Nightfall had only sent three people, but all three were Nen users—and not weak ones, either. They possessed considerable power.
"Captain, someone's broken in," Ponzu said, noticing a change on the bee radar. One of the bees had turned red.
Ron glanced toward where the bee was located.
Though the intruder was still far away, Ron could already see a hint of their aura.
"Someone else is approaching from another direction, Captain. Should we warn them?" Ponzu asked.
"No need," Ron replied, shaking his head. "Our commission is only to take out one person. Aside from that, there's nothing we have to worry about. Don't do anything unwarranted unless we get paid for it. That's the rule of the Zoldyck family."
Back in his previous life, Ron had experienced something similar. With extra time at work, he often did tasks that weren't part of his responsibility. Instead of gratitude, he only got blamed when things went wrong. Ever since then, Ron disliked taking on any work beyond what he was hired to do.
"Understood," Ponzu said.
Just as the intruder entered the estate, their speed surged. Ron was about to make a move when—
A massive explosion rang out. Then, from another direction, an equally loud sound blasted through the air. Guards from the estate rushed toward the commotion. Amid the chaos, a lone figure darted among them, cutting down each guard with a single strike. Even these highly trained guards, some of them Nen users, proved no match for the intruder.
A moment later, Chii appeared at Ron's side. She wasn't there to fight, but to record the battle. For Nen users, gathering information is always crucial. They might not be enemies now, but that could change in the future—even Tuck could become hostile one day.
Personally, Ron wasn't worried Tuck would turn on him, but Tuck was a high-ranking official of the Saheerta Federation. If it ever came down to choosing between his nation and his friends, Ron suspected Tuck would pick his country.
"Ron, I need you here," came Tuck's voice. "Things are a bit tricky on my side. I need you to keep someone busy so I can go check on Baron Karu."
"Tuck, you know the job I accepted: I'm only taking out one target."
"I know! I will compensate you I promise"
"....All right, I'm on my way."
Ron turned to Ponzu. "Let's go."
They leapt from their vantage point. The moment they landed, they sprinted toward Tuck's location. Before long, Ron caught sight of the person Tuck was fighting—a tall woman, even taller than most men, with a striking figure and bold clothing. Ponzu glanced down at her own attire, feeling a twinge of self-consciousness, but Ron focused on something else.
The woman's body displayed feline traits: cat-like ears and similarly shaped hands and feet, radiating an intense aura of vitality. Ron was reminded of Elita. This woman's transformations were more pronounced, though—Elita only had a pair of ears.
"So she's another survivor of Experimental Base No. 2?" Ron wondered.
He wasn't particularly concerned. Many survivors had made it out, some thanks to his own "butterfly effect," but Ron had no direct connection to most of them.
Judging by her fight with Tuck, she seemed to be a B-level Nen user, likely Enhancement. She was skilled in close combat—very strong, agile, and with remarkable healing capabilities. Though Tuck had managed to injure her, she healed almost immediately.
"Natsu!" Ron shouted.
Natsu appeared at once. Tuck seized the chance to retreat. The woman tried to pursue him, but Natsu cut off her path.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
A flaming punch forced the woman to dodge.
"Ron, I'll leave this to you," Tuck said, looking visibly relieved.
Ron nodded in acknowledgment.
"I'm off to see Baron Karu."
Tuck dashed away with incredible speed, but what he'd witnessed moments before troubled him.
"That Nen Beast—if I'm not mistaken, it's Ron's. But it has an A-level aura now! Did Ron get that strong so quickly?"
Earlier, when Tuck saw Ron's actual body, he hadn't sensed such power. Ron had intentionally masked his true strength, allowing his Nen Beast to appear more formidable than his own physical presence—perfect for catching enemies by surprise. It's also not unusual in Nen Beast techniques for the summoned entity to surpass the user in raw power.
Back when they were both in the Saheerta Federation, Tuck and Natsu were on the same B-level. Tuck recognized Ron's talent, but never thought Ron would surpass him by so much. Seeing Natsu radiate an A-level aura left Tuck stunned: if Natsu had reached that level, so had Ron.
Meanwhile, Tuck was still stuck at B.
"Ron outpaced me. Probably because I spend too much energy on my official duties," Tuck reflected. Yet he felt no regret. "I won't abandon my responsibilities to this country," he whispered, pushing aside his surprise at Ron's rapid progress.
"Nightfall…" Tuck muttered grimly. "I just hope Baron Karu is all right. They're even stronger than I expected."
He recalled his fight with that woman. He'd assumed he could gain the upper hand, yet he was the one overwhelmed. That stung Tuck's pride. Could someone at the same level really be that much stronger?
Across from Natsu, the woman narrowed her eyes. "Who are these two?" she thought, bracing herself for the next move.