Anros' body hit the ground below, a broken heap of blood and bone. Richard stood on the rooftop, clarinet in hand, the night's silence heavy. Korkin lay nearby, skull cracked, blood pooling. The Vellucci betrayal was over, but the weight didn't lift.
A flicker caught his eye—a dark wisp rising from Korkin's corpse. "Richard…" it hissed, venomous, shaping into Korkin's face. Post-Mortem Nen, another grudge born from death.
Richard's pulse spiked, but he didn't hesitate. He raised the clarinet, Crazy Sonata stirring within. A sharp pull, like a void, sucked the wisp inside, just as it had Burrows' aura. The clarinet hummed, heavier now.
He frowned, gripping it. "Two in a row," he muttered. "Burrows, now Korkin. Sonata's doing this?" His Hatsu—Specialization (Tokushitsu)—twisted minds, but trapping Post-Mortem Nen wasn't random. Did killing with Sonata spark these grudges, only to bind them? He needed answers, but not here.
A chill hit him, sharper than the night air. Eyes on him—cold, precise, like a predator's. He turned, clarinet ready, and saw a figure approaching—long black hair, green jacket, face blank as stone. The man's aura was faint but lethal, barely contained.
Richard tensed. "Illumi Zoldyck," he thought, recalling Hunter x Hunter's assassin. No mistake—those eyes, empty yet piercing, screamed danger. Illumi glanced at Anros' corpse, then Richard, pausing. Without a word, he turned and vanished into the dark.
Richard exhaled, heart steadying. "Anros' last call," he guessed. Illumi's contract died with the client. Lucky break—for now.
He left the rooftop, slipping into the city's neon-lit streets. A rundown hotel offered cover. In his room, door locked, he pulled out the clarinet. Two faint glows pulsed inside—Burrows' Emission (Hōshutsu), Korkin's Enhancement (Kyōka). He focused, aura sparking with Hatsu. Two phantoms formed—Burrows, rigid and blank; Korkin, lean and still.
"Bullet," Richard said. Burrows' shade raised a hand, aura coiling into a Nen bullet. It stopped short, held by Richard's will. Korkin's shade flexed, tongue twitching, ready to lash. Richard nodded. "Sonata's real trick," he said. "Madness is just the start. It binds their Nen—makes it mine."
He dismissed them, leaning back. Burrows' range, Korkin's close combat—they'd tangle enemies while Sonata worked. But he wasn't invincible. His body, his aura—too green. He needed training, not just tricks. Relying on Sonata alone was a trap.
"Enough for tonight," he muttered, eyes on the window. "It's done, Father. They're gone."
Morning came with a knock. Richard snapped awake, aura flaring with Ten. "Who?" he called, clarinet within reach.
"Mr. Richard?" a voice answered, polite but guarded. "I'm with the Monitor Lizard Gang. Our leader wants to talk. It's… important."
Richard's eyes narrowed. The Monitor Lizards—his father's old rivals, scrapping for territory before Anros' betrayal. Why now? He sensed no Nen, just nerves. "Lead on," he said, opening the door.
A young man bowed, stiff. "This way, sir."
A car waited outside, engine humming. Richard slid in, watching the city blur past—streets, then suburbs, until a manor appeared, gated and guarded. Eyes tracked him as he stepped out, auras faint but present. Not a trap—not yet.
A middle-aged man met him at the door, smile too smooth. "Mr. Richard, a pleasure," he said, voice warm but calculated. "I'm Gavrin, head of the Monitor Lizards. Forgive the early call, but time's short. Breakfast?"
He gestured to a dining room, table heavy with food—fruit, bread, meat. Richard sat, clarinet tucked close, aura steady. "Say what you came to say," he said, voice flat.
Gavrin's smile didn't falter. "Straight to it, then." He leaned forward, hands clasped. "Last night's… performance reached us. Anros, his men, gone in a blink. Impressive." His eyes glinted, testing. "We're not your enemies, Richard. I want you with us. The Monitor Lizards could use your… talents. Name your price."
Richard's face stayed still, but his mind raced. Join a gang? After Anros? Gavrin's tone hid something—fear, maybe greed. The Vellucci name still pulled strings, even now