CHAPTER 207: IT’S THE V5 ARMY!

The instant the voice reached him, Kurapika sprang up as if stepping on a spring, immediately turning around.

Silver chains suddenly coiled around his fingers, gleaming brilliantly under the surrounding red light.

They took on a vivid crimson hue, as if stained with blood, adding an intimidating aura.

’Someone broke in?!’

Kurapika didn’t have time to think too much—these actions were all instinctive reactions the moment he heard the voice.

They were muscle memory developed during this period.

Being a mafia member naturally involved frequent clashes.

Through countless battles of blood and fire, his combat instincts had been honed.

As Kurapika stood ready, even manifesting his chains, a glowing door appeared before his eyes.

This wasn’t a door illuminated by light—it was literally made of light.

A door had materialized out of thin air!

This was Kurapika’s first time seeing a spatial passage.

As Kurapika clenched his fists, Akira stepped out leisurely.

"Akira?!"

Recognizing the newcomer, Kurapika exclaimed in surprise, his clenched fists unconsciously loosening.

"Hey, looks like your combat awareness has improved," Akira remarked approvingly.

With such vigilance, one could generally survive better in this world.

"But... why are you here so suddenly?" Kurapika hesitated, clearly puzzled.

"I came for two main reasons. First, I have a big gift for you. Want to guess what it is?" Akira said meaningfully, glancing at the jars behind Kurapika.

As expected, they contained Scarlet Eyes.

But compared to the entire clan, this was just a drop in the bucket.

The Kurta clan had 128 members, with only Kurapika as the sole survivor.

Here, only ten pairs of eyes had been collected.

Akira’s gaze shifted from the pondering Kurapika to the glowing door behind him.

A surge of pink aura emanated from within.

The next moment, numerous jars and containers suddenly appeared around them, as if by magic.

Fortunately, the basement was spacious enough; otherwise, the sheer number would have made it feel cramped.

"This is..." Kurapika stared blankly at the items before him, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

What lay before him was a vast collection of Scarlet Eyes!

"These are the eyes of your clansmen—what I came to give you."

After Nihilego took control of the V5 leaders, Akira had searched for any valuables they possessed.

Or anything the nation might have collected.

Such as Aura Tools and so on.

While confiscating a large number of Aura Tools, Akira also discovered many Scarlet Eyes.

The V5 treasury held many Scarlet Eyes, which Akira decided to bring to Kurapika.

As for the remaining Scarlet Eyes, they should be in the hands of private collectors, especially those enthusiasts of human specimen collections.

If he recall correctly the Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire had amassed quite a collection of Scarlet Eyes.

Gazing upon the magnificent scene before him, Kurapika’s pupils transformed once more, his eyes now even more vividly crimson than before.

This clearly reflected the turmoil within his heart.

The number of his clansmen’s eyes before him far surpassed what he had managed to collect himself.

At this moment, Kurapika felt an inexplicable resonance between his heart and these eyes, leaving him unable to calm his emotions for a long time.

Surrounded by the eyes of his people, he couldn’t tell whether his current feelings were of joy... or sorrow.

"Akira, thank you truly." Kurapika casually wiped away his tears, speaking with heartfelt sincerity.

"It was nothing more than a trivial gesture. If you really want to thank me, then agree to the second matter I came here for."

"You should know I’ve become the new Chairman of the Hunter Association now, right?"

Kurapika nodded, "Yes."

Kurapika didn’t ask Akira how he had obtained these eyes, because the person who delivered them to him was called ’Akira’.

The name "Akira" represented infinite possibilities.

At the very least, he had yet to encounter anything that could stump Akira.

"Then there’s something you probably don’t know—the Rat of The Twelve Zodiac has resigned."

"The second reason for my visit is to invite you to join The Twelve Zodiac as the new Rat."

Akira had ultimately decided to make the trip himself.

With Porygon-Z at his disposal, the journey took mere seconds anyway.

While inviting Kurapika to become the "Rat" didn’t strictly require his personal appearance, he mainly wanted to deliver the items directly.

"Me? Joining The Twelve Zodiac?" Kurapika murmured in surprise.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling, but rather that it felt somewhat sudden and that he might not be worthy.

He understood exactly what The Twelve Zodiac represented.

Within the Hunter Association, aside from a select few individuals, The Twelve Zodiac held the highest status.

He was still just a mafia member—did he truly qualify for such a position?

Kurapika’s first reaction was shock, followed by an urge to decline.

His lips parted slightly, but the words caught in his throat.

After all Akira had done for him, refusing this invitation would be rude.

