"Ah?!"
The room collectively gasped. Dalzollene nearly dropped his jaw.
Ryker wasn't negotiating. He was declaring war, wrapping a death sentence in the guise of a bargain. It was the ultimate humiliation for the Phantom Troupe.
Even Uvogin was stunned into silence.
"..."
On the other end of the line, Chrollo went quiet. When he finally spoke, his voice was absolute zero.
"Are you certain you want a war of annihilation with the Phantom Troupe?"
"I am certain that between your Troupe and me, only one side is walking away," Ryker replied smoothly. "And I'm very certain it will be me. If I were you, Chrollo? I'd take whoever is left, run to the ends of the earth, and pray I never find you. You might live a little longer."
"Heh..." Chrollo chuckled, a dark, chilling sound.
Before the Danchou could say another word, Ryker looked at Kurapika and nodded.
Do it.
Kurapika's eyes flashed scarlet. He didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, plunged his fingers into Uvogin's eye sockets, and violently gouged out both eyes.
Uvogin let out a low, guttural groan of agony. The sound carried perfectly over the phone.
"So this is what it feels like to rip out someone's eyes," Kurapika whispered, staring at the bloody orbs in his hands. "Too bad yours just dirty my hands."
Splat.
Kurapika crushed the eyeballs in his palms.
Baise, Melody, and Squala broke out in a cold sweat. They realized, with horrifying clarity, that this polite, quiet boy was just as much of a monster as their Captain.
"DANCHOU! AVENGE ME! KILL THEM ALL! I WON'T SAY A WORD!" Uvogin roared blindly, thrashing against his chains like a wounded bear. The absolute despair in his voice meant he had fully accepted his death.
Chrollo tried to speak again.
Crackle.
Lightning surged from Ryker's fingertips. The phone turned to ash in his hand.
Dalzollene stared at the ashes on the floor.
Uh... Boss... I just bought that phone...
But then the veteran bodyguard realized the tactical brilliance. If the Troupe had hacked the call, they could trace the signal. Ryker had destroyed the tracker. Captain is always ten steps ahead!
"Cut off his arms, Kurapika," Ryker ordered coldly. "Don't be merciful to your enemies. A quick death is a release he hasn't earned yet."
Kurapika drew a blade, coating it in dense Nen.
Schwing.
In one fluid motion, both of Uvogin's arms were severed at the shoulders.
Uvogin screamed, his blood painting the concrete floor. But even as a blind, armless stump, his aura flared with terrifying intensity.
"GIVE UP!" Uvogin spat, blood bubbling from his lips. "I won't tell you anything! You're going to hell with me! I'll be waiting for you down there! HAHAHA!"
He was like Xiang Yu at the Wu River—a dying conqueror, terrifying even in his final moments.
"Brother Ryker..." Kurapika whispered, wiping blood from his face. "They might have tracked that call. If they know we're here, they'll strike from the shadows. Poison, assassins, traps... we're the prey now."
Ryker didn't answer. Instead, he slowly walked over to the bleeding giant.
Uvogin, though blind, was a master Enhancer. He could feel Ryker's aura approaching. He snapped his teeth, trying to bite the air where he thought Ryker was.
"Torture me to death! I don't care! Kill me now if you have the guts!"
Ryker didn't strike him. He simply reached out and placed his palm flat against Uvogin's forehead.
He didn't say a word.
Uvogin froze.
He didn't understand. Why the touch? But then, a sensation washed over his mind. An aura signature. Familiar. Intimate.
Pakunoda?!
Uvogin's brain short-circuited. He remembered this feeling. It was the exact sensation he felt when Pakunoda read memories.
No... Impossible...
The frantic, rabid bull suddenly went completely still. The rage vanished, replaced by an overwhelming, suffocating horror.
"Oh?" Ryker smiled, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Your perception is sharp even without eyes. Tell me... did that touch feel familiar? Like an old friend, perhaps?"
Uvogin's massive body began to tremble violently.
Pakunoda! It's Pakunoda's ability!
