Kaizen pulled himself out of his thoughts.
The events in the small town were already part of the past.
What's done is done—unchangeable.
For Kaizen, this place was just another stop on his journey. Time would inevitably erase its scars.
Perhaps the town would be reduced to ruins, forgotten in the annals of history. Or maybe it would rise anew, rebuilt and thriving once more.
Kaizen's gaze shifted to the crystal ball hovering in front of him.
"Progress: Three percent."
He nodded to himself. "Not bad. After all, this isn't the real Taris Kingdom. The monster girl was just a fragment—a quick distraction."
His eyes flickered with determination. "Once I track down the Nen from the true Taris Kingdom behind her, I should absorb enough characteristics to significantly boost my progress."
Kaizen's hand brushed against the decayed blade at his waist.
"And while I'm at it, this Rotten Knife will grow stronger too. The Nen from Taris Kingdom is steeped in the essence of death, and that essence is the perfect nourishment for this blade."
A shadow crossed his face. "It doesn't even matter if I'm the one dealing the final blow. As long as they fall near me, it's enough."
In the driver's seat, Dominica gripped the wheel tightly, her focus unwavering.
Wendy flipped through the ancient book Dominica had handed her earlier. As her Aura flowed into the pages, a colorful mist rose from the book, coalescing into the shape of an arrow that hovered above it.
Dominica glanced at the glowing arrow before adjusting the car's trajectory.
"This tool was created by the royal family of Fiora during their conflict with Taris Kingdom's Nen users long ago. It absorbs traces of their Death Seed Aura and points us toward its source. But there's a catch."
She frowned, her knuckles tightening on the wheel.
"When the tool activates, the Nen users from Taris Kingdom can sense it. We'll need to move fast."
Kaizen listened closely, taking in the explanation.
The principle reminded him of Kortopi, a member of the Phantom Troupe, whose ability allowed him to copy non-living objects, including corpses. Once replicated, those objects became an extension of Kortopi's senses, no matter the distance.
Dominica's tool operated on similar principles.
"Can it measure the exact distance to the target?" Kaizen asked.
Dominica shook her head. "No, but the arrow's color darkens as we get closer. Once we're in dangerous proximity, it turns bright red."
"What defines a 'dangerous distance'?"
"That depends on the user's capabilities, the Nen source, and the Death Seed Aura itself."
(T/N: Want to remind: Kingdom of Taris. A small but mysterious nation located on an island southwest of the human continent. They specialize in manipulating the thought of death. They plant seeds that grow into manifestations of deathly aura. Once fully matured, they harvest these manifestations.)
Kaizen mulled this over. The tool's design was clearly constrained by its creators' limitations, but for the Fiora royal family, it was more than sufficient.
The Nen from Taris was undoubtedly strange, but Fiora was one of the V5 nations. Their resources and the strength of their top Nen users far outclassed anything Taris Kingdom could muster.
Elsewhere, Ito Xius froze as he felt a sudden disturbance.
"The monster girl... dead?"
His eyes narrowed. "Could it be the same person from last time? First my wolf, now her..."
His expression darkened as realization dawned.
"The royal family of Fiora."
He slammed a fist against the wall, frustration etched into his features.
Ito Xius had heard the stories. Years ago, during Fiora's campaign against Taris Kingdom, many of Taris's most powerful Nen users had been hunted down and killed by Fiora's elite.
The survivors were few and far between. For Taris, it had been nothing short of a massacre.
"Why now? Why me?!" he muttered, his tone a mix of dread and anticipation.
His lips curled into a manic grin as his hand reached for the scarred hilt of his blade.
"Fine, then. If they're coming for me, let's give them a show. Teacher, I won't let you down. I'll embrace the madness you taught me!"
He gazed up at the sky, his eyes gleaming with a feral light.
...
Meanwhile, Dominica's car raced down the road at breakneck speed.
Wendy fed her Aura into the reading tool, keeping the arrow's glow steady, while Kaizen closed his eyes to conserve energy.
"Be ready," Dominica warned.
Kaizen nodded. His Nen reserves were already at 90%—a solid state for most, but he wasn't one to leave things to chance. The Zoldyck creed echoed in his mind: Even when facing weak opponents, give it your all.
Suddenly, the arrow turned bright red.
Dominica's eyes narrowed. "We're here."
Ahead of them, a sprawling city came into view.
Instead of heading toward its center, the arrow pointed toward its outskirts—the airship station.
Kaizen's sharp eyes caught sight of an airship preparing for takeoff. A young man stood at its entrance, looking down at their approaching car with a mocking smile.
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