September 4th.
Kurapika received a message from Hisoka:
【The corpse is fake】
He had been too careless.
Yes, if there was a Conjurer in the Phantom Troupe, it was indeed possible to create a fake corpse—the Troupe was still alive.
But Neon's corpse, Neon's death, were real.
A passerby who was out for a morning jog discovered the body and called the police. Light Nostrade and Kurapika then confirmed the corpse. Preliminary investigations by the police indicated the cause of death was drowning. Currently, there were no leads on suspects. The police stated they would actively investigate the case to provide an explanation to the victim's family.
"It's over, it's over, everything is over." Light Nostrade, though not fainting on the spot, was in a state of collapse after suffering a massive blow. He seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, the once spirited middle-aged man now resembling a derelict old man on the street.
Upon returning to the hotel room, Light Nostrade began to mumble incessantly, his words filled with complaints, unwillingness, and regret.
When he finally quieted down, Kurapika asked him what his next instructions were.
"What... what should I do?" Light Nostrade's eyes were unfocused. "Tell me, what exactly should I do?!"
"No problem. Please leave it to me," Kurapika attempted to comfort him. "Everything will go smoothly."
Light Nostrade, listless, suddenly became enraged, his face contorted as he shouted at him, "What do you know?! You don't know anything!"
"Neon! Can you bring Neon back to life?!"
"Damn it! Damn it! Why did it turn out like this..."
After venting his anger, Light Nostrade slumped back onto the sofa, resuming his earlier mumbling.
Light Nostrade was no longer capable of issuing orders, and Neon, crucial for the Nostrade family's growth, was dead. If left unattended, the Nostrade family would surely collapse completely.
What if, at this moment, he took over the Nostrade family?
Despite being a mere shell without Neon, the Nostrade family could break through the old to establish the new, reorganizing the family's business routes. As a mafia, one did not necessarily have to engage in illegal industries. There were legal businesses they could operate, such as bodyguards and casinos, although the profits were not as substantial as the exorbitant profits from illegal industries.
In truth, Kurapika had no interest in managing a mafia.
However, in order to reclaim the Scarlet Eyes of his brethren, Kurapika had resolved to spare no means. Like his colleague Melody, he needed the mafia as a bridge to enter the dark world, to gain access to those who hid in the shadows and harbored a penchant for collecting Scarlet Eyes.
Kurapika convened the remaining four members of the bodyguard team separately. Two of these members were new bodyguards hired at the same time as Kurapika, while the other two were seasoned bodyguards long employed by the Nostrade family.
He informed them of Light Nostrade's current mental state and Neon's death, allowing them to decide whether to stay or leave.
Among the two seasoned bodyguards, Lin Xian chose to stay, while the other, along with Neon's maid, departed. They had been lovers for a long time and had intended to earn more money before settling down peacefully. Seeing the increasingly dire situation and the deaths of several guards, they feared losing their lives before they could earn enough money and dared not stay any longer.
Among the two new bodyguards, Melody chose to stay, while the other chose to leave.
Next, Kurapika needed to focus on dealing with the Phantom Troupe. He asked Lin Xian and Melody to escort Light Nostrade back to the Nostrade family's territory.
"No," Melody insisted on staying to assist Kurapika. "You haven't rested these past few days and could collapse at any moment. Someone must stay to look after you."
"I agree," Lin Xian added. "You are the only one who can handle the Nostrade family's affairs now. If you collapse, the Nostrade family will be pretty much finished. All along, the danger to the Nostrade family was directed at the young lady, so it should be fine for me to escort the Boss back alone... probably."
Their words were reasonable, and Kurapika indeed felt he was beyond his capabilities. After careful consideration, he finally agreed with their judgment.
After the others left, Kurapika and Melody discussed their combat plan.
During their discussion, a piece of bad news emerged: the mafia had canceled the bounty on the remaining members of the Troupe.
Last night, after thoroughly investigating the corpse's identity, the mafia discovered that the Troupe members hailed from Meteor City. Meteor City was a special zone with no official records and was not subject to any political interference, maintaining a delicate relationship with the mafia. The mafia had suffered heavy casualties this time and had witnessed the Troupe's ferocity. They were even less willing to antagonize Meteor City, which harbored extreme vengefulness, and thus canceled the bounty on the remaining Troupe members.
"It doesn't matter," Kurapika did not consider this bad news. "I never intended to rely on the mafia's support from the beginning. Tonight is the last day of the underground auction. If it proceeds as scheduled, the Troupe should make a move."
The Phantom Troupe were thieves who did not act with excessive ostentation. They gathered only when there were activities, always lurking in the shadows. Therefore, under normal circumstances, people could only see the aftermath of the incidents and could not know the true identities of the Troupe members. The Phantom Troupe's rampage in Yorknew City was an unexpected event. Afterward, the Troupe chose to feign death and hide in the darkness again, but the Troupe was certainly not going to let it go, merely choosing covert operations once more.
Spiders were greedy; how could they so easily give up their last prey?
"Kurapika," Melody recalled the auction organizer's "uncertain" reply. "What if the underground auction is canceled tonight to guard against the Troupe?"
"..."
"Your phone is ringing, why aren't you answering it?" Melody's hearing was extraordinary. Even though Kurapika had silenced his phone, Melody could still hear the faint vibration of the incoming call and Kurapika's conflicted heartbeat. "...Is it a companion?"
"..." Kurapika's heartbeat did not lie.
If more companions helped, there would be more room for their plan to unfold, but Kurapika was unwilling to involve others in his revenge. His original intention was to fight alone, which was why he had developed five chains with different abilities, attempting to encompass the entire situation with his own strength.
In reality, his idea was too optimistic and too stubborn.
"..."
Reason finally triumphed over emotion, and he sighed, making the call.
He still did not expect help from his companions, he simply did not want to evade them any longer. At the very least, he wanted to hear what his companions had to say.
"Kurapika!!" Gon's loud voice boomed from the receiver, making it deafening. "You finally answered the phone!!!"
Kurapika moved the phone a little farther away, while Melody, whose hearing was too acute, couldn't help but cover her ears with her hands.
Gon and the others were still unaware that the mafia had suddenly canceled the bounty on the remaining members of the Troupe. They actively expressed their desire to capture the remaining Troupe members with Kurapika. Killua also added that when they were captured by the Troupe, a member named "Nobunaga" had a deep obsession with revenge and was very dangerous, posing a significant threat.
Although Killua's surprise was more pronounced when Kurapika mentioned the bounty cancellation, Gon's determination remained unshaken. "I want to stop the Troupe! If we can help, we can do anything!"
"This is a matter of life and death," Kurapika warned.
"I know!" Like before, Gon never feared mortal danger; instead, it ignited his fighting spirit.
"...Then let's meet and discuss it."
"Yeah!!"
After parting ways on Whale Island in February, seven months had passed. Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika, the four protagonists, were finally reunited.
Gon and Killua revealed all the information they had gathered during their capture by the Troupe. Kurapika also told them about the abilities of "Chain Jail" and "Gomoku Shogi."
"Wait!" Killua immediately interjected at the beginning. "If we are captured by Pakunoda again, she will read this memory!"
"It's fine," Gon's eyes shone brightly. "The Nen blade on Kurapika's heart can also be used on me, right? You set the rules!"
When Kurapika set the condition for "Chain Jail" to be "cannot attack anyone other than a Phantom Troupe member," in order to further enhance its effect, he used "Gomoku Shogi" to insert a Nen blade into his heart as a vow that "if the condition is violated, I will die immediately," staking his life. Thus, his "Chain Jail" was able to effectively subdue Uvogin, leaving him with no chance to retaliate.
"Can that Nen blade release three blades?" Killua asked next.
"After the mission is completed, the Nen blade can be removed, right?" Leorio offered a relaxed smile.
With Nen blades, if they encountered the crisis of Kurapika's abilities being exposed, the Nen blades would pierce their hearts. This was their resolve to "stake their lives" in the same way as Kurapika.
"What's the answer?" they asked in unison.
