When did the assailant appear? When was Aibolan's head severed?
Even Vick, who was closest to him, failed to detect the anomaly in that instant. Let alone the numerous Nen users stationed around, responsible for surveillance and vigilance.
From the very beginning, they couldn't clearly see that Nen bullet, much less any suspicious movements after Lopez intercepted it. So, upon witnessing the assailant's success, the possibility they considered was that there were two assailants.
One, positioned afar, launched the attack to create chaos. The other, lurking nearby, seized the fleeting opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
However, some also realized... All these actions were executed by the same assailant. That's why, outside everyone's field of vision, the timing was perfectly and precisely seized.
And indeed, that was the case.
Morrow arrived treading on the Shooting Star. When the distance was close enough, the target's guards would react and take measures.
What Morrow had to do was to gauge the distance perfectly before the "numerous gazes" converged, and finally use "Astral Step" to blink into Aibolan's blind spot. Then, the arrival of that moment... was when Lopez rushed forward to intercept the threat from the Nen bullet, and the ensuing explosion would capture the attention of all surrounding eyes.
At that moment, Morrow only needed to casually reach out a hand to complete this assassination mission. But he would also become the focus of all surrounding gazes.
Vick could hardly believe his eyes. Seeing Aibolan's headless corpse collapse, he erupted with a furious aura.
Lopez, who had chosen to intercept the Nen bullet moments earlier, was also stirred by rage at the sight before him. He had been negligent... A trace of self-blame arose in his heart, but it was instantly replaced by overwhelming fury.
—--
On a nearby tall building. Morena and another Heil-Ly Family executive named Nalson also underwent drastic changes in expression, followed by intense anger. Their family head had been beheaded right in public, right before their eyes!
Morena and Nalson immediately moved closer to the Southernpiece Auction entrance.
Simultaneously. "Ahhh!!!" Vick let out a roar, his features contorted, his bloodshot eyes fixed fiercely on Morrow as if he wanted to skin and devour him alive.
While roaring, he rapidly gathered aura into his dominant hand. Or rather, even before the attack occurred, Vick's dominant hand had already gathered a higher aura output than other parts of his body. Thus, when the thought arose, he could so swiftly gather more aura.
This technique, born from habit, is one of the standard characteristics of Conjurers.
Morrow saw this and, relying on his extensive experience, made a judgment even before Vick gathered his aura. Normally, the safest approach when facing a Conjurer is to maintain distance, first ascertain the mechanics of the opponent's ability, and then look for an opportunity to strike. This is common sense, and the choice of most Nen users.
But Morrow is different. He can rely on his exceptional instantaneous thinking explosiveness to seize the optimal opportunities that most people fail to notice. So the moment he determined that Vick was a Conjurer, his first reaction wasn't to create distance, but to actively interrupt Vick's ability activation.
Admittedly, the various unknown mechanisms of Conjuration abilities were indeed troublesome, but as long as he prevented his opponent from using them, that was enough. This was the approach that could maximize the value of his judgment.
He violently threw Aibolan's head with his bare hands. Whoosh! The head, as heavy as a bowling ball, cut through the air, flying straight toward Vick's face.
After completing the throwing motion, Morrow naturally lowered his arm, gripped the hilt of his sword, and simultaneously stepped forward, following the flying head as he charged toward Vick. The entire sequence was executed with speed and ferocity. Completely beating Vick's activation of his Conjuration ability.
Damn it! Watching his father's head flying through the air, the anger in Vick's eyes intensified, but a trace of fear rose in his heart. All because this murderer who had killed his father possessed an extremely fast Nen activation speed! The evidence was his father's head being thrown at him... it was actually enveloped in Nen.
In that split second, Vick steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and barely managed to dodge. Only by doing so could he avoid diverting too much aura output for defense, which would interrupt his ability activation.
However, the attack wasn't just the airborne head. There was also Morrow following closely behind, along with the long sword that could cover the final critical distance.
It could be said, from the moment Morrow concluded that Vick was a Conjurer, Vick had already been completely outmaneuvered.
Clang! The long sword was drawn, slicing through the air with a sharp blade aura. At the end of that blade aura lay Vick's life.
At this moment, even if Vick completed his Conjuration, it would be meaningless. Right at this critical juncture. Lopez closed in, grabbed the back of Vick's collar, and violently yanked him backward.
Ssshh! The blade aura descended, splattering blood. Despite Lopez's swift movements, he still couldn't help Vick completely evade the slash. Morrow's blade directly carved a bloody gash across Vick's chest.
The next instant. Lopez released Vick's collar. Due to the inertia of the violent backward pull, Vick was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
Immediately after, Lopez, enveloped in a violent aura, stepped forward to confront Morrow. His metal-gauntleted arm swung horizontally, crashing toward Morrow's side.
At this moment, Morrow was still in his sword-drawing posture. Faced with Lopez's close-range strike, he had no time to retract his long sword.
「Ryū」
All Morrow could do was rapidly shift his aura's offensive and defensive power, gathering more Nen output at the point of impact.
