On the other side of the battlefield, Sasuke Uchiha found himself on the defensive.
The middle-aged man's attacks came from too far away.
Sasuke's own long-range options were limited—techniques like Chidori required close proximity, and even his Fire Style was countered by the opponent's water-based aura abilities.
Still, Sasuke couldn't back down. His Susano'o gave him a strong enough defense to stay in the fight.
The middle-aged man took advantage of the terrain, manipulating the water beneath him to rise high into the air.
Kaizen raised a hand.
A condensed orb of aura formed in his palm.
The middle-aged man was forced to dodge immediately.
At the same time, Kaizen gripped the hilt of his Rotten Knife with his other hand. Faint light flickered around it as he lunged toward the burly fighter on the ground.
Tiny worm eggs clung to the man's skin—within seconds, maggots burst from the shells and began devouring his aura.
The fighter's face twisted in horror.
His situation had deteriorated fast.
Thirty times normal gravity pressed down on him, making every move heavy. The Rotten Knife's curse weakened him further.
Instead of slowing down, Natsu only intensified his attacks.
The man could only defend. There was no room to counter.
"Get off me!!"
He shouted, shaking his arm violently to rid himself of the parasites.
But they wouldn't budge.
Natsu completely overwhelmed him.
The middle-aged man's eyes flickered. He clearly wanted to help his comrade.
But—
Another blast of aura forced him to evade again.
Sasuke was already keeping the man busy. With Kaizen's interference, the pressure only grew.
Still, neither the middle-aged man nor the brawny one panicked. They were calm—if increasingly irritated.
...
Not far away, another presence stirred.
A woman stood at the edge of the field.
She had short blonde hair, wore a devil-themed outfit, and held a harmonica in one hand.
"So he's this strong?"
"A regular Floor Master of Heavens Arena?"
"Or does he have some hidden identity?"
"He's suppressing two A-rank Nen users by himself?"
"I guess I'll have to step in."
She raised the harmonica to her lips.
A haunting melody drifted through the battlefield, reaching the ears of several nearby fighters.
Their eyes glazed over. Their movements stiffened—no longer their own.
The woman glanced toward Kaizen's position.
Next moment, the controlled fighters rushed toward him.
"Ho!"
"Roar!"
Their cries were animalistic.
Kaizen narrowed his eyes as they charged.
So they're finally making a move.
The reason he'd held back earlier against the two men was because he sensed someone lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike.
Now that she'd revealed herself, there was no need to keep playing defense.
"Controlling regular people like puppets…"
"Her aura's weaker than the other two."
"Probably B-rank Nen."
"But still… that ability's a headache."
He raised a hand.
A thick fog surged outward, cloaking the battlefield. Kaizen, Natsu, Sasuke, and the brawny fighter all disappeared within it.
The woman's puppets—ordinary humans—were lost in the haze. Unable to locate Kaizen, they wandered like headless flies.
"There's another Nen beast?!"
The woman's expression tensed.
"What's with this guy?"
"How can he summon so many?"
"Where's he getting all this aura?"
"Where's he getting the time?"
She might've dismissed it as overambition—spreading oneself too thin—but she'd already seen Natsu and Sasuke in action. Both were powerful.
Clearly, these weren't underdeveloped beasts.
They were well-formed. Deadly.
Unbelievable.
...
Ponzu's bees buzzed through the fog, searching.
Kaizen moved silently through the mist. He ignored the puppets—no need to waste time or aura on them.
"Found her!"
Ponzu's voice came through the communicator.
"Captain, the third person's on your left, about two or three kilometers out."
Kaizen turned his gaze.
Through the mist, he saw a hillside covered in trees. It marked the edge of the city.
Perfect cover.
"That should be the last one."
A figure materialized at Kaizen's side.
Kaizen himself shot forward like a bullet, bursting out of the fog and speeding toward the harmonica-wielding woman.
...
High above, the middle-aged man spotted Kaizen's movement.
"He found Neil's location?!"
"And that speed…!"
"Does he have sensory abilities too?"
"No wonder he reacted so fast earlier…"
He hastily redirected a stream of water in an attempt to block Kaizen's path.
"Watch out!" he shouted.
The warning wasn't just for the woman—it caught the brawny fighter's attention too.
He faltered for a moment.
...
Natsu didn't miss the opening.
He slammed into the man, wrapping him up in a tight grapple.
Boom!
Flames erupted from Natsu's body, engulfing them both.
The man screamed, his body convulsing in pain.
But Natsu held him firm.
The gravity field still pressed down.
The Rotten Knife still sapped his aura.
And now fire burned him alive.
The fighter's condition had dropped far below peak.
What he didn't realize was—
This wasn't Kaizen's real goal.
His true target was elsewhere.
...
A figure emerged behind the fighter.
Chitong drove his blade straight into the man's back.
His ability activated.
The man's eyes went wide in shock.
"What—?!"
He finally broke free from Natsu's grasp, but it was far too late.
Chitong's blade didn't allow survival.
Unless someone had freakishly strong vitality or some special defensive ability, the outcome was fatal.
This man had neither.
His trump cards were brute strength, twin axes, and a hardened body trained over years.
But none of that could save him now.
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