Uchiha Sasuke's figure appeared.
"Rashomon. Susanoo!"
A crimson giant cloaked Sasuke in protective armor.
Boom!
A massive energy projectile slammed into Sasuke.
A surge of overwhelming force erupted.
Sasuke staggered backward under the weight of the impact.
Even with Rashomon and Susanoo combined, he couldn't fully absorb the blast. But he didn't fall.
And for Kaizen, that was enough.
...
The middle-aged clown's pupils shrank.
"He actually blocked that?"
"This beast's defense is on this level?"
"Incredible…"
He couldn't believe it.
He knew exactly how powerful that attack was—the fusion of his aura with the energy bomb wasn't just his own strength. It was everything he had, combined with the destructive force of aura. Two powers merged into one.
Even among the Six Fiends, the ones with the highest defense wouldn't dare take it head-on.
They could only dodge.
Even Oster wouldn't have risked taking it directly.
And yet—one of Kaizen's beasts had withstood the blow?
Larkin's face darkened.
Kaizen moved swiftly.
The clown had entered a moment of vulnerability after releasing the giant attack.
Kaizen didn't hesitate—he closed the distance in a blink.
In the past, other Nen users had tried to approach Kaizen's body, thinking it was his weakness.
But now, Kaizen was the one closing in.
The clown who specialized in bullet-style aura, was wide open.
His body—a fatal flaw.
Kaizen's presence faded into near invisibility. His aura became restrained, movements barely traceable.
Flickering phantoms trailed behind him.
Kaizen unleashed a close-quarters technique he'd learned from Raiken—channeling his strength into his fists.
He struck.
Boom!
The clown couldn't dodge in time.
Kaizen didn't stop—his assault flowed seamlessly into a second strike, and then a third.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
A flurry of devastating blows landed cleanly.
Shhk!
A blade pierced through the clown's back.
At the same time, several needles embedded themselves into his body.
His movements turned sluggish.
Kaizen completely overwhelmed him in close combat.
"Now!"
Kaizen seized the opportunity as the clown staggered—his decaying blade stabbed into the clown's chest.
Straight through the heart.
He twisted it sideways.
Ripped it out.
Blood gushed forth.
Kaizen had already retreated before the spray hit the ground.
The clown stumbled, then collapsed in a heap.
...
With the clown defeated, Kaizen's eyes snapped toward Larkin.
Boom!
On the other side of the battlefield, the "little girl" fighting Zeno—no, the old woman—had reached her limit. Her form withered, shriveled from exhaustion.
Zeno's conjured gas-dragon bit down on her body with terrifying force.
Crack!
Her body was torn in half.
Now only three of the Six Fiends remained.
The bunny girl, Larkin, and the swordsman.
Triangle Eyes had perished in Hisoka's deadly game.
The old woman had been killed by Zeno.
The clown had fallen to Kaizen.
The defeat of the remaining three was inevitable.
There was no chance of turning the tables.
After all, six elite allies and six hidden operatives were still in play—not to mention Maha Zoldyck, whom even Hisoka wasn't aware of.
Even Oster wouldn't make it out alone.
Unless he could convince one of the S-rank Nen users from the United States of Saherta to intervene...
And that was far from likely.
Even if Oster was their Minister.
...
A wave of aura overflowed from Kaizen's body—flowing toward Sasuke Uchiha.
It entered him, and his wounds healed instantly.
His aura surged back to full power.
In the next second, he launched himself at Larkin.
Two beasts flanked and attacked Larkin in unison.
Larkin quickly fell into a disadvantage—and the gap only widened.
"Damn it!"
...
Under Zeno's pressure, the bunny girl was on the verge of collapse—death just moments away.
The swordsman was already running on fumes against Silva.
...
Meanwhile, Hisoka watched Sasuke with growing interest.
"Hah… Kaizen really was hiding more tricks last time."
"Another A-rank beast?"
"That fire spirit beast… it's definitely stronger than before."
"So exciting…"
He licked his lips.
The stronger Kaizen became, the more Hisoka craved their future fight.
But a question suddenly crept into his mind—
When should he challenge Kaizen?
Before Chrollo?
Or after?
"Not an easy call."
"Delightful dilemma."
He smiled.
This was joy. So many delicious targets to look forward to.
Some already ripe.
Others still maturing.
It was a feeling Hisoka hadn't experienced in two decades.
...
Ring ring!
A phone buzzed.
Kaizen pulled it out—an unknown number.
"Who is it?"
"Kaizen? It's Nessley."
Her voice was off. Shaky. Grief-stricken.
It sounded like something terrible had just happened.
"Nessley? What's going on?"
"I… I just wanted to call and say—Kaizen, I'm glad you're still alive. Tucker... he was worried about you till the very end. He blamed himself for dragging you into this whole mess…"
"Tucker's… dead?"
"Yes. He's gone. They're all gone. Nancy. The captain. The vice-captain…"
Nessley was barely holding back sobs.
"Oster… he's too strong. Way stronger than we anticipated. We never stood a chance."
"Kaizen, get out of there."
"Ravik is already searching for you."
"Leave the United States of Saherta before they find you."
"It's your only chance at survival."
"Hide your name. Disappear. Never come back."
"Just live—"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The call cut off.
Kaizen stood silently, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)