"I... I’ll do my utmost to fulfill the duties of the ’Rat’ position!" Kurapika’s eyes hardened with determination as he spoke resolutely.

Whether he was truly capable or not, he would give his all to be a worthy ’Rat’!

No matter what, he couldn’t betray Akira’s trust!

And with Akira now as Chairman, serving as "Rat" would mean working directly for him.

"Good, no need to be so tense. With your abilities, being ’Rat’ is more than within your capabilities."

Akira’s words weren’t mere comfort—he meant them sincerely.

Kurapika was simply momentarily nervous, afraid he might not live up to the responsibility.

But in truth, his capabilities in all aspects were outstanding enough to fully meet the demands of a Zodiac member.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now. Mizaistom is waiting at the tavern upstairs—he’ll brief you on the specifics."

Akira turned to leave through the light portal he’d arrived from.

Just as he was about to step through, Akira suddenly remembered something.

"There’s a chance I might need you to go somewhere later. Just giving you a heads-up so you won’t be too surprised when the time comes."

’Perhaps there will be chances to meet your clansmen later’.

Akira didn’t voice the latter part of his thought, as he couldn’t guarantee such an opportunity.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

In the next moment, Akira’s figure vanished along with the light gate, disappearing from Kurapika’s sight.

"Too surprised?"

"What kind of place could it be?"

Kurapika didn’t quite understand what Akira meant.

*****

Somewhere in a vast estate.

On the surface, it appeared to be just a manor, but in reality, the people residing here were of no small significance.

One of the Ten Dons, Pride, lived here!

Though it seemed peaceful at first glance, a closer look would reveal numerous mafia members stationed within.

Not only did Pride reside here, but he had also stationed many of his subordinates in the surrounding areas, consolidating the majority of his forces.

And it wasn’t just armed mafia members—there were also many Nen Users capable of wielding Aura.

These individuals were further divided into several tiers, broadly categorized into three levels from lowest to highest.

The first consisted of independent practitioners Pride had recruited, typically taking on odd jobs, akin to guest advisors in martial arts novels.

The second were new Nen Users Pride had created through continuous technological development and innovation.

These individuals were the product of combining technology with Nen abilities, with the original Shadow Beasts being the first successful batch.

This was also the reason the Ten Dons had initially invited Pride—they needed the assistance of the Seven Deadly Sins for their research.

Originally, they had intended to exploit Pride without necessarily granting him a position among the Ten Dons.

But after the original Ten Dons were eliminated by Illumi, hired by Chrollo, Pride naturally ascended to become one of them.

Since then, Pride had continued expanding upon the existing research, pushing development further.

To this day, he had already assembled an entire team of new Nen Users.

The third tier consisted of Pride himself and his two remaining members of the seven deadly sins, ’Sloth and Lust’.

Along with a group of powerful Nen Users controlled by Sloth and Lust through their Nen abilities.

Pride’s personal strength was already strong, making his forces arguably the strongest among the Ten Dons.

There was even a faint sense that he was poised to lead the other Ten Dons.

Yet, despite this, he behaved like a cowardly turtle, rarely daring to leave the estate.

Even with such terrifying power at his disposal, he still didn’t feel secure enough.

Because he had provoked someone he couldn’t afford to cross.

*****

Inside a grand villa within the estate, there was a spacious office, lavishly decorated with ample room for a desk, tea table, sofas, and more.

The entire office—indeed, the entire villa—was adorned with opulence, a clear testament to the owner’s wealth.

Pride stood by the window, dressed in an expensive suit, smoking a premium cigar as he gazed at the distant sky.

Behind his refined gold-rimmed glasses, however, was a face etched with worry.

At this stage of development, he could proudly say that the power he wielded far surpassed that of the original Seven Deadly Sins in their prime.

Yet, he still lacked the confidence to match Akira!

Akira was terrifying—a single man who could rival an entire army!

Due to their past encounters, Pride had always treated Akira as his hypothetical adversary.

Previously, he had even believed his forces were strong enough to strike at Akira and redeem his past humiliation.

Before he could make his move, his subordinates who attended the conference sent word that Akira had been elected as one of the "New World’s Top Five Nen Users."

One after another, the former top five Nen Users publicly acknowledged that they were no match for Akira.

Thus, Akira directly became the ’Strongest in the World’.

This completely threw him off.

He had been fully prepared to take action, only to suddenly receive news that his opponent was the ’World’s Strongest’ ?

Later, it was discovered that the subordinate who delivered the message had fled within days, seemingly convinced he stood no chance against Akira.

This news directly led to the suspension of the revenge plan, followed by a series of revelations about Akira.

