Delaying X Outmatched

Outside the Royal Palace, beside the city wall.

The most striking feature here is a huge cone-shaped structure made of thick purple smoke.

Like an inverted bowl, it completely covers an area.

Within the purple smoke Cage constructed by Morel with his heavy, enormous Pipe, the battle raged fiercely.

With his terrifyingly superior physical abilities, far exceeding those of humans, the Chimeric Ant Youpi moved at breakneck speed through confined spaces like a ghost.

Each flap of its wings is accompanied by a piercing shriek that tears through the air, creating tiny vortexes of airflow.

His seemingly slender limbs unleashed an astonishing power completely different from and unlike any human being.

Containing explosive power, his fists and feet rained down on Morel like a storm.

Although Youpi is the weakest of the Royal Guards, he is still a Royal Guard and possesses extraordinary strength.

Even if his role leans more towards strategy and support, this in no way means he is weak.

Even without the aid of Nen ability, his physical attributes and simple Nen Aura coverage alone are enough for him to suppress elite Nen user, and even kill them easily.

Faced with Youpi's relentless attacks, Morel gritted his teeth, brandishing his huge Pipe with incredible force, desperately building a defensive line.

The strong wind generated by the Pipe howled, forming blurry defensive barriers.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The clanging of metal against metal was incessant. Each time the Pipe collided violently with Youpi's fists, feet, and iron-hard wings, it made Morel's arms go numb, his tiger's mouth ache faintly, and his bones seemed to groan.

His burly body struggled to maneuver in the confined space, each block accompanied by heavy footsteps, leaving fine cracks in the ground beneath his feet and sending pebbles flying.

His close-combat skills weren't bad, but compared to the monster before him, they paled in comparison.

Not to mention that he is actually more skilled in strategic combat that relies on Nen ability.

That's why he's a Manipulation Type Nen user, the core of which lies in manipulating his own purple smoke.

But now, in order to construct such a crucial Cage, he no longer has any smokescreen or ability left for direct combat.

They can only rely entirely on their physical abilities and combat experience to tough it out.

This almost completely cuts off his strengths.

That's why he became so powerless and embarrassed.

Youpi is incredibly fast, and coupled with his ability to fly, his attack angles are extremely tricky.

Morel could only barely hold on by relying on his rich combat experience accumulated over many years of life-and-death battles and his amazing willpower.

His body was covered with several deep claw marks that revealed bone and shocking bruises. His loose clothes were torn in several places, and his body was stained with dark red blood, making him look extremely disheveled.

"Hmph, human, your struggles are like a trapped beast fighting, futile and fruitless!"

While relentlessly attacking, Youpi used his unique, aria-like, elegant voice to deliver sarcastic remarks.

His eyes, however, clearly burned with deep anxiety at being separated from the king and boiling with murderous intent.

"Look at you, so-called human elites, so utterly pathetic before the absolute power under the King's command! With your abilities, you dare to attempt to assassinate our King? It's utterly delusional!"

Men Qi moved nimbly around the outer perimeter, but the remaining Nen energy in her body was insufficient to create Nen Beast that could turn the tide of battle.

Her nimble hands moved swiftly, precisely enveloping various seasoning powders she carried with her in different shapes and sizes with her Nen Aura.

Seizing the opportunity, he suddenly reached out and swung his hand.

Spicy Impact!

A spray of chili powder, powerfully enveloped by Nen Aura and shimmering with a blinding red light, shot towards Youpi's eyes and nose, carrying a scorching heat.

Youpi flapped its wings in disgust, creating a powerful whirlwind in an attempt to disperse the powder, but a small amount of pungent powder still managed to break through the Blockade.

The pungent smell made him pause slightly, his brows furrowed, and he forced a disdainful snort while suppressing his discomfort.

"Like maggots, a despicable trick by humans!"

His tone was full of disdain.

But he was inevitably interrupted.

Unfortunately, the seasonings contained in Men Qi's Nen Bullet might not cause him any real harm, but their disruptive and disgusting nature was truly irritating.

Immediately afterward, Men Qi didn't stop, and flung out several more black particles enveloped in Nen Aura, moving with lightning speed.

Aromatic Interference Bomb.

