Chapter 395: Episode 52

An old man walked single-mindedly along the winding path. It was originally a service passage not used by general customers. There were no windows, and exposed pipes were everywhere. Perhaps because of the explosion just now, the lights flickered frequently, making the pitch-black, narrow path appear even more eerie.

This person's name was Ginga's grandfather. On ordinary days, he exuded a mysterious aura, but now he lacked that luxury. His signature robe had a hood, revealing his true face. It was a sprint full of sweat and runny nose.

Ginga's grandfather had been defeated by the two, Cheru and Tokunosuke. He should have been kicked out of the competition, but he made a comeback from his unconscious state. The robe he wore was created by his Materialization ability and had only a small amount of defensive properties. Thanks to this, the time from fainting to waking up was shortened.

However, it might have been better to keep him unconscious. I would not be killed by a terrifying pursuer.

--Feeling ahhhhh!! ---

His ability, "Self-Rears," grants power to multiple people and manipulates them. Its premise is people-oriented; whether it is fighting or self-defense, it requires the cooperation of others. So he first tried to collect pawns.

There were many spectators who were extremely anxious because of the chaos of the competition and the situation inside the ship, and for him, who had his heart set on the Itu Bar, it was not difficult to guide them with his words. He immediately secured a force of about 20 people.

Suddenly, a nightmare descended. All the forces that should have belonged to him lost control. I could no longer hear the voice of my Ginga grandfather. All he could do was run away.

The pictogram of the emergency exit lit up in the dimly lit corridor. Blindly believing in the electronic display, he continued to run away.

＊＊＊

The location of Pomerni that Milky told me was in a corner of the warehouse area. According to his investigation, this place itself was a warehouse, and no conspicuous devices were installed.

However, that was limited to physical weapons and traps; even Milky could not judge whether traps related to Nen Ability were set. The "Hatsu" possessed by Nen users vary greatly, and many of them are unpredictable unless you are on the scene where the ability is actually activated.

"I cannot see this with my own eyes. But there is no need to worry too much.

For example, you cannot create a trap that kills an intruder immediately upon entering a room. Blade says that achieving this goal requires unimaginable determination and commitment, and it is unrealistic.

If you are a Hunter, there are many cases where you must fight in the enemy's home. Conversely, it is said that 60% of people can avoid danger because they know there is some kind of mechanism there. It is natural to set unknown traps in enemy territory, and I was told that it is important not to ignore these signs.

He did not ignore "Ren," and did not even let go of a trace of aura. It is said that if you are careful, you will not be surprised.

"We will sort out the facts disclosed at this stage based on the information obtained from Milky. Several hostages have been taken, and they are locked in sealed plastic cages and will be sprayed with lethal poison gas within 20 minutes."

There is still room in the time limit. By then, we will reach the destination, restore the Pomerni to their senses, and rescue the hostages.

"Most control-type abilities use some kind of 'intermediary' to manipulate the target. It is necessary."

The medium can be found by observing the Pomerni with "Ken" and tracking the flow of suspicious aura. If it is found and destroyed, the control ability will be released. The key to this operation is speed. Before Pomerni can take any action, it needs to be released from the running state.

There is no particular problem with Pomerni's combat power. He is an ordinary person being manipulated, and he is completely helpless against those three Nen users. Even the enemy knows this. Most importantly, the enemy risks having the Pomerni act in a way that hinders our goal.

For example, you can think of some sneaky means, such as making yourself a hostage and threatening to commit suicide. This is why the speed of immediately discovering a medium and destroying it immediately becomes important. I have no choice but to leave this role to Blade.

"What should we do?"

"Fuki, especially now... the actions that need to be taken will vary depending on the situation.

No matter how breathtaking I am, Noah and I are amateurs at fighting. No, since I cannot use Hatsu, I can do even less than Noah.

I still cannot use "Ken." As a Professional Hunter, having been through many battles, I can be safely entrusted with important tasks, but I offered to save Pomerni, yet when the critical moment came, I could do nothing, which makes me feel frustrated.

"Six, I have something I need you to do."

So I nodded at Blade's words. When he started speaking, the expression on Blade's face was stiff. I might be given a difficult task, but if there is something I can do, I will do anything. However, what he asked me to do was very different from what I imagined.

