A mangaka?
'A mangaka who can manifest any ability or item from a manga... in the whole world, you're the only one, Sean. The one and only.'
Silva laughed loudly, aggravating the injuries inside his body and causing him to cough violently again. His white hair flared. After Sean had walked far away, Zeno appeared leisurely with his hands behind his back. The old scoundrel observed the gruesome battlefield from a close distance, clicked his tongue, and said with lingering fear, "Susanoo is simply not a monster that can be dealt with by human strength. Silva, your loss was not unjust."
The protruding mountain forest had been forcibly flattened. Zeno crouched down, extended an arm, and helped Silva up.
The current head of the Zoldyck family winced in pain, holding back from crying out. He shot Zeno a glare and said, "My mission is over. In two years, it's up to you, Father."
Three years for Silva, five years for Zeno, ten years for Maha. This was the test the old man had set back then. Now that he, Silva, was offline, the next one was naturally Zeno.
But... "I didn't agree to it, so don't talk nonsense." Zeno pouted. 'Grandpa Zeno isn't a fool. Silva is stronger than me and he was almost crushed to death. Who knows how much that kid Sean will have grown in two years? If I rashly go up then, I might just be slapped to death with one palm.'
Silva: "..."
'So I took this beating for nothing? I already went up, why shouldn't you?'
Unable to help glaring at Zeno, Silva said in a muffled voice, "If you don't go, you won't be able to answer to the old man."
"You don't need to worry about that." Zeno stroked his beard and smiled smugly. "I have my ways."
'What damned ways could you have\!' Silva didn't forget to remind Zeno, "Father, I advise you to give up the idea of surrendering the moment you go up. The old man will absolutely not allow you to do that."
An assassin either kills or is killed. What kind of logic is there in imitating a turncoat and surrendering?
The enemy won't spare you just because you surrender or show a moment of mercy. This was the lesson Maha had ingrained in them since childhood\!
Unfortunately... "Silva, this is your only flaw. You're not slick enough." Zeno lectured Silva, "Surrendering isn't allowed, but acting isn't allowed either?"
"I've already thought it through. When the time comes, I'll just pretend to be caught in that kid Sean's genjutsu, let him kick me once, and then lie right down. Isn't that better than you nearly getting crushed to death?"
'I'll spit a mouthful of blood and kill you\!'
Silva: "..."
He forcefully pushed Zeno away. "Get lost, I'll walk by myself\!"
Utterly shameless. Silva acted as if he didn't have Zeno for a father, limping his way back toward the old castle.
The scene gradually faded to black with his desolate figure.
...
In the Hunter Association office, the projection ended. Ging clapped and praised, "That was truly an unforgettable, spectacular fight."
"Ho ho... See? I told you this trip wouldn't be a waste." Netero took off the monitoring glasses and tossed them to Beans. He stretched lazily, savoring the feeling.
"Whether it's Silva or Sean, they are both the most formidable masters I've seen in the last decade\!"
"One has broken his limits three times and mastered his Nen, the other has broken his limits twice and fought a three-time limit-breaker head-on, nearly killing him... Ging\~ When you have time, you should pay more attention to the young people of today."
"You never know when some guy will pop up and give you a big shock\!"
Ging picked up his lemon tea and took a sip. "Beans, it's cold. Add some hot water."
He turned his head and smiled at Netero, "Please don't... The 'shock' I've received today is more than enough. I'm not even sure if I can fully digest it within ten years."
Putting aside the fact that Teacher Ben An turned out to be Sean Zoldyck... just the fact that Sean Zoldyck defeated Silva Zoldyck at the age of 13... most of the current Zodiacs really might not be that guy's match.
But... "Ging\~" Netero looked at Ging meaningfully and said, "Sean once said something to me that I've remembered to this day. Now... I'll pass this sentence on to you."
Oh? Ging looked at Netero in surprise. He unconsciously straightened his posture and listened—
Netero looked at him deeply and said faintly, "Ten years is too long. We seize the day, we seize the hour\!"
Therefore... "The time left for you to digest this is less than ten years, Ging."
"I've received news that ten years from now, around this time, Sean Zoldyck will challenge his family's ancestor, Maha Zoldyck\!"
"Hohoho... I imagine that day will surely be far more exciting than today\!"
?\! Ging dug at his ear, looking at Netero in disbelief. "That old man from the Zoldyck family is still alive?"
Across the entire continent, very few people knew that the world's number one family of assassins, the Zoldyck family, still had an ancestor\!
Perhaps it was because Zeno and Silva were too famous, overshadowing the brilliance of other Zoldyck family members. Or perhaps it was because Maha Zoldyck had lived in seclusion all these years, not concerning himself with worldly affairs, and was rarely known to outsiders... In any case, when this news flooded into Ging's mind, the dignified Boar was almost struck dumb\!
"Hmph\~ Not only is he alive, that old bastard is living a more comfortable life than I am." Netero snorted coldly, saying with envy, "Not only does he get to see the latest chapter of *Pot Shadow Ninja* right away, but from time to time he even goes down the mountain to find some young, pretty girls to flirt with... Ging, just look... what kind of life is he living? And what kind of life am I living?"
"I might as well quit this Chairman position. From now on, you'll take over\!"
Ging: "..."
'You want to flirt with young girls too?'
"Although Beyond is a scoundrel, there's no need for the Chairman to be so disheartened\~"
Ging stretched his arm out and laid it across the back of the sofa, going completely limp. "You know me. The Hunter Association is such a big mess, I can't handle it. Better to leave it to that guy Pariston."
"Him?" Netero shook his head noncommittally. "Some people feel happy because they are liked, while others only feel happy when they are hated."
"Let's not talk about that. Ten years from now, I'm just asking you—are you going to watch or not?"
"Watch\! I absolutely must watch\!" Ging pressed down the brim of his hat, speaking with rare excitement, "You don't need to call me, and you don't need to wait for me. On that day, as a Ruins Hunter, I feel it will be necessary to go explore the Zoldyck family's estate on Kukuroo Mountain\!"
"Hohoho... What a coincidence, isn't it?" A sharp light flashed in the depths of Netero's old eyes as he stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "I was thinking the same thing\~ How can watching through a screen be as thrilling as being there in person?"
"It's settled then\! Ging, see you at the Zoldyck estate in ten years\!"
"How dare I disobey..." Another burst of laughter soon filled the Chairman's office.
Witnessing the two large hands clasp together, Beans added a cup of boiling water to the glass in front of Ging... feeling it was necessary to properly "cool down" this guy who treated him like a dog.
"Tsss\~" The boiling water steamed... just like the sea of clouds churning endlessly in Sean's consciousness at this very moment—
Reflecting a certain old Madara who had been waiting for the youth for a long time\!
"Now you can talk, boy..."