009 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

Needless to say, the deaths of the first two queens, and the fifth queen's unfortunate involvement, were nothing more than cruel twists of fate.

The eighth prince, Salé-salé—her only child—was the first to die. After that, the queen sank into deep grief, mourning every day until death became her release.

The fourth queen, fearing for her child, went into hiding with the sixth prince, Tyson. The sixth queen, Seiko, continued to remain beside Kacho and Fugetsu.

The seventh prince, Luzurus, is currently confined in a separate dimension created by the thirteenth prince, Marayam. Meanwhile, the eighth queen, Oito, is under Ronnel's protection. Among all the queens, the two of them are in the safest position right now.

Even so, the future remains uncertain for all of them.

Originally, King Nasubi used to believe in the old adage: "One night as husband and wife leads to a hundred days of kindness." At the very least, he would offer his less-favored concubines some symbolic protection at critical moments.

But ever since the scandal between Prince Zhang Lei and the third queen came to light, King Nasubi's heart grew cold.

He simply let them go—and left them to their fates.

...

And so, the third state dinner ended once again with no appetite among the princes, and the guests drinking merely to endure the tension.

It was now the fourth week since they'd set sail.

Both factions had gone quiet, regrouping and building strength. For now, the first level of the Black Whale fell into a rare and temporary calm.

While conflict was deadlocked on the upper floor, the three decks below had begun to shift.

In other words, while the royal battle absorbed all attention above, no one was paying close attention to the lower levels.

This was exactly what the Fourth Prince's faction—backed by the Heil-Ly family—took advantage of.

The Zodiacs and the Phantom Troupe, without exchanging a word, found a common understanding. Together, they swept through the three major mafia families, annihilating them along with their smaller affiliates in one decisive move.

Now, the lower decks belong to the Zodiacs and the Phantom Troupe. And for the moment, there is no tension between them.

Still, not everyone is playing fair. Certain individuals in smaller teams—like Pariston—have begun stirring the pot for their own amusement, fanning the flames in anticipation of Beyond's eventual arrival.

The result? The lower levels of the Black Whale have completely slipped from the Kakin royal family's control.

But the princes don't care. Their eyes remain locked on each other, obsessed with how to eliminate their rivals.

...

The temporary ceasefire between Benjamin and Halkenburg brought a brief reprieve to most—except for those who needed chaos to advance their plans.

Tserriednich and Tubeppa were desperate for Benjamin and Halkenburg to go back to war. Their hunger for the throne left no room for patience.

But neither Benjamin nor Halkenburg are fools. Neither was willing to sacrifice the nation they'd carefully built just to benefit their rivals.

Besides, with the presence of the sixth prince Tyson and the seventh prince Luzurus—both of whom had sustained virtually no losses—rash action would only spell doom for their plans.

So unless something provoked both sides to act again—like when Ronnel killed Balsamilco—full-scale war wouldn't resume.

Tserriednich and Tubeppa began plotting in earnest, looking for a new fuse.

And, as fate would have it, that fuse presented itself.

...

After a brief two-day truce, both sides had managed to recover some strength. Just then, shocking news arrived.

The sixth prince, Tyson, and his mother, the fourth queen, had been found dead in Room 1006.

As for the assassin, even without an official report, everyone could guess.

Prince Benjamin, ever intolerant of rivals, had tried to eliminate Tyson several times before. This time, it seemed he'd finally succeeded.

Tyson—always absorbed in her religious ideals, preaching the founding of a sect, and compiling sacred texts—believed that love alone would keep her safe.

But her faith made her blind to reality.

Tserriednich and Tubeppa came to the same realization the moment they heard the news:

The fuse had arrived.

...

In truth, assassinating Tyson wasn't difficult.

The earlier battle between Benjamin and Halkenburg had cast a wide shadow, and Tyson's side remained untouched.

After that, she mistakenly believed that divine love was shielding her.

So she let her guard down, and her entire entourage—deeply influenced by her guardian beast's aura of euphoria—fell into complacency. They followed her blindly, offering no practical advice.

Even Kurapika's master, Izunavi, was too occupied suppressing the influence of Tyson's Nen beast to intervene.

Ronnel's Clone No. 1 had no orders to interfere.

Tyson's only remaining advisor was her mother, the fourth queen, who had recently come to join her. Not yet under the Nen beast's influence, she still retained her clarity.

She tried repeatedly to warn Tyson—but her daughter refused to listen, consumed by her delusions of a spiritual future.

And so, their end came as expected.

...

The two were killed without resistance. Benjamin's private forces exploited a perfect window, ensuring the deaths were swift and painless.

Thanks to Tyson's odd beliefs and neglect, the assassination went forward without a hitch. No one resisted. No obstacles arose. It was seamless.

Ironically, not a single one of Tyson's bodyguards was harmed in the process.

When Tyson died, her guardian spirit beast—born of love—vanished. Its emotional manipulation over the guards evaporated.

Only then did the bodyguards wake up from their trance, piecing together what had just occurred. It felt like they'd all been trapped in a surreal dream.

...

The moment the news spread, both Benjamin and Halkenburg sprang into action.

With Tyson dead, her Nen-using bodyguards were now unclaimed assets.

Besides her most loyal guards, Tyson had gathered many powerful Nen users—followers drawn to her vision.

Now, that strength was up for grabs.

Whoever could absorb these talented fighters would gain a significant boost to their forces.

And both Benjamin and Halkenburg knew it.

The silent war had just taken a very loud turn.