On the steps inside the palace.
Gon and the other three were fighting Youpi, and their battle was interrupted by the sudden influx of black fog!
"Gon!"
Killua was the first to shout.
"It's Oboro, he's here!"
Killua quickly reacted, informing his companions.
The change in the battlefield wasn't caused by an enemy, but by their own side.
This would undoubtedly tip the scales of victory in their favor.
Killua's tone was excited, and his tense mood eased considerably…
The ant before them was too difficult to handle; even the four of them couldn't break through its defenses for the time being.
Its flesh and blood could change and reform, growing corresponding organs from any part, and even its limbs could alter their shape and number.
The four of them cooperated, but as soon as they approached, they were all knocked away by Youpi's multiple arms.
Youpi quickly swung his arms, and at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, completely blocked the stairs leading to the upper level of the palace with a dense barrage of attacks, making it impossible to infiltrate.
Knov was injured as a result, and Shoot was even more severely injured, losing a section of his lower leg.
Although he had managed to contract his muscles in time, his mobility had been affected.
The physical strength of the Chimera Ants was truly terrifying. Once hit by Youpi's arms, unless one focused their Nen to defend, a moment of carelessness would result in being cut or pierced.
Youpi's limbs were as hard and sharp as metal!
Killua was excited because he was the only one present who knew… that Oboro was responsible for the cat-woman's death.
Since Oboro had appeared, they didn't need to act anymore…
Moreover, he was relatively familiar with Oboro's abilities…
He had also experienced the power of curses.
"Scatter!"
Killua shouted in the darkness.
This made Gon and the other two pause.
According to the original plan, the four of them were supposed to cooperate, with tight offense, giving the ant no chance to breathe. Now they were being told to scatter, wasting their initial advantage?
Whoosh.
Knov was stunned. He heard Gon's retreating footsteps. Trusting his companion, he could only turn and flee.
The four of them didn't intend to infiltrate the depths of the palace. Their initial goal was Youpi; to stall him, and if possible, kill him…
If not, they would wait for the Chairman's return or for reinforcements from other battlefronts.
Youpi had lost his sight.
But he still swung his arms wildly, further expanding the area of afterimages around him.
To the extent that even the nearby stone pillars and the steps beneath their feet were shattered by the impacts…
The shadows of his arms could not only indiscriminately harm slower-moving individuals in the darkness but also form a protective circle around him, defending against sneak attacks and enemy approaches.
"Another human?"
A thought flashed through Youpi's mind.
"Pouf..."
Before the great hall was completely filled with black fog, he vaguely sensed… Pouf's aura was somewhat weak.
Oboro hadn't rushed to this battlefield immediately; he had dealt with Pouf first.
The ghost fog had arrived here before him.
After Gon and Killua created some distance, Knov, before retreating, rushed towards where Shoot was.
The latter's leg was injured, and his mobility was impaired… If he didn't act, he would likely die under the ants' relentless bombardment.
But… his speed was still too slow…
Because Youpi's flesh was writhing and seemed to have grown another arm, which shot out like a spring, instantly extending to twenty to thirty meters long, directly grabbing at Shoot, who was leaping with only one leg in the black tent, a step slower.
Knov couldn't see any of this… but he could hear the commotion.
"This is bad!"
He realized something.
"Run!"
He shouted.
"Don't worry about me..."
The response he received was a very calm voice from the darkness.
The Hunters participating in this ant extermination squad had come with the resolve to die.
Although Shoot was naturally timid and fearful, and often felt awe and trepidation towards powerful forces, this time, he had overcome his inner demons!
If his death could buy his companions an advantage, he would gladly accept it.
"Nen can't be projected outwards… I can't react! Damn it, this black fog seems to devour Nen… The ant's physical senses are superior to mine; it judged Shoot's position first!"
Knov's eyes turned red. As a true man, he would never abandon his friend.
He raised his fist and lunged towards the source of the sound, punching into the darkness.
The sound of the air being broken by his fist, as expected, was the sound of the ant's arm being launched.
He hoped his fist would hit the ant's flesh, at least deflecting the ant's attack trajectory.
This way, even if Shoot was hit, it might not be fatal.
Unfortunately, due to the black fog affecting his senses, Knov's counterattack was essentially ineffective; he hit nothing…
Bang!
