Chapter 415: Episode 72

The two newly appeared players are in a hair-trigger state. One is a burly man with the face of a thug, and the other is a small person in black clothes, holding an umbrella.

It seems there is a problem with Hisoka. The three of them look at each other, a sign that a battle is about to break out. If one wants to escape, it is best to take this opportunity, but it is unknown if one can escape safely.

As for Mobile Magic, I only have one 【Magnetic】. This is a magic that can immediately move to a designated player's location. If the opponent also has the same card system, there is a risk of being tracked.

However, I also feel that using a spell card is more likely to succeed than running away. Do you want to try one through eight? Just as I was waiting for the battle to start, I saw the eyes of the man in black. A chilling killing intent rushed toward me.

"I'll leave this to you; I'll finish off the outsiders first."

"I want you to stop stealing other people's food."

"If you want to play, do it after you finish your work."

Come. The initial movement is almost imperceptible. The killing intent was aimed at him, but this person is nothing special either. I realized this is how I feel about others every day. Therefore, it is difficult to see the initial movement from the Flow of the Aura.

It approached as calmly as a trampled insect. It was only the enemy's pride and luck that completed the defense in time. I caught the umbrella tip, which was sticking out like a spear, with my back.

Perhaps because he didn't like it, the man clicked his tongue and then drew continuously at an unimaginable speed. The strike of the umbrella, a tool not originally intended as a weapon, possessed lethality.

After all, being able to block the first attack was pure luck. Countless wounds were deeply carved, as if punched by a large-caliber Bullet. However, perhaps because he was convinced that he would face Immediate Death, an opening was finally created for the enemy.

"What?"

Take the umbrella. After that, I was the one who was shocked. The sharp tip of the umbrella popped out, piercing Six's chest. I compared the stab to a gunshot earlier, but this was actually an attack using a gun mounted inside the umbrella.

But even so, I would not let go of the hand holding my umbrella. The man quickly opened up distance when he fired. He did not hesitate to let go of the umbrella he was using as a weapon. In his hand was not an umbrella, but a Sword.

The speed was so fast that it seemed as if the sword had been drawn from nowhere, but upon closer inspection, it was actually inside the umbrella. The hilt was shaped like an umbrella handle. It is a built-in umbrella containing both a sword and a gun. It is a dark Container disguised as a daily necessity.

The wound from the man's strike had basically healed. The dagger-shaped bullet that hit his chest was pushed out of his body, fell to the ground, and the wound closed. The man who saw this did not react much, only moving one eyebrow.

From this man's series of movements, I could feel absolutely no resistance to killing. Each one was a single strike, with no desire other than to take a life. He is definitely a murderer. It is also daily routine.

I have no intention of criticizing it. Everyone has their own circumstances. The fact that I am being attacked now must have some meaning. I am just curious why. Why must I be killed here?

"Why? That's a strange question; can't you kill people without a reason?"

The answer was unexpectedly hollow. From the man's tone, I could not detect any sign of trying to make excuses or deceive. These words were likely from the heart.

There might be a reason for killing, but this man said too much. Thinking about one's own reasons while killing is "strange."

I can understand this dumbfounded statement. That is its power. No one can correct this error. No matter how wrong an existence is, it is affirmed by power. How absurd.

"Are you ready? Then die."

A man closed the distance. Perhaps he had only just shown his true strength, and the speed was getting faster and faster; my eyes could barely keep up. He has reached the level of a master, purely in sword technique, without using mitigating means like an umbrella. It may still not be fully utilizing its potential.

Evasion and defense were not in time before the sword speed that created afterimages. Just before I tried to move my Aura to convert it into defense, that part had already been slashed. I should have focused all my attention on the enemy's attack, but my consciousness was greatly disturbed, and distracting thoughts began to rise one after another.

Until now, I have been trying to live like a human. However, is it really related to living like "me"? Everything must have been wrong from the beginning.

Even if you try to be like the people around you, there will always be a great enemy preventing you from doing so. Bird Island, I-Tuber, and the Hunter Exam did not go smoothly. I was able to overcome the crisis because I had power.

However, I tried to maintain my identity by sealing that power. The contract mark of the Disaster. However, abandoning the power of the heavenly tribulation did not bring them any closer to being human. I only saw some gorgeous Illusions there; my essence is to continue to be obsessed with power.

The result is the me of today. A non-human living like a human. Do I really understand the contradiction? No, I didn't even try to understand. I just blindly believed in my own correctness.

Perhaps what is truly needed is the power to admit mistakes. If you cannot reach the correct position no matter how far you go, there is no need to waste your efforts. So far, the only thing that has always helped me is the affirmation of power.

