Chapter 288: Raiken and Ryunosuke, Evolution!

Kaizen wandered aimlessly.

Bones were scattered everywhere.

Some had long since decayed.

Others looked relatively fresh.

Yet, Kaizen saw no newly fallen corpses.

Logically, someone must have died recently and arrived in this so-called Nirvana.

"Maybe I just haven't come across them."

"Or maybe there's another reason."

"This place is massive."

"It doesn't feel like the human continent anymore... more like an entirely different realm."

"Maybe this is its own independent domain."

Kaizen looked up at the sky.

"It's definitely different from the sky above Fiora's palace."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar presence swept through the area.

Kaizen instinctively stepped back.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke stood in front of him.

At the same time, another figure appeared—Raiken.

And then, Killer Queen.

Kaizen barely had time to react before a white skull shot toward him at incredible speed.

The bone carried an eerie chill.

Yet, its aura was pure.

The simplest way to describe it?

It was like a blank memory card.

Aura usually contained traces of its wielder's will, emotions, and even the lingering presence of death.

But this bone carried no such remnants.

Because of Raiken and Kaizen's other Nen beasts guarding him, the skull couldn't approach too closely and instead hovered near him.

Kaizen didn't act rashly.

Instead, he commanded Raiken's blade to make contact with the bone.

The moment they touched, a surge of information poured in.

After confirming there was no immediate danger, Raiken transferred the knowledge to Kaizen.

Kaizen frowned slightly as he processed it.

"A Nen user from the Dojo of the Stars..."

"In life, they revered the Zodiac sign Libra the most."

(T/N: The Zodiac group is based on the Chinese zodiac, which means that a sign like Libra from the Western zodiac naturally doesn't fit in. We could imagine that if there were a Libra, he'd be from the West. I considered altering it, but the concept is so deeply integrated that it's best left unchanged. Besides, there might always be room for a nod to the Western zodiac elsewhere.)

"Even their Nen Beast was named after Libra."

"Libra's ability... Balance of Exchange."

"And this bone—it's meant to counter Nen beasts."

"Good thing I was the one who found it."

"Anyone outside the Dojo of the Stars—no matter if they hail from the Dragon Dojo or the Beast Dojo—would be unable to use this bone."

"But maybe... it came to me precisely because I revealed my Nen Beasts."

"This bone requires two beasts to function."

"One for the left side of the scale."

"One for the right."

Kaizen made a quick decision.

Right now, Ryunosuke and Raiken handled most of the direct combat among his beasts.

Killer Queen and Lantern Ghost provided support.

Altan was purely defensive.

"Then I'll assign this to Raiken and Ryunosuke."

Kaizen issued his command.

The two Nen beasts stepped forward and grasped the bone together.

In an instant, a surge of power erupted from the skull, flowing into Ryunosuke and Raiken.

The energy wrapped around them, then fully merged into their forms.

Kaizen could feel the transformation taking place.

It wasn't just that they had acquired Libra's ability.

Their very essence had evolved.

"So, this is an evolution..."

Kaizen watched with anticipation.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

Raiken had previously experienced a similar phenomenon in Meteor City.

After surviving the cockroach disaster, he gained a powerful ability.

That power had significantly strengthened him.

And now, history repeated itself.

Compared to his other beasts, Raiken had always been different.

He had been forged from Kaizen's own memories of Saber.

His fusion with Kaizen's mind had prevented him from becoming overpowered like some of the others.

But after this evolution, Kaizen was certain—Raiken was no weaker than any of them.

Power continued to pour in.

Raiken and Ryunosuke stood still, absorbing every last drop.

...

Time passed.

"I wonder what Wendy will gain..."

"Chances are, it'll be similar."

"Dead Nen users leaving behind their abilities for the next generation."

"It's a shortcut—reducing the time and effort needed to develop new techniques."

Time and energy were limited resources.

There are many examples of wasted potential—spreading himself too thin, losing sight of what truly mattered.

Back in Heavens Arena, Kaizen himself had paused his Nen Beast development to focus on strengthening his core abilities.

Only after achieving a solid foundation had he resumed creating more beasts.

This place, Nirvana, was an incredible boon to any Nen user.

"No wonder the royal family of Fiora has endured for so long."

"With access to this place alone, they'll never truly weaken."

"Even if their successors aren't prodigies, this inheritance system guarantees they remain formidable."

"One of the many privileges of being part of V5..."

Kaizen sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Altan, analyze the information on Roben and Ted and give me a summary."

As Altan processed the request, Kaizen reviewed the recorded footage Altan shared, all while waiting for Nirvana's process to conclude.

"Wendy will likely receive something from the Dragon Dojo."

"Wind-based Nen... pairing it with fire or lightning would be ideal."

The night passed quietly.

Kaizen noticed the token in his hand slowly shrinking.

Its edges crumbled into fine powder, drifting into the air.

"So, when the token is fully consumed... I'm sent out of this place?"

...

Outside the Land of Nirvana.

Achilles stood by the mountain wall, scanning the surroundings.

"Three have already completed their trials."

"Two remain unaccounted for."

"They need to hurry."

Based on his assessment, the missing ones were likely Kaizen and Linco.

Not out of bias.

Linco was objectively weaker and less talented.

Kaizen, meanwhile, was an outsider.

What Achilles didn't realize was that the ones still missing were actually Roben and Linco.

Linco wandered aimlessly, lost and uncertain.

Roben, in contrast, appeared restless, growing more anxious by the second.

Meanwhile, Wendy and Ted—like Kaizen—had begun their ascension, absorbing new abilities and power.

Once the process finished, their strength would rise dramatically.

The next morning, the first figure emerged from Nirvana's depths.

Wendy.

Shortly after, the second figure appeared.

Ted.

And then, the third.

Kaizen.

Achilles froze, his brows furrowing in surprise.

"Kaizen? Not Roben?"

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