Chapter 156: Undercurrents Surge, Schemes and Intrigues
"Boss Tiger! Do you really have to tie all of us to a sinking ship?!"
"Can't you see it? The Crimson Sorcerer is caught in the conflict between those two great lords! She's going to fall, sooner or later! She can't keep playing both sides forever!"
Fleur was no longer maintaining her calm facade. She was now hysterically berating Rose Tiger. But the man just kept his face grim, refusing to look at her. Instead, he spoke to Kaito.
"Mercenary Tao. You should understand what these two abilities, combined, represent. It is a smooth, open road straight to the [Cataclysm]-tier of martial arts!"
"I will trade you these two items for all ten of your vials. But, at the same time, you must pay an additional price…"
Even though Kaito couldn't use his [Transparent World] to observe other Reincarnators in the Nexus, he could instinctively feel that the performance of these two was… abnormal. Especially the woman in the cheongsam. She had been perfectly calm and restrained, but the moment the bidding had started, she had exploded, throwing out a high-premium offer to provoke her own captain, and then, after he had made his own, even higher offer, she had begun to hysterically denounce him.
Her attitude had changed too quickly. If she were a normal person, it might be explainable. But this was a famous, second-tier Reincarnator, a woman who had likely faced death hundreds of times.
This woman… she's deliberately trying to provoke Rose Tiger.
Kaito's eyes shifted. He had a rough idea of her intentions. But her actions were, in the end, only creating an opportunity for him to profit while weakening her own team. He had no reason to point it out. He could never have guessed that the [Fatal Fury] team's atmosphere had already completely collapsed. With the death of Grinder, the team's main tank and Rose Tiger's staunchest supporter, he could no longer control his pack of wolves. And these "hungry wolves" were now ready to tear their leader apart.
"What price? Let's hear it."
Kaito, having understood the intentions of the remaining bidders, sat back down, a look of calm control on his face. Coincidence or strong luck, it doesn't matter. Today, I have the advantage.
"I want a payment of at least two B-rank Singularities. And… you must form a covenant with me. At some point in the future, I will need you to do one thing for me. It could be participating in a mission, or it could be killing someone. Of course, the target of this covenant will not be a threat to your own life."
Fleur's face was a mask of anger, but her eyes were calm. She looked at Rose Tiger. She realized he hadn't completely lost his mind. His move to throw out the hidden [Satsui no Hado] crystal wasn't just because he was being pressured. He was also making a strategic move. He was using this trade to get rid of a tempting but dangerous power-up, and at the same time, to gain a powerful, hidden pawn in "Mercenary Tao."
And who knew when, in the future, Rose Tiger would call upon that pawn to act… especially a "Mercenary Tao" who might, by then, be a madman corrupted and dominated by the Satsui no Hado. Tsk… Fleur frowned and began to secretly send messages to her other allies.
Kaito, meanwhile, was considering the offer. To be honest, even with the added conditions, this was still a deal where he came out far ahead. The [Satsui no Hado] had a high ceiling, and the [Shun Goku Satsu] scroll contained the secrets of both the normal and the "True" version of the technique. It was a terrifyingly powerful ability that, when combined with his own increasingly pure [Death-Taint], would become an incredible killing blow.
But at the same time, the [Satsui no Hado] was labeled by the Nexus as an extremely dangerous energy system. It was a highly unstable factor. And, based on the intel Fleur was deliberately leaking through her "tantrum," [Rose Tiger] was clearly entangled in the affairs of some high-level Reincarnators. To sign a contract with him was to risk being dragged into that conflict.
Kaito's mind raced, his eyes darting between the players in the room, trying to assess everyone's goals. Clearly, today's auction was no longer just about [Compound V]. Everyone had their own agenda. (Except, perhaps, for the man with the black and white swords, [Show]. He probably just wanted to buy a vial.)
[Reincarnator LT44344564 (Conspiracy) is requesting access to your private space.]
[Reincarnator EV77432211 (Flame Fiend) is requesting access to your private space.]
[Reincarnator MA10030033 (Luo Xi) is requesting access to your private space.]
At that moment, a new series of notifications appeared. Someone was trying to enter his private space from his stall outside. He glanced at the people in the room. Clearly, someone had been communicating with the outside.
"Interesting," Kaito said, and approved all the requests.
