Unpleasant memories surged within Ron's mind.
In his past life, he had read a collection of horror manga by Junji Ito, and this situation reminded him of one of those chilling tales.
"Disgusting," Ron muttered, looking at the middle-aged man.
The next moment, Ron charged forward.
"Your aura isn't bad," Ron observed as he moved. "Even as an ordinary person, accumulating so much death aura has given you considerable strength. Judging by the number of skulls attached to your body, you've claimed at least a hundred lives."
"Too bad your combat skills are crude."
"No wonder you've been confined to a remote town ."
"You haven't even developed a specific Nen ability."
The man's emotions grew increasingly agitated. The longer he failed to defeat Ron, the more anger consumed his mind.
Ron lunged at the man again, but before the clash could continue, a figure appeared by the man's side—it was Hanma Baki.
Baki stretched out his powerful arms and grabbed the middle-aged man, hurling him with immense force toward the wall.
The wall, already weakened from Ron's previous attacks, couldn't withstand the impact.
The wall shattered completely, sending the man sprawling outside, now fully exposed to the crowd.
Hearing the noise, the townsfolk turned toward the commotion. Their eyes widened in shock.
They recognized the man—he had lived in the town for years and interacted with many of them.
But his current grotesque form made him unrecognizable.
"What… what is that thing?"
The man panicked. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, instantly sobering him up. He scrambled to retreat back into the house, hoping to hide from the crowd's horrified gazes.
But Ron stepped into his path.
"In a rush to leave?" Ron asked coldly. "Why not catch up with your old acquaintances first?"
The man glared at Ron with fury.
The skulls attached to him emitted eerie curses and growls.
At that moment, the young man lying unconscious nearby finally regained consciousness.
His eyes widened in horror as he took in the scene—his father confronting Ron in front of the crowd. This was the one scenario he had desperately wanted to avoid.
For the young man, his family's secret was a source of deep shame.
Yet, his bloodline compelled him to uphold their twisted legacy. That was why he had lured Juna back—to continue his family's cursed lineage.
Just as his father had done years before.
"No!" the young man cried out in despair.
By now, the crowd had pieced things together.
"So that's the truth!"
"This whole family is monstrous!"
"Juna must have fallen victim to them!"
"What are those things attached to him?"
"Absolutely revolting!"
The middle-aged woman, still standing nearby, glared furiously at the young man.
The young man turned to Ron, filled with regret.
If only he hadn't tried to frame Ron earlier, none of this would have happened.
He could have continued living his quiet life in the shadows.
Juna would have remained trapped in the hidden basement, ensuring the continuation of their bloodline.
But now, everything was ruined.
The family's horrifying secret was exposed, and the townsfolk saw them for the monsters they were.
There was no way the young man could stay in this town any longer.
And the family's lineage? That, too, was at risk of ending.
"If only I hadn't made that mistake!"
In truth, Ron had no intention of getting involved. If the young man hadn't targeted him, Ron would have already left the town.
"I just remembered," one villager said, "people have been disappearing from this town every so often, and no one ever found the culprit."
"It must have been them!"
The villagers, realizing the truth, were filled with fury. Many of the missing victims had connections to the crowd.
In a small town , everyone knew everyone else.
They turned their wrath toward the young man, punching and kicking him in rage.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man tried to protect his son.
"Don't hurt my boy!" he bellowed.
But as he turned, a faint glow descended on him.
Suddenly, countless insect eggs appeared, attaching themselves to the man and draining his aura.
As his aura diminished, the skulls attached to him began to lose their hold.
With a sharp sound, one of the skulls fell to the ground.
The man's aura weakened, and his movements slowed.
The courtyard became littered with skulls. Many had decayed over time and shattered upon hitting the ground.
The young man curled into a ball, trying to minimize the blows from the enraged crowd.
The middle-aged woman alternated between glaring at the man and worrying about her daughter. Although the real culprit had been exposed, she still didn't know Juna's condition.
Ron swung his blade again.
More insect eggs hatched, covering the man and even enveloping the remaining skulls.
Ron could hear the skulls cursing and screaming, as could the crowd.
Their fear and disgust grew.
Those who had once called the young man a friend felt overwhelming dread. What if they had been his next targets?
Unlike Juna, their disappearances might never have been uncovered.
Fury drove these former friends to strike the young man even harder.
One woman, in particular, was especially vicious—she had narrowly avoided being the victim herself.
The middle-aged man desperately tried to reach his son, but his strength was no match for Ron's.
While the man's aura ranked at a respectable C-level, Ron's aura was far greater.
And the man lacked any real combat skill.
Ron didn't even need his Nen beasts to overpower him. Armed with nothing but his Rotten Life Blade, Ron easily subdued the man.
Finally, the man's aura was depleted to the point where the last skull fell to the ground.
A crushing sense of weakness overwhelmed the man, and he collapsed.
With one swift motion, Ron slit the man's throat.
He followed up with a precise strike to the heart, ensuring no traces of life—or death aura—remained.
Even the lingering death aura was completely absorbed.
The young man felt a sudden release—a lifelong weight lifted from his shoulders.
For the first time, he felt light.
The middle-aged man's body began to disintegrate, crumbling into fine powder.
-------------------------
You can read up to 120 Advanced chapters!
(.)com/IDKjust You can also read the bleach one there (free)