Not Quite Satisfactory

There were quite a few brats who understood Nen Abilities.

But brats whose abilities suited combat and whose overall combat power was exceptionally high were particularly rare.

That was something even experienced Nen users knew.

Besides, Cole had been decapitated.

So from the very beginning—

Genbul had never underestimated Moyu.

Even so, he had still suffered badly under the joint assault of the three.

Now, as he charged at Moyu again, despite his fury, Genbul remained highly focused.

His gaze was locked onto Moyu, while he also kept Hawk, as well as that suspicious shadow-like Nen Ability, in his awareness.

In the earlier exchange, if not for Hawk's two Nen Bullets, he certainly would have guarded against the shadow's attack and killed Moyu outright.

This time, he only needed to account for every factor, including the black Nen Arrows, and then close the distance!

"You won't get a second chance!!!"

With that thought in mind, Genbul saw only Moyu and Hawk.

He intended to take the two of them out in one go with his next assault.

"Pat."

Then—

He suddenly heard a sweet, adorable sound by his ear.

Before he could react, his neck abruptly turned cold. He felt his entire body fly into the air as his vision began spinning wildly.

What... happened to me...?!

Genbul, feeling himself rise into the air, was utterly bewildered.

As his vision rotated, he suddenly saw his own body frozen in place in a sprinting posture. He could also see it covered in glowing red Go Straight Markers.

"That is—"

Confused and bewildered, Genbul tried to get a clearer look, but the darkness that followed swallowed his consciousness.

Thud.

A massive head fell from midair and hit the ground.

He had clearly considered every factor he needed to guard against, yet he had died miserably to an unconventional ability that had suddenly appeared.

It was truly tragic.

"Pat, pat..."

Rat Treasure padded silently over to Genbul's head.

Exhausted as it was, it tilted its head slightly as it examined the severed head.

After thinking for a moment, it hugged the head to its chest and happily walked toward Hawk, who was leaning against a tree trunk.

"Pat!"

Arriving before Hawk, Rat Treasure lifted the head as if presenting a treasure. The ball of aura at the tip of its tail wore an excited expression.

"Ah, right..."

Seeing this, Hawk raised his bloodied left hand and gently stroked Rat Treasure's head. "Sorry, Rat Treasure. I haven't taken you treasure hunting in so long. You must have been going stir-crazy, huh?"

"Pat!"

Rat Treasure raised the head again, its tail swaying back and forth.

Hawk smiled helplessly and reached out to take the head.

Seeing Hawk accept it, Rat Treasure happily bounced around on the spot. Its tiny feet struck the ground without making the slightest sound.

It was actually extremely exhausted now.

But no longer having to work to suppress the Post-Mortem Nen made it feel completely relieved.

Moyu watched Hawk and Rat Treasure from the side, his expression grim.

"Hawk, what are you trying to do?"

From the moment Rat Treasure appeared and ambushed Genbul, Moyu understood what Hawk's earlier words had meant.

He intended to smash the pot and sink the boat...

"I can't worry about all that anymore."

Hawk slowly met Moyu's gaze. His voice was soft, yet filled with resolve. "Moyu, to me, you staying alive is more important than anything else... Cough, cough."

As he spoke, Hawk broke into a violent coughing fit, bright red blood pouring from his mouth.

His injuries were too severe...

After finally stopping the coughing, Hawk said quietly:

"Listen, Moyu... In a moment, I'll have Rat Treasure open a passage to send you away. Since I don't have much aura left, the passage... probably won't last more than three seconds, and the distance it can cover will be limited... But it will be enough to send the two of you away..."

"Hawk."

Moyu looked at Hawk and said gravely, "Don't make decisions on your own. If we're leaving, we're leaving together."

"Ah, you brat... You were born smart, just like your mother, so don't be stupid at a time like this. What I'm saying here is my last words."

Hawk smiled, exposing a mouthful of bloody teeth, looking entirely at ease.

"..."

Moyu pressed his lips together tightly.

Yes.

There was no other way.

But he still clung to a sliver of hope.

"Rat Treasure..."

Before he could finish, Moyu suddenly felt a surging, powerful aura. His body instantly tensed.

He whipped his head toward Cheadle, only to see Sivir, enveloped in a surging aura, charging straight at them.

"So she really couldn't be stopped..."

Moyu's expression changed.

With his current body, if an Enhancer aura of that level so much as grazed him, even if he did not die, he would be crippled on the spot.

Hawk also saw Sivir's astonishing aura.

"Elena... The Nen Space you left behind can definitely protect our son one more time, right..."

Resolve slowly filled Hawk's eyes, leaving no room for anything else.

"I can't stop her!"

Cheadle's expression changed drastically.

That even stronger Manifestation Aura gave Sivir greater explosive power.

As a result, Cheadle had no time to stop Sivir and could only watch helplessly as she rushed toward Moyu and Hawk.

"At last, a suitable opening has appeared, Dog of the Zodiac."

Ken took a step forward and, at that moment, unleashed his fastest and strongest slash at Cheadle.

Cheadle's pupils contracted sharply.

Because Ken's earlier attack style had been too sinister and vicious, Cheadle had remained highly vigilant toward him and anticipated the methods he might have concealed.

This slash was indeed stronger than any of his previous ones, but Cheadle had been mentally prepared. She made a small backward hop and dodged it at the last moment.

However—

After his slash missed, Ken actually released the hilt, allowing the long blade to fly toward Cheadle.

When one strike failed, he abandoned his weapon and used it as an attack.

In the ever-changing battles between Nen users, such a tactic was uncommon, but hardly extraordinary.

Besides, Cheadle could react through her insight alone. With a simple sidestep, she avoided the flying blade.

"Wonderful."

Ken smiled and raised an arm. The Nen surrounding it underwent a change in properties and extended into the form of a blade.

As the thrown long blade swept past Cheadle, Ken used his palm as a blade and slashed through her body from a distance.

Slash!

Blood sprayed!

Cheadle grunted and abruptly retreated, widening the distance as she left quite a bit of blood on the ground.

"Sigh."

Ken stopped where he was, lowered his head to glance at the extended aura blade on his palm, imbued with a sharp property, then looked at Cheadle, whose body had been cut open by the Aura Blade Slash. He sighed. "As expected of one of the Zodiacs."

This was the second time he had said so.

So much setup, so many supporting factors.

All of it had been preparation for that killing blow, yet at the final moment, Cheadle had still avoided fatal damage.

"How did you notice?"

Ken looked at Cheadle and asked with a smile.

Cheadle's face was somewhat pale as she said, word by word, "That thing you said about us both being Enhancers was too deliberate."

"I see."

Ken's smile widened.

"Though the result is not quite satisfactory, it's enough. One of the Zodiacs is probably about to be removed from the roster."