BOOM!
The sudden explosion reverberated through the air, prompting startled cries from the nearby crowd.
"...!"
Startled, Leorio's head whipped around to locate the source of the blast.
"Damn, what was that?" he exclaimed, his frustration evident as he scratched his head while looking at the people leaving the stall.
Seeing the panic around him, he quickly made a decision and turned to Gon and Killua.
"The explosion is definitely a bad sign, team. Looks like we'll have to call it a day," he said, motioning for them to leave.
But when he looked around for his companions, they were nowhere to be found, "Huh, since when..."
Leorio was about to drag them out of this place since he was worried they would get caught up in something they should not.
"Are they gone already—wait, what the heck!?"
As he scanned the surroundings for any trace of the troublemakers, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock as he watched Gon and Killua dash off toward the source of the explosion, ignoring all caution.
"Hey, wait up!"
He yelled after them, his voice tinged with exasperation, "What's up with them, chasing after the explosion? Are they crazy?"
With a heavy sigh, he followed after them, his mind filled with worry and annoyance at their reckless decision-making.
After a while, both Gon and Killua stopped as they saw half the back of a building suddenly blasted off as it created another resounding explosion which made them widen their eyes in shock.
"Killua, I think there was a fight going on..."
Gon couldn't help but mutter out loud as the people on the street were frozen, with some running away like scared children.
Killua nodded in response, "Yeah, I could feel the pressure..."
"Nen User!"
Both of them looked at each other as they exclaimed!
"Huff... Huff..."
Leorio arrived at the scene shortly after, panting heavily as he chased after Gon and Killua.
He bent forward slightly, trying to catch his breath, annoyance evident in his voice as he addressed them, "You brats, what the hell are you thinking?"
ROAR!!!
But before Gon and Killua could respond, a deafening roar shook the air, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.
The front half of the building collapsed once more, revealing a colossal dragon emerging from the wreckage.
The remnants of the shattered windows rained down onto the street below, adding to the chaos as everyone who was left behind in the street looked at the dragon in shock.
"Wha?!"
Leorio's mouth fell open in shock at the unbelievable sight before him.
"Huh, this dragon..."
Killua muttered, eyeing the majestic creature before him.
"Killua Killua! Look..."
But Gon's sudden movement caught his attention. He turned to see Gon pointing towards someone caught in the jaws of the dragon.
Both boys exclaimed in shock, "Raymond!?"
Their astonishment only grew as they recognized the figures in the chaos...
"Huh? Isn't that?"
"They're definitely from the Zoldyck!"
"Shit, Zoldyck is assassinating Raymond Celestia! This will be major news!"
Zeno and Silva burst out of the wrecked building, their figures illuminated by the dim surrounding lights.
They soared across the gap towards the building on the opposite side, now in ruins from the dragon's crash along with Raymond in its jaw.
The crowd erupted in shock and confusion as they watched all of this.
Click! Click! Click!
Reporters scrambled to capture the unfolding drama, their cameras flashing relentlessly.
"..."
Both Gon and Killua exchanged a determined glance before vanishing from sight in an instant.
"...Damn, they're really going for it, aren't they?"
Leorio muttered under his breath, his frustration evident as he rubbed his temples. He watched the spot where the boys had disappeared, torn between chasing after them or staying put.
"Arghh fuck this..."
With an exasperated sigh, he made up his mind, "I can't just leave them on their own..."
As Zeno and Silva entered through the gaping hole in the building, they found Raymond casually brushing dust off his shoulder, a smile playing on his lips.
"You two don't hold back, do you?"
He chuckled as he casually remarked, totally unfazed by the attack he took on a while ago.
"..."
Silent, Zeno and Silva exchanged a glance, both impressed and wary of Raymond's resilience.
They could see that Raymond was not faking his condition at all and was genuinely unscathed.
Zeno observed his dissipating aura, which now barely looked like a dragon at all with a frown.
However, he then noticed a sinister Nen, not of his own making, consumed its head.
His eyes narrowed with recognition, "So, this is how he blocked my attack, huh? Such a dangerous Nen..."
His ability, Dragon Head, allowed him to form a dragon head that served as the foundation for his other abilities.
And different from his Dragon Lance, where a small dragon was formed to attack his opponent as if he was wielding a spear.
The ability he just used was Swallowing Dragon, which would swallow his opponent whole and shred them to pieces.
However, Zeno was both amazed and taken aback that Raymond remained unscathed.
Though he could see that Raymond's hand seemed to tremble slightly from the impact, indicating that it had indeed caused him some discomfort.
Still, Zeno considered his attack to be like a mere tickle to the seemingly nonsensical fellow in front of him, shaking his head with a sigh.
"...Seems like I was underestimating this young fellow by a large margin, huh?"
Zeno muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on Raymond, who was casually strolling around the building, seemingly unperturbed.
He observed Raymond preparing two chairs with a table in the middle, a gesture that seemed incongruous with the tense atmosphere of the situation.
In their last encounter, Zeno had recognized Raymond's strength.
However, he hadn't felt afraid of him then.
His cooperation was mainly because he wanted to prevent a large-scale battle since Raymond's men had surrounded their family estate.
"..."
But now, as Zeno watched Raymond's calm demeanor, a slight tinge of fear crept into his heart.
It was a mix of emotions, as his blood also boiled with the excitement of facing Raymond, a sensation he had long forgotten due to rarely taking on jobs to assassinate someone as formidable.
Shaking away his thoughts, Zeno turned to Raymond and opened his mouth to speak.
"Well, you did say not to hold back our punches, didn't you?" Zeno's tone was casual as if he hadn't just attempted to kill Raymond moments ago.
"Fair enough..."
Raymond shook his head in response, acknowledging Zeno's statement.
"So, Raymond Celestia... Care to tell us why you requested that we accept this commission?"
Silva joined the conversation with his arms crossed over his chest.
His gaze swept across the scene, noting the commotion they had stirred up.
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