"Nen is the power of the mind. It's a superhuman ability activated through willpower. Once you gain this ability, you can see things beyond normal perception and wield incredible strength."
Kurapika gave a clear, concise explanation to Prince Zhang Lei in the Fourteenth Prince's quarters.
After the interrogation, at Ronnel's signal, Bill also began explaining to the Queen to help her stay calm in the face of the strange phenomenon that had just unfolded.
Ronnel had no intention of standing around idle. He quickly released a number of Beelzebub particle clones to monitor the movements of the other princes—and the king.
Judging by the current state of things, tonight wouldn't end with just one bloody incident.
And meanwhile, a curious idea was beginning to take shape in Ronnel's mind.
But before deciding whether to move forward with it, he needed to observe the status of all the princes and get a clear read on the overall situation.
"There are very few people capable of using this kind of power," Kurapika continued.
He glanced subtly at the guards flanking Third Prince Zhang Lei—standing straight in their military and formal suits, appearing composed, but clearly listening closely to every word.
"This succession war is a survival battle driven by Nen. Each prince has already, unknowingly, been granted Nen abilities."
Kurapika was still speaking when he suddenly grew alert, narrowing his eyes and ears—though this time it wasn't money that had caught his attention.
A guardian spirit beast had suddenly materialized behind Prince Zhang Lei, who was visibly startled and fell silent in deep thought.
It resembled a solar disk—a radiant golden wheel like the ones found in ancient Greco-Ronnic mythology. The outer ring connected to a circular turntable resembling a coin, divided into eight long segments.
At its center was a simple face made from three "一" (horizontal stroke) marks: two short ones forming eyes on top, and a long one underneath shaped like a mouth.
Above the eyes, on the forehead, was a "+" symbol resembling a battery's positive terminal.
"Is that his guardian spirit beast?!"
Kurapika stared at the creature hovering above Zhang Lei. The guards at the prince's sides showed no reaction, standing as if nothing had happened. Suppressing the surge of tension in his chest, Kurapika continued steadily:
"The Nen granted to each prince manifests as a beast born of their aura—Nen Beasts, as mentioned in the earlier emergency broadcast. It seems that the pot ceremony served as the trigger."
Seeing that Zhang Lei and his guards were paying rapt attention, Kurapika's tone grew more serious.
"What I'm about to say could drastically influence this entire succession war... Are you sure it's safe to discuss it under these circumstances?"
His gaze didn't flinch as he looked at the two guards beside Zhang Lei—whose expressions subtly shifted.
Zhang Lei scanned the room calmly.
One was Coventoba, a soldier sent by First Prince Benjamin, wearing standard military garb. The other was Slakka, a royal guard in a black suit, loyal to Second Prince Camilla.
Neither was a loyal follower of Zhang Lei.
Faced with two political plants embedded in his camp, Zhang Lei's expression turned contemplative.
...
Meanwhile, only four hours had passed since the Black Whale had departed.
Over in Room 1013, inside the domain of Thirteenth Prince Marayam—
Hanzo, who had been forcibly brought over by Queen Sevanti from Twelfth Prince Momoze's quarters, glanced toward a specific corner and muttered in a tense voice:
"Leorio... that thing... it's really gotten bigger, hasn't it?"
"Yeah…" Leorio replied, voice low and uneasy. "It's not just bigger—it knows we can see it now."
The two of them stared ahead, fear flickering in their eyes.
Directly in front of them was an ordinary-looking dining table.
And sitting happily behind it was Prince Marayam, cheerfully eating with a child's innocent delight—food smeared all over his face.
"Really, Mal… You've made a mess again~"
Queen Sevanti dabbed at Marayam's cheeks with a tissue, her expression scolding yet full of affection.
Marayam paid no mind to Hanzo and Leorio's unease, continuing to stuff food into his mouth gleefully.
But their concern wasn't about the boy's eating habits—it was focused on the gigantic Nen Beast looming behind him.
Its upper body was massive, with muscular arms and a back armored in black, jagged scales. Its lower half resembled a crocodile, supported by multiple lizard-like legs.
Its head was a grotesque blend of several creatures—equine, bovine, porcine, and more—distorted into the visage of a Western-style dragon.
Leorio and Hanzo whispered to one another—it was clearly Marayam's guardian spirit beast.
Privately, they'd dubbed it "Crocodile Pig Dragon," mostly due to the unmistakable pig snout on its reptilian face.
Even Ronnel's Clone No. 5 raised an eyebrow in silent surprise at the creature.
It wasn't just its sheer size that had evolved—its aura had grown dense and ominous.
But...
"This isn't... a combat-type?" Clone No. 5 muttered to himself.
Despite its intimidating size, he recalled that this beast's abilities leaned more toward spatial manipulation—like movement-based or game-related powers.
Its category suggested immense potential, but its combat capability didn't quite match its monstrous appearance. Ronnel couldn't help but feel a touch of disappointment—such a waste of that menacing physique.
Still, there was no need for sentiment.
Thanks to his stealthy positioning, the guardian beast hadn't noticed him.
Its attention remained locked onto Leorio and Hanzo.
It was almost hard to believe that just two hours ago—when Hanzo was dragged over by Sevanti from Prince Momoze's side—this Crocodile Pig Dragon had only been about the size of a sofa...
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)