014 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

Most of his original subordinates had already been turned into inhuman things by his own hand. As a result, among the upper princes, Tserriednich was now the weakest.

"No, I haven't lost yet!"

Unable to accept the current reality, Tserriednich stared into a pair of blood-red eyes, his head twitching in erratic denial.

"As long as I keep transforming people into inhuman things, I still have a chance to turn things around!!"

Like a gambler who had bet everything and lost, he now looked toward the guards of the lower princes with a crazed, desperate gleam in his eyes.

"If I convert their guards, my power won't diminish—it'll only grow stronger!!"

Much like Benjamin before him, Tserriednich had his eyes on the guard unit protecting the other princes.

Benjamin's failure didn't dissuade him in the slightest.

"That guy Benjamin was too arrogant. He underestimated his opponents. But if I'm careful, and make proper use of [those ten seconds]... I can still win this!"

His self-confidence remained unshaken. Even now, Tserriednich clung to his delusions, unaware of how much the situation had changed.

"Once you gain this power, don't hesitate—just unleash thunder and eliminate everyone. That's the only way you'll learn who's been interfering from the shadows!"

Spitting out his words like venom, Tserriednich had reached a breaking point. He couldn't afford to lose again. Without a moment's hesitation, he began acting on his thoughts.

...

Ronnel, who had been quietly observing, had already relayed everything Tserriednich was doing to Luzurus.

Tserriednich's sudden rampage quickly echoed across the palace. News spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of the other princes—and then, the upper princes.

"Hahaha! God really is watching over me! That bastard Tserriednich—just look at him now, completely losing it!"

This rare bit of good news finally helped Benjamin feel the fog lifting from his mind. He laughed, freely mocking Tserriednich's descent into madness.

"Your Highness," Furykov said as he ended a call, "we've just received word from the Seventh Prince. The Fourth Prince is now targeting the guard units serving the lower princes."

"Oh?" Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Still not giving up, is he? Doesn't realize he's already a lost cause~"

But he quickly smiled again.

"Still, it's not bad. I was just thinking of using Tserriednich to probe into the backgrounds of those lower princes. Something about them feels... off."

"But what if the Fourth Prince really does succeed in absorbing their power?" Furykov asked, concerned.

Before he could finish, Benjamin waved dismissively.

"Don't worry about that.

Tserriednich's actions will force the lower princes to bring their full strength against him. And thanks to his ability to glimpse the future, most of those clashes will end in mutual destruction.

Even if one side ends up completely dominant..."

A cold glint passed through Benjamin's eyes, followed by a chilling smirk.

"We brothers aren't just going to stand by and watch."

Furykov nodded, understanding his prince's intent. Then Benjamin added,

"Also, look into who helped us out by wiping out that freak army of Tserriednich's."

"Still no leads," Furykov replied. "Based on our intel, none of the other princes possess the kind of firepower it would take to eliminate Tserriednich's creations without making a scene."

If anyone did have such power, they'd have long since bulldozed through the competition.

Furykov didn't say this aloud, but Benjamin understood the implication.

"Whoever managed that feat without even killing Tserriednich... it's not one of the other princes, that's for sure. They wouldn't let such a golden opportunity slip by. Which means someone powerful is intervening—someone who doesn't want to sit this out."

Benjamin narrowed his eyes, staring off into the distance.

"The cost of stepping in is high. I've already killed one prince. Should I kill a second?"

His gaze drifted toward a particular room.

The room belonging to King Nasubi.

Everyone remembered how Nasubi had executed Zhang Lei. That shadow still loomed over the succession war. If anything strange happened, the first question on everyone's mind was:

Will the king step in again?

Tserriednich's weakened state had leveled the playing field, putting multiple princes back into close competition. It felt too perfectly timed. This kind of balancing act reeked of higher-level manipulation.

Benjamin couldn't shake the feeling that Nasubi was behind Tserriednich's sudden collapse.

...

Elsewhere, Halkenburg—recently in conversation with Luzurus—had reached the same conclusion.

"It has to be the king..."

Even Nasubi himself was unaware that his sons now saw him as the puppet master behind the scenes. In truth, he had no idea who was wielding such power.

He had instructed Nugui, the royal chamberlain, to investigate. But there were no results. Nasubi could only speculate that one of the guardian beasts belonging to a prince had developed an unknown ability.

...

Tserriednich's plan to prey on the lower princes did not go unnoticed. Word spread quickly, and none of the other heirs intended to sit still.

Especially on the side of the Fourteenth Prince...

Having narrowly escaped Tserriednich's grasp, Izunavi now stood before Kurapika and the others, sharing everything he knew about Tserriednich's inhuman abilities.

Thanks to years of experience as a Hunter, Izunavi had sensed danger the moment Tserriednich began turning his bodyguards into a monstrous legion. He made his escape just in time.

"The Fourth Prince?" Kurapika muttered. "Let him come."

The colored lenses over his eyes glowed faintly, but the crimson burning underneath was unmistakable.

The chains on his arm stirred and clinked like restless spirits.

...

Amid the ever-shifting tide of conflict among the princes, Kurapika had managed to act with precision. While protecting Queen Oito, he had slowly but surely closed in on the information he'd been seeking.

Now, the chains were ready.