Melody, who could hear everyone's heartbeats, smiled first. She had already discerned Kurapika's inner answer—Kurapika had no intention of using the Nen blade on Gon and the others.
"...Being touched by Pakunoda does not necessarily mean immediate memory reading. Even if she reads the memory, as long as she is subdued before she can notify others, it will be fine. Therefore, using the Nen blade on you would only cause you to lose your chance to fight back."
"Even if the secret is truly leaked by you, I will have no regrets."
"This is my gratitude for your resolve."
The four protagonists, along with Melody, embarked on the operation together.
The initial target individuals were three: Pakunoda, Nobunaga, and the leader of the Troupe. Kurapika intended to use "Gomoku Shogi" to impose restrictions on their specific actions and eliminate the threats they posed.
The most important aspect was dealing with the leader of the Troupe. The Troupe was composed of utterly wicked individuals, each quite formidable and unwilling to easily obey others. The leader who could gather these people was undoubtedly no ordinary person and was extremely rare. Therefore, once the leader's strong restraint and command were lost, those inherently vicious individuals would surely act independently, ultimately disbanding, and the Phantom Troupe would cease to exist.
Even without any unforeseen circumstances, this operation, directly facing numerous powerful enemies, was enough to make one's heart race uncontrollably.
Although the Phantom Troupe was merely a duck shop that Melors had grown tired of years ago (?!), for Kurapika and the others, it was an insurmountable challenge.
The four protagonists were all novice Nen users. Melody's abilities could only be used for support, and the margin for error was low. Any mistake could cost them their lives, and they had to tread with extreme caution.
Hisoka, who intended to find an opportunity for a one-on-one duel with Chrollo, was also lurking within, waiting for an opportunity. He even revealed his true purpose for joining the Troupe, tearing off the fake spider tattoo, and withdrew from the Troupe.
Finally, Kurapika successfully used "Gomoku Shogi" on Pakunoda and the Troupe leader, Chrollo. The restriction imposed on Chrollo was "cannot interact with the Troupe" and "cannot use Nen abilities," after which Chrollo left alone. For Hisoka, Chrollo, unable to use Nen, was like a "broken toy," making a fight meaningless, thus postponing Hisoka's duel with Chrollo.
After Pakunoda left, she chose to violate the "cannot disclose information related to Kurapika" restriction and used her life to transmit information to the Troupe members. Consequently, the Troupe learned Kurapika's appearance and the ability of "Gomoku Shogi."
Before the Nen blade in Chrollo's heart was removed, if Kurapika died, Kurapika's residual "Nen" might become stronger, leading to Chrollo's death. Thus, considering the existence of "post-mortem Nen," the Troupe abandoned their pursuit of Kurapika and the others.
After this battle of wits and endurance, which involved multiple parties, the severely drained Kurapika fell into a feverish sleep for two days and one night before waking up.
Gon and Killua had passed the test to recruit Greed Island players through Battra. Upon learning that Kurapika's main objective was to retrieve the Scarlet Eyes, they bid farewell to him. Leorio stayed for an extra day, taking care of Kurapika with Melody, and then left to continue his medical studies.
Nen users' physical fitness was far superior to that of ordinary people. After Leorio left, Kurapika, without delay, returned to the Nostrade family's territory with Melody to sort out the family's affairs.
Light Nostrade, who had collapsed mentally due to the loss of hope, showed no improvement and would likely require a considerable amount of treatment. The Nostrade family had already suffered a severe blow due to Neon's death. The news of the family patriarch becoming incapacitated needed to be kept secret. Kurapika decided to send Light Nostrade to a sanatorium under the pretense of "Light Nostrade's poor health" once the situation stabilized and a reliable channel for secrecy was established.
It was late at night, and the coffee in his cup, used to ward off fatigue, was empty again. Kurapika stood up from behind his desk, his head swimming. He instinctively braced himself against the desk, steadying his posture.
Working continuously for a week, day and night, he had reviewed all the Nostrade family's past documents, clarified various interpersonal relationships, analyzed income and expenditure accounts, handled family businesses, reorganized the internal personnel structure, and so on. Kurapika had finally completed these basic tasks and could take a temporary breather.
