Chapter 43: Prelude

Two weeks after leaving Batocchia, Oboro returned with better results than expected. His meetings with two of the dons had yielded unexpected allies, a woman with close ties to Brown and an older man driven by ambition and greed. Their terms were simple: once the Fells family was successful, Oboro would join their ranks, carving out territory from Brown's domain and turning over certain industries to their control.

Oboro agreed without hesitation. The gang's power meant little to him; he sought only the Tenth Don's connections and intelligence network. Besides, once he achieved that position, time would render the current promises meaningless. His Nen abilities could overwhelm Brown now and reshape the entire structure of the Dons later, if he chose to remain involved in their world at all. Like Heaven's Arena, this was just another stage in his journey.

For the two Dons, adding another ally to their faction would greatly increase their influence within the Dons' inner circle. Each new voice in their group meant greater control over decisions and resource allocation. However, their support came with a clear warning: if the Fells family failed, they would help Brown eliminate any trace of Oboro's organization, ensuring that their own involvement remained hidden.

They shared crucial information that made the risk worthwhile: the Dons would soon be dealing with an important matter that required Brown to leave his territory. They promised to delay the others, buying the Fells family precious time to execute their plan. The window would be narrow, but sufficient for someone of Oboro's abilities.

At the Fells headquarters, Oboro found Lily in her familiar position, wheelchair facing the cityscape through floor-to-ceiling windows. Despite her blindness, she felt his satisfaction, her fingers tracing delicate patterns on the glass as she absorbed the distant vibrations of the city.

"Shall we begin?" she asked, her perception as sharp as any sighted person's.

"Yes," Oboro smiled. "We can begin."

The underground world erupted into calculated chaos shortly thereafter. The Gabriel and Badim families, two major powers under Brown's protection, fell into violent conflict. What began as minor friction between low-ranking members escalated into shootouts between family officers. Their long-buried grudges resurfaced with suspicious timing and spread through the ranks like wildfire.

Even after the Dons intervened and eliminated the instigators, the peace proved fleeting. New conflicts arose between the Stan and Jose families, whose overlapping territories sparked new violence. The pattern was too perfect to be coincidence, but finding proof of manipulation proved impossible.

In his smoke-filled office, Brown pondered the situation, his aura dark with suspicion as he reviewed the dossiers of his eight family heads. He hadn't maintained his position through ignorance. The coordinated nature of the conflicts suggested manipulation by someone intimately familiar with all four families, one of his subordinates who understood the pressure points of each organization.

"Investigate the Fells family's recent activities," Brown ordered without looking up from the files spread before him, Oboro's photo prominently displayed. "Focus on their connections to the Jose and Stan incidents. Track every meeting, every phone call, every unexpected financial movement."

His territory had known relative peace until the rise of the Fells family. Though Oboro had kept a low profile lately, the timing was suspicious. Each disruption seemed calibrated to test Brown's control, to probe for weaknesses in his power structure. Brown's instincts screamed that the young man was responsible, but he needed proof. Even without proof, he couldn't risk leaving such a dangerous piece on the board.

The investigation moved quickly, but key witnesses turned up dead, their bodies bearing signs of professional execution. Some showed signs of powerful Nen abilities, while others appeared to be mundane murders, creating a deliberately confusing pattern. Brown's suspicions crystallized into certainty. When Oboro declined a summons, citing illness, the message was clear.

"Shall we move now?" Sato emerged from the shadows, his aura coiled and ready. As one of Brown's most trusted Nen users, he had eliminated many threats to the Don's power.

"He will die soon enough," Brown raised his hand. "After I return from my business. Monitor the Fells family completely, every entrance, every exit, every phone call and visitor. Keep my departure secret, let them think I'm still here. When the time comes, I want to see Oboro die myself and hear his last words."

The next day, Oboro received a single message over their secure network: "Target has left."

"Brown is creating the illusion of his presence," Oboro observed to David, his experienced butler. Turning to Lily, he added, "If we fail, the Fells family will cease to exist. Every person connected to our organization will be eliminated."

"Do I have a choice?" Lily's smile remained gentle, accepting the stakes they'd all agreed to long ago.

"Our compromised assets can only reduce the opposition by thirty percent," David reported gravely. "Many of Brown's most loyal supporters remain untouchable."

"Time is all we need," Oboro put on his suit jacket, his aura wrapping around him like a second skin. "Stay here. This building is infested with rats that I must exterminate. When I'm done, move to the safe house and manage the operation remotely. The next phase will require perfect timing."

David bowed as Oboro left. In the corridor, a new maid caught his attention, dark-skinned, curly-haired, well-built. Her movements were too precise, her positioning too perfect to be accidental.

"New here?" Oboro asked pleasantly, his Nen senses detecting the careful manipulation of aura that marked a trained infiltrator.

"Yes, Master." Her answer was carefully measured, every syllable calculated to avoid suspicion.

"Well done," Oboro's tone shifted as his aura rose. Before she could react, his Nen transformed into an overwhelming force. The woman's body crashed through the wall with devastating force, reduced to unrecognizable flesh and bone. Her own Nen defenses proved worthless against Oboro's raw power.

"But not good enough for me." He adjusted his cuffs and stepped over the rubble. The first rat was gone. Many more would follow before the day was out.