The airship was going to land not far from where Uvogin had slammed down.
After all, the fight had broken out right after takeoff. In that short amount of time, the airship simply couldn't have traveled very far.
Ronin didn't wait for it to fully touch down. When it was still more than ten meters above the ground, he jumped.
With a heavy thud, he landed safely.
Up ahead, he could already hear police sirens. Uvogin's fall had drawn the attention of the airship terminal staff.
And the fact that the first people rushing over weren't medics but police made one thing clear: news that Uvogin had killed someone onboard had reached the ground even faster.
There were always police patrols around the terminal. Now they were moving in with the ground security team—probably planning to restrain Uvogin the moment they confirmed he was still alive.
But Ronin knew that even badly injured, Uvogin wasn't someone ordinary people could handle.
Even if they had guns—useless.
Ronin's movements didn't attract much attention. He walked briskly to the edge of the gathering, then slowed down and squeezed his way inside.
He didn't know Uvogin's exact condition.
If Uvogin's injuries were internal—severe enough to leave him unable to move—this would be the best chance to kill him.
But if it was only shock trauma and Uvogin could still fight back… then striking now might mean facing a dying, cornered beast.
The impulsive urge that had flared while he was following the airship down began to fade as seconds passed.
More careful calculations rose in its place.
He even had to consider: if he killed Uvogin here, would the Phantom Troupe's next move be to hunt him down and kill him?
As long as it was only Uvogin chasing him, Ronin still had ways to resist or escape.
But if more people came after him… could he handle it in his current state?
That thought only circled his mind for a moment before he threw it away.
They were already locked in a blood feud.
If he had the chance to kill Uvogin and chose not to, it would be letting a tiger return to the mountains—sending Uvogin away with more intel and more preparation for an even deadlier hunt next time.
So he couldn't hesitate.
Kill him.
Police and security were sealing off the area, but plenty of people had still gathered—some reporters, some ordinary bystanders there purely to watch the spectacle.
Ronin blended in, peering through the crowd until he saw Uvogin lying on the ground.
The police had him restrained. From what they were saying, it wasn't hard to tell they were waiting for medical staff so they could send Uvogin to a hospital first.
Pretty committed to humanitarianism, huh.
Ronin's eyes quietly shifted into Sharingan state. He watched the changes in Uvogin's Nen.
Uvogin's body was so tough that Ronin couldn't judge the extent of his injuries just by looking—but Nen didn't lie.
With the Sharingan's perception, Ronin could clearly see Uvogin's aura had withered. It didn't look like an act either, because the aura inside his body was even more chaotic.
That fall from dozens of meters had done real damage.
This was the best window to strike.
Ronin swept his gaze around, thinking about how to kill him. Uvogin's defense was absurdly high—Ronin would need to unleash everything and hit a vital point to have any chance of finishing him.
But to prevent a cornered beast's last struggle, the best move was to take advantage of Uvogin's chaotic aura and land another Sharingan genjutsu.
During the illusion's effect, Uvogin's defense would drop significantly.
The problem was, Ronin didn't have a proper weapon. If he had a kunai or a dagger, it would be perfect.
With that thought, Ronin prepared to create an opening—make Uvogin see his eyes.
As long as their eyes met, the Sharingan's genjutsu would trigger.
Then, in the next second, Ronin's pupils tightened.
Because he saw Nen on a nearby police officer.
Nen attached to an antenna—and that antenna was currently stuck into the officer's body.
The officer kept one hand near his holster and was walking toward the crowd. His movements looked casual, but Ronin sensed danger.
He'd been discovered.
It was Shalnark.
Ronin recognized the antenna instantly.
A member who often worked closely with Uvogin—and who was frighteningly sharp.
Shalnark's Nen ability—Black Voice—worked by sticking an antenna into a target, granting him control.
But why was Shalnark here?
If he was acting with Uvogin, he should've been on the airship too.
Appearing here so abruptly made Ronin's plan to kill Uvogin pause—while new possibilities flooded his mind.
He carefully scanned the area, trying to spot Shalnark hidden somewhere… or see if another Troupe member was lurking nearby.
Most of the time, the Troupe operated in pairs.
Uvogin showing up alone on the airship had already surprised Ronin. Shalnark's presence, at least, made sense.
But whether Shalnark had a partner with him—that was unclear.
And the way the "police officer" approached made it obvious: Shalnark had already pinpointed him.
Had Shalnark been watching him since Ronin jumped off the airship?
Probably.
But Shalnark hadn't acted immediately—likely because Uvogin had already described Ronin's abilities from the earlier escape, and Shalnark didn't feel confident stopping him alone.
Meaning the most likely situation was: Shalnark had backup.
Or Shalnark was waiting for the right moment to quietly stick a second antenna into Ronin.
Ronin's blood ran cold. He didn't see a second antenna coming in, but he still formed hand seals instantly, without hesitation.
The seals for Hidden Mist.
And the moment he did, the "officer" drew his gun—no concern for the crowd at all—and opened fire.
*Bang, bang, bang—*the magazine emptied in a burst.
Blood sprayed.
No one in the crowd expected a police officer to suddenly start shooting into the people.
Chaos exploded across the terminal the moment the mist began to spread.
But Ronin wasn't hit.
With the Sharingan, he could clearly see the bullet trajectories. And more importantly, he wasn't standing in open space—there were people in front of him.
The sudden gunfire also made the Uvogin on the ground turn his head toward Ronin's direction.
Their eyes met.
For an instant, their gazes collided.
Ronin kept one hand locked in the Hidden Mist seal. With the other, he raised a hand and drew it across his throat—even if he couldn't kill Uvogin right now, he wasn't going to look weak.
Uvogin's chaotic aura flared violently as he forced himself to sit up.
But the fog spread fast. Ronin vanished into it almost immediately.
Uvogin's mouth corner bled again—this time not from injury, but from sheer fury.