"This is a kind of preparation. It is a preparation for acceptance when this operation fails, when we cannot save Mr. Pomerni."

I didn't understand what you were saying. Faced with a strategy that hasn't started yet, why should we prepare for failure? The resentment toward Blade's attitude seemed to give up so easily.

"This is a story I didn't want to tell... I took my apprentice to this offline meeting. His name is Pernek. My goal is to become a Plant Hunter, but I am still an amateur. This is more than three years of trouble. I watched him, but he is a cheeky, cute guy."

Although he slapped him hatefully, it was clear that Blade had deep trust in that person. He used a "Special Coupon" to invite his disciple to this offline meeting. In other words, that person is still among the hostages.

However, Blade must have clearly stated that none of his relatives were taken hostage. In other words, he was lying. I have no intention of blaming him for this, but considering his personality, I feel that lying and hiding are not suitable for him.

"Do you know why I lied to you?"

Think about it. Perhaps it was to avoid causing discord in our alliance. In some cases, such as Jackhi, he was taken hostage and fell into the hands of the management. If he were honest about this, his position would be less neutral.

"That is also one of the reasons, and another reason is that I prioritized your escort mission. Even if my disciple lost his life, I didn't want to tell you about this. It's nothing, I originally intended to keep it in my heart."

Did you weigh the realization of the request against the life of your disciple and choose the former? Is it too heartless?

"I have been teaching Pernek the Hunter's mindset. Even if he doesn't have professional qualifications, he has the spirit of a Hunter. If you go..."

Think about it from another perspective, Blade said. Suppose I am the hostage captured by the enemy, and that person is trying to use this as bait to lure someone important to me. At that time, would I risk putting someone important to me in danger and ask for my own life?

The answer is clear. I don't want help. So, are you saying that what I want to do now is wrong? My head is getting more and more confused.

"It's not a mistake. There is nothing wrong with wanting to help someone. But at the same time, imagining what will happen when your wish is not fulfilled is a good idea. It sounds harsh, but it is possible."

If you cannot help Pomerni. When your mind is dominated by anger and sadness, you cannot make calm decisions. The enemy will not let go of this opportunity. Pomerni does not want Six to die. Speaking of this, Blade strongly persuaded me.

I understand the logic. But I feel I can't do it. I don't have the strength to make up my mind without hesitation like Blade...

"Wait, Blade, please don't say too many things to threaten my mother."

"Necessary things. I can't even say sweet words."

"Even if it's Blade, you agreed to the operation to liberate Pomerni and the hostages, and there is your own disciple among the hostages, right? Or can you say that this decision was made without one percent of personal feelings?"

"That is..."

Blade hesitated. Unusually, Noah had the upper hand in the war of words.

"Mother's determination is more than enough. If Blade wants to take on more burdens, that is because we are not firm enough. If we fail, no, what will happen? This is the purpose of our coming here, right?"

"... That's right, I didn't expect you to reprimand me. It seems my muscle training is not enough. Muscle muscle muscle!!"

Noah made a ridiculously triumphant expression, while Blade squatted down and let out an eerie laugh. I understand he is trying to dispel the sinking atmosphere.

However, my expression was not clear. Blade was right. If the rescue operation succeeds, there is no problem, but if not.

While my thoughts were confused, I noticed that Blade suddenly stopped moving and focused on one point. In that direction was a dead end of the road. No, to be precise, there was a door. It connected to a narrow passage for workers to perform maintenance inside the facility.

Blade opened the door. I felt a strange presence in the air flowing from the other side. There was something ahead. I wasn't sure, but somehow I thought so.

"This is a sign of a vicious aura. There is still a long way to go from here, but there is a danger of encountering it at this speed. It is better to transfer to another place as soon as possible."

No one objected. The route to the destination was a bit of a detour, but it was better to take another route. There was still spare time. Just as the policy was about to be decided, I felt like I heard a faint sound coming from behind the aisle.

"You heard a sound..."

"Hmm? Did you hear anything?"

It was a faint echo, almost inaudible, but audible. It was the sound of someone asking for help. Blade's enhanced hearing gave him more detailed information. Someone was being attacked by someone deep in this passage.

In the future policy that was about to be decided, there was room for new choices.

Whether to help or not.

