The Strongest Assassin of the Zoldyck Family!

Chapter 293

"Let's begin."

In the next instant, Dick sprang into motion, darting toward Ron. Yet before he could close in, Natsu stepped up to block him. With only a short distance between them, man and Nen Beast began exchanging blows at close range—fists colliding, bodies clashing, weaving, guarding.

They moved with lightning speed.

Standing a ways off, Ron observed from a distance.

Dick's face grew grave. He never imagined that a Nen Beast could fight him on such equal terms.

"A combat-type Nen Beast?"

"Then I guess I'll have to use this."

Dick took a deep breath.

Boom!

Suddenly, flames burst into life in Dick's hand.

Ron couldn't help arching a brow. 

From the get-go, Dick was already weaker than Natsu. Ron had half-hoped Dick's unique ability might give him a better edge, but it turned out to be fire…which Natsu completely overpowered.

"Break!"

Dick hurled fire at Natsu, but it did nothing at all to him.

In the next heartbeat, flames flared around Natsu's own fist.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

His punch slammed forward. Both used fire, yet the difference in effect was stark. Dick's flames couldn't harm Natsu at all, but Natsu's punch sent Dick flying. Natsu's raw power was simply overwhelming, and it took Dick a long moment to struggle back to his feet.

Ron walked over as Dick wore a wry smile. 

"I lost," he muttered. "You're way stronger than I expected. The gap between us is huge. Can I ask how old you are?"

"I'm almost twelve."

"Twelve…almost?" 

Dick stared in disbelief before his forced smile deepened. 

"If you're that strong, I can't possibly stand a chance against a Zoldyck my own age."

He gave a long sigh. 

"Now I understand why the Zoldycks are the world's top assassin family."

"You're number one because there's just no one above you."

"And we, the Bodo Assassins, can claim second only because there's just one Zoldyck family."

Hauling himself upright, Dick added, "I'm way out of my depth. I used to think I was doing pretty well, but this makes it clear how narrow my perspective was. There are too many people in this world stronger or more gifted than me."

"Thanks for giving me the fight I wanted."

He turned, ready to leave. Ron called after him:

"That token doesn't specify a single user. You could come along, see what happens."

"No, thanks." Dick waved him off. "Right now, I just need some quiet alone time."

"By the way, I don't know your name," he said, pausing. "Could I have it if you don't mind? Maybe a way to reach you? I lost so thoroughly, but I can't help feeling unwilling to let it end here. Once I get stronger, I'd like to challenge you again."

Ron considered briefly. "All right."

He gave Dick his email address and didn't bother hiding his own name.

"I'm Ron."

Dick had already seen Ron's face; with a little effort, he could find that name in the Sky Arena's records, where Ron had made a name for himself. As far as Ron was concerned, it wasn't worth keeping secret.

Dick disappeared quickly into the darkness.

Natsu handed the token to Ron. 

It resembled Dominica's book-type Nen artifact—something that pointed the way to a specific location.

"Following that direction should lead us to our destination," Ron noted.

He had no intention of touching the token himself, leaving it to Natsu instead.

"Let's go."

Man and Nen Beast set off at an impressive pace. Ron rode the bicycle, Natsu perched on the back. Only those who had mastered Gyoor otherwise sensed Nen could see Natsu. Ordinary people were blind to his presence.

"Logically, since they hid the token here, the destination can't be too far. Whoever in Kakin set this up wouldn't make it impossible. Otherwise, it'd take forever."

All of a sudden, Ron frowned.

"This direction…isn't that back toward the city with Sky Arena?"

"Could the meetup point be there?"

"If that's the case, then the Kurta Clan's hiding place obviously isn't the next stop."

His eyes flashed with calculation. 

"Oh well. I'll find out soon enough."

Upon entering the city, the token's guidance led Ron to an old, somewhat run-down restaurant. 

A sign read: "Craving Some Grilled Meat Today?"

Ron's eye twitched slightly. Then he pushed the door open and walked inside.

There were only a few customers, and all of them glanced over when Ron entered. A server at the front desk looked him over.

"Go straight down that hallway," the server said. "Take the elevator to B2."

He was also a Nen user.

Ron nodded, followed the corridor to a door, opened it, and found an elevator inside. Pressing the down button, he stepped in.

"Ding!"

Moments later, the doors opened at Basement Level 2, and two sets of eyes quickly took him in. Both men looked a bit surprised at first—then, sensing Ron's aura, their astonishment lessened.

At nearly twelve, Ron looked a bit older than someone like Killua or Gon might have, partly due to the adult mindset inhabiting his body. He came off closer to fourteen or fifteen, which was still young but not unbelievably so for a Nen user.

A single table was set up, with a young man on one side and an older man on the other.

"Welcome," the young man said with a polite smile. "Please, have a seat. We'll have to wait a bit—one more person hasn't arrived yet."

Ron nodded and took the seat he indicated. Clearly, this young man was the host. The aura he gave off felt oddly familiar to Ron, much like the energies around Morena back in the Underworld Mafia.

After about half an hour, another figure appeared. Ron raised an eyebrow at the sight, while the newcomer froze in surprise upon seeing Ron.

They recognized each other.

This man was one of the Floor Masters at Sky Arena—a mid-lower-ranked one. Ron had once watched him fight in the tournament, stronger than Doppo Mita but still at about C-level in terms of Nen and a Transmutation user. A couple of years back, it might've been tough to guess who was stronger between them. Now, Ron had definitely surpassed him. Over two years, Ron's growth far outstripped the Floor Master's.