Xiang Nan dropped through the hole in the floor, landing on the level below.
Down there, the three combatants had already stopped fighting—right as Illumi's call came through.
That could only mean one thing: the Ten Dons were dead.
As soon as Zeno and Silva got the news, they turned around and left. With their client dead, there was no point in continuing the fight.
Still, before they left, Chrollo couldn't help but ask Zeno one last thing:
"If it were a real one-on-one, a serious fight… would I have any shot at killing one of you? Could I win?"
Zeno just laughed at him—mercilessly. And honestly.
Chrollo had a feeling they were holding back. Throughout the fight, he could tell Zeno and Silva weren't going all out.
They never meant to kill him.
Sure, they weren't playing around either. But if he couldn't survive that much? Then dying would've been on him.
With his question answered, Chrollo dropped to the floor and let out a tired smile.
Before Zeno pushed open the door to leave, he gave Xiang Nan a deliberate look.
It was obvious—he was the one Zeno really cared about, not Chrollo.
"…Damn, they're strong," Chrollo muttered from the ground.
Xiang Nan had said that Silva alone could probably beat him—killing him was another matter.
It wasn't just talk either. Silva and Zeno still looked fine, but Chrollo was completely spent.
The difference was clear.
"You really weren't gonna step in at all, huh…"
Chrollo cracked one eye open and glanced sideways at Xiang Nan.
"Didn't need to," Xiang Nan replied. "Even if you died, I could've brought you back. No point starting beef with them."
"…Fair."
Chrollo pushed himself up from the rubble, still breathing heavy, then locked eyes with Xiang Nan.
"You just wanted to use this fight to study the Zoldycks, didn't you? Well? I risked my ass testing them for you—satisfied?"
Xiang Nan paused, then smiled slightly.
This guy… really is sharp.
"Not bad," he replied. "Got a decent read. The old man held back a lot, clearly wasn't serious—so his real strength's still a mystery. But Silva? I've got a good sense of what he's capable of."
"What about you?" Chrollo asked suddenly. "One-on-one—could you take him out?"
"In a straight-up fight, power's only one piece of the puzzle," Xiang Nan said after thinking.
"There's terrain, prep, how well we know each other. If I have time to prep… yeah, I probably have a shot at winning. But actually killing him? That'd still be tough."
"So you're saying you're stronger than he is?" Chrollo asked—referring, of course, to Silva.
Xiang Nan smirked. "What do you think?"
They'd known each other long enough. Fought before. As someone in the middle of it all, Chrollo's opinion carried weight.
"He doesn't feel as dangerous as you," Chrollo admitted.
"That's because… he never intended to kill you," Xiang Nan replied.
"Reading someone is one thing. Fighting them for real is another. Maybe if it came down to it, I'd be the one who dies.
Fights between Hunters are never a simple win or lose—it's always percentages. Probabilities.
But there's always a wild card."
With that, Xiang Nan stepped through the door the Zoldycks had opened and walked out.
He raised one hand in a casual wave behind him.
"The Ten Dons are dead… Now the real chaos in the underworld begins.
Tell Meteor City to get ready to pump 'fresh blood' into the Mafia.
A lot of factions are getting restless.
This is the perfect time for you rats to cash in—your chance to crawl out of the sewers and step into the light."
And just like that, Xiang Nan was gone.
"…Not a single loose end," Chrollo said with a small grin.
That comparison with Silva? Just a way to feel Xiang Nan out.
And Xiang Nan did imply he was on Silva's level—enough to intimidate Chrollo.
But he never said it outright, never locked himself into a statement.
So was he bluffing? Posturing? Or did he really have the power to rival Silva Zoldyck?
In the end—it didn't matter. The threat had landed.
Chrollo knew one of Xiang Nan's secrets—Multiverse.
And in his mind, even if Xiang Nan wasn't Silva's equal yet, he was already far stronger than himself.
And with that kind of growth potential… it was only a matter of time before he left even Zeno in the dust.
A ship bound for the future—there's no way Chrollo was going to miss that ride.
…
Outside the mausoleum-like tower, gunfire and explosions still echoed.
Xiang Nan picked up his phone. Mia was calling.
"It's time," he said coldly. "Start the operation before word gets out that the Ten Dons are dead."
"Meteor City's enforcers already have eyes on Edi's inner circle, right?"
"Good. Pull the net tight."
"Don't worry. The Spiders will clear the way for the Zatobi family."
"Yeah. The Phantom Troupe."
A few more words, then he hung up.
…
In Yorknew City, Mia slowly lowered her phone, still reeling.
The Phantom Troupe—the ones who just killed the Ten Dons and sent the entire underworld into chaos—they're working for him?
So this whole thing… start to finish… was all Xiang Nan's script?
And just like that, he'd flipped the underworld's power structure on its head.
"Everything… exactly as he predicted. He saw all of this a year ago—and nothing's deviated since."
Having been involved since the beginning, Mia felt it in her bones: Xiang Nan was terrifying.
She knew the Spiders wouldn't openly help the Zatobi family eliminate rivals inside the Republic of Padokea.
But she also knew the Spiders. Those thieves never took orders from anyone.
Even if you had Mafia support or Meteor City connections—it wouldn't be enough to buy them.
"…Get the ship ready. I'm heading back to the Republic of Padokea immediately."
Moments later, she summoned her team and gave the order.
"Yes, ma'am."