008 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

On Halkenburg's side, his one-eyed bull beast took serious damage protecting him from Benjamin's domination ability—causing the imprint to disappear entirely.

Without the imprint, the Ninth Prince's camp now had no real combat power.

Even though Halkenburg knew that Benjamin's side had suffered heavy losses, and that such a flawed ability couldn't be reused in the short term, he still couldn't launch an effective counterattack.

So, both sides could only retreat to lick their wounds, halt their offensive, and slowly recover.

...

In this rare lull where both factions were forced into recovery, the minor alliance between the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich, and the Fifth Prince, Tubeppa, began to stir again.

Although both had taken a significant hit earlier—partially due to Halkenburg's deliberate or accidental interference—they were still slightly stronger than the wounded camps of Benjamin and Halkenburg.

Tserriednich's precognitive ability and Tubeppa's mastery of pharmaceutical logistics made their resurgence inevitable.

And just as the battlefield settled into an eerie calm, the third royal dinner resumed.

This time, however, far fewer princes were able to attend—due to "physical discomfort."

Not only now, but likely in the future, the Second and Third Princes would never be seen at the table again.

And perhaps, by the next dinner, even fewer would remain...

The lower-ranking princes gathered in groups, chatting with various guests.

Meanwhile, among the higher-ranking princes...

Benjamin and Halkenburg locked eyes across the room, silently exchanging promises of future murder—"Just wait"... "I'll kill you soon enough"—before quickly turning away.

Tserriednich and Tubeppa clinked glasses, sharing a knowing smile.

But after the toast, both glanced toward Luzurus—the Seventh Prince—lounging in the smoking section. 

Despite the week-long warfare and brutal attrition, Luzurus's faction had somehow remained the least damaged. While everyone else had taken massive losses, his forces always seemed to get by with minimal casualties.

Amid the chaos, no one had noticed this pattern. But now that the dust had settled, Luzurus's sustained strength drew everyone's attention.

His troops had risen to second place in combat effectiveness—only behind the seemingly irrelevant Sixth Prince, Tyson, who had shown no interest in fighting at all.

It was ridiculous. A complete fluke.

Yet despite her temperament and reputation, Tyson's current strength did make some people nervous.

Benjamin had already dispatched an assassin to deal with her. The result should arrive within a few days.

So now, the biggest threat in everyone's eyes… was Luzurus.

"Tch… looks like the Seventh Prince isn't the fool we thought he was. Is this all just an act?"

Tubeppa and Tserriednich exchanged glances. Neither of them liked what they saw.

"Once the battle between the First and Ninth Princes is over, we should team up and eliminate the Seventh Prince. After that, we take out the winner. That way, no one can swoop in and reap the benefits."

"Seconded~"

With schemes quietly forming in the shadows, the third dinner finally concluded.

...

King Nasubi of the Kakin Empire said nothing.

He merely watched his children as they departed the hall, silently forming a conclusion.

"Unless something unexpected happens, the final winner will likely come from the Fourth, Fifth, or Seventh Princes…."

After a week of brutal conflict, Nasubi clearly no longer held Benjamin or Halkenburg in high regard.

"Benjamin's arrogance will be his downfall. As for Halkenburg, he woke up too late. His tactics are still immature. And this isn't a place for rookies to train~ Ash!"

"As for the rest… I can only hope that whoever wins gives my sons—and my daughters—a painless death."

He didn't even consider the other princes, including Tyson, as viable contenders.

Whether his judgment would prove accurate remained to be seen...

...

Elsewhere, in the inner workings of the palace...

The fierce war between Benjamin and Halkenburg's factions had caused widespread devastation. After the temporary truce, the various departments caught a rare moment of rest.

Originally, the King's Army and the Supreme Court were supposed to remain neutral—existing above the succession battle.

But once blood was spilled and the killings began, neutrality was no longer an option.

Though tasked with maintaining order, these institutions lacked the power to stop the rampaging princes. In the end, they had no choice but to get involved—and paid the price in blood.

Most of the casualties weren't even the princes' own elite units, but staff from outside institutions caught in the crossfire.

When those departments could no longer sustain their involvement, both Benjamin and Halkenburg began deploying their personal guards in full force.

Though exhausted and depleted, those elite units still survived.

But the same couldn't be said for the princesses caught in the fray.

Benjamin and Halkenburg were born to the First and Second Queens, respectively. Their conflict inevitably dragged in their maternal clans.

As a result, the First Queen Unma, the Second Queen Duazul, and the Fifth Queen Swinko-swinko all perished—collateral damage in their sons' merciless war.