"Nessley, are the Three Dogs and Four Beasts really that strong?"
Tucker asked in a low voice.
Nessley nodded. "Very strong. No—extremely strong."
"Among the Three Dogs, two are A-Class Nen users. The third is B-Class, but their abilities are tricky and hard to deal with."
"The Four Beasts? All four are A-Class. I wouldn't stand a chance against any of them."
"And the Six Fiends? Even more so."
"There are levels even within A-Class."
"As for Ravik, according to Zotan-sama, his strength is second only to Zotan himself."
Tucker's expression darkened.
"The Three Dogs were sent to deal with Kaizen first... then the Four Beasts... and now even the Six Fiends are on the move. Does that mean Kaizen already took care of the Four Beasts?"
Nessley turned her head, silent for a few seconds. "Most likely, yes."
Tucker felt a strange mix of awe and anxiety.
He used to think Kaizen's talent and strength were on par with his own. But Kaizen's recent displays of power had completely shattered that assumption.
Kaizen's beast alone had reached A-Class. Then there was the time an A-Class attacker struck first—only to be instantly killed by Kaizen.
At the time, Tucker had been stunned.
When they last parted ways, Tucker had asked Kaizen how strong he really was.
Kaizen had smiled and replied, "Dozens of times stronger than you."
Back then, Tucker thought he was joking.
Now he knew—Kaizen wasn't joking at all.
Maybe even "dozens" was an understatement.
"Dozens of me... would that even be enough to reach his level?"
"Could I take down the Four Beasts?"
Tucker didn't think so.
...
He snapped out of it.
"Nessley, according to our original plan, we were supposed to take on Ravik and Oster at the same time. But now that Ravik's left... that just leaves Oster. Our chances should be a lot better now, right?"
Nessley nodded.
Tucker frowned. "But doesn't that mean Kaizen is in serious danger? The Six Fiends... they're no joke."
"Exactly. If Kaizen runs into the Six Fiends, the smartest move would be to retreat. They're not on the same level as the Four Beasts or the Dogs."
As she spoke, Nessley had a moment of déjà vu.
She realized she'd been saying the same thing over and over—and yet Kaizen kept defying expectations.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to believe he could beat Ravik.
"So, we're... using Kaizen?"
"Yes. But it's our only option."
Nessley met Tucker's eyes. "I get what you're thinking. I really do. But listen, Tucker."
"What Oster did to Kaizen—that wasn't on us."
"We didn't give Oster any information about him."
"There's no reason to feel guilty."
Tucker looked away. "Still... it's because of me that Kaizen stayed in Saherta. Otherwise, he might've already left."
"That's possible. But even if you went after him now—what could you do?"
Nessley's voice was calm but firm. "Could you catch up to the Six Fiends?"
"Even if you did, could you take on Ravik?"
"You wouldn't stand a chance."
"Kaizen's probably already escaped."
"If you chase after them, you won't help—you'll just slow him down."
"Stay focused. Handle what's in front of us."
"That's what we can do."
Tucker didn't know if he was fully convinced... but deep down, he knew Nessley was right. He couldn't catch up. The Six Fiends were long gone.
...
At that moment, the commander of the Dark Night team gave the order.
"Move out!"
All eight members of the Dark Night team slipped into Oster's manor.
Pfft!
Pfft!
Pfft!
Two assassination specialists led the charge, silently eliminating Oster's regular guards one by one.
The guards of Oster Manor fell in droves.
Dozens were dead before the alarm was even raised.
"Enemy attack!"
A dying guard managed to sound the alarm.
The entire estate was thrown into chaos.
Oster turned sharply toward the commotion.
"Enemy attack? Who?"
Several possibilities flashed through his mind—Kaizen, Gruner, the Revolutionary Army.
But he quickly ruled Kaizen out.
"The strength of the Six Fiends is way above the Four. They couldn't have lost that fast."
"No—it's impossible. They didn't lose."
"So it can't be Kaizen."
"Then... Gruner?"
"Or the Revolutionary Army?"
Both were plausible. If he died, there'd be a massive power vacuum—Gruner could swoop in and take everything. The Revolutionary Army, on the other hand, were radicals. Always preaching about how the country was rotten and needed saving.
He hated them. Hated their rhetoric, hated their guts.
They skulked in the shadows like rats.
...
"Tch."
Oster snorted coldly.
"You think just because Ravik and the others left, it's a good time to kill me?"
"How naive."
"No matter who you are—I won't let you leave."
"You came here to kill me?"
"You'll die here instead. Fertilizer for my roses!"
He rose to his feet and stared out the window.
A flood of his own guards was rushing toward the intruders.
Some were Nen users. Others were regular soldiers armed with modern weapons. Even if they couldn't match Nen users, in numbers, they could still be a threat.
A butler burst into the room.
"My lord."
"Have the attackers been identified?"
Oster turned slightly.
"It's confirmed—members of the Dark Night."
"The Dark Night...? How many?"
"Eight in total," the butler replied. "Three B-Class Nen users. Five A-Class."
Oster frowned.
"That's it? Zotan didn't come?"
"No, sir. We've seen no sign of him."
A smirk tugged at Oster's lips.
"So they're underestimating me. Zotan didn't even bother showing up."
"He really thinks he can kill me with just these scraps?"
"What does he take me for?"
"Zotan... do you underestimate me?"
"Or are you just afraid to come yourself?"
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