Chapter 155: Bidding, the Satsui no Hado!
As [Show] was stopped by "Mercenary Tao," the gazes of everyone else in the area finally focused on the true master of today's event. The mages of the [Far East Magic Society] were seeing him for the first time, and they frowned as they studied this newly-risen monster.
According to the rumors, he had not only defeated the strange and vicious [White Mask], but he had also caused the deaths of [Kai] and the last core members of [The Fifth Element] in the Jujutsu Kaisen world. And more recently, it was said that the other notorious low-tier monsters, [Bad Kid] and [Kalpa], had also been killed, and that the killer was this very man.
The Snow Witch rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on from just looking at his grotesque avatar. This guy must be genuinely insane, she thought. But Reincarnators were not a normal group to begin with, and from the ranks of these strange-minded individuals, truly incredible figures often emerged.
Connecting all the recent rumors, the Snow Witch's estimation of "Mercenary Tao" rose. She stood up and smiled. "Mercenary Tao, is it? You certainly kept us waiting."
Kaito turned and saw the woman with the eye-catching avatar. Before he could speak, a message from [Black Butler] appeared.
[Message from TT65562877 (Black Butler): The Snow Witch is the number three of the Far East Magic Society. Rumor is she has already entered the third tier of power.]
Kaito glanced at the broker. His expression was calm, as if he weren't the one who had just spent Dimensional Points to send a warning. Heh. Such a cautious man, this Black Butler.
Kaito shrugged. He didn't bother to comment on the crystals on her skin, but he also didn't show her any particular respect. "I said I'd be here in half an hour. You're the ones who came early."
He walked to his stall and saw Rose Tiger, sitting cross-legged in mid-air. This posture demonstrated a control over his center of gravity that was far beyond what a normal human could achieve. His proficiency level had to be extremely high. It also meant… he was a show-off. Not that being a show-off meant you weren't strong, but all things being equal, people with that kind of mindset were always a little easier to deal with.
Kaito smiled and walked past him without a greeting. He glanced at his stall; there weren't many new offers. With all these big shots crowding around, no one else could get a good look at his wares.
Seeing this, he just waved his hand. He targeted everyone with his Reincarnator mark and sent out an invitation to his private space. Normally, you needed to know someone's ID to do this, but if they had made a bid at his stall, he could use that as a direct link. This was the real reason they had all been crowding around.
One by one, flashes of light appeared, and the once-bustling area around the stall was suddenly empty.
Kaito's private space was large, but completely bare. The Snow Witch took one look and knew that "Mercenary Tao" was indeed a monster. A space of this size meant that the number of Reincarnators who had died at his hands was not small. But… the space had no decorations. She couldn't glean any of his personal preferences from it. The decoration of a private space was often a window into a Reincarnator's mind. A player who felt oppressed might set their space to be an open ocean. An impetuous one might set it to be a pleasure den. This man… was a blank slate.
Kaito, seemingly unaware of her analysis, just snapped his fingers. A number of simple, identical cloth sofas appeared. He gestured for everyone to sit, then took a seat at the front, and with a flash of light, the [Compound V] vials appeared.
"You all know what this is. Some of you want one vial. Some of you want the whole lot. Your offers are all over the place. Therefore, I've decided to hold an open auction."
His explanation was simple. The others pulled their gazes away from the room. They now believed this "Mercenary Tao" was an experienced veteran, likely one who had used other avatars in the past.
A light flashed in the Snow Witch's hand, and a strangely shaped fruit appeared. A Devil Fruit. Its appearance made several of the other bidders' faces fall. Against a treasure like this, their own offers were almost worthless.
Kaito, however, noted that the fruit was oval, pinkish-red, and covered in diamond-shaped patterns. In his memory, no such fruit had ever appeared in the original story. It was likely a non-canon one.
"The offer from the [Far East Magic Society] has not changed," the Snow Witch said. "We are willing to trade this Devil Fruit for all 10 vials. No other conditions."
Her offer was very fair. Even Black Butler, under the pretense of cleaning his monocle, had to calm himself. In any normal transaction, the moment a Devil Fruit appeared, the deal was all but over. An unidentified one, especially, held an immense allure. While Compound V could grant you an ability, it was a risky, unstable gamble. A Devil Fruit, on the other hand, was a near-100% guarantee of a massive power boost.
The other bidders were silent, waiting for Kaito's decision.
Kaito studied the fruit, then changed the subject. "Although it's unidentified, you've certainly had it divined, haven't you? I'm guessing… it's definitely not a Logia-type, is it?"
