Chapter 882
More importantly, Tserriednich's ability wasn't just something that could benefit himself—it could be used to assist others too.
Kurapika got back to his feet. A smear of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. Wiping it away, he stared daggers at Tserriednich, gaze unflinching.
Chrollo closed his book and glanced in Tserriednich's direction.
"Interesting," he said. "This guy's ability... it seems intriguing."
Phinks grinned. "Boss, are you thinking about collecting it?"
Chrollo gave a small nod. "An ability like that is worth collecting."
In terms of Nen, there was a certain conceptual parallel between Chrollo and Ron. One wielded the Hautsu of Skill Hunter. The other wielded the Hautsu of the Observer. Both required collection.
The difference was in method—Ron observed, gathered traits, and created Nen beasts from what he learned. Chrollo, on the other hand, stole abilities directly from other Nen users and stored them in his book, drawing on them as needed. Between combat types and utility types, Chrollo clearly favored the latter. He saw greater potential in versatility.
Within the Phantom Troupe, Chrollo wasn't the one handling direct combat anyway.
He looked at Kurapika. "Kurapika?"
Kurapika turned toward Nobunaga, who had taken an injury while trying to protect him.
"I have no objection."
Whether an ability could be used or not didn't matter to Kurapika at this point. What Chrollo was really asking was whether Kurapika could relinquish his personal fight—whether he was willing to step back before his revenge was complete. Kurapika hesitated, but in the end, he nodded.
Because he had begun to understand—killing Tserriednich alone with just his own power might truly be impossible. The prince's ability was too strange. Without intel, he was already at a massive disadvantage. On top of that, Kurapika's powers were tailored specifically to counter the Phantom Troupe. But Tserriednich wasn't part of the Troupe.
His advantage meant nothing here.
Earlier, when Nobunaga took that hit to shield him, something shifted inside Kurapika. For the first time, he truly felt like part of the Phantom Troupe. Before this, their cooperation had been just that—cooperation.
Now, something more had formed.
No words were exchanged, but the Troupe moved as one. Positions were adjusted automatically.
Franklin, Pakunoda, Phinks, and Hooker went to handle Tserriednich's private army and personal guards. Meanwhile, Kurapika, Chrollo, and Feitan stepped forward to engage the prince directly.
The pressure on Tserriednich spiked immediately. Kurapika aside, both Chrollo and Feitan were elite-level A-rank Nen users. Once again, the same truth became clear—no matter how abnormal his potential was, Tserriednich lacked one thing: time.
His only option was to rely on his Nen beast. If the situation turned dangerous, he'd have no choice but to activate his own ability.
And that was exactly what Chrollo wanted.
The conditions to steal someone's Hatsu were strict. First, he had to witness the target use the ability in its complete form.
Second, he must ask a question about the ability and receive an explanation or information about it.
Third, the target had to place their hand on the palm print on the Bandit's Secret's cover.
Fourth, all three conditions had to be fulfilled within one hour.
But at this moment, Chrollo didn't even know what Tserriednich's ability was.
From the shadows, a lone figure observed them from a distance. Hisoka shook his head.
"What a waste."
He had come hoping to find an opening to challenge Chrollo one-on-one. But looking at the current situation, that was clearly impossible.
"These princes... they're not strong enough. Still, some of their guards aren't bad."
As one of the V6 nations, Kakin had its own Nen system. While most of the princes had yet to master Nen themselves, many of their bodyguards had—and some were quite advanced.
Hisoka lost interest and walked away. But others remained.
Observers from the First Prince, the Third Prince, and the Ninth Prince were all watching closely. From their perspective, the Phantom Troupe stepping in was a gift. Tserriednich was powerful. No prince could say with confidence they'd win against him. If the Phantom Troupe could remove him, it was good news for the rest.
Nasubi's people were also monitoring the situation.
"Fourth's ability really is fascinating," one of the aides murmured.
"A shame... but it can't be helped. He's my son, after all."
"To be part of my succession sequence is already an honor."
Chrollo, Feitan, and Kurapika attacked simultaneously, striking from three angles. The Nen beast could at most block one direction, which meant Tserriednich had to deal with the remaining two himself. The danger he was in was something he had never experienced before.
Realizing he couldn't guarantee survival through physical movement alone, Tserriednich activated his ability again.
"Zetsu."
In that instant, he entered a Zetsu-like state—but it wasn't simply suppressing aura. The space around him changed, and for a moment, it was as if time itself had frozen.
Tserriednich saw ten seconds into the future. Based on what he witnessed in those ten seconds, he altered his actions accordingly.
Chrollo, Feitan, and Kurapika had no way of knowing what he had seen.
In the alternate timeline, their attacks connected. But ten seconds later, the timelines merged. Tserriednich emerged in a completely safe location, untouched, and now positioned perfectly to counter Kurapika.
"Die."
Aura condensed along the blade in his hand.
"Shu."
Despite having only recently learned Nen, he was already capable of executing Shu—extending aura into an object—a high-level Nen technique. That alone made his talent frightening.
Squelch!
Kurapika managed to evade the worst of the attack, but not entirely. A deep gash opened across his side, skin and muscle tearing as blood poured out. The pain was intense, but his expression didn't waver. If anything, his eyes grew sharper.
"Keep going!" Chrollo commanded.
Feitan was the first to charge. Kurapika followed closely behind.
Moments later, Tserriednich used his ability again.
Ten seconds passed.
And once again, he avoided what should have been a fatal attack.
He gasped for breath. The ability was overpowered, yes—but its aura cost was immense.
Nen, after all, was a system built on balance.
A trace of disappointment flickered across Chrollo's face. He still couldn't figure out what the ability actually was.
"It's not teleportation," he murmured. "And it's not illusion. It's more like... there are two versions of him."