Hunter X Hunter: Tombbound Power

Following their plan, Feitan and Phinks slipped into the masquerade party in plain clothes, blending seamlessly into the crowd. Their goal: to kidnap Princess Anna, claim the Ice Pearl—one of the Seven Beauties of the World—and track down the owner of the rare book and Pain, the heir to the Creston family fortune.

Meanwhile, Shalnark was outside, tasked with dealing with the security forces and clearing the way for Feitan and the others.

The Baiya Palace had formidable guards, as expected, but against the Phantom Troupe—survivors of carnage and bloodshed—these guards were no threat. Shalnark alone was more than enough to handle them.

After confirming things with Shalnark over the phone, Phinks gave a nod to Feitan and ended the call.

"Alright~" Phinks stepped forward, looking down at the gathering of nobles.

"Who's the heir to the Creston family?"

His eyes scanned the crowd, carefully observing their reactions.

For a moment, the nobles froze. Then, collectively, they exhaled in relief—it wasn't them the intruders had come for.

With nervous glances, they looked toward Punk and Baker, silently urging them to step forward.

They're probably here because of you! Just get this over with already!

Hidden in the crowd, Ronnel—known by most as "Baker"—raised an eyebrow.

They're after the Creston family? The Troupe wouldn't stir up this kind of trouble unless they wanted something.

Ronnel's gaze shifted to Feitan, dressed like a thief from a children's nightmare, and a realization crept over him.

Of course... They're here for the Ice Pearl.

Suddenly, Phinks' voice rang out through the hall. "Found you!"

He darted down from the platform toward a man dressed like an ancient Roman gladiator. The rattling of plastic armor gave away the man's growing fear.

Seeing Phinks rushing toward him, the man tried to run—but it was too late.

Phinks grabbed him by the back of the neck, lifted him effortlessly, and ripped off his mask.

The terrified face of Punk Creston was revealed to the crowd.

"He's Punk Creston!" someone whispered from the shadows, causing Punk to tremble even more.

Phinks' grin widened beneath his mask.

"Perfect. You'll be doing us a little favor."

He shot a glance toward Feitan, who nodded in return. Without hesitation, Feitan tore the Ice Pearl of the Eternal Night Galaxy from Princess Anna's neck.

Although it wasn't made from liquid titanium like true Ice Pearls, the necklace was still an exquisite treasure—yet Feitan discarded it like trash, holding only the ice-blue gem between his fingers.

"You got lucky, princess," Feitan sneered, shoving Anna aside without a second glance.

With the gem secured, Phinks turned back to Punk and grabbed him by the arm, ready to leave. But sensing what was coming, Punk began to struggle frantically.

"No! Please! Don't take me! I don't know anything! I'm useless! You should talk to my brother—he knows way more than I do! He even likes reading weird books—he's the one you want!"

Phinks and Feitan both paused.

"Your brother, huh?" Phinks tilted his head. "Loves reading, you say?"

Punk, seeing a glimmer of hope, nodded furiously. "Yes! He has a whole collection—rare books and everything! If anyone knows what you're looking for, it's him!"

Desperation made him shameless, and he didn't hesitate to sell out his own brother.

Phinks sneered. "So, where's this bookworm of yours hiding?"

He looked around the crowd, scanning their faces.

"Take off all your masks!" he barked.

Panic swept through the room as the nobles fumbled to remove their disguises. One by one, fearful faces were revealed. Disgusted glares shot in Punk's direction.

This coward betrayed his own brother... What a disgrace to the Creston name.

If he'd just gone quietly, none of us would be in danger right now!

The room buzzed with unspoken curses aimed at Punk, though no one dared say anything aloud.

Among the sea of exposed faces, one figure stood out—a person still wearing a brown teddy bear mask.

"So, it's you," Phinks said, his eyes locking onto Ronnel.

Ronnel scratched the inside of his mask lazily, as if unaffected by the attention.

"You're not gonna make this easy, are you?" Phinks chuckled, tossing Punk aside like a ragdoll. Punk crashed against the wall with a dull thud and crumpled to the floor, ignored by everyone.

Phinks cracked his knuckles and took a step toward Ronnel.

The crowd parted instantly, leaving Ronnel standing alone in the center of the room.

Ronnel glanced around, sizing up his options. Then, without warning—

Swish!

He sprang into action, knocking aside a controlled Marion who had a gun in hand, and bolted for the exit.

The sudden movement stunned everyone. Even Phinks froze for a moment before a grin spread across his face.

"So, you want to play cat and mouse?" he called out after him. "I'll play along!"

With that, he gave chase, leaping after Ronnel in a blur of motion. Feitan followed silently, hot on Phinks' heels.

Marion, the unfortunate guard, lay sprawled on the floor, forgotten.

The nobles, now free from the immediate threat, collapsed where they stood, overwhelmed by relief.

One by one, they sank to the ground, trembling from the terror that had only just passed.

------------

+180 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub