Pairo.
Kurapika's thoughts plunged back to the night of the Kurta clan massacre five years ago. He and his best friend Pairo had just finished an errand and were riding a land-bird back to the forest. The land-bird suddenly stopped. A silver-haired woman with a peculiar voice stood before them.
The silver-haired woman told them about the village being wiped out and the reason for the massacre: the desire for the Scarlet Eyes. Then, she effortlessly knocked Kurapika unconscious. When Kurapika woke up, only a woman calling herself a "Destiny Hunter" named "Mo'er • Zhan Jiang" was before him. She didn't speak, communicating with Kurapika only through paper and pen. She said she used a special ability to sneak Kurapika away.
Mo'er claimed to know part of the future and believed her existence caused a butterfly effect that could lead to more tragedies. Therefore, she wanted to steer destiny back onto the right track. In other words, as long as things unfolded according to the future she knew, she wouldn't intervene, even if she knew about the Kurta clan massacre beforehand, she would stand by and watch. She chose to save Kurapika simply because, in the future she knew, Kurapika survived.
Thinking further, if someone was fated to die in the future she knew, she would also choose to kill.
Such a person could not be defined by simple "good or evil." She was merely a puppet blindly devoted to destiny.
An extreme fanatic of destiny.
When Kurapika learned that Neon also possessed precognitive abilities, he immediately thought of Mo'er, who had similar powers. Their biggest difference was that Neon didn't know the content of her own prophecies; she merely wrote prophetic poems unconsciously, while Mo'er knew what the future looked like. Regarding the interpretation of "destiny," the former remained detached and indifferent, while the latter was deeply immersed and suffered for it.
...Like a curse.
At that time, Mo'er took care of Kurapika for a short period. As she left, she gave him a copy of "The Complete Revenge Handbook," inscribing a personal message on the flyleaf:
"You must make them receive the punishment they deserve!"
"..." Was this statement out of Mo'er's own will, or was it following the trajectory of destiny? Regardless, Kurapika had no choice. He could not forget his fallen kin; he had to seek revenge.
This year, after finally obtaining his Hunter license, Kurapika used the Hunter website to investigate Mo'er's information.
Kurapika had always wanted to know the basis and origin of the "destiny" she saw.
The result was only finding relatively useless information, such as "Mo'er • Zhan Jiang" having a distinguished career as a "Bounty Hunter" and being promoted to "One-Star Hunter" last year. It made sense, though; Mo'er would surely be careful to keep such important matters as "destiny" secret.
"Bounty Hunter" was a guise. She left traces of her footsteps all over the world, but in reality, she was rushing around for the sake of her so-called "destiny."
...Destiny.
On this day, when the Phantom Troupe was fully mobilized, the appearance of the silver-haired woman, who had already left the group, was truly a coincidence of "destiny."
Kurapika had only been learning "Nen" for a little over half a year, while the Phantom Troupe was an A-class criminal organization that ordinary Hunters couldn't apprehend, with each member being a seasoned Nen user of many years. As a novice Nen user, Kurapika had set strict constraints and vows for himself to quickly bridge the gap with the Phantom Troupe.
He had a total of five chains on his right middle finger, each corresponding to a different ability. The "Chain of Judgment" on his middle finger was developed specifically targeting the Troupe. By binding an opponent with this chain, the opponent could be forced into a state of "Zetsu," rendering them unable to use Nen abilities. Tests showed that Uvogin, the strongest member of the Troupe, couldn't break free from this chain.
As long as there was a suitable opportunity, he could defeat any "Spider" with this "Chain of Judgment."
Yes, limited to "Spiders." If he used it on someone other than a "Spider," Kurapika would die on the spot.
So, did former members of the Troupe still count as "Spiders"?
The answer was no. "Spiders" referred to "members of the Phantom Troupe." Who would consider "former members of the Phantom Troupe" as "Spiders"? The "Spiders" themselves wouldn't think so, and neither would Kurapika.
Kurapika had a fondness for reading since childhood, excelled at rigorous thinking, and was accustomed to making "definitions" from an objective perspective. If he ignored "objective definitions" and adopted "subjective definitions," allowing him to arbitrarily use the "Chain of Judgment" as long as he considered the opponent to be a "Spider," then his resolve at the time would have been no more than that.
Although he couldn't use the "Chain of Judgment" on the silver-haired woman, Kurapika's goals were not just revenge but also the recovery of his clansmen's Scarlet Eyes. He had naturally considered situations where he might fight people other than "Spiders," and he still had the other four chains on his right hand.
Most importantly, there was the "Chain of Commandment" on his little finger. With this chain, he could punish the silver-haired woman, strip her of her ability to do evil, and turn her into an ordinary person, forcing her to experience a state of powerlessness so that she might perhaps repent for her crimes.
In terms of combat, when Kurapika activated his Scarlet Eyes, he would switch from "Manipulation" to "Specialization," possessing the special ability [Absolute Time], which allowed him to "exhibit any ability at 100%." He used this ability to fight Uvogin head-on, testing his combat power, and held his own. Even without using the "Chain of Judgment," he wouldn't lose easily.
Kurapika had already decided to set two conditions for the silver-haired woman using the "Chain of Commandment":
First, to answer Kurapika's questions truthfully, such as the whereabouts of the Scarlet Eyes after the Kurta clan massacre five years ago.
Second, to prohibit the use of Nen abilities.
If possible, Kurapika didn't want to kill anymore. The scene of Uvogin's death still lingered in his mind, making him extremely uncomfortable.
In the Scarlet Eyes state, his sensory perception also significantly increased. Kurapika followed the subtle traces left by the silver-haired woman with unwavering focus.
"..."
Good, she had taken the bait completely. Melors, being tracked by Kurapika, felt a wave of relief.