But she's dead! I saw her corpse! How can this kid have her ability?! Unless...
Uvogin "stared" at Ryker with empty eye sockets, his mind screaming in denial. If Ryker had Pakunoda's power, he didn't need Uvogin to talk. He just needed to touch him. Which meant... Ryker had just downloaded every single secret in Uvogin's head.
He had just sold out the entire Phantom Troupe.
"Yes, your teammate... Pakunoda, right?" Ryker chuckled softly. "Her mind-reading is quite rare. I really should thank you all. You're making me so much stronger. You're useless to me now, Uvogin."
"NO! IMPOSSIBLE!" Uvogin thrashed wildly, shaking his head. "YOU'RE BLUFFING! I DIDN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING! YOU'RE TRYING TO BREAK ME!"
"I don't need to explain myself to you," Ryker said. "But I want Kurapika to see you despair. So, let me show you a magic trick."
Ryker raised his hand.
Om.
A sphere of aura expanded from Ryker's body. En.
He deliberately stopped the expansion at exactly four meters.
Uvogin felt the boundary of the En brush against him. Four meters.
Lightning struck his soul.
It wasn't just Pakunoda. Four meters was Nobunaga's absolute domain.
Uvogin's mental fortress, built on decades of slaughter and unwavering loyalty, shattered into a million pieces.
"It's a pity," Ryker whispered maliciously. "I took all your Troupe's secrets from your head. Their habits, their abilities, their hideouts. And remember the explosion? I marked the survivors. Your Danchou won't last long. See you in hell, Uvogin. I hope the Spiders can rebuild their little club down there."
"No... no... impossible... no, no, no..."
The indomitable monster, the man who laughed while being tortured, broke.
Tears streamed from Uvogin's empty eye sockets. He sobbed uncontrollably, his massive frame shaking with guilt and despair. He hadn't just failed to protect his friends; in his mind, his very existence had handed their executioner the map to slaughter them.
"So... so cruel..." Squala muttered, shivering.
Dalzollene and the others inhaled sharply. The physical torture was brutal, but Ryker's psychological dismantling of a warlord was utterly terrifying. They silently thanked whatever god was listening that they were on Ryker's side.
Even Kurapika was stunned. He had never seen a man's soul break so completely.
"Alright, Uvogin, get some rest," Ryker patted the sobbing giant's shoulder. "Let's see... you're Spider Number 11, right? Perfect. Tomorrow morning, at 11:00 AM, we execute you. It's a great number. Very ritualistic. You'll love it."
Ryker turned to the bodyguards. "Get some sleep. Don't stay up late, you'll get dark circles. Kurapika, you too."
"..." The room was dead silent.
"Thank you... Brother Ryker," Kurapika finally said, breaking the quiet.
"Don't mention it. You're my friend. I take care of my friends," Ryker smiled warmly.
The Ruined Church.
Chrollo stared at the dead phone in his hand.
"Danchou! We can't let this go!" Phinks yelled. "I know Uvo won't talk, but we can't just let him die!"
"That brat is too strong in a head-on fight, but we can assassinate him!" Shalnark suggested.
"I hated Nobunaga," Franklin growled, his voice thick with grief, "but seeing him die like that... I can't swallow this."
"Danchou! We are the Spider!"
The survivors were furious, their pride and hearts wounded by the nuclear blast and the hostage situation.
"Feitan," Chrollo said calmly, standing up. "You are in charge here. I will handle Uvogin's revenge."
He turned to the shadows.
"Hisoka. You've always wanted to fight me, haven't you? I can't give you that duel right now. But if you help me kill this boy... we duel afterward. Deal?"
Hisoka stepped into the light, his golden eyes curving into crescent moons.
"Heh. It would be my pleasure~," Hisoka purred. "But a piece of advice, Danchou. The Mafia moved the vault early because of the Nostrade girl's fortune-telling ability. I suggest you steal her power first. It will make hunting our little lightning bug much easier. Heh~."
The Next Day.
11:00 AM.
Time for the ritual.
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