The creatures were tiny.
Not even real dinosaurs.
They were plastic toy dinosaurs—the kind of dinosaur models many people had played with as children.
But now, these models were no longer lifeless objects.
They moved as if they had been given life.
And the moment Ivan leaned out from behind the pillar, the little dinosaurs stopped hiding and let out sharp cries.
Nen ability.
Trouble.
Ivan began calculating immediately.
He actually had several options.
First — surrender.
Not truly surrender.
Instead, he could allow the opponent to capture him and seize the chance to make physical contact.
The ability of [Scary Monsters] wasn't limited to transforming himself into a dinosaur.
Anything he injured could also undergo dinosaurization.
Even a small scratch was enough.
In fact, tiny creatures like fleas or mice could transform with nothing more than a touch.
However, Ivan rejected that option almost instantly.
Because it had two major flaws.
First, the death-Nen surrounding his body would most likely make the enemy cautious.
If they decided to capture him without physical contact, he would have no way to trigger his ability.
Especially now that he had seen they could control toy dinosaurs—methods that avoided direct contact would become even more likely.
Second, the transformation probably wasn't instantaneous, especially against people with strong mental power.
Based on how quickly Gyro and Johnny transformed in the manga, Ivan estimated that against Nen users, it would take one to five minutes to be safe.
Which meant during that time, the target might notice something wrong with their body and react accordingly.
Ivan judged that the probability of the enemy simply killing him outright exceeded fifty percent.
So only one option remained.
Face them head-on.
Once a Nen user begins developing Hatsu, their ability usually falls into one of six categories:
Enhancement — strengthening the natural properties of oneself or objects
Emission — projecting aura away from the body while maintaining power
Manipulation — injecting aura into a target to control it
Transmutation — altering the nature or shape of aura
Conjuration — materializing aura into physical objects
Specialization — abilities that don't fit the other five categories
In battle, the most important factor was information.
From observation alone, Ivan could already conclude that his opponent specialized in either Manipulation or Conjuration.
If it was Manipulation, then the toy dinosaurs were likely real toys purchased beforehand and infused with Nen.
This method was convenient, but the number of controllable objects would be limited.
If it was Conjuration, then the dinosaurs could theoretically appear endlessly, since the user could keep creating them.
However, Conjurers would usually have slightly worse precision when controlling them.
Judging from the toy dinosaurs sprinting toward him—their nimble movements, vivid expressions, and piercing cries—the control was extremely refined.
So the opponent was most likely a Manipulator.
And according to standard Nen training principles, Manipulators often had some proficiency in Emission as well.
After all, the adjacent categories to Manipulation were Emission and Specialization.
But Specialization couldn't simply be trained into.
Putting everything together—
The opponent was likely using Manipulation combined with Emission.
Which meant the toy dinosaurs rushing toward him might very well launch ranged attacks.
Aside from Nen analysis, Ivan also remembered something from reading the first eight parts of JoJo.
There was a Stand extremely similar to this ability:
[Bad Company].
Bad Company controlled miniature soldiers—even armed helicopters.
And its most common attack method was long-range firepower.
Fortunately, ranged attacks didn't threaten Ivan too much.
As long as he maintained enough distance, he was confident he could dodge every aura bullet.
The only question troubling him now was this:
Could the death-Nen wrapped around his body block those attacks?
All of these calculations happened the instant Ivan peeked from behind the pillar and saw the toy dinosaurs.
His movements never paused.
Instead of retreating, he stepped fully out from cover.
At the same time, he completed the growth of his tail and the transformation of his legs.
The muscles in his legs tightened violently, tearing apart his blood-stained jeans.
The explosive force propelled him forward the moment he emerged from behind the pillar.
It looked like he was ignoring the approaching toy dinosaurs.
But in truth, his slit pupils tracked every movement on the battlefield.
His enhanced dynamic vision allowed him to clearly see the dinosaurs opening their mouths the moment he appeared.
Aura began gathering inside them.
Exactly as he had predicted.
They possessed Emission-type attacks.
But that didn't worry him.
If anything, confirming his prediction reassured him.
What truly concerned Ivan was the second person.
The one who wasn't controlling the toy dinosaurs.
That person had not displayed any ability yet.
But Ivan was certain he wasn't ordinary.
The earlier conversation had revealed that much.
They spoke as equals, not as superior and subordinate.
Of course, that conclusion might still be wrong.
But more importantly—
From the expression on the man's face when he saw Ivan, Ivan could tell something.
The man recognized him.
And yet he didn't stop the attack.
Which meant only one thing.
He was an enemy.
Ivan had already suspected this the moment he heard their voices.
But someone as cautious as Ivan always needed more evidence.
While charging forward, he noticed the young man covered with toy dinosaurs take a small step back, yielding the front position to his companion—a black-haired man in a neat suit.
The tailored suit and perfectly combed slicked-back hair looked elegant.
But the next moment—
His clothes exploded apart.
Bulging muscles surged outward as aura erupted from his body.
This was the choice he made when facing Ivan's half-dinosaur charge.
Enhancement type.
That was the first thought that flashed through Ivan's mind as he closed in.
Another thing followed immediately.
The fragments of the man's shattered clothing struck Ivan's body like tiny blades.
The clothes had torn apart, but his skin remained uncut.
From this, Ivan realized something important.
Although the death-Nen surrounded him, it didn't possess defensive properties.
The reason he wasn't injured was simply because his dinosaurized body had increased durