Chapter 77: Chrollo Sees All
The person below sensed danger. The chains wrapped around Ronin's leg suddenly twisted, transforming into a shield.
At that exact moment, the Rock Fist slammed down.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash shook the entire first floor. The ground where Ronin stood shattered completely.
Below, Chrollo Lucilfer, holding his book in one hand and manipulating chains with the other, was pulled back by the massive Franklin to avoid the debris.
But Ronin also noticed another figure. As he fell through the floor, a spear was hurled at him with immense force.
It was Bonolenov, whose body was riddled with holes that played a haunting melody as he moved.
Ronin raised his Rock Fist to block the spear.
But in an instant, the rock shattered. The spear pierced Ronin's arm, dealing massive damage that exceeded the Shadow Clone's endurance limit.
Poof.
The falling Ronin exploded into a puff of white smoke.
"It was him, as expected." Chrollo retracted his ability. Although he had anticipated it, seeing the target vanish into smoke was still annoying.
But before the Spiders could vent their frustration, the ground beneath them changed.
The solid floor liquefied instantly into a swamp.
The five Troupe members sank into the mud, feeling a strong suction pulling them down.
Chrollo snapped his head toward the stairs. There, he saw a white-haired young man with his hands pressed to the ground.
Ronin!
Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld.
This was the technique Jiraiya used to trap Orochimaru's snakes in the manga. Now, Ronin's Shadow Clone used it to restrain five Spiders at once.
Simultaneously, another figure flashed behind him.
Another white-haired Kakashi. His hands completed a seal, and his chest expanded with gathered Chakra.
Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame.
A torrent of fire erupted from the clone's mouth, engulfing the chaotic basement in a sea of flames.
But amidst the fire, a spear shot out.
Thwack! Thwack!
Two clones were pierced and dispelled instantly.
But it wasn't the spear that popped them. It was a rapier appearing behind them.
Feitan, having dodged Zeno upstairs, had appeared at the staircase leading down and stabbed the clones from behind.
The clones weren't unaware of Feitan, but the spear restricted their movement, and casting two large-scale jutsu had drained most of their Chakra.
As the two clones vanished, the fire and swamp receded rapidly.
Two tall walls appeared facing the stairs, shielding Chrollo and the others.
The creator was Kortopi, his single visible eye staring blankly.
He had also conjured a raised platform to give the group footing above the swamp.
"Three clones. His ability has evolved again," Pakunoda stood near Chrollo, maintaining her distance.
"Maybe more," Chrollo said solemnly.
This cloning technique was troublesome. Based on their current intel, there was no reliable way to locate the main body when a clone appeared.
Furthermore, these skirmishes proved that the clones had durability. They didn't pop from just a light tap.
This was dangerous.
Chrollo considered a possibility: If Ronin becomes strong enough, could each of his clones possess the power to kill a Troupe member?
If that happened, even moving in three-man cells would be risky.
Ronin's combat power was growing in a bizarre, exponential way. It wasn't right.
Chrollo rubbed his temples, replaying every piece of intel since they first encountered Ronin.
He focused specifically on the moments Ronin's strength spiked.
Peeling back the layers, Chrollo's eyes snapped open.
"I know what it is!"
In Uvogin's report, Ronin was a novice Nen user during the initial escape. Uvogin was confident he could kill him.
A few days later in Yanshui City, Ronin was stronger. He had countermeasures. Still weak, but troublesome with terrain advantage.
A month later at Heavens Arena, Ronin's strength jumped again. He could fight Uvogin head-on.
Chrollo investigated this period. He found that Ronin had briefly left the arena. During this trip, Ronin hired mercenaries.
But the key wasn't the mercenaries. It was his objective: Scarlet Eyes.
Ronin acquired a second pair during that trip (after stealing his father's eyes from Uvogin).
Then came the fourth encounter. Omokage was dead. Ronin's strength surged again, allowing him to brutalize Uvogin in a frontal assault without borrowing external Nen. His aura capacity rivaled Uvogin's.
His progress was too fast.
Unnaturally fast.
Chrollo had previously theorized Ronin was burning his lifespan. But connecting the dots with his identity revealed the truth: Ronin wasn't burning life; he was fueling his vengeance with the power of his clan!
"It's the eyes," Chrollo whispered.
Omokage had two pairs of Scarlet Eyes. Ronin likely took them after killing him.
Then, on September 1st, Ronin stole another pair from the Underground Auction.
Every time Ronin obtained one or more pairs of Scarlet Eyes, his power leaped to a new tier.
"The Kurta Clan," Chrollo's eyes brightened. "Interesting. There must be a secret hidden within that tribe. No wonder Ronin is so obsessed with the eyes. They are the source of his power!"
Chrollo was certain.
A term popped into his mind: Artifact.
Items said to grant the user unimaginable power. Their origin: The Dark Continent.
Through his explorations, Chrollo had pieced together fragments of the world's truth. The world they lived in was just a small lake. Beyond it lay a vast, unknown continent. Artifacts came from there.
If Ronin possessed such an item—or if his own eyes acted as one—sacrificing Scarlet Eyes could explain the rapid power gain.
Is it possible Ronin's eyes are a Kurta Artifact?
Or... are the 'Devil's Apostles' actually descendants from the Dark Continent?
Chrollo became even more interested in the Kurta Clan and the survivor, Ronin, who might hold secrets unknown even to the Spiders.
"But before we meet him again, I need to collect some Scarlet Eyes myself."
If he could limit the number of eyes Ronin acquired, he could cap Ronin's growth.
An enemy who couldn't evolve was a predictable enemy. And a predictable enemy was one Chrollo could defeat with 100% certainty.
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