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202 HxH: Tombbound Power
🕑 Added 2024-11-15 07:23:02 +0000 UTC"Even if he's not directly connected to the Nostrade family, as long as he's hired by the Tenth Old Man with a hefty bounty, it makes little difference. Once the Ten Dons dies, the contract is null and void."
"In other words, there are only two possible outcomes to this fight. Either Illumi succeeds in assassinating the Ten Dons, or he fails, in which case I must fight him to the death."
"However," Chrollo mused, analyzing the poem of prophecy, "there's no mention of this battle, meaning it has no real impact on me. This likely suggests that Illumi's assassination attempt will succeed. All I need to do… is delay him."
As he strategized, Chrollo considered the battlefield, coming to a swift decision. Delay!
And if he could buy enough time, perhaps he could unmask his opponent. Maybe exposing Ronnel's true face could even bring an early end to this encounter.
Generally speaking, his analysis was sound.
But Ronnel was neither like Silva or Zeno, who were here solely for profit, nor like Kurapika, who fought purely for revenge. What he craved was a match against Chrollo—a test of strength, without regard for reward.
Ronnel still sought the thrill after the fight between Hisoka and Chrollo at Heavens Arena. Killing Chrollo here would deprive him of the true experience he desired.
Thus, this fight was a duel, not a deadly encounter. It made sense that it wouldn't even show up in the prophecy.
"A hired hit, you say?" Ronnel's raspy voice broke the silence, echoing through the room. "I came here not because of a contract, but to see the real power of the Phantom Troupe's legendary leader."
"…And you…" he continued, a glint in his eye, "think delaying matters? Even if the Ten Dons dies and my mission's canceled, I'll still fight you!"
Chrollo began to speak, but Ronnel cut him off, his words stirring an unsettling silence.
"A battle fanatic…" Chrollo murmured to himself, feeling a twinge of irritation. He'd encountered fighters like Ronnel before and had dealt with them plenty of times. But battle fanatics had an annoying trait—they latched on like relentless dogs. If they set their sights on a fight, they wouldn't rest until they had it.
People like Ronnel saw every mission as secondary to testing their mettle against the strong. When fixated, nothing else mattered.
Such fighters were often relentless, forcing their opponents into high-stakes battles. The last time Chrollo had seen someone so single-minded was Hisoka, who embodied a similar thrill for combat. Realizing this, Chrollo felt his resolve harden.
I'm in trouble, he thought. But a fight against Ronnel was inevitable, and Chrollo quickly steeled himself.
"Are you finally ready for a real fight?" Ronnel's mocking grin intensified as Chrollo's eyes sharpened.
In the next instant, a high-pitched whistle split the air—the battle had begun.
With a flick of his fingers, Ronnel deflected an incoming pen, only to find Chrollo lunging at him, wielding a slim blade coated in a potent toxin capable of immobilizing a whale.
"A preemptive strike?" Ronnel noticed as Chrollo came at him, his stance solid, poised for defense and counterattacks. Chrollo's style favored getting close and striking when his enemy least expected it—a tactical approach Ronnel found almost refreshing.
Chrollo's blade aimed for a weak spot, but Ronnel pivoted, dodging and retaliating with a fierce punch.
The blade, sharp enough to cut even Silva's hardened skin, was something to avoid, but Ronnel was quick to adapt.
"Boom!"
Chrollo blocked with his left arm, braced with his Nen aura to withstand the punch, then drove his right arm forward in a series of rapid jabs. Ronnel dodged with ease and countered, swinging his right leg in a whip-like kick to Chrollo's side.
"Boom!"
Their moves clashed, creating a brief gap between them.
"This man… he's not just a simple Enhancer who relies on brute strength," Chrollo thought, feeling a slight ache where he'd blocked. "He's cautious. Even when he had the chance to overpower, he chose to avoid my attacks rather than risk injury."
Chrollo assessed his options, realizing that poison and raw skill wouldn't be enough to trap this adversary.
Casting aside the blade, Chrollo summoned his book infused with his Nen. In an instant, a potent surge of Nen enveloped him, as he prepared to face Ronnel head-on.
