Kaizen adjusted his stance, prepared for any surprises. This time, the big fish had clearly taken precautions.
A mass of flesh surged, condensing into the shape of an arm.
Ding!
The javelin pierced the big fish's arm, producing a metallic crash.
The defense held.
A mocking smile spread across the big fish's face—briefly.
The next moment, its expression shifted drastically.
"Really foolish," Kaizen muttered, shaking his head.
A silent explosion erupted on the big fish's body. The section transformed into a bomb was annihilated in an instant. The force of the explosion, however, didn't stop there. The big fish's entire form tilted. Half of its massive body was obliterated.
A human corpse fell from the remnants.
The aura of the big fish weakened considerably, its once-overwhelming presence diminished. What was already a dire situation for it had now become untenable.
Kaizen leaped into the air.
Simultaneously, Ryunosuke Akutagawa launched an assault.
A dark red spiked ball materialized. Under Akutagawa's control, the thorny sphere slammed into the big fish repeatedly, the impact unrelenting.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Holes riddled the big fish's body, the earlier explosion leaving it no chance to resist. Its injuries compounded, and its aura flickered like a dying flame.
Suddenly—
Crack!
The big fish's body split open, revealing a figure within. An old man emerged, locking his hateful gaze on Kaizen. His aura was far stronger than the humans that had comprised the big fish's body. Clearly, this was its core.
Kaizen's expression remained unreadable.
A massive thorn ball, still under Akutagawa's control, loomed above the old man and descended with tremendous force.
Boom!
Pfft!
The attack reduced the old man to a pulp.
Kaizen raised the dead knife in his hand and swung it in the old man's direction. A powerful attraction emanated from the blade, drawing in the remnants of the old man's aura—or more precisely, his life force. It was absorbed into the knife, which seemed to change subtly in response.
The big fish's body deflated like a punctured balloon. The corpses it had consumed also shriveled, falling lifelessly to the ground. The airship station became a vision of purgatory: ruins everywhere, broken buildings, severed limbs, and blood mixing with an unidentifiable stench. Ordinary people had long since fled.
Kaizen sheathed his blade at his waist. Most of the smaller fish had perished as well. The few that remained scattered—some diving into the sewers, others hiding among the garbage walls, while a few broke into nearby residential areas.
A siren wailed in the distance as Dominica approached. Beside her stood a rotund figure, his demeanor exuding the cautious respect of a local official desperate to curry favor. This wasn't Fiora, but Fiora was part of the V5, and Dominica—a member of Fiora's royal family—was someone he couldn't afford to offend.
"Kaizen, Wendy, let's go," Dominica said briskly.
"Yes," they replied.
A new car waited by the road; the previous one had been crushed into scrap metal during the battle. Dominica took the wheel, Wendy sat in the passenger seat, and Kaizen climbed into the back.
As the car sped away, Wendy busied herself inputting her aura into the book's reading device, replaying the battle in her mind. She couldn't help but glance at the rearview mirror, stealing a look at Kaizen.
In Fiora, Wendy was considered a leader among her peers, a genius by all accounts. Kaizen's performance, however, had shattered her confidence. One person taking down a monster classified as B-grade? That was beyond genius.
She doubted herself for the first time.
"Am I really a genius? If I am, then what does that make Kaizen?"
Dominica, silent behind the wheel, was equally stunned. When Kaizen had volunteered to face the big fish alone, she'd harbored doubts but ultimately agreed, given the desperate situation caused by the human-head balloons.
But Kaizen had exceeded all expectations.
"Even for someone from the Zoldyck family, this is extraordinary," Dominica thought.
"He's not just talented—he's exceptional. Calm under pressure, experienced, with impeccable judgment and outstanding abilities."
The car's engine hummed, filling the silence as the three drove away. Back at the airship station, the portly official watched them vanish into the distance, a calculating gleam in his eyes.
"As expected of Fiora royalty," he murmured. "But that boy… there's something off about him. He doesn't quite seem like one of them."
The official frowned, puzzling over Kaizen's Nen abilities.
"His style is completely different. It doesn't fit any known genre, even among the Zoldyck family. They usually emphasize precision and overwhelming odds, yet his technique defies classification."
Jingle!
Kaizen's phone rang, breaking the quiet. Both Dominica and Wendy turned toward him. Kaizen answered, activating the speakerphone.
A grim voice filtered through.
"Who are you? The brat?"
Kaizen's tone was calm. "If you mean the youngest male of the three of us, then yes."
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