Chapter 51: Grandpa Zeno, I Need Help!

Kaizen's mind wandered back to a memory from his previous life.

He remembered reading a manga called Fullmetal Alchemist. One of the alchemists in the story had merged his daughter with a dog to keep his title as a State Alchemist. The man, who seemed gentle at first glance, had committed a monstrous act for his selfish ambition.

That haunting scene had stayed with Kaizen ever since.

And now, something eerily similar was unfolding before him.

Carlisle's new puppet wore Lina's face—her very expression, her eyes, unmistakably hers. Parts of the puppet's body seemed to come from the dog that had always stayed by Lina's side.

Kaizen recalled the time he spent with Lina before this horror.

If she had been a stranger, the sight wouldn't have hit him as hard. But Lina wasn't just anyone.

They had grown close—like friends.

Kind and sweet, Lina had been someone Kaizen even considered inviting to join his team.

"I'm not the heir to the Zoldyck family," Kaizen reminded himself. "Eventually, I'll need to build my own team. I can't always rely on the Zoldyck family's influence."

The rules of the Zoldyck family were strict, unchanged for centuries. And Kaizen didn't want to alter them—it wasn't just about the family, it was about forging his own path.

But this... Kaizen never imagined that something like this would happen.

He couldn't believe Carlisle—who always seemed so normal—would commit such a horrifying act.

"How could anyone do something so twisted to their own child?"

Carlisle, having lost four matches in a row, no longer had the right to remain on the 200th floor of Heavens Arena.

The crowd was already dispersing, murmuring with varying degrees of disgust and disbelief.

A few staff members approached to carry Carlisle off to the medical wing. No one seemed to care about what became of his puppet.

Kaizen hesitated. Then he approached the puppet—Lina.

Even though her body had changed, he could see the spark of recognition in her eyes. Lina, despite everything, still seemed to care for Carlisle.

When the staff began escorting Carlisle away, Lina tried to follow. But her grotesquely altered body couldn't move properly. She collapsed, the sound of her breathing labored and uneven.

"Lina..." Kaizen whispered, his expression dark with conflicting emotions.

The puppet turned its head toward him, her mismatched eyes filled with a painful kind of hope.

"Kaizen... is my father going to be okay?"

Kaizen frowned. "Do you still care about him after all of this?"

Lina gave a weak, forced smile. "He's... still my father."

Her words struck Kaizen, stirring emotions he couldn't quite understand.

"I don't know," Kaizen finally admitted. "I'm not sure how badly he's hurt. But... I'll take you with me. You need medical attention."

Lina tried to protest. "But—"

"It's not up for debate," Kaizen interrupted. Carlisle was already out of sight, taken to the infirmary by the staff. Heavens Arena didn't abandon injured fighters outright—but the bill would be Carlisle's to pay.

Kaizen gently lifted Lina and carried her to his room.

Once there, he set her down on the bed.

"Lina," Kaizen said softly, "can you remove your hood?"

Lina hesitated. Slowly, she raised a hand—no, a paw—and tugged the hood back.

The cloak slipped away, revealing her body in full.

Kaizen's heart clenched. Lina's form was a grotesque blend of human and dog, horrifyingly similar to the chimera from Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Am I ugly now?" Lina asked quietly, her voice filled with sadness.

Kaizen struggled to answer, words catching in his throat.

Lina, sensing his discomfort, forced another smile. "It's okay. Don't worry... there's always a way to fix things."

Kaizen gave a small nod. "Wait here. If you're hungry, grab a snack from the table. I need to make a phone call."

He stepped out into the hall, mind racing. In Fullmetal Alchemist, the girl's tragic fate couldn't be undone. But here, in this world...

This wasn't alchemy. This was Nen.

And in the world of Nen, there were techniques that could undo even the most complicated manipulations. Some Nen-users specialized in erasing conditions imposed on others.

Kaizen recalled how Kurapika had used his Chain to seal Chrollo's Nen—and how even that had been undone by a skilled specialist.

With renewed determination, Kaizen pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

After a few rings, a voice answered on the other end.

"Master Kaizen."

"Shinji, is my great-grandfather out of seclusion yet?"

"Not yet," the voice replied.

"Then contact Grandpa Zeno for me. I need to speak with him immediately."

"Yes, sir."

The line went dead. Kaizen slipped his phone into his pocket, waiting. Not long after, his phone rang again—this time from an unknown number.

He answered without hesitation.

"Kaizen?" The familiar voice made his shoulders relax slightly.

"Grandpa Zeno."

"What's going on? Is something the matter?"

"Yes, I need your help." Kaizen glanced toward the room where Lina was resting. "I don't think I can handle this alone."

On the other end, Zeno was silent for a moment. Then he spoke calmly.

"You're still at Heavens Arena, right? As it happens, I'm in the same city for a mission. Tell me exactly where you are, and I'll come find you once I finish up."

Kaizen exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Grandpa Zeno."

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