Xavier was currently sitting in front of the laptop that Anna (Rogue) had brought him a few minutes ago, reading a post written by the same man who had previously shared information about Cursed Energy and other related topics—Sukuna.
But what was written in this post was unlike anything Xavier had expected from this man.
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. In one week, we will be hosting an online auction for cursed tools. Yes, you read that correctly—cursed tools. Please note that the auction will have only 100 available spots, with a standard invitation costing $200,000 and a VIP invitation costing double that. Of course, we also have VVIP invitations. Everything will remain completely anonymous, and all tools will be delivered discreetly. I hope you're all excited. If you're interested, VVIP invitations will only be given to individuals personally selected by me.
Invitations will be available for purchase as soon as you contact me via the email below."
Xavier was shocked by this revelation. He knew that if he could get his hands on a cursed tool, he would be able to guarantee the children's safety. However, based on Sukuna's previous post, it seemed that some tools required Cursed Energy Manipulation—something mutants did not possess.
After thinking for a moment, he contacted Sukuna's profile and requested a VIP invitation. The response came instantly, clearly an automated system, prompting him to enter both his real name and a pseudonym.
Seeing this, Xavier simply filled in his name as Charles, omitting his last name. As for the pseudonym, he chose something cryptic and untraceable—Iron Crown.
But as soon as he completed the process, he received an unexpected message:
He had been granted a VVIP invitation.
Xavier frowned. How?
Had he made it too obvious?
Before he could dwell on it further, he received an email containing the full list of items that would be available at the auction.
Reading through the catalog, he found himself stunned.
The list included almost everything imaginable—even something at the very end, described only as the first of its kind.
Xavier found pistols, hammers, knives, and even something called a Jujutsu Amulet, though he had no idea what it did.
But one thing was certain.
This auction was about to get very interesting.
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Meanwhile, Neo was ecstatic.
At last, he had finally managed to organize an auction.
He didn't have a physical location to hold it, but that didn't matter.
Nothing was stopping him from hosting it online.
Now, if he managed to sell everything Alex had made, Neo would be swimming in money.
Above all, the two most important things Alex had created were
A Jujutsu Amulet capable of transforming a Grade 4 Curse into a Shikigami. A massive battle axe—an incredibly strong and resilient weapon forged by both Neo and Alex.
Above all, it was classified as Grade 1 and had the ability to ignite on command, its flames never extinguishing.
At that moment, Neo was sitting on his couch, watching TV, while the sounds of his group training in the backyard echoed around him.
After two days of collaboration, Alex and Gwen had successfully developed a fast and efficient program to manage the auction.
Neo carefully analyzed every person submitting their information, cross-referencing them with specific directives he had instructed Gwen to implement.
With just a few more days, selling Alex's cursed tools would be effortless.
The demand was enormous, meaning the profits would be even greater.
Right now, however, Neo had something else on his mind:
Hell's Kitchen.
Maybe he should mess with the Kingpin a little—just for fun.
Blowing up a few drug labs, shaking up some operations…
Neo smirked at the thought. That could be fun.
Without thinking twice, he threw on a kimono and quickly left the house.
As he was about to step outside, Carina noticed him and shouted:
Carina: Neo, where are you going!?
Hearing her, Neo paused for a moment before responding.
Neo: Visiting someone. Don't wait up.
Without another word, he walked off, heading straight for Hell's Kitchen.
After some time, he finally arrived—just as night was falling.
Seeing the sun set, Neo grinned. This is perfect. It'll be easier to find who I'm looking for.
Without hesitation, he strolled into Hell's Kitchen, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
The place was far from welcoming.
The stench of sewage filled the air, and the constant sounds of gunfire echoed from different parts of the neighborhood.
It was clear that this place lived up to its name.
Every now and then, Neo would come across bodies—criminals, civilians, even police officers.
Knowing exactly where he was, Neo wasn't too concerned.
The person he was looking for wouldn't be anywhere else but here, so he didn't have many options.
Without hesitation, he walked through the dimly lit alleys, unconcerned about the dangers lurking around him.
It didn't take long before a group of men cornered him.
Man 1: "Hey, kid… want some candy?"
The generic and obviously sinister question was so ridiculous that even his own companions grimaced.
Man 2: "Jack, are you an idiot? What kind of moron would fall for that? Maybe a two-year-old at best."
Man 3: "Yeah, you blew it. Now we have to ruin the merchandise."
With an annoyed sigh, the third man pulled out a revolver, lazily aiming it at Neo.
Man 3: "Alright, brat. Come with us, or I'll make sure you regret it."
Neo, however, wasn't even listening.
His focus was elsewhere—his senses were honed, searching for any sign of the Daredevil.