The particles exploded precisely near Youpi, Emission a dizzying, pungent Spices odor in an attempt to interfere with his Phosphor Powder perception and restrict his range of movement.

Youpi waved his hand to disperse the smoke with even more agitation, keenly noticing that the Phosphor Powder's feedback had indeed shown a slight, almost imperceptible, disturbance.

However, the "Phosphorous Powder is Love Spring" belonging to Youpi, which is omnipresent in this enclosed space, is like a maggot clinging to the bone.

It not only accurately reflects the emotional fluctuations of the two people, but also acts like an invisible shackle, severely restricting their breathing.

To avoid being controlled by the deadly Phosphor Powder, the two must hold their breath for an extended period of time.

This made things even worse for the two, who were already exhausted from the fight, leaving them feeling powerless.

Morel keenly seized the moment when Youpi was distracted by Men Qi, and with a sigh of relief, he retreated sharply.

Men Qi understood immediately and simultaneously retreated rapidly towards the edge of the smoke Cage.

The two quickly leaned against the ever-flowing purple smoke wall. Morel concentrated and swiftly manipulated the smoke, instantly forming two finger-thick temporary "inhalation tubes" made of pure smoke.

Like the umbilical cord of life, it passes through the smoke wall and connects to the fresh air outside the Cage.

The two were as if the rain had brought them relief from a drought, and they took several deep breaths of the cool air.

Like a dying fish returning to water, the burning pain in my chest finally subsided slightly.

This life-saving brief breathing process is completed swiftly in just one or two breaths.

"Hmph! Despicable tricks! You think this will change anything?"

Youpi took in the whole scene, his amber pupils burning with even more fury, like burning amber.

His anger and anxiety were palpable.

The main problem was that the two people in front of him were determined to hold him off, and he was truly helpless and had no way to deal with them.

Even if he does manage to win in the end, who knows how long that will be?

Without a doubt, the other party has achieved its goal; he is truly trapped here and has no way to get out of the situation for the time being.

This Cage was tailor-made for him; he had to be locked up here, with no way to escape.

The more this happened, the more anxious and agitated he became.

The more this is the case, the colder his gaze becomes.

He had to choose a quick and decisive option.

Men Qi and Morel, if we were to say which one was an easy target for him, it would undoubtedly be Morel.

From Youpi's perspective, he could actually see that Men Qi's physical qualities were quite outstanding, not bad at all, and might even be stronger than Morel's.

However, ranged attacks are more cost-effective at this moment, and they can indeed effectively disrupt him.

The core of this Cage of smoke is clearly the smoke itself; the strange things that roam within it are actually designed to restrict his Nen ability, serving as an extra reinforcement that makes the Cage indestructible.

"I'll crush this cumbersome smoke can of yours first!"

The Youpi emitted a sharp, piercing sound, its wings vibrated at a high frequency, and its speed suddenly increased by another third.

Like an arrow released from a bow, they abandoned some attention on Men Qi and concentrated most of their firepower on Morel.

He no longer sought a fatal blow, but instead pressed close to Morel's body, launching an even more ferocious and continuous barrage of attacks.

Fists, feet, elbows, knees, even the sharp edges of wings gleaming with a cold light, all became deadly weapons.

They attacked Morel's vital points from all sorts of unbelievable and cunning angles.

The movements were swift and rapid, entirely instinctive and without any method.

He relied solely on his overwhelming physical abilities to relentlessly strike.

They didn't give Morel even the slightest chance to catch his breath.

This, ironically, greatly restricted Men Qi's movements.

Because the two were locked in a fierce battle, and she wasn't a Manipulation Type, but rather Emission Type.

She could only control where the Nen Bullet, which were accompanied by dust, exploded, but she couldn't precisely control the spread of the smoke and dust inside so as not to affect Morel, who was standing right next to her.

Morel's pressure increased dramatically in an instant.

The huge, heavy Pipe required a certain amount of space to swing, and under the relentless, close-quarters, and swift attacks of Youpi, it appeared particularly clumsy and sluggish.

He could only swing his Pipe faster and more frantically, often using the stem or end of the Pipe to hastily block and deflect the force, producing a dense series of heavy "bang" sounds.