Useless, meaningless, worthless. The more I think, the more I negate the personality I have built up until now. If this thing disappeared, wouldn't it be freer?

Thinking desperately. As if to stop this thought, the enemy's attack cut Six's body.

It hurts. I remember the first time I connected Six to consciousness. At first, I could only make them move clumsily, like operating a radio control. The pain felt by the human body is sharp; the coldness of the snow when walking barefoot, the pain of stepping on pebbles, I cried.

My body could not move, as if I had returned to that era. It hurts, I can't remember anything. Rational thought lost its shape, leaving only simple sensations. Accumulation.

Pain. I hate it stopping. Why. Goodbye. Always.

Enough.

"Now."

Open the door. The cerebrospinal fluid that was originally imprisoned on the other side of the partition flowed in. The feeling of the brain expanding. Move, so as to untie the sluggish body.

"I am thinking."

The insect's back collided with the sword, making a sharp metallic sound. This was the first time he had been attacked by an enemy.

"I am considering what is important."

The enemy would try to push into the stopped sword with force. Counterattack, I also pushed back with force. The sound of scraping iron rang out.

"Let me think."

I was full of power, as if my erupting emotions had turned into energy. Suppressing the sword fight, he threw the enemy away along with the crossed swords.

I don't know how many movements, how many times, or how many matches. At this very moment, they are also unfolding countless offenses and defenses against each other.

"——!"

The enemy man was not calm at first, often shouting foreign words I couldn't understand. I don't know what that means, but I can guess it was an angry shout.

Its attack and movement speed are amazing. It is not only fast, but also releases powerful attacks with overwhelming effort. However, after receiving countless slashes and observing their movements, I finally discovered a gap little by little.

It has actually been attacked several times. The weight of the power of a single strike is here, and the damage is definitely accumulating. I also fed the body paralytic Poison. He seems to have an antidote, so it didn't have much effect, just making his movements a bit sluggish.

It is far from being unable to fight. Not only the slashes, but even the figure of the sword wielder is accompanied by afterimages. Finally, I can grasp the speed of movement with "Double Stiffness."

The sword approached with an unavoidable trajectory. Blood splattered from Six's severed body. His blood poured onto his enemy.

Battles between Nen users, especially between the strong, do not have many bleeding incidents. Blood loss leads directly to a decline in physical strength, so even if one suffers a serious wound that cuts the body, one can manipulate the muscles of the wound to block the blood vessels. This level of hemostasis is a basic technique.

Conversely, it is also possible to open the blood vessels and increase bleeding. Sending Aura into the heart creates a heartbeat that is about to explode. The power of the pump that pumps blood, even in an ordinary person's heart, is powerful, and blood droplets can be blasted several meters into the air. If you add Enhancement there, it will spray blood with tremendous force.

Six's blood has the characteristics of "Sunset Honey." Six's body is made of Aura composed of insect bodies. I think if it is an existence composed of the same caster's Aura, it might be possible to change the essence.

The sprayed blood has strong stickiness and tried to bind the enemy, but the moment it touched the enemy's body, steam rose and flowed down the body surface. It seems that this person is a Transmuter ability and seems to be able to generate high fever in his own Aura. Because of this, the "Sunset Honey" scattered on the ground evaporated, and my feet did not slip.

But it wasn't all wasted. The enemy was distracted by dealing with the blood, and their attacks were ignored. My "Sunset Honey" does not have volatile characteristics and requires a certain amount of heat to evaporate. It naturally consumes the corresponding Aura.

In addition, since the high-heat Aura also affects the caster themselves, the Aura split into "Ken" increases while protecting their own activation. If you accidentally get close to Six in that state, you will not be able to perform "Hard" in time when attacked.

As a result, the enemy adopted a hit-and-run tactic. The sword is very hot, so it won't be entangled by blood. The enemy saw me in pain several times, and I think I won't get carried away and chase him again.

I cannot respond to the enemy's speed in time. I must become stronger until my body's reaction catches up with my recognition speed.

I opened the door again. Once more, I lost consciousness. This is a loss of reality. Undeniably, I am still alive, but even as I open my eyes wide, I increasingly feel as if I am dreaming.

This is the video you see through the monitor. As if it had become one of countless cameras, the compound eye of an insect, and the ommatidia that compose them. I have always had this feeling of being multiple, but this time it is a little different.

Still not enough to defeat the enemy. Open the door. An aura, a feeling of omnipotence, came from nowhere. I feel I can do anything. I definitely feel stronger. It is truly refreshing; I even feel that I have finally recovered my original self.

