Fueled by extreme rage, Feitan activated his ability at the critical moment.
A surge of Nen power erupted from his body, swirling violently around him like a raging waterfall.
Though the manifestation of this aura was not as overwhelming as Shalnark in Autopilot mode, it surpassed even Uvogin at full power.
Moreover, the aura was laced with black, skeletal patterns.
The sinister energy Morrow sensed originated precisely from these skeletal black markings.
"So it's finally come to "this stage"," Morrow murmured calmly, observing the peculiar red-and-white outfit that had formed over Feitan's body.
Pain Packer
This was Feitan's Nen ability.
Its effect was to condense Nen power into a miniature sun, unleashing scorching temperatures capable of incinerating all living things within an extensive radius.
The miniature sun drew its essence from Feitan's fury, and any damage he sustained would serve as fuel to intensify the flames.
Thus, to maximize the destructive potential of Pain Packer, Feitan typically only used this ability after sustaining injuries.
The power of the second-stage Shooting Star earlier had been such that, even with Feitan's rage amplifying his aura output, he couldn't completely negate the damage.
He was indeed wounded.
But not fatally.
Instead, these injuries became kindling for his ability.
Morrow wasn't surprised by this outcome.
One of his motives during their earlier clash, deliberately provoking Feitan, had been to ensure Feitan would only resort to Rising Sun.
He had succeeded, effectively eliminating any potential threats from Feitan's other Nen abilities before they could manifest.
With this premise established, he naturally had a countermeasure prepared.
The so-called advantage of intel on an opponent's ability only held weight if the opponent used that ability.
Morrow's initial plan had been to exploit the lock-on mechanism of Starlight Convergence and obliterate Feitan with an amplified Shooting Star.
If that failed, then under the certainty that Feitan would only use Rising Sun, he would leverage his intel advantage to deliver a fatal blow.
So far, every step Feitan took, every reaction, had unfolded exactly as Morrow had envisioned.
Feitan had no idea he had been operating entirely within the confines of Morrow's design, let alone the lengths Morrow had gone to counter him.
"You'll die in agony, trash," Feitan hissed in an unfamiliar tongue, his aura rippling with black patterns, visibly surging with power.
Despite Morrow's preparations, facing the sheer intensity of Feitan's aura, a physical manifestation of his rage, still weighed heavily on him.
He couldn't even gauge Feitan's current aura output level based on the aura's intensity alone.
Then, under Morrow's composed gaze, Feitan's overwhelming aura abruptly contracted, swiftly condensing into a white ember encased in deep red Nen.
A glint flashed in Morrow's eyes.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
When Feitan compressed his vast Nen into the Rising Sun ember, he was at his most vulnerable.
But... Even if he could seize this precise moment to strike at Feitan by leveraging the foresight of intelligence, he would inevitably endure the lethal force of Rising Sun.
The best outcome would be to inflict a thousand losses on the enemy at the cost of seven hundred to himself.
The worst outcome, of course, would be mutual destruction.
This was when the locking Star Mark of Starlight Convergence could tangibly demonstrate its value.
I've already seen... the future.
With a flick of his hand, Morrow sent two Shooting Stars streaking through the air.
Shooting Star · Gemini
One Shooting Star aimed straight for the Star Mark on Feitan's body.
The other locked onto the Star Mark on Kalluto outside the cemetery.
At the same time, Morrow leaped lightly, landing steadily on the Shooting Star directed at Kalluto.
Using the propulsion of the Shooting Star, he soared at incredible speed beyond the cemetery, putting immediate distance between himself and Feitan's Rising Sun.
Witnessing this, Feitan was momentarily stunned.
Because, in his eyes, Morrow seemed to know his ability inside out, allowing him to react so swiftly, perhaps even having prepared countermeasures in advance.
What shook him even more was... Morrow had precisely seized the moment when he poured his power into Rising Sun.
Everything happened too fast. Feitan had no time to react, forced to watch helplessly as Morrow retreated and that Shooting Star hurtled toward him.
Boom!
The Shooting Star struck Feitan squarely in the chest.
With a deafening explosion, the impact sent Feitan flying, crashing several meters away.
The red-and-white coat that had shielded him from Rising Sun's scorching heat was torn apart by the force of the Shooting Star, exposing his chest and abdomen.
In that instant, the terrifying energy within Rising Sun erupted fully, transforming into a blazing miniature sun that radiated heat intense enough to warp the air.
Amid the hissing sounds, the surrounding rain evaporated instantly into steam.
To be more precise, every drop of rain within the cemetery vanished under Rising Sun's searing heat.
Feitan, sprawled on the ground, widened his eyes in disbelief.
Questions flashed through his mind.
Why had things suddenly turned out like this?
Why did that guy seem to know me so well?
And why did he harbor such bloodthirsty hatred toward me?
We've never crossed paths before; could I have unknowingly made an enemy?
Was I...
Being played from the very beginning?
Before Feitan could sort through his thoughts, an excruciating pain, like the scorching heart of the sun, engulfed his entire body.
"Ah...!"
This cold, ruthless man, who had always been the one to make others scream, now let out an involuntary howl of agony.
The searing burn spread from the outside in, as if intent on reducing him to ashes.
The unbearable pain only fueled his screams further.
Feitan writhed in torment, his body trembling under the intense heat, his skin blackening. Soon, he could no longer scream, even breathing became an immense struggle.
Pain Packer. An ability that spared neither friend nor foe.
Peering beyond the surface to grasp the essence of this ability revealed Feitan's nature: once consumed by rage, he cared for no one but himself.
He never considered whether his fury might harm the innocent, or even his own allies.
It was under the influence of this vicious temperament that Pain Packer was born. Little did Feitan know, even until his dying breath...
He would meet his end by his own ability.
Of course.
He could never have imagined why Morrow would want to kill him.
Outside the cemetery.
Even from the considerable distance they had retreated, Kalluto and Kurapika could still feel the scorching heat radiating from the Rising Sun.
That miniature sun hovering above the cemetery seemed to transcend the boundaries of Nen, manifesting more like a force of nature itself.
At this moment.
Morrow arrived atop a Shooting Star, crushing the weakened projectile underfoot when close enough before landing steadily in front of Kalluto.
Ignoring the stunned expressions of Kalluto and Kurapika, Morrow squinted against the blinding light, gazing unwaveringly at the Rising Sun above the cemetery.
Under his watchful eyes, the celestial fire gradually lost its intensity, the billowing steam beginning to dissipate.
Finally, both the Rising Sun and the vapor faded into nothingness.
"Burned to ashes..."
Now Morrow could distinctly sense a sudden surge in his aura output.
Clearly. Feitan had been consumed by his own flames.
Just like the criminals burned alive on the sacrificial pyres of that very cemetery.
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Bonus chapter @50 power stones.