---
Boom!
With the arrival of the saboteur Uvogin, the battle immediately escalated into a serious confrontation.
In less than five minutes, the area turned into a zone of heavy fire and destruction. Craters and debris littered the battlefield—many caused by the opposing side.
"Transmutation-type Nen Beast: 'Skeleton'. Code: #1. Capable of autonomous attacks. Its intelligence is limited, but its combat instincts are highly developed…"
While dodging enemy attacks, Machi analyzed the opponent's capabilities.
She had to admit—this enemy was powerful.
Not only was the Nen Beast formidable, but the user himself posed a serious threat.
His physical resilience surpassed even Uvogin's, and his aura reserves were immense.
Only through using Ken could they replicate the destructive force of Uvogin's "Big Bang Impact."
Nobunaga crouched slightly, one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Uvogin, Machi—cover me!"
Among the three, Uvogin was undoubtedly the most destructive in wide-area combat.
But when it came to breaching fortified opponents or defenses, Nobunaga was their best bet.
As for Machi...
Her ability with Nen threads had high potential—it could bind enemies or be weaponized offensively.
However, that would require further refinement.
At her current level, she wasn't enough to shift the tide alone.
---
While the battle raged, Kai found himself facing a problem of his own.
"If I recall correctly, Chrollo's Nen ability is Skill Hunter, which allows him to steal other people's Nen abilities and use them as his own. From how it operates, it can mimic the properties of all six Nen categories."
"In other words, if I can analyze Skill Hunter thoroughly, I may be able to uncover the true structure of Nen."
In the original canon, Chrollo had used abilities like the teleportation-based Gallery Fake (Emitter), the manipulative Indoor Fish, and the conjured Fun Fun Cloth (Specialist)...
He could even steal and utilize abilities from the rare Specialist category.
In terms of complexity and versatility, few Nen abilities in the world could compare.
Kai understood that deciphering it would not be easy.
He had run through countless simulations. Unless Chrollo had not yet discovered Kai's Nen ability, the chances of direct confrontation were slim.
"There just isn't enough data. If I try to deduce it using only my own physiology, the success rate is zero. I'll have to wait…"
Before he placed his restrictions and vows, Kai's Nen ability—Virtual Reality—could embody the physical traits of other individuals.
If he could recall Chrollo's physique from memory, the probability of manifesting a similar Nen was quite high.
However, the first restriction he placed upon himself was:
"Any object manifested must be a real item from another world."
This oath didn't restrict Kai from manifesting things already existing in this world.
But who could guarantee that Chrollo's exact physique existed in another world?
It would be absurd to risk losing a quarter of his soul over a single Nen ability.
"Hm?"
Kai's expression suddenly changed as he looked toward the battlefield.
A massive amount of aura exploded beneath his feet.
Boom!
A massive crater—over ten meters wide—was instantly blasted into the earth.
---
Five minutes earlier…
"Uvogin, Machi—cover me!"
Nobunaga, a master of swordsmanship and the advanced Nen technique En, relied on precise openings.
Under Kai's guidance, he had also developed a "charged strike" technique.
Against a highly skilled Nen user like Kuro, prolonged battle offered no advantage.
Uvogin wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Old man, you'd better strike on time!" he muttered.
After multiple clashes, Uvogin knew he couldn't defeat this enemy alone.
The man's foundational skills were incredibly strong.
Machi said nothing, but a steely gleam flickered in her narrowed eyes.
"Now!"
Watching the trio's coordinated movements, Kuro quickly deduced their intentions.
"How exciting! These brats actually have some tactical awareness."
"Let's see if the two of you can stop me!"
Kuro didn't evade or sidestep.
He charged straight toward Nobunaga—
At the same time, his skeletal Nen Beast rushed from another angle—faster than even Kuro himself.
"Big Bang Impact!"
For most Transmutation-type Nen users, their Nen beasts are stronger than themselves.
Thus, Uvogin was tasked with countering the Skeleton.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
The last time Uvogin had coughed up blood was from taking a direct hit from the Skeleton.
Had he not been an Enhancer, he would have been incapacitated from that single strike.
Elsewhere, Machi pushed her Nen to the limit.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of Nen threads twisted and wrapped around Kuro.
Even so, she couldn't stop him from slowly advancing toward Nobunaga.
Snap, snap!
The threads tore apart one after another.
Machi's hands bled, some wounds deep enough to expose bone.
"Gh…"
Gritting her teeth, she dug her feet into the ground.
Her only goal—hold him off.
Nobunaga: "One minute!"
In sixty seconds, he could focus all his aura into a single devastating slash.
There was no need to explain.
Machi and Uvogin understood perfectly.
50 seconds—
Uvogin held off the Skeleton with sheer force.
40 seconds—
Machi's threads had dwindled to fewer than 200, fraying by the second.
30 seconds—
Uvogin began vomiting more blood.
20 seconds—
Machi's feet cracked the earth beneath her. Her leg muscles tore under strain.
10 seconds—
Both were reaching their physical limits.
0 seconds—
Nobunaga's eyes narrowed.
With a low voice, he declared: "Die."
The gleam of his blade flashed like lightning—its killing intent so strong it chilled the air.
From the ground beneath him, a sharp crescent of aura carved the battlefield open.
But—
Kuro only smiled.
The Skeleton that had been fighting Uvogin vanished—
And reappeared in front of Kuro.
Clang!
The strike collided with the beast.
Sparks flew.
Then slowly dissipated.
"You should know this," Kuro said with a mocking tone.
"When fighting a Transmuter, if you can't defeat them quickly—then eliminate their Nen beast first."