Sub, standing to the side, hadn't reacted yet.
He had just recovered from the shock of Genthru's disappearance when he saw Bara being sent flying by a punch.
With a thought, Goreinu acted.
"Black and White Sages."
Two gorillas reappeared by his side, one black and one white.
The two Nen Beasts flanked Goreinu, protecting him in the center.
He wouldn't lead the attack; instead, he would stay in the middle to assist the other two, providing immediate support wherever needed.
Goreinu took a deep breath, his eyes darting quickly between Bara and Sub, monitoring every second of the battle's progression.
"Let's go too."
Nick had already charged out.
He didn't activate his ability; it wasn't suitable for this situation.
But his body itself was a weapon. He had undergone special training under Grandmaster Leo, and as a member of Shingen-ryu, close-quarters combat was a mandatory course.
Even without using his ability, his strength was formidable.
The days and nights in the Shimeile Wetland, the sweat-soaked training sessions, and the battles experienced alongside Kastro and Goreinu had allowed him to grow rapidly.
His feet kicked up two deep pits in the dirt as he lunged toward Sub.
Just as Sub was about to Move, Nick was already upon him.
Before he could even see Nick's face clearly, he saw a fist enlarging before his eyes.
There were no fancy Moves, only a vicious, heavy right hook imbued with the full power of his body.
The fist tore through the air with a sharp whistle, Nen condensing into a ball of light on its surface.
The punch was clean and efficient, aimed straight for Sub's jaw.
Sub's pupils constricted as he instinctively tilted his head.
His body reacted at the last moment, but unfortunately, it was still half a beat too slow.
Bang!
The fist slammed into his face, tearing flesh. A sharp pain radiated from his cheekbone as blood sprayed from the wound, splashing onto Nick's fist.
However, the punch missed the vital spot—Sub had reinforced his face with Nen at the last second and tanked the blow.
Sub roared, his right arm sweeping out in a strike toward Nick's waist and abdomen.
Nen condensed at his elbow; if this strike landed solidly, it could shatter a person's kidney.
The Black Sage suddenly appeared in front of Nick, using its massive frame to block the strike.
It crossed its arms over its chest, and Sub's sweep hit its forearms with a dull thud.
The Black Sage's body swayed slightly, but it didn't retreat.
Nick seized the opportunity.
Bang—!
An uppercut roared from below toward Sub's solar plexus.
The fist cut in from the abdomen, passing through the sternum and aiming directly for the heart.
The angle of this punch was too tricky. Sub couldn't pull his arms back in time, and the fist passed through the gap between them, slamming solidly into his sternum.
Bang!
At the dull sound of impact, Sub's face turned pale. The blood in his chest churned, and a metallic sweetness welled up in his throat.
He hadn't expected this unremarkable-looking Nick to have such formidable close-combat skills.
Without using a Nen Ability, relying purely on martial arts and combat instinct, he had actually managed to beat him to this state.
In the next second, the Black Sage appeared behind Sub, its two massive fists aiming down at the back of Sub's head.
The wind from the fists whistled.
Sensing the wind behind him, Sub hurriedly rolled away to avoid the sneak attack.
His body rolled twice across the ground.
Nick charged again, his right leg raised high, stomping down toward Sub's chest.
Unable to dodge in time, Sub could only cross his arms over his chest to block.
Bang!
The kick landed solidly. Sub took another hard hit and was kicked several meters away.
His body flipped mid-air before his back slammed into a tree. The trunk shook, and leaves rustled down.
He slid to the ground, half-kneeling, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
The man and the gorilla coordinated perfectly.
The situation on Bara's side was even more passive.
He had just condensed two Nen Bullets and hadn't even had time to fire them when a dark shadow shrouded his vision—Kastro was already before him.
That face with tiger stripes was inches away, his own reflection visible in Kastro's pupils.
"Tiger Bite Fist—Barrage!"
Kastro's fists flew out in rapid succession, each one condensed with Nen, a flurry of punch shadows spreading before him.
The first punch! Bara dodged to the side, the wind from the fist grazing his ear. A cut opened on his earlobe, and blood dripped down.
The second punch! Bara leaned back, the fist passing right in front of his nose. The wind pressure stung his bridge, nearly forcing tears from his eyes.
The third punch! Bara had no more room to dodge.
The fist slammed into his shoulder socket. A crisp 'crack' sounded as his left scapula fractured.
His left arm hung limply.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth punches followed in quick succession!
Bara did his best to form a defense with Nen, crossing his hands to block.
But his arms were already cracked, his muscles were trembling, and the pain from his bones spread throughout his body.
Kastro's punches were too heavy.
Each blow numbed his arms and split his skin. Blood flowed down his fingers and dripped onto the grass.
He was forced back repeatedly, stumbling until he hit a large tree.
The moment his back hit the trunk, a look of ruthlessness flashed in Bara's eyes.
He thrust both hands forward, the two Nen Bullets condensed in his palms—each the size of a fist—shooting toward Kastro's chest from less than three meters away!
He was going for broke.
This strike concentrated all of his Nen; it was his final trump card.
The power of these two Nen Bullets was enough to shatter a boulder or blast a large hole in a person's chest.
Kastro's pupils constricted slightly.
He didn't have time to fully dodge, but he didn't need to.
The greatest strength of the "Tiger Stripe Combat Body" wasn't offense, but defense and recovery.
In that instant, all of his Nen surged toward his chest—'Ko'—and the muscle fibers beneath his skin tightened to the limit.
Boom—!!!
The Nen Bullets hit his chest and exploded!
Flames erupted, and a shockwave radiated outward. Leaves were blown everywhere, and a layer of soil was overturned from the ground.
A hint of a smile appeared on Sub's lips—a direct hit.
But his smile lasted only half a second.
The smoke cleared.
Kastro stood in place, completely unmoved.
His feet were buried deep in the mud. The clothes on his chest had been blown to shreds, revealing a lean, muscular torso.
There was a large charred mark in the center of his chest, the flesh torn and bleeding continuously.
But that was it.
There was no penetration, no serious internal injury, and not even a broken bone.
'Ko' had blocked most of the power, and the remaining explosive aftershock only left some superficial wounds on the skin.
The self-healing ability of the "Tiger Stripe Combat Body" was already at work—the charred flesh was sloughing off, and the wounds were healing rapidly.
Sub's smile froze on his face, the curve of his lips slowly disappearing.
"...Monster."
He muttered, his voice hoarse.
Kastro looked down at the wound on his chest and then looked up.
"Your Nen Bullets... their power is decent."
His voice held no hint of mockery, only sincere acknowledgment.
But it was precisely this calmness that made Bara even more terrified.
"However—"
He raised his right fist. Nen condensed on it once more, and the phantom image of a tiger's head reappeared.
"My ability is far superior to yours."
In the next second, he lunged forward again.
Posted June 28 at 7:00 PM
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