＊＊＊

Locating the enemy is not difficult. All you have to do is track the origin of the malice, released without any concealment. The problem is that we do not know how much of a threat the enemy poses.

Even up until now, when I saw an ordinary client being attacked, I helped them. However, this time the enemy is powerful enough that their Aura can be sensed from a distance. Without an actual encounter, I do not know the specific level of danger, but I should assume it is an opponent of a different caliber.

If Retsu were here, she would immediately say, "Abandon her." We had a brief discussion and concluded that if possible, we would provide help. Blade drew the line. When the evacuation order was given, I was reminded to obey absolutely. I have no complaints about this policy.

"This is... not my imagination after all, this direction is bad."

But things are getting worse. As we get closer to the enemy, killing as many signs as possible, we realize the number is not one or two. All the intense bloodlust is directed at "someone" being attacked by the enemy, and that person is running frantically, calling for help. It is moving at a considerable speed, with a momentum that intimidates those following us.

And the direction the group is heading is precisely toward the warehouse district. We were aiming for our destination with the help of a ship map obtained from the staff, but without any clues, it is not surprising to get lost due to the complexity and size of the structure. Especially in places where users cannot see, such as the warehouse district, there is no Guide, and unless you know what kind of place it is beforehand, it is difficult to reach a specific location.

The enemy is approaching Ginga's position. To call it a Coincidence is too unnatural. We cannot continue to watch from the sidelines. We accelerated and bypassed the enemy's front line from another path.

The first thing I saw was a figure leading a team. I don't recognize his face, but I have seen his clothes. That black robe is Ginga's grandfather, a Nen User.

And behind them, a group of people wearing similar robes formed a group. The hoods were pulled down over their eyes, and their faces could not be seen. The design of the robes worn by the group was slightly different from Ginga's grandfather's; many red patterns were drawn on the black fabric, looking as if blood vessels were about to emerge.

"Ha, ha, ta, help...!"

Ginga's grandfather, his legs thick, was not running like an old man, but one could tell from his expression that his physical strength had reached its limit.

We don't know how Ginga's grandfather was hunted or how he came to this escape route. I thought he was an Assassin released by the enemy, but seeing him with my own eyes, I realized he was also a victim.

When we met in the form of an ambush, our eyes met. Shortly after, Ginga's grandfather's legs became entangled. Our Discovery might have eased the tension. Reach out your hand, fall down. Behind them, a group of dark red robes swarmed like predatory beasts.

"No No No general!!"

However, the blade that struck earlier than that approached Ginga's grandfather, grabbed his body, and punched the approaching enemy away. Then, it immediately turned around and ran back toward us while dodging the Pursuit of other enemies.

"Plan B! Retreat!"

We had some plans in advance. Strategy A is a situation where Blade can suppress the enemy alone, Strategy B is a situation where Blade cannot deal with it alone and temporarily retreats to prepare for contingencies, and Strategy C is a complete retreat when facing a strong enemy that cannot be handled.

Based on the reaction to the previous blow, Blade judged the enemy's threat level, which was difficult to defeat alone. In fact, the enemy hit by Blade stood up as if nothing had happened. Judging from the strength of the Aura in his fist, he showed no signs of backing down.

It easily withstood the blow from Blade, who might have intended to kill it. Moreover, it is hard to imagine that the defeated enemy was the only one that was particularly strong. You should assume that other enemies have similar durability.

"Can we escape like this!?"

"Hmm, I can't... no matter where I run, they know where I am... maybe I have some kind of homing instinct..."

According to Ginga's grandfather, who was panting, this group of enemies seems to be humans under the influence of Ginga's grandfather's "Manipulation" system. Humans who benefit from this ability can use "Material" and "Kneading" even if they are not Nen Users.

The people he manipulated were all ordinary customers. Unlike ordinary customers who are already in a state of Aura loss due to the influence of the Crystal, they have gained immense power by superimposing the benefits of "slaughter." It seems to have turned into something different from his ability, which cannot be canceled.

Hearing about the Manipulation system ability, I felt a bit of repulsion. Like the Ginga case, I don't think I would like those who have Manipulation abilities and forcibly twist the will of others. With so many people, what on earth is he trying to do?

"Wow, it's a misunderstanding! My ability doesn't have the power to take away other people's will! I just use my power to the end! I just want to guide those who are in trouble...!"

