts determined the Troupe would appear in Gordeau Desert, it all came from a local mafia boss:
Zenji.
A bald guy who liked wearing round black sunglasses. Short and paunchy, but with a roguish, ruthless edge.
He had been responsible for the auction's security at Cemetery, but because he stayed inside the building, he narrowly avoided the meat grinder outside.
That choice saved him—and he had stayed inside only because someone had warned him by message: Don't go out. You'll die.
Zenji hadn't wanted to obey.
But in the first-floor lobby, he ran into the man carrying away the lots. The man killed Zenji's mafia companions but spared Zenji—and as he passed, he still gave him the same warning: Don't go out.
So Zenji listened.
Outside the building, blood ran like rivers. Inside, Zenji was drenched in sweat.
After the fight outside ended, the same mysterious number sent him another time and location, telling him where the Phantom Troupe would appear. If Zenji wanted to redeem himself, he should claim the discovery as his own.
Zenji was smart.
So he reported the intel upward, presenting it as street-level "local information."
The Ten Dons didn't suspect a thing, and the Shadow Beasts moved toward Gordeau Desert based on his report.
But Zenji couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming.
…
In Gordeau Desert, Ronin—wearing light casual clothes—waited patiently for Uvogin to arrive.
And Uvogin did, arriving before the appointed time and stepping right in front of him.
But behind Uvogin were Nobunaga and Machi.
Ronin could also feel eyes in the dark—meaning there were likely more Troupe members hidden nearby.
"Coward." Ronin's first line made Uvogin's temper flare instantly.
"This time, are you still going to borrow someone else's power?" Uvogin stepped forward.
For once, he didn't start by spitting threats like in their previous fights.
"And you?" Ronin's gaze casually swept over Uvogin's new arm, as if it meant nothing.
Uvogin gave a dissatisfied snort.
"What, planning a three-on-one?" Ronin ignored Uvogin and mocked Nobunaga and Machi instead. "Are they your parents? Didn't think someone that tall and ugly would still be nursing."
"You're looking for death!" Machi and Nobunaga's faces darkened at the same time.
Uvogin's aura exploded. He blurred—charging first.
Ronin took one step forward—
and in that instant, four more figures erupted from the sand.
They looked different, but in essence they were all Ronin's shadow clones.
Their appearances matched the Sound Four from Naruto—the four who assisted Orochimaru in trapping the Third Hokage.
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu—an A-rank technique.
A ninjutsu that could create multiple physical clones at once.
The moment the four clones appeared, they formed seals simultaneously.
Purple flames rose around each of them, rapidly spreading into a square barrier that enclosed both Ronin and Uvogin.
Four Violet Flames Formation!
Ronin had come early specifically to prepare this.
He used Multiple Shadow Clone to create four clones, then had them use Transformation Jutsu and Earth Style to hide underground. Once Uvogin came close, they triggered the Four Violet Flames Formation and sealed the two of them inside.
That way, no matter how many Troupe members arrived, they'd be blocked outside the barrier—
forced to watch Ronin and Uvogin fight one-on-one inside.
Another advantage of preparing the clones in advance was that Ronin could use Zetsu during that time to accelerate recovery after splitting off chakra.
By now, even if he wasn't at absolute peak, he was back to at least eighty percent.
In his view, if the opponent was only Uvogin, that was enough.
It was just a shame he'd only recently fused the fifth pair of Scarlet Eyes—otherwise he could've arranged even more.
After all, that fifth fusion had unlocked S-rank ninjutsu access exactly as he expected.
The four shadow clones also raised a smaller inner barrier around themselves, making it harder for Uvogin to break the formation from the inside.
The sudden turn of events made Uvogin halt—and it also froze Nobunaga and Machi outside the barrier.
"You only get out if you beat me," Ronin said, loosening his shoulders. His hands formed seals, and electricity began to ripple over his body.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Of course, "only if you beat me" was only part of the truth.
By Ronin's estimate, the chakra the four clones held could keep the Four Violet Flames Formation up for about an hour if no outside force broke it.
Blue arcs crackled, and even Ronin's hair seemed to shift, making him look sharper—more aggressive, more dangerous.
Uvogin smiled.
"Good. That's exactly what I want."
Powerful aura surged over him—
then Uvogin's pupils tightened, because Ronin flickered and was suddenly right in front of him.
Uvogin's Big Bang Impact fired on instinct, smashing toward his side.
But he didn't feel impact—
because the arm he'd thrown…
rose into the air in his own vision.
Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!
~~~
Thank you for reading!