The dragon fang shot forth like a cannon.
But Vega didn't flinch.
He didn't dodge the incoming Nen-crafted dragon fang headed for Zeno Zoldyck—instead, he rushed straight toward it.
He understood Zeno's abilities well. As a Transmuter, Zeno could manipulate the path of his conjured attacks with extreme precision. Dodging was meaningless—the attack would bend and chase him down. More importantly, Vega didn't have the luxury of dodging.
Silva was waiting.
Though Zeno was the one actively fighting, Vega knew Silva Zoldyck stood silently nearby like a coiled snake, watching for the perfect opening. The moment Vega revealed a weakness, Silva would strike with deadly precision.
If he made one wrong move, he'd be swallowed whole.
But Vega wasn't afraid.
Thanks to the enhancements from his Nen armor—the protective effect of Phantom Severance—he believed he could withstand even Zeno's full-force blow. He had no need to dodge.
With a calm breath, Vega raised his crimson-edged sword and struck.
Phantom Severance—its dragon-imbued blade shimmering—sliced through the oncoming dragon fang like paper.
However, this was exactly what Zeno had planned.
The old assassin had baited Vega into committing to a swing.
The moment the sword slashed, Zeno moved.
He blurred forward like a ghost, closing the distance with incredible speed.
In a heartbeat, he unleashed a flurry of palm strikes—fast, vicious, each laced with precise Nen. Vega met him head-on, unfazed, spinning his sword in wide arcs to block and counter.
Clang! Crack! Sparks flew with every impact.
For a moment, the battle reached a tense stalemate.
Zeno's mastery of hand-to-hand combat was undeniable. He could read the flow of battle with terrifying clarity, identifying slight openings in Vega's stance. But even when he landed blows, Vega's armor absorbed the impact. At most, shallow scratches formed across the plated surface.
And Vega's counterattacks were no less fierce. Every swing of Phantom Severance forced Zeno to stay on the defensive.
Zeno's thoughts raced. He couldn't break through Vega's armor. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be. He had to create an opening—for Silva.
Even if it cost him everything.
With a deep breath, Zeno flared his aura. His strikes grew more intense, his movements more reckless.
Vega noticed.
Then—it came.
A misstep.
Zeno's footwork stuttered slightly, his body shifting off-center.
"Now!"
Vega's eyes gleamed. A perfect angle had opened. He lunged, slashing with Phantom Severance, aiming directly for Zeno's midsection.
But Zeno twisted just in time.
Instead of the waist, Vega's blade caught his lower legs.
Slice!
Blood sprayed as Zeno's calves were cleanly severed.
But Zeno didn't scream.
Instead, he gritted his teeth—and struck.
A surge of Nen burst from his hands. In a split second, he conjured a powerful dragon head of aura that surged around Vega and locked him in place—a binding technique.
"Silva!! Now!!" Zeno shouted with everything he had.
Silva didn't hesitate.
He had waited for this one chance.
In the blink of an eye, his aura erupted, flooding the battlefield with raw power.
He clenched both fists—and massive Nen spheres formed in his hands.
Two devastating Nen Bombs.
With a roar, Silva hurled both bombs directly at Vega.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion rocked the earth.
A column of smoke and energy shot into the sky like a mushroom cloud. The entire field trembled. A crater—twenty meters wide, several meters deep—was carved into the grassy plain.
Zeno landed beside Silva, his lower legs bleeding profusely, his robes in tatters.
Silva immediately moved to stop the bleeding, pressing his hands against the wounds to keep his father from passing out.
Zeno looked into the pit, face pale, voice tight. "That… should've done it. But…"
His eyes narrowed.
Something didn't feel right.
From within the smoking crater—a voice echoed.
"You two… really pushed me this far."
The voice was cold, calm, unshaken.
Silva's expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he reached for his father.
A red beam of light flashed out of the crater like a whip.
Silva moved instantly.
Slice!
Blood sprayed again.
This time—his arm.
Silva's left arm flew into the air, severed at the shoulder.
But Zeno lived.
Silva had blocked the blow meant for his father.
He didn't even glance at the missing limb. He simply grabbed Zeno and leapt backward, retreating fast.
They had no time to hesitate.
If they stayed here any longer—they wouldn't survive.
As they fled, Silva sent a signal to the wyvern circling high above.
By the time Vega rose from the pit, armor scorched and cracked but still intact—the wyvern had already swooped in and carried the two assassins away