After the intense battle with the Phantom Troupe in the Bad Tail Building, Vega decided it was time to change locations.
Using a fake ID, he purchased an airship ticket—not to Nacro City, but to a neighboring city called Pooh, located just over 500 kilometers away. The reason was simple: with the Ten Elders blacklisting him, the Phantom Troupe actively hunting him, and the teiro family putting a bounty on his head, Vega couldn't afford to take any risks.
Boarding a direct flight to Nacro would be equivalent to announcing his location to the entire underworld. There was no doubt that the airship to Nacro was being monitored by numerous hostile forces. All it would take was one lunatic to plant a bomb and detonate it mid-air—and not even Vega's enhanced defenses could guarantee survival from that.
So instead, he chose the safer route. Land in Pooh, rent a car, and drive the remaining distance back.
After two days of covert travel, Vega arrived in Pooh and rented a used car from a local dealership. As he drove towards Nacro City, he hummed, clearly in a good mood.
He'd already called ahead—Nacro City was still relatively calm. No trace of the Phantom Troupe had been detected, though unidentified individuals were quietly monitoring the Pengellet estate. Kevin had wisely chosen not to expose their surveillance, instead assigning men to shadow them and preparing the family for possible combat. Everyone was on high alert.
Satisfied with the situation, Vega focused on the road ahead. He was nearly at Nacro City when it happened.
As he drove through a narrow pass, a sudden, powerful wave of aura smashed into his vehicle.
BOOM.
The car exploded into shrapnel, leaving a crater several meters deep in the ground. Vega tumbled out amidst the debris, coughing and singed from the blast.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. That was close—he hadn't sensed the Nen attack at all. Had it not been for a sudden surge of instinctual dread pounding in his chest, he might have been vaporized.
But there was no time to catch his breath.
Danger.
His senses screamed at him.
Vega didn't hesitate. He pulled out Phantom Severance, and the spectral dragon fused into his body. Just as he activated the armor, a fist slammed into his abdomen.
WHAM.
The impact sent him flying, crashing through several trees before skidding to a stop.
"Agh…!" Vega coughed violently and staggered to his feet. The spot where he'd been struck now bore a massive dent in his Nen armor—Phantom Severance had cracked around the impact zone.
His expression darkened.
That punch wasn't even a fully charged attack. It wasn't a desperate all-out blow like Uvogin's Big Bang Impact. This was just a normal punch—and it still left a mark. Whoever launched it had mastered both stealth and raw power. Vega hadn't even sensed the attacker approach.
He raised Red Shrike and prepared for another assault.
A tall figure slowly emerged from the smoke—a silver-haired man with sharp, angular features and piercing eyes. He wore a dark blue martial arts gi and approached silently, each step heavy with pressure.
Silva Zoldyck.
Vega's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man. This was no ordinary assassin—this was the patriarch of the Zoldyck family, father of Killua, and one of the most feared assassins in the world.
Thankfully, he was alone.
Vega exhaled, releasing the tension in his shoulders. If Zeno had shown up too—an assassin known to kill in daylight without a trace—Vega knew this would've been his last stand. Now, he at least had a chance.
Still, Silva was no pushover.
He was a Transmuter of terrifying ability, the same man who had once killed the Phantom Troupe's No. 8 in single combat. Even Chrollo had warned the Troupe never to provoke the Zoldyck family again after barely escaping a joint assault by Silva and Zeno.
In the Chimera Ant arc, even the deadly Cheetu hadn't sensed Silva's presence before being wiped out in an instant.
Now, that same monster stood before Vega.
And worse yet—Silva had just cracked Phantom Severance with a basic punch.
This would not be an easy fight.