First, his overwhelming performance in the Martial Arts Tournament at Heavens Arena.

To be honest, he had watched that live broadcast.

He was no match for the mastermind behind the scenes. (Jed)

Yet, such a formidable existence was torn to shreds in an instant by just one of Akira’s Nen beasts.

Then came the Chimera Ant incident.

He didn’t know much about it, only that Akira had resolved it once again.

And the terrifying battle scars left behind!

The colossal crater spanning countless miles often haunted his dreams, filling him with dread that his estate might one day meet the same fate.

If that happened, he—trapped within the estate—would naturally suffer a grim end.

Later came the news of Akira being elected as the new chairman.

Strangely enough, compared to everything else, he found Akira’s ascension to chairman the most acceptable outcome among them all.

The relentless blows were also why he had hesitated to make a move against Akira afterward.

Now, he harbored no thoughts of revenge whatsoever.

His only hope was that Akira had forgotten his existence—only then could he cling to the chance of survival.

This was also why Pride rarely appeared in public.

Keeping a low profile was the only way to prolong his life.

But Pride didn’t know about Murphy’s Law.

When one fears something happening, it often becomes reality.

Suddenly, Pride’s body stiffened—he sensed an unfamiliar presence in the room!

Pride whirled around to see a figure lounging casually on the expensive leather sofa.

The intruder looked utterly at ease, as if treating the place like his own home, without the slightest hint of restraint.

When Pride recognized the face of the visitor, his pupils contracted sharply, and the cigar in his hand slipped to the floor unnoticed.

Yet, he didn’t spare it a glance, his attention entirely consumed by the uninvited guest before him.

His expression shifted from distress to gloom, then to sheer horror.

Panic, like rampant weeds, spread wildly through Pride’s heart, encroaching on every inch of his being.

The day he dreaded had finally arrived.

"Seems like you’ve been doing well~"

"Pride."

Akira’s lips curled into a faint smile, but to Pride, his words sounded like whispers from hell.

Or perhaps a funeral dirge from the Grim Reaper, guiding him step by step into an abyss with no escape.

That face was all too familiar to Pride.

In fact, it appeared in nearly every nightmare he had.

Yet, whenever he woke, his first emotion wasn’t lingering fear—But relief!

Seeing Pride remain silent, seemingly adhering to the principle that "silence is golden," Akira couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.

"Tell me, do you still possess even a shred of the demeanor befitting the name Pride?"

At these words, Pride’s face darkened further, his teeth grinding audibly.

Yet, he still didn’t dare utter a word.

Seeing this, Akira decided not to waste any more time and remarked casually.

"You must already know why I’m here today. Surely, I didn’t come for small talk."

"I imagine you’ve long been mentally prepared for this day, haven’t you?"

"You have five minutes."

"Within these five minutes, gather all the forces you can muster here. I’ll give you one chance to ’gang up on me.’"

Akira extended his palm, signaling that he would only grant him five minutes.

Once the time was up, he would make his move.

"And don’t even think about running away."

With a glance at the stunned Pride, Akira leisurely added a sentence, his words dripping with threat.

Pride hadn’t expected Akira to give him time to gather his subordinates.

’Is this the absolute confidence of the strong in their own power?’

Gritting his teeth, Pride turned and strode outside, pulling out his phone to make calls.

Time was short—he had to assemble his men as quickly as possible!

Even though he knew their chances were slim even with reinforcements, any slight increase in survival odds was worth it.

As for escaping... Akira wasn’t a fool.

If he dared to say those words, he clearly had countermeasures in place.

*****

Five minutes passed in a flash.

Pride hurriedly returned with a group of men, while Sloth and Lust also brought their own forces.

Despite the imposing numbers, Pride still felt little confidence.

He even noticed some were missing.

"Lust, where are Buto and the others?"

Lust pouted and replied in a coquettish tone.

"The moment they heard they were up against Akira, they bolted."

****

"Did they think we’re idiots? A few coins aren’t worth our lives against someone like Akira!"

"Going there is suicide!"

"Exactly! Pride is downright suicidal."

Seven Nen Users sprinted towards the outskirts of the manor, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

But before they could escape, a massive force appeared in their line of sight.

A small portion were soldiers armed to the teeth with firearms and ammunition.

The majority, however, were fully equipped elites radiating intense aura fluctuations!

These were individuals who would be considered powerhouses in the outside world—yet here they were, appearing in droves like wholesale goods!

The sheer size of this army had completely surrounded the manor!!

"Who are these people? We’re trapped!"

"Look at their uniforms!"

"They’re... V5’s secret military force!"

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