The weakness of the ability...
It had been seen through.
This guy clearly guessed that Starlight Convergence was a counter-type ability.
So he first used an area-of-effect attack to force me to retract it.
This way, the Starlight ability would be interrupted, eliminating any concerns about subsequent unknown counterattacks, allowing him to attack at full strength without hesitation.
The key to forming such an offensive wasn't just the innate deterrence of the Nen needles but also his formidable martial prowess.
If not for those three months of intensive training...
It might not have been just a single kick.
Morrow suppressed the violent churning pain in his abdomen, digging his feet into the ground to steady himself before immediately reactivating Starlight Convergence without hesitation.
Aura shattered.
Brilliant, beautiful starlight scattered across the surroundings.
The operation of Starlight Convergence required the Nen user to bear the Limitation of rationality and calmness.
This meant that even in absolute disadvantage, Morrow's mentality remained unshakable.
But in terms of mental fortitude, Illumi was just as strong.
As a member of the Zoldyck Family, he never mixed meaningless emotions like contempt, arrogance or anger into his attacks.
Once battle began, he only ever considered one thing:
How to kill his target.
Thus, trying to find an emotional weakness in Illumi was nearly impossible.
My only chance is that relatively ordinary Needleman.
Morrow struggled to regulate his breathing, disrupted by the searing pain, his lips already stained with blood.
The Star Mark of Starlight Convergence could be directly transferred to a target through a medium.
This was a special effect designed to counter Manipulation.
As long as Illumi didn't figure this out, Morrow could use it to create an opening.
Not necessarily a path to victory...
But at the very least, it could heavily suppress Illumi.
And that kick just now had reminded Morrow of one thing:
Being injured...
Wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Morrow's gaze sharpened like a blade as he charged toward Illumi, wrapped in starlight.
Oh?
Illumi's pitch-black pupils reflected the dazzling starlight, slightly surprised by Morrow's current actions.
An obviously counter-type ability that relied on the enemy attacking first, yet after taking damage, instead of reinforcing his defense, he chose to go on the offensive.
What was his plan?
Illumi had no time to ponder, forced to meet Morrow head-on as he surged forward with starlight.
Exploiting weaknesses was always the most efficient method, and repeating the same tactic was no exception.
Illumi's body cut through the scattered starlight, closing the distance in an instant while simultaneously directing three Needlemen to converge from different angles.
This was a method of pressure through encirclement.
Illumi struck first, the special Nen needle between his fingers exuding a dangerous aura, pressing down on Morrow like a venomous serpent.
Rhythm Echo
With no other choice, Morrow could only respond with Rhythm Echo.
The tempo of his footwork abruptly shifted, instantly producing afterimages to confuse the senses.
Seeing Morrow's Rhythm Echo, a flicker of interest passed through Illumi's eyes, yet the special Nen needle in his fingers still accurately targeted Morrow's true body.
Again, he leveraged the innate deterrence of the special Nen needle to ruthlessly compress Morrow's options.
This would effortlessly force an opening.
But Morrow, prepared, deactivated Starlight Convergence. Or perhaps, even before using Rhythm Echo to evade Illumi's attack, Morrow had already concluded that "Illumi could see through Rhythm Echo."
Extending this line of thought and combining it with the intel that "Nen needles can only target the head"...
He could predict the trajectory of this round's offense and defense.
In this fleeting moment, Morrow's perspective was akin to that of a puppeteer, gazing down at two wooden dolls on the stage below.
One doll was himself, the other was Illumi.
But even for that briefest instant, Morrow could tug the strings controlling both puppets to achieve the desired outcome.
Just "one direction" was enough.
Under Illumi's relentless assault, a gap inevitably appeared in Morrow's crumbling defense, just as planned.
And Illumi didn't disappoint, his swift, brutal elbow strike slamming into Morrow's chest.
Boom!
Morrow was sent flying, coughing up thick blood mid-air. The overwhelming force behind the blow nearly shattered his consciousness.
But he endured it nonetheless...
As he soared backward, Morrow's half-lidded eyes fixed on Illumi, whose entire body radiated a frigid aura. His bloodstained lips curled slightly.
Starlight Convergence.
Despite his injuries and pain, his ironclad mental fortitude prevented his Limitation from wavering, allowing him to activate his ability as usual.
In an instant, dazzling starlight erupted from Morrow, spreading outward in all directions.
The direction he was flung happened to be where the ordinary Needleman, tasked with applying pressure, stood.
The starlight enveloped the ordinary Needleman within its range.
Following its pressure directive, the Needleman lunged at Morrow.
Still airborne, Morrow mimicked crushing a Nen bullet with a small burst of aura, using the explosive recoil to forcibly halt his momentum and barely stabilize himself.
Swish!
The ordinary Needleman pounced.
Morrow twisted mid-air, sidestepping just enough to let the Needleman brush past him.
As the attack missed, Starlight Convergence activated instantly.
The starlight transformed into golden chains, binding the ordinary Needleman.
Meanwhile, Morrow deactivated the ability and instead condensed a verdant Nen bullet in his palm.
Illumi observed the golden chains on the ordinary Needleman and remarked impassively,
"A restraining counter effect... Inconsistent with the "risk" you bear. There must be another ability effect. But if it only works on "Needlemen," it holds no real significance."
"..."
Morrow remained silent, focusing solely on maintaining his mental stability as he infused Shooting Star with Essence Siphon.
Then, lifting his bloodied face, he smirked coldly at Illumi.
Illumi remained unfazed. "In your current state, even standing steady is a luxury..."
Mid-sentence, Illumi's instincts flared. Recalling Morrow's earlier, seemingly illogical aggression and the strange confidence he now displayed...
If that counter-type ability had another effect...
It was likely something that could directly threaten him.
Damage transference?
Illumi's gaze snapped to the ordinary Needleman, just as the golden chains shattered.
Without hesitation, he acted on his judgment, commanding the two special Needlemen to shield the ordinary one. At that moment, a Shooting Star imbued with a green glow shot through the air toward an ordinary Needleman.
Just as I thought.
Seeing this, Illumi instantly confirmed his earlier speculation and pieced together Morrow's line of reasoning.
To be safe, he had the ordinary Needleman curl into a ball while the two special Needlemen shielded it firmly.
However...
Illumi had ultimately misjudged one crucial detail.
"Shooting Star · Essence Siphon."
Morrow watched as the Shooting Star, infused with the power of Essence Siphon, struck the human barricade formed by the two special Needlemen.
I trusted you completely, Illumi.
I trusted you would make this judgment.
Two more Needlemen of decent strength… that should be enough...
The Essence Siphon-infused Shooting Star obliterated the two special Needlemen.
Then...
Several green motes of light rose from the corpses of the special Needlemen, floating through the air toward Morrow before seeping into his body.
Being injured from the start…
Was never a bad thing.