Dio silently stood up, waited a moment, then signaled to Mumuzawa and Bokushin that they could speak.
They had just reached the turn in the staircase when the other group's route overlapped with theirs.
Dio had taken the two women around a corner and hidden in a kitchenette on the first floor.
He had intended to wait quietly until the group passed, then head to the agreed meeting place to find Drobada.
He had never expected to overhear something like that...
"So they were actually after me? They must be the mercenaries Cheadle mentioned that day..."
Dio's expression darkened. Of all times, on the very last day, these inexplicable enemies had emerged like a swarm of cockroaches crawling out of a smashed heap of garbage.
Behind him, Mumuzawa held Misty with a bewildered expression. Those people were after Mr. Dio? There was more than one group of enemies?
Compared with the bewildered Mumuzawa, Bokushin was clearly far more experienced.
Granted, she still couldn't make sense of either the scalp-prickling sounds on the third floor or the mysterious white creature that bastard had plucked from his hair, which could spit out mist.
But one thing was certain: she knew the least about the situation of anyone here...
Even the Twelfth Prince seemed to know at least something.
Yet she, Bokushin, had only just learned that bastard's real name.
Yes, Bokushin had belatedly realized that the name "Bai Lianna" had probably been a lie.
In other words, that day I lost not only my savings and my past, but I didn't even get his name...
I'll just call him that bastard Dio from now on...
Bokushin wanted to cry but had no tears, especially under these circumstances.
She obviously couldn't expect the Twelfth Prince to patiently answer questions from a mere Private Soldier like her. Was she supposed to ask that bastard?
She didn't think he would be interested in answering.
Which raised another question: how was she supposed to stay alive in this situation?
A sense of danger-Bokushin felt a greater sense of danger than ever before.
"What do I do? What do I do..."
Miss Bokushin's clever mind raced faster than ever.
Dio's considerations were nowhere near as complicated.
"With these two along, I basically can't fight... I need to find Dro, fast!"
Dio made his decision immediately. He couldn't afford to walk there slowly anymore. Reaching out on both sides, he swept the two women into his arms, then flipped them up onto his shoulders!
"Huh, huh, huh-??"
Bokushin instinctively struggled, only to discover that Dio's arm, though not particularly muscular, held her firmly in place like cast iron.
She turned her head, but all she could see was Dio's back and the floor and walls rushing past.
He sprang forward, bounding repeatedly off the walls and floor at an unbelievable speed, clearing several obstacles and dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.
Just as she was marveling at how Dio's unimposing body could possess such strength, she caught an unfriendly look out of the corner of her eye-
It's the Twelfth Prince! Aaaah!!
Carried over his other shoulder in the same position, she looked perfectly comfortable as she tilted her head, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at Bokushin!
Mumuzawa Huikeluo, the Twelfth Prince of the Kakin Royal Family, was known for her gentleness and generosity, but deep down, she also possessed the royal family's characteristic, terrifying possessiveness...
Of course, compared with the personalities of those barely human older siblings of hers, this little bit of possessiveness was already quite mild.
In a secluded corner outside the building.
Drobada anxiously waited for Dio's call.
"It's been almost twenty minutes. With Dio's speed, he should have arrived long ago..."
Drobada was almost certain that something had gone wrong inside.
But he didn't dare call. If things were at a critical point in there, his call might cause disastrous consequences.
Just then, his phone rang. Drobada instantly pulled it out as though grasping at a lifeline.
As expected, it was Dio!
Dio was now standing in that corner inside the building, looking at a window in front of him.
A thin layer of white mist covered the window, preventing either side from seeing the other clearly.
His Ripple Radar passed through the window and detected a man standing on the other side.
After confirming over the phone, Dio established that the man outside was Drobada.
"We're short on time, so I can't explain much. Dro, stand at the far right of the window. Fifteen seconds after I hang up, we'll attack the window together!"
The moment he finished speaking, Dio decisively hung up, closed his eyes, and began regulating his breathing.
Mumuzawa watched curiously as Dio's presence abruptly settled after he ended the call.
Bokushin sensed something unusual and silently took a few steps back, discreetly shielding Mumuzawa in front of her.
"First... Ren!"
Boom!
An immense force erupted as Dio unleashed Ren at full power!
The two women beside him felt a terrifying pressure suddenly burst from Dio. A tangible wave of air rolled over them, whipping up their hair.
"W-what is this!?"
Bokushin could barely keep her eyes open. Was this really a presence a human could produce!?
After a month of training with the aid of Ripple, Dio's latent aura reserves had already reached the level of a veteran Hunter.
"Next... Gyo! Ten! Zetsu!"
Dio simultaneously activated his Ripple breathing, wrapping layer upon layer of golden Ripple around his dominant right arm.
Yes, for this punch, he would use Ko, one of the advanced applications of Nen Ability and the one with the greatest offensive power!
He smoothly sank into a horse stance, drew back his fist, and silently counted.
...Seven... eight...
Now!
Dio's eyes snapped open. Roaring inwardly, he twisted his waist and hips, sending his right arm hurtling toward the window with savage force!
Bam!!
A deafening blast rang out, rolling waves of sound surging all the way to the end of the corridor without stopping.
Bokushin and Mumuzawa's vision instantly went black, their chests tightening.
In that cramped space, even the aftershock of the punch posed a suffocating threat to them.
And yet.
As Dio stared at the utterly undamaged window, his heart slowly sank.
He could tell from the vibrations that Drobada had timed his attack to strike alongside him, but clearly, against the entire building, their combined attack was still far too
weak.
Outside, Drobada's heart sank as well. An attack like that was already the limit of what they could do. If even that couldn't break through, what were they supposed to do next?
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Hey, aren't you the old guy from that day? What are you doing here? Were you late for the auction too?"
Just then, a pleasantly surprised voice came from above and to Drobada's left. Startled, he hurriedly turned to look.
An unkempt young man was clinging to the wall, looking at him with delighted surprise!
Drobada knew him. They had met at the Cave Restaurant that day.
If he remembered correctly, this person's name was-San?
Before you continue