Guessing the displeasure in my eyes, Ginga's grandfather hurriedly began to explain. He no longer has the strength to escape from them now. All the Malice of the enemy is directed at Ginga's grandfather, so it is easy for us to escape. Leave him alone.

"I'm relieved, I won't leave you here."

That is to say, if you don't intend to help, you wouldn't have reached out in the first place. I don't want him to die. I don't know what kind of actions this group will take after escaping, and it's impossible to leave them unattended for fear of their future.

If you are going to give up, do your best to try. We are not running around aimlessly. Arrive at the predetermined operating point.

"Noah,!"

"Understood! Love power full throttle!"

Ginga's grandfather's Blade accelerated, leaving me and Noah behind. Noah activated his ability when the distance between him and Six was about ten meters. A circular space was formed around him and Six, bringing disease.

This place is a one-way passage with no detours around it. In other words, unless a group of enemies breaks through this morbid space, they cannot reach the Blade on the other side at all.

The enemy stepped into Noah's space without hesitation. The extension of the Circle was not that affected by the disease, and even if they entered, they could still turn back. If I thought normally, I might have felt the abnormality and tried to get out immediately. But those irrational enemies marched fearlessly toward the center of the Circle.

As it approached us, its ferocity weakened due to the rapid development of the disease, and it collapsed before reaching the center. Subsequent enemies would also fall in the same way. First, the first stage of the operation is clear. I relaxed my chest.

But, of course, this is not the end of the story. If Noah cancels this ability, it will be a redo of the Chase so far. We must ensure that the weakened enemies are suppressed here.

However, the reliable Blade cannot enter the disease space. Noah can act within this space, but as the caster, he spends most of his energy maintaining his ability, and while this skill is active, his Aura has almost no room for other uses. I am in a state where I can only wear the minimum.

And that group of robes, although suffering from disease and physically weak, possessed the power to repel the professional hunter Blade, and even after falling to the ground, they did not stop their forward steps. The Aura filling their bodies was still alive, crawling forward with a menacing resilience. Noah was stunned when he saw this.

"Are you sure you're okay, Mom!?"

No problem. Six stood up. Check your body's sensations. You can move your fingertips firmly with your own will. Since Noah's ability is active, Six's body is accompanied by Angel wings and a Ring composed of countless tubes, but they do not hinder his actions.

Six is not affected by Noah's ability and can act freely. However, until now, even Six could not move because his main body had been destroyed by the disease. At that time, I came up with a strategy to let only the main body leave the disease space.

The backpack containing my main body was handed to Blade. Entrusting this to someone else requires great courage, and Blade is not entirely indifferent to its contents. However, he accepted my proposal without questioning the details. This is a strategy built on trust. We must live up to this expectation.

Unlike having the main body by my side, this state of being nearly ten meters away consumes more Aura just by standing than usual. Basically, this may be due to the nature of Aura; the further away it is from the body, the harder it is to handle.

In addition, if you use techniques like Kneading, or if you are injured and need repair, it is estimated that you will consume a large amount of Aura at once. I cannot spend time. Take action immediately.

The enemy is just crawling on the ground and moving slowly. Moreover, even in this situation, the hostility is only directed at Ginga's grandfather, and my existence is not seen. Dodging attacks will become more difficult.

Adjust your breathing and let the Aura in your body emerge. In my mind, I kept repeating what Blade said to me when I planned this operation.

"If you decide to do this, don't cut it."

This means being prepared to take your life. Looking back now, I can understand why Blade would make such a statement at this time.

I have no experience in killing. I have an idea, but I have never put it into action. The hesitation of killing, the conflict caused by ethics, these words sound very cliché. Only those who face reality will understand. This may be the reason why Blade wanted to teach me through practice.

Even with all this arranged, I was caught by a moment of stiffness. If this were a real life-and-death struggle, it would be the person whose life was taken. He cheered for his slightly trembling body and slammed his fist, strengthened by Training, into the enemy in front of him.

Retsu looked at the people controlled by the red Crystal and said she could no longer help them. This ability is based on the premise of using up the target. If so, there is no other way but to release the pain through death. This self-righteous, selfish claim can only lurk in my mind while alive.

However, he did not back down. If I don't have the determination to kill, no matter where I go, I will only be a burden. I just don't like it.

