The scene before Kaizen felt strangely familiar, like a place he had visited before.
It reminded him of the Land of Nirvana in the Kingdom of Fiora.
"This place... it's almost identical to the Land of Nirvana."
"The scenery, the atmosphere..."
"If I'm not mistaken, these corpses most likely belong to the Kurta Clan."
Kaizen glanced at the water-crystal ball before him. The progress indicator had reached -20%.
He had to admit—the rate of absorbing traits this time was incredibly fast.
"Even faster than at Zoldyck Manor."
"What exactly am I dealing with here?"
Kaizen had no prior knowledge about whatever was beyond the remnants of the Kurta Clan.
Dry branches, burrowing earthworms, desert crows, mummified remains inside the pyramids...
But one thing he could confirm was this:
The Phantom Troupe had not suffered any casualties during their attack on the Kurta Clan.
Not all members of the Kurta Clan were warriors. Some were purely supportive, specializing in auxiliary or tool-type Nen abilities.
For example, Kortopi, Shalnark, Pakunoda, and others.
When Kaizen spotted Franklin, he quickly gauged the general strength of the Phantom Troupe's current members.
Most of them ranked at B-level.
There might be a few A-ranks, but not many.
There were even some C-ranks among them.
Kaizen was confident he could handle B-rank Nen users, especially those with support or tool-type abilities.
Since the Phantom Troupe members were unharmed, Kaizen felt there was no real danger to himself either.
His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Machi.
Machi moving alone meant that the Kurta Clan's remaining presence had already been scattered.
Since all Phantom Troupe members were intact, it was unlikely that anything threatening still lurked here.
Yet, as Kaizen stood there, something changed in the air around him.
From the skeletal remains, a strange energy began to rise.
It gathered in the air, condensing into an enormous mass.
Then, the aura shifted, morphing, shaping itself into something humanoid.
"A Nen Beast?"
Kaizen narrowed his eyes slightly.
The manifestation process looked eerily similar to the creation of conjured Nen Beasts.
A young man materialized before him.
His eyes gleamed a deep, fiery red.
A cross-shaped scar marked his chest.
"Scarlet eyes...?"
"So, this must be tied to the Kurta Clan."
"But this is just a Nen Beast—an imitation."
Kaizen thought for a moment before calling out.
"Natsu!"
"Akutagawa Ryunosuke!"
"Raiken!"
"Killer Queen!"
Four figures materialized at his side.
Kaizen could tell immediately—this Nen Beast was stronger than any of the mummified creatures or monsters he had encountered before.
More importantly, he had no idea what abilities it possessed.
And those scarlet eyes...
He needed to go all out.
One of the Zoldyck family's fundamental rules surfaced in his mind:
— If you don't know your opponent's strength or abilities, your first choice should be to retreat.
— If retreat isn't an option, then use your full power from the start and overwhelm them.
In this situation, Kaizen had no way to escape.
This wasn't a human opponent. It was a Nen Beast.
A parasitic manifestation, deeply rooted in an enormous field of aura.
The very land Kaizen stood on was a part of this creature's domain.
Natsu charged forward.
Akutagawa Ryunosuke flanked from the side, his dark red claws glinting ominously.
Raiken positioned himself nearby, blade ready.
Killer Queen materialized baseball bats, preparing for a strike.
"Fire Dragon's Fist!"
Natsu's fist ignited with flames as he threw a devastating punch at the young man.
Boom!
The strike landed.
The young man staggered back a step—but just a single step.
Then, a blade appeared in his hand.
Shing!
The next moment, it plunged toward Natsu's body.
But Natsu's physical durability prevented the blade from piercing too deep.
Kaizen quickly analyzed the situation.
"If that were Raiken, the damage would've been far worse."
Natsu took a step back as the young man summoned another weapon—a spear—thrusting it directly toward him.
"Rashomon!"
A dark red claw shot forward, striking the young man and piercing through his arm before he could react.
He recoiled, pulling his wounded arm back.
Kaizen's mind raced.
"Strong defenses."
"Powerful attacks."
"In a pure melee fight, even Natsu can't match him."
"...But his speed and reaction time are lacking."
Suddenly, more aura surged from the skeletal remains, flowing into the young man's body, healing him.
Kaizen's eyes narrowed.
"Natsu, clear the field!"
Natsu obeyed, taking to the sky and aiming below.
"Dragon's Roar!"
He inhaled deeply before exhaling a torrent of fire.
The ground erupted in a fiery explosion, shaking violently. Bones and debris were scattered in all directions as the flames died down, revealing a barren landscape.
Natsu landed and immediately rushed back into battle alongside Akutagawa Ryunosuke.
Killer Queen positioned herself behind the young man, gripping a baseball bat tightly.
The moment the young man focused on Natsu and Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Killer Queen made her move.
She swung her bat with full force.
The young man barely had time to raise his arms in defense.
Boom!
The bat connected.
The next instant, his expression changed.
A silent explosion erupted from the bat's impact.
His arm vanished instantly.
At the same time, Akutagawa Ryunosuke's Rashomon transformed into a massive spiked ball, slamming down onto the young man's head.
Crash!
The spikes pierced deep into his skull.
"Dragon's Roar!"
Natsu unleashed another fiery blast, engulfing the young man completely.
His form was left mangled and charred.
However, moments later, more aura surged up from the ground, pouring into his body, beginning to mend his injuries again.
Kaizen frowned.
"Earlier, the aura came from the bones."
"But now, it's emerging straight from the ground."
"What does that mean?"
"Is this Nen Beast's energy... limitless?"
"If that's the case, how did all the Phantom Troupe members survive?"
As the young man's body continued to regenerate, Kaizen noticed something—
A fraction of the aura spilled from him, drifting toward Kaizen's blade.
His eyes glinted.
A new thought began to form in his mind...
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