...How could that be?
He still had very important matters waiting for him.
In the corridor, he encountered Melody.
"Kurapika. You're going out this late?" Melody looked at him with deep dark circles under his eyes, filled with concern. "You're already very tired, please rest a little."
"It's fine, I can rest on the way."
"Then I'll go with you..."
"No, really, thank you." Kurapika smiled. "It's just a personal matter of mine, and I'll be back soon. You've worked hard these past few days too. Please take care of things here temporarily with Lin Xian until I return."
With that said, Melody felt it was inappropriate to insist further. Thus, she wished him all the best and watched him leave.
As the current nominal "second-in-command" and actual power holder of the Nostrade family, Kurapika changed out of his Kurta clan national costume and put on the standard black suit of the mafia, looking like a typical mafia figure.
Leaving the office, he took off his suit and tie, shedding these restrictive shells. Kurapika felt a slight return of his "self."
He lay down on the bed in the airship. The accumulated fatigue from days of work surged, and he soon fell into a long-awaited sleep.
As usual, there would be no pleasant dreams. Ever since the massacre of the Kurta clan five years ago, he had been prone to nightmares.
"..." Kurapika woke up with a frown.
Pull yourself together!
Washing his face with cold water, Kurapika encouraged himself in front of the washbasin mirror, and then put on black contact lenses to prevent his Scarlet Eyes from being inadvertently revealed.
The task this time was to retrieve the first pair of Scarlet Eyes.
At the underground auction on the evening of September 3rd, besides searching for the missing Neon, Kurapika had also paid special attention to the buyers who had purchased Scarlet Eyes. After subsequent investigations, Kurapika had confirmed the buyer's information and today finally had the opportunity to "visit them."
Are you ready?
"..." Kurapika clenched his fists.
Situations where the matter could be resolved with money or by exchanging other items were the most optimistic. However, situations beyond that were more likely to be encountered next.
Are you ready?
To retrieve the Scarlet Eyes of his tragically deceased brethren, whether through deception, threat, or even more despicable means, as long as the objective could be achieved, he would spare no effort.
Are you ready?
Compared to the suffering endured by his brethren, personal dignity meant nothing.
Are you ready?
The tie of his black suit felt like a noose. Kurapika had a hallucination that his neck was tightening, making it difficult to breathe.
He raised his hand, not to touch the tie, but to press the doorbell of the manor's main gate.
The maid who received him led him into the courtyard, through the neatly trimmed hedges. The refreshing scent of flowers wafted everywhere.
Kurapika had no heart to appreciate these sights; his expression was as solemn as if he were going to visit a grave.
"Miss," the maid walking ahead called out softly into the distance.
The person Kurapika was to visit was on a business trip, and another person was in charge of the manor's affairs at the moment.
The lush foliage blocked Kurapika's view. The maid's guidance ended here. She bowed deeply to Kurapika, "Please continue inside, the young lady is already waiting for you."
Passing the maid, he reached a corner formed by green plants. Walking past the corner, a pavilion came into Kurapika's view.
A woman was sitting there, her back to him.
Her cascading hair was a rare silver-white.
...Is it a coincidence?
Before confirming this, Kurapika's pupils had already begun to glow red.
The woman stood up and turned around, holding a book in her hand.
Just like five years ago, the silver-haired woman held the book that the elder had taken from Kurapika.
Both the person and the book were the same ones from that year.
Kurapika clenched his fists. The five chains on his right hand trembled, influenced by his agitated "Nen," producing the sound of metal friction.
The silver-haired woman turned the book over, its pages facing Kurapika. With the index finger of one hand, she traced a line of text on the page.
Kurapika focused his attention and clearly saw the content of that line:
【Do not succumb to hardship, live on with effort!】
This was the motto of the protagonist D. Hunter from the adventure storybook that Kurapika and Pairo loved to read the most, and it was also their favorite sentence.
"It's been five years, I've been waiting for you for a long time," the silver-haired woman's voice was different from five years ago; it was the voice of a normal human. "Kurapika."