With a blow of guilt, it is definitely the strongest blow I can strike now. The impact caused the floor to collapse severely, and cracks appeared around it. The central enemy's body also bent from the waist to the spine.

Did you kill?

However, the enemy's Aura showed no signs of slowing down. Not dead yet. Somewhere in my heart, I felt relieved by this fact. At the same time, I was angry at myself for not being able to get rid of my childish thoughts.

"Itai... itaiyooo... teacher."

The enemy's harsh voice made your earlobes tremble. An unbearable chill swept through my whole body. The victim's spine was fractured. A normal person would die from a serious injury, but he could not die, but lived on in pain.

I know the pain of a fracture. I know the pain of bending a joint backward, the pain of a hole in my neck, the pain of my skin being torn off, the pain of my eyeball being gouged out, the pain of my internal organs being stirred. You can imagine it because you know it.

If I am in the position of being given, I can still accept it. However, when I became the one giving that kind of pain, I learned that a completely different kind of "pain" was born.

My mistake. Once again, increase the Aura through Kneading.

"Mom, you look pale... enough! Stop acting! We have already weakened the enemy enough, with this we can definitely Escape! Enough, Six!"

That shouldn't be. If Noah releases his Nen Ability here, the enemy will immediately revive and attack. He hugged Six from behind, trying to stop him, but I did not let go of the Aura reinforcement.

Must kill. Doing so requires more power. "I cannot kill you anymore" is not enough. Having once stepped into this, I have the responsibility to do so.

More power. Collect in one fist.

Reinforce the Aura of the whole body, concentrating it little by little on one point of the fist. During that time, I was consuming a terrifying amount of Aura.

Even just the one strike of Kneading performed just now consumed enough Aura to allow that set of internal organs to be rebuilt and changed. After all, when there is a distance from the main body, all costs related to "just in case" increase by an order of magnitude. Looking at the number of enemies, one look tells me there are twenty. Do I have enough Aura to defeat all the enemies?

No, no. It is not "kill," it is "kill." I must kill 20 more people. Hold back the disgust, correct the disordered Aura.

"Teacher... Togo...?"

I met the eyes of the person about to end me. The moment the hood was lifted and my line of sight intersected with the enemy whose face was protruding, my tense body felt as if it were paralyzed.

This was not hesitation to kill out of Conscience. It was an instinctive warning. At this moment, the enemy, who had never known of my existence, realized for the first time that they had confirmed the "Obstacle" before them.

"You, Jama."

A storm erupted. An aura sufficient to create a phantasm burst out from the enemy like an updraft. The enemy, whose spine was bent, stood leaning backward. Despite the unstable posture, I did not have the slightest confidence that I could break it.

Finally, I understood. "Random Kill" is the ability to grant ordinary people the power to use "Kill" and "Knead." In other words, until now, they had always been in a state of 'Wrap'. The desperate Pursuit of Grandpa Ging, in their eyes, was perhaps nothing more than a joke.

They hadn't even used "Kneading" once. Until now.

Concentration interrupted, the Aura condensed in the fist dissipated. It turned out that such a thing was useless. Noah had not yet released the morbid space. But this might be irrelevant. The physical strength enhancement brought by the enemy's Training far exceeded the weakening brought by the disease.

The enemy, who had been knocked down from the back at a near-right angle, swung a fist, the length of the upper body increasing by the length of the arm. Facing the swing of the arm, a sweep away, I had no choice but to accept the coming death.

"The final mystery of the 'Muscle Museum'..."

However, the wooden stick that reminded me of the Death God's scythe was grabbed and stopped by a huge arm reaching out from behind me.

"'Perfect Muscle Arm (lastmax)'!!"

Looking back, I could not understand what I was seeing for a moment. What an overwhelming mass of flesh. If it were a blade, its shape had changed too much.

Is it good to apply the definition of a person? Due to the abnormal development of muscles and bones, Blade's original physique of over two meters had almost doubled. He was truly a giant.

"Ugh!"

Due to the influence of the morbid space, countless black spots appeared on Blade, but he did not seem to be weakened. The enemy hit by this punch was blown away by the momentum of the shockwave leaving an afterimage, the sound of dozens of iron walls being smashed rang out, and then he disappeared into the distance.

