Shortly after Kai and the others secured a new shelter, Nobunaga returned with new intelligence.
"I have both good news and bad news. Which would you prefer to hear first?"
At Kai's signal, Uvogin—who had been smashing a stone with another—roared impatiently.
"Start with the good news!!"
Seated cross-legged, Nobunaga began, "The good news is that the people we eliminated were not members of the Council of Elders."
"More precisely, they were affiliated with one of its many peripheral forces."
In Meteor Street, most major organizations maintain indirect yet significant ties with the Council of Elders. As such, there aren't merely fifty such factions—but perhaps a hundred or more. Their existence is commonplace.
What Kai and the others feared most—a direct confrontation with the Council—now seemed unlikely.
Machi interjected, "And the bad news?"
Nobunaga's tone shifted. "The bad news is that the leader of that faction, someone named Kuro, is most likely a Nen user."
"And it appears we may have slaughtered his biological brother."
The murder of a close relative all but guaranteed retaliation. From this point forward, a peaceful resolution was off the table—the conflict would be to the death.
Adjusting his posture, Nobunaga continued, "According to Chrollo, the enemy possesses a strange ability that allows him to dismember people midair, without physical contact."
Had they heard this previously, they would have dismissed it as an exaggeration—a scare tactic, at best. After all, how could anyone dismember a person without laying a finger on them?
But after learning about Nen, all former impossibilities had become plausible.
"Every time the man kills, not a single corpse is left behind."
"Rumor has it that Kuro is fond of consuming human flesh."
At this, Nobunaga shot a glance at Kai.
Meteor Street was home to countless dangerous individuals, but cannibalism was something else entirely.
Kai's expression turned grave. "If that's true—if he's a psychopath, or perhaps made a Nen pact involving cannibalism to strengthen himself—then this man is no ordinary threat."
In the original framework of Nen, oaths and restrictions might seem simple. After all, anyone who can use Nen can technically form such contracts.
But in reality, only rare talents like Kurapika, Gon, or Chrollo truly master their use.
Kai asked, "What's the current situation outside?"
Nobunaga replied, "The enemy is investigating us covertly. They haven't made any immediate moves. It's unclear what they're waiting for."
His tone carried a hint of confusion. "They say he loved his brother dearly… but his reaction so far doesn't reflect that."
Kai remained silent, lost in thought. The intelligence was insufficient to draw any meaningful conclusions.
"Forget it. Let's not dwell on them for now."
He turned to Nobunaga. "Come test your Nen affinity."
Even though Kai already had a rough idea of each person's Nen type, formal testing remained a necessary step.
Nen—also known as Hatsu—is categorized into six primary types:
Enhancement,
Transmutation,
Conjuration,
Emission,
Manipulation, and
the rare and unique Specialization.
Machi, as expected, belonged to the Conjuration category. Uvogin was an Enhancer.
After testing, it was confirmed—Nobunaga was also an Enhancer.
"How unfortunate," he muttered, casting a sidelong glance at Uvogin. "To share the same attribute as you, you old, ugly brute."
"Idiot," Uvogin retorted in a low grumble. "Before calling others ugly, have you even looked in a mirror?"
His voice, despite the attempt at secrecy, was loud enough for everyone to hear.
---
Different Nen types require different training methodologies.
For Enhancers like Uvogin and Nobunaga, the method was simple and brutal: envelop a stone in aura and use it to smash another stone. The greater the number of successful smashes, the better the training results.
Machi's training was more intricate. She had to manipulate her aura into forming sequential numbers from 1 to 9 within a minute—without pause or error.
After drafting personalized training regimens for each of them, Kai retreated to a quiet corner to focus on his own development.
"With the aid of my vow and restriction, Qi consumption is no longer a concern."
"However, my Nen ability lacks direct combat functions."
"If I want to increase my combat strength, I'll need to enhance my foundation—or develop a weapon-based strategy."
Kai swiftly identified his development priorities:
1. High Potential
– The method must scale with time. A short-term burst of power is meaningless unless it can be sustained, unless it grants godlike dominance akin to One Punch Man.
2. World Compatibility
– No matter how powerful a physique might be, if it doesn't suit this universe, it becomes irrelevant. Without aura, no progress can be made.
3. Rapid Results
– It cannot be a technique that requires centuries of secluded training. That pace is unacceptable when time is limited.
Kai's entire body stirred with anticipation.
The deduction function of his Nen ability, Virtual Reality, activated at full capacity.
Unlike physical manifestation, data-based deduction required minimal aura—and was not constrained by oaths or restrictions.
After a prolonged analysis, Kai finally smiled.
"That's it!"