Sheila didn't try to talk Kurapika out of revenge or anything like that. Instead, she spent a good while filling him in on the Troupe members.
From the way she spoke, it was obvious every Phantom Troupe member had a side to them that went beyond pure brutality.
Like how Machi had learned makeup from a mortician so future companions could be laid to rest looking as presentable as Sarasa had.
Like how Uvogin and Nobunaga would often swing by the church to teach the kids there some practical fighting tricks for staying alive.
Pakunoda, Shalnark, Feitan, and Phinks would regularly bring back interesting stuff from the outside world for the orphans living at the church.
That was exactly why the homeless kids gathered around the place shot Ronin and the group extra hostile looks.
The only thing keeping them in line was Sheila's presence.
Ronin listened quietly. He couldn't care less about how good the Troupe was to their fellow Meteor City people.
Kurapika felt exactly the same. If anything, Sheila's stories only made him hate them more.
These people knew the pain of losing everything, yet they kept stealing other people's precious loved ones and treasures!
Damn it!
The blood-red glow in his eyes made it crystal clear how unsettled Kurapika was. The raw killing intent pouring off him grew so thick that Sheila's voice kept getting quieter.
Ronin and the others didn't stick around the church any longer. But right before they left, Ronin looked at Sheila and said meaningfully, "If any of the kids here are interested, send them over to Elder Ryan's place.
He'll give them work, warm meals, and even some pay."
Ronin wasn't sure if Sheila really took it in, but a few of the older, more street-smart kids definitely understood what he was offering.
"They'll probably die, you know," Kurapika said suddenly once they'd put some distance between them and the church.
"Who knows," Ronin shrugged.
Anyone with real ambition would join up with Ryan. And the first enemy they'd probably face would be the Phantom Troupe.
Whether they survived or not would be up to fate.
Kurapika stayed quiet for a long moment before saying, "You're more ruthless than I am."
"Because I'm not some noble gentleman. Honestly, after getting this kind of power, I probably lean more toward being a villain," Ronin said, sizing himself up.
He'd seen the malice and viciousness in those kids' eyes.
If not for the last threads of morality holding him back, he might've just wiped out the entire church.
Kurapika didn't know what to say at first. "I really don't want you getting more blood on your hands, Ronin."
"What kind of stupid talk is that? The one who needs to stay clean is you. My moral底线 has never been that high." Ronin smiled. "If I wasn't so bad at scheming and planning, I'd rather you kept that bright, positive outlook instead of getting dragged into all this dirty back-and-forth every day."
Kurapika gave a small smile. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I actually kind of like this life now."
Ronin studied him for a second before changing the subject. "How much do you believe what Sheila said?"
The Judgment Chain on his ring finger hadn't reacted, but that didn't mean she was telling the complete truth.
There were plenty of ways to dodge Kurapika's detection.
Plus, Ronin had a gut feeling that Sheila wasn't nearly as simple as she appeared.
"I don't know," Kurapika shook his head. "I hope she's really as clueless as she claims."
A pure white flower growing in a place like Meteor City? Ronin thought she felt way too fake.
So fake that everything she said and did was flawless. Like she was the cleanest, purest, most innocent thing this entire slum had ever produced.
But was she really?
Ronin couldn't quite see through the woman.
Time slipped by quietly. By September 27th, Ronin still hadn't gotten that call from Hisoka.
Instead, when he decided to reach out first, he heard loud cheering in the background. Looked like Hisoka had already made it to Heaven's Arena and was warming up for their fight.
"If you show up, you'll probably bump into Chrollo," Ronin told him.
"Not in a hurry. Right now I'm way more interested in you than him," Hisoka replied in that same creepy drawl.
"Too bad," Ronin said.
"What? You backing out?" Hisoka's tone sharpened instantly, laced with displeasure and bloodlust.
"Of course not. I'm looking forward to our fight too," Ronin answered without hesitation.
"Good. See you on the arena floor October 1st," Hisoka's voice flipped back to cheerful, practically buzzing with anticipation.
Right then the commentator's excited voice came through the phone: "Hisoka picking up a phone call in the middle of such an intense match—Huashi Doulang looks deeply insulted, and his attacks are getting even more ferocious!
But no matter what he throws, he can't even graze the Magician's clothes. Hisoka is dancing the most elegant waltz on the edge of a blade. This is insane—"
Huashi Doulang was fighting at this point?
The guy was actually a genius. He'd just taken a wrong turn in his training, developing a Conjuration ability that clashed with Enhancement and wasted most of his talent.
If he'd gone down the right path, would he have stood a better chance against Hisoka a few years from now?
Ronin stared at the ended call for a second, then immediately pulled up Miria's number.
If Huashi Doulang survived this fight with Hisoka, he'd have her sign the guy.
When he got back to Heaven's Arena, he'd meet him in person and explain Nen properly.
Might as well plant a good seed while he was at it.
He'd always thought the guy's death in the story was kind of a waste. Cool-looking dude.
Miria picked up right away. "What now? Another rookie you want to push my way?"
Hisoka was already signed with her, which explained why the hype around this matchup was massive. Even though Hisoka hadn't hit the 200th floor yet, he was already making a name for himself at the Arena.
"Yeah. The one fighting Hisoka right now—Huashi Doulang. Kid's got real talent," Ronin said straight up.
"I can see that, but he seems tied to his own school. Not gonna be easy to recruit," Miria replied. She had a much better view since she was sitting in the stands.
On the floor, Hisoka clearly had that hungry gleam in his eye as he toyed with Huashi Doulang.
Every move the fighter made had spirit, but it was obvious he'd only recently awakened to Nen.
Against someone like Hisoka who'd already polished his abilities to perfection, he was completely outclassed.
"Best case, set up a meeting or at least get me his contact info. If it doesn't work out, no big deal."
Ronin wasn't going to push it.
"You want to teach him?" Miria caught on immediately.
"Not exactly. I just don't want to watch promising talent waste itself on the wrong path," Ronin answered honestly.
"Alright, I'll try to arrange something," Miria agreed.