Although Youpi's power was not as ferocious Youpi's, each of his blows was as heavy as a thousand pounds, causing Morel's body to ache with pain.

His wounds multiplied rapidly, with new dark bruises and bloody welts constantly appearing on his arms, shoulders, and ribs.

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.

His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his breathing became increasingly rapid and heavy.

However, the experienced Ocean Hunter's eyes remained sharp, and he did not lose his composure.

Despite being forced to retreat step by step and staggering slightly, he relied on his willpower and his Pipe technique to deflect and neutralize the force.

They never revealed a fatal flaw.

They weren't completely nailed down and unable to move.

Men Qi, on the other hand, was anxiously searching for a more effective opportunity to interfere from the outer perimeter, while Morel's stamina was being rapidly depleted by Youpi's fierce close-quarters combat.

The two were stuck together so tightly that Morel couldn't find any way to break free.

There's nothing we can do.

Men Qi's eyes sharpened, and she made a decision.

He resolutely abandoned his relatively safer attack method, took a step forward, and quickly closed in on the two combatants.

They fearlessly plunged into close combat.

As expected, once she entered, she became a prime target for suppression, and wounds quickly appeared on her body.

Fortunately, the two of them had more strength than one person. Although their coordination was still a bit rough and they weren't exactly in sync, they supported each other and slightly increased the distance between themselves Youpi. Through constant attacks and harassment, they gave each other precious breathing space.

"This is humanity: useless emotions between companions."

This is what Youpi wanted to see.

The two, one near and one far, caused some interference. If Men Qi had maintained the distance, she could have stalled for more time.

But Morel is in danger.

Clearly, for the safety of her companion, Men Qi did not choose a more rational approach.

For Youpi, ending the battle as quickly as possible would be a victory.

Seeing this, he increased the frequency of his attacks even further.

For someone of his superhuman caliber, his physical strength far surpasses that of the two humans before him.

What he needs to do now is to keep launching relentless attacks, giving the two of them no chance to catch their breath or build up their strength.

Until finally, they were forced to breathe in the Phosphor Powder- filled air within the Cage.

This was the fastest way he could think of to break the deadlock, gain the upper hand, and ultimately dismantle the Cage.

Within the surrounding smoke barrier.

Gon and Meruem, who was tightly on his back, moved stealthily through the crowd like ghosts.

With the cover of smoke, one could occasionally glimpse the situation inside through the hazy mist.

He could already smell the faint scent of blood wafting through the smoke, and it was growing stronger; the smell definitely wasn't from the enemy.

This situation caused Gon to clench his fists and furrow his brow.

My companion is definitely injured, and the injury is getting worse.

Meruem also watched with a tense expression, but could only see blurry figures and not the specifics of the situation.

But looking at Gon, she knew the situation outside must be bad, so she hugged Gon tightly with all her might, her meaning self-evident.

Don't act rashly. Morel hasn't given a signal, so absolutely do not act rashly.

Although Gon was angry, he did not lose his temper.

Despite Meruem's silent but firm reminder, he gritted his teeth and suppressed the urge to rush out.

By this time, the battle outside had become extremely brutal.

The only way for the two of them to breathe was for one of them to desperately try to stop the other, almost suicidally, to buy those precious few seconds.

This often makes their injuries worse in an instant.

But at least it gives me breath and allows me to keep fighting.

Therefore, by this time, the injuries on both of them had become very serious, with blood almost staining their clothes, and their movements had become noticeably slower.

Exaggerated scars appeared on his body.

The enemy's severe injuries spurred Youpi into becoming even more frenzied in his attacks.

"The enemies who stand in my way to protect the king will soon be torn to shreds by me. Bathed in blood, I will rush to the king's side. Ah, the crimson blood!"

He sang as if he were performing an opera, his movements never ceasing.

At this critical moment...

Men Qi's eyes flashed, and suddenly, disregarding her own safety, she unleashed several more powerful Nen Bullet with all her might.

It exploded upon being fired, creating a large cloud of dust mixed with various irritants.

This sudden movement forced Youpi to retreat hastily and dodge, temporarily creating distance between them.

Finally, in a split Lightning Speed, a brief but precious gap appeared between them.