Chapter 172: The Ambition of a Small Fry
The massive Black Whale was sailing toward uncharted waters.
Meanwhile, the conflicts between various factions aboard the ship were intensifying.
The First Prince, Benjamin, began dispatching his private soldiers to monitor each prince.
Among all the Kakin princes, Benjamin held the greatest advantage. First, he possessed his own military force—every member of his private corps was a skilled Nen user. Moreover, he himself was a Nen user. It's worth noting that before boarding the ship, even the Fourth Prince was unaware of Nen's existence.
Though Benjamin appeared like a brute, he actually possessed a monarch's bearing and could heed his subordinates' advice. He could be considered a prince with both political acumen and power, making him the strongest contender for the throne.
Meanwhile, Mord, who had left the banquet, suddenly turned his gaze toward the Twelfth Prince's area. A subtle, enigmatic smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
In the original story, Kurapika went through immense trouble just to monitor the Fourth Prince's movements and situation—stealing abilities, manipulating cockroaches. Ultimately, it all boiled down to one thing: he wasn't powerful enough.
Before true strength, any scheme loses its effectiveness.
Mord only needed to expand his En, and the movements of everyone on the first level would be clearly displayed before him.
Finally, someone couldn't resist making a move.
In the Twelfth Prince Momoze's room, she felt utterly exhausted and collapsed onto her bed, falling into a deep sleep. Depleted of all energy, she could no longer provide power to her Guardian Spirit Beast, which dissipated into a wisp of aura and returned to her body.
This situation was somewhat related to Mord—the death of that small Nen Beast had clearly consumed a great deal of the Guardian Spirit Beast's aura.
At that moment, a figure seemed to materialize out of thin air in the room.
Judging by the attire, the newcomer appeared to be a guard.
This black-clad guard cautiously observed his surroundings and only relaxed after confirming that Momoze's Guardian Spirit Beast was nowhere to be seen. He then turned his gaze toward the sleeping Twelfth Prince Momoze on the bed. Listening to her faint, rhythmic breathing, his eyes gradually turned cold.
The visitor was Tuffdy, a guard under the Fifth Queen's command. His purpose was to draw the attention of higher-ranking princes to his capabilities, thereby striving to become a trusted aide of the future king.
In other words, the Twelfth Prince's head was to be his stepping stone to promotion.
He refused to remain a low-level guard for his entire life.
Even a small fry has his ambitions.
"Don't blame me. Blame yourself for being born into the Kakin royal family!" Tuffdy's face twisted into a vicious expression as he quietly climbed onto the bed, preparing to strangle Momoze beneath him with both hands.
The intense pain jolted Momoze awake from her sleep. Her eyes flew open, wide with terror as she stared at the figure before her.
No matter how composed she had appeared before, when truly facing death, her survival instinct made her resist instinctively.
She tried to scream, but no matter how she struggled, not a single sound could escape her lips.
The overwhelming sensation of suffocation clouded her mind.
Momoze suddenly realized that even if she could scream, it likely wouldn't change anything. The guards stationed outside were probably just like this person—all here to kill her.
Is this where my life ends?
Feeling the strength gradually fading from her body, this thought suddenly surfaced in Momoze's mind.
Resistance is useless. Haven't I already accepted this truth long ago?
Momoze laughed mockingly to herself.
But...
I really don't want to die after all.
Meanwhile, Tuffdy wore a triumphant smile, already envisioning his bright and glorious future.
At the same time, pinning down a prince who was originally high above him, this act of dominating a royal prince stirred a perverse pleasure deep within his heart.
Feeling the struggles beneath him growing weaker, his smiling face became increasingly distorted and terrifying.
"Tell me loudly, do you still want to live?"
A voice suddenly echoed through the quiet room. Though not loud, it struck Tuffdy's ears like thunder—after all, assassinating a prince was a capital crime!
Tuffdy's hair stood on end. He had clearly confirmed there were no third parties present earlier.
How did this person get in?
"Who's there?!" Tuffdy turned toward the source of the voice while growling in a low tone.
To avoid alerting the other guards outside, he deliberately controlled his volume.
Simultaneously, he didn't release his grip—wealth and status were within reach, and he didn't want to give up now.
Mord chuckled, turning on the room lights as he spoke: "No need to be so cautious. You can be louder—no one outside will hear you."
The sudden bright light made Tuffdy's eyes momentarily uncomfortable.
But it also gave Momoze a glimpse of hope for survival.
In that light named hope, Momoze saw a figure she would never forget for the rest of her life.
Tuffdy also saw Mord, noticing his casual attire which indicated he wasn't one of the princes' guards.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Tuffdy demanded again.
"Stay right there. If you dare come closer, I'll strangle her," Tuffdy warned.
Mord unhurriedly dragged a "corpse" in from outside the door, its appearance strikingly identical to Tuffdy.
"Your ability is quite interesting. When the main body is touched or threatened, the clone doesn't disappear? What if someone cremates your body while you're using this ability?" Mord chuckled as he spoke. "Coincidentally, I've been bored lately and started a research project specifically studying various interesting Nen Abilities. Clones barely qualify, so I'll begin with you."
Tuffdy couldn't understand Mord's words at all. All he knew now was that his life was in the other's hands.
"What... what do you want?"
Mord drew his Zanpakutō and placed it against Tuffdy's body, saying, "If the main body is injured, will the clone suffer corresponding damage?"
As soon as he finished speaking.
A cold gleam of blade light flashed.
Tuffdy's hands were severed at the wrists, with an exaggerated amount of blood gushing out like a spring.
"Ahhhh!"
A piercing scream echoed through the empty room.
On the Twelfth Prince's large bed, Tuffdy's clone's hands were also severed at the wrists simultaneously.
Momoze suddenly felt an unprecedented ease around her neck, her breathing instantly becoming smooth. She immediately slipped out from under Tuffdy, rolling off the large bed onto the floor.
Then she gasped for air.
Breathing made her feel that she was still alive in this world.