Ambush and Counterattack

Charging straight into the courtyard without any attempt to conceal their intentions—

The sudden eruption of gunfire instantly delivered the message to everyone inside the mansion's main hall.

"Time to work."

Luke's eyes turned noticeably colder.

In the many years since The Menu was established, this was the first time that intruders had managed to storm directly into the mansion's premises in one swift assault.

But he had trained in Nen for a decade precisely for this moment.

No matter what, he would never let the intruders lay even a single finger on his adoptive father.

Meanwhile, Adams—having received Caleb's investment—was already prepared to select his "competitor" for the battle ahead.

Caleb, on the other hand, reluctantly forced himself to wake up a little—his yawns had noticeably decreased.

"Seriously, they just had to pick this timing..."

Stretching lazily, he muttered, "I don't know whether to call these intruders unlucky or to say that we're just extremely lucky."

An unexpected invasion, happening precisely when the Finger members had gathered in one place—

Though Amanda, the Index Finger, hadn't arrived yet, with the strength of the three of them, plus several other Nen users stationed here regularly, the intruders were in for a serious challenge.

TAP. TAP. TAP...

The sound of leather shoes echoed from the staircase.

"Don't get careless."

With the footsteps came Nolan's warning.

From the upper steps, Nolan descended one step at a time.

Luke, Caleb, and Adams all looked up at him.

Meeting their gazes, Nolan's expression remained tense, but he couldn't fully hide the ugly scowl on his face.

"The intruders are Zoldyck assassins. There are two of them."

"Zoldyck?"

Hearing that name, the Finger members in the hall all reacted with surprise and confusion.

Caleb frowned and asked, "Boss, didn't you just issue a contract to the Zoldycks recently?"

"That doesn't matter."

Nolan's face darkened, clearly in no mood to explain. His killing intent surged as he ordered, "What matters is that I want you to kill these two Zoldyck assassins."

Caleb and Adams exchanged a quick glance, both sensing that Nolan was on the verge of exploding with rage. They wisely chose not to ask any further questions.

Only Luke responded firmly, "Understood, Boss."

"Put on your earpieces and go."

Nolan rested a hand on the banister, looking down at the trusted warriors he had personally nurtured.

His greatest achievement was founding The Menu and cultivating his elite Finger members.

But it still wasn't enough.

Even with all this, he had yet to surpass the Ten Elders in power and influence.

And now, they faced yet another trial.

If they overcame it, they would grow even stronger.

If they failed, they already knew what the consequences would be.

Under Nolan's watchful gaze, Luke, Adams, and Caleb each took out their earpieces, put them on, and then pushed open the doors, stepping into the battlefield.

Once they left, Nolan's face twisted into a savage expression.

Before coming downstairs, he had seen Kurt's face on the surveillance footage—

And in that moment, he immediately understood how his location had been compromised so easily.

…Good. Very good.

A cold, furious grin spread across Nolan's face.

But what right did he have to blame the Zoldyck assassins?

His assassination request had failed, but the Zoldycks had refunded the full payment, including the penalty fee.

And as for his contract to hunt down the culprit, the Zoldycks had, in fact, done an impeccable job—

They had swiftly identified one of the individuals responsible for destroying his virus research facility.

However, the two Shadow Beasts he had trusted the most had failed him—

Instead of delivering results, they had ended up dead at the hands of the target.

Now, less than a week had passed, and suddenly, two Zoldyck assassins had shown up at his doorstep.

Nolan couldn't help but suspect—

Were these Zoldyck assassins hired by the very person he was after?

But at this point, it didn't matter anymore.

The truth was irrelevant.

They had come looking for trouble—now, his only job was to eliminate them.

CRACK!

Nolan's fingers tightened, crushing the wooden banister beneath his grip. Then, without another word, he turned and headed back upstairs.

The Battle Begins

Outside in the expansive courtyard, the last remnants of daylight faded as nightfall descended.

Armed security unleashed a relentless barrage of gunfire, directing maximum firepower at the intruders.

The rapid flashes of muzzle fire repeatedly illuminated the courtyard, while the roar of gunfire echoed into the night sky.

Amidst these heavily armed forces, seven Nen users were also present.

They were a permanent defensive force, serving as Nolan's personal guards when he traveled.

When he was at home, they became the mansion's strongest line of defense.

"Two enemies."

A crew-cut man among the Nen users observed the two figures moving through the hail of bullets.

Another teammate suggested, "While the security team keeps firing, let's flank them from both sides and take them down immediately."

"Agreed."

The crew-cut man nodded, glancing at the rest of the team—nobody objected.

They quickly moved into position.

Meanwhile—

Moro and Kurt were receiving a warm welcome from the security forces.

Bullets poured down on them like a never-ending rainstorm.

All the two could do was constantly weave and evade, using the courtyard's trees as cover.

At the same time, Kurt counterattacked, manipulating his paper blades to strike at the security guards from a distance.

Though not particularly powerful, the paper blades were more than enough to deal with ordinary humans.

As the battle dragged on, one security guard after another fell, and gradually, the gunfire began to weaken.

But then—

The battle's first major shift occurred.

Kurt, moving gracefully as he waved his paper fan, noticed a faint movement near the courtyard wall.

"Just as Moro predicted."

He quickly glanced toward Moro—his partner, standing parallel to him.

A sharp killing intent suddenly sliced through the air from the other side of the wall.

Three Nen users leaped over the wall, targeting Moro, whom they perceived as the weaker fighter.

Meanwhile, four others attacked Kurt, attempting to cut off his assault on the security forces.

Their coordinated ambush was executed almost simultaneously.

Kurt, already prepared, elegantly twirled away, dodging the combined attack with butterfly-like fluidity.

On the other side—

The three Nen users lunged at Moro with blades and fists, striking his vital points at the exact same moment.

"He's dead."

One attacker confidently plunged his blade into Moro's chest—

But in the next instant, Moro's face and uniform suddenly burst apart into countless pieces of paper.

"What the—?!"

Before they could react, a wave of razor-sharp paper engulfed them.

And at that moment—

A bright flash appeared behind the four attackers pursuing Kurt.

A compressed diamond-shaped Nen bullet shot through the darkness—

Tearing straight through their backs.

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50 Powerstones? (5 Bonus Chapters)

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