Ron and Morena turned their gazes immediately.

"What happened?"

Morena didn't know.

But Ron did.

It was obvious—this was the start of the Phantom Troupe's attack.

Franklin and Feitan entered the auction hall, killed the original auction staff, disguised themselves as the hosts, and walked to the front of the venue. Then, facing the large crowd of attendees, Franklin raised both hands. All ten fingers had been severed.

"Double Machine Gun!"

The crowd didn't have time to react.

Ratatatat!

The rapid-fire burst of aura bullets erupted—far more powerful than any actual machine gun.

Franklin wasn't weak.

Back in Meteor City, even as a child, Franklin had always acted alone. At that time, he played the role of a mediator—whether it was when Machi's group clashed with Chrollo's, or when Feitan and Phinks stirred up trouble. To be a mediator required strength. And now, facing these ordinary people, it became nothing short of a slaughter.

No one could stop him. Once hit, death was guaranteed. Human lives were as worthless as grass—trampled instantly.

When the number of casualties exceeded half the venue, the rest of the people finally reacted—screaming, fleeing in panic.

"A Nen user?"

Feitan's gaze shifted toward a direction, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Eleven Black Children."

With Shachmono Tocino's Manipulation ability, a formation stepped forward to block the way—eight armed with swords, three with guns. He had used this same technique before during the test against Kurapika's group. But to be honest, its strength was unimpressive.

Facing Franklin's aura bullets—

Bang!

One shot, and they shattered instantly.

Shachmono's pupils contracted violently.

"How is this possible?"

His face twisted in disbelief.

These were his Nen constructs. Each of the eleven was created and sustained through his aura, offering more durability than ordinary humans. And yet, they were completely useless against Franklin's attacks.

Just how powerful were these bullets?

"There are so many of them… and they still maintain this kind of destructive force."

"What kind of terrifying strength is this?"

"What kind of monster have I encountered?"

More aura bullets surged forward. After breaking through the eleven figures, they struck Shachmono directly.

Splurt!

Blood spattered as Shachmono collapsed involuntarily.

Feitan withdrew his gaze.

"Boring. Too weak."

By this time, members of the Underworld Mafia had realized something was wrong. A large number of staff were rushing over to try and bring the situation under control.

But this was exactly what the Phantom Troupe wanted.

Their goal wasn't murder—it was to create chaos and draw the Underworld Mafia's attention here. That way, the other Troupe members would have the opportunity to infiltrate the warehouse where the Mafia stored the auction items and take them.

They planned to robe them blind.

Both Troupe teams moved simultaneously.

Some people managed to escape, but pursuers were close behind.

Ron heard the noise and looked over. He recognized the two fleeing figures. Both were bodyguards from the Nostrade family.

The one in front he didn't remember clearly.

But the one behind—he remembered.

Baise.

Long orange-red hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing a tightly-fitted wine-red dress that accentuated her figure. Her ability, Love Slave, allowed her to control targets through kissing. A Manipulation-type Nen user.

Ron didn't recognize the one chasing them.

But he could make a reasonable guess.

"That must be the Phantom Troupe's new number eight-member," he thought. "The one who replaced Shizuku."

That number eight member was far faster than the two fleeing bodyguards. In a flash, he caught up.

Splurt!

A hand pierced straight through the body of the Nostrade guard—striking a vital point. The guard's eyes widened, body twitching once before collapsing.

Baise, upon seeing this, was gripped by terror. She couldn't even see clearly what lay ahead. She lost her balance and fell, her body sliding across the floor like a hockey puck—right to where Morena was standing.

Morena glanced down at Baise, then looked up at the approaching Troupe member.

The number eight's expression grew serious.

He could clearly sense that Morena's aura was not that of an ordinary Nen user. It was on a completely different level than Baise's.

He might not be able to defeat her.

And she wasn't alone—Ron was at her side.

The Troupe member's gaze shifted toward Ron. When he saw Ron's face clearly, he froze. Memories surged in his mind, and a conflicted look appeared in his eyes. After a moment's hesitation, he retreated.

"Thank you, thank you!"

Baise scrambled to her feet and bowed deeply to Ron and Morena.

"Thank you for saving me."

Morena waved her hand casually.

"Tell me—what happened?"

Baise quickly answered.

"Three powerful Nen users attacked the auction venue. No one could stop them. We're from the Nostrade family."

"I think everyone inside… is probably dead."

She glanced back with a look of lingering fear.

Morena looked at her again.

"What's your Nen ability?"

Baise hesitated slightly.

"I'm a Manipulation-type Nen user. My ability is Love Slave—I can control targets through kissing."

"Sounds interesting."

Morena paused.

"From today on, follow me. You don't need to return to the Nostrade family."

Baise froze.

"My lady, you are…?"

"Kakin Empire. Heil-Ly Family. Morena."

A trace of confusion passed through Baise's eyes. She had never heard of the Heil-Ly Family before. But considering her presence kept that demon away meant she had to be stong, she nodded quickly.

"Yes, Lady Morena."

Then she stood respectfully behind Morena.

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