Lina's hair lashed out like countless black steel needles, stabbing viciously at the five men charging toward her. Over the past six months, she had honed her Manipulation Type Nen Ability to remarkable proficiency. She infused every strand with her aura, making it as sharp as a dagger and as hard as steel rebar. But against five battle-hardened Nen users from the Blood Hand Gang, her attacks were still far too inexperienced. The scar-faced man leading them sneered. Dense aura coated his machete, and a casual swing severed every strand thrusting toward him. The other four scattered at once, closing in from four directions. Nen Bullets, machetes, and venom-coated short blades sealed off every avenue of escape. "Stop struggling, little girl," the scar-faced man said mockingly. "Fei Lan and that brat can barely save themselves. No one's coming to rescue you. Surrender quietly, and you won't have to suffer as much." Lina's face went deathly pale. The hand gripping her hair trembled slightly, and cold sweat soaked her back. She wove her hair into an impenetrable net before her, blocking the first round of attacks, but more than half of it was cut away. A stray Nen Bullet grazed her arm, and blood ran down it. She gritted her teeth, refusing to let her tears fall. Her brother had told her to protect their home. Her master had told her that the strength of the powerful was meant to protect others. She could not retreat. Even if she died, she could not let these men destroy her home. "Get lost!" Lina's voice shook with tears, but remained defiant. Her aura erupted again, and her remaining hair suddenly spread into a vast net, sweeping back over the five men. At the same time, her left hand slipped toward the dagger at her waist, the weapon Lin Ye had given her for protection. "You have a death wish." A vicious gleam flashed through the scar-faced man's eyes. His aura surged as he unleashed his Enhancement Type Nen at full power and punched the net of hair. Crack! The seemingly indestructible net shattered beneath that single blow. Savage aura surged back through the hair into Lina's body. She flew backward as though struck by a truck and slammed into the courtyard wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The dagger fell from her hand. Her organs felt as though they had been knocked out of place, and every bone in her body ached. Lina struggled to stand, but her body would not obey. The five men advanced on her, cruel smiles plastered across their faces. "Grab her. Take her back to Lord Karen." The scar-faced man waved a hand, and two men immediately stepped forward, reaching for Lina's arms. As she watched their hands draw closer, despair finally filled her eyes. Brother, Master... I'm sorry. I couldn't protect our home. Just as those two hands were about to touch her, a deafening rush of air exploded overhead. "Tempest Kick: Dragon Tempest!" A silver-white Dragon-Shaped Slash streaked down from high above, wreathed in black Armament Haki lightning. Like a Gale Force powerful enough to cleave heaven and earth, it slammed into the ground between the two men and the courtyard wall. Boom!! A tremendous explosion rang out. The hard concrete was cleaved open, leaving a trench over ten meters long as rubble and dust sprayed into the air. The two men approaching her were torn apart by the Tempest Kick's cutting wave before they could even scream, their aura dispersing on the spot. Amid the billowing dust, a figure clad in black descended from the sky and landed firmly in front of Lina. It was Lin Ye. His coat snapped in the fierce wind from his descent. A faint black layer of Armament Haki covered his body, and the Samurai Sword in his hand still hummed softly. Overwhelming fury and killing intent churned in his eyes, like those of an enraged beast. "B-Brother?" As Lina stared at his back, tears spilled down her cheeks. All her fear and despair crumbled away in that instant. "Don't be afraid." Lin Ye's voice was low, yet carried a strength that made her feel utterly safe. "Your brother's back. As long as I'm here, no one will hurt a single hair on your head." As he spoke, he slowly turned to face the three remaining Blood Hand Gang men, including their scar-faced leader. The scar-faced man and his two remaining subordinates turned deathly pale and involuntarily took a step back. They had seen it clearly: this eleven-year-old brat had killed two of their companions instantly with a single midair kick. The power of that cutting wave, that savage, unyielding aura, was far beyond anything they could withstand. "Y-you're Lin Ye?" The scar-faced man forced himself to remain calm, but the hand gripping his machete would not stop trembling. "Lord Karen has already sealed off every escape route. You won't get away today, even if you grow