The Strongest Assassin of the Zoldyck Family!

Oster pulled out a phone and tossed it to one of the six. "Go to this location and kill every last member of the Phantom Troupe. When you return, I'll refine the enhancements in your bodies. You'll live longer."

The six lowered their heads. "Yes, sir."

They left through the corridor. Waiting at the exit were members of the Underworld Mafia. A stretch limousine stood ready, a driver in the front seat, and exactly six seats left inside. The six boarded silently.

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Ron closed his laptop. "Looks like Oster's experimental units are about to move. Too bad he's not going with them. If I tried to infiltrate Aurean to assassinate Oster directly, it'd still be difficult. The environment there is too complex. Lab No. 2 has been reactivated, and there are too many unknowns. More importantly, if I intervene myself, there's a chance my abilities could be exposed."

There were a few techniques Ron didn't mind revealing to others, but some he didn't want anyone to know about. He pulled out his phone.

"They're on the move."

He sent the message to Hisoka.

Hisoka felt his phone vibrate and glanced down. "Hisoka, what is it?" Chrollo's gaze immediately turned toward him.

"They're coming."

"Still the same contact as before?" Hisoka didn't answer.

"How many people?"

"Don't know."

"Their abilities? Nen types?"

"Also unknown."

Chrollo closed his book. "We're really flying blind here. It's rare we're this short on intel. I didn't expect the Underworld Mafia to be hiding this kind of strength. We underestimated them."

He looked around. "Everyone. War is about to begin. Be prepared. Give it your all and be ready to die. This might be the strongest enemy we've faced since the Kurta massacre."

Some members looked serious. Others seemed excited—Uvogin, still seething with unspent rage; Feitan, itching for carnage; Phinks, eager for a chance to fight. But most eager of all was Hisoka.

With enemies like this coming, how many Troupe members would survive? Would he get the chance to fight Chrollo one-on-one?

"I hope so. I've waited a long time for this."

He licked his lips.

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Meanwhile, Ron was calculating.

"Oster sent six. I don't know exactly how strong they are, but if I step in from the shadows, there's no way they'll wipe out the Troupe. As long as the Phantom Troupe still exists, the Ten Dons will keep pressuring Oster."

"That leaves him with three options. First, kill the Ten Dons and replace them—but that's nearly impossible. The Dons may not be strong, but their hideouts are extremely secure.

Second, go personally and kill the Phantom Troupe.

Third, abandon Aurean completely."

"Of the three, Oster's most likely move is the second. He can't kill the Dons, and he still needs the Underworld Mafia's resources. The Troupe may be powerful, but Oster is stronger—he's above them."

"Back then, even when all of Nightfall moved together, they couldn't defeat Oster. The Troupe likely isn't stronger than Nightfall."

Nightfall had eight members—three B-rank Nen users, the rest A-rank, all combat specialists. Nesli, Tuck, and Nancy had unusually dangerous abilities.

By contrast, the Troupe had more support-type Nen users. Then there was Hisoka—an unpredictable variable.

"All things considered, the Troupe isn't necessarily stronger than Nightfall. Oster used to have top-tier subordinates, but I killed and neutralized most of them. Still, he must have hidden experimental units. From Oster's point of view, he likely sees a 100% chance of victory against the Troupe."

Ron's eyes glinted slightly.

"I'll need to ensure that during the six-on-Troupe assault, their members survive. Their numbers must not drop too much."

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Chrollo turned to Uvogin. "Uvogin, how's your condition?"

"Still good," Uvogin replied. "Hooker neutralized the poison, and the leech eggs were flushed out with some beer. I'm at full strength now."

Chrollo nodded. "Good."

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The next day, Kurapika requested a day off from Neon. He had been in Yorknew for some time but still hadn't met up with Gon, Killua, or Leorio. He had been too busy with bodyguard duties. But now, with everything on hold, the auction wasn't continuing—nor had it been officially cancelled. The Underworld Mafia had simply issued several bounties on the Phantom Troupe in secret. Each member was worth two billion Jenny.

Kurapika couldn't let go of what happened with Uvogin's escape.

"Kurapika, over here!"

He wasn't yet at the meeting spot, but Gon had already spotted him and waved eagerly.

"Gon, Killua, Leorio." But the presence of another person caught Kurapika off guard.

"And this is…?"

"This is my second brother, Milluki Zoldyck," Killua explained. "Since we're all looking for the same thing at this auction, we're working together for now. Oh, and Ron-niisan is here in Yorknew too."

"Ron…"

Kurapika blinked, remembering what Ron had said to him back on that Island.

"Let's head inside first."

Leorio opened the door. "Yeah."

They walked into the coffee shop and chose a quiet corner to sit.

"One latte."

"One cappuccino."

Soon, the server brought their drinks.

"Kurapika, how's the bodyguard job? The auction attack didn't affect you, right?"

"It did, a little," Kurapika admitted after a pause. "A few of my teammates were killed during the attack. But overall, it's okay."

As far as bodyguard work went, Neon was still alive. That was enough to call it a success.