At that moment, Dominica spoke in a heavy tone.

“Furthermore, these two strands of deathly Nen are far from ordinary.”

Crawford’s face darkened.

“Shusuke Ito is in trouble,” he muttered.

What Dominica had observed, Crawford also understood.

These weren’t just typical manifestations of deathly Nen. The two entities parasitically attached to the disheveled man had grown significantly stronger over time.

They were formidable.

The two strands of deathly Nen attacked Shusuke Ito in unison.

“Those who bully our father deserve to die!”

“Kill him!”

“We’ll never forgive you!”

Shusuke Ito’s expression turned grim.

The situation had completely spiraled out of his expectations.

He found himself dragged into a grueling battle by someone he had dismissed as insignificant.

“Damn it!”

Shusuke Ito’s anger boiled over.

Losing to Dominica was something he could accept.

But losing to an obscure and seemingly powerless figure? That was beyond what he could tolerate.

Among the four, Shusuke Ito’s strength was second only to Crawford.

However, his selfishness far outweighed that of the others.

While Crawford and the rest valued their nation of Taris above all else, Shusuke Ito cared only for himself.

The disheveled man’s current state, along with the emergence of Eugene and Tracy, felt like a personal insult to Ito.

Dominica closed his eyes, paying no further attention to the fight on the platform.

Wendy clenched her fists.

“Ron, do you think that man has a chance to win?”

“I don’t know,” Ron replied, shaking his head.

From his judgment, the disheveled man’s chances were slim.

Even though Eugene and Tracy were displaying considerable strength, Ron noticed that their presence came at a steep cost to the disheveled man.

Each time they attacked, the man’s body grew visibly frailer, his life force draining rapidly.

He wouldn’t be able to hold on for long.

Nen is a fair power.

It doesn’t allow sudden bursts of strength to overcome insurmountable odds without a hefty exchange. (t/n like what happened with Gon)

The disheveled man stood again as Eugene and Tracy’s attacks grew even more ferocious.

The battle on the platform became increasingly intense.

Shusuke Ito forcibly suppressed his anger, calming himself to analyze the situation.

Realizing the disheveled man’s condition, he adjusted his strategy.

Instead of engaging in head-on clashes with Eugene and Tracy, he adopted a tactical approach—fighting while retreating.

By minimizing his own energy expenditure, he aimed to outlast the disheveled man.

A faint smirk appeared on Shusuke Ito’s face.

Time passed slowly.

Gradually, Eugene and Tracy’s onslaught began to wane.

Still, Shusuke Ito maintained his strategy, continuing to retreat and offering no opportunities to his opponent.

The disheveled man didn’t seem to notice this.

His consciousness was hazy, and Eugene and Tracy were fully controlling the battle.

“Anyone who hurts our father must die!”

“Father, we will protect you!”

Memories from the past flooded the disheveled man’s mind.

He saw himself playing in the yard with his two children, Eugene and Tracy.

He recalled cooking dinner for them in the kitchen.

He remembered the times they went on outings together.

But those images were accompanied by another—a third figure, his ex-wife.

Years ago, when his ex-wife was away, the disheveled man had been home with Eugene and Tracy.

After putting them to bed, he left the house to drink with friends at a nearby bar.

He had forgotten to extinguish the fireplace.

A stray ember fell from the hearth, igniting the carpet.

By the time Eugene and Tracy awoke, the house was engulfed in flames.

Two small children had no way to escape such a disaster.

When the disheveled man returned home, all that remained was a burned-down ruin and the charred bones of his children.

Both Eugene and Tracy had perished in the inferno.

The disheveled man was devastated beyond words.

When his ex-wife returned, she berated him relentlessly for his negligence.

In anger and despair, the disheveled man’s wife had ended their marriage.

Immersed in grief and regret, the disheveled man was never able to move on.

Years later, his ex-wife remarried and started a new family, having new children of her own. She eventually came to terms with the past and even tried to comfort the disheveled man.

But he could never forgive himself, nor could he escape the shadow of that tragic event.

Until now.

The disheveled man had boarded the airship to return to his hometown, intending to deliver birthday gifts to Eugene and Tracy.

After that, he planned to end his own life. (t/n damn this is tough)

But he hadn’t anticipated the events that unfolded on the airship.

When he saw Ron and Wendy, he couldn’t help but think of his own children.

And when he witnessed the horrific fate of the spectators, he made a decision.

If he was going to die anyway, then he would die for something meaningful.

He couldn’t save his own children.

But at the very least, he could try to save someone else’s.

Bang!

Eugene was sent flying.

The disheveled man’s condition worsened further, weakening both Eugene and Tracy. Shusuke Ito began to counterattack with renewed vigor, regaining the upper hand.

A moment later, Tracy was also sent flying.

Both were now suppressed.

Shusuke Ito sneered, glancing at his slightly battered appearance before glaring at the disheveled man.

“I thought you might have some trump card.”

“But this is all there is?”

“Did you think this level of strength could challenge me?”

“These brats… who are they to you?”

“Your children?”

“They’re already dead.”

“In that case, let me make their souls rest for good!”

Shusuke Ito’s aura surged explosively.

“Invisible Hand!”

Eugene and Tracy, who had just tried to rush at Shusuke Ito, were instantly pinned down. The Invisible Hand struck them repeatedly, slamming their bodies into the platform.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The ground shook violently with each blow.

Spurt!

The disheveled man coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body crumpling as he collapsed onto the ground.

Thud!

Eugene and Tracy’s figures vanished.

Shusuke Ito’s Invisible Hand hovered over the disheveled man’s chest.

Thud!

It pierced his heart.

With a pull, Shusuke Ito extracted a still-beating heart, holding it aloft with a vicious grin.

“This is what happens when you oppose me!”

Wendy glared furiously at Shusuke Ito.

The disheveled man’s body convulsed violently, his life force fading rapidly.

At that moment, Eugene and Tracy reappeared.

“Father!”

The two clung tightly to the disheveled man’s hands.

—————

T/n Respect old man. Rest in peace.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep