Chapter 112: The Assassination Mission
The strategy Ronin had used to replace Raymond was now replicated for Elder Ryan.
However, this time, they had an additional asset: a functional butler.
The old butler, having witnessed Ryan's effortless annihilation, was a pragmatist. He chose total cooperation in exchange for survival.
In Meteor City, the ultimate law was survival of the fittest. Principles were for the dead.
"You're outsiders," the butler explained during the debriefing. "Meteor City is full of fanatics like Theodore. The best course of action is to create the illusion that you've already left the city."
"Ryan maintained a specialized network for 'extractions.' He handled the shipment of people looking for a way out of Meteor City, sending them through various Mafia channels to the outside world."
"Which Mafia family was he connected to?" Kurapika asked, exchanging a quick look of excitement with Ronin.
"Nico," the butler answered, listing the name among his mental ledger.
"Can we switch the contact to Raymond?" Kurapika asked directly.
"If you have the bypass codes and a reliable channel, yes," the butler replied, slightly surprised. He had expected Kurapika to ask who Nico was. Clearly, these teenagers were well-acquainted with the Ten Blacklist Emperors.
"Done. I'll provide the new frequency later," Kurapika decided.
Ronin agreed with the butler's assessment. They needed to "leave" Meteor City, whether it was real or a feint.
Kurapika's subsequent arrangement mirrored Ronin's thoughts.
"Brother Ronin, I need you to lead a high-profile 'departure' from the city," Kurapika said. He didn't know the full extent of Ronin's abilities, but he knew enough to plan around them.
They had just killed Ryan. They couldn't vanish instantly without raising suspicion. They needed to stabilize their foothold first.
Having Shadow Clones leave the city in a flashy manner would draw all hostile attention away from the villa.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
Even if someone suspected a trick, Ronin's skills were enough to ensure the clones maintained the ruse until they were safely out at sea.
As the butler set the logistics in motion, Ronin created four Shadow Clones to accompany him.
Shizuku was a remarkably adaptable person.
After Ronin's team moved into the villa, she settled in as if she had lived there her whole life. With Spence and Ryan both dead, her immediate future was a blank slate. She spent her days eating, sleeping, and following Ronin.
Ronin found the situation a bit surreal.
He decided to have Shizuku join Kurapika and Neon in their training.
Shizuku's aura capacity was noticeably higher than the other two, though still within measurable bounds. Ronin estimated her POP at roughly 10,000 units—about double that of Kurapika or Neon.
She was the perfect benchmark for the others to strive toward.
Shizuku didn't object to her new training duties. She was still familiarizing herself with the group and learning the "Team Ronin" rules.
Kurapika realized that while Shizuku was forgetful, she had a religious devotion to rules. He quickly adapted his management style to accommodate her.
Initially, Kurapika worried about their moral differences. Shizuku's clinical detachment when killing was jarring to him; it felt like a total lack of respect for life.
But after understanding her psyche, he realized he didn't need to change her. He just needed to update her "Operating System." By adding a clear rule to the team charter—"No killing without authorization"—he could perfectly regulate her behavior.
The only downside was the fallout. Shizuku became "attached" to him, constantly following him and asking for hyper-specific definitions of "authorization" and "justifiable scenarios."
Kurapika was incredibly patient, providing a logical framework for every hypothetical she threw at him.
Meanwhile, Shizuku and Neon hit it off unexpectedly well.
While Neon collected human organs, Shizuku had the soul of a "hoarder." She loved using Blinky to vacuum up anything she found interesting and storing it for later.
The problem was that she usually forgot what was in the "stomach."
So, they established a routine: once a week, Shizuku would purge Blinky's inventory, and the two girls would spend a blissful afternoon organizing and categorizing the mountain of objects.
Neon was intensely jealous of Shizuku's ability. She wanted to carry her collection with her at all times, not just rely on Ronin's Fun Fun Cloth bundles.
After some debate, Neon transferred her entire collection—except for the Uvogin and Omokage specimens, which she kept for Ronin—into Shizuku's care.
The two girls spent the rest of the week designing a new layout for Shizuku's "inner museum."
Ronin watched this development with a sense of relief. A unified team was a strong team.
September 23rd.
The high-profile Shadow Clones boarded a waste freighter and departed Meteor City.
Less than three hours into the voyage, the ship exploded in the middle of the ocean. Everyone on board, including the clones, was reported dead.
Illumi Zoldyck, who had just landed in Meteor City, stared at the intel report with a look of pure confusion in his doll-like eyes.
He had arrived just as they "left," and then their ship blew up.
Where am I supposed to find the target now?
Illumi called Chrollo. "The target is missing at sea. Confirmed vessel explosion. Postponing the assassination. I'm heading back to Heavens Arena."
"Understood," Chrollo replied concisely.
He didn't care how Ronin died, as long as he was gone.
"Since you're already there, I have a new contract for you," Chrollo added. "Go to Elder Ryan's villa and kill him. I'll pay 1 Billion Jenny."
"Contract accepted. Transfer the funds," Illumi said.
"Be careful. Ryan may have struck a deal with Ronin; that's the only reason he survived the earlier encounter. A collaborator is better off dead," Chrollo warned.
The contract was a test. Chrollo wanted to see if Ryan was truly loyal to the city or if he had flipped.
"By the way," Chrollo asked casually. "Any interest in joining the Phantom Troupe?"
"No," Illumi answered instantly.
"A pity," Chrollo said, then hung up.
A few minutes later, checking his bank account for the deposit, Illumi began researching Ryan.
Assassinating a Meteor City Elder wasn't an ideal task. He would have to be careful not to reveal his Zoldyck identity—the fanatics in this city were far too much trouble once they got a scent.
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