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Chapter 112: Illumi's Move
The ship detonated on the open ocean. Out of everyone, the butler remained the most unbothered by the news. Judging by his calm demeanor, he had likely anticipated something of the sort all along.
Within the villa, the sudden influx of chakra, memories, and experiences from the destroyed shadow clones flooded into Ronin's mind. The [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique] truly was a divine skill. The fact that it could transmit energy and memories over such a vast distance upon dispelling strongly implied that some form of space-time mechanic was at play behind the scenes.
Ronin's shadow clones hadn't been the only passengers on that doomed vessel. The ship had been packed with people leaving Meteor City, carrying desperate hopes for a better future. The extremists of Meteor City had truly internalized their core doctrine: We'll accept anything you leave here, but don't ever take anything away from us. They would ruthlessly enforce that rule, completely indifferent to the collateral damage or the sacrifices required.
Fanatics. That was Ronin's final, unvarnished verdict on the city's radical zealots.
Milia's operatives were scheduled to arrive in Meteor City on September 24th. With the butler's assistance, they would act as proxies, managing the situation on the ground in place of Ronin and Kurapika. As for how things would ultimately play out, Ronin honestly couldn't care less. Building a 'Limitless Fortress' had just been a fleeting, spur-of-the-moment idea. He had never actually intended to map out a concrete plan for it.
What did surprise Ronin, however, was an unexpected intrusion in the dead of night. Someone breached the villa and zeroed in straight for the shadow clone disguised as Ryan.
Combat erupted in a fraction of a second. A needle as thin as a hair shot toward the clone resting on the bed, only to be deflected by the thick blanket being violently whipped into the air. Though the obstruction lasted for barely a millisecond, it bought the clone just enough time to roll out of bed and launch a counterattack.
The intruder was none other than Illumi. When his lethal needle was blocked, a flicker of genuine confusion crossed his feline, almond-shaped eyes.
Not bad reflexes, Illumi analyzed instantly.
But a split second later, a barrage of Wind Style chakra ripped through the air, tearing toward his position like a hail of bullets. It was [Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere]. Similar to the [Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu], it was an offensive technique executed by exhaling compressed blasts. The key difference was that the Vacuum Spheres, infused with the sharp, cutting nature of wind chakra, traveled at vastly superior velocities. By exhaling in rapid, staccato bursts, the user could unleash a devastating volley that mimicked the suppressive fire of a heavy machine gun.
Through the Sharingan, the shadow clone perceived the figure being shredded into a bloodless sieve was merely an afterimage. The assassin had shifted positions the very instant the attack was launched. Compared to the low-level thugs that had tried to hit them over the past few nights, this opponent was exceptionally dangerous.
As that thought crossed the clone's mind, the piercing shriek of a thousand chirping birds erupted from his hand. Brilliant, crackling lightning illuminated the pitch-black room, instantly exposing the attacker's position.
Astonishingly, the assassin had closed the gap during the minuscule window it took for the clone to stop exhaling and shift offensive stances. The intruder's hand was rigidly straightened like a spear, thick veins pulsing beneath the skin in a grotesque, inhuman display. And that very hand was already thrusting directly toward the clone's heart from behind.
But [Chidori] had materialized in that exact same millisecond. Using the momentum of his pivot, the clone violently swept the condensed lightning blade straight at the assassin's torso. It was a suicidal, mutually assured destruction counterattack—the exact fighting style Illumi detested the most.
Adjusting his trajectory, Illumi abandoned the heart strike and instead aimed a crippling chop at the clone's elbow joint. Simultaneously, his free hand produced several silver needles, flicking them with lethal precision toward key pressure points on the clone's body.
This isn't Ryan. Illumi reached that conclusion the very instant the crackling lightning blade materialized.
The sudden barrage of wind bullets could have been classified as a high-level Emission ability. However, transmuting aura into raw, volatile electricity was strictly a Transmutation feat. For an individual to wield both categories at such a masterful level, they would have to be an unprecedented Specialist prodigy. And according to Illumi's meticulously gathered intel, Ryan was overwhelmingly likely to be a Manipulator.
So, who was this person wearing Ryan's face flawlessly? The answer wasn't difficult to deduce.
It was Ronin!
That meant the exploding ship was nothing more than a decoy filled with fakes; the real Ronin had never left Meteor City.
So, is the one standing in front of me the original? Illumi's mind raced. No. He quickly dismissed the idea. The opponent's recklessly suicidal, trade-blow-for-blow fighting style wasn't how a rational human fought.
Illumi's hardened hand chopped fiercely into the clone's arm, parrying the lightning strike wide. At the same time, the incoming silver needles were perfectly deflected by a kunai the clone had drawn with his off-hand.
Even as a mere shadow clone, it still possessed the terrifying kinetic vision of the Sharingan. Every twitch, feint, and shift in Illumi's muscles was laid bare under its gaze. But even with that absolute visual advantage, the sheer speed and lethality of the point-blank exchange made the clone realize just how incredibly dangerous this opponent was.
In that claustrophobic clash, the clone finally recognized the assassin's identity. Illumi Zoldyck! An assassin from the legendary family.
So who hired him? The answer was painfully obvious. The only logical mastermind behind this hit was Chrollo. Still, Ronin was mildly surprised that the Zoldycks would take a contract to kill him. After all, Silva and Zeno were currently operating under Kurapika's contract to wipe out the Phantom Troupe. The Zoldyck family truly lived up to their reputation—shamelessly playing both sides of the board. Aren't they afraid of biting off more than they can chew?
With those thoughts flashing through his mind, the clone abruptly vaulted backward, putting some distance between himself and Illumi while his hands blurred through a series of rapid hand seals.
As for the elbow Illumi had struck, it was completely fine. Even as a clone, his innate Enhancer durability and output of Actual Aura Power were identical to the original's. To nullify Illumi's devastating chop, all he had needed to do was instantly focus a denser concentration of aura into the joint. The advanced application of [Ryu] was a technique Ronin had long since mastered to absolute perfection.
Nevertheless, the clone could tell that Illumi's strikes relied purely on inhuman assassination techniques rather than overt Nen abilities. Those flying needles were the true, insidious threat. Crackling arcs of lightning began to wreathe the clone's body as he activated his [Lightning Style: Nintaijutsu] once more.
The moment Ronin retreated, Illumi instantly prepared himself for a mid-to-long-range bombardment. However, his primary objective was simply to break contact with the clone. Killing a fake would inflict zero meaningful damage on the real Ronin. Rather than wasting time tangling with a disposable copy, it was far more efficient to hunt down the main body and complete the assassination.
But seeing the clone's hair spike up dynamically with overflowing electrical energy told Illumi that shaking this decoy off wouldn't be easy. If he got bogged down here, the real Ronin would inevitably arrive, forcing him into a deadly two-on-one scenario.
Wait. No. His entire strategic approach had been based on the assumption that Ronin had left the city and the man in the villa was Ryan. Since Ryan was a fake, the real Ronin had to be somewhere in the immediate vicinity!
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