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Chapter 129: The Performance
Petter was shrouded in a steady flow of Ten, proving their previous hypothesis correct: he was a Nen user.
Ronin's Three Tomoe Sharingan meticulously observed the shape and distribution of the Ten around Ryan's body.
This microscopic level of observation relied heavily on his Sharingan, but deciphering the intel required the analytical criteria Furykov had outlined in the original manga.
To Ronin, the aura ring formed by Ryan's Ten was slightly larger than a normal person's. This minuscule difference was enough for Ronin to immediately categorize him as either an Emitter or a Manipulator.
But distinguishing exactly which of the two categories he fell into was far more difficult.
Ryan's aura ring expanded evenly, meaning he probably didn't focus on Enhancement training. The most likely scenario was that he trained evenly in both Emission and Manipulation.
If he leaned toward Manipulation, Conjuration traits would likely be present. However, Ronin hadn't detected any specific items tied to him.
Of course, this entire analysis relied on the assumption that the Glam Clan knew about Nen, understood it, and systematically trained in it.
Otherwise, applying these criteria to a random amateur could result in disastrously wrong conclusions, since self-taught users often trained chaotically.
Pulling his gaze away from Ryan, Ronin scanned the rest of the venue, noting the staggeringly high number of hidden Nen users.
"Something's not right," Kurapika muttered, sensing the tension.
"How so?" Ronin asked, sitting up straighter. Shizuku leaned in, while Neon remained entirely captivated by the stage.
"There are too many Nen users disguised as security," Kurapika whispered. "It doesn't look like they're protecting the theater; it looks like they're locking it down."
"Could they be targeting us?" Ronin asked the crucial question.
His eyes swept over the security guards, paying special attention to their positioning.
While their primary focus was guarding Ryan's VIP section, there was also a Nen user stationed at every single entrance and exit.
Adding it all up, the Glam Clan had deployed over six Nen-using guards in this small theater alone.
Nen users didn't just grow on trees.
Even though they theorized that the V5 and Kakin might harbor vast numbers of Nen users, those were massive superpowers.
The Glam Clan was a speck of dust compared to them.
For so many Nen users to be packed into this tiny theater... if they weren't planning something major, Ronin would eat his own kunai.
Kurapika shook his head.
Although he had tried contacting Ryan, he hadn't used his real identity.
And ever since they walked into the theater, neither Petter nor the guards had paid them any special attention. They blended right in.
"If they aren't coming for us, then they must be targeting the Freak Show Troupe," Neon interjected. "I can smell a kindred spirit on him."
"What do you mean?" Ronin asked, unable to follow.
"To a human organ collector, every single performer in this show is a priceless piece of art. All he has to do is kill them, and he can craft entirely unique masterpieces," Neon revealed the chilling truth. "Though, honestly, that kind of collecting is a bit low-brow. It's usually what beginners are into."
"You seemed pretty thrilled when I got you those Shadow Beast wings a while back," Ronin deadpanned.
Neon shot him a withering glare. "That's completely different! Those were wings. WINGS!"
"Bat wings," Ronin corrected.
"Still wings!" Neon stubbornly replied.
"Back on topic. You're saying Petter is setting his sights on the Freak Show Troupe?" Kurapika steered the conversation back.
"Exactly," Neon nodded emphatically. "If my guess is right, there's only one way we're getting the Scarlet Eyes back from him."
She didn't need to spell it out. Everyone understood.
"I'm down," Ronin volunteered.
If Neon was right, Petter was practically handing Kurapika the perfect excuse on a silver platter.
If Petter just sat there peacefully, Ronin had been worried Kurapika might hesitate to attack him.
But now?!
Kurapika's gaze swept across the theater before he gave a solemn nod. "I have no objections either. The moment Ryan's men make a move on the troupe, Ronin will strike Petter immediately. Neon and I will provide backup for the performers."
Kurapika clutched the fortune-telling poem in his pocket.
The poem had assured him they would find what they needed here, and that they would make contact with someone "useful."
He wasn't worried in the slightest about whether Ronin could take the Scarlet Eyes from Ryan. What intrigued him was the identity of this "useful" person.
The squad's current composition was already highly effective. What kind of ability or intel could this person offer that would genuinely benefit them?
While investigating Ryan, Kurapika's primary focus hadn't actually been Petter himself, but the people around him.
The poem confirmed that the person holding the Scarlet Eyes and the "useful" person were two different individuals.
Yet, he hadn't found anyone particularly remarkable in Ryan's inner circle.
Now, it seemed the turning point might actually lie with the Freak Show Troupe.
Kurapika shifted his attention to the stage. Right on the dot, the lighting shifted.
The warm-up clowns slowly retreated.
Stepping into the spotlight was a stunningly beautiful girl adorned in theatrical makeup. However, she was so bizarre that the audience rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were hallucinating.
She genuinely had two heads. It wasn't an illusion created by Nen.
The two heads spoke simultaneously, carrying on different conversations but syncing in a hauntingly perfect rhythm that seamlessly laid out the story's background.
The girl walked forward with a look of profound sorrow, and pure white snow began to materialize beneath her feet.
It appeared out of thin air.
This was the girl's tragic destiny. The villagers at the foot of the mountain believed her two heads marked her as a monster.
They blamed her for bringing disaster upon the village and believed she had summoned a divine messenger to punish them.
To appease the heavens, the villagers decided to sacrifice her to the god's apostle.
Snow began falling from the theater's ceiling, pushing the girl's misery, despair, and helplessness to a cinematic climax.
Suddenly, the girl stopped dead in her tracks. Shivering uncontrollably, as if she ha
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