The woman was completely subdued by Ron, unable to move an inch. She struggled desperately, trying to break free, but it was impossible.
Killua glanced at Ron, then at the woman, and fell silent for a moment. At that moment, his feelings were complicated. On one hand, he blamed himself for letting his guard down—if he hadn't given her an opening, she wouldn't have experienced that sudden surge in power. On the other hand, someone who had just overpowered him so completely now stood no chance against Ron, who hadn't even lifted a finger. Merely the pressure of his aura had frozen her in place.
"Ron…Cousin, can we let her go?" Killua asked.
"You're sure?" Ron replied.
"I'm sure," Killua said. "I took a contract to kill her father, so it's only natural she'd seek revenge. And besides…"
Killua paused briefly.
"Cousin Ron, I'd rather settle this myself," Killua continued. "Next time we meet, I'll be strong enough to beat her. I don't want to rely on your power to deal with a problem that arose because of my own mistake."
Ron nodded. "All right. Take responsibility for your own affairs."
He withdrew his hand, and the overwhelming aura pressure vanished. The woman, now freed, still didn't dare move recklessly as she stayed on guard against Ron.
"Killua, let's head back," Ron said.
Together, they walked off toward the airship cabin. The woman kept her gaze firmly on their backs until they disappeared from sight.
"They're really letting me go?" she muttered.
Fueled by the sudden power she'd gained, she had been determined to kill Killua and avenge her father. But Ron's appearance forced her to confront the massive gap between them. She simply couldn't fight him.
All this time, the woman had lived solely for her father's revenge. It was her only purpose—similar to how Kurapika lives for the sake of avenging the Kurta Clan. For her, Killua was the enemy. Yet now, for the first time, she wondered what it truly meant to face an assassin.
"Why didn't they kill me?"
"They know I'll try again."
"They know I'm here to kill him."
From her perspective, if their roles were reversed, she would never have let her enemy walk away—she would have killed them on the spot.
Meanwhile, Ron and Killua returned to their seats. A short while later, the woman reappeared in the airship cabin. She frowned at Ron and Killua but made no move to attack. With Ron present, she had no chance of carrying out her revenge.
Gon asked worriedly, "Killua, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Killua shook his head. He said nothing more.
Both the woman and Killua fell silent, lost in thought. Killua was especially curious about what had happened to make the woman suddenly so much stronger. At first, he wasn't sure if her new strength was really her own. But after Ron's appearance, Killua felt certain the change was coming from within the woman herself, not from an outside source. That intrigued him greatly.
Nothing else occurred as the airship continued its journey. Half a day later, it landed in another city—not the one with Heaven's Arena, just a stopover.
Once they got off, the woman approached Killua.
"You really won't kill me?" she asked.
Killua met her gaze. "Didn't I already say so?"
"Why?" she asked again.
"There's no particular reason," Killua answered. "Being an assassin is just a job to me. I kill, I get paid, and I accept the risk of revenge. I killed your father. You're here for payback—I can accept that. But only this once. The next time you come after me, I won't let you go."
The woman stared at Killua intently. "I'll attack you one more time. If I still fail, then I'll give up and never bother you again."
With that, she turned and left. Killua watched her go, then looked away once she vanished from sight.
Their next airship would depart in the afternoon, so Ron's group left the terminal and headed to the city's shopping district. At Ron's request, Chii did a quick search of local restaurants, choosing the finest one, though it was outrageously expensive. He was looking forward to the type of food they offered at that price.
Inside a private room, each of them had a menu.
"Order whatever you like. It's my treat," Ron said.
He flipped through the pages, marking down anything that seemed good.
"This stuff is so pricey!" Ponzu's eyes went wide when she saw the numbers.
"It's fine," Ron replied. "I can afford it. We're not here often, so might as well enjoy."
The prices really were steep. Judging by cost-performance alone, this wouldn't be an ideal choice. But Ron valued top-quality ingredients and exceptional flavor. Thanks to the Gourmet Cell ability he possessed, higher-quality food could give him a noticeable boost. In comparison, money mattered little, and Chii could easily earn enough to cover the bill while they ate.
Killua and Gon were both big eaters in general, but even they didn't obsess over the total cost. For Killua, he'd already made a considerable sum on his own—maybe not as much as Ron, but enough to be comfortable. Back in Heaven's Arena, he'd earned billions of Jenny.
Gon, on the other hand, grew up on Whale Island. After leaving, he took the Hunter Exam, then visited the Zoldyck Estate, and now ended up here. He'd had few opportunities to earn or spend money, so neither he nor Killua had much concept of finances.
Soon, one dish after another arrived until the large round table was nearly overflowing. Gon and Killua both ate a lot, but Ron outdid them. With Gourmet Cells, his digestion and absorption were on a different level entirely. Only Ponzu was close to an average appetite, though even she ate more than a typical person, thanks to Nen training.
A waiter came in to clear away empty plates and was surprised by how much they'd consumed. After swiftly tidying up, he brought out some dessert. Killua looked at Ron and couldn't help asking:
"Cousin Ron, I have a question…"