On the other hand, there is a traditional self that has the opposite feeling. Is this really correct? You may have made an irreversible mistake. There is another consciousness trying to hit the brakes.

By splitting the mind, two consciousnesses exist simultaneously. Until now, even if our consciousnesses were thinking about different things, we were still able to maintain our identity. Separation has begun to appear. Every time I open the door, the gap becomes larger.

But I have no choice. The only way to survive and end the war is to become strong.

Open for this.

Open, open, open, open.

Until I have the strength to defeat this enemy.

The enemy comes. The defense of the iron fan caught up with the sharp Sword. An unfolded iron fan, a hand holding a scorching Sword. The match ended without showing any confrontation. A severed steel fan split from the middle. The man was surprised by this result.

Seeing through the enemy's sword line, I instantly released the reinforcement of the fan according to the inserted slashing line. The split fan burst. The reinforcement was only removed from the sword line, and the reinforcement of "Ryu" was effective on that fan bone protruding like a Shotgun.

The bone Shoot pierced the body of the caught enemy. I also threw the remaining wreckage of the fan in my hand, but it was knocked away by a Sword.

"――――"

The face of the enemy, who had been enraged and cursing until then, changed. His expression had sunk, and he seemed to have regained his composure. However, the presence of this aura was emitting the exact opposite anger. It had no expression, because the emotions had been cast off.

I feel I will have to use some big tricks. The fear of an unknown Nen Ability raised my vigilance to the limit, but at the same time, it was full of anticipation. I was as excited as a child in front of candy, seeing what kind of attack it would bring me.

Tension and pride, vigilance and arrogance. Two disjointed emotions lead to mental abnormality. In any case, let us end this battle. This is the only point of Compromise between the two separated selves.

The battle situation has changed a lot.

As I prepared to meet the enemy's attack and strengthen my defense, I felt someone approaching me at high speed. It was the arrival of players with Mobile Magic again. And this time there were many.

There were seven people. My senses were sharper than ever, and I felt that almost all of them were strong people comparable to Hisoka and the sword-wielder.

Although I couldn't even beat one person, there were 7 more. If you add Hisoka and the thug, that's 10 people. The floating and sinking emotions suddenly cooled down.

"Well, what is this party?"

"Hey, isn't Feitan about to collapse? Wasn't it Hisoka who did it... isn't that kid?"

"Don't mess with me, I'll kill him right now."

"Can you finish it with your current injuries? It would be faster if everyone did it."

"Don't touch me! I will kill you!"

The seven people who arrived additionally seemed to be the sword-wielder's companions. In the worst case, he was prepared to fight the enemy's reinforcements, but the sword-wielder seemed to be particular about a one-on-one match, spreading his bloodlust among the comrades who came to help him.

"I sent you to check on his situation because I couldn't contact Hisoka, but why don't you play with me?"

"You guys should be able to negotiate with the Exorcist yourselves."

"Are you prioritizing a private fight over the commander's request? Even for a fight that is meaningful to the Spider, is it just a fight?"

"Finish it immediately!"

"How long do you think you haven't sent them out? Depending on the negotiation situation, we need to immediately proceed to complete the request. At least understand that the Spider will not lose its pace."

"…………"

"Well, as you said, we should be able to negotiate with the Exorcist without any problems, so if you really think this is fine, why not?"

The details are unknown, but the organization seems to have some purpose. The sword-wielder named Feitan was a little angry for a moment, but under the persuasion of his comrades, he calmed down. However, only those eyes staring at me were still full of hatred.

"... I will kill you later."

The mysterious group did not seem to want to make any more trouble either. Feitan also followed this policy. I suppressed the rising feeling of unpleasantness. If you try to stick your head in here, you are likely to be counterattacked by all the members. Don't forget you just missed it.

"What about Hisoka?"

Hisoka was fighting a thug-like man who came with Feitan, but the fight ended within the first few minutes. The fight was interrupted midway, as if a reconciliation had been reached.

I don't know what happened, but just now, the two of us were sitting on the ground, watching the fight between me and Feitan.

"Yeah, it's a bit incomplete, but I'm satisfied because I saw something interesting that seems impossible to continue dating."

It seems Hisoka intends to evacuate from here with the mysterious group. Originally, there was an agreement with this group, and I guess there was no time to argue with me here. I am sorry I could not properly escort you.

"I have an important prior engagement, it's a pity, but I think you will be more delicious later, let's have another date when we have time next time."

A group of nightmarish users used the Movement Spell and flew into the sky all at once. Powerlessly kneeling on the silent grassland. Until the Sun went down, I could not move a step.