A man in a white uniform behind the Snow Witch frowned. "Mercenary Tao. You're crossing a line." In a trade, asking such a question was a blatant attempt to probe your opponent's bottom line. It was extremely rude.
But Kaito was unconcerned. "Looks like I guessed right," he shrugged. "Next bid."
He looked away. This made the Snow Witch's face darken, but she quickly turned her gaze to Rose Tiger, and to the Black Butler who was standing beside him.
"So," she said, her voice sharp, "there is another offer on the table that's comparable to my Devil Fruit. That's why you're so confident…"
Rose Tiger was about to speak, but the beautiful woman in the cheongsam beside him casually dropped her cigarette. The moment it hit the floor, it was extinguished by a flash of dense, green light. As Rose Tiger's face turned ugly, [Fleur] defiantly made her own offer.
"Mercenary Tao. I will give you 3 B-rank Singularities, a 3-tomoe Sharingan, and… one unconditional service from me, as long as it does not threaten my own life. All of that, in exchange for your 10 vials. How about it?!"
Her offer stunned everyone in the room. In a way, it was a massive overpayment. The three B-rank Singularities alone were worth more than three vials. The Sharingan was also a hot-ticket item that would cause a stir in the bazaar. Those two things together were already more than a fair price. But she had also added herself. No one here was a fool. They knew she wasn't selling her body; Reincarnators' bodies had no such value. She was selling her power.
With the help of a powerful Spirit/Summoner/Curse-type Reincarnator, a monster like Kaito could easily hunt [Strong]-tier players. That was an incredible return on investment.
"You've gone too far, Fleur!" Rose Tiger stood up, a powerful energy wave pulsing from him. He looked like a beast about to lose control.
Fleur looked back at him, her expression resolute. "Boss Tiger. You shouldn't stop us from pursuing a better future. You'll just tie us all to that woman's sinking ship."
The internal conflict of [Fatal Fury] was now out in the open.
Kaito let out a playful whistle. The sound made Rose Tiger turn his glare on him, a look of pure murder in his eyes. Kaito just let his gaze drift over Fleur's body, "tsked" twice, and said, "A pretty good offer. Keep going."
He still hadn't accepted. The others could now smell the blood in the water.
[Show], who had known from the start that today's trade was a stage for the great powers, made his standing offer. "My price hasn't changed. One B-rank Singularity for one vial."
Kaito nodded. It was a fair price. On any other day, he would have taken it.
A few other lone wolves made their offers, but they couldn't compete. Kaito didn't even reply. With a thought, he kicked them all out of his private space. "Tsk. You came all this way and didn't even raise your bid? What a waste of time."
His action made the others raise their eyebrows. Direct, wild, without pretense, obsessed with power and combat… This was the impression they were getting of him.
Kaito finally looked at Rose Tiger. The pink-haired man, in Kaito's opinion, was quite similar to that pathetic Hadoken user, Kai. He was a man worn down by his circumstances, unable to focus his full attention. He guessed that this was probably his opponent at his weakest. Even with his high proficiency and his second-tier attributes, if his heart wasn't in it, he had no chance of winning a real life-or-death battle.
Rose Tiger, though furious at Kaito, knew he had to win this bid. If Fleur got her hands on those 10 vials, she could create her own army, and he would never be able to suppress her again. [Fatal Fury] was a team where the strong ruled. He couldn't afford to back down.
His face grim, a light flashed in his hand, and a scroll, glowing with an intense purple light, appeared. Then, another light flashed in his left hand, revealing a blood-red crystal.
[Legacy Crystal: Satsui no Hado]
[Quality: Exceedingly Rare - Extreme]
[Description: A crystal that has recorded the special energy system, the Satsui no Hado. Using it is extremely dangerous.]
[Requirement: None]
[Effect: Accept the Satsui no Hado into your body. Reincarnators who fail the judgment will suffer death, unconsciousness, or corruption.]
And in his right hand, the [Shun Goku Satsu] scroll. Rose Tiger had just put a complete, top-tier ability set on the table.
Even Kaito stood up. Black Butler's pupils contracted. This was not what they had agreed upon. Rose Tiger, provoked, had just put the entire [Fatal Fury] team's ultimate treasure on the table.
The Snow Witch looked at the two items and put away her own Devil Fruit. She sneered, "How ugly. Fatal Fury. It seems that name will soon disappear from the second tier." She turned and left Kaito's private space. She knew that unless she was offering a Logia or one of the more broken Paramecia-types, she stood no chance.
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Guys We cross the 500 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 600 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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