Once prey enters a trap, it's very hard to escape.
Of course, Botobai, as the prey, wasn't conscious of this yet.
He not only wanted to break free from the trap but was also planning how to eliminate the Stonewall Squad.
But when that seemingly cumbersome robot floated into the air, Botobai clearly sensed a threat.
He had thought the other side was a fixed firepower output type… he didn't expect their mobility to be weak.
That aside, the main issue was their team coordination was too strong, and dealing with them alone was extremely difficult.
If he had at least one companion to cooperate with him, he'd have the confidence to disarm their claws and fangs, then slowly consume them.
Unfortunately, that was just an if.
The team had been forcibly scattered by members of Beyond's team, with most having to fight independently.
Of course, this was the kind of situation where individual combat ability could be fully utilized that the Association members wanted.
In terms of individual combat ability, Botobai, as an Enhancer, had high confidence. But after witnessing the Stonewall Squad's team coordination, he already had the thought of retreating.
In a situation where he had lost the initiative, even if Netero came, he probably wouldn't gain much advantage.
'Can only retreat for now...'
Botobai was now quite injured… it was best to avoid battle first and wait for the wounds to heal.
With his Enhancer-type Nen and physical constitution, these injuries wouldn't take too long to heal.
The thought of avoiding battle subconsciously affected Botobai's body movements.
The feeling that he might turn and counterattack at any moment completely vanished, replaced by unwavering determination to leave without looking back.
A barrage of powerful Nen Bullets fell like a shower behind Botobai, creating a long row of shallow craters on the ground.
"The prey is trying to escape."
Muheer held a gun in one hand while quickly using the other to signal his teammates with a three-part sign language.
It wasn't internationally recognized sign language, but a [Decoding Sign Language] unique to the Stonewall Squad.
[Should we implement Formation C?]
The so-called Formation C involved a pursuit team taking risks to slow down the prey's speed.
[No, the prey is the type that counterattacks fiercely. We can't give him any chance.]
A cold glint flashed in Muheer's eyes. His three raised fingers suddenly changed, switching through five forms before he lowered his hand.
[Block the exits, hunt the trapped beast!]
[Understood!]
The number of Nen Bullets fired at Botobai visibly decreased.
Reducing firepower to enhance mobility.
Botobai, determined to avoid battle, didn't realize this.
Golem hovered in the air, flying. His right-hand Gatling gun transformed amid Nen Fluctuations, switching to a tank-like cannon barrel. A cold, dark sheen shimmered on the barrel.
The difficulty of this dual-precision operation was extremely high… only a Nen User of Law's caliber could achieve it.
Without the assistance of those three Emitter teammates, Golem couldn't possibly perform at this level.
This was the terrifying aspect of team coordination.
The long cannon barrel, emitting a dangerous sheen, aimed at Botobai's back. A mass of Nen gathered and took shape at the barrel's rear.
One second later, a shell compressed with a large amount of Nen slid out of the barrel.
In that instant, Botobai sensed danger and reacted.
He first came to an abrupt stop, then pivoted on his heel, narrowly avoiding that shell packed with a large amount of Nen.
At that moment, he looked back and saw the cannon barrel on Golem's right hand, his expression instantly changing.
'That robot... is it conjured?!'
Botobai's mind was shaken. It was hard to imagine what kind of Conjurer could conjure a robot and even freely switch weapon forms.
Such a thing was practically cheating!
Mercenaries, engaged in long-term combat, must protect their combat intelligence as much as possible… it's one of the basic conditions for survival.
Once too much combat intelligence is exposed, a mercenary team's lifespan obviously won't be long.
There was much Botobai didn't know, such as the Stonewall Squad's well-hidden... arsenal supply strategy.
How could a team member recognized by Beyond be an easy opponent to deal with?
Botobai, his attention drawn to the cannon barrel, didn't realize that the previous shell wasn't aimed at him.
That shell flew through an exit into the sloped corridor and then exploded!
Boom!
Nen energy erupted, the powerful force directly collapsing the corridor.
Because the corridor's floor sloped upward or downward, that shell could produce such an effect.
When the explosion sound and smoke pushed from the corridor into the room, Botobai realized that shell was meant to block his escape route.
If it weren't for Golem suddenly switching weapons and firing such a powerful single-shot shell, Botobai might have been aware and might have attempted to alter the shell's trajectory.
But it was too late.
With insufficient intelligence, whenever the other side acted, Botobai was always a step behind.
One exit collapsed, then a second, a third...
The escape routes were gradually being blocked.
Botobai's identity was gradually shifting towards 'trapped beast'.
Understanding he could hardly shake off the Stonewall Squad's pursuit, Botobai made a clean break, decisively giving up the thought.
'If that's the case, then it's a fight to the death.'
Botobai suddenly turned. Enhancement-type Nen turned his body into a small sun as he charged towards the Stonewall Squad.
Two exits remained. The Stonewall Squad didn't expect Botobai to change tactics like this. Caught off guard, Golem didn't even have time to switch the cannon barrel back to a Gatling gun.
A cannon's rate of fire is far inferior to a machine gun's. Losing one Gatling gun would reduce the Stonewall Squad's barrage density by one-third.
This change also gave Botobai an opening.
Suddenly, both sides realized this clash would determine the course of the situation!
The Stonewall Squad members were pumped, their focus never sharper, and Botobai also took a very risky action.
He transferred a portion of the Nen used for defending his upper body to his legs to enhance mobility.
Trading defense for speed carried great risk.
But he bet correctly, or rather, made the right choice.
With one less Gatling gun's firepower, Botobai, sacrificing defense for speed, successfully broke through the Stonewall Squad's interwoven hail of gunfire.
'Oh no...!'
Muheer's heart jumped, but Botobai's all-out move, exchanging defense for a sudden burst of speed, caught the Stonewall Squad completely unprepared.
While they were still thinking how to defend against this assault, Botobai was already swinging his arm, throwing a punch at Golem's cockpit glass!
At this moment that would decide victory or defeat, the three Stonewall Squad's members sitting in Golem's open cockpit made an astonishing move with remarkable tacit understanding.
All three leaped up, using their bodies to block Botobai's fist.
'Useless effort!!!'
Botobai's eyes were filled with surging killing intent. His fist shot straight forward, piercing through the three members' bodies, then striking the cockpit.
Golem was sent flying by the punch, and Botobai followed.
"Golem!"
Muheer's expression changed drastically. He and the remaining Stonewall Squad's members looked towards Golem, who had been punched away by Botobai.
Boom!
Golem crashed into a pile of wreckage, the impact force scattering the excess debris.
Botobai's arm was strung through three bloody, mangled corpses, his right fist embedded in Golem's cockpit.
"Unfortunately, I am too strong."
A completely emotionless, mechanized voice came from the cockpit.
Botobai stared at the round, black device his right fist was pressing against. His eyes widened, his expression filled with utter disbelief.
"S.K Military Training Device...!"
"You... can even conjure such a device with complex internal structure!"
Botobai's incredulous gaze seemed to pierce through the cockpit, trying to see who was inside.
"It's not difficult."
Still the emotionless mechanized voice.
The function of the S.K Military Training Device was... force dispersion, especially impact force.
…
In the distance, Kuro trod the air as he ran.
Law sat cross-legged on Kuro's back. Suddenly, he frowned.
Under the puzzled gaze of the other team members, he summoned God Hand's book and opened a page that had turned black.
"What is it?"
Biscuit asked, puzzled.
Law looked at the blackened page and didn't speak.