The Fells family residence dominated the mountainside, its palace aglow with lights that turned night into day. Below, the wide road leading up the mountain was completely blocked. A seemingly endless line of vehicles belonging to various Mafia families stretched into the distance, with harried servants struggling to manage the overflow of cars.
"Unbelievable," the Knight murmured as he and his companions stepped out of their vehicle and took in the spectacle before them. All around them, Mafia bosses were abandoning their cars to make the trek up the mountain on foot, forming an orderly procession despite their status. Even the hotheads among them kept their composure; no one dared to cause trouble here, not in the Fells' mansion, and especially not with all the Dons present.
"Are we really just going to walk in like this?" Number 5 Quick asked, scanning their surroundings carefully. "If the Fells family is on guard, they might have people watching for us." The family's base occupied the entire mountain range, their private territory offering almost no blind spots. Quick knew from Kuroro and Feitan's previous experience as family guards that cameras monitored every approach up the mountain.
"The cameras are the least of our worries," the knight replied, checking the time on his phone. "There are so many guests, they're only checking invitations. The Fells family won't recognize you and Duan. You two go in the front, we'll find another way in and meet you inside." He paused and added, "And make sure to create some chaos in three minutes."
Duan, a sickly-looking man with pale skin who had replaced Franklin as Number 7, frowned. "Another way in?"
"See you soon!" The Knight waved casually as he and the others disappeared into the crowd.
Despite the base's formidable security, Kuroro and Feitan's intimate knowledge of the grounds from their time as guards made infiltration a simple matter for them. Meanwhile, Quick and Duan joined the stream of guests heading up the mountain. Instead of walking with the crowd for half an hour, they transformed into dark shadows and darted through the gaps between the people. As they passed, the only thing that confused the guests was a sudden gust of wind, and some were knocked to the ground and cursed at their neighbors. But even these minor altercations didn't escalate; no one dared disturb the peace here.
When they reached the main entrance, Quick noticed that the Knight's three-minute deadline was approaching and exchanged a glance with Duan. A gang leader behind them was about to protest their sudden appearance in line when Duan turned, grabbed the man's invitation and examined it closely.
"Warren, is it?" Duan's sinister look made the gangster's heart jump. "What family are you with?"
The boss kept his composure, but Duan had already grabbed another invitation from someone in front of them and compared the names. Then he activated his Nen ability and whispered something into both men's ears.
The change was instantaneous. Without warning or explanation, the two bosses launched themselves at each other in a violent frenzy. Attempts to separate them proved futile as they fought like men possessed. When a high-ranking member of their family tried to intervene, he too was inexplicably drawn into the fray. What began as a fight between two men quickly degenerated into chaos.
The Fells family's response was swift and efficient. Managers quickly contained the scene and evacuated all involved, who, upon regaining their senses, had no recollection of what had transpired. This caught the attention of the family's Nen users, one of whom grabbed his radio: "We have an unauthorized Nen user who's infiltrated the compound."
Outside one of the palace wings, ten Shadow Beasts, led by Owl, stood watching from a darkened alcove. Owl lowered his radio, its squelch still echoing in the silence.
"Someone has a death wish," Leech sneered. "Don't they realize what kind of gathering this is? What family would dare?"
"Gangs are always restless," Owl replied absently, flicking his ear. The worm beside him seemed about to speak, but fell silent under Owl's cold gaze through his glasses.
"I have received some interesting information," Owl continued carefully. "The long-missing Phantom Troupe may make an appearance tonight. If so, we have instructions from 'That Person' to avoid engagement. Thoughts?"
"The spiders?"
"You mean Oboro?"
The Shadow Beasts' expressions changed subtly. Owl's meaning was clear: if the troupe appeared, they should leave the field rather than engage.
"No way!" Rabid Dog barked, spittle flying. "This is our chance to catch all the Spiders in a web! You want us to just walk away? What about the Dons' safety?"
The other Shadow Beasts fixed Owl with intense glances.
"Those are our orders," Owl sighed.
"We serve the Dons as a whole, not one individual," Leech countered. "Even as our leader, you cannot impose your personal preferences on us."
Half of the Shadow Beasts had seen Oboro in person. Back then, he had appeared pitifully weak, barely able to function. While his reputation was impressive, their encounter in the hospital had left them unimpressed. They still blamed his strategic retreat for allowing the Troupe to escape their grasp once before.
Or so Rabid Dog and his allies believed.
The Worm moved silently to stand beside Owl, declaring his support without words. He had witnessed Oboro's true power after his recovery, that single look still haunted him. Besides, he belonged to the Fells.
"And the rest of you?" Owl asked, scratching his head. He'd expected this division.
In the end, only four Shadow Beasts sided with Owl: the Worm, the Bat, the Porcupine and himself.
"Just kidding," Owl said, his eyes narrowing as he defused the tension. "It's probably just a rumor anyway. I just mentioned it as a precaution."
He couldn't admit the truth, warning the Dons in advance would be disastrous. Owl had concluded that it was wiser to submit to 'that person' than to serve the Dons.
"What a joke."
"I hope the Spiders show up, I still haven't forgotten that I let them escape last time!"
"What's wrong with you, Owl? When did you become such a loyalist to the Fells?"
"We respect his position, but he's not one of the Dons anymore. You have to understand that!"
"All right, all right, don't take it so seriously," Owl waved dismissively and stepped forward. "Let's go catch our little infiltrator."