[138]: Battera

August 31, 1999 – Night

The Underground Auction hosted by the Mafia Association in Yorknew City was attacked by unknown assailants.

By the end of the night, every guest who had attended—except for those who had been unable to make it—had vanished.

Their fate was unknown.

The Mafia Association was furious and immediately launched a thorough investigation.

At the Nostrade estate, Kurapika watched as everyone hurried to pack their things.

That was when he finally learned the truth.

By the time he had rushed to the auction site, the carnage had already taken place.

And before he could even arrive, it was already over.

Worse still—

The three figures he had brushed past on his way here—two men and one woman—

Were the very ones responsible for the massacre.

"…The Spiders."

His fingers curled into fists, the chains on his ring finger clinking softly.

If not for his contact lenses, his scarlet eyes would have already given him away.

"Hurry up and pack," Dalzollene urged. "We need to escort the young lady out of here."

Kurapika said nothing, his gaze lowered, staring at the chains in his hands—

As if contemplating something.

Melody, standing nearby, could hear it.

The way his heartbeat fluctuated—

He was making a decision.

That same night, the Nostrade family boarded an airship and disappeared into the night.

September 1, 1999

Cyr arrived at the agreed-upon meeting spot, accompanied by Killua and Gon.

This time, they were not just meeting the subordinate, but also his employer—

The legendary Battera, the world's richest man.

Battera was an elderly gentleman, his hair and beard completely white.

Despite his age, he was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, exuding the air of a wealthy old aristocrat.

A walking stereotype of a rich gentleman.

"These are the two you're recommending?"

Standing beside Battera, Tsezguerra spoke on his behalf.

His gaze shifted from Cyr to the two boys beside him—

Then back to Cyr again, brow twitching slightly.

What the hell was this?

A kid showing up with two even younger kids?

And that other white-haired brat—he looked way too similar to Cyr.

Was he really not just his little cousin or something?

Was this some kind of shameless nepotism?

"If they're not strong enough, we won't take them—even if they're your recommendations."

Tsezguerra stared at Killua and Gon, skeptical.

"Do whatever you want." Cyr shrugged, dropping into a chair.

Then, with all the enthusiasm of someone calling over a pet, he gestured lazily at the two boys.

"Show them a trick."

"…Like a circus act?"

Killua sighed but obliged, stepping forward.

George nodded, giving them the go-ahead.

The next moment—

Crackle.

A burst of blue-white electricity flickered to life, filling the room with a sharp, electric hum.

Suddenly, the lights exploded, glass shards raining down as cracks split across the walls.

Tsezguerra's throat bobbed, his Adam's apple moving as he struggled to speak.

He stared at the white-haired boy, who was casually manipulating electricity—

Like it was nothing.

Wasn't he getting electrocuted himself?

Why did he look so relaxed—even smiling?

"…My turn? My turn?"

Gon, grinning ear to ear, didn't even wait for a response.

With bare fists, he punched the wall beside him—

BOOM.

A violent tremor shook the room, debris crumbling from the ceiling.

Where his fist had landed—

A massive hole gaped in the wall.

"…Oh."

Tsezguerra fell into silence.

For a moment, he just stared.

Then, he felt a sudden wave of exhaustion.

Was he getting too old for this?

Or was it just that seeing kids with this kind of strength was making him feel ancient?

Maybe it was time to retire from bounty hunting…

"…Alright."

Tsezguerra exhaled, rubbing his temples.

"You both pass."

There was no reason they wouldn't pass. In the Hunter industry, age wasn't an issue.

Cyr sat to the side, completely unsurprised by the result. His gaze flickered between the silent Battera and Killua, and suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"Oh, right. Killua, if you want money, you can sell that ball to him."

He casually pointed at Battera.

The best buyer in the world was right in front of them.

If they put it in an auction, the house would take a cut—why not just sell directly?

"…What is it?"

For the first time, the wealthy old man finally spoke.

Cyr's lips curved into a light smile.

"An object that let a jellyfish—normally only able to live a few short years—survive for centuries and even develop special abilities."

Something that extends lifespan?

A rich man's dream.

Especially for someone like Battera, who was already well past his prime.

There was no way he wouldn't be interested.

"…Is that true?"

Battera's reaction was far more intense than Cyr had expected—his voice urgent, filled with barely restrained desperation.

"Can I see it?"

He leaned forward, almost anxious.

Cyr's half-lidded eyes sharpened slightly.

Weird.

Something's off.

Normally, Cyr wouldn't have cared about Battera's motives—he wasn't the type to waste energy thinking about other people's business.

But this level of eagerness—for something that hadn't even been proven to work—was suspicious.

Why?

Battera was old, yes—but he wasn't dying.

Even with a conservative estimate, the guy had at least another two decades in him.

So why was he acting like he was running out of time?

Was it for himself?

…Didn't seem like it.

For someone else?

A son? A daughter? A wife?

And then another thought surfaced—

Why was he so obsessed with collecting every Greed Island console?

Was he trying to make money from the game?

Unlikely.

The game had been out for years, and no one had cleared it.

It was incredibly expensive, incredibly dangerous, and came with huge risks.

From a business standpoint—99% chance of financial loss.

A smart investor wouldn't touch it.

And Battera wasn't an idiot.

That meant his reason wasn't money.

It was for something inside the game.

Something that was worth more than any amount of wealth.

Something… related to extending life?

It seemed like the cards from Greed Island could be brought into the real world…

As for cards related to extending life, Cyr didn't remember all the details.

But there was one that showed up in a lot of fanfiction—

Angel's Breath.

A card said to heal all injuries and ailments.

…Now that he thought about it, the effect sounded pretty similar to his Reverse Cursed Technique, huh?

As Cyr was lost in thought, Killua had already pulled out the ordinary-looking marble.

Originally, it used to emit music, but once the Nen infused into it ran out, it turned into just a regular glass bead.

"..."

Battera glanced at the bead, then at Killua.

…Did they take him for an idiot with too much money?

Or did he just look easy to scam?

"You need to infuse Aura to activate it," Maro reminded from the side.

Aura was something everyone had, but only Nen users could control.

And Battera wasn't one.

So he turned toward Tsezguerra.

The bounty hunter, paid to do his job, dutifully took the bead and infused his Aura into it.

Immediately, the dull bead began to emit a soft, glowing light.

He continued infusing it for ten minutes, but the glow didn't grow any brighter.

And as for the singing—there was none.

It took half an hour of continuous Aura infusion before a faint, ethereal melody—so soft it had to be held to the ear—finally emerged.

"We suspect the song is what gave the jellyfish its special ability and allowed it to live for centuries."

Cyr's tone was slow and lazy.

As for whether Battera would believe it or not—

Of course, he would.

Because if Cyr's guess was right—

Then Battera was a man with nowhere left to turn.

And when you were desperate, you'd cling to even a single thread—no matter how thin.

"…How much?"

Just as Cyr expected, Battra didn't even bother asking more questions.

The moment he confirmed that the bead was something only Nen users could activate, he immediately went to the most important part—

The price.

°°°

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