In order not to interfere with the original plot of Silva and Zeno fighting Chrollo, she had endured the urge to watch the live action. How could she let Kurapika go and disrupt it? Moreover, she was worried that Kurapika might encounter Chrollo first. This was because Kurapika's "Chain of Judgment" was not an entirely invincible skill; it required identifying the opponent's weakness and binding them with the chain to take effect. With Chrollo's skill and cunning, Kurapika's chances of winning a one-on-one fight were not high, and he might even lose his life.
Let's lure Kurapika away for now. It wouldn't take long, just until...
The ground of the auction building suddenly shook, accompanied by explosion-like roars from downstairs.
It's about time.
"...?!"
What happened? What was going on downstairs?
Kurapika's attention was inevitably drawn away by this anomaly. When he came back to his senses, he had lost the silver-haired woman's trail.
Not only that, but he had also missed his chance to confront the "Spiders."
When he rushed downstairs to where the explosions had occurred, only several corpses remained. The mob members cleaning up the scene were counting the bodies while praising the Zoldycks' professionalism.
"Investigate their identities! DNA, dental records, fingerprints, illnesses – inquire with all possible relevant parties! It doesn't matter if the parts below the neck are in disarray!" "Once their identities are known, kill their parents, siblings, relatives, and lovers!" "Act with the mindset of no longer allowing trouble to arise! Eradicate them completely!"
The mafia would take full revenge on the Troupe. The rest of the matter no longer concerned Kurapika.
Kurapika left the scene in a daze.
Upstairs, the mafia, in celebration, continued their underground auction with great fanfare.
He searched from the bottom of the building all the way to the roof, but he still couldn't find Neon.
"..."
The Troupe had vanished. The lights illuminating Yorknew City's night returned to a prosperous glow. The previous bloodshed and death seemed like an illusion.
Kurapika took out his phone. Gon and the others had called earlier, but he hadn't answered. Now, he finally dialed them back.
"..."
Gon excitedly said they already knew the location of the Troupe's base.
While being guarded by Nobunaga, they thought of a diversion, broke through the wall, and escaped. They immediately called Kurapika, but he only contacted them now.
"...It's no longer necessary," Kurapika's voice was filled with exhaustion. "The Troupe is dead."
With that, he hung up.
Immediately after, Light Nostrade's call came in. He had heard about the Troupe's deaths and the auction's reopening and asked Kurapika again if he had found Neon.
"I'm sorry, Boss," Kurapika forced himself to sound energetic. "There's no footage of the young lady entering or leaving the building in the surveillance. I'll go to the auction site again to check."
He spent a sleepless night.
While Kurapika was in a state of panic, Melors entered her mid-game break. She comfortably took a bath and reclined on the massage chair, closing her eyes.
The night wind suddenly swept into the room, causing the curtains to flutter briefly before settling.
A tall figure appeared before Melors. "Good evening, sister."
Melors lazily raised her eyelids, and a rabbit piggy bank appeared by her side.
Ilumi placed a one-jen coin into the rabbit piggy bank.
[Prenuptial Contract (214/999)]
Another one-jen coin was placed into the rabbit piggy bank by Ilumi.
[Prenuptial Contract (215/999)]
This time, Ilumi had fulfilled two of Melors' wishes: one was to complete the assassination request of the "Ten Dons" on her behalf, and the other was to complete the assassination request of the "Ten Dons" before other members of the Zoldyck family.
In addition, he did one more thing.
Chrollo's offer of 200 billion jen was indeed incredibly generous, to the point that when Ilumi claimed the commission fee was 100 billion jen, his great-grandfather, who was helping him, did not suspect anything.
Good heavens, what a daring little clever devil he was, just swallowing 100 billion jen. If his great-grandfather knew, he would want to give him a good beating. Ilumi truly was the most filial son of the Zoldyck family.
"Sister." After placing the coins, Ilumi rested one knee on the chair Melors was sitting on, supporting himself with both hands on the armrests. His hunched body hovered above Melors, casting a dark shadow over her. "I earned an extra 100 billion for you, sister. Can I... receive an extra reward?"
"..." Melors raised her hand and brushed aside Ilumi's long black hair that was falling onto her face.
If Ilumi's hair completely covered his face, with the current backlight effect and the cool touch of his hair, it would be a waste of talent if he didn't play Sadako from "The Ring."
"...Sister," Ilumi lowered his head, his cheek brushing against Melors' temple hair. "I want sister's reward."
His long black hair, like creeping snakes, crawled to Melors' chest and arms with his movements.
"Just a little, just a little is fine," Ilumi breathed slowly, inhaling Melors' scent. "...Sister."
For the sake of the 100 billion windfall, Melors placed her hand on his head, her fingers sinking into his hair.
Ilumi's head was just above Melors' shoulder. He had washed his hair before coming, and his hair was as smooth as a shampoo commercial. Melors' fingers encountered no resistance, easily sliding all the way down to rest on Ilumi's back.
Then, Melors' hand reached for the back of his neck.
The neck is a vital part of the human body. It establishes various crucial "life connections" between the mouth and stomach, nose and lungs, brain and spine, and brain and heart. It is as important as the heart.
Moving upwards from the back of the neck is the brain, the source of human will. Ilumi liked to insert Nen needles there to manipulate others.
Unfortunately, Melors was not a Manipulator, so she could only touch the surface, feeling the skin that covered the skull.
"..." Melors moved her hand away, her fingertips still retaining a warm touch.
"...Sister," Ilumi turned his face, looking at her with a hint of indulgence.
"This is as far as it goes," she clasped her retracted hands over her abdomen. "You said you would transfer it in person. It's time for the transfer."
"Okay," Ilumi straightened up.
The next day, Kurapika received a message from Hisoka:
"The corpse is fake."