Chapter 199: The Assault
The prosperity of Kakin's capital was, in Ronin's estimation, enough to rival
the major cities of the V5 nations he had visited.
Glistening skyscrapers and architectural wonders filled the horizon, giving the
metropolis a vibrant, energetic pulse. Yet, this environment felt fundamentally
different from the rest of the world.
The reason was simple: the capital was a parasite. It was fueled by the
resources of the surrounding provinces, a manufactured oasis of "fake
prosperity" designed to project Kakin as a modern superpower.
The team realized the truth on their second day. Kakin's society was utterly
disconnected from the outside world.
Despite the gleaming exterior, the internal systems were conservative and
archaic. Heavens Arena matches weren't broadcast here. The internet was a closed
loop, subjected to rigorous state filtering.
Accessing the global web required high-level hacking, a crime that carried a
sentence of life imprisonment for citizens and immediate deportation for
outsiders.
On the neon-lit streets, the popular music was several decades behind the times.
The people dressed in fashionable, cutting-edge styles—clothing was one of the
few areas where the world felt synchronized—but as soon as you stepped inside a
building, the illusion shattered.
In the restaurants, bulky, old-school tube TVs sat on the walls. They played
"patriotic" programming unique to the Empire.
Ronin sampled some "Kakin Specialties," but the flavors were underwhelming,
leaning toward a bland imitation of Western cuisine. His palate still craved the
flavors of his past life, so he set his fork down after a few bites.
Neon and Shizuku, however, were less picky and quite enjoyed the meal.
While Kurapika and Abaki headed out to conduct a deep-cover investigation, Ronin
took Neon and Shizuku for a casual stroll through the city.
The restaurant where they were currently dining was only five hundred meters
from the hotel owned by the Fourth Prince.
Ronin's strategy was far less complicated than Kurapika's.
He planned to wait for nightfall and then dispatch a Shadow Clone to infiltrate
the hotel and eliminate Tserriednich. If he could find the target, the clone
would strike without hesitation.
Kurapika's mission was historical: he wanted to verify if the Fourth Prince had
been involved in the Kurta Massacre. The sheer volume of eyes the man possessed
was too suspicious to be a coincidence.
Neon's morning prophecy hadn't predicted any grand victory, so Ronin wasn't
expecting a total win tonight. He viewed this assault as a probe—a way to flush
out the Empire's secrets.
The trio moved to a nearby cafe with a direct line of sight to the hotel
entrance.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a fleet of luxury sedans began arriving at
the hotel, depositing wealthy socialites and foreign dignitaries into the golden
lobby.
Finally, Ronin spotted the target.
Fourth Prince Tserriednich.
As he stepped out of his car, he looked like a nouveau-riche oil magnate,
adorned in heavy gold jewelry and an air of untouchable arrogance.
His expression was sour, radiating a palpable irritability.
Ronin watched him for a moment before shifting his gaze to the Prince's
entourage.
Among the sea of black-suited guards, he spotted a man draped in Ten. To a
normal person, he looked like a standard elite bodyguard, but to Ronin, he was a
beacon of potential trouble.
A warning for other Nen users, Neon noted, sensing the same thing.
As she spoke, the nondescript bodyguard suddenly snapped his head toward the
cafe. His eyes locked onto Ronin's group.
He spoke a few words to the men beside him. Instantly, several black-suited
enforcers detached from the Prince's unit and began walking toward the cafe.
One hand on their holstered sidearms, their intent was clear: they had marked
the trio as hostiles.
"Interesting," Ronin noted, genuinely surprised.
He understood the mechanic immediately. The bodyguard had a specialized Hatsu.
Detection through observation.
Engli (the bodyguard) wasn't just maintaining Ten; he was using it as a sensor.
Anyone capable of "seeing" his aura was automatically flagged as a Nen user and
pinpointed in his mind.
It was a brilliant defensive ability. While it offered zero combat utility, it
made ambushes by supernatural threats nearly impossible.
"How are we handling this?" Neon asked, her blood humming with excitement.
Ronin watched Tserriednich, who had stopped near the hotel entrance to see why
his guards were moving.
"I'll do it."
Ronin formed the cross-shaped seal. In the privacy of the cafe booth, he
manifested a Shadow Clone.
The clone used Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of Deidara (blonde
hair, Akatsuki cloak, and a wild, eccentric aura). Then, he kicked the cafe door
open.
"What's the delay?" Tserriednich barked. He was having a bad day, and his
security detail's sudden agitation was annoying him.
"We detected an anomaly. My men are clearing the perimeter," Engli explained.
To Tserriednich, Engli was just a loyal, high-spec guard. He didn't know the man
was actually a member of the Royal Army's Special Operations Unit, assigned
specifically to safeguard the "problematic" Fourth Prince.
His ability was the core of the Prince's security web. By emitting a wide-radius
Ten, he established a mental link with anyone who acknowledged the aura.
Engli had two goals: keep the Prince alive and kill anything that saw too much.
"Make it quick," the Prince muttered, turning to enter the lobby.
Suddenly, a streak of blue light flickered in his peripheral vision.
Before he could process the sound of chirping birds, a thunderous crash erupted
beside him.
Tserriednich watched in shock as Engli—his "invincible" guard—was launched
through the air like a ragdoll.
The hotel's massive reinforced glass entrance shattered upon impact. Engli's
body twisted mid-air, spraying a staggering amount of blood.
Standing in the center of the wreckage, cloaked in a crackling shroud of blue
electricity, was a new figure.
Ronin's clone, wearing the face of the Akatsuki bomber, stood over the crater.
The blitz had begun.
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