At the critical moment.
He heard a loud bang from in front of him.
Immediately followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.
And a faint groan from an ant.
"It… it's injured?"
Knov reacted instantly. Someone had intervened and severed Youpi's arm that was reaching for Shoot.
Tap tap tap…
At this moment, the sound of leather shoes stepping on flagstones reached his ears, accompanied by a man's light chuckle, "So lively..."
Oboro waved his hand, and the pitch-black fog in the great hall immediately dispersed.
The people present also regained their sight.
Looking up, they saw Youpi, with his crimson body, standing on a pile of collapsed stones, his several waving arms stopping their attack, staring at the suited human walking in from the palace entrance.
And beneath the pile of stones, Shoot sat on the ground, his clothes stained with blood. A few meters away from him was Knov, maintaining a punching posture.
On the ground between Shoot and Youpi, a long severed arm remained…
Clearly, it was Youpi's newly grown flesh…
It had failed to catch its target.
The person who saved Shoot's life was naturally Oboro.
"Phew..."
Seeing this, Killua exhaled a breath of relief, jumped to Gon's side, and looked at Oboro, "You're finally here… I thought you wouldn't get involved, but you're a Hunter too. If the Chairman ordered you, you couldn't refuse, right?"
Killua had made a promise with Oboro, so… he wouldn't tell anyone about Oboro killing the cat-woman that night.
However, Oboro's interference in the Association's mission was a fact.
Such a powerful force, not showing up, seemed like a waste… and it let weaker individuals charge into the fray.
There was no reason for that… In Killua's opinion, Oboro's intervention must have been at Netero's behest.
Unlike before, when they were in NGL.
"Oboro..."
Knov and Shoot looked at the newcomer simultaneously.
"Thank you."
The injured Shoot said.
"Mr. Oboro..."
Gon, also encouraged by Oboro's appearance, called out with a hint of joy.
"Mhm… I didn't receive a commission from the Association; I came here purely on a personal basis." Oboro explained to Killua and the others.
Personal basis?
"In short… this ant, and the one outside, are of some use to me… So, I apologize, but you won't be able to kill them for now. However, rest assured, these two ants will eventually die… I guarantee it." Oboro bared his teeth and, under their gaze, walked directly towards Youpi.
He didn't want to explain further.
Nor did he adopt a defensive stance.
"Mr. Oboro!"
Gon exclaimed in alarm, wanting to remind Oboro that this Chimera Ant was extremely dangerous.
Knov also looked bewildered and moved to stop Oboro.
But the moment he took a step, the man who was in front of him had already swept past behind him and stepped onto the ruins, approaching Youpi step by step.
"It's you?"
Youpi looked down at the approaching human from above, saying coldly.
He recognized Oboro.
He sensed a clear signal of danger from this human… completely different from the weaklings around him.
This human… was very likely the one who killed Neferpitou!
Oboro's expression was already an implicit confirmation.
"Good timing… I thought you were hiding, too afraid to show yourself."
Youpi grinned, his smile filled with malice.
With that, his body suddenly expanded, growing into a small giant, showing no fear.
Meat bulges appeared on his back and sides, sprouting numerous arms that were about to lash out like whips, devastating everything in their path.
However, Oboro showed no signs of attacking, merely giving a look.
The ghost fog that had dispersed instantly gathered again, plunging the space into darkness, engulfing Youpi within it.
"Ahhh!"
Gon and the others immediately heard Youpi's angry roars and cries of pain.
It was as if something bizarre and terrifying was happening in the darkness.
More than a dozen ferocious vengeful spirits clung to Youpi, crawling all over his massive body like cats smelling fish, emitting eerie laughter.
Youpi's movements became stiff, his pupils sometimes clear, sometimes occupied by the energy of curses. His soul struggled in pain…
His mind was completely occupied and disrupted by the ghosts.
Besides the ghosts outside his body, countless others had already infiltrated him like flowing light along with the mist, penetrating everywhere.
A soul was just a form… it could change.
"Ah!"
Youpi roared in exertion.
Large patches of bulging veins appeared on his body… he was resisting the chaotic consciousness in his mind.
He wanted to attack Oboro, but his movements were completely out of his brain's control; he would raise his hand and then lower it, or pause… like a program infected by a virus.
