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Chapter 105: Sealing Jutsu
The sheer madness of the scene was horrifying.
Naturally, Kurapika and the others didn't stay in the car. Exiting the vehicle, the three of them formed a defensive triangle, naturally entering combat readiness.
Ronin's gaze, however, tracked the Elder hiding among the mob.
As long as he killed the mastermind, this fanatical suicide bombing run would naturally cease.
Theodore's ability was formidable. In fact, based on his analysis of the manga's plot, killing him wouldn't erase his Nen. Instead, it would evolve into Post-Mortem Nen, permanently remaining on anyone he had previously branded.
But so what?
Ronin was actually quite curious to see exactly what Post-Mortem Nen looked like in person.
His left eye flared to life. [Ama-no-Tokotachi] activated, instantly locking the spatial coordinates around Theodore. He didn't lock down a massive area—only the exact space encompassing the Elder's head.
This not only immobilized him but ensured that, over time, he would suffocate. Within the frozen space, even the air molecules were rendered completely motionless.
Susanoo abruptly vanished. By the time Ronin finished a rapid sequence of hand signs, Lightning Release chakra was already surging across his body.
With an explosive speed that the blasts couldn't even catch, Ronin bypassed the swarm of suicide bombers in the blink of an eye, appearing directly beside Theodore!
Theodore harbored a deep-seated hatred for outsiders. Especially those who dared to steal from Meteor City.
Ronin's presence was an absolute violation of his core beliefs. That was why, even when Ryan sent messengers inviting him to the villa to discuss a countermeasure, he had refused.
He wanted to kill the outsider his own way. He wanted the invader to explode in absolute despair. Only the visceral gore of an explosion could truly satisfy him.
Unfortunately for him, he had kicked a steel plate.
An ability that completely immobilized space was unmistakably the work of an Emission-type Nen user. And an absurdly powerful one at that. Furthermore, the spectral armor that had protected the intruder earlier had to be an emitted Nen Beast.
Therefore, upon realizing his head was trapped in space, Theodore weighed his two options. The first was to trigger an explosion via his seals to blow open the spatial lockdown.
This was theoretically possible. Imprisoning space likely involved utilizing a massive volume of aura to fill the space to render it hyper-viscous. If the concussive force of an explosion disrupted that density, the lock should break.
But in the next microsecond, Theodore saw Ronin dispel his Nen Beast and cloak himself in crackling arcs of lightning.
A Transmutation ability!
For a single person to master two diametrically opposed Nen categories to such a terrifying degree proved he was an absolute prodigy. And a lightning-based mode inherently screamed one thing: speed.
Theodore immediately abandoned his first plan. He would give the intruder a lethal surprise!
He had long since made peace with death. Therefore, he would simply detonate himself. He would let the outsider close the distance with his lightning speed, only to be caught in the pinnacle of Theodore's art: self-destruction!
Theodore slammed his un-paralyzed hands together.
Ronin appeared beside him in that exact fraction of a second, resting a hand directly on the Elder's shoulder.
A cruel, icy smirk curled beneath Theodore's mask. Opening his mouth slightly, he uttered, "Boom!"
But the next second, nothing happened. Instead, Theodore felt his aura evaporating at a terrifying rate. In an instant, he was forcefully dragged from being a powerful Nen user into the state of a completely ordinary human!
[Four Symbols Seal]
This was a powerful sealing formula that utilized the cyclical power of the four symbols to suppress evil energy. Ronin had begun experimenting with this sealing jutsu on Owl after forcibly subjugating him.
It turned out to be exceptionally effective at suppressing Nen. By applying the formula, he could rapidly seal away a target's aura, forcefully plunging them into a state of [Zetsu].
Because chakra wasn't inherently 'evil' like the demonic chakra the seal was originally designed to suppress, its overall efficacy was slightly diminished. However, breaking the seal still relied entirely on the victim's total aura capacity.
By Ronin's estimation, the Four Symbols Seal was strong enough to suppress Theodore for at least ten seconds—more than enough time to kill him fifty times over!
The moment the seal was set, Ronin's [Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite] plunged straight through Theodore's heart from behind.
Then, contrary to Ronin's eager expectations, the Post-Mortem Nen didn't trigger!
As [Ama-no-Tokotachi] deactivated, Theodore collapsed to the ground, unwilling and full of resentment.
Even in death, he remained firmly trapped in [Zetsu]. Not a single wisp of Nen leaked from his corpse.
Let alone Post-Mortem Nen!
Instead, Ronin noticed that the Four Symbols Seal branded onto Theodore's skin had grown even more pronounced, showing absolutely no signs of breaking.
A realization flashed through Ronin's mind.
Did the Post-Mortem Nen actually trigger the moment he died, but its sheer malice inadvertently triggered the seal's primary function of suppressing evil energy?
The sequence of events became clear: Theodore's normal aura had been struggling against the seal, but the instant he died, that aura mutated into highly concentrated, malicious Post-Mortem Nen. Faced with an influx of 'evil' energy, the Four Symbols Seal finally unleashed its true power, completely and utterly suppressing the demonic aura!
If that hypothesis was correct, unsealing the corpse right now would cause Theodore's ability to erupt as Post-Mortem Nen.
The explosions across the street had ceased entirely.
The sealing marks on Theodore's hands had completely vanished.
However, the fanatical suicide bombers didn't halt their charge just because they couldn't detonate. They continued to throw themselves at Kurapika's trio with suicidal frenzy.
Of the three, Shizuku was the most ruthless.
Kurapika primarily used his chains to knock the attackers unconscious, while Neon was far more unhinged, casually ripping off whatever body parts caught her eye from the charging mob! Objectively speaking, Neon's combat style was by far the goriest.
Ronin cast a glance their way, shouted for them to be careful, and formed a cross-shaped hand sign. Producing a Shadow Clone, his true body rapidly fell back.
The Shadow Clone stepped forward and laid a hand on Theodore's corpse.
Pumping chakra into the array, the Four Symbols Seal was swiftly released. In that exact moment, Ronin saw the seals instantly re-manifest on Theodore's hands, accompanied by a massive surge of aura.
Except this time, the aura was pitch-black.
Simultaneously, the seals that had vanished from the suicide bombers suddenly reappeared, mirroring the marks on their master!
Ronin's eyes gleamed. Just as I thought.
The Shadow Clone raised its hand, quickly forming another hand sign before pressing down on Theodore's corpse once more.
But this time, the instant the clone's hand made contact, a negative (-) seal was forcefully branded onto its skin.
Then, a massive explosion violently detonated!
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