Three flashes of light. [Conspiracy], in his crow mask; [Flame Fiend], his hair like a column of red fire; and a woman in a low-cut, red-and-yellow dress that seemed to flutter like ribbons, all appeared in the room.
The new arrivals made everyone react. Rose Tiger shot to his feet. Black Butler just pushed up his monocle. Fleur instinctively looked at Kaito. Only [Show] seemed confused.
"Miss Luo Xi…" Rose Tiger was shocked. He hadn't expected the person he was trying to follow to appear in person.
[Crimson Sorcerer - Luo Xi] was a [Titled Reincarnator] who held a unique title from the Nexus. Her power was immense. Even the arrogant [Flame Fiend] did not dare to speak before her. The woman's dress was clearly a special piece of equipment, flowing with red flames and light. Her pupils were also scarlet, and her short, chestnut hair was a fluffy mass.
"Mercenary Tao?" she asked, her voice a question.
Kaito nodded. "The Crimson Sorcerer honors my humble abode. Are you here with a special offer?" He was smiling his false smile, but because of his Elder God avatar, it wasn't very effective. The woman frowned.
Luo Xi glanced at Rose Tiger and Fleur and immediately understood the situation. She floated forward. "Just complete the trade with Tiger," she said. "I'm sure you won't be at a disadvantage, will you?" It sounded less like a suggestion and more like an order.
Flame Fiend coughed. He looked Kaito up and down, his eyes full of meaning. "My apologies, Miss Luo Xi, but I'd like to get in on this bid as well. You know… I cannot defy the will of my great lord."
His voice was light, but it made Luo Xi's face darken. She frowned, and the temperature in the room began to rise. Kaito clapped his hands, and his private space instantly nullified the change. "Bidding is good! Today is an open auction! All offers are welcome!"
Luo Xi realized this "Mercenary Tao" was also mocking her, but this was his private space. She couldn't act.
A light flashed in Flame Fiend's hand, and another purple-glowing item appeared.
[Unidentified Gourmet Cell]
[Quality: Exceedingly Rare]
[Description: A special cell from the world of Toriko. Can be absorbed by the human body to gain superhuman abilities.]
[Requirement: None]
[Effect: Unknown]
"This is a rare treasure," Flame Fiend said, his tone jaunty. "If my lord hadn't ordered it, I would never have brought it out." His words were half-truths. He then added, "And I'll throw in two conditions you can't refuse."
Fleur's face changed, but she couldn't stop him.
"First, complete this trade, and I will drop our little... unpleasantness... from before. And I won't tell anyone else your little secrets. Second, that guy, Moon Fiend, has been tracking you. Heh... I can also take care of that little problem for you."
Flame Fiend stood there, looking down on Kaito, his eyes full of an "I own you" arrogance. He still had his doubts about whether this "Tao" was the same special Reincarnator who had caused Mountain Fiend's death. But when he had noticed Moon Fiend was also tracking him, he had confirmed it. This vicious new star was indeed the one from that mission. Who would have thought, he mused, that a rookie who's only been through a few missions could cause so much chaos.
Kaito looked up at Flame Fiend's undisguised gaze, and suddenly began to laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed so hard he had to clutch his stomach.
"Flame Fiend… you, right now… you almost made me forget how pathetic you looked when Mercenary Tao was beating you to a pulp…"
He stood up and walked right up to Flame Fiend, their faces inches apart.
"You'll take care of Moon Fiend for me? Don't you know that if you hadn't been so weak, if you weren't about to be killed by Tao, I never would have had to expose Moon Fiend in the first place?" His eyes shifted, his voice full of contempt. "This avatar, this codename… I've never hidden myself."
Fleur sighed. She knew that the man her lord had found was a complete idiot and had just ruined her chances of making a deal. The rumors were true. Flame Fiend was nothing but a brainless brute.
Kaito then looked at [Conspiracy]. "And who sent you? What's their price?"
[Conspiracy] let out a soft laugh, looking at the furious Flame Fiend. "Right now, I don't think I need to make an offer. My lord simply said I needed to ensure that Flame Fiend did not complete a trade with you."
CLAP!
Kaito suddenly clapped his hands, the sound so loud it seemed to shatter the air in the two-hundred-square-meter room.
"I've decided who I'm trading with!"
He raised his left hand and pointed at Rose Tiger. The pink-haired man, smiling coldly, stood up and glanced at Fleur.
But then, Kaito raised his right hand and pointed at [Show].