Thump! Lopez's horizontal elbow struck Morrow's side with brutal force. Accompanied by a dull collision sound, Morrow was sent flying sideways, crashing through the wall of the building's side wing.
Boom! The entire building seemed to tremble from the impact force. The wall shattered and collapsed, rubble and dust billowing upward.
'...'
Lopez did not pursue, but stood in place, looking at the headless corpse on the ground. His expression was grim. Both angry and ashamed.
Shifting his gaze from Aibolan's corpse, Lopez looked toward the rising dust. This bastard... is strong. Whether it was the initial destructive power of the Nen bullets or the maneuver that trapped Vick in an inescapable dead end within just "one second," both gave Lopez a clear understanding of Morrow's strength.
And then there was the speed of aura offense and defense transference just now... Lopez swiftly glanced at the metal gauntlet on his arm. He had already decided on his next move when he helped Vick break free.
Speed, power, technique, and even destructive capability... there were no flaws whatsoever. Yet this Nen user who killed Aibolan had managed to deploy sufficient defense in that situation.
An absolute master. Even disregarding his ability, his mastery of "Ryū" alone was undoubtedly first-class.
Lopez took a deep breath, suppressing the rising fury within him. Aibolan's death was irreversible. What he needed to do now was avenge Aibolan.
Amid the dust and smoke. Morrow stepped out slowly, having already sheathed his long sword, with a bowl-sized rock clutched in his right hand.
No wonder Morena's assassination attempts have failed several times. Passing through the smoke, Morrow calmly assessed the aura output emanating from Lopez. In terms of aura amount, he's at least Lv.65, on par with Illumi and Hisoka.
From the moment he saw Lopez, even without the photos and information provided by Morena, Morrow instantly recognized him as the Enhancement expert Morena had mentioned.
Astral Step still has a 55-second cooldown. Should I kill him here...? Morrow's peripheral vision caught the fully armed gang members closing in, and he pondered whether to retreat immediately or attempt to eliminate this Enhancer within 55 seconds.
If he could kill him here, the experience gains would be substantial, and it would significantly ease Morena's task of dealing with the remnants of the family's forces.
As he contemplated, Morrow crushed the rock in his hand and flicked his wrist abruptly. A blur of afterimages followed as the shattered fragments shot through the air like bullets toward the approaching gang members.
Thud, thud. The aura-infused rock fragments were more ferocious than bullets, riddling the group of gang members with holes. They had already raised their guns toward Morrow, but before they could pull the triggers, they fell dead on the spot.
The Nen users observing from the periphery reached the same conclusion as Lopez at that moment. The Morrow they witnessed was undeniably a first-class expert. No wonder he dared to assassinate Aibolan outright in such a setting.
—--
On a distant rooftop. He's practically a monster! Melody and Basho exchanged uneasy glances, both seeing the cold sweat on each other's faces.
Especially Basho, who felt nothing but relief. If he hadn't heeded Melody's advice and resisted Morrow's warning earlier... He would undoubtedly be a corpse by now.
—--
On the scene. The gruesome sight of the dozens of gang members instantly turned into sieves made the remaining associates hesitate to act rashly.
But beyond the perimeter, thousands of heavily armed gang members stood guard. Once they heard the commotion or received orders, they would surge forward like a tidal wave.
As for the gang members responsible for security inside the building, they posed little threat. To protect the guests and auction items, they would most likely hold their positions and not venture out.
These armed personnel presented no substantial danger to Morrow. However, when facing an expert like Lopez, the firepower of over a thousand armed men was still a troublesome factor.
Let's see how he reacts first... Morrow's gaze swept over Lopez, who was radiating a surging aura, before he suddenly dashed toward the pile of gang members' corpses.
To others, this move seemed like an attempt to break through the encirclement at its weakest point.
Lopez's figure instantly blurred into an afterimage, cutting off Morrow's path. His speed was so astonishing that it left faint trails of light in the air.
Such a decisive action clearly indicated he had no intention of letting Morrow escape easily. Morrow raised an eyebrow slightly, inwardly surprised by Lopez's explosive power.
In the next moment, Lopez threw both fists simultaneously. His right fist aimed straight for the throat, while his left fist slammed toward the abdomen. Enhanced by Enhancement-type aura, his fists were as sharp as blades, creating sharp sonic booms in the air.
Facing this close-quarters lethal attack, Morrow calmly gripped the Abyssal Sheath with both hands, holding it vertically in front of him like a carrying pole.
Thud! Thud! Lopez's two fists struck the sheath, generating visible shockwaves in the air.
Seeing his punches blocked, Lopez retracted his fists while simultaneously raising his metal gauntlet, charging directly at Morrow like a raging bull. The momentum suggested he intended to shatter the sheath outright.
Yet Morrow remained composed under pressure, precisely distributing his aura output for offense and defense. He tilted the sheath diagonally once more, blocking Lopez's horizontal elbow strike.
Clang! The metal gauntlet and sheath collided violently, emitting a piercing sound.
As he blocked the metal gauntlet, Morrow subtly angled the sheath, aligning the hilt toward Lopez's thick neck.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a burst of force shot the long blade out. Accompanied by the clear ring of unsheathing steel, the ejected blade, guided by Morrow's precise alignment, sliced directly toward the side of Lopez's neck.
