Kaizen didn’t return to the cabin. Instead, he headed to the outskirts of Horun City, finding a secluded spot where no one else was around.
After carefully confirming that the area was safe, Kaizen set a crystal ball in front of him. The progress bar glowed fully, signaling that he could now create his fifth Nen Beast.
He first laid the rosary beads down gently, then sprinkled a bit of poison he’d obtained from Kaka. Taking a deep breath, Kaizen sat cross-legged on the ground and began his preparations.
One hour passed. Then two. Three.
Suddenly, with a dramatic motion, Kaizen collapsed to the ground, feigning unconsciousness.
Still, there was no movent around. He added a few convincing twitches, but even then, nothing stirred. Finally, he pretended to faint entirely. After several minutes of silence, he sat up, fully satisfied that his surroundings were secure.
"Alright. Let’s begin."
Kaizen felt his aura surge into the crystal ball at an incredible pace, just as it had during his previous creations. The sphere began to shimr, its colors shifting rapidly.
A loud boom echoed in his mind. His consciousness was yanked into another dinsion, where phantom shapes floated into view:
A rickety coffin. A flickering clown mask. A stitched-together doll, moving eerily on its own. A balloon, drifting through the night sky. A swaying lamp, emitting a faint, eerie glow.
One by one, the apparitions disappeared, rging into the crystal ball. Another crack resounded as Kaizen’s awareness snapped back to reality.
He opened his eyes. With a single thought, a lamp-like figure materialized in mid-air. Its body was mostly black, with a vivid blue fla burning at its core.
At that mont, a flood of information entered Kaizen’s mind.
"Lantern Ghost."
Kaizen’s expression shifted, a mix of intrigue and amusent. This Nen Beast was nothing like its predecessors.
Killer Queen was humanoid.
Raiken retained its human form.
Altan was a robotic humanoid.
Akutagawa Ryunosuke was also human.
But this ti? A lamp. A sentient lamp.
"Lantern Ghost," Kaizen murmured, letting the na settle in.
"This one’s... unique."
He delved into its abilities:
Passive Talent: Fire Ignition
Lantern Ghost is immune to fire damage and can even absorb flas, converting them into energy.
Cloudy Fog
It can release a dense, toxic fog that obscures vision and poisons anyone caught within it.
Share the Pain
A devastating ability that siphons a target’s aura, redistributing it evenly between the target and itself.
Kaizen’s eyes lit up. These abilities are incredible, he thought.
While the fog was situational, it filled a gap in his arsenal. The passive fire immunity was even better. It ant that any Nen user specializing in fire abilities would be completely neutralized. No matter how strong they were, Kaizen would hold the upper hand.
This is the essence of Nen, Kaizen reflected. The relationship between abilities and their counterabilities is crucial. Just like how Kurapika defeated Uvogin despite the latter’s overwhelming strength. It’s all about the right tools for the right opponent.
But the third ability, Share the Pain, was what truly caught Kaizen’s attention.
"If Lantern Ghost siphons even a little aura from a target, their aura reserves are halved. A skilled Nen user can usually maintain En for about thirty minutes. With this ability, that ti would drop to fifteen minutes."
Kaizen smirked. "And Lantern Ghost gets a massive boost in the process. It’s not just strong—it’s devastatingly efficient."
Of course, the ability ca with its challenges, but Kaizen wasn’t worried.
The strongest Nen abilities always co with a price, he mused.
With his task complete, Kaizen packed away the crystal ball, dispersed the poison he’d set out earlier, and made his way back to the cabin.
Inside, the atmosphere was relaxed.
"Brother!" Lilith greeted excitedly as Kaizen entered. Haji and Hassan, still wary of him, stayed back. Dominica and Wendy were out, likely still cleaning.
Kaizen glanced at the ti. "What do you all feel like eating? Let’s go out for dinner."
Lilith blinked in surprise. "We can go out?"
Kaizen nodded. "It doesn’t matter anymore. Today’s the last day."
The three exchanged glances, then broke into smiles.
"I want pizza!"
"Bread for !"
"at! Lots of it!"
Kaizen chuckled, leading them out of the yard. As they ventured toward the city center, Lilith’s grip on his hand tightened.
"Brother... where are we going?"
"To eat sothing good," Kaizen reassured her with a gentle pat on the head.
Lilith hesitated but nodded, trusting him.
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