Inside the sprawling villa of the Pengellet estate...
On the empty lawn, Vega stood with Kevin—who had recovered from his injuries—preparing to test the true power of the Jade of the Four Souls.
Vega wanted to see how strong this mysterious artifact was—particularly its connection to resentment—and how much it could boost Kevin's strength.
After all, in the movie version of the Hunter Association's darker side, there were mysterious operatives who harnessed grudge-fueled powers—essentially shadow agents used by the Association to handle dirty work. Ultimately, they were eliminated by Chairman Netero under unexplained circumstances.
That film also introduced a powerful figure resurrected from the dead, with some enigmatic connection to Netero—and tied to a collection of grudge-bearing fragments known as the Jade.
Though the plot had seemed absurd to Vega at the time, witnessing the same type of dark emotional energy now coalescing in Kevin made him reconsider.
If the Jade of the Four Souls could truly enhance Kevin's strength, then Vega was considering something radical: manifesting more fragments and forging an elite strike force—warriors fueled by resentment.
"Kevin," Vega said, his eyes narrowing as he observed the young man's gloved hands. "Try channeling your resentment to activate your Flame Gloves."
Previously, Kevin's flames were activated through sheer physical effort—basic at best. The gloves would ignite, but their heat barely reached three to five hundred degrees, offering only limited power.
Despite his continuous efforts to strengthen the Flame Gloves, the result had never surpassed what one might find on the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena—more than enough to beat up uninitiated brutes, but a far cry from genuine Nen combatants who had endured proper baptism and training.
At Vega's command, Kevin hesitated.
From the moment he'd awoken after the surgery, he had felt the embedded Jade fragment pulsing with a strange energy—an invisible frequency that vibrated deep in his core.
Even more unsettling was the whisper in his mind. A voice—not his own—repeatedly called to him, luring him, promising unimaginable power. It spoke of dominance, of salvation through surrender. Give in, it urged. Just submit, and you will become the strongest being alive.
Only Kevin's strong will and deep caution had kept him from giving in. He had been resisting the influence all along.
But now Vega was telling him to embrace it.
Even though Kevin could sense the danger—knew he was on the verge of slipping into a vortex of overwhelming negative emotions—he didn't hesitate. He was loyal to Vega.
He slowly relaxed his mind and opened his heart to the call.
Come… show me your power…
As if answering his invitation, the Jade fragment in his hand pulsed, releasing a dark, violet-black energy. It slithered up his arm like living shadow, sinking into his veins.
Kevin's formerly gentle aura shifted abruptly. A wave of cold, sinister energy poured from his body. His veins bulged green under his skin, and his face twisted into something feral—inhuman.
Then, his eyes opened.
They flashed purple.
Vega studied him carefully, his expression unreadable. "Kevin," he said in a low voice. "How do you feel?"
Kevin bowed his head respectfully and answered in a deeper voice than usual: "Master, I feel... incredible. My body is filled with strength. There's a dark current flowing inside me. But with it... comes chaos. My emotions are fluctuating wildly. I feel like I might break into tears or lash out at any moment. I can still manage it for now, but I need time to adjust or I could lose control."
Vega nodded. "That sounds like the essence of resentment—negative life energy, akin to Nen, but fundamentally different."
"Try to sense it again," he added, "and channel that energy into the Flame Gloves."
Kevin closed his eyes and focused.
At first, it was difficult. The nature of resentment was elusive, slippery. But using the link through the Jade fragment, he eventually connected to the source.
Dark smoke-like energy began to billow from his skin. His gloves, once igniting with conventional fire, now erupted in jet-black flame.
The aura of this new fire was completely different—it wasn't heat but cold, not light but shadow. Its presence exuded dread. Just looking at it made one feel like something had died nearby.
Kevin shaped the flame with his mind, gathering it into a tight orb the size of a ping pong ball.
There was still more power surging inside him, so he kept feeding it into the ball until it grew to the size of a fist. His irises had turned pitch black by now, unsettling and empty.
"Detonate!" Kevin shouted.
He hurled the orb, and it soared across the lawn, exploding against the far wall.
BOOM.
Dust filled the air. A crater two or three meters wide formed instantly. Black flames continued to burn ominously within it.
Kevin stood there, stunned.
That was his attack.
Just a small fraction of the resentment he channeled had made his flames ten times more powerful.
He could tell—he hadn't even reached his limit. The orb had nearly detonated in his hand. If he had more control, he could've packed in even more energy.
Vega's eyes flickered with interest.
That blast—on its own—was comparable to a typical mid-tier Nen user's ability. In Vega's mental system, he now ranked Kevin at D-level strength, a clear step above average.
And that was without formal training in the Four Major Principles or any advanced Nen techniques.
If the Pengellet Ten Rings—his elite inner circle—could all be outfitted with Jade fragments and given enough experience points, they could evolve into a terrifyingly powerful squad.
As Vega was considering the logistics, he suddenly paused.
In the distance, a dragon-like beast was flying toward the estate.
Vega narrowed his eyes and used Gyo to enhance his vision.
Two figures rode its back.
His expression darkened.
"Zeno Zoldyck. Silva Zoldyck," he muttered.
He immediately turned to Kevin. "Get everyone out of the villa. Now. We have incoming."
Kevin stiffened. "Master, let me stay and fight by your side!"
Vega shook his head. "No. These two are far too powerful. You'd be killed instantly. Focus on evacuating the others. Don't make me worry about protecting you."
Kevin clenched his fists, silently cursing his own weakness. Still, he obeyed.
As he led the servants and guards away, Vega stood alone on the scorched lawn, gazing up at the sky.
The flying beast circled once, then landed.
Two figures leapt down from over a hundred meters in the air, landing without a sound.
Silent. Still. Lethal.
Old and strong—Zeno. Young and powerful—Silva.
They slowly walked forward, stopping when they were a few dozen meters away.
The wind stilled. The air thickened.
The battle was seconds away.
And it would be the deadliest one yet.