Hunter x Hunter: From Obtaining the World to Beyond Heaven

But Harkenbrug's arrow came from behind him, from the safest place in his subconscious!

"You can guard against thieves day and night, but it's hard to guard against thieves within your own family

Now, Nasby can only shake his head and smile bitterly.

No one knows what psychological changes he went through in those few seconds, how much mental preparation he made, or how many things he remembered.

But in the end, he was defeated, defeated by the combined forces of his eldest son and his enemies.

Yes, Nasby gradually realized what was happening.

Everything that just happened was too perfectly timed.

Kuroro released the [Egg in the Pot], and Dia took a step to attract attention. Harkenbrug, who was in Naspi's blind spot, seized the opportunity and fired the psychic arrow whose movement had been erased by [Concealment].

One link after another, like precisely meshed gears.

The three of them simultaneously and in perfect unison carried out a "murder" of the divine artifact.

What Nasby couldn't understand was—

"why?"

Naspi's Nen energy gradually weakened, and the invisible force field that had been faintly visible on his body disappeared without a trace.

There was no one to shield him from the raindrops; the torrential downpour quickly soaked Nasby, and a few strands of gray hair fell from his head, drying rapidly in the rainy night.

Nasby's condition seems to be deteriorating rapidly.

But he ignored all of that and asked with a look of doubt.

“Dia, you should know the truth about the ‘Egg in a Pot’ ritual. Don’t rush to refute it. Although there is no evidence, I am quite certain of this.”

Naspi raised his hand and gestured to stop Dia, who was about to speak but then hesitated.

At this moment, he possessed an even greater regal bearing than before, and said:

“My daughter is dull-witted and cannot see the truth of the succession ceremony, nor can she see through your true colors. But that’s fine. If she were too smart, she might arouse your suspicion. If you two get married in the future, you can just become the regent.”

Mu Muze was about to get angry after hearing the first half of the sentence, but he calmed down after hearing the second half.

Nasby wasn't finished speaking:

"Since you know the truth about the ritual, you must be able to realize how much benefit this ritual can bring to Kakin after Mumu Ze inherits the throne."

"And Kakin's growth is entirely beneficial to you, so what's the point of you disrupting the ritual?"

Dia's eyes flickered slightly, but she did not answer directly:

"Your Majesty, do you remember the King of Babylon?"

He could never admit that he wanted to disrupt the ritual or destroy the artifact; otherwise, he could have simply stopped time and shattered the [Egg in the Pot] the moment Kuroro released the artifact.

But that would essentially be tantamount to admitting that he has the ability to stop time, and also to admitting to Mumu Ze that his purpose in approaching him was to dig up the roots of the Kakin tree.

Dia cannot be certain.

As a member of the royal family, Mumu Ze has been taught to be loyal to the royal family since childhood. Will this cause him to turn against her?

Love and hate can be easily transformed.

Hatred based on past friendship can be even more persistent and intense.

Moreover, Mumu Ze wasn't exactly a mentally sound girl next door; the words "Kakin Bloodline" already predetermined a lot of things.

But as long as she doesn't confront the issue directly, Diya believes that Mumuze will find his own reasons or even subconsciously ignore these problems.

As for Naspi's question.

Why destroy the egg in the pot?

These were, of course, the "living" kings from past dynasties whom we had previously seen in the basement of the royal palace.

The former king of Babylon mentioned that the first king created the "egg in a pot" ritual, which led to the perpetual suffering of subsequent kings.

This matter remained like the Sword of Damocles hanging over Dia's mind.

He didn't want to go through all that trouble to put Mumu Ze on the throne, only to end up sending her to hell.

Therefore, disrupting the "egg in the pot" ritual became a last resort, not necessarily effective, but worth a try.

Upon hearing Dia's words, a look of realization flashed in Naspi's eyes:

"It really was you that day. Did you see them, the ancestors in the [Living Hell]?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nasby actually smiled:

“I understand what you mean. It seems I don’t need to worry about Mumu Ze’s future. Someone with a conscience like you can’t bear to part with her.”

He then stopped paying attention to Dia and turned to look at another person.

Of course, the riddle-like conversation between him and Dia naturally sparked a lot of discussion.

Mumu Ze frowned deeply, her face full of questions, wishing she could quickly pull Diya back to the palace to get some answers.

Just then, Naspi's voice rang out again:

"And what are you after, you thief?"

