HxH: Apex Predator

At this moment, due to the commotion Ryker had stirred up, a large number of gang members were rushing upstairs. Meanwhile, the Solomons had shut down the elevators.

Their plan was to trap Ryker inside the headquarters building and, ideally, capture him alive. He would be the perfect bargaining chip for negotiations with the Genovese family.

However, Ryker had no intention of using Kamui to leave the building immediately.

The warning from Silva during their previous battle had left a deep impression on him.

Relying on overwhelming strength to crush weaker opponents over and over would only lead to stagnation—or worse, regression.

It was like a diamond-ranked player repeatedly smurfing in gold-tier matches; over time, their skills would deteriorate.

So now, unless he was up against a truly threatening opponent, Ryker refrained from using Kamui and instead fought with pure physical skill.

He tore through the stairwell, relying solely on his martial prowess, not once activating his Nen abilities.

As he fought, he realized he was beginning to enjoy the visceral thrill of hand-to-hand combat.

No wonder Enhancement-type Nen users were so obsessed with battles where every strike landed with bone-crushing impact.

Meanwhile, his four clones were focused on eliminating as many of the enemy as possible.

They weren't just cutting down those trying to escape the building—they were also preventing reinforcements from entering.

Inside the building, Ryker continued his relentless advance, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake.

At the same time, the moment the invasion alarm was triggered, members of the Solomon family immediately informed Sosa Kolobo and Hawk Solomon.

And within moments, the intel was relayed to both the Gambino and Genovese families.

John and Tony received the report at almost the exact same time.

"What did you just say? Someone attacked our headquarters?"

Hawk Solomon's eyes narrowed.

"If I remember correctly, our three top enforcers and two hired bounty hunters are stationed there right now, preparing for the morning operation."

"How many attackers?"

"One?"

Hawk let out a cold chuckle.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Tell them to try and capture him alive—I'd love to see how Tony plans to deal with this."

He dismissed the matter entirely.

The attacker's timing couldn't have been worse—striking when the Solomons' strongest fighters were all gathered in one place?

This wasn't an invasion. It was a suicide mission.

Hawk reported everything to Sosa Kolobo, providing a full briefing on the situation.

Sosa had barely finished reading his own intelligence reports when Hawk's call came through.

Hawk assured him, with absolute confidence, that there was no cause for concern. The matter would be resolved before dawn.

After hanging up, Sosa sat deep in thought.

His demeanor had completely changed from his usual public persona.

If any Nen user had been present in the room, they would have seen his phone wrapped in a layer of Aura as he took the call.

Moments later, Sosa's eyes sharpened.

"Tony... do you really have that much faith in this kid?"

"For someone so young to possess this level of strength, there are only three possibilities—"

"One: He's an incredibly lucky prodigy who stumbled upon some great fortune.

Two: He's an old veteran disguising himself as a child.

Three: He's an elite soldier trained by a powerful organization."

"If it's the last one, then the force backing him must be formidable. Could Tony be trying to manipulate them into a direct conflict with us?"

"But isn't he afraid that if this kid actually dies, the first one to suffer the consequences will be him?"

...........

Meanwhile, at the Gambino estate, John had also received the report.

"What the hell is going on? Does Tony really trust that organization that much?"

Even if they're strong, they wouldn't launch a direct assault on the Solomon headquarters."

"That place is packed with top-tier fighters. At the very least, Kolobo arranged for the Solomons to hire two bounty hunters. On top of that, the Solomons' own experts are stationed there."

"There's no way Tony didn't see this coming. He wouldn't send someone to their death unless he had an ulterior motive."

At that moment, Gordon rushed into the room, "Father, something's wrong. We didn't expect the Solomons to be the ones under attack."

After hearing John's thoughts, Gordon offered his own analysis.

"Could this be a diversion? What if the real targets are the Philip or Medici families?

They might have caught wind of our reinforcements and are trying to lure us away from their actual objective."

"And if it's not a feint—if they really are going after the Solomons—then they're walking into a death trap. That place is at full strength. They'll be wiped out."

John frowned.

"You might be right. Tell Bat to stay on standby. We're not falling for a diversion. I just want to know what Tony is playing at. Does he really believe in that card he's holding?"

...........

At the Genovese headquarters, Tony sat comfortably in his office, waiting for updates.

Unlike the others, he knew exactly what was happening tonight.

"That kid from the Zoldyck family is strong, no doubt about it.

But no matter how powerful he is, ants can kill an elephant. Charging into enemy headquarters alone? Is that bravery or stupidity?"

"Either way, it doesn't concern me. No matter the outcome, I win."

"Best case scenario? The kid takes down a few of the Solomons' top fighters before falling. That would be a major blow to them."

"But honestly, I doubt he'd be sent on a mission like this without some hidden backup. If things go south, his bodyguards will be forced to reveal themselves."

"Once that happens, the Solomons are as good as finished. Worst case scenario? The kid dies."

Tony shrugged.

"That has nothing to do with me."

"I provided accurate intel. It's not my fault he ran in headfirst before verifying the situation. I even told him to wait until morning when we had clearer information."

"But he insisted on going now."

Tony smirked.

"Sosa… this time, you're on your own."

______________________

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