As Noah learned about Ashu's past, in a house several streets away from them, a man in striped clothing stood with his legs apart, straight-backed, in the center of a spacious room. Around him, there was a powerful aura – he was a Nen user!
Ding ding ding ding
At that moment, a black cellphone on a table in the corner of the room rang.
The man frowned, and the aura that had surged due to his "practice" slowly receded. He walked over to the table and picked up the phone, pressing the answer button.
"Hello."
"B…B…big brother Rami." On the other end of the phone, a panicked voice reached his ears.
With an expression of dissatisfaction, Rami spoke, "What's going on?"
"Big brother Leol,… he's… he's dead."
"What did you say?" Upon hearing this, Rami's hand holding the phone tightened, and his face darkened.
"Weren't you going to settle the score with those bastards? How did Leol end up dead? Explain it to me!" He shouted at the voice on the other end, and a prominent vein bulged on Rami's forehead due to his anger.
"Yes, it was that Ashu who came back. He killed big brother Leol."
"Ashu? The guy who turned my little brother into that?!" Rami's expression became even more sinister.
"Yes… yes."
"Where are they now?"
"They just left their house."
Kacha
After getting the answer, Rami squeezed the phone in his hand into a lump.
"You scoundrel, I'm going to kill you." A strong killing intent emanated from the house.
On the other side, Noah and the others were walking on the street, searching for the remaining seven suitable candidates.
"Ashu, have you ever seen the assassins from the Zoldyck Family? Are they all really sinister-looking?" Wood was full of curiosity about the famous assassin family.
"Who told you that assassins must look sinister? They're probably ordinary-looking so they can blend in with crowds. Be careful what you say; the guy who just passed by might be one of them." Jerl retorted.
"Tsk, how could that be? You mean that shabby old man we just saw? If he's an assassin, I must be the strongest person in the world." (T/N: I'm imagining Maha Zoldyck is the old man passing by.)
Listening to the discussion behind him, Noah found it quite amusing.
Sinister-looking might not be necessary, but they certainly couldn't look too ordinary. Recalling the appearance of the Zoldyck family members, Noah silently commented to himself.
As for the trio's question, Ashu didn't know how to answer. He had never seen anyone from the Zoldyck Family himself, so he had no idea what they looked like.
They took a turn onto another street, and it was at this moment that Noah suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Seeing this, Ashu also stopped.
"What's…?" Before the question could be fully uttered, Ashu halted as well, his gaze fixed on the other end of this street.
At some point, both this street and the one they had just turned from had become devoid of pedestrians.
In Noah and Ashu's line of sight, in front of them, a Nen aura infused with killing intent was slowly approaching them.
A Nen user!
Shortly afterward, they saw a man in a suit with a gloomy expression walking out from around the corner of the street. The aura of killing intent emanated from this man.
This killing intent had no effect on Noah and Ashu, but it was different for Jerl and the others. Although they didn't collapse like Leol did, their faces suddenly turned pale, indicating that their condition wasn't much better.
"That… who is that?" Wood, trembling legs, struggled to speak as he fought the urge to turn and run.
"It's definitely not someone here for a job interview," Noah casually remarked.
Rami's gaze swept over the crowd. He glanced briefly at Jerl and Yan, judging them as ordinary people. Then, his attention shifted to Noah, who, despite his young age, didn't concern him much even if he was a Nen user. Finally, his gaze settled on Ashu.
"You're Ashu, right?" Rami said in a low voice.
"He is looking for you again?" Noah couldn't help but glance at Ashu with some bewilderment.
"Who are you?" Ashu, too, was filled with doubt. After thinking for a moment, he realized he had never seen this person before, so he furrowed his brow and asked.
"The one who's after your life!" Seeing no denial from Ashu, Rami knew he had found the right person.
He roared in anger and waved his hands forward, sending two white energy balls shooting toward Ashu and the others.
"Nen Bullets!" Noah shouted. He reached back, grabbing Jerl and Yan, who had lost mobility and swiftly moved to one side. Ashu, on the other hand, acted just as quickly, grabbing Wood and leaping to the other side.
Boom! Boom!
The two Nen Bullets hit the road, creating a shower of debris and smoke, accompanied by two loud explosions.
Seeing the destructive power comparable to bombs, Jer and the others had their eyes widened in shock.
"The three of you should go to the back for now. The current situation is still too early for you," Noah said as he sent some aura to help them regain basic mobility.
At this moment, Rami, realizing that his Nen Bullets had missed, didn't hesitate and lunged toward Ashu's direction. Simultaneously, he condensed two more Nen Bullets and shot them towards Ashu.
Just as Ashu had moved Wood out of the way after dodging the first Nen Bullets, he hadn't had time for any other actions when he saw two more Nen Bullets heading his way.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed Wood away, and the next moment, the Nen Bullets struck him.
Boom! Boom!
Two more explosions rang out, sending Ashu flying into an empty stall at the side of the street, leaving chaos in its wake.
"Hahaha, damn guy, I'm going to kill you and avenge my brother," Rami laughed out loud and continued his charge towards Ashu.
"Big Brother!"
"Big brother Ashu!"
On the other side, Jerl and Yan, who had been preparing to leave the street, saw this scene and their eyes turned red. They summoned the courage to rush in that direction.
"Leave first. Ashu won't die so easily, and you guys staying here will only cause more trouble. Take Wood and go quickly," Noah grabbed the two and pushed them back.
The two stumbled under Noah's push but managed to steady themselves, suppressing the impulse in their hearts. They gritted their teeth and ran to Wood, who hadn't gotten up yet and dragged him to the back.
Hmph, none of you can escape.
Glancing at Jerl and the others, Rami sneered in his heart. He had already arranged everything and was determined to kill Ashu and his companions.
You're the first to die!
With a furious thought, Rami charged madly toward the wreckage of the stall where Ashu had been thrown when suddenly, a pitch-black dagger shot out from the opposite direction!