Oboro's unstoppable strike collided with Beyond's blade.
As their weapons collided, a brilliant flash of light cut through the massive black shadow looming over Oboro's head and descended with devastating force. The reason Beyond had called Oboro mad was obvious: the man intended to counter a sword strike with his bare fist, enhanced by Nen. To meet such power head on was nothing short of madness.
But there was no other way. Both fighters knew it was almost impossible to exploit the weaknesses of the other. Taking shortcuts against an opponent of this caliber would be futile.
The only way forward was brutal confrontation, a test of will and endurance to see who would fall first. And Oboro's willingness to engage in such tactics suggested an unwavering confidence in his physical abilities.
Boom.
An invisible shockwave erupted from the center of their collision, instantly sweeping away the surrounding mist as their auras intertwined and collided violently. The ground beneath their feet collapsed in expanding circles, cracking under the immense pressure of their Nen.
"!!!"
Beyond stared at Oboro's fist wrapped in swirling aura with increasing concentration. His blade, which had sliced through countless enemies, could not penetrate Oboro's Nen defense. Instead, the edge was forced backward, yielding inch by inch to the advancing fist.
However, the rainbow-like aura of the sword that had fallen upon Oboro's body managed to cut through his left shoulder despite his Nen protection. Oboro had concentrated all of his power into a single point of attack, including his aura, which inevitably weakened his defenses elsewhere.
Beyond watched Oboro's blood-soaked body and smiled at the young man whose bloodshot eyes remained fixed on him with unwavering determination. The bleeding on Oboro's skin wasn't just from external wounds; the massive expenditure of energy and blood had caused the vessels throughout his body to burst.
Bang!
After several seconds of tense silence, Oboro's fist finally pushed aside Beyond's sword and connected with his abdomen. The impact sent Beyond flying through the air with a sickening crack. At the same time, the energy of the blade that had struck Oboro from above tore through half of his body, carving a brutal path from his shoulder down.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Beyond's body crashed through walls and buildings, colliding with a row of metal lampposts as he sailed backwards. His vision spun wildly, his consciousness barely registering how far he had flown before he finally hit the ground, the remaining force of the impact causing him to slide dozens of meters across the rough surface.
He lay weak on the ground, coughing violently and spitting blood clots and tissue from his mouth, not just ordinary blood.
"This is quite horrible," Beyond covered his mouth with one hand, examined the foreign matter mixed with blood in his palm, and let out a soft chuckle. How long had it been since he'd suffered such a severe injury? Even his internal organs had been damaged.
After a moment, he supported himself with one hand on his large knife and slowly rose from the ground. His long hair, previously tied back, now cascaded loosely behind him.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
He looked up at a black dot several hundred meters away, his chuckle turning into a full-throated laugh. For he knew that Oboro's injuries must be much worse than his own!
The ghostly mist over the battlefield had completely dissipated. All Nen abilities were sustained by the will of the user, and the greater the power, the more unimaginable the energy consumption. Their life-or-death exchange had demonstrated such extraordinary lethality that one could only imagine the toll it had taken.
"You are already quite powerful." "Looking at the whole world, no one except Chairman Netero and that old ghost of the Zoldyck family has ever wounded me to this extent."
"I acknowledge your strength. You've truly reached the pinnacle of the hunter world."
Beyond stumbled forward, hitting his own feet with the hilt of his knife to force his body to move. He slowly approached Oboro, whose hazy silhouette remained motionless in the distance.
Several minutes passed before Beyond, his abdomen reduced to pulverized tissue and blood still seeping from his mouth, finally stood in front of Oboro. Only three or four meters separated them.
Surveying the scene, Oboro stood amidst the wind in the crater their battle had created, transformed into a figure of blood and torn flesh. Most of the blood was his own, partly from ruptured vessels caused by his intense Nen exertion, partly from the slashing aura attack of Beyond's black shadow.
A wound that stretched from Oboro's left shoulder down to his lower waist was clearly visible, horrifying in its depth. The wound was so deep that the bones glistened white beneath the red ruins of flesh.
Beyond surveyed the damage with a single glance before lowering his head. A strand of his long black hair fell forward.
