Chapter 888
Nobunaga seemed to have sunk into memory. His eyes lost focus, his pupils no longer tracking anything in front of him. A faint, almost peaceful smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. But just then, his condition began to deteriorate rapidly.
Perhaps earlier, there had still been some lingering willpower in his heart—something that had held back the corruption within him. Now that final shred of resistance was gone, and the force devouring him met no more obstacles. It spread at an accelerated pace, consuming him from within.
"Uvogin…"
In his fading vision, Nobunaga saw a scene from his childhood. He unconsciously reached out a hand, as if to grasp something just beyond his reach.
Squelch!
A sharp, wet sound burst through the air, like something deflating.
Nobunaga's body visibly shriveled in seconds, collapsing inward as if drained of life. But from the remains of his corpse, something began to grow—a monster.
Its aura was vaguely similar to the one surrounding Tserriednich's Nen beast, yet it wasn't the same. There was something wilder, more violent about it. The stench of feral aggression seeped out, and the moment it took shape, it lashed out at those around it.
Everyone tensed at once—Hooker, Kurapika, Chrollo, Phinks, Feitan, Franklin—and even Machi, who was standing right next to Ron. But Ron didn't move.
The creature made no move toward him. It was like some primitive, single-celled organism, lacking thought or emotion. It operated on pure instinct—and instinct told it that Ron was not something it should provoke.
Everyone else, however, was prey in its eyes.
Ron didn't act. This wasn't his business. It was the Phantom Troupe's problem to deal with.
The creature targeted Kurapika first. Perhaps it sensed the lingering wounds on him and judged he was the easiest target—just like lions on the savannah going after the injured or the old. Hunting that way ensured the best result with the least risk. Lions that challenged the strongest bulls often paid with their lives.
Ron looked at Kurapika. He could feel it—the beast's aura was clearly stronger than Kurapika's. Born from Nobunaga's corpse, empowered by a special Sequence energy, and tainted by something from Tserriednich's Nen beast—it was, without a doubt, stronger.
But Kurapika didn't look afraid.
Squelch!
The monster's claws pierced into Kurapika's torso, aiming for a killing blow. As its jaws opened to tear into his throat, Kurapika's body vanished.
In the next moment, he reappeared in another location.
The beast froze.
What greeted it next were the coordinated attacks from the other Troupe members—Franklin's Nen bullets, Phinks' heavy fist, Feitan's blade, Hooker's thrown weapon, and Chrollo flipping open his book and unleashing a borrowed ability. All of it landed squarely on the creature.
Kurapika's aura fluctuated slightly—he was shaken but still standing.
Ron narrowed his eyes.
"Teleportation?" he murmured. "No... that wasn't it."
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Tserriednich isn't dead yet. Kurapika must've stolen his ability."
That realization sparked a glimmer of interest in Ron's eyes. Tserriednich's ability was dangerous—time-based powers always were. So far, only Killer Queen among Ron's Nen beasts had access to time manipulation, and that was only after fusing with Neferpitou.
Time and assassination—when combined, they were terrifying.
The creature had just taken a barrage of powerful attacks from top-tier Nen users, all of whom were capable of handling elite opponents. Under normal circumstances, it should have been heavily injured. But to everyone's shock, it barely seemed affected.
Within moments, it stabilized itself.
Then came the rage.
A heavy wave of fury pulsed from its body as it once again charged at Kurapika. Just like before, Kurapika used Tserriednich's ability to slip out of its grasp. But this time, the monster didn't freeze. It immediately redirected its momentum and chose a new target—Hooker.
Bang!
Hooker's body flew backward, crashing hard into the wall. He was seriously injured. If not for the Phantom Troupe's timely attacks forcing the creature back, Hooker might have been killed on the spot.
The situation on the field had turned strange.
The Troupe was on the offensive. Their attacks were relentless. But they couldn't cause any meaningful damage. Every hit they landed seemed useless, as if the creature were immune to Nen.
In contrast, every strike from the creature carried lethal force. If nothing changed, if no new strategy emerged, it was only a matter of time before it overwhelmed them.
Chrollo's gaze sharpened.
They had already tried nearly everything—physical attacks, Nen-based strikes, Enhancement techniques, Transmutation, Conjuration, Manipulation, Emission, and even Specialization-based abilities. Nothing worked.
This thing was beyond what could be called a Nen beast. It exceeded the known boundaries of Nen entirely.
Every member of the Phantom Troupe felt the same heavy realization sink in.
They had come here expecting to kill the Fourth Prince.
Instead, Pakunoda and Nobunaga were already dead. And if this continued, the entire Troupe might be annihilated here.
Chrollo glanced toward Ron.
"Ron, are you still taking contracts?"
In that moment, with no other options left, Chrollo looked around the battlefield and realized only one person might be able to help. Ron had already proven his strength earlier—he had suppressed Nobunaga's aura before it spiraled out of control. He had openly said that no one else aboard the Black Whale could solve the problem with Nobunaga.
That meant he had understood the threat far better than anyone else.
And that meant he might know how to kill this creature.
Ron used to be a professional assassin. He took contracts for a price. The only question now was whether he still accepted them.
He hadn't left yet—and that alone made Chrollo decide to take the risk.
Hearing the request, Ron glanced his way with a calm expression.
"I do."
Chrollo's eyes lit up. His voice steadied.
"What are your conditions to kill that thing?"