He looked at Kuroro, his voice much colder:

"You and Dia are enemies, yet you listened to him. You knew that handing over the artifact meant certain death, but you still did it, sending yourself to hell. What were you after?"

Kuroro calmly raised his head:

"You're wrong, Your Majesty. Whether I hand over the artifact or not, I'm doomed anyway. The difference is that doing so will bring the greatest benefit."

"Aren't you afraid of Kakin's retaliation? Don't you think about your family and friends?"

Nasby was somewhat curious.

"Kakin, ha... After tonight, whose Kakin will it be?"

Kuroro's lips curled up, and he glanced at Naspi with a mocking smile.

Putting aside the analysis we've already done, Meteor City isn't afraid of Kakin's threat at all, and even if they are, the degree of fear is limited.

Most importantly, Naspi has proven with his actions that he has no way to threaten Dia or prevent the country from falling into their control.

It would be better to be pragmatic and give Dia some face, just like Ruby did.

At least Dia would genuinely help Meteor City despite past grievances, but would Naspi?

At this moment, it's pointless to dwell on past grudges with your partner.

Kuroro knew that he himself would soon be reunited with Machi and the others.

Let this so-called hatred end here.

It's not that he's given up, it's that he's truly run out of options...

Thinking this, Kuroro slowly closed his eyes, lying motionless on the ground like a dead man, letting the rain soak him through little by little.

"..."

Naspi was speechless, then looked at the person who puzzled him the most:

"Benjamin, my eldest son, what are your motives?"

Everyone has a reason to destroy the artifact or disrupt the ritual, but Benjamin should have no motive whatsoever to do so.

Benjamin, or rather, Halkenbrugger, pressed his stomach as if he were holding back a bowel movement and said:

"Father, is it really worth it to drag the royal family and your descendants into an eternal cycle of bloodshed for a hollow ceremony?"

"...Aren't you Benjamin, or Halkenbrugge?"

Nasby narrowed his eyes and succinctly revealed Halkenbrugge's identity:

"So that's how it is. I underestimated you. I thought you were really killed by your elder brother."

He shook his head, sighed, and said:

“You have no idea what you’ve done. The ‘Egg in a Pot’ ritual is real. It is because of this ritual that Kakin has produced wise rulers throughout the ages. Kakin has also become so powerful today by relying on this ritual.”

“Thirty years ago, my father, the King of Babylon, held a succession ceremony. I fought against my thirteen brothers and sisters, each of whom was more talented than me, but in the end I won and sent them all to the pot. Kakin also underwent a transformation.”

"Now that the ceremony has been completely interrupted, Kakin has no future..."

"You are wrong, Father."

Halkenbrugg, clutching his stomach with blood trickling from his mouth, walked up to Naspi, his gaze resolute, his pupils seemingly burning with fire.

"Kagin has come this far not because of any ceremony, but because of the hard work of a billion people, the countless people who have sacrificed their blood and sweat to save every penny for the country's development, and the power of the people that has propelled society forward."

"Farmers, workers, scientists, lumberjacks, soldiers... even you, my father, who spent countless days and nights reviewing memorials and making decisions, you are the real reason for this country's strength."

"It has nothing to do with any ceremony."

Halkenbrugge's voice, strong and clear in the rainy night, pierced the silence.

Even Lieutenant General Hyun Pei, who was observing silently, had his eyes sparkle at his theory.

He also had a capable subordinate named Chaoyin, who sacrificed his life without hesitation for Kakin. According to the Ninth Prince, he was Kakin's true hero.

Nasby frowned as he looked at Halkenbrugge, but instead of responding to his unorthodox remarks, he asked:

"what happened to you?"

"I'm only temporarily using my brother's body. To prevent any mishaps later, I injected poison in advance. Judging by the time, this body should last for at most ten minutes."

Halkenbrugge said frankly.

He then turned to look at Hashida and his group in the distance, and decided to stop pretending and walk directly towards them.

If the poison causes problems, and the body is still alive when his personality switches back to Benjamin, he will need Hashida and the others to see him off.

that's it,

Clutching his stomach, Halkenbrugg left alone in the torrential rain, limping towards his inevitable death.

"What a farce."

Nasby tilted his head back, remained silent for a long time, and then let out a soft sigh:

"Everyone, disperse, it's pointless... Hyun-pei, organize the manpower to move the national treasury funds back into the country..."

After saying that, Naspi squatted down listlessly and picked up the scattered fragments of the "Egg in the Pot" one by one, stuffing them into his pocket.