Chapter 135: Forgive This Young Man's Impudence
Kukuroo Mountain, Zoldyck Residence.
"Well, well, long time no see, little Zeno," Netero raised his hand and greeted with a laugh.
Little... Little Zeno?!
The butlers of the Zoldyck Family froze instantly upon hearing Netero's words, their expressions turning to stone.
Zeno was of such advanced age and, as the former head of the Zoldyck Family, to be called "Little Zeno" by someone—they felt they needed a moment to process this, hardly believing their ears.
The butlers wisely lowered their heads and shut their ears.
In contrast, the parties involved wore perfectly normal expressions.
As Zeno's son, Silva clearly knew the identity of the old man before him and understood his relationship with their Zoldyck Family.
However, he hadn't expected Mord, standing nearby, to remain so composed without the slightest emotional fluctuation, which made him glance at Mord again.
"Well, little Mord is here too." Netero turned to Mord beside Zeno, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "I heard from Kite you were in NGL before?"
"Yes, I was indeed there earlier." Mord nodded and replied.
"Acquainted?" Zeno asked, seeing Netero and Mord chatting so amiably.
"Yes, he's the young man I've had the highest hopes for in the Association in recent years."
"Since the Hunter Association was founded, only two people have earned such praise from you. I believe the last one to receive that was Ging Freecss, right? Anyway, let's discuss matters inside." Zeno said, turning to head into the house.
The butlers had long prepared tea.
After everyone was seated.
Netero finally stated his purpose.
After hearing Netero out, Zeno spoke: "Simply put, you want to use my ability to divide the battlefield, then take yourself and that Chimera Ant King to an uninhabited area to provide a dueling environment, correct?"
"More or less."
"Absolutely no problem. But even though you, Chairman, are my grandfather's old friend, rules are rules—the payment must still be made." Zeno stated.
"Don't worry, I won't always be freeloading off your Zoldyck Family." Netero took a sip of tea and said. "There's one more thing—I need you to be my sparring partner during this period."
"I need to bring my condition to its peak. I've already spoken with your grandfather about it, and you know his physical state. There aren't many who can take on such a role now, and you happen to be the best choice among them."
Upon hearing Netero's words, Zeno's expression immediately changed.
He genuinely didn't want to fight this old man before him, having suffered plenty of beatings from him since childhood. Though reluctant to admit it, Zeno had developed a shadow over facing this old fellow.
Seeing Zeno's troubled look, Mord smiled and proactively offered: "How about I take on the sparring partner role? I could use some exercise anyway."
With Mord volunteering for the task, Zeno promptly chimed in: "I think that's an excellent decision. You're already thoroughly familiar with my offensive moves and patterns, Chairman—having me as your sparring partner again might not yield the desired effect."
"Mord is in his prime—I believe he's perfectly suited."
Netero turned to Mord, a smile spreading across his face.
"Excellent. It's been so long—I've been wanting to see how much you've grown. That kid Kite has been singing praises of your strength as if you're one of a kind."
"Then I must beg your pardon for my impudence in learning from the Chairman's masterful techniques." A brilliant smile curled at the corners of Mord's lips.
...
On the barren plains before the extinct volcano crater atop Kukuroo Mountain.
The battle naturally couldn't take place within the Zoldyck family's villa area. Given the level of combat between Netero and Mord, even the residual shockwaves alone would be enough to demolish the Zoldyck residence.
Thus, everyone followed Zeno to this location.
No one was willing to miss the battle between the strongest fighters of the era, not even the reclusive Milluki, who came to witness this epic confrontation.
Upon entering combat mode, Netero's aura underwent an earth-shattering transformation. If he had previously been an irreverent old rascal, he now resembled a wrathful deity from hell.
Truly deserving of his title as the world's strongest.
Merely standing there without moving, he exuded an invincible presence.
Every part of his body was meticulously honed, without the slightest hint of vulnerability.
Shing!
The Zanpakutō was slowly drawn from its sheath.
Holding the sword in his right hand, Mord pointed it diagonally toward the ground. Lifting his head to look at Netero, he suddenly moved.
His movement carried the force of thunder and lightning.
Boom!
One foot stomped heavily on the ground, creating a deep footprint with a loud crash. Simultaneously, a brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the arena.
Facing the world's foremost Nen Ability master, Mord initiated the attack first.
Covering over ten meters in the blink of an eye as the lightning flashed.
Gripping his sword with both hands, Mord's Zanpakutō erupted with radiant light. The dazzling blade gleam burst forth like thunder and lightning, accompanied by a thunderous roar as the sword arc traced a lightning bolt through the air in a downward slash.
The blade's light was aimed directly at Netero's head.
From the sidelines, Silva frowned slightly at this scene and remarked in a deep voice: "To transform aura into lightning—this person is truly extraordinary. Moreover, this strike is clean and decisive. His swordsmanship has reached perfection.
Even Zeno, the eternal shadow sovereign who walked in darkness year-round and made assassination his livelihood, couldn't help but feel his eyelids twitch at such a fierce attack.
"This kid is truly monstrous. He appears younger than Milluki, yet his combat prowess already rivals ours," Zeno marveled.
Nearby, Milluki listened with trembling fear. He had witnessed Mord in action before and knew he was powerful, but never imagined to this extent.
To think he was even stronger than his eldest brother, comparable directly to his father and grandfather.
Recalling how he had once considered attacking Mord sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.
Simultaneously, he remembered the globally limited edition figurine that Mord had casually taken from him, and a speechless despair welled up within.
He'd probably never get it back in this lifetime, the despondent fatty thought miserably.
"At that speed, even you or I might find it troublesome—there's even a possibility he could succeed against us. Unfortunately for him, he's facing that man." Zeno looked toward the distant Netero. "Speed means nothing before him."
Before the words fully faded, Mord was sent flying backward, crashing violently against a large rock in the distance that instantly shattered into pieces.
While Netero remained standing in place, maintaining his hands-together posture.
Everyone present, except for Zeno and Silva, had no time to react at all. Their perception remained frozen on that blindingly brilliant thunderbolt that had just split the sky.
It took a moment before they finally processed and accepted the reality before their eyes.
That was—Mord had been sent flying by Netero at some unknown instant.