Leo's Criminal Hunter Path Continues

"Mr. Leo, your credit for capturing the Jackal Trio has been recorded.

Under Association regulations, assisting a member of the Zodiacs in capturing a B-rank dangerous target earns 15 merit points."

She operated the terminal in front of her, its screen casting a fluorescent glow across her face.

"Your Hunter profile has been updated. If you need to register any more merits in the future, simply submit a mission report and relevant evidence through the Hunter Association's online system. Once approved, the record will be completed. There is no need to come here in person."

Leo accepted his license and nodded.

"Alright, thank you."

The three went their separate ways after returning to Association headquarters.

Mizai Istom and Kanzai escorted the unconscious Coyote to the underground detention center—a special facility where the Association held dangerous ability users, equipped with dedicated restraints and a professional medical team.

Leo headed for the public office area.

Dozens of high-performance terminals had been set up there for Hunters to look up intelligence, accept missions, and handle business.

He found an empty station, sat down, and swiped his card to log in.

The Hunter intelligence website had a simple, clean interface.

Leo clicked the mouse, and the screen switched to the search page.

After thinking for a moment, he entered several keywords into the search bar: [Wanted Criminals] [Active] [Recent Sightings], then pressed Enter.

The list refreshed, names and photographs densely filling the screen.

Every entry contained brief information: name, alias, ability type if known, primary crimes, danger rating, last known location, and bounty amount, if any.

Leo began filtering them.

He first eliminated targets active only in remote regions, those whose whereabouts were hard to trace and who went unseen for years—efficiency came first.

More than thirty names remained.

As he scrolled, his gaze passed over one name and crime description after another.

Robbery, kidnapping, murder, illegal experiments, human trafficking... the dark side of this world unfolded across the screen in cold text.

Some entries included photographs—the smiles of victims when they were alive placed beside the gruesome scenes where their corpses had been found, creating a jarring contrast.

Leo's expression did not change, but his eyes gradually turned cold.

At last, he stopped on one entry.

[Name: Jerma] [Alias: None]

[Ability Type: Emission-type (suspected)]

[Ability Details: Unknown]

[Primary Crimes:]

[1. Kante City jewelry store robbery; killed the owner and two employees (3 confirmed deaths)]

[2. Ulubian border truck robbery; killed the driver and guards (2 confirmed deaths)]

[3. Holen Town bank robbery; killed a security guard and one customer (2 confirmed deaths)]

[4. Attacked a Hunter pursuing him; 1 confirmed Hunter death]

[5. 3 other suspected related cases; death toll unconfirmed]

[Total Confirmed Victims: 9 civilians, 1 Hunter]

[Wanted Level: C]

[Last Seen: Kante City, Republic of Padokea (three days ago)]

[Bounty: 48 million Jenny (private bounty), Association merit points: 8]

Leo opened the detailed file.

Jerma, male, thirty-eight years old.

A former construction worker, he had awakened Nen abilities four years ago and begun committing crimes afterward. He had no fixed organization and acted alone.

He committed crimes frequently, but his methods were crude, often leaving clues behind.

He liked gambling and had been seen entering and leaving major casinos on multiple occasions. Most of his criminal earnings had been lost at the tables.

The Association had most recently tracked him to Kante City—a mid-sized city in the Republic of Padokea, famous for tourism and gambling.

He'll do.

Leo memorized all the key information, then opened the resource application page and reserved one of the Association's private airships.

Destination: Kante City.

Departure: two hours later.

The cost was steep, but worth it.

Private airships were fast, confidential, and free of the many restrictions imposed by regular flights.

Leo shut down the terminal and headed toward the detention center.

Third underground level, special holding area.

Mizai Istom and Kanzai had just emerged from the medical room.

The wound on Kanzai's left arm had been treated and wrapped in thick bandages, but he was in high spirits, loudly complaining about the disgusting smell of the place.

Mizai Istom saw Leo approaching.

"Getting ready to leave?"

Leo nodded.

"I've identified a target. Jerma, an Emission-type. He's confirmed to have killed ten people, including a Hunter. He was recently active in Kante City."

Kanzai let out a whistle.

"You move fast! You just got back, and you're already going back to work?"

"Nothing else to do, so I might as well find something to occupy myself with," Leo said.

"Besides... the sooner someone like that gets caught, the fewer victims there might be."

Mizai Istom fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Be careful. Emission-types have long attack ranges and many variations. Don't let your guard down."

"I will."

Kanzai gave Leo's shoulder a hard slap—with his uninjured hand.

"Go get 'em! Catch a few more pieces of trash! I'm rooting for you!"

Leo smiled and turned to leave.

Watching his retreating back, Kanzai stroked his chin and turned to Mizai Istom.

"Hey, Stinky Cow, where did you meet this kid? He's really not weak! I bet he'll be promoted to a One-Star Hunter soon."

He grinned.

"Those scumbag wanted criminals... things are looking bad for them. Hahaha!"

Mizai Istom did not answer.

He looked toward the end of the corridor where Leo had disappeared. After several seconds, he let out a soft sigh.

He was afraid Leo would become too deeply immersed in it and turn into a murderous maniac.

"What's wrong?"

Kanzai raised an eyebrow.

"You don't seem very happy."

"...It's nothing."

Mizai Istom turned and walked toward the elevator.

"I just hope... he won't lose himself in power."

Kanzai froze for a moment, then hurried after him.

"Hey! What do you mean by that? Explain yourself! Hey!"

His voice echoed through the corridor, but Mizai Istom gave no further response.

Two hours later, an Association private airship departed from headquarters.

Kante City was not far away. The flight took only three hours.

At four in the afternoon, the airship landed at a small airport outside Kante City.