＊＊＊

Several days have passed since the duel with Hisoka. I am wandering in an unknown forest. In this game, except for safe areas like cities, monsters appear frequently, but the hostile mobs in this area have already been hunted.

Gon and the others have only contacted me once through the contact method. I didn't want to answer, but I didn't want him to come see me with a movement spell, thinking something had happened, so I spoke. I told him I wanted him to leave me alone for a while.

I don't remember much about what we talked about. It's just that the tears didn't stop for a long time.

The fallen trees looked like they had been destroyed by Heavy machinery. In a clearing in the forest under the faint sunlight, I was fiddling with the clock in my hand. Only one hand, the dial is marked "0" at the 12 o'clock position. Should I say meters accurately?

This is an item called a "Psychometer". Specified Pocket Card number 020, rank B-30. Almost all Specified Pocket Cards are B-rank or higher cards. That is to say, it is the lowest difficulty to obtain, and the limit of 30 cards is quite large, so the rarity is also very low.

This item can measure the user's psychological state. The clockwise movement of the Needle indicates a positive state of mind, and the counterclockwise movement of the Needle indicates a negative state of mind.

And the biggest benefit of this item is that you can not only measure your own mental state, but also manipulate it. Even if it shows a negative emotional value, if you set the Needle to the "0" position, it will return to a normal psychological state.

In the past few days, I have been looking for such items that can affect the mind. Greed Island has many items with supernatural effects. There are even cards that can heal fatal wounds and incurable diseases, as well as items that can restore vitality without any side effects. Considering this, I thought there might be something I wanted.

After all, I couldn't find it myself, so I obtained information through my connection with Tsezgera. He didn't ask for anything in return and taught me the effect and acquisition method of the "Psychometer".

Turn the knob on the meter to set the Needle that swings left and right to the "0" position. However, the Needle swings immediately after matching. This is a roundabout way to adjust it again.

How long have you been facing this watch? I spent a whole day adjusting the position of the Needle. Thinking slowed down due to repeating simple work. Of course, this watch might give the wearer peace of mind, but this is not a fundamental solution.

After that battle ended, my separated consciousness did not recover either. Until now, the split mind that only activated when he was in a state of concentration, such as in battle, has been operating continuously.

Is it really me who is here now? The question never ends. It feels like if I stop doubting, even this tiny bit of consciousness will disappear.

As time passed, desires I had never had before piled up like a mountain. The feeling of omnipotence and excitement he felt in battle still had not subsided, and he had lost his place. Emotions that could no longer be vented lead to intense frustration because there is no object to hit.

A destructive impulse. The situation at hand did not go according to plan and began to become as fierce as a wild beast. I have to say, this is too childish an animal instinct. The more you try to suppress it, the stronger the rebound.

There is a self that falls into anger and forgets itself, and there is also a self that objectively observes it and suppresses it. This is not a normal conflict. It is not that different emotions collide to reach a single conclusion, but two selves born from the split mind issuing opposite orders to a body called Six.

This is a back-and-forth struggle. Reason still governs my actions, but how long can this patience last? Even if I cannot get rid of the root cause of this destructive impulse, I don't know what will happen if I don't release it temporarily.

Destroying things and attacking monsters was a distraction at first, but the impulse to destroy has become unstoppable. I have started looking for something more terrifying than this.

The purpose of gaining power is to defeat enemies, and the resulting impulse is for the same reason. This hunger cannot be satisfied by using power on inanimate objects and soulless creatures.

I even thought about calling Hisoka to play with me. Right now, I have a sense of sympathy for Hisoka. From this perspective, I don't think Hisoka will fight me anytime soon.

He is waiting for me to break more. I think the fight will be more interesting after that. Even without that intimate feeling, it is unlikely that Hisoka would spend time accompanying me because he is busy with another matter.

I wanted to walk from here, but I used all my strength to stop it. Attacking Hisoka, who is cooperating with that group of terrifying users, is a suicidal act. This time, they would turn everyone into enemies. Even if Six had the ability to defeat them, he certainly wouldn't have the heart for it.

So I waited. The person who mastered this power should be the one who caused this power. I desperately suppressed the impulse to go on a rampage and continued to wait alone.

"Kill me later."

That person must have said that. It wasn't the kind of killing intent that would fade with time. That Sword user must return to kill me.

In that place, he was warned by his comrades and withdrew himself, but this was an action based on discipline and should not disrupt the order of the organization, and it seems that fighting itself was not prohibited.

