Ron understood what had happened.
Morel, Shoot, and Gon had tried to restrain Pouf, but they had failed. Gon had been blown away and remained unconscious. Pouf had taken Shoot hostage, forcing Morel to disperse the smoke. Morel complied, and with that, his attempt to contain Pouf collapsed.
Ron looked toward the sky where Pouf hovered. Then he drew out a card, channeling a surge of aura into it. A gigantic dragon burst forth from the card.
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Go!"
At Ron's command, the massive beast surged upward at incredible speed, intercepting Pouf and blocking his path. Pouf's earlier excitement at slipping free of Morel's trap instantly soured.
"Humans…" Pouf's gaze flicked toward Ron, lingering on Neferpitou for a moment. "Neferpitou, you can't even restrain a single human?"
Neferpitou's expression darkened. Hatred for Ron deepened, but there was also dissatisfaction toward Pouf.
A single human?
Humans could not be compared so simply. One human was not like another. Could Pouf have done better in Pitou's place? Likely not—perhaps Pouf would already be dead. Of the three Royal Guards, Pouf's combat strength was the weakest. Neferpitou stood above him.
To Pitou, the fact that Ron had forced such a difficult battle was proof enough that Pouf would not fare any better.
Ron alone was restraining two Royal Guards.
But the Blue-Eyes White Dragon consumed immense aura. Ron dismissed Natsu and Sasuke, relying only on Rosgell to hold back Neferpitou. His own body leapt high, landing on the dragon's back. Together—the top-tier A-rank Ron and the top-tier A-rank dragon—pressed their assault on Pouf.
The attack worked. Pouf was contained.
Morel and Shoot raised their heads, eyes wide.
"One person holding down two Royal Guards."
"So strong… Could Ron already have reached S-rank?"
Shoot's eyes carried envy. They were close in age, yet he had dragged his side down, forcing Morel to disperse his smoke when otherwise the binding might have lasted longer. Ron, meanwhile, had not only suppressed Neferpitou but was now holding back Pouf as well.
"The gap between people is enormous. I thought I was doing well among Nen users… but I overestimated myself. How does Ron achieve this? This is what a true genius looks like."
............
.......
.
Elsewhere, Killua, Knuckle, and Youpi also turned their attention toward the battle. From their position they could not see Rosgell or Neferpitou below, only Ron, the dragon, and Pouf in the sky.
Killua froze for a moment.
"Ron-nii? That must be his ability. Such a powerful Nen beast… The opponent is Pouf? But wasn't Ron-nii facing Neferpitou? Did he already kill her?"
Knuckle worried instead for Morel and Shoot. Pouf was still here, but where were they? Had Pouf killed them? And what about Gon?
Killua too thought of Gon quickly, concern heavy in his eyes.
Morel, after confirming the situation, rushed to Gon's side. He opened his pipe, releasing thick smoke to conceal himself, Shoot, and the unconscious Gon.
"This is medicine?" Morel found healing salve beside Gon—left by Ron. He immediately applied it, then passed some to Shoot, who although badly injured, was still able to tend to himself.
"These Royal Guards are terrifyingly strong. Luckily, Ron is here. Chairman Netero underestimated them. If only more Hunters had been prepared. I wonder how Knuckle's side is holding up."
Ron and the dragon were technically a rank lower than Pouf, but Pouf's specialty was not combat. He was a support-type Nen user. Ron and the dragon were both fighters, and in this clash Pouf failed to seize any advantage.
Below, Neferpitou was gradually recovering momentum, regaining ground against Rosgell now that only one opponent held her back.
"Pouf, hold him! Wait for me!" Pitou's shout carried upward, ignoring the earlier reproach.
Pouf clenched his teeth.
"Fine!"
There was no other choice. Ron's strength had surpassed expectations, and with it came greater fear for the King's safety. Glaring at Ron, Pouf's body burst into light.
"Beelzebub!"
His form shattered, splitting into countless tiny clones that scattered in every direction. It was one of his most vital abilities—escape, surveillance, infiltration, evasion. As long as a single clone survived, Pouf could reform entirely.
"You can't possibly chase me all!"
Ron pulled out another card.
"Zodiac—Boar."
Twin guns appeared in his hands.
"Infinite Bullet Barrage!"
Ratatatatat!
Gunfire tore through the swarm of clones. Pouf's fragments were shredded one after another, unable to withstand the onslaught.
"Damn it!" Pouf screamed. Forced to abandon the ability, he drew his scattered forms back together into one body.
At that moment, Neferpitou broke free of Rosgell's restraint, gravely injuring the beast, and leapt skyward. The figure shot toward Ron, joining Pouf to attack from front and rear.
"Human!" Pouf's voice carried a triumphant edge. Seeing Pitou arrive, he smiled.
"Your death has come!"