As Hisoka slowly stepped out from the shadows, his footsteps were light, but his presence was terrifyingly intense.
Seeing Hisoka's perverted smile, a chill raced from the base of Genthru's spine to the back of his head.
He had seen that kind of smile before on the faces of true lunatics; it was a pure anticipation of "slaughter" itself.
The corners of Hisoka's mouth curled upward.
"Come, let us have a pleasant fight to the death~♦"
His voice carried a sticky, goosebump-inducing pleasure.
He tilted his head, sizing up Genthru.
That look wasn't like he was looking at an opponent, but more like a gourmet scrutinizing a delicacy about to be consumed.
He disdained sneak attacks.
He always had.
He wanted to kill this lovely fruit fair and square—watching him struggle, watching him fear, watching him bloom with the most brilliant light in despair, and then crushing him at his most radiant moment.
That was his meaning for living, the thing he looked forward to with every heartbeat.
Genthru's pupils contracted sharply.
His mind raced—this was a trap.
They had been lured into an encirclement; they had been outplayed.
The card trade was the bait, and they were the prey.
After a lifetime of playing with eagles, he had finally been pecked in the eye by one; this was the perfect description of his current situation.
His expression darkened, becoming so gloomy it seemed it could drip water.
"Originally, I only wanted to steal your cards."
His voice was low and calm, yet it carried a suppressed, extreme killing intent.
"I've changed my mind."
He pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses staring straight at Hisoka.
"I'm going to kill you all."
As soon as he finished speaking, Genthru activated his Nen.
Nen gushed out from his body; at this moment, he only wanted to kill.
Hisoka was delighted to find such prey.
His body trembled slightly with extreme excitement.
He was all too familiar with this feeling; it was the scent of prey, the prelude to battle, the sound of death knocking at the door.
He also activated his Nen.
"Bungee Gum."
Invisible Nen threads shot out from his fingertips, silently wrapping around the surrounding branches, rocks, and grass.
They were invisible and untouchable, but every single one was Hisoka's weapon and trap.
Hisoka stuck out his tongue and slowly licked his lips.
"Mmm—♦~"
His voice rose with a vibrato.
"Wonderful, I hope you can satisfy me!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Hisoka moved.
He charged at Genthru, four playing cards gripped between his fingers, their surfaces coated with a thin layer of Nen.
The edges of the cards carved four streaks of cold light through the air, each aimed at Genthru's vitals.
Four cards, four lines, sealing off all of Genthru's paths for evasion.
Genthru didn't move.
He stood his ground, staring coldly at Hisoka.
He crouched slightly, lowering his center of gravity, with both hands held before his chest in a ready stance.
His left hand was open with the palm facing outward, while his right hand was clenched into a fist at his chest.
He was waiting for Hisoka to make the first move.
He wanted to see Hisoka's movements clearly, understand his habits, and find that one fatal moment.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The four playing cards shot toward Genthru; he took a half-step back and leaned his body away, letting the four cards fly past his face, chest, abdomen, and feet.
The cards grazed his clothes as they flew by, the wind pressure they generated cutting into his sleeve.
The four cards embedded themselves deep into the ground behind him, more than half of each card sinking into the soil, their ends vibrating with a hum.
Genthru's gaze swept over the playing cards on the ground, his mind analyzing rapidly.
'The attack power of those playing cards isn't low; it's not just speed. Is he an Enhancer or a Manipulator? No, judging by the feel of his Nen, he seems more like a Transmuter.'
Before his thoughts could settle, Hisoka had already appeared to his left.
Hisoka's playing card traced a lethal arc, aiming straight for Genthru's throat!
Genthru did not retreat.
He ducked, bending his knees and suddenly dropping his height by half.
The playing card grazed the top of his head, shearing off a few strands of hair that drifted into the air.
Simultaneously, he reached out to grab Hisoka's wrist—as long as he touched him, just once, his "A Pinch of Gunpowder" could explode on Hisoka.
But Hisoka had long since predicted Genthru's reaction.
He threw a kick toward Genthru's chin, the wind from his leg whistling as Nen condensed on the tip of his shoe; if this kick landed solidly, the jaw would shatter.
Genthru was forced to change his move.
He pulled his hands back, crossing them in front of his chest with fingers pressed together, condensing Nen on his arms using "Ko."
He blocked the kick, as he didn't want to trade injuries.
"Bang!"
The kick struck his arms with a dull thud.
Genthru was knocked back two steps, his arms slightly numb; he steadied himself and resumed his stance, his gaze even more solemn than before.
Hisoka did not pursue.
He stood in place, head tilted, looking at Genthru with a smile.
"Not bad~♦"
His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.
Not far away, another battlefield.
Genthru's two companions—Bara and Sub—sensed something was wrong.
Just as Bara turned his head, he saw Genthru disappear from his position.
He froze for a moment.
"Genthru... disappeared?"
Sub's reaction was faster.
His expression instantly became unsightly.
"This is bad—it's a trap!"
As soon as he spoke, both of them erupted with Nen, which surged up from their bodies.
But it was already too late.
Kastro erupted with Nen and charged toward the two!
His "Tiger Stripe Combat Body" had already been activated—black tiger stripes spread from his neck, instantly covering his entire body; the density and strength of his skin and muscles were greatly enhanced in an instant.
His speed was astonishing!
Coupled with the physical enhancement from the "Tiger Stripe Combat Body," the grass flattened beneath his feet, and the air exploded behind him.
"Tiger Bite Fist—Bone Crusher!"
Kastro appeared behind Bara, moving so fast that Bara's eyes couldn't keep up.
His right fist struck out, the Nen condensed on his knuckles forming the shape of a tiger's head.
Bara hurriedly turned, crossing his arms to block as Nen converged frantically on them.
"Bang—!!!"
The sound of the impact exploded outward, shaking the leaves from the trees.
Bara was knocked off his feet by the punch, his entire body flying backward.
A deep fist print was left on his arms, the flesh torn open and blood splattering, while a faint sound of cracking came from his bones.
He flipped twice in the air, his body spinning out of control before slamming heavily into a tree trunk as thick as a bowl.
The trunk snapped upon impact, wood chips flying everywhere as the tree crown crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Cough—!"
After landing, Bara stumbled back three steps, a mouthful of blood spraying from his mouth onto the grass in front of him.
His face was full of horror, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Damn it!"
Bara's voice carried a sense of dazed anger.
He didn't recognize this man covered in tiger stripes, but he could feel it—the opponent's strength was not inferior to Genthru's.
Kastro did not answer.
His eyes were fixed solely on Bara.
He stepped forward, walking toward Bara.
In the short exchange of less than three seconds, Bara had already sustained significant injuries.
The bone in his left arm was cracked, the muscle in his right arm was torn, and the blood and Qi in his chest were still churning.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand steady as Nen condensed in his palm once more.