Chapter 102: Dominion Embrace! [Raymond's Ability Explanation]

This chapter was the last one of the flashback guys.

The next chapter will be a prologue to the next arc!

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As Raymond looked around...

Everything around him now had a crimson tint, matching the color of his eyes.

He felt like his eyesight had upgraded big time. In this strange moment, time seemed to slow down as if he commanded it.

Looking at his Nen, he noticed it had gotten stronger and even more potent.

Now it could devour and nullify his opponent's Nen upon contact.

His Aura Annihilator seemed hungrier, almost like it had a mind of its own. He realized he didn't need to activate his Gaze of the Sovereign anymore to turn it on!

"...So now it's passive, huh? Convenient," he said to himself.

All his abilities had improved significantly, leaving him feeling satisfied.

Still...

Since the amount of Nen, he possessed now paled in comparison to his previous one...

Raymond could sense his abilities visibly draining his Nen, a stark realization reflected in his eyes as he glanced at Watanabe.

"I need to finish this quickly..."

Watanabe quickly regained his composure, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before activating his Hatsu.

"...Damn it!"

Sakujiro snapped back to reality, cursing as he dashed towards Watanabe.

However, it was already too late. Watanabe's figure vanished in an instant, reappearing right in front of Raymond.

Raymond stared at Watanabe in silence, causing Watanabe's eyes to widen in alarm.

"...What?"

It was as if Raymond could see right through him.

Then, Watanabe suddenly heard a chilling tone, "Consider yourself honored. You'll be the first to witness my ultimate ability..."

"...Dominion Embrace!"

A soft whisper filled the air as Watanabe felt a terrifying aura emanating from Raymond, devouring his own Nen before completely engulfing him.

Suddenly, he felt gravity pulling him down, accompanied by a cold voice commanding, "Kneel..."

The once-static space crackled and fractured under the weight of Raymond's power.

"...!"

Watanabe trembled in response, feeling fear for the first time in his life. He dared to glance up, only to witness the battlefield around them shattering, revealing an ancient, regal throne room.

At its center sat a magnificent throne, and upon it, Raymond settled himself, his crimson eyes gleaming with a terrifying light.

Looking down upon the helpless Watanabe, Raymond slowly opened his mouth, "Welcome to my kingdom..."

Raymond couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed Watanabe's expression paling.

He continued, "In this realm, I am the King. I dictate the rules, and everything within must obey, or it shall be considered treason against me..."

"That's right..."

Raymond chuckled as he looked at Watanabe who kneeled down in fright as he added, "In this realm and space... I am... absolute!"

"..."

Watanabe could only keep his mouth shut, unable to utter a word in response to what he had just witnessed.

Raymond slowly stood up, flicking his finger, and Watanabe felt control over his body return.

"And no one shall attack the King until he sets the rule. However, I'll let it slide this once..."

"...You!"

Watanabe could feel the mockery in Raymond's tone.

However, the space suddenly trembled, the ground shifting to create a wider area.

A sword materialized in Raymond's hand as he looked at Watanabe and spoke, "...Since you're attempting to take my life, I shall decree that the rule in this space be that of an honorable deathmatch between us. No fancy ability, just pure martial arts..."

"..."

Watanabe tightened his grip on his sword, fear evident in his eyes.

He realized he was unable to use his ability at all, putting him at a disadvantage since he relied on his power!

"Simple, isn't it? Whoever kills their opponent shall emerge victorious, and the survivor shall live..."

Raymond spoke, his smirk twisting into a bloodthirsty smile.

Meanwhile, Sakujiro observed the dark red aura that enveloped whatever was happening inside, finding himself unable to penetrate it.

He frowned in frustration.

His heart tightened at the intimidating aura emanating from within as Sakujiro muttered, "What in the world?"

However, before long, the dark aura enclosing both Raymond and Watanabe began to crack open, eventually disappearing completely.

Raymond stood alone while Watanabe lay lifeless on the ground without a single visible wound.

Sakujiro slowly approached Watanabe's lifeless body, attempting to confirm his death. He mumbled to himself, "...Is he truly dead?"

Unable to suppress his emotions, he fell to his knees.

Despite the sorrow, there was a sense of peace in knowing the perpetrator behind the deaths of his men, whom he considered family and the one responsible for his daughter's murder, was now deceased.

However...

"...You must be wondering why you feel empty," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Sakujiro turned to see Raymond, who coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"I see, so the cost of overdoing my ultimate was my own lifespan, huh?"

Raymond silently pondered as he shifted his attention back to Sakujiro, who regarded him with lifeless eyes.

Raymond shook his head with his mind still thinking about his ability as he muttered, "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever... I knew such a price was inevitable for me to achieve glory."

Despite the grim reality of his ability, Raymond didn't feel worried at all.

Instead, he remained content with the outcome.

He slowly made his way toward Sakujiro, speaking softly, "You're a fighter, Sakujiro. Wielding your dagger against your enemy is your inner desire..."

"...Me? A fighter?"

Sakujiro seemed unable to accept that fact, frustration evident in his voice as he shouted, "But so what? My friends, my daughter—they're all dead!"

"I would rather die as well..."

He whispered softly as he saw Raymond approaching him.

Sakujiro looked up towards those crimson eyes, noticing they seemed to glow dimmer than before.

"Then die today..."

"Huh?"

"I can't let such a sharp dagger rot in a place like this. If you need someone to wield your dagger for..."

Raymond slowly spoke as he stretched out his hand towards Sakujiro, "Follow me! I shall be the one you wield your dagger for, as I have a long way to go with more battlefields to fight on..."

"Die today, and be reborn as my dagger, Sakujiro!"

"I..."

Sakujiro hesitated, but widened his eyes in shock as he realized he had unconsciously grabbed Raymond's hand.

Slowly, he stood up, locking eyes with Raymond who smiled in response as if he had anticipated this.

"Oh? Seems like you're fine, thank God..."

Luke and the rest of their men arrived, all of them breathing a sigh of relief as they looked at Watanabe's lifeless body.

With this, Raymond's scouting for their expansion concluded.

He then met with the elders and learned that they were not against him, which marked Meteor City as their new frontier for expanding their influence further.

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