Noah and I watched this scene quietly with our mouths open.

After that, this group of enemies was wiped out by the mysterious super-strong Blade. I was surprised by his transformation, but the Life Force of an enemy who never died even with that kind of power was terrifying. Originally, he was not someone I could kill no matter how hard I tried.

The enemy did not die, but due to Blade's multiple hits, a layer of red Crystal protection was produced, protecting the entire body; conversely, it was in a state of being blocked from moving by it. I felt sorry for him, but there was nothing I could do.

"If you had that kind of power, why didn't you use it sooner!? Or rather, what kind of thing is it!?"

"Muscle muscle muscle! No, I'm not ashamed!"

It seems Blade's enhancement was temporary, and now the giant state has been canceled. However, just when I thought it would return to its original state, its appearance underwent an even more astonishing change.

If I had to use one word to describe his appearance, Noah would say he is a "macho handsome guy." I cannot judge whether he is handsome with my aesthetic eyes, but judging from his skeleton, his body shape has clearly changed.

Was he a gorilla instead of a human at first? Blade, who had a physique that made people misunderstand, now looks like a normal adult man who has undergone some degree of Training. His clothes were torn, so he was only wearing boxer shorts and a bowtie.

"Cunning, isn't this cunning...?"

I don't understand why Noah is full of tragic feelings.

"There are conditions for using this technique; once used, it cannot be used again within 24 hours. Fringe."

Temporarily gain five times the amount of Aura and reinforcement rate, but at the cost of this, for the next 24 hours, the power of all Nen Ability is reduced to one-fifth of normal. This is not a technique that can be used easily.

"However, because I was unwilling to use my technique, I forced Six to play a difficult role... I'm sorry."

He held the apology Blade in his hand. Blade is not bad. "Preparing to kill" was something I could not avoid. In the end, I failed to kill him, but even so, if I had previous experience, in an emergency, my mindset would be completely different.

Blade and other ichubers are standing here, bearing various resolutions. Living is a series of resolutions. I don't think I have reached that point yet.

If I have to apologize, it is me. It is precisely because of Noah's ability that he was able to block many enemies, and in the end, it was precisely because of Blade's power that he was able to overcome the difficulties. I couldn't do anything.

"That's not true!"

Waiting there was an unexpected person.

"First of all, I want to express my gratitude. You saved my life... I didn't expect you to help me; I could have been abandoned, but you reached out your hand to me."

With tears and sobbing, Grandpa Ging thanked us.

"If one of these people were missing, I wouldn't be here today. Please don't think I'm useless, because you were there, I was saved." Thank you.

Saying this, he reached out his hand. I accepted the handshake.

"I felt it from you... a firm, unwavering resolution. Perhaps this will help me. As a fortune teller, I am proud to say that as long as I Stick to this will, your future will not be tarnished... Good luck in the battle."

Saying this, Grandpa Ging left.

"Wait a moment."

No, when I tried to leave, Noah grabbed the end of my robe, stopping me.

"Why are you going home so soon? It's all your fault, I went through a terrible experience."

"Yeah, I will never forget your kindness. Of course, I intend to express my gratitude in words and form. After this commotion is over..."

"No need, you can pay it back now. I'm going to help Mr. Pomo for a while, you come with me."

"... What? You're joking, right?"

Grandpa Ging turned to Blade.

"I am grateful for this, and I am also proud of my muscles, and I am also a little worried about the future. Being able to have as many Nen users as possible together makes me feel at ease."

"Eh!? No, I should have something I can help the old man with...!"

"Please be humble. The speed you just showed me was quite astonishing, no wonder it was useless. You're coming."

Ginga's grandfather turned his gaze toward me, snot running from his nose. I responded to his expression of despair.

Whether Ginga's grandfather could serve as a combatant remained in doubt, but as the power of the Sword dropped to one-fifth, this man faced a life-or-death issue. To fill this gap, I had to do everything I could. At the very least, his experience with Nen Ability was longer than mine, as I lacked actual combat experience, so I believed he would be useful.

"Wait! I was talking about my ability, right?! Without someone to perform Manipulation, I can't do anything!? Following you, I'll only be a drag on you..."

"Do not criticize me."

Thus, Ginga's grandfather took away Becoming Friends.