Chapter 19: Miria's Scheme
"Oh, right," Ronin said, as if suddenly remembering a minor detail. "I forgot to mention. I've offended the Phantom Troupe. If I get too famous, there's a good chance they might come to assassinate me, or just sign up for a match to kill me in the ring."
Since the contract was already signed, Ronin figured complete secrecy was counterproductive. He dropped this bomb casually as he set the file back on the desk.
Miria had just sat down. Her body stiffened visibly for a second.
She shot Ronin a sharp glare. "Given how calm you are about it, I assume you have ways to keep yourself alive? Regardless, I'll assign some bodyguards to you. If something happens, they can at least serve as an early warning system."
"Fine by me," Ronin agreed.
Miria thought for a moment, then asked abruptly, "If you faced them in the ring, are you confident you could win?"
Ronin understood her angle instantly.
The Phantom Troupe were Class-A Bounties. A high-profile match against a Spider would explode Ronin's fame. The betting odds would be astronomical—a massive opportunity to make a fortune.
Unfortunately...
Ronin shook his head. "I can't beat them. If I met one in the ring right now, I'd forfeit immediately."
"Is the gap that large?" Miria pressed. "What if I could boost your strength by three to five times? Could you win then?"
This time, Ronin's interest was genuinely piqued.
"How long would it last?" he asked, staring intently at her.
"Three times boost: 7 minutes. Five times boost: 4 minutes," Miria answered without holding back. "Of course, this requires preparation beforehand. This is exactly why I said I have confidence in helping you challenge a Floor Master."
Although she didn't explicitly reveal her Nen ability, Ronin could guess a few archetypes that fit the description—likely an Enhancement-type support ability or a restrictive vow transfer.
Ronin fell into thought.
A five-fold increase...
Would that allow him to forcefully cast B-Rank Jutsu?
Even without unlocking new jutsu, converting a massive influx of Nen into Chakra would allow his Taijutsu to reach devastating levels.
He thought of the Eight Gates.
The Eight Gates as a whole was essentially an S-Rank forbidden technique—powerful enough to nearly end the entire Naruto series with a single kick.
But the early gates? Opening just the First Gate (Gate of Opening) and Second Gate (Gate of Healing) wasn't that complex.
Ronin estimated that opening the first two gates roughly corresponded to C-Rank difficulty.
Even if he couldn't open the Gates yet, simply having five times the Chakra paired with Cherry Blossom Impact would let him unleash punches that rivaled Uvogin's Big Bang Impact.
Maybe... I really have a chance.
"We can try it," Ronin said, careful not to overpromise.
Uvogin was currently in a rapid growth phase, just like Ronin. By the time they met again, both would be stronger.
However, if Miria could locate Scarlet Eyes for him during this period, his own power spike combined with her boost might tip the scales.
"Good." Miria's eyes gleamed with calculation.
Then, connecting the dots, she shifted the topic sharply. "I heard the Kurta Clan was massacred recently. Are you interested in the Scarlet Eyes? Is that why you asked me to collect body parts?"
It didn't surprise Ronin that she figured it out. He had practically laid the puzzle pieces in front of her. If she couldn't see the picture, she wasn't worth partnering with.
"Correct," Ronin admitted freely. "They are considered one of the Seven Most Beautiful Colors in the World, after all."
"You said you have a feud with the Phantom Troupe. Don't tell me the Troupe was responsible for the massacre?" Miria scrutinized him closely. "Or... are you a member of the Kurta Clan?"
Before Ronin could answer, she shook her head. "No, you don't look like a survivor. You're too calm. It doesn't look like an act. But your desire for the eyes is real. Were you there? Did you try to take a slice of the pie for yourself?"
"Something like that," Ronin gave a vague answer, steering the conversation away from his identity. "The perpetrators will likely release a portion of the eyes onto the black market soon. My goal is that batch. I want to buy as many as possible."
"Scarlet Eyes won't be cheap," Miria said, dropping the subject of his identity to focus on the market analysis. "Releasing the news of the massacre was a strategic move. It tells buyers that the supply is now finite. Limited Edition."
"This will drive the already high price up another tier. If you want to buy in bulk, you're going to need a mountain of cash."
Miria realized that "training" might have been Ronin's excuse, but money was his desperate necessity.
"Exactly," Ronin nodded. "So the situation is this: You find out when and where they are selling the eyes. I fight as many matches as possible to build fame and gather capital."
"Fine. Looks like I'm going to be busy," Miria stretched her arms, but noticing Ronin's gaze, she quickly put them back down. "Fighting more matches builds fame faster, but pace yourself. Don't burn out."
"Don't worry, I know my limits." Ronin stood up. "I'll take the file. Call me if anything comes up, or find me in the residential area on the 200th floor."
Walking out of Miria's office, Ronin felt a sense of relief.
He couldn't fully trust Miria yet, but his gut told him she viewed him primarily as a high-yield investment.
It was slightly annoying to be treated as a commodity, but he couldn't complain.
He was using her as a tool just the same.
It was a relationship of mutual exploitation. And in Ronin's experience, profit-binding relationships were the most stable kind—at least until a bigger profit came along.
Ronin took the elevator straight to the 200th Floor.
Although he had the fighter data from Miria, he still needed to register at the reception desk.
From the 200th floor onward, the rules changed significantly.
It adopted a Declaration System.
Every fighter was given a 90-day preparation period. Within this window, they could choose any date to fight.
They could fight every day, or fight once and rest. Every time a match concluded, the 90-day timer reset.
However, if a fighter failed to declare a match within the 90 days, they would be disqualified, and their record wiped.
To clear this floor, a fighter needed to win 10 matches.
However, if they lost 4 matches before reaching ten wins, they were disqualified.
Winning ten matches granted the right to challenge a Floor Master. Defeating a Floor Master meant taking their title and their floor.
From the 230th to the 250th floor, there were a total of 21 Floor Masters.
And the final floor, the 251st Floor, was reserved for the Battle Olympia held every two years. The winner of that tournament stood at the pinnacle of the fighting world—a symbol of ultimate power and glory.