Once their purpose is settled and recognized by their comrades, it is very likely that the person will appear before me again. I don't think he is the type to be afraid of running away or asking friends for help. Without a doubt, he will partner with Feitan.

The problem is time. I cannot foresee when he will come. I have no choice but to wait.

Time does not move slowly enough to be daunting. I spent the waiting time that disgusted me while concentrating on playing with my watch. It is impossible to determine if this person will really come. Nevertheless, I foolishly continued to wait.

And the feeling. Just a little bit, I intuitively felt a change in the air. I noticed my heartbeat suddenly started to race, and I was convinced.

This is a sign that someone is approaching with a movement Spell. One figure. I confirmed the appearance of the man in black descending from the sky.

It is Feitan. When the long-awaited enemy arrived, a breath of jubilation rushed toward me. The hands of the clock spun like a crazy compass. Squeezing and scattering parts. I no longer need this kind of trash.

"Hmm."

Compared to me, who could not suppress my fighting spirit, Feitan looked at me as if making a judgment. His temperament was so calm. He did not show his enthusiasm as he had before.

A kind of groundless anxiety arose. Could it be that time has passed and the enemy's anger has subsided? No, then you wouldn't have bothered to come find me. Their coming here is nothing but a manifestation of their clear fighting spirit and desire for the game.

"Somehow, I understand your personality. If you think I am a battle fanatic like you and Hisoka, then you are very wrong."

Saying this, Feitan chanted the book and took out a Binder. What do you want to say? The Spell Card has no added attack effect to cause direct damage to the opponent. Will you take out any item that can be used as a weapon?

"I thought I would kill you, but I changed my mind. I am going home."

The card Feitan took out from the Binder was "Companion". A movement Spell. This card means flight, not battle.

If you run away at this time. Don't be stupid. Fight, get off your back. Feitan calmly avoided my insults toward him.

"Do you want to fight that much? If so, I will let you choose."

I cannot understand the meaning of the words. What will you choose? In any case, I cannot escape from here. In order to stop the activation of the card at all costs, he rushed toward Feitan.

However, hesitation arose within the body of Six, who was about to jump. Suggesting the possibility of a split mind.

A Spell Card is activated by verbally specifying the name of the card and the target to be specified. If the opponent were an ordinary user, perhaps one could quickly steal the card or cut their throat in time to stop it, but I feel that won't work against a powerful opponent like Feitan.

If that is the case, it is still fine. The biggest problem is the card Feitan is trying to use. "Companion" sends all players within a 20-meter radius, including the player using the spell, to a designated town or the location of a designated player.

Regardless of friend or foe, all players within a 20-meter range will be affected by this effect. The card was activated during the process of approaching Feitan, but in the end, I was dragged into the enemy's base.

Once there, I finally understood the true meaning of the words "I let you choose." In other words, if you want to fight, accept the invitation. Either stay here or go somewhere else to fight. The watershed is the 20m line.

You tried to make me choose whether to cross it. This means the enemy is aware of the conflict in my heart.

If I were a madman who cared about nothing but fighting, I would have followed Feitan to fight long ago. Movement-based spells that were once valuable are now easier to obtain because of the exit of the capture group that monopolized the Spell Cards called Hame-gumi. There are many ways to track enemies from here.

The fact that I didn't do so proves that I am wary of the organization Feitan belongs to. Of course, the enemy also knows this well. If I were just scared, Feitan would have intended to kill me long ago.

However, I have been desperately waiting for the enemy's arrival, falling into a bestiality that tries to devour my reason. I pay special attention to battles that start passively rather than actively. If it is a falling spark, I can shake it off without considering the reason.

I didn't run away, I didn't fight, I could only wait, but the enemy saw through my contradiction and changed his mind. I came up with the worst way to make me suffer the most.

"Choose."

If you step into it, you will have no choice but to fall into the Abyss. This cannot be tolerated. Nevertheless, the will to move forward is still effective. There is myself trying to throw myself into the cliff.

The balance that had been maintained somehow collapsed. The gears that initially formed a mechanism ground against each other. A stuttering sound like a broken machine leaked from his mouth. Seeing this, Feitan laughed happily from the bottom of his heart.

"Use 'Companion', go to Shalnark."

In the end, the outstretched hand did not cross the line, watching the Shadow disappear into the sky. The fragments of the accelerometer scattered at my feet played their role in the most precise way.

The ability of Feitan that appears in this story is a unique setting, but it feels like a simplified version of "Rising Sun". It is not achieved in one step, but continuously manifests effects, yet the power is minimal.

Frankly speaking, Feitan also felt that fighting Six again would be difficult, so he decided to use mental attacks to torture him.