As Auren and Goreinu stand in front of the hastily created cell and reveal their identities as Hunters, the atmosphere shifts immediately.
Just seconds after Auren's words, the children's faces change. Fear and despair are quickly replaced by looks of relief—some even smile through their tears.
They begin thanking them all at once, their voices overlapping. A few hug each other and cry.
Auren grabs Eternity, channels his Aura into the blade using Shu and Limitless Waters, and says in a loud but calm voice, "Step back a little."
The children take a step back instinctively, their eyes fixed on the transformed blade, some of them looking nervous.
In two fluid swings, Auren slices through the thick metal bars planted in the floor and ceiling, creating a large enough opening for the kids to walk through.
The children stare at him in silence, clearly surprised by the ease with which he broke apart their prison. Most of the boys stare at him in awe, unable to stay silent.
"Hunter..."
"So strong..."
"Follow us," Auren says, putting the evolved Eternity back into its sheath, his hand shaking a little.
This power... I feel like my Aura is amplified by a ridiculous degree. If I use Ko and Limitless Waters, I feel like I could even cut through steel walls.
The children leave the now open cell—a few of them, however, seem completely worn out, barely able to walk, so Goreinu picks up two and carries them. The rest slowly follow behind Auren. But suddenly, a small girl clings to his leg.
Auren looks down at her in surprise. "What is it? Everything okay? Are you hurt?"
"What about the others...?" she asks quietly.
"Others?" Auren repeats, quickly catching on. "I... I don't know yet. First, we're getting you out of here. We're doing our best to look for them afterwards."
"They're dead, aren't they?" the girl says, her eyes filling with tears.
Auren lets out a quiet sigh, lifts her into his arms, and keeps moving.
As they approach the exit, the faint glow of moonlight comes into view. Auren pulls out his phone and dials Zenji.
We're close enough to the exit now. There should be a signal. I don't want to risk getting shot at on the way out.
"Auren, what's the situation?" Zenji answers, sounding slightly tense.
"It's all clear. We're coming out. We've got eight children with us—don't do anything stupid," Auren says.
The group slowly exits the mine and walks toward the parked cars and the limousine belonging to the local Mafia chapter. The moment the children see the night sky, a few of them start crying again—this time out of relief.
Auren approaches Zenji. "I don't know how you usually handle things... but can you make sure these children get home safely? No games. If you need money, I'll pay for it."
Zenji shakes his head, rubbing his hands together. "Hehe, no need. You're misunderstanding the Mafia. This is a perfect chance to improve our public image. We're trying to take over the underworld here in Glam Gas Land, and for that, we need some basic approval from the people. We use fear, but we also don't shy away from order. In fact, we prefer not to resort to the ugly means to take charge. We'll return them to their homes—or orphanages—no problem, you have my word."
At least for now, they care about public opinion... Once they're fully in control, they probably won't even pretend to care. But it's not my problem. And honestly, Glam Gas Land is already in worse shape than areas completely controlled by the mafia, so who cares?
"I trust you on this..." Auren says, looking him straight in the eyes. "Also... can you send someone in to collect the remains of our target? To be honest, I cut her to pieces... It might get a little gruesome putting the head back together, but that's needed for identification, right? Also, there's the boy she was trying to save. Collect his body, take a few pictures for proof, but give him a proper burial. It's not his fault."
"My men will handle it. Of course, you'll get all the credit. If you are a little patient, we can turn the head in as soon as we've had it stitched together," Zenji says, unfazed. He glances at the others, who all nod back at him.
"Understood, sir!" the mafia henchmen reply.
As a senior, high-ranking member working directly under the Don, Zenji is used to these kinds of scenes. Gruesome or not, it's all part of the job. Anyone who crosses the Mafia is as good as dead—unless they're a high-level Nen user. But even then, if the Shadow Beasts—the ten elite Nen users under the Don—move together, even strong opponents are at risk. There's no reason to go against the Mafia, especially with the Don of the United States favoring Rakshala. They're far too useful to lose.
Zenji, now looking visibly pleased, grins. "Turns out this assignment wasn't as bad as I expected. With your help, taking down the wanted criminals, we were able to ruin the reputation of most other groups. And now with the witch out of the picture, our standing in Glam Gas Land will improve dramatically. Also..."
Auren sighs and tunes out his rambling—until Zenji suddenly shifts topic.
"It's a little surprising," Zenji continues, "but the others stationed in the major cities are in a panic. Looks like they are forced to work their butts off. They're trying to track down the organisation responsible for destroying the global stock market. Even the national markets like the one in the Kakin Empire have been affected."
