Chapter 884
Chrollo believed it was his desire to steal Tserriednich's ability that had given the man a chance to act. If not for that hesitation, Tserriednich could have been killed much earlier—and if that had happened, Pakunoda would still be alive.
The memories came flooding back, tearing at him from within.
He had known Pakunoda for a very long time—longer even than Machi, Feitan, or Sarasa. Back then, she had always been at Chrollo's side, quietly watching over them all. Chrollo had also known of her feelings toward him.
But now, she was dead. Chosen as a vessel by Tserriednich's Nen beast, her body had become the medium for its evolution. That grotesque creature had grown stronger atop her corpse.
Chrollo couldn't help but think of Uvogin and Kortopi—others they had lost back in Yorknew.
In the next moment, his gaze sharpened.
It wasn't just him—the entire Phantom Troupe had shifted. Pakunoda's death had pushed them into a fully serious state. No one was holding back anymore. They gave Tserriednich no room to breathe.
Chrollo and Feitan coordinated their attacks to keep him pinned, while the others worked to contain the Nen beast. Kurapika held back, watching and waiting for the right opportunity.
Tserriednich used another ability and barely avoided a fatal blow, but his condition was deteriorating. He was panting heavily, clearly exhausted, and his aura was almost depleted. His stamina was running dangerously low.
"Keep going!" Chrollo commanded coldly.
Tserriednich struggled to defend himself. But that was the moment Kurapika slipped in from behind.
A chain extended from his hand, piercing toward Tserriednich with precision.
He could no longer activate his ability in time. He failed to avoid Kurapika's strike.
Squelch!
The chain drove into his body.
"Chain Jai!"
Kurapika activated his ability.
Tserriednich's body froze, and in the next instant, he felt a rush of something being pulled from within—his aura, his Nen, his entire ability system being forcibly extracted from him at high speed. It was as if his power was being yanked out by force.
The process was relentless, and under its effects, Tserriednich was forcibly thrown into Zetsu. He couldn't use aura. He couldn't activate any Nen techniques. In that moment, he was no different from an ordinary man.
"Kurapika," Chrollo said, watching him closely, "can we kill him now?"
Kurapika shook his head. "If he dies, the ability I just extracted will vanish with him."
"What kind of ability is it?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'll need some time to analyze it."
Chrollo nodded silently. Then he turned a page in his book. A massive cloth appeared in his hand, which he used to wrap Tserriednich's body completely. Once secured, the cloth began to shrink.
He took out a box and carefully placed the now-shrunken body inside.
As Tserriednich disappeared—and with his Nen aura gone—the evolved creature born from the Nen beast began to shrivel. It gradually withered and eventually faded out of existence entirely.
They approached Pakunoda's corpse in silence.
"Let's head back," Chrollo said.
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Far away, Nasubi frowned.
The Phantom Troupe hadn't killed Tserriednich—they had taken him away. That wasn't ideal for the Egg of the King ceremony. Without a death, Tserriednich's potential couldn't be fully harvested for the ritual.
Nasubi's eyes narrowed.
"Let's wait and see. But if this still isn't enough, I won't let you keep the Fourth Prince."
At this stage, the succession war was nearing its conclusion. The Egg of the King ceremony was almost complete. The sealed entity was on the verge of manifesting.
But in Nasubi's mind, one more prince still had to die.
The Third Prince—Zhang Lei Hui Guo Rou.
He wasn't of Nasubi's bloodline. Nasubi intended to use this opportunity to eliminate him, erasing the shameful reality that Guo Rou had been born from another man. It would allow him to kill Guo Rou discreetly, plug him into the ritual, and eliminate a loose end all at once.
Three benefits. One clean solution.
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Flames crackled nearby.
Chrollo gathered Pakunoda's ashes, sealing them in a small glass vial. He kept the vial close, likely as a form of apology—or perhaps as a final gesture to fulfill the wish she had carried in life.
"Kurapika, is the analysis finished?"
"It is," Kurapika said, nodding. Then he turned to Chrollo and explained what he had discovered about Tserriednich's ability.
"A time manipulation ability… no wonder," Chrollo murmured, his expression turning contemplative.
A harsh coughing sound interrupted the moment.
Everyone turned toward the source.
"Nobunaga, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said, shaking his head. But no one believed that. His aura was visibly weakened—far below normal. His symptoms resembled those Pakunoda had shown before her death.
Kurapika stepped forward.
"Healing Chain."
The chain emerged but was quickly withdrawn.
Kurapika's ability had no effect. Nobunaga's condition was beyond the reach of healing chains.
"Maybe we should ask Machi." Hooker commented.
But Hooker wasn't thinking of Machi—he was thinking of Ron.
Unfortunately, the Phantom Troupe had no direct connection to Ron. Their only option was to reach out through Machi, hoping she could convince Ron to help—even just to examine the situation.
"I'll make contact," Chrollo said after a long pause.
With Pakunoda gone, he didn't want to lose Nobunaga as well. Even if Nobunaga had always been prepared to die for the Troupe, a comrade was still a comrade. Losing one was painful. Losing another so soon was something he wanted to avoid.
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Elsewhere, the moment the Phantom Troupe launched their assault on Tserriednich, his subordinates had immediately contacted Morena and the Heil-Ly Family.
The two factions had formed an alliance.
Morena had agreed to help Tserriednich win the succession war. In return, once he secured the throne, he would reward the Heil-Ly Family with power and influence.
But Morena's mind was no longer on the war.
When the request for support came in, she hesitated.
By the time she received the next message, it was already news of Tserriednich's death.
She sat in a chair, swirling a glass of red wine in one hand. The scent of the wine drifted lightly through the air.
Two figures entered the room.
Morena glanced at them without much interest.
"So, you've made up your minds?"
"Yes."
"In that case, go. Take anyone who's willing to follow. But those who aren't—you have no right to drag them away. The Heil-Ly Family still answers to me."
One of the young men glared at her.
"So you're really siding with Kakin?"
Morena smiled faintly. "What do you think?"
He opened his mouth to argue, but his companion pulled him back.
Scowling, he gave Morena one last look before leaving with the other man.
She watched them go and shook her head. "Second-rate fools. Do they even count as Kakin's people?"
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