Ronin woke up on a broad, sturdy back. The whistling wind rushed past his ears, accompanied by freezing rain battering his body.
"You're awake," a steady, deep voice rumbled from the person carrying him.
Ronin felt a splitting headache, followed by a torrent of memories flooding his mind.
He seemed to have transmigrated.
He could faintly recall the final, prolonged beep of the hospital monitor in his previous life, but his current memories were dominated by brutal images: his clansmen tied up in the town square, their eyes gouged out one by one while facing each other.
The situation... seemed dire.
Before Ronin could sort through the chaotic thoughts in his mind, a sharp pain shot through his eyes, followed by the sensation of a warm liquid sliding down his face.
Is that blood?
Before he could raise a hand to wipe it away, his entire field of vision shifted violently. The sturdy back that had been supporting him vanished, and the world spun. Pain radiated from his arm and spread through his entire body as he hit the ground.
Boom!
When Ronin finally tumbled to a stop, his body screamed in agony. Looking back toward the path they had been traveling, he saw a massive log embedded in the earth—right where they had been a second ago.
"Run, Ronin! Run!"
A slurred, desperate shout cut through the ringing in his ears.
Ronin shook his head, trying to clear his vision, and looked at the speaker. It was a man with Scarlet Eyes, though right now, those eyes were filled with anxiety and terror.
He wore the distinctive traditional garb of a Kurta clan. His body, though not particularly massive, was shrouded in a faint, hazy glow. Seeing Ronin struggle to his feet, the man turned around, his entire body tense as he faced the direction the log had come from.
When the man turned, Ronin saw a look of absolute resolve in his eyes.
At the same time, Ronin's memories clarified the man's identity. It was his father.
No. More accurately, it was this body's father.
"Why stop running?"
A voice laced with a savage grin drifted from the distance. A figure, far larger and more imposing than Ronin's father, stepped out from the dense forest shadows.
Ronin, having just climbed to his feet, felt a stinging pain all over his body. But upon seeing the newcomer's face and aligning it with his memories, the physical pain vanished—replaced instantly by pure terror.
He had seen this face countless times in manga.
Spiky, mane-like long hair. A rugged, wild face wearing a mocking expression. Wolf-like eyes that merely glanced at Ronin before locking onto his father. The man wore clothes made of bear fur, radiating a wild, primal ferocity.
As he walked toward them, the aura around him intensified, like a beast stalking its prey, ready to pounce.
Uvogin.
That was his name.
Member number eleven of the infamous Phantom Troupe, the Spider, from the world of Hunter x Hunter.
The moment Ronin recognized him, he made the only correct choice. He stood up, turned around, and ran.
"Heh."
A cold, mocking laugh echoed from behind, but Ronin didn't even have the courage to look back.
He knew with absolute certainty: If I stay, I die.
This was his only thought after realizing his identity and seeing Uvogin.
Hearing the footsteps retreating behind him, the frown on Ronin's father's face relaxed slightly. He shifted his stance, blocking Uvogin's line of sight to his son, and flared his aura with a tragic, suicidal intensity.
Uvogin glanced in the direction Ronin had fled, then withdrew his gaze, focusing entirely on the man before him who was clearly prepared to die.
However, seeing the large bloodstain on the man's abdomen, a flicker of disappointment crossed Uvogin's eyes.
Such a strong will to fight, yet the body is broken. What a waste.
Despite the thought, Uvogin's disappointment instantly morphed into battle lust and tyranny.
BOOM!
The sound of fists colliding exploded through the forest.
Ronin turned for one last glance. Under the rainy night sky, he clearly saw two figures clashing in the woods.
He didn't know how long his father could hold out, but he knew his father was no match for Uvogin—especially since his memory confirmed that his father had already been heavily wounded trying to save him.
Perhaps the only mercy was that only Uvogin had pursued them. If the others were here...
Ronin turned back and accelerated.
But after only a few steps, he stopped again, looking back.
He was now over a hundred meters away from the fight. Yet, despite the distance, the rain, and the darkness, he could see the battle with crystal clarity. He could even see the flow of energy coating their bodies.
This isn't right.
His eyesight was far too good. And the speed at which the two men were moving... it was inhuman.
Ronin knew this wasn't the time to analyze. He turned and sprinted again.
As he ran, his mind raced. His body had undergone a change, specifically in his eyes.
The Scarlet Eyes.
He remembered his identity: The Kurta Clan.
The Kurta people possessed the Scarlet Eyes, considered one of the Seven Most Beautiful Colors in the World. When their emotions were agitated, their irises turned a deep crimson.
Judging from Kurapika in the manga, these special eyes allowed the user to access a unique state upon learning Nen, known as "Emperor Time."
For Kurapika, turning his eyes scarlet shifted his Nen category from Conjurer to Specialist, allowing him to use all Nen categories at 100% efficiency.
So, what is my ability when my eyes are red?
Ronin thought about his abnormal vision. But if that was all it did, it wouldn't help him escape.
Do I have Nen? Can I manipulate life energy?
Ronin held up his hands as he ran.
There was no aura flowing around his hands, but he could see a stable energy flowing inside his body.
Am I in a state of Zetsu? Is my aura completely suppressed?
But noticing his running speed, he hesitated. He was running much faster than a normal human.
He tried to release the energy inside him, but it felt difficult—locked away. At the very least, he couldn't do it right now.
However, since he could see the Nen on his father and Uvogin, he concluded that his "Nen nodes" in his eyes must be open.
Something about his Nen was different, something he hadn't mastered yet. This unknown factor was the key to surviving Uvogin's pursuit.
Suddenly, Ronin froze.
Wait. I can see the energy flowing inside my own body? That's not normal.
I need to see my eyes.