---
"You said… you're from the Hunter Association?"
Hearing those words, Kai's pupils instantly contracted.
When it came to the forces secretly ruling Meteor City, he had considered many possibilities—V5, underground syndicates, even the Kakin Empire that would rise in prominence later on.
But never—never—did he suspect the Hunter Association.
In Kai's mind, the Hunter Association, under the leadership of Chairman Isaac Netero, symbolized righteousness and integrity.
They should have had no reason to be involved in something like this.
Facing Kai's sharp questioning, the opposition remained silent.
After a tense moment, it was unclear who made the first move—
—but the fierce battle officially erupted!
Perhaps it was the instinctive recognition between powerful individuals, but even before clashing, Kai sensed that these enemies were far superior to the Yin Beasts he had fought before.
An indescribable pressure weighed on him.
[Hundred-Armed Shura]
The moment the purple spectral figure materialized, the enemy forces froze collectively.
Although the appearance differed somewhat, one thought flashed simultaneously through everyone's mind:
"The Hundred-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva!"
It was unmistakably reminiscent of Netero's legendary Nen ability.
"Kill!"
Kai did not give them any chance to recover.
Unleashing his full power, the current Shura manifestation had sprouted eight arms!
Boom—
In just a few dozen seconds, Kai unleashed hundreds of blows.
Wherever his fists landed, the battlefield was utterly devastated.
In the rear, the subordinates who had initially prepared to charge forward could only exchange stunned glances.
"Why didn't anyone tell me the boss was this strong?!"
"I'm pretty sure the boss can handle everything alone…"
"Is it even legal for a Nen ability to be that ridiculous?!"
"I'm an Enhancer too, but..."
"Stop dreaming. You're not in the same league."
"Seriously, compare yourself properly. In front of the boss, you're not even worthy of being called an Enhancer."
Despite the light-hearted chatter, none of them let their guard down—everybody kept their Nen sharpened at full concentration.
However, few were more shaken than the distant observers—
The Phantom Troupe.
Feitan, who had been impatient and even gleeful earlier, now stood frozen, his expression dark and grim.
Or rather—he was terrified.
Survival is the deepest instinct.
And the weak, to survive, must know one basic truth:
Stay far away from powers you cannot comprehend.
Criticizing the strong is fine—
—but do it from a safe distance.
Currently, Feitan was less than 500 meters away from Kai.
At Kai's speed, closing that distance would take—
Not ten seconds.
Not even five seconds.
Just an instant.
"Under that kind of barrage, how many seconds would I survive?"
Feitan didn't dare calculate.
Even the stray shockwaves left his hair standing on end, and a cold chill crawled up his spine.
Every instinct screamed at him: Run!
Nearby, Chrollo Lucilfer stood with deep, unreadable eyes, gazing directly at the distant Shura figure.
No one could guess what he was thinking.
But the wild fluctuations of his aura betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Let's go," Chrollo ordered quietly. "We're pointless here."
"He doesn't need the help of weaklings."
There was a strange weight to the way Chrollo emphasized the word weaklings.
Franklin and Pakunoda exchanged glances once more, looking back at the apocalyptic scene unfolding before them.
They could only silently agree—
They were weak.
…
The departure of the Phantom Troupe made no difference to the battlefield.
Twenty minutes later—
The dust finally settled.
The Yin Beast army had been completely annihilated.
Among the Nen troops led by Machi and the others, nineteen had fallen; the rest suffered only minor injuries.
Although the losses were heavy, considering the enemy's strength, this was already an excellent result.
"Damn, that was awesome! Hahaha!"
Uvogin lay sprawled on the ground, laughing uncontrollably, indifferent to the blood-soaked battlefield around him.
"Hiss—Machi, be gentler, damn it!"
Victory had not come without a cost.
To defeat one of the most formidable Yin Beasts, Uvogin had decisively sacrificed an arm and a leg, coordinating with Machi to create a decisive opening for Nobunaga's strike.
Without this tactic, the battle would have dragged on much longer.
Machi's Nen needles flashed across Uvogin's wounds—sewing together muscle, blood vessels, and nerves with delicate precision.
"I told you to refine your Nen control more. But no, you never listen."
"If it weren't for the existence of fairy beans, your leg would be a total loss."
Mind-based suturing could only repair undamaged human tissues.
Simple ruptures could be fixed—like when Hisoka reattached his severed arms at Heaven's Arena.
But if the tissue was destroyed or crushed—nothing could be done.
Luckily, fairy beans (miracle healing items) offered near-legendary recovery ability.
As long as the body wasn't completely obliterated, full recovery was possible.
Uvogin scratched his head with his free hand and just laughed heartily, as if completely unconcerned.
Da, da, da—
Footsteps echoed toward them.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
"Kai!"
"Boss!"
Everyone's gaze locked onto him.
In the world of Hunter x Hunter, strength commanded respect.
And in the Poxiao Group, having such a powerful leader made everyone swell with pride.
Not to mention what Kai had already done for Meteor City.
Unintentionally, Kai had cultivated a loyal following.
The strong naturally attracted the weak—just like how Ging Freecss and Chairman Netero inspired admiration without ever needing to ask for it.
True leadership came not from words, but from strength.
"Kai, are you alright? Were you hurt?"
Machi immediately rushed forward, anxiously scanning him up and down.
Realizing that everyone was watching, she blushed faintly and retreated shyly.
Kai coughed lightly, amused at everyone's exaggerated nonchalance.
"A win is a win," he said. "But we have a problem."
"I learned from the survivors... they really were from the Hunter Association."
"And... one of them escaped."
Kai's expression darkened.
The escapee possessed an unknown space-type Nen ability.
Abilities like Nobunaga's Four-Dimensional Mansion or Leorio's Instant Teleportation were extremely rare but immensely powerful.
Kai had not expected to encounter one among his enemies.
Bad luck, indeed.
Honestly, aside from the almost impossible-to-counter space abilities, Kai was confident he could have eliminated all intruders.
The endless desert beyond Meteor City's dump grounds was the perfect hunting terrain.
Over long distances, Kai was no expert.
But at short distances—
With his pure Enhancer talent—
No one at the same level could match his speed or power.
After hearing his explanation, Nobunaga frowned deeply.
"Why would the Hunter Association get involved in something like this?"
The Hunter Association was, in a sense, a global mercenary guild.
Anyone who passed the brutal Hunter Exam could join.
Governments and organizations posted requests to the Association, which were then passed to Hunters.
Because the exam was so difficult, and the nature of their work so dangerous, most members were elite Nen users.
Thus, the Hunter Association occupied a special, quasi-independent position in the world.
While not invincible, almost no one dared antagonize them lightly.
Its greatest symbol was Chairman Netero himself—the man considered to have brought Enhancer abilities to their peak.
In his youth, Netero had even ventured into the Dark Continent—and lived to tell the tale.
"I don't get it either," Kai admitted. "Logically, they don't need anything from Meteor City."
"Whether it's land or talent, they have better sources. Meteor City is practically worthless to them."
It made no logical sense—
Yet it was happening.
Existence is its own proof.
"Forget it," Kai said finally, shaking his head. "There's no point wasting time thinking about it now."
"When the time comes, the truth will reveal itself."
Right now, they had more important matters.
If they intended to go against Chairman Netero himself—
Kai's thoughts grew sharper and colder.
It was time to develop a second Nen ability.
---