wings! If you know what's good for you, put down your weapon and come with us!" Lin Ye smiled, a smile cold enough to chill the bones. "Sealed off every escape route?" "You three pieces of trash think you have the right to say that?" Before he finished speaking, Lin Ye vanished from where he stood. "Flash Shave!" A rapid barrage of footsteps struck the ground, so fast they nearly blended into the wind. The scar-faced man's pupils contracted sharply. His Observation Haki could only catch a blurred afterimage; he could not predict Lin Ye's position at all. "Behind you." The icy voice sounded beside the scar-faced man's ear. Without thinking, he spun around and slashed behind him, pouring all his aura into his machete. But the moment his blade swung out, a sharp pain tore through his chest. Lin Ye had extended the fingers of his right hand, coating them in black Armament Haki. With Ryuo's penetrating power at his fingertips, he had already driven them deep into the man's chest. "Emperor Pistol." As he spoke those quiet words, Ryuo surged through his fingertips into the scar-faced man's body, shattering his heart and every internal organ. The man's eyes bulged. Blood poured from his mouth, and his body collapsed limply to the ground, all signs of life gone. Less than a second had passed between the attack and the kill. The two remaining men were terrified out of their minds. Seeing their leader die so horribly in an instant, they lost even the courage to resist. They turned and ran for the courtyard gate, wishing they had another pair of legs. "Trying to run?" Lin Ye's gaze turned cold. He raised his right leg high, concentrated all his aura at the tip of his foot, and unleashed two kicks in succession. "Tempest Kick! Double Slash!" Two silver-white cutting waves shot out, catching the fleeing men with perfect accuracy and slicing them in half at the waist. Blood splattered across the courtyard wall, and silence fell over the yard. From Lin Ye's descent to his defeat of the five elite Blood Hand Gang fighters, less than thirty seconds had passed. He withdrew his Armament Haki and immediately turned around. Crouching, he carefully helped Lina up from the ground, his voice instantly softening. "Lina, how are you? Where are you hurt?" "I'm okay... My arm and back just hurt..." Lina threw herself into Lin Ye's arms and finally burst into tears. "Brother, I was so scared... I thought I'd never see you or Master again..." "It's all right now. It's all right." Lin Ye gently patted her back, wiped away her tears, and examined her injuries. Fortunately, they were only superficial wounds; her organs and bones were unharmed. At last, his anxiety eased. Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Fei Lan appeared in the doorway. He gripped his revolver tightly, his aura fully unleashed, his eyes filled with anxiety and killing intent. Only when he saw the scene in the courtyard and found Lin Ye and Lina safe did his tense body finally relax. "Master!" Lin Ye looked up and called out. Fei Lan hurried over, checked Lina's wounds, then looked at the bodies on the ground. His expression turned utterly cold. "That bastard Karen. Resorting to such filthy tricks." He had barely finished speaking when Lin Ye's Observation Haki began screaming a warning. Countless savage auras were converging on the abandoned factory from every direction. There were well over a hundred of them, densely packed, with more than a dozen belonging to elite Nen users. The aura leading them was cold and powerful. It was Karen! "This is bad!" Lin Ye's expression changed instantly. "Master, we're surrounded! Karen's here with his main force. They've sealed off the entire factory!" Fei Lan's expression darkened as well. He walked to the courtyard wall and looked outside. Crowds of men in black had surrounded the abandoned factory, leaving no gaps. Armed gang members covered the surrounding mountains of garbage, while more than a dozen Nen users stood at the various exits, blocking every retreat. The net had drawn completely shut. A figure slowly approached the courtyard's main entrance. The man wore a white suit, his hair meticulously combed, and a gentle smile rested on his face. He looked refined and courteous, but his eyes concealed a venomous snake's cold brutality. He toyed with a silver dagger in his hand. Behind him came Wild Lion, leader of the Wild Lion Gang, along with more than a dozen elite Nen users from the Blood Hand Gang. It was Karen. He stopped at the courtyard gate and looked at Fei Lan, a smile of "delighted surprise" spreading across his face. His voice was as warm as that of an old friend he had not seen in years. "Captain, it's been a long time." "After more than a decade, I've finally found you."
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