It had collapsed… "Let me show you her..."
Finally, Oboro stood calmly in front of Youpi.
He said with a smile.
His arm ignited with ghost fire, taking on a soul form, and then stabbed into Youpi's abdomen like a sharp knife.
At this moment, Youpi, who had been trembling due to the internal struggle of consciousness, suddenly fell silent.
His eyes dimmed, and his head drooped powerlessly.
Within his mind, the dense ghost shadows parted to the sides.
A figure that Youpi found very familiar emerged from the crowd.
He hadn't seen 'this person' before, but his soul's subconscious told him… the soul before him was… his companion, the cat-woman Neferpitou, who had died at the hands of a human!
The cat-woman in her soul form looked no different from her living appearance, the only difference being that, like other vengeful spirits, she was filled with extreme negative energy…
The cat-woman prostrated herself on the ground, staring at Youpi, assuming an offensive stance, bending her knees and lowering her waist.
In the next second, with a howl, she pounced on Youpi's soul.
...
Gon and the other three trembled in fear, though Killua was relatively calmer.
He knew Oboro would be fine… Strangely, the hall was silent.
Except for Youpi's earlier roar and some strange noises, it quickly became eerily quiet.
There was no sign of the intense battle or powerful aura they had expected.
"His aura… is disappearing, and it's changing..."
Knov swallowed, goosebumps rising on his skin.
The black fog in the great hall began to thin little by little, allowing his sensory system to regain its 'signal.' All the black fog surged towards one point like a tide, as if forming a vortex.
It was Youpi's body!
Knov finally saw clearly… on the pile of ruins, the ant was lowering its head, as if it had lost its will.
And Oboro, standing in front of the ant, withdrew his arm from within its body. However, the surrounding black fog was still pouring madly into Youpi's body.
It was as if the ant's body was a bottomless pit.
Knov felt a chill because the ant's aura… from its initial ferocity and murderous intent, had transformed into a kind of evil black energy.
Although he didn't know what that energy was… just a glance at it, and the faint will conveyed by the energy… made him feel a sense of dread.
In a short while, Youpi's entire body was enveloped by the curse…
As Oboro walked down from the ruins, the ant, like a puppet, tightly followed behind him.
"This..." The four were deeply shaken.
They didn't know what Oboro had done… but it seemed this ant had been controlled by some ability.
Such a powerful creature… had this terrifying crisis been resolved just like that?
When they fought Youpi, they had deeply experienced the horror of this ant…
Even though Oboro had a considerable reputation within the Association and was a three-star Hunter, they knew his strength was profound, but they hadn't expected such an outcome.
From the time Oboro entered the palace until now, it had only been two to three minutes…
They felt… was it too simple?
"Don't worry… your mission is over."
Oboro prepared to leave with Youpi.
"Where are you going?"
Knov questioned Oboro. After speaking, he realized his tone was a bit off and quickly corrected himself, "There are still many Chimera Ant soldiers inside the royal palace, and..."
"They are all dead..."
Before he could finish, Oboro interjected.
"…"
Silence.
Knov's pupils shrank to the size of needles.
Oboro's abilities were beyond his comprehension. Seeing his certainty, Knov could only choose to believe him.
Although… he didn't understand how Oboro had done it.
This was the first time he had gained an understanding of the top Hunters within the Association…
More precisely, it was the first time he had seen such a terrifying and mysterious Nen user…
They had only seen a glimpse of the 'tail' of how Oboro 'captured' the Chimera Ants.
"Since it's a personal matter, you are not part of the extermination team and haven't participated in the mission… Therefore, according to the mission regulations, we must confirm this ant's death to truly eliminate the threat..."
Shoot, having recovered from his shock, suddenly spoke.
What he meant was that Oboro couldn't just take Youpi away.
Who could guarantee that this powerful ant wouldn't survive and cause immeasurable danger or disaster to humans again?
"Gon..."
Oboro directly ignored Shoot and pointed upwards. "In a side hall upstairs, there is a human girl named Komugi… take good care of her."
"Yes."
Gon heard this and nodded heavily.
Then, he pulled Killua along and left.
Afterward, Oboro led Youpi out of the palace.
Knov and Shoot exchanged glances, opened their mouths as if to speak, but ultimately did not dare to stop him.
____________________
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