The furious figure stumbled to the side, unable to maintain balance. Half an arm and shoulder were gone, leaving behind a gory, exposed wound. Blood streamed down, staining the ground beneath.
Yet, instead of weakening, the aura around him grew even stronger.
"Good!"
"Very good!"
Fury's eyes burned with rage, feeding on his escalating emotions. His anger seemed to be his power.
Kaizen couldn't help but recall a similar phenomenon he'd seen before. It reminded him of the Gluttony fight in The Seven Deadly Sins. Despite losing his head, Gluttony had resurrected through Carlisle's gaze.
Likewise, Wrath, another member of the Seven Deadly Sins, only grew stronger as his injuries multiplied. His rage became his fuel, and the more he fought, the fiercer he became.
"From the looks of it," Kaizen thought, "this Nen ability is similar."
Raiken wasn't giving Fury any respite. He pressed his attack relentlessly, weaving between strikes and forcing Fury into a tight entanglement.
Kaizen brandished his weathered blade, a shadow of malevolence glinting off its edge. The blade had grown stronger after absorbing the malicious aura of Dandins.
With a single slash, Kaizen unleashed its power. Threads of shadowy energy clung to Fury's battered form, burrowing into his wounds. These eerie worm-like projections were far more numerous than when Kaizen last used this technique against Dandins.
Nearby, Killer Queen hurled a jagged rock at Fury.
Caught up in Raiken's relentless assault, Fury couldn't avoid the strike. The rock landed with devastating force, triggering another explosion.
Fury's body was now barely recognizable. His arm dangled by threads, a leg was missing, his chest caved in, and his abdomen was punctured by a gaping hole. His face was bloodied and scarred, with ears torn off, a collapsed nose, and a sunken expression.
Yet Fury's aura remained balanced—neither diminishing nor escalating.
Kaizen frowned.
"This Nen ability… It's built for long, drawn-out fights. His balance is his art," he realized. "But serious injuries will take their toll over time."
Kaizen's strategy was clear. He needed to outlast Fury.
As Raiken's strikes grew sharper and more precise, the writhing projections from Kaizen's blade multiplied. Fury's once-formidable aura began to falter.
Killer Queen saw her opening. She picked up a wooden staff, tossed it to Raiken, and nodded.
Raiken tightened his grip on the staff and swept low, smashing Fury's remaining leg out from under him. Fury stumbled, losing his balance entirely.
Seizing the moment, Raiken drove the staff into Fury's caved-in chest.
A sickening crunch echoed as the wood pierced deep into Fury's flesh. Killer Queen activated her ability, triggering an explosion from within Fury's body.
The blast annihilated his chest, sending chunks of flesh and bone flying in all directions. Fury's eyes widened, his face twisted in disbelief.
Killer Queen stepped forward, cold and methodical, delivering the final blow.
By the time she was done, there was nothing left of Fury but blood and dust.
...
The Next Day
Kaizen left the small cabin behind. The traces of his stay had been wiped clean, leaving no evidence to connect him to this place—or to Orion's affairs.
But his mind lingered on the fight.
"The Shadow Beasts truly live up to their name," Kaizen muttered to himself. "Even compared to the Seven Deadly Sins, their strength is exceptional."
"Still, for all their power, they're not invincible. Two Shadow Beasts together would be a challenge, but manageable. Three, though… I'd lose for sure."
He recalled the Phantom Troupe, the group that had decimated the Shadow Beasts in the past. Their power dwarfed his own.
"I need to grow stronger," Kaizen admitted to himself. "I hope the fourth Nen Beast appears soon."
As he moved deeper into the forest, a faint, metallic tang filled the air. Blood. Kaizen sniffed, turning toward the source.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him. Kaizen glanced back to see a group of armed men—enforcers of the Mafia. The moment they spotted him, they raised their guns, taking aim.
Kaizen sighed.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
With three precise strikes, the enforcers collapsed in a heap.
Kaizen continued toward the bloody scent, pausing briefly when he spotted a lone figure.
"If you have nowhere else to go," Kaizen said without turning around, "head north. Go to Meteor City. Don't look back."
He left the figure behind, his mind already on his next challenge.
Meteor City—the lawless wasteland of forgotten people and discarded things. A place few could survive.
...
Orion
In a dimly lit meeting room, one of the leader of the Mafia Community sat at the head of the table, his expression grim. Around him, a dozen senior cadres and the Shadow Beasts listened in silence.
"This debacle has cost us dearly," the leader growled. "Not just Orion, but our entire organization. The riot at the No. 2 base, the escape of the test subjects, and the betrayal of Dandins…"
He slammed a fist on the table.
"Dandins walked away with everything—all the research, all the data. Such betrayal is unforgivable."
"Send the word: raise his bounty to 20 billion Jenny. No matter the cost, bring him back."
The room was silent, but the weight of the leader's command was unmistakable.
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