Only three people came under the cover of night.
But all three could use aura.
And not the weak kind, either—they were strong.
"Captain, someone just broke in," Ponzu said, noticing movement on the bee radar.
One of her tracking bees had turned into a red dot.
Kaizen glanced in the direction of the signal.
"Gyo."
Even from a distance, Kaizen was already able to pinpoint their aura.
"There are others coming from different directions. Should we warn the others—?"
"No need," Kaizen said, shaking his head.
"The mission we accepted only involves eliminating one of them. Everything else is outside our scope. Don't do anything unnecessary."
That was a Zoldyck family rule.
And Kaizen had learned the same thing in his previous life.
Back then, he'd often gone out of his way to take on tasks that weren't his responsibility. But rather than earning appreciation, he'd always ended up taking the blame when things went wrong.
Since then, Kaizen had grown to despise doing anything extra.
"Got it."
The moment the intruder entered the manor grounds, their speed increased dramatically.
Just as Kaizen was preparing to intercept—
A massive explosion rang out.
Then, from another direction, another loud blast.
Guards from all around the manor rushed to respond.
But they were no match.
A single figure wove through the chaos. Each time their blade fell, a guard went down. Even nen-users among them were helpless.
Then, someone appeared beside Kaizen.
It was Altan.
But Altan wasn't there to fight. Her job was to record everything.
In the world of aura users, intelligence was crucial.
These people weren't Kaizen's enemies now—but that didn't mean they wouldn't be in the future.
Even Tucker fell into that category.
Kaizen didn't think Tucker would personally betray him. But Tucker was a high-ranking officer in the Republic of Saherta. If it came down to choosing between his country and his friends—who would he pick?
Kaizen figured he'd choose the former.
...
Ring ring!
Kaizen's phone buzzed urgently.
"Kaizen, I need you over here," Tucker's voice came through.
"Hm?"
"This one's giving me trouble. Help me hold them off—I'll head to Karoo's side."
"You know our deal, Tucker. I'm only responsible for one target."
"I know."
"…Alright. I'm coming."
Kaizen looked at Ponzu.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
The two of them leapt from a high ledge, hitting the ground and moving quickly toward Tucker's location.
Soon, Kaizen saw the figure clashing with Tucker.
A woman.
She was tall for a woman, with a striking figure—bold curves, bold clothes.
Ponzu glanced at the woman, then at herself, slightly self-conscious.
But Kaizen wasn't focused on her appearance.
He noticed something else.
There were distinctly feline features—ears like a cat's, and paws instead of hands. She radiated a vibrant, primal aura.
Kaizen was reminded of Alita.
This woman had even more pronounced animal traits than Alita, who only had cat ears.
"Is she also a survivor?"
Kaizen didn't dwell on it.
Many of those who survived did so because of his own butterfly effect.
But he hadn't interacted with most of them.
She, like Tucker, was a B-Rank nen user.
Judging by her style, she was likely an Enhancer—skilled in close combat, fast, powerful, and resilient. Tucker had managed to land a hit, but she'd already recovered.
"Natsu!"
Natsu's figure appeared beside Kaizen.
Tucker took the opening to retreat.
The woman moved to pursue—
But Natsu stepped in.
"Dragon's Fist!"
A flaming punch forced her to retreat, dodging quickly.
...
"Kaizen, I'll leave this one to you," Tucker said, exhaling.
Kaizen nodded. "Go check on Karoo."
Without further words, Tucker dashed off. But he couldn't shake what he'd just seen.
"That nen beast… I'm sure that's Kaizen's nen beast."
"But its aura… it's already at Grade A?"
"Has Kaizen really gotten that strong?"
Tucker hadn't sensed it earlier. Kaizen's personal aura didn't feel all that powerful—it still hovered around B-Rank.
But that was intentional.
Kaizen had deliberately suppressed his aura, presenting a weaker front so he could catch enemies off guard.
And in the Beast Summoner style, it wasn't unusual for a Nen beast to be stronger than its master.
Back in the Republic of Saherta, both Natsu and Tucker had been B-Rank.
Tucker had always acknowledged Kaizen's talent, but he never thought Kaizen would surpass him so quickly.
Seeing Natsu radiating A-Rank aura took him by surprise.
If Natsu was A-Rank, then Kaizen's overall strength must have reached A-Rank too.
But how?
"Has he outpaced me already?"
"Maybe I've spent too much energy on political duties."
Still, Tucker didn't regret it.
"For the sake of this country… I have no regrets."
He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the task ahead.
...
"Dark Night…"
Tucker's expression hardened.
"I hope Karoo is okay."
"The enemies tonight are stronger than I expected."
He had assumed he could overpower that woman quickly—but to be suppressed?
That stung.
Was there really someone at his level who could dominate him so easily?
The woman stared at Natsu with alert eyes.
"These two…"
"Where did they come from?"
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