Wild Lion's Mountain-Cleaving Axe slammed into the ground with crushing force. Boom! A massive crack split the hard concrete, sending rubble flying. Lin Ye narrowly evaded the blow with Flash Shave and appeared at Wild Lion's side. Coating the fingers of his right hand in black Armament Haki, he drove them viciously toward Wild Lion's waist. "Finger Pistol!" Clang! His fingertips struck Wild Lion's waist, but all they produced was the sharp ring of metal against metal. A thick layer of Enhancement Type Nen covered Wild Lion like steel armor, blocking Lin Ye's Finger Pistol outright. "Hmm? You've got a little strength!" Wild Lion grinned cruelly. "Too bad it's not enough!" He spun around and hurled a fist the size of a cooking pot at Lin Ye's head, pouring all his aura into the blow. The punch was lightning-fast and terrifyingly powerful. If it landed, even Iron Body combined with Armament Haki would never stop it. Lin Ye's Observation Haki had already predicted its trajectory. He instantly activated Kami-e, his body drifting backward like a wisp of willow fluff on the wind of the punch, cleanly evading the lethal strike. At the same time, he raised his right leg high and unleashed a Tempest Kick. "Tempest Kick!" The silvery-white cutting wave slammed into Wild Lion's chest. Wild Lion grunted and staggered back several steps. A shallow fissure opened in the Nen guarding his chest, and blood seeped from a cut in his skin. "Damn it! You little brat, you're dead!" Wild Lion was utterly enraged. He had never expected an eleven-year-old brat to wound him. His aura instantly surged to its limit, and he charged at Lin Ye like a beast gone berserk, raining down blows with his Mountain-Cleaving Axe and fists. Lin Ye refused to meet him head-on. Using Flash Shave and Kami-e, he kept dodging Wild Lion's attacks while probing for openings with Finger Pistol and Tempest Kick. He knew perfectly well that Wild Lion was a pure Enhancement Type Nen user whose defense and strength had reached their peak. Trading blows head-on would gain him nothing. To win, he had to use speed and skill to wear down Wild Lion's stamina, find a gap in his defenses, and kill him with a single Ryuo strike. Meanwhile, Fei Lan's situation was steadily growing more dangerous. He had dealt with most of the enemies who rushed him, but Karen had brought far too many people. Over a hundred gang members poured into the courtyard in an endless stream, spraying gunfire at him as though ammunition cost nothing. Several of the Blood Hand Gang's top Nen users also surrounded him, harassing him with attacks that drained his aura and stamina. His left arm had been severed years ago. Although it had been reattached, he could never exert force with it like a normal person again. It was his greatest weakness. The prolonged battle made his old injury begin to ache, his breathing grew labored, and his aura was draining far faster than expected. More importantly, he had to divide his attention to protect Lina behind him, leaving him unable to fight freely. "Master!" Tears spilled from Lina's eyes as she watched Fei Lan gradually lose ground. She controlled her hair, weaving it into a defensive net to block the incoming bullets, but her aura reserves were too small to last much longer. "Lina, don't be afraid. I'm all right." Gritting his teeth, Fei Lan blew a Nen user's head apart with a gunshot, then slashed backward with his blade, cutting through an incoming Nen projectile. But an enemy ambushed him from behind and carved a deep gash across his back with a machete. Blood instantly soaked his trench coat. "Master!" Lin Ye's eyes reddened the instant he saw Fei Lan injured. In that moment of distraction, Wild Lion seized his chance and slammed a fist into Lin Ye's back. Thud! The tremendous force sent Lin Ye flying like a kite with its string cut. He crashed hard into the courtyard wall and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Lin Ye!" Fei Lan and Lina cried out together. "Hahahaha! You're finished, brat!" Laughing, Wild Lion charged at Lin Ye where he lay on the ground, raising his Mountain-Cleaving Axe high to bring it crashing down on Lin Ye's head. Lin Ye lay facedown, every bone in his body feeling shattered. The searing pain in his back made his vision darken, yet his Observation Haki still sensed Wild Lion's attack clearly. Just as the Mountain-Cleaving Axe was about to strike, Lin Ye rolled sharply to the side and activated Shave, instantly appearing behind Wild Lion. Overwhelming fury and killing intent surged in his eyes. Seeing his wounded master, seeing Lina trembling in terror, seeing the treacherous scum before him-at that moment, his will broke past its limits. The aura inside him erupted like a dormant volcano! The black Armament Haki that had previously covered only his limbs spread wildly, surging along them to engulf his entire body. From the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, his whole body was completely coated in black Armament Haki with a metallic sheen. Full-body Armament Haki! At last, driven into a desperate corner, he had achieved it! Wild Lion's pupils contracted as he stared at Lin Ye, now covered entirely in black Armament Haki. A fear unlike anything he had ever known rose within him. He could feel the brat's aura multiply several times over in an instant. That unyielding, domineering aura pressed down on him so heavily that he could barely breathe. "Y-you... what the hell is that?!" Even Wild Lion's voice began to tremble. Lin Ye did not answer. His body vanished from the spot. This Flash Shave was faster and fiercer than any he had used before. Wild Lion's Observation Haki could not even catch his afterimage. "Right in front of you." The icy voice rang out beside Wild Lion's ear. Without a second thought, Wild Lion raised his Mountain-Cleaving Axe in front of him and unleashed all his aura, concentrating it into the thickest defense he could muster. But this time, Lin Ye's fist, coated in full-body Armament Haki and carrying Ryuo's penetrating power, slammed into the flat of the Mountain-Cleaving Axe. Boom! A deafening crash erupted. With a single punch, Lin Ye bent and warped the Mountain-Cleaving Axe forged from refined steel! The raging Ryuo coursed across the axe's surface, pierced straight through Wild Lion's Nen defense, and hammered into his chest. Crack! Wild Lion's breastbone shattered instantly. His eyes bulged, and he spewed a huge mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his organs. His body flew backward like a torn sack and slammed into the ground. He twitched twice, then stopped breathing altogether. Wild Lion, the overlord of District 13 and leader of the Wild Lion Gang, had been killed on the spot by a single punch from Lin Ye! The courtyard instantly fell silent. Every gang member taking part in the assault stopped. They stared at Lin Ye, covered from head to toe in black Armament Haki, their eyes filled with terror. Their bodies retreated involuntarily, and none dared take another step forward. Lin Ye slowly turned toward Karen at the courtyard entrance, his eyes beneath the black Armament Haki filled with icy killing intent. "You're next."
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