Lopez reacted with remarkable speed. Seeing the blade flying toward him like a saw, he tilted his head sideways just in time. The blade narrowly grazed the side of his neck, leaving a shallow cut.
Having dodged the flying blade, Lopez exerted force abruptly, pushing Morrow back several steps, then unleashed a flurry of punches that enveloped him.
Thud! Thud! Thud!...
Under the onslaught of Lopez's fierce punches, Morrow refrained from using his ability, relying solely on Ryū and combat skills to defend against each strike. In just over ten seconds, the two had exchanged dozens of rounds.
Amid the intense exchange, Lopez quickly discerned Morrow's intention. This guy... He's holding back. Does he think he can defeat me even while restraining himself?
Realizing this, Lopez's expression grew increasingly grim. His offensive momentum faltered momentarily.
Seizing the opening, Morrow activated his Biological Mutation ability, transforming his palm into a sharp, elongated claw, and slashed toward Lopez's carotid artery.
Though Lopez had left an opening, he still managed to react, tilting his head aside once more. The sharpened nails grazed Lopez's cheek, drawing a line of blood.
But Lopez paid it no mind. Assuming Lopez was aiming to trade injuries, Morrow immediately created distance after landing his strike. Yet Lopez made no further moves, simply standing in place.
"You are indeed strong." Lopez raised his hand and lightly pressed the patterns on his armguard, his fierce gaze fixed on Morrow's face, which carried a faint sense of incongruity. With a cold, pointed tone, he said, "But without true spirit, no matter how strong you are, it's nothing more than an empty shell, just like that face of yours right now."
—--
Thirty years ago. A revolutionary incident occurred in the Kakin Empire. Lopez's prestigious martial arts faction intended to intervene.
But before they could act, a man who called himself Beyond stormed in. At that time, all the masters, including his teacher, were utterly defeated.
That day. Lopez, only ten years old, witnessed the true spirit of a powerful individual and the manifestation of a free, unbound will.
From that day on. Lopez regarded Beyond as his goal, aspiring to one day possess such an overwhelmingly powerful "spirit."
In his view, those lacking spirit and free will, no matter how strong, were merely hollow shells. Especially someone like Morrow, who hid behind disguises...
An empty shell, huh... Morrow realized his disguise had been discovered. It seemed that during the intense clash of auras, the subtle anomalies in maintaining the disguise had been amplified.
But Lopez's remark about being an empty shell didn't seem to refer solely to the disguise... it was aimed at his evasive behavior.
Understanding Lopez's insinuation, Morrow suddenly recalled the scene when Ging crippled two executives of the Heil-Ly Family. At the time, he wondered if there would be a place for him among the world's top five Nen users in the future.
He also vividly remembered how, when faced with the threats from those two executives, Ging had casually revealed his identity, completely disregarding the retaliation of Kakin's three major underworld factions.
If it were him, he'd probably only use Hisoka's name.
Spirit... Yes. Even though his current strength allowed him to glimpse the pinnacle from afar, he still clung to his initial cautious habits.
"You're right." Morrow slowly raised his index finger and lightly tapped his cheek, saying, "But more than this face, what really bothers you is that I haven't shown my true abilities, isn't it?"
Without waiting for Lopez's reaction, he withdrew the aura enveloping his face that maintained the disguise. As his appearance returned to normal, he freed up a small amount of controllable aura.
"Then I'll give you a chance for 'revenge.'" Morrow calmly curled his index finger toward Lopez.
Seeing this, Lopez laughed in fury. "Good. At least when you die, you won't use the pathetic excuse of 'I wasn't serious.'"
Just then, the Shadow Beasts inside the building came to the periphery to check the situation and immediately spotted Morrow and Lopez in a standoff.
—--
Meanwhile, Morena and Nalson arrived at the scene, and Vick, who had been thrown aside by Lopez earlier, staggered back. His undershirt was soaked with blood, his face slightly pale, but his gaze toward Morrow was filled with intense hatred and bloodlust.
Morena glanced at Vick and said to Nalson, "Take the young master and leave. I'll stay here to help Lopez."
"Huh?" Nalson didn't trust Morena's strength but respected her resolve. After a brief moment of thought, "Don't push yourself." He said this and immediately rushed toward Vick.
Meanwhile, Morena strode boldly toward Lopez and Morrow, who were locked in a standoff.
"Stay out of this." Lopez's voice was cold and hard as iron. Without even shifting his gaze, he directly dismissed Morena's intention to join the fight.
Morena halted her steps, a strange glint flashing in her eyes. She cooperatively refrained from rashly advancing further.
She was certain. If she ignored Lopez's warning and took even a few more steps forward, she would likely face his attack.
With this thought, Morena shifted her gaze to Morrow, who had openly revealed his identity. I hope this confidence of yours won't become your stumbling block. But if you can kill Lopez here... That would be perfect.
Reflected in Morena's profound pupils was Morrow's steadily intensifying aura.
------------
Bonus chapter @200 power stones