The Nostrade family was a rising force in the underworld, a relatively new player that had recently made waves among the various criminal factions. Their leader, Light Nostrade, harbored ambitions of joining the ranks of the Ten Dons, dreaming of expanding his influence and solidifying his family's position at the top.
But in reality, his power ca from soone else, his daughter.
Standing outside the heavily fortified gate of the Nostrade estate, Larry cast a glance inside. The compound was massive, a private territory located deep in the countryside, far from prying eyes. Through the gates, he could make out the grand villa nestled within, surrounded by lush greenery.
In the original tiline, Kurapika had gotten his position here through the Thousand-Ear Society. But Larry had no need for such formalities.
With a flicker of movent, he vanished. Inside the Nostrade estate’s spacious living room, a group of applicants sat waiting. Each had co to compete for a coveted position as a bodyguard for the family.
Kurapika, who had just arrived, sat quietly, discreetly observing the others. His sharp gaze analyzed them one by one, ntally evaluating their potential.
‘That woman… she barely has any aura. Definitely weak, one of the lower-tier applicants. But then again, none of them seem particularly strong. I should have no trouble securing a spot.'
His gaze shifted to the burly man lounging on the sofa.
'Except for him. He stands out. Definitely the strongest one here.'
His analysis continued until his eyes landed on the person sitting right next to him.
And his entire body stiffened.
“…Larry?” Kurapika blurted out the na before he could stop himself, his voice louder than intended. The sudden exclamation drew the attention of the entire room.
Everyone turned to look, startled by his reaction. Even Kurapika himself was shaken, he had always prided himself on keeping his emotions in check, yet here he was, visibly surprised. But can aNeone bla him? He hadn’t even noticed Larry sitting beside him.
It was as if he had appeared out of thin air. Larry, completely unbothered, leaned back against the sofa with an easygoing expression. “Yo. You’re a little slow,” he said casually. “I’ve been here for a while.”
Kurapika opened his mouth, then hesitated. He recalled Larry’s previous feats during the Hunter Exam, his ability to show up where he pleased, as if moving through space ant nothing to him. It had seed absurd at the ti, but after witnessing it firsthand multiple tis, he realized it wasn’t impossible for Larry to appear out of nowhere.
“…You’re here for the job too?” Kurapika asked, regaining his composure.
“I have an appointnt,” Larry replied smoothly.
Kurapika imdiately understood. The two of them had struck a deal back at the Trick Tower, Larry had agreed to help him with the Phantom Troupe in exchange for the location of the ruins of the Kurta Clan.
But Larry never intended to just rush in and slaughter the entire Troupe outright. That wasn’t his style. Instead, he was here to observe, to let things play out naturally while keeping an eye on Kurapika.
After all, this was his road to vengeance. That said, if Larry happened to be in the mood, he wouldn’t mind taking out a few of the spiders along the way.
Kurapika, initially tense, now found himself relaxing. As long as Larry was here, the situation felt… manageable. Safer, even.
After months of rigorous Nen training, Kurapika had only co to respect Larry’s abilities more. When they first t, he had assud Larry’s power was on the lower end of the spectrum. But now?
Now, he knew better.
His initial misjudgnt had only deepened his sense of awe.
While Kurapika felt a sense of relief at Larry’s presence, the others in the room remained confused. Who was this guy? Where had he co from?
And judging by the way he and Kurapika spoke, had they arrived together?
A few of the applicants, having been on edge due to the fierce competition, began to relax. It seed like Larry wasn’t here to compete but had so kind of connection to Kurapika.
‘Maybe he had teleportation abilities?’
Sitting nearby, lody had been listening carefully to the conversation. But what caught her attention the most was Larry’s presence. ‘His aura… It was different. Smooth. Powerful. Completely at ease.’
It was the first ti she had heard such a lody. It wasn’t the chaotic or deceptive tune of an arrogant fighter, nor the cold lody of a killer. It was controlled, confident, like an unstoppable force that had no need to prove itself.
lody stole a quick glance at Larry, trying to commit his face to mory. And then it hit her.
Hadn’t she seen him before?
She wasn’t the only one with this creeping feeling. Several of the other applicants exchanged glances, their expressions uncertain.
Where had they seen that face before?
It nagged at the back of their minds.
For a few, the answer was simple, they had caught glimpses of him in the Sky Arena promotional materials. But it had been months since Larry had made waves in the arena. His fights, while Invicible, had faded from the public’s imdiate mory. They just couldn’t place him.
As everyone sat in puzzled silence, a sudden change in the room drew their attention. On a nearby wall, a large screen flickered to life. A man with a square face appeared on the display, it was Dalzollene , the head bodyguard of the Nostrade family.
Dalzollene furrowed his brows, scanning the room as he counted the people inside. Sothing felt off. "Wasn't there supposed to be six of them? Why is there one extra?"
He carefully matched each face to the photos in the application records, his sharp gaze moving from one person to the next. Then, his eyes landed on the man leaning back on the sofa with a relaxed but indifferent expression.
"Who are you…?" Before he could finish his sentence, his pupils suddenly shrank. He stiffened as recognition hit him like a sledgehamr. Those piercing eyes. That presence.
A single title flashed through his mind, The strongest fighter in Sky Arena. Invicible Larry.
Dalzollene swallowed hard. His once-arrogant deanor crumbled in an instant, replaced by disbelief and sothing dangerously close to fear.
"A-Are you that Lord Larry…?" he stamred, his tone losing its usual authority. "The Invincible Larry from the Sky Arena?!"His voice carried both awe and caution.
It wasn’t an overreaction, if this was truly that Larry, then he had to tread carefully. Unlike Basho dismissive attitude towards the Phantom Troupe in the original events, Dalzollene had witnessed sothing terrifying firsthand. He had seen the live broadcast of Larry’s final battle in the Sky Arena.
He had watched that single, earth-shattering punch that not only obliterated the ring but triggered an earthquake that rocked the entire arena. That wasn’t the strength of a normal fighter. It was the power of a monster. If Larry wanted to, he could level this entire building with just one attack. No one here would stand a chance.
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