HunterxHunter: I Became Stronger After Death

In a densely packed residential area, filled with low-rise buildings, two figures were both confronted by troublemakers.

At the entrance to a narrow alleyway leading deeper into the neighborhood, three men appeared—

Blocking out most of the fading daylight.

One was short and fat,

another tall and thin,

and the last was built like a bear.

The three of them stared at Kortopi,

their hungry gazes filled with greed—

Like they were appraising a valuable product.

Human Traffickers

"Looks just like a doll.

High-quality merchandise.

Hah! This one's gonna fetch a fortune."

The short, fat man's eyes gleamed,

already calculating the profits.

They had committed countless crimes,

but their main business was human trafficking.

And prey like this—so young, delicate, and unique—

was incredibly rare.

The tall, thin man grinned.

"Let's catch her first.

Can't let her get away."

No Escape

The three of them advanced,

closing in on Kortopi.

To them,

his lack of movement

only meant one thing—

Paralyzed by fear.

But these greedy fools

never stopped to question—

Why was a child,

dressed so out of place,

wandering alone in such a dangerous district?

And why was he unafraid?

A Blonde Swordsman Appears

"Stop."

A cold, commanding voice rang out.

The three traffickers froze.

They turned toward the alley entrance.

There,

a blonde-haired youth stepped forward—

holding a wooden sword.

His gaze smoldered with barely restrained anger.

The traffickers exchanged glances,

and in their eyes,

they saw excitement.

"Another one."

The burly man narrowed his eyes,

evaluating the newcomer.

"Blonde, beautiful face…

Looks like a big payday to me."

This blonde-haired boy—

Kurapika—

had come to find his clan's stolen eyes.

Kurapika's Dilemma

He had noticed the three traffickers

stalking Kortopi in the streets.

At first,

he had no interest in getting involved.

But his compassion,

along with painful memories

of his childhood friends,

eventually pushed him forward.

When he overheard them referring to human beings

as "merchandise" to be sold—

His anger boiled over.

He couldn't stand it.

With a firm grip on his wooden swords,

he slowly advanced toward the traffickers.

Kurapika Attacks

The burly man grinned,

giving his orders—

"I'll handle this one.

You two, get the other kid."

"No problem."

The fat and thin men

turned toward Kortopi,

their smirks widening.

Kurapika's heart pounded.

He gritted his teeth,

adjusted his stance,

and charged at the burly man.

But before he could strike—

The burly man moved even faster.

With a brutal swing of his dagger,

he knocked away Kurapika's wooden swords.

Clatter.

The swords spun through the air,

crashing against the alley walls.

The burly man was strong.

In a single glance,

he could tell that Kurapika had decent physical strength.

But he was still too weak.

He grabbed Kurapika's collar,

then spun and slammed him

into a pile of garbage and debris.

BAM!

Kurapika's body crashed into the rubble.

The pain was unbearable.

But through sheer willpower,

he forced himself to sit up.

His blurry vision

focused on Kortopi—

Still cornered

by the two traffickers.

A deep helplessness filled his chest.

Then—

rage.

His crimson eyes

began to glow.

Kortopi Strikes

The fat and thin men reached Kortopi,

their grins stretching wider.

Their yellowed teeth gleamed in the dim light.

But Kortopi's expression

remained emotionless.

Suddenly—

He snapped his paper fan shut.

Clack.

A soft sound echoed in the alley.

The two traffickers opened their mouths—

but before they could speak—

SPLATTER.

Blood erupted

from their backs like fountains.

Dark scarlet streams

splashed against the filthy alley floor.

"Guh?!"

Their faces twisted in shock and terror.

Then,

their bodies collapsed—

Dead.

A Monster Unleashed

The burly man's face froze.

Kurapika's eyes widened in horror.

What just happened?

There was no attack—

no sword,

no knife,

no visible weapon.

And yet—

the two men were cut to ribbons.

The burly man panicked.

"M-Monster…!"

Overcome by fear,

he turned and ran.

Kortopi watched him flee,

his cold gaze tracking the man's movements.

A swarm of white paper fragments

suddenly took flight.

They sliced through the air

like razor-sharp blades—

Tearing the man's body apart

in a single instant.

His remains scattered through the alley

like shredded paper in the wind.

Kurapika's face was splattered with warm blood.

His entire body trembled.

He was horrified.

He had never seen

such a silent, efficient kill before.

He turned his head stiffly—

And locked eyes with Kortopi.

Kortopi stared at Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes.

He showed no reaction.

Instead,

he calmly turned away

and walked deeper into the alley.

Leaving behind

a dazed, shaken Kurapika.

Meanwhile…

A different alleyway—

Moro faced a thin, scar-faced man

who was glaring at him with murderous intent.

"You made a lot of money these past few days, huh?"

Moro remained silent.

"Tch.

No last words?

Fine.

Next life, open your damn eyes first."

The man gathered Nen in his left hand,

forming a glowing, green claw blade—

And lunged.

Moro didn't move.

Instead—

he raised a single finger.

A small, glowing sphere shot forward.

The thin man barely dodged,

but another hidden sphere struck his back—

BOOM!

Blood sprayed.

His body collapsed,

his consciousness fading into darkness.

His claw blade dissolved.

Moro sighed,

glancing at his hand.

Still Level 18.

The experience gain was too low.

Suddenly—

He felt a presence.

A faint, deliberate sound—

Wooden sandals stepping into a puddle.

From the shadows,

a small figure emerged.

A childlike silhouette

dressed in a dark purple kimono,

holding a folded paper fan.

Moro's eyes narrowed.

The Zoldyck Family…

Kortopi.

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