They were never underestimating Xiang Nan.
His skill, cunning, and ability to pull strings were never in doubt—not from the Association, and certainly not from Ging Freecss.
But they had overlooked one thing: Xiang Nan's level of Multiverse knowledge as a Nameless Town player.
Up until now, the Association—and V5—had only dealt with Nameless Town members who knew very little. That gave them a warped impression of the group's "information level." Even with Xiang Nan's talent and combat prowess, they assumed his intel on the Multiverse wouldn't be much different from the others.
The Nameless Town members who'd died in the Association were already considered "top of the food chain" in their own circle, holding what was thought to be the most complete intel possible.
Over the years, V5 and other world powers had confirmed Nameless Town wasn't an immediate threat, but they still kept tabs on it.
That changed after the Zaban City incident—when the existence of the "Multiverse" started bleeding into view, forcing V5 and the Hunters Association to finally take it seriously.
Before that, the Hunter world had never experienced an invasion on such a scale.
Now, Ging Freecss understood: Xiang Nan's understanding of the Multiverse far outstripped anything the "human side" of this world had. He knew more than any player.
And when you can't even imagine or comprehend what's coming, you can't analyze it, predict it, or see the future.
That was Xiang Nan's real trump card for killing Pariston.
"Honestly," Xiang Nan said evenly, "it doesn't matter who they send—even Beyond. He'd still die."
Beyond?
Ging's brow twitched. Clearly, the name rang a faint bell, but there was no familiarity there.
From that tiny reaction, Xiang Nan could tell—Ging might know of Beyond, but not the tangled connections between him, the Kakin Empire, and Pariston. Netero knew, but had kept it to himself.
"Three minutes," Xiang Nan went on. "Even if you attack me now, I just need to hold you for three minutes. That's all it takes. Pariston will be dead."
A faint smirk curled at his lips.
Ging didn't buy it—not completely.
Pariston wasn't weak. He was a Three-Star Hunter, one of the Twelve Zodiacs, the youngest Vice Chairman in history. If there really was a cursed spirit strong enough to kill someone like him, the balance of their world would be in serious trouble.
Sure, based on his observations of Jogo, Ging could believe the spirit could pose a threat.
But killing Pariston in just minutes? That sounded like fantasy.
And yet—because Xiang Nan said it—he couldn't entirely dismiss the idea.
…
Inside Jogo's domain, Coffin of the Iron Mountain, Pariston was pulled in instantly.
The heat slammed into him, erasing the polite smile from his face. He casually tossed aside a severed arm—Jogo's—and activated his Nen, pushing back against the burning pressure of the strange space.
He looked around and quickly understood—this was a special space created by his opponent's ability, a volcanic heart filled with molten rock.
Jogo, panting and looking a little roughed up, grinned at the wary man across from him.
"Heh… not bad. Normally, a human steps into my domain and they're vaporized instantly. You're still standing."
The taunt didn't hide the truth—Jogo had been rattled.
Pariston's combat pressure was unlike any Hunter Jogo had killed before. In close combat, Jogo had been completely outmatched, losing an arm despite fighting alongside Hanami.
So he hadn't hesitated—he went straight for his Domain Expansion. Arrogant or not, once he recognized true danger, he adapted fast.
And Xiang Nan had already told him exactly how to kill Pariston.
"You're using Nen to offset my Domain's burn, huh…" Jogo narrowed his eyes, following the draining flow of Pariston's aura.
Then, Pariston vanished—only for a wave of molten rock to crash toward him. He dodged, but a towering pillar of fire swallowed him whole.
…
Back with Xiang Nan and Ging, Xiang Nan explained:
"The two cursed spirits Pariston's up against are special-grade in their world—absolute top-tier. Each can use a move called a Domain. Think of it like Nen, but they create a sealed space using their world's energy and overlay it with their own ability. Inside, they get a power boost.
Pariston can figure out unfamiliar fighting styles. That's not the issue—it's time.
The real danger is the guaranteed hit. You can't dodge it. You either tank it or die—and each hit burns through your aura.
Hunters can't match cursed spirits in raw output. Our aura might be higher in quality, but their power floods in like a tidal wave. That cursed energy can swallow him whole.
Once his aura runs dry, that's it.
They won't let him close the distance, either. I told the cursed spirit to watch for any Nen activity, follow the aura flow, and shut him down before he could use his ability. Killing spirits like these isn't about fighting head-on—at least not with the current world skill level. We survive by adapting.
But Pariston? The moment he got pulled into that Domain, his fate was sealed."
…
Inside, Pariston's suit was burned to ash, his skin smoking.
The spirit laughed at the sight.
"I get it now…"
Pariston looked at his charred skin. His aura was almost gone—the output gap was too massive. Nen couldn't keep up.
He realized three things in those final moments:
First—when fighting Multiverse enemies, energy level and output are everything. Nen might rank "above" cursed energy, but overwhelming volume closes that gap.
Second—cursed spirits don't power themselves like humans. They draw from the outside world, and in ridiculous amounts. World logic didn't apply.
Third—Xiang Nan knew all of this and had kept it quiet. No one here knew enough about the Multiverse to catch the omission.
You couldn't dodge in a Domain. Here, the spirit was god. There had to be a way to break it—but he didn't have the time or knowledge.
And Xiang Nan had clearly told Jogo how Nen worked. Even without understanding it, tracking aura flow was enough to guard against it.
Which meant—Pariston knew he was finished.
But not because Xiang Nan beat him directly. He was dying because he'd lost to the unknown.
"Die!"
Jogo roared, and dozens of lava pillars like dragon heads shot out, weaving a burning crimson net that closed around Pariston.
He didn't panic. He just looked Jogo in the eye, smiled, and lifted a hand.
"See you in hell. I'll be waiting."
"If I'm dead, it means Xiang Nan's already sentenced you to death. None of you are getting out of here alive. Honestly… you're all too weak."
In his final seconds, Pariston didn't resist—he looked almost pleased.
If Xiang Nan had gone to all this trouble to get rid of him, it meant the man truly hated him. Perfect. The best gift Pariston could ask for.
And he meant every word—these cursed spirits were weak.
If he'd had Xiang Nan's intel, he could have killed Jogo easily instead of ending up like this.
BOOM.
The flames engulfed him, molten waves exploding upward.
…
Above, the Domain shattered.
Ging's eyes narrowed—Pariston's presence was gone.
The winner… was Xiang Nan.
Without looking back, Xiang Nan turned toward the battlefield.
"Come on. The trash is taken out. Time to wrap this up."