Despite a massive number of cards being stolen, Feitan's expression remained unchanged, but Phinks could vividly sense the danger.
Failing to activate [Leave] immediately had been his greatest mistake.
But could he really have pulled it off?
Phinks's eyes darted to the card held in Ronin's other hand—[Castle Gate], a card specifically designed to prevent opponents from casting spells.
It seemed that while they were making a massive scene collecting cards, they had already been targeted.
Let's see who's actually the better player here! Phinks cracked his knuckles. After experiencing that bizarre spatial lock on his arm, he realized Ronin didn't just know how his ability worked—he possessed the perfect counter to shut down his burst damage.
Things were getting tricky. This meant Feitan would have to carry the brunt of the offensive pressure.
Just as Phinks was preparing for a two-on-one assault, his gaze hardened. He spotted a vaguely familiar figure in the crowd.
He didn't know her name, but he knew for an absolute fact she was from Meteor City. He had seen her there!
The girl stepped forward in silence, pulling a spell card from her binder.
Following the plan, Shizuku stepped up the second Phinks's binder was cleaned out. "Cast [Shift] on Phinks. Target: Soufrabi."
With no defensive spell cards activated—since Ronin's relentless pressure had denied them any opportunity to counterattack—the [Shift] spell successfully triggered. Phinks clenched his fists, completely powerless to resist as the teleportation took hold.
Immediately after, Shizuku pulled out another card, gave Ronin a subtle nod, and cast it: "Cast [Magnetic Force]. Target: Phinks."
Watching the two of them vanish, Ronin shifted his gaze back to Feitan.
Even though he knew Feitan had zero intention of running and was actively looking for an opening to counter-kill him, Ronin deliberately taunted, "Don't even think about running. I have [Castle Gate] right here. You won't get a single chance to use a card."
"I never planned to run. You're the one who should be thinking about escaping," Feitan hissed, flicking his rapier. His eyes easily tracked Ronin's movements while avoiding his gaze entirely—they weren't exactly operating at the same eye level, after all.
Perhaps there are some advantages to being short! Ronin knew full well that the best way to fight Feitan was in a desolate, unpopulated area. If he couldn't kill Feitan in a single, decisive strike, the resulting burst of his Nen ability would turn the surrounding area into a localized dead zone.
So, he pulled out a spell card. "Cast [Accompany]. Target: The Outskirts."
The area of effect for [Accompany] dragged everyone within a twenty-meter radius of the caster along for the ride. And right now, the only person within twenty meters of Ronin was Feitan.
Feitan never even considered dodging, and Ronin certainly wasn't going to give him the chance to.
Standing in the crowd, Nickes watched everything unfold, feeling entirely like a tool used to strip the murderous trio of their cards.
Still, he rather enjoyed the feeling.
The sheer, explosive intensity of that brief clash left him entirely rattled. He and those monsters were simply not on the same dimensional plane of existence. If Kurapika and his group hadn't shown up, their crusade would have been nothing more than a mass suicide run!
Now, the homicidal maniacs would likely be exterminated, and he had personally managed to swipe two excellent Designated Slot cards and two spell cards. A fantastic haul.
Nickes genuinely hoped Kurapika's team would win. Kurapika's group was reasonable, fundamentally opposed to mindless slaughter, and there was even a chance for future cooperation. After all, according to Kurapika, they had also been hired by Battera to clear the game.
However, Nickes had learned through other channels that Ronin had mercilessly eliminated several other hired players right at the start of the game.
This made him worry. Did Ronin also hold the authority to evaluate their strength and determine their worth?
If so, after dealing with the homicidal maniacs, they might have to figure out how to navigate their relationship with Ronin's group. Given the massive disparity in strength, that wouldn't be an easy task.
Nickes decided he needed to discuss their next moves with Genthru, so he activated [Contact].
Meanwhile, Bonolenov dropped out of the sky like a stone before even reaching Antokiba.
The black flames of Amaterasu were relentlessly incinerating not just his combat gear, but the very Nen encasing his body. The searing, localized heat forced Bonolenov to taste pure terror once again.
This time, however, he had brainstormed several countermeasures for the black flames. He could rapidly dismiss his conjured armor, or aggressively strip away his Ten, letting the aura carry the flames away with it. He could even force all the flames into one isolated spot using his Nen, then amputate that part of his body entirely.
But he had to be fast. He had to execute it before the flames spread across his entire body, or else he'd be baked alive like a potato in tinfoil all over again.
Just as he was desperately trying to peel the flames off his body, someone landed nearby.
Seeing Bonolenov covered in black fire, the player didn't dare approach. Instead, they activated a spell card from a distance and began robbing him.
As a member of the Phantom Troupe, Bonolenov had never imagined a day would come where he was the one getting mugged. But with the black flames consuming every ounce of his focus, he was utterly powerless to stop them.
Card after card vanished from his binder as more and more players touched down in the vicinity, launching a barrage of attacks.
Initially, the attacks were aimed solely at the cards, but soon enough, they shifted toward Bonolenov himself.
With an explosive burst, his conjured combat gear violently shattered, launching shrapnel in every direction.
But his combat gear had never been seamless to begin with. His fighting style required air to flow freely through the hollow piercings in his body to produce the music necessary for Battle Cantabile.
When the armor was blown off, tiny embers of black flame lingered in the exposed crevices, directly latching onto his flesh.
This was the critical difference from his last encounter. Last time, Machi's brutal assistance had ripped off his armor and skin simultaneously, taking the flames entirely with them. Now, those tiny sparks were rapidly proliferating across his body at a terrifying speed.
Fortunately, the flames were currently only burning his Ten.
If he could just shed his Ten in a flash, the black flames of Amaterasu would be purged completely!
But the exact moment Bonolenov executed his carefully calculated maneuver, a bullet tore through the air straight toward him.
His Ten peeled away from his body in a flash.
But the bullet precisely struck that discarded layer of aura—the exact spot where the black flames burned!
"NO!" Bonolenov let out a scream of absolute panic.
But it was too late!
Carrying the black fire, the bullet pierced straight through the discarded aura and slammed into Bonolenov's entirely undefended body.
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