---
From an intelligence perspective, although the enemy had divided into three forces, they were currently advancing along only two main routes.
"Good. We'll intercept the heavier one. Leave the lighter force to the old man and his group," Kai ordered calmly.
In a few swift sentences, Kai laid out the entire battle plan.
Ordinarily, Silva and Zeno would never have accepted orders from an outsider. The thought of anyone commanding the Zoldyck family was laughable — like a hen pretending to soar like a hawk.
But things were different now. After spending time together — and after Kai had generously provided rare magical beast meat and miraculous healing beans — Silva and Zeno had come to acknowledge his leadership.
In their eyes, killing was killing. Whether for coin or for pride, it made little difference. Kai's wishes were worth honoring.
Within moments, all the Nen users had assembled.
"Move out!!" Kai barked.
---
The enemy moved swiftly.
By the time Kai's forces intercepted them, they had already reached the heart of the garbage district.
The air was thick with poisonous gases, radiation, and the faint crackle of unstable explosives. For centuries, Meteor City's inhabitants had discarded every kind of refuse here.
Items of value were often scavenged and refurbished for reuse, but much of the waste deemed worthless had been left to rot — towering heaps, some as high as small hills.
The dangers were not always immediate. Centuries of chemical reactions had created unpredictable hazards beneath the surface.
The people of Meteor City understood: the garbage district was a death trap. Even the slightest disturbance could set off a catastrophic chain reaction.
Despite knowing this, the enemy pressed forward.
"There's hardly anyone on their side..." Uvogin grumbled, sounding almost insulted.
Across the wasteland stood barely twenty adversaries, while Kai had assembled over sixty fighters.
As more residents awakened their Nen abilities, the Dawn Group now boasted over ninety capable Nen users — a true rising power within Meteor City.
"Idiot," Nobunaga muttered coldly.
Only a fool would judge strength by numbers alone. Those who dared to stand before them now were all elites. Many of Kai's men were still novices; despite their growing numbers, true battle experience was scarce.
"Owl, Earthworm, Rabid Dog, Porcupine..." Kai murmured, recognizing several familiar faces.
As expected, the Shadow Beasts had not changed much.
"Watch out for the dog-like one," Kai warned. "His teeth are laced with a potent paralytic toxin."
There was no need for negotiation.
Both sides understood: there would be no compromise.
"Attack!"
---
A few hundred meters away, hidden behind a mountain of debris, another group silently watched the battle unfold.
"Chrollo, are we really not going to intervene?" Franklin asked, as explosions lit the horizon.
The Phantom Troupe had learned of the assault earlier than the Mafia and rushed back to Meteor City, intent on assisting.
Feitan scowled. "If he made this mess, he should clean it up himself."
He hadn't even wanted to return. Being forced out of Meteor City had left a wound in his pride that still festered.
"But Kai really has changed things for the better," Pakunoda said quietly. "Rebuilding schools, constructing hospitals... even planning nursing homes. He's not like the others."
"So what, now you're saying I'm a villain?" Feitan's voice was low and sharp.
The atmosphere turned tense. The younger members dared not breathe too loudly.
"Enough," Chrollo interrupted, calm as ever. "I never said we wouldn't help. That's why we're here."
"But we have to act when the time is right," he continued. "Blind interference would only make things worse."
Franklin and Pakunoda exchanged glances but remained silent. The Phantom Troupe was still young — no one dared challenge Chrollo's authority openly.
Even without Machi, Nobunaga, or Uvogin in the original lineup, the Spider had taken form. Perhaps it was inevitable — a twisted fate spun by the city itself.
Feitan turned his gaze away, his anger barely contained.
Chrollo, seemingly unperturbed, was well aware: deep cracks were already forming within the Troupe. Franklin, Pakunoda, Feitan — none of them would ever be as loyal as before.
"So troublesome," Chrollo mused quietly.
---
Meanwhile, on the frontlines:
Big Bang Impact!
With a thunderous roar, Uvogin unleashed his full might.
His fist, charged with overwhelming Nen, tore through the air like a cannonball. The ground trembled beneath his feet.
The enemy barely had time to react.
"Get out of the way!!"
"What the hell is that monster?!"
"That's pure Enhancement-Type!!"
The Shadow Beasts had underestimated him — a fatal mistake.
The Rabid Dog attempted a desperate counterattack, lunging forward to bite. But Uvogin's Big Bang Impact connected first, pulverizing the man's head into mist. Not even bone fragments remained.
Nobunaga was equally ruthless.
His katana flashed once, almost imperceptibly.
Iai Slash.
A single, flawless draw-and-sheath movement cleaved Porcupine cleanly in half.
Porcupine's Nen ability had allowed him to harden his body hair into a defensive armor, or soften it to absorb blows. It mattered little. Against Nobunaga's precise, devastating swordsmanship, even the most intricate defense crumbled like paper.
In terms of sheer destruction, Uvogin and Nobunaga were unmatched.
But the deadliest assassin on the field was Machi.
Her Invisible Nen Threads snaked through the battlefield like ghostly traps.
She never attempted direct confrontation. Instead, she laid intricate snares, catching enemies by their limbs or throats just as they tried to retreat.
A delay of even half a second could mean death.
Moreover, Machi served as the battlefield medic.
Through her Nen Thread Healing technique, she could reattach severed limbs, seal fatal wounds, even bring someone back from the brink of death — provided she reached them in time.
With Uvogin, Nobunaga, and Machi leading the charge, and the rest supporting them, the battlefield tipped overwhelmingly in Kai's favor.
The Shadow Beasts were crushed — their elite strength counting for nothing against the coordinated assault.
---