Of course, Neo couldn't differentiate him from a normal person since he'd never seen him before.
But it wasn't hard to notice someone rushing toward him at full speed.
After a full minute of waiting, Neo realized Daredevil wasn't coming.
Just as he was about to kill these men and move on, a thought crossed his mind.
A few moments earlier, he had clearly heard them refer to him as "merchandise."
That gave him an idea.
The men, meanwhile, were growing impatient.
The kid in front of them wasn't responding—just standing there in silence.
One of them even considered beating him to make him more cooperative.
Then, out of nowhere, the boy started trembling and stammered in fear.
Neo: "O-Okay… j-just don't hurt me…"
His voice shook, his entire body quivering.
The three men grinned.
They were relieved they wouldn't have to resort to violence—roughing up the kid would lower his selling price.
Sure, the kid looked a bit strange with those tattoos, but they brushed it off as some kind of disease or mutation. Who cares?
Jack: "Perfect, brat. Now come with us. We'll take you somewhere safe."
Hearing that, his companions looked like they wanted to say something—but ultimately, they just sighed.
Jack was a complete moron.
No point in arguing with him.
They simply blindfolded Neo and led him away.
Even though he was physically blind, Neo could still see the energy signatures of the people around him.
He was quickly shoved into a van parked at the end of the alley.
And the moment he was inside—he heard it.
The sound of children crying.
At least five of them.
At that moment, Neo lost all interest in his original plan.
Neo had one specific weakness: children.
And he never forgave anyone who harmed them.
For a brief second, he almost sliced the van in half, freeing the children instantly.
But he held himself back.
If these children were being sold, that meant more were being held somewhere.
If he stayed patient, he could save all of them.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain calm.
The overwhelming urge to decapitate his kidnappers subsided—slightly.
For now, he would wait.
Until he found the source of this operation.
Until then, he focused on comforting the terrified children.
He spoke to them in a gentle voice, cracking small jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.
It didn't work very well.
They were still petrified.
But at least… they had stopped crying.
After some time, the vehicle stops moving, seemingly parking inside some kind of circus, judging by the many voices echoing around—laughter and screams blending into the chaotic atmosphere.
Before Neo has time to think, he is yanked out of the van, along with the other children, whose terrified cries fill the air.
Then, one of the men shouts.
Man 2: "SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I KILL YOU ALL!!"
The sheer brutality in his voice is enough to silence the children instantly. One of them is so scared that they wet themselves.
At that moment, Neo wanted nothing more than to make a Binding Vow to unleash Fuuga at full power, but he held himself back more than he would have liked.
He took a deep breath and began analyzing his surroundings. It was indeed a circus—or at least it looked like one. But something was deeply wrong. The laughter around them wasn't from families, couples, or spectators enjoying a show. No. The people here were all masked, scattered throughout the "circus" grounds. Some even carried humans and mutants on leashes like pets.
The moment the children fell silent, the men started leading them toward one of the tents.
As Neo stepped inside, what he saw nearly made him sick.
Men, women, children, and even elderly people were shackled like livestock. The sight triggered a dark memory in Neo's mind—his time in the slaughterhouse.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His hands twitched with the overwhelming urge to burn this entire place to the ground. But he forced himself to wait. The moment they took him to wherever they were planning to sell him... that would be their final mistake.
Neo was shoved into a large cage with other children.
Inside, dozens of kids and teenagers huddled together—both mutants and humans.
A boy, probably around seventeen, approached Neo and the newly captured children, speaking in a calm voice.
George: "Hey, it's okay. My name is George, and I know you're scared, but I'm here to help. If you need anything, just ask. I already have a plan to get everyone out of here, so don't worry."
George smiled warmly, trying to reassure the children.
But Neo knew better. That was a lie.
There was no "plan." George was just trying to keep the kids from breaking down. No one was crazy enough to attack this place.
Well… except for Neo.
However, something else about George caught Neo's attention—his cursed energy.
George had a ridiculous amount of it, comparable to a Semi-Grade 1 Curse. That was an absurd amount of raw power. But the issue was that he wasn't containing it. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the aura of cursed energy attracted real curses.
That might actually be useful. Neo had been waiting for an opportunity to land his first Black Flash.
For now, though, he focused on the voice booming outside.
Announcer: "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE 25TH BLACK AUCTION!!!"
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Yo, everyone! If you're enjoying my fic, please send some power stones!
Hey, guys, I've been dealing with some personal issues, so unfortunately, I'll have to write a bit less frequently for now. But I promise that once things settle down, I'll drop a festival of chapters!
If there's anything you didn't like, didn't understand, or if you have any tips or criticism, just let me know—I read everything!