There were quite a few items listed in the dossier.
Most of them were rare corpse remnants. Using the Hunter Association's information network, Hyūga Akira quickly obtained accurate intelligence. Some of the items were already circulating on the black market.
Find the target.
Move in.
Take it.
The black market's defenses were nowhere near enough to stop Akira.
Once the items were delivered to the Nostrade family's head of security, Dalzollene, the task was considered complete.
"Alright. The five of you are officially hired," Dalzollene announced. "I am the head of the bodyguard team—Dalzollene."
He then explained their upcoming itinerary and personally led them to meet their true employer.
They walked down a long corridor. Along the way, a preserved human specimen was displayed prominently—Dalzollene's way of issuing a warning.
Neither Akira nor Kurapika cared.
At the end of the corridor, the doors opened.
Inside the luxuriously decorated room, a large bed was covered with plush dolls. A blue-haired少女 sat among them.
Neon Nostrade—their real employer.
The moment she saw Akira, her eyes lit up. She immediately ran over, completely ignoring everyone else.
"You're one of my bodyguards too?" Neon stared straight at Akira's eyes. "Your eyes are so pretty!"
…She'd locked onto his eyes.
Akira smiled thinly. "Yes, Miss."
"Dalzollene, I want him as my personal guard," Neon said, pointing directly at Akira.
"Miss, that's against protocol," Dalzollene replied with a troubled expression.
Akira was young, but still male—and more importantly, his loyalty hadn't been fully verified. Letting him stay that close to Neon was a risk Dalzollene couldn't afford.
"Daaalzollene~" Neon whined, tugging at his sleeve.
Dalzollene hesitated, glanced at Akira, then clenched his teeth. Akira was clearly a prodigy with undeniable strength. He didn't look like a spy sent by any faction.
"…Fine. But he is not allowed to stay alone with you. There must always be others present."
"Yes!" Neon declared triumphantly.
Akira looked up at the ceiling, utterly speechless.
Did anyone bother asking for his opinion?
That settled it. Akira became an indoor guard.
If he were a bit older, he might've enjoyed it. Neon was, after all, a beautiful girl—though her hobbies were… unsettling, and her interest in him was very clearly centered on his eyes.
For a fleeting moment, Akira seriously considered killing her.
If Neon died, Chrollo would never obtain her ability. That "Lovely Ghostwriter" power would drop instead.
Of course, if Akira were older—if his body were fully grown—he might've entertained a different kind of relationship.
The "young lady and bodyguard" trope existed for a reason.
But right now?
He preferred the "bodyguard kills the lady and escapes with the loot" version.
"So, are you from some rare ethnic group?" Neon asked curiously. "I've never heard of eyes like yours before."
She really wasn't subtle at all.
Akira's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Miss, I heard you can tell the future. Would you mind giving me a prophecy first? Then I'll answer your question."
At the same time, he quietly activated Bandit's Secret.
To steal a Nen ability, three conditions had to be met:
Witness the ability firsthand.Ask questions about the ability and receive answers.Get the target's hand to touch the handprint on the book's cover.
Chakra condensed in his hand, forming a thick book.
"Of course!" Neon agreed without hesitation. Rare organs weren't just valuable for their appearance—the information attached to them mattered just as much.
"Where's my paper…?"
"If you don't mind, please write here," Akira said warmly, placing the book in front of her.
"Okay!" Neon showed no suspicion at all. She took out her ever-present pen, opened the book, and revealed its blank pages.
"Your name, birthday, and blood type."
After Akira provided the information, an eerie Nen surged from Neon's body. A malformed infant-like figure formed around her right hand. Her eyes went vacant as her hand began writing on its own.
"All done," Neon said, handing the book back.
Akira accepted it and asked casually, "Miss Neon, don't you want to read what you wrote?"
"I never read my own prophecies," she replied indifferently. "Only by staying uninvolved can the predictions stay accurate."
"Is that so?" Akira flipped the book open and read his prophecy.
**"A guest from afar begins his game.
Accompanied by a jester and a revenger,
you unveil a magnificent stage.
Blood and flame shall engulf the spider's body,
and the enraged spider will weave a new web for you.
As the curtain falls, the game comes to an end.
At the game's conclusion, the spider will lose all life.
Abandon it—
the rebirth you seek will never arrive."**
Akira's lips slowly curved upward.
An unexpected prophecy.
Neon's poems predicted events up to one month ahead. From his understanding, he did achieve his objective—but it seemed to end in mutual destruction.
In other words, during his hunt for the Phantom Troupe, his actions would be exposed. He'd be outplayed in the end.
He would wipe out every member of the Phantom Troupe—
but at the cost of himself.
And that "rebirth"… did it mean he wouldn't be able to return to the shinobi world?
Or that even his revival mechanics would fail?
"…Looks like I really need to be careful," Akira murmured.
He closed the book and nodded sincerely at Neon. "Thank you. This was very helpful."
He placed a card in front of her. "This is my payment."
"What's this?" Neon asked, picking it up curiously.
"Crush it and you'll see," Akira replied with a smile.
Neon squeezed the card. It shattered, releasing sparkling motes of light that merged into her body.
She closed her eyes. Vast amounts of knowledge flooded her mind.
Another version of herself appeared before her.
Neon opened her eyes, staring at her other self in awe.
"That's amazing!"
"If there's anything you don't understand," Akira said calmly, "ask your bodyguards. They'll explain how to develop that ability."
"Why not tell me yourself?" Neon pouted, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh! You still haven't answered my question!"
"Another time," Akira replied lightly.
Bang.
His body vanished in a puff of smoke.
Neon's Nen ability was already in his hands.
There was no reason for him to stay any longer.
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