Hunter X Hunter: The Strongest Assassin Of The Zoldyck Family!

The ground was drenched in blood, painting a grisly scene of carnage.

Dandins' massive, monstrous form was beginning to shrink, his strength waning with each passing moment. Under the relentless attacks of Kaizen's cursed blade and the relentless pressure from the Killer Queen, his once-dominating presence had been reduced to a shadow of itself.

This opening gave Raiken the opportunity he had been waiting for.

"Strike!"

Raiken's fist landed squarely on Dandins' core, creating a powerful shockwave that rippled outward. The sheer force of the blow made Dandins stagger and reel backward, his enormous figure trembling uncontrollably.

The impact left Dandins stunned. His gaze shifted to Kaizen, cold fury burning in his eyes.

"You insolent brat... Do you think this is your victory?" he growled, his voice dripping with venom.

"You dare to oppose me? You dare to invade and seek my death? I underestimated you... but don't think you'll escape unscathed!"

Dandins' voice rose with desperation, his aura flaring wildly.

"You'll regret this! Even if I die, you will never escape Orion! The world's underworld will hunt you down! You'll be destroyed!"

With those words, Dandins began to condense the remnants of his aura. His monstrous body began to disintegrate, chunks of flesh falling lifelessly to the floor.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted.

"Boom!"

A dark shadow shot out from the remnants of Dandins' body, bypassing Raiken's defenses and hurtling toward Kaizen. But just as it neared him, Raiken clapped his hands together.

"Switch!"

Kaizen and the Killer Queen exchanged positions in an instant, and the attack meant for Kaizen struck the Killer Queen instead. The resulting impact tore a gaping hole through the Nen Beast's form. Yet, the Killer Queen, being a creation of aura, stood unshaken, its expression unreadable.

Dandins, now returned to his human form, looked pitiful—half his body destroyed, his life force nearly drained.

"You… still had a hidden ability?" he croaked, his face contorted with pain and fury.

Kaizen, calm and composed, gestured for the Killer Queen to move forward.

The Nen Beast lifted a rock and brought it down onto Dandins' head with a sickening thud.

"First Bomb," Kaizen intoned coldly.

Dandins' fading consciousness caught Kaizen's quiet words.

"Kaizen Zoldyck."

The name sent shockwaves through Dandins.

"Zoldyck...?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

For a moment, his mind raced. Unlike the five death row inmates who had died with a sense of twisted honor at being killed by a Zoldyck, Dandins felt only despair. He realized the truth—no matter how powerful he had been, the Zoldyck name would shield Kaizen from the wrath of the world's underworld.

Dandins roared in frustration, his voice echoing through the chamber. But it was too late. The Killer Queen activated its ability, reducing Dandins' body to ash and annihilating all traces of his existence.

A Thought That Lingers

As the dust settled, a strange, eerie aura filled the air.

Kaizen's eyes narrowed. This sensation... it was the same as when Carlisle had died.

The cursed blade at his waist trembled, eager and restless.

"Is this… the thought of death?" Kaizen muttered.

Before him, a ghostly shadow materialized. It was Dandins' will, twisted and vengeful.

"You won't escape me, Zoldyck!" the shadow shrieked, charging at Kaizen with desperate fury.

Kaizen unsheathed his cursed blade, its edge gleaming ominously. With one swift motion, he slashed through the apparition. The deathly thought split in two, and the blade greedily absorbed it, drinking in the residual aura.

As the cursed blade stilled, Kaizen exhaled slowly, sheathing it once more.

The Killer Queen meticulously cleaned up the remains of Dandins, detonating every fragment until nothing remained.

Kaizen glanced at the crystal ball before him, noting the progress bar. It had reached halfway.

"Almost there," he murmured. "It's time to leave Orion."

Moving Forward

"Altan has gathered enough intelligence. Next, I'll infiltrate the core of the world's underworld, but I need to change my approach."

Kaizen had originally accepted Greed's invitation because of his status. Greed's connections allowed Kaizen to access key locations like Orion City. But now, with more knowledge, Kaizen realized that Orion was just one piece of the puzzle.

The world's underworld operated on a broader scale. Cities like Yorknew served as international hubs, trading platforms where the underworld's goods and services reached the wider world.

Kaizen smirked. "Yorknew... a port of opportunity. If Orion is the factory, then Yorknew is the marketplace. I'll gain even more there."

His cursed blade pulsed faintly at his side, now enhanced by the thought of death it had consumed.

"… this is going to be interesting."

Kaizen picked up Dandins' phone and typed out a message to Greed. A moment later, he hit send.

Greed's Ignorance

Far away, Greed received the message, his excitement bubbling over.

"It's done?" he exclaimed. "Already? Perfect! Dandins came through as expected. Now, I'll have the strength of the Shadow Beasts! I'll finally take my place among them!"

His overconfidence blinded him as he hurried to the agreed meeting place. Entering the cavernous chamber, he called out, "Dandins, I'm here!"

But the only answer was silence.

As he looked down, an arrow etched into the ground pointed ominously forward.

------------

+180 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub