"That guy's an Enhancement-Type Nen user. His body isn't something a mere tank can compare to. He's the real deal—someone who clawed his way out from heaps of corpses, existing only for destruction and slaughter~"
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind the group of bodyguards.
"Who's there?!" Squala's expression changed as he spun around and shouted. He had assumed it was an accomplice of the brute down below.
But when Kurapika heard that voice, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. His tightly wound body instantly relaxed, and even the rapid heartbeat Melody had been hearing eased up.
"You're here, Roy~" Kurapika turned his head, and there Roy was, smiling at him.
No matter the situation, as long as Roy was around, everything always seemed to settle down naturally.
If one could have seen through Kurapika's contact lenses and into his eyes, they would have noticed that the red tint brought on earlier by his violent emotional fluctuations had already faded back to normal.
At that moment, Melody also noticed the change in Kurapika. She did not know why this person's appearance could calm Kurapika down, but before this man had spoken, she had not heard his heartbeat at all.
That left Melody deeply astonished.
"It's been a while, Kurapika." Roy stepped forward and lightly patted him on the shoulder. "You've even developed your Nen ability now. Looks like you've gotten a lot stronger~"
"Yeah! I'm a Conjuration-Type, and after listening to your advice before, I thought very carefully about how to develop my Nen ability. In the end, I still chose chains." Kurapika was smiling brightly.
"Hey! This is not the time to catch up, is it? The guy down there is practically a monster. We should retreat! There's no way people at our level can beat him!" Squala said anxiously.
And the moment Roy revealed himself, Ilo—who had still been moving along at an unhurried pace—suddenly changed expression.
"So Lord Roy appeared over there... by that big guy, Uvogin? Did something happen? Forget it. I originally wanted to keep following Phinks, but it looks like things have changed. I'd better hurry over there~~"
With that thought, in the very next second, Ilo directly flared his aura and accelerated. With one flash of movement, he disappeared.
"So fast!" Phinks' pupils shrank, and his body abruptly came to a stop.
With his dynamic vision, he had not even managed to see how Ilo vanished.
"I've teamed up with Feitan for a long time, so I know exactly how fast he is. But that guy gives me the feeling that he's even faster than Feitan!"
It was precisely because Phinks was especially close to Feitan that he understood Feitan's speed better than anyone, and could more clearly sense the difference between Ilo and Feitan.
Phinks stopped and carefully searched the surroundings, but found nothing. In the end, he gave up and called Chrollo.
"Lost him?"
Chrollo's expression remained as calm as ever.
"I see. Speed on par with Feitan, or possibly even beyond him?"
"Yeah. Franklin mentioned it before, but I didn't expect this bastard's speed to really be that insane~" Phinks scratched his hair. "So what should I do next, Boss?"
"Come back first. Once I confirm the details of that prophecy ability involving the Nostrade Family's daughter, everything will become clear~"
...
At Uvogin's battlefield, Squala wanted to retreat, but this suspected Phantom Troupe member was exactly the target he had been after. On top of that, Roy was here too, so of course Kurapika had no intention of backing down.
As for danger, Kurapika knew very well just how strong Roy was—a man capable of fighting Isaac Netero, Chairman of the Hunter Association, to a standstill and even forcing him back!
Kurapika knew the Phantom Troupe was strong, but no matter how strong they were, they could not possibly surpass Netero. So he was not worried about the situation at all.
Just as Squala was about to persuade Basho and Melody to withdraw with him, Melody's ear suddenly twitched.
"It sounds like there are extra heartbeats approaching."
What came next was a string of dark, low mutterings.
Worm: "Even if it seems like you people know a little Nen, it'd be better not to interfere~"
Rabid Dog?: "That guy isn't some ordinary thief~"
Porcupine: "To them, killing is an everyday occurrence. To put it simply, they're experts at murder~"
Leech: "In that case, they're the same kind of people as us~"
The lecherous Worm, wearing nothing but a pair of briefs; Rabid Dog?, with sharp fangs sticking out of his mouth; the potato-shaped Porcupine; and the pot-bellied, long-tongued Leech—the old man's Shadow Beasts had assembled!
After delivering that round of self-important lines, they turned their contemptuous, predator-like gazes toward Uvogin in the field below.
"So this is... the Shadow Beasts?" Squala sensed that the aura of those four people was far beyond anything he could compare to, and could not help being shaken.
Behind them, Roy merely shook his head. Talking that big and making your entrance that early—careful you do not end up exiting the stage ahead of schedule~
Come to think of it, Ilo sped up just now too. He should be here any moment. With that guy's Nen ability, he probably would not let the Shadow Beasts go...
"What now?"
"What else? Didn't Uvogin say he didn't want us interfering?"
"Then let's just watch~"
At that moment, Uvogin also noticed the three strangely shaped figures standing before him.
"Hm? So these are the Shadow Beasts? Their aura isn't bad either. Number 12 said their strength was so-so. Looks like he himself isn't weak either." The corners of Uvogin's mouth curled upward.
"Hey! Shadow Beasts! Where the hell are the auction goods?!"
"And where are our guests and guards?"
"I killed them all. If you still don't tell me where the auction goods are..."
Bang!
Worm burst up from underground behind Uvogin and punched him head-on.
"You bastard, you've got some strength!"
Next, Worm grabbed Uvogin's arm and burrowed underground, slamming him down onto the ground—only to be instantly knocked out by one of Uvogin's Super Destructive Punches.
While taking down Worm, Uvogin's clothes were also destroyed, revealing the spider tattoo on his body.
"So it really is the Phantom Troupe." Kurapika's emotions on the hillside fluctuated once more.
"Yeah. Phantom Troupe member Uvogin, Number 11. Simple in temperament, but rough on the outside and sharp on the inside—not just some brainless brute. His movements are nimble and fast. He prides himself on his overwhelming arm strength and his rock-hard body, tough enough that even a super rocket launcher capable of blasting apart tanks is useless against him. He is a true combat specialist. Within the Troupe, he is in charge of fighting. He especially enjoys battling strong opponents, but usually charges into the battlefield without a plan, and hates others interfering in his fights."
Roy gave Kurapika and the others a quick explanation.
(End of Chapter)
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