From this text message, it was clear that the skull monster was unlike other creatures driven by thoughts of death.
"This one is different—a test subject," Kaizen mused, his eyes narrowing. "A creature belonging exclusively to Ito."
He paused, his thoughts turning grim.
"Their plan doesn't involve the town—at least, not intentionally. This is an accident. But the unexpected factor here is me."
Kaizen's gaze darkened as he looked out the window, his voice steady yet cold.
'Because I killed the monster, Xius will retaliate by creating another monstrosity. This time, it'll be a girl—a monster girl—and everyone in that town will die.'
His voice dropped.
'I'm not the culprit. I didn't bring the skull monster here. But still... it's connected to me.'
Kaizen exhaled sharply, his resolve clear.
'Killing Ito Xius would make this simpler. For everyone.'
He shifted his focus to the world beyond the window. The sky stretched endlessly, a stark contrast to the turmoil in his mind.
"Wendy, how far are we?"
"Just one more mile!" Wendy replied, her voice tinged with urgency.
Dominica gestured toward the horizon. "There's no road ahead. We're getting off here."
"Understood," Kaizen said, steadying himself.
With practiced ease, Dominica threw the car door open while the vehicle was still moving, landing effortlessly on the ground. Wendy and Kaizen followed suit, each rolling to absorb the impact.
Despite the car's speed, their Nen-enhanced bodies made the leap manageable.
The cliff came into view, its jagged edge looming ominously.
"Coagulate!" Dominica commanded.
In perfect unison, the three focused their aura on their feet, increasing their grip and stability. It was similar to how ninjas in the Naruto world used chakra for tree climbing or water walking—a fundamental technique for Nen users refining their control.
The trio sprinted toward the cliff, their speed rivaling that of the car they'd just abandoned.
Behind them, a deafening explosion shattered the air. Wendy glanced back instinctively.
The car, having slammed into the mountainside, erupted in flames. Smoke and fire engulfed the area.
Neither Kaizen nor Dominica spared the destruction a second glance.
Kaizen smirked faintly, murmuring under his breath, "Real men never look back at explosions."
The chaos caught the attention of two villagers nearby.
"What the hell was that?!"
The two approached cautiously, their curiosity overtaking their fear.
As they neared the flaming wreckage, they froze.
"There's no one inside," one of them whispered.
"No footprints, either," the other added, their face pale.
"Ghosts!"
Panicked, they fled, their screams echoing through the night. It wouldn't be long before this incident turned into a local legend—a tale of supernatural events haunting the cliffs.
Meanwhile, Kaizen, Dominica, and Wendy had scaled the cliff and stopped at its highest point. Far above them, the silhouette of an airship floated like a silent predator in the sky.
Kaizen frowned. "The airship's still too high. How do we reach it?"
Dominica crossed her arms. "Unless someone has a flying Nen ability—or we use a creature—it'll be impossible."
Kaizen thought briefly of Zeno and Maha Zoldyck. Zeno could summon a dragon-like Nen beast for transportation, while Maha once used a similar method to accompany Chairman Netero on a mission.
"My Nen beast doesn't have that kind of capability," Kaizen admitted. "Altan can levitate, but it's too limited."
Dominica's gaze shifted to Wendy.
"Wendy."
"Yes?" she answered, her voice faint but resolute.
Dominica pointed upward. "We'll use your ability."
Wendy nodded, taking a deep breath. Aura began to swirl around her, growing denser with each passing second.
"Eat it," Dominica instructed. "Consume your reserves to amplify the wind."
The aura condensed into a vortex, wrapping around all three of them. In an instant, they shot upward, propelled toward the airship at incredible speed.
Kaizen glanced at Wendy. Her face had gone pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"This isn't her specialty," Dominica explained. "She's pushing her limits. Once we're aboard, she'll be too drained to fight. Look after her for me, Kaizen."
"Understood," Kaizen replied firmly.
As they neared the airship's deck, Wendy's strength gave out. The wind collapsed, leaving Kaizen to stabilize their descent.
He caught Wendy's arm with one hand and steadied her waist with the other.
"Thanks," Wendy whispered, her cheeks tinged pink.
Kaizen set her down gently. "Can you stand?"
"I'll manage," she said, though her trembling legs betrayed her.
Before Kaizen could respond, a figure stepped onto the deck.
Ito Xius.
"Welcome," Xius said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Three distinguished guests."
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