He hailed a taxi and headed straight for the city center.

Kante City was indeed prosperous.

The streets were clean, the buildings modern, and neon lights began flickering on as evening approached.

Casinos, hotels, upscale restaurants, luxury stores... everything in this city seemed to revolve around "spending" and "entertainment."

Leo got out two blocks away from the Golden Crown Casino.

He entered an ordinary-looking café, chose a window seat, and ordered a coffee.

From there, he had a clear view of the casino's main entrance.

The intelligence stated that Jerma had a gambling habit and preferred large casinos.

The Golden Crown Casino was one of Kante City's three most famous casinos. It was luxuriously decorated, drew heavy foot traffic, and was the ideal place to hide.

Leo slowly drank his coffee, his eyes fixed on the window.

Time passed little by little.

At six in the evening, traffic increased outside the casino. Guests in all kinds of attire came and went—businesspeople in suits, casually dressed tourists, and shifty-eyed people who were clearly gamblers.

But none of them were Jerma.

Seven o'clock. The sky had gone completely dark, and neon lights made the street as bright as day.

Eight o'clock. Leo had already ordered his third cup of coffee.

He was patient—hunting was a game of waiting.

Nine ten.

The casino's revolving door turned, and a man walked out.

He was of average build, dressed in a wrinkled shirt and jeans. His hair was greasy, and his face was pale from staying up late for too long.

Standing at the entrance, he spat viciously onto the ground.

"Damn it..."

His voice was not loud, but Leo caught it with his hearing.

The man cursed as he kicked the nearby trash can.

"I lost it all again! I was up hundreds of millions... Who knew that every bet I made afterward would lose? What the hell!"

Shaking his head, he walked toward the other end of the street, still muttering under his breath.

"I'm out of money... time to pull another job. This time... I'll definitely win it all back with interest!"

Leo set down his coffee cup, pulled several bills from his wallet and placed them beneath it, then rose and left.

Target confirmed. Jerma.

On the street, Jerma walked slowly.

His head was lowered as he calculated how much he could have won in the previous hand if he had bet differently. He paid no attention to his surroundings.

Leo followed roughly thirty meters behind him.

He did not stay on the ground. Instead, he climbed onto the rooftops.

Most buildings in Kante City were not tall, with flat rooftops and little distance between them.

Leo leaped soundlessly between buildings, landing as lightly as a cat.

He maintained Zetsu, his presence completely concealed, as though he had become part of the night itself.

Jerma noticed nothing.

His long years of gambling had dulled his nerves.

Slow reactions, diminished awareness, weakened perception of danger—those were the price of addiction.

Half an hour later, Jerma entered an old district.

It formed a stark contrast to the prosperity of the city center.

The buildings were low and decrepit, the streets narrow, and half the streetlights did not work.

There were hardly any people around at night. Only a few stray cats rummaged through piles of garbage for food.

The time had come. Leo leaped down from the rooftop and landed without a sound.

He began closing the distance.

Twenty meters. Jerma was still muttering.

Fifteen meters. Leo quickened his pace.

Ten meters. Jerma finally sensed something and instinctively looked back—but it was too late.

The instant Jerma turned, Leo vanished from where he stood.

He had not truly disappeared. He was simply too fast, leaving only a blurred afterimage in the dim light.

The next second, a hand clamped onto the back of Jerma's head.

Five fingers tightened like iron pincers.

Jerma did not even have time to gather his aura before his entire head was forced toward the ground by an irresistible strength—BANG!!!

His face met the stone pavement head-on, and the crisp crack of his broken nose was clearly audible.

Jerma's vision went black. The agony left his mind blank.

Instinctively, he tried to struggle, tried to unleash his aura, but that hand was too powerful. It pinned him so firmly that he could not move.

Leo did not pause.

He grabbed Jerma by the hair, lifted his head, then smashed it down again.

Bang! The second time.

Bang! The third time.

Each impact was heavier than the last.

Spiderweb cracks had appeared across the stone pavement, along with a small pool of blood. Jerma stopped moving entirely.

He lay limp on the ground, his breathing weak but relatively steady. He had merely lost consciousness.

Leo released him, looked at the blood-covered man on the ground, and shook his head.

"Pathetic."

Long-term gambling had not only drained his money, but numbed his nerves as well.

At such close range, he had not even shown a basic warning response—being in this state, even if he had Nen abilities, he would not be able to use thirty percent of his strength.

Leo took out his phone, photographed the unconscious Jerma, uploaded it to the Association system, and attached a brief action report.

A few minutes later, a reply came.

[Target confirmed: Jerma. Status: unconscious, under control. 8 merit points registered. Please escort the target to the Association or another detention facility.]

Leo put away his phone, bent down, grabbed Jerma by the collar, and easily lifted him up.

The hundred-plus-pound weight felt as light as a sack of flour in Leo's hands.

He headed toward the airport.

The streets were quiet, with only the sound of footsteps.

Leo looked at the unconscious man in his hand, his gaze calm.

Yes, this guy had killed ten people. He deserved to die.

But Leo would not kill him here.

Not because he was softhearted, nor out of mercy.

It was a matter of principle—if the other party had already lost the ability to resist, then he should be handed over to the law for judgment.

If he executed prisoners at will, what would be the difference between him and these criminals?

A person had to have their own bottom line. Even in the original manga, while he was a bounty hunter, he had also been a wanted criminal, but he still had one.

These people had killed too many, losing their own bottom line.

Only those who stubbornly resisted and tried to take his life would he kill without hesitation.

Like Jackal and Fire Wolf, like those armed bandits.

Leo quickened his pace.

The night wind swept through the streets of the old district, stirring up a little dust.