Chapter 214: The Nyoi Staff
Ronin had prepped the necessary "materials" for the reanimation long ago—hired thugs and enemies captured during their time in Yorknew and Meteor City.
While the ritual was gruesome, Ronin had no intention of showing mercy to those who had tried to kill him.
This was the first time Ronin had performed the Reanimation Jutsu (Edo Tensei). As the forbidden technique manifested, even his closest allies looked at him with a mix of awe and unease.
Kurapika, especially, was visibly shaken.
Ronin read the look in the boy's eyes instantly. Kurapika was overthinking—he likely assumed Ronin had researched this dark art specifically to bring back the Kurta Clan.
It was a misunderstanding that was difficult to clear up without explaining the existence of the "Ninja System" itself.
So, Ronin remained silent and completed the seals.
A wooden coffin erupted from the floor. As the lid creaked open, Prince Tserriednich stepped out into the light.
His skin was grey and covered in fine, paper-like cracks—the unmistakable mark of the undead. Ronin stepped forward and embedded a specialized control kunai, wrapped in a suppression tag, into the Prince's brain.
"He's dead, for sure."
Although this Tserriednich was a vessel made of dust and sacrifice, the soul residing within the shell was undeniably the Fourth Prince's.
Under the rules of the Jutsu, only the dead could be reanimated. This confirmed that Ronin's previous multi-layered assault had successfully bypassed all of the Empire's failsafes and terminated the Prince.
Ronin exhaled, a weight lifting from his chest.
This discovery led to a second conclusion: the Fourth Prince—despite his terrifying talent and resemblance to the Neteros—was not Beyond Netero's illegitimate child.
During the Prince's final moments, Ronin had sensed a surge of protective energy, but it lacked the "Not-of-this-World" maliciousness he associated with the Forbidden Continent.
He knew that the mark Beyond left on his children was a Curse. The energy surrounding Tserriednich had felt like a "Replacement" mechanic—similar to the Third Prince's soul-transfer—rather than a biological curse.
It meant the Four Symbols Seal had correctly identified the protection as an external Hatsu and suppressed it, allowing the Rasengan to finish the job.
"Let's move," Ronin signaled to Kurapika.
Now that they had the Prince as a permanent, undead guide, there was no need to linger. Securing the eyes before the Royal Army discovered the kidnapping turned into a homicide was the priority.
Kurapika followed, his gaze still lingering on the reanimated Prince. The shock was turning into a dangerous kind of hope.
If we can find the DNA of our clansmen... can we bring them back like this?
"Abandon those fantasies, Kurapika," Ronin said, his voice firm. He didn't want the boy's heart to rot in a grave. "This isn't 'Life.' Even if we brought the others back, they would exist as hollow ghosts—half-men, half-monsters, bound to my will. It isn't a reunion; it's a desecration."
If Ronin ever mastered the Samsara of Heavenly Life (Rinne Rebirth), true resurrection might be possible. But the price of that Jutsu was a soul Ronin wasn't ready to pay. And as a transmigrator, he felt no deep biological urge to disturb the Kurta's peace.
"Even just a minute... to see them one last time," Kurapika whispered.
Ronin stopped.
He knew how much the clan meant to the boy. If the reanimation was used simply as a medium for a final goodbye, it was a manageable risk.
"We'll get the eyes first," Ronin said after a long pause. "Then, you can decide."
If the collection contained Pairo's remains, Kurapika could see his friend again. Multiple times, if he wished. And with the right medical research, perhaps a true restoration wasn't entirely impossible in a world of Nen.
Ronin didn't want to offer false hope, but he didn't want to leave Kurapika in total darkness either.
Kurapika nodded, his voice a mere rasp. "Thank you."
The undead Tserriednich took the lead. He retained his memories and personality, though he was now a slave to Ronin's Chakra. He began walking toward a secret elevator in the hotel sub-basement.
At the same time, in a different luxury hotel across the city.
Saiyu, the Monkey of the Zodiacs, was staring at the door of his 13th-floor suite.
The doorbell had just rung.
"Who is it?" Saiyu asked, his hand tightening on the Golden Bound Staff (Nyoi-bo) leaning against the wall.
"Room service, sir. Your dinner."
Saiyu's eyes narrowed. He hadn't ordered dinner. In a city currently undergoing a terrorist-induced lockdown, a random waiter at his door was a red flag the size of a billboard.
"Wrong room," he barked.
He gripped his staff, his mind racing. Beyond had told him he would have an answer by tomorrow morning. Why was there an anomaly at his door now?
Did Beyond set me up?
It was a paranoid thought, but Saiyu knew the man he worked for. Only Beyond knew his exact coordinates.
"Sir, your dinner," the voice repeated. It was mechanical, repetitive—as if the person were operating on a fixed loop.
A puppet, Saiyu deduced. Shalnark?
He turned toward the window, considering an exit.
But the ceiling above him exploded.
Simultaneously, a razor-sharp katana blade punched through the floorboards directly beneath his feet.
Saiyu didn't panic. He was a Zodiac.
As the blade emerged, he slammed his staff down. The Nyoi-bo struck the steel with crushing force, driving the blade—and the swordsman below—back into the floor.
At the same time, a hail of Nen bullets poured through the shattered ceiling.
Saiyu spun his staff like a propeller. The high-speed rotation created a wall of wind and aura. The lethal Nen rounds struck the staff and detonated harmlessly like water balloons.
But the ambush was a multi-front assault.
The window shattered as two figures vaulted into the room. At the door, the "waiter" stopped ringing the bell. Gunfire erupted through the wood as the puppet began spraying the room with a submachine gun.
Saiyu's eyes darted around, mapping the threats in a millisecond.
He spun his staff to maintain the ceiling defense, used a rhythmic footstep to dodge the bullets from the door, and reached for the back of his head with his free hand.
He plucked three hairs from his scalp.
He gave them a sharp, short blow. The three hairs flew toward the window, transforming mid-air as his Nen expanded and warped their molecular structure.
In less than a second, three Great Apes materialized in the room.
They were nearly as tall as Saiyu himself. They carried no weapons, but their auras were dense and feral.
The "Monkey" of the Zodiacs had officially entered the fight.
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