Oboro's eyes, though covered in blood, still flickered with consciousness, though the intensity in his gaze had diminished considerably since the beginning of their battle. The functions of his body were severely impaired.
In such a state, it wasn't a matter of unwillingness to move - movement itself had become almost impossible.
"Oboro! Be proud of yourself, the one standing before you is me, Biond Netero!" the old man suddenly raised his head and shouted with declarative pride.
Then he continued, "So I won, right? According to our agreement." Click, click.
The viscous blood from Oboro's body continued to drip onto the muddy ground.
Before Beyond could finish speaking, Oboro's arm, which had been hanging limply at his side, suddenly shot up. It was as if he had instantly recovered from the brink of death, like an ancient tree regaining its vitality after a harsh winter.
Beyond's eyes widened as he fell silent in mid-sentence.
He watched in disbelief as the wounds on Oboro's body began to heal. Skin and flesh that had been torn apart began to weave back together like threads in a loom, bones regenerating and flesh rejoining before his eyes.
This sudden display of regenerative ability shocked Beyond to the core.
"You and I are merely contestants, not referees," Oboro said as he raised his hand to wipe his face, removing the blood that had obscured his features. At the same time, he tensed the muscles around his most serious injuries, temporarily stopping the bleeding from the ruptured vessels.
Stealing life!
Oboro was not a ruthless fighter. He had dared to engage in this brutal exchange of injuries because he possessed a hidden skill. His life stealing ability had increased from one third to forty percent efficiency.
Simply put, he could convert nearly half of the damage he inflicted on his target into healing for himself. The transformation process took some time, but its effects were undeniable.
"Of course, you can admit defeat," Oboro calmly told his shocked opponent.
In a matter of moments, the massive wound on his body had been reduced to a pink scar resembling a centipede crawling across his skin.
"Once again, I am impressed," Beyond's smile faded.
He recognized this sudden burst of vitality as another manifestation of Nen's ability, a trump card Oboro had prepared long ago. The speed of recovery was nothing short of miraculous.
With this development, Oboro's condition now surpassed his own. Beyond, who had been confident of victory moments before, suddenly realized the dire nature of his situation. If they fought to the bitter end, the outcome would be far more serious than he had anticipated.
"Too bad!" "I guess you cannot be my companion. Since we cannot agree, I cannot allow you to leave!" Beyond explained.
"I expected that," Oboro replied quietly.
"Although this course of action lacks honor, there is no alternative. As soon as Beyond finished speaking, he lifted the heavy handle of his knife and slammed it to the ground with a resounding crash.
Oboro's expression immediately changed.
Suddenly, figures materialized all around them.
At that moment, he understood the identity of these people. They weren't members of the royal family, but partners of Beyond who had secretly recruited the team for the Dark Continent expedition over the years. Both Beyond Netero and Pariston of the Twelve Zodiacs were participants in this plan.
In addition, these individuals had likely played a significant role in the Chimera Ant incident. Many of them were members of the Hunters' Association.
"I thought you actually had the courage to confront me one-on-one," Oboro remarked coldly.
"Between you and me, we never represent individuals in certain matters, but two completely different factions," Beyond replied as he grabbed his weapon. His seemingly devastated body once again emanated a powerful aura, and a terrifying black shadow filled with oppressive intent materialized behind him.
"Under different circumstances, I would gladly fight you to the bitter end, but now is not the time."
"I had hoped that you would join me, believing that I had the ability to convince you that I was wrong. Although you weren't completely molded by the old man, his influence still binds you. You already have the ability to go to the Dark Continent, so why do you stay here?"
"You also hunger for power, don't you?"
"I am deeply disappointed in you." The ghostly mist began to spread around Oboro once again.
After hearing Beyond's words, he decided to reveal the truth: "Do you know why I rejected you?"
Beyond looked up expectantly.
"Although it would be beneficial to join forces with you, you are not the formidable person I believed you to be. Surviving the Dark Continent once by luck is no guarantee that you'll survive a second journey."
"Besides, you haven't even solved the mysteries of the human world, yet you're considering going to the Dark Continent. That's just absurd."
"The human world, this central lake where you are now standing, is far more complex than you realize."