"Who's there?"
Down the slope, Kurapika stared at the fallen Spider member—dead. His expression was a storm of emotions.
Rage and hatred still lingered, but there was also a strange sense of relief… and most of all, a deep confusion. He couldn't wrap his head around it—how could someone as heartless and twisted as a Spider still show loyalty?
From the moment he talked to Uvogin, to the battle that followed, and even when he pressed him for information on the Phantom Troupe… Uvogin refused to talk. Flat-out.
He was obviously trying to protect his teammates.
Kurapika hated that. It didn't make sense. Monsters like them shouldn't care about each other. And yet—Uvogin had shown what looked like… actual emotion.
Kurapika shoved those thoughts aside and instinctively focused his attention on a nearby cliff.
There were a few hidden auras watching from above.
They'd been suppressing their Nen at first to stay undetected—but now? Something had changed. It felt like a fight had broken out up there. There was no hiding anymore.
"More Spiders?"
Kurapika tensed, fully on guard.
Maybe Uvogin wasn't the only one who came for revenge.
But if it really were the Phantom Troupe, they wouldn't wait until after Uvogin was dead to act. That didn't add up.
Still—whoever it was, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Anyone who could track both him and Uvogin this far without being noticed had to be a skilled Nen user. Someone who knew exactly what was going on between the Troupe and the underworld… and who probably had eyes on the Nostrade Family too.
Then, under the blood-red moonlight, someone slowly stepped into view—calmly walking across the wrecked terrain.
A familiar figure.
Kurapika's eyes widened.
"You?!"
For a moment, he froze, thoughts racing. Possibilities and warning signs firing off in his mind.
"…You part of the Troupe?"
His pupils contracted, and he raised his chain cautiously.
"If I were, Uvogin would still be alive. And the Nostrade Family—including you—would already be wiped out. None of this would've happened," the man replied.
Xiang Nan took off his black hat with a smile. "I don't know you that well, but let's just say… giving info to the Spiders wouldn't be hard if I wanted to."
Kurapika narrowed his eyes, but after a pause, his tension eased slightly. He thought it through—Xiang Nan didn't match the Troupe's profile.
"You're part of the underworld, then?"
Kurapika stayed sharp. If Xiang Nan showed up now, there was only one explanation—he was involved in the underground. And not just some grunt—he had to be high up, definitely above the Nostrades.
He'd been tracking their movements, too.
"Even the Ten Dons' Shadow Beasts couldn't stop the Troupe. But some guy with chains took out a member like it was nothing? Of course that got attention. And since we've crossed paths before, I kept an eye on you when you came to Yorknew under the Nostrade name. Didn't expect you to have leveled up so much since then," Xiang Nan said, walking toward him like they were just catching up.
"Stop," Kurapika cut in coldly. "Don't come any closer."
"What you said makes sense, sure," Kurapika continued. "But I still don't trust your timing. And where are the other two with you? Why haven't they shown themselves?"
He glanced toward the hill where Chrollo and Shalnark were hiding.
Their auras had vanished—either they'd left, or they were using Zetsu to hide. They were far enough that even his perception couldn't be sure.
Xiang Nan gave a quiet laugh at Kurapika's caution.
Then he pulled out his phone and dialed Mia from the Zatobi Family. He put the call on speaker and tossed the phone over.
Kurapika picked it up, spoke briefly with Mia, then made a quick call to the Nostrades. After both calls, he was fairly sure—Xiang Nan was legit. An ally.
Still… something felt off.
Xiang Nan, too, was nervous.
He'd originally planned to take Uvogin's body and slip away quietly. But Chrollo and Shalnark's interference ruined that. Now he had no choice but to show himself.
And Kurapika wasn't exactly easy to bluff.
What really made him sweat was Kurapika's Nen ability—Judgment Chain. That thing could detect lies. Just flashing the Zatobi name might not be enough.
Guess being a "friend" doesn't mean much to him, Xiang Nan thought grimly.
"I can't let him use that ability on me..."
Seeing Kurapika lower the phone, Xiang Nan jumped in, "As your friend, I kept things under wraps. Didn't want word getting out, so… I handled the situation."
He was talking about his fight with Chrollo and Shalnark. He'd stepped in to protect Kurapika.
"You killed a Spider. You know how the Troupe is—they won't just come after you. The whole Nostrade Family is in danger now. Neon too. No one else can know what happened here. Only me."
Kurapika's suspicion eased a bit.
"…Thanks," he said weakly.
It was the first time he'd willingly acknowledged Xiang Nan as a friend again.
But then—his face suddenly went pale. He clutched his mouth, and blood started seeping through his fingers.
"Your Nen's way too intense," Xiang Nan said, crouching beside Uvogin's body. "The only reason it works is because of your bloodline… and your obsession with revenge. But the rules of contracts and restrictions are still there. Always have been. Nen is built on them. You can bend them, tone them down—but break them? Never."
He checked Uvogin's pulse, then looked at Kurapika.
"If you keep pushing this ability, it'll eat away at your life. And eventually… it'll kill you."
Xiang Nan sighed.
"Not that you're gonna listen anyway."
"…How did you know it was Hisoka?" Kurapika asked suddenly.
"That guy's using you. You know it."
"That's none of your business," Kurapika said coldly, eyes dimming.
"Fine. I'm taking the body," Xiang Nan said.
"…What?"
"Look, he's still a Spider. Even dead, the Ten Dons want to see him. I'm not asking as a friend—I'm telling you as someone above you in the underworld. Whether you like it or not, I'm taking him."
Xiang Nan continued, "Your ability only targets Spiders, right? And with your current condition, you couldn't stop me even if you tried. But here's the thing: you're mafia now. You play by the rules. I know you joined the Nostrades to look into the Scarlet Eyes of your clan. But if the Ten Dons get pissed? That door shuts. And it won't just affect you—it'll hurt the Nostrades too. So don't make it worse. Compromise."
As he spoke, Xiang Nan casually slung Uvogin's corpse over his shoulder.
Kurapika opened his mouth, like he wanted to stop him—but then clenched his fists and said nothing.
"…One last thing. A tip. From a friend."
Xiang Nan turned to leave. Then glanced back at the blond boy.
"Some of your clan's eyes… are in the Kakin Empire."
With that, he vanished.