Accompanied by heavy thuds like an earthquake, a towering figure began to appear within the city.
It was another green-faced, fanged giant!
Although this one was even more muscular than the previous giant, that was the only real difference. Killing it would not be difficult for Ronin.
Ging was running ahead of the giant. There were large numbers of Gold and Silver Ingots along the way, but not a single one reacted to the arrival of the two. Even the patrolling Gold and Silver Ingots remained completely indifferent.
Kurapika's chains had already been spread across the ground and concealed using In.
Ronin was prepared to activate Amenotokotachi.
This time, he intended to immobilise the giant's head. The moment he succeeded, Ging would follow the plan and use Emission-type aura to form a cutting blade that would sever the giant's head.
Shizuku was prepared to handle the aftermath. The instant the giant died, its corpse would immediately be sucked into Blinky.
Everything happened extremely quickly.
As Ging crossed over Kurapika's hidden chains, aura had already gathered in his hand and rapidly formed into something resembling a Destructo Disc.
The rampaging giant completely failed to notice the trap on the ground and stepped directly into Kurapika's chains.
The chains concealed by In immediately rose and revealed themselves.
The charging giant felt something catch around its feet, and its body began pitching forward. At that moment, however, its head suddenly stopped in midair.
Its falling body shifted forward while its head remained fixed, perfectly exposing its thick neck.
Ging abruptly spun around, twisting his waist and swinging his arm in one fluid motion.
The aura blade flew out.
Blood sprayed through the air. The giant's severed head remained strangely suspended in midair, while its enormous body crashed toward the ground.
Before the body could fully fall, however, a powerful suction force distorted it, rapidly shrank it, and pulled it into Blinky's mouth.
The head suspended in the air also dropped at that moment, but it likewise failed to reach the ground before Blinky sucked it away.
The entire operation was completed without anyone truly stepping out of the building.
Only a small amount of the giant's blood remained on the street.
Ging, still wearing the bronze armour, returned to the building, and the door was immediately closed.
Veronica remained beside the window and carefully observed the street. More than ten minutes later, when the entire road remained terrifyingly silent, she finally relaxed and gave everyone below an "OK" gesture.
They had obtained their second suit of armour.
However, no one intended to let Ging continue operating outside.
The sky had already begun to darken.
Ronin's group was about to experience their first night inside the ancient city.
When the final trace of sunset disappeared, Veronica, who had been watching the street, suddenly felt a chill behind her.
As she turned around, she saw a pair of dark eyes glowing blue.
At that moment, Ronin and the others were all standing ready for battle.
Because the instant the sunlight vanished, ghosts emerged from the stone building, just as they had from the flower sea!
It was an enormous ghost.
Judging by its height alone, it was comparable to the bronze giant they had killed, but its appearance was completely different.
The bronze giant had possessed an ugly green face and protruding fangs. This newly appeared giant, however, had a face almost identical to that of a human.
It merely looked much older and wore a tattered robe resembling that of a mage.
"Who are you?"
The creature spoke.
Its language was completely different from the common language used within Lake Mobius, yet when the words reached their ears, everyone understood them perfectly.
Before anyone could answer, the enormous ghost spoke again.
"It doesn't matter. As long as I capture you, I should become even more alive!"
The instant it finished speaking, the elderly mage pulled an axe from within his ragged robe. The enormous weapon gleamed coldly as it hacked down toward Ronin's head.
This sudden development did not surprise Ronin.
A close-combat mage was hardly a rare profession. In fact, one might even say it had become standard in recent years.
The only surprising thing was how the creature had selected Ronin as its target.
After all, the old monster had been closest to Kurapika.
Boom!
The axe struck the ground.
A Rasengan had already formed in Ronin's hand.
Based on his previous experience fighting ghosts, Ronin dodged the axe and appeared beside the ghostly mage.
He immediately drove the Rasengan into the ghost's leg.
Boom!
Amid a thunderous explosion, the Rasengan was pushed into the giant's body and erupted in the next instant.
The giant's leg shattered under the violent force of the Rasengan.
After swinging its axe once, the giant toppled toward the ground.
There was no pain on its aged but ferocious face.
Only shock.
With a heavy crash, the ghostly mage's enormous body struck the floor.
As dust erupted, a kunai shot toward its head.
The kunai did not pierce the ghost's skull. Instead, the moment it reached the giant's head, Ronin's figure instantly appeared beside it.
Another Rasengan had already formed in his hand.
And this time, it was not an ordinary Rasengan.
It was an Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan.
"Stop! I surrender!"
The ghostly mage turned its head and saw the situation clearly. Its voice was filled with panic and fear.
But what answered it was Ronin mercilessly pressing the Rasengan downward.
Although he did not know exactly what kind of existence this creature was, Ronin knew that allowing it to live would bring no good.
The Rasengan was driven directly into its head and exploded amid the ghost's despair.
Blue spectral energy scattered violently, bathing the entire stone building in an eerie blue glow.
As its head was destroyed, the ghostly mage's body began collapsing as well.
"What's happening outside?" Ronin turned toward Veronica at the window.
"There are ghosts. A lot of them," Veronica whispered. "They're looking this way."
Ronin casually picked up the kunai lying on the ground and threw it.
His figure flashed, following the kunai and instantly appearing beside the window.
Looking through the gap, he could see that the street outside had turned completely blue.
It was filled with ghosts!
Some were as enormous as the ghostly mage, while others were the same size as ordinary humans.
At that moment, every one of them had turned toward the stone building where Ronin's group was hiding.
It seemed they had detected something.
This continued for more than ten minutes.
Then every ghost suddenly moved, charging toward the stone building!
"We've been discovered!"
Ronin was preparing to retreat, but the instant he spoke, Ging—still wearing the bronze armour—suddenly pushed open the stone building's door.
Inside the room, the ghostly mage had already completely disintegrated. Ronin and Veronica remained by the window, while Shizuku and Kurapika had also concealed themselves.
Only Ging stood openly before the doorway, waiting for the ghosts to charge at him!