Dusknoir's massive, pitch-black body, over five meters tall, slowly spread its arms. The yellow disc-shaped antenna atop its head trembled wildly, as if receiving some kind of signal.
Its single eye beneath the yellow band across its forehead narrowed slightly, and a deep, satisfied sigh rumbled from its throat.
Yet even amid this carnival-like atmosphere, Dusknoir had not forgotten its duty.
Its enormous body slowly sank, its arms wrapping around as it formed a spherical protective Barrier roughly two meters in diameter around Hunter C.
The Barrier was a deep black, faint violet patterns flowing across its surface as it completely shielded Hunter C within.
The grayish-purple death aura and Ghost type energy split apart the instant they touched the Barrier, like water meeting a reef. They slid past on both sides, unable to seep through in the slightest.
"Phew..." Hunter C let out a long breath. It condensed into white mist in the air before quickly being swallowed by the death aura outside the Barrier.
His hunched body relaxed slightly. Through the Barrier, his cloudy gray-white eyes watched the Spirit World Passage continuously spewing grayish-purple mist, and a complicated emotion flashed through his gaze.
There was fear, excitement, and a trace of desperate resolve.
"Ghehehe—!!"
Gengar floated up from the passage entrance, its round purple body having returned to its usual appearance.
It bared its mouth wide, crimson eyes fixed on Hunter C as it let out a piercing shriek tinged with a desire for praise.
"Well done." Hunter C's voice was hoarse and dry, every word seeming to be squeezed from the depths of his throat.
He had no strength left to offer further praise and merely nodded faintly.
High in the sky, Hunter E rode Braviary, looking down from above at the grayish-purple mist that was spreading