"Wait," Auren says, perking up. "Tell me more about that."
"Ah," Zenji replies, his tone shifting slightly. "Well... it started a few months ago. Someone new entered the game—on a global level. They are playing the stock market with an insane amount of capital. Every single trade is calculated and based on inside information. Sometimes the corresponding information is leaked by unknown people. It's considered one of the worst cases of corporate espionage ever. Major industrial companies, financial institutions, even government agencies... they're all being targeted. No one can even determine how the leaks are occurring. The Mafia's involved, Hunters are involved, freelancers, detectives—everyone. But nothing has stopped it, and no suspects have been found. In some cases, we have tortured everyone who knew about a particular event that was later leaked. Even under torture, nobody broke down. By now, it's more or less confirmed that whoever is doing this, is using high-tech technology, or worse, Nen. There's a powerful organization behind those events, making a fortune."
I guess... this is my fault. Just like Rakshala said. She's using her Hatsu to manipulate the corporate world without hesitation or mercy. Everyone inside her En radius—which stretches over a kilometer when her scarlet eyes are active—is caught in it. They don't even realize they are leaking the top-secret information they are told. Just by listening, Rakshala knows everything they know. She's a god at this point. At least in terms of information gathering.
"I see... sounds concerning," Auren says, trying to stay composed. "But with Hunters involved, this should be manageable, right? There have to be Nen users out there who can deal with spies."
"You'd think so!" Zenji answers. "But that's not what's happening. The Hunters haven't been able to stop anything—and some have even been killed. Don Berto said during a call that things are getting serious. Word is, the Zodiacs are involved."
Didn't Pariston mention something like this? I told Rakshala about the threat... and she clearly doesn't care. Who else is there? Only Pariston and Mizaistom would be able to help—the others are clearly out of their expertise.
"The Zodiacs, huh?" Auren mutters. "Heh... I can only think of two who might actually be able to handle this."
"You know them? Makes sense. A Hunter at your level would be well-informed. From what I've heard, Zodiac Pariston and Zodiac Mizaistom are on the case. I take it those are the ones you meant?"
"Yes," Auren replies.
"The V5 are slowly panicking. If there's no breakthrough soon, things are going to get ugly. We haven't seen a problem like this in years. It's already triggered a global financial crisis. Anyway, let's head back—we can talk more later," Zenji says, opening the limousine door. "My people will collect the head. Don't worry, I'm vouching for them."
"Is that really okay?" Goreinu asks, stepping forward. "The head's worth a billion Jenny."
"I trust Zenji," Auren says with a cheeky smile. Then he adds, "Also, if the head disappears, I can guarantee you hundreds more will appear to replace it—even if I don't get paid for them." He then briefly flashes his Aura, freezing Zenji in place.
Zenji stammers for a second before laughing it off. "Ha—haha, you sure have a sense of humor, Auren. Don't worry. It won't come to that." He then takes out a tissue and wipes the sweat off his face.
As they step inside the limousine, Goreinu glances at Auren with sudden interest but says nothing and simply sits down.
While the limousine drives back into the center of Glam Gas Land, Auren sits in silence, deep in thought.
Whatever Rakshala is doing... I don't think I should interfere, aside from passing on what I know. Either way, this was a big win for me. Eternity's evolution is exciting. It's almost too good to be true. One Nen user down... one to go. Time to visit Jasoof and test out Eternity.
The limousine makes its way through the city and drops off Auren and Goreinu directly in front of the Royal Glam Hotel.
Before pulling away, Zenji leans out the window and says, "We'll call you in a few hours. Once the head is stitched together and the usual place is open for business, we'll pick you up so you can turn it in."
"We'll see you soon then," Auren replies, walking into the hotel with Goreinu following closely behind.
Back on their floor, near the top of the hotel, Goreinu trails Auren to his room, but hesitates, not saying a word.
"Heh, did I let something slip back there? When Zenji brought up that one topic?" Auren asks with a smile.
"No... your Aura stayed calm. But I've come to know your habits. The way you asked those questions—you're at least somewhat interested in that topic, aren't you?" Goreinu says.
"Of course. I'll tell you what I know soon..." Auren says, "But it'll have to wait—and it'll require some commitment from your side. You'll have a choice soon—one that could completely change your future. Don't worry about it for now, though. Sleep for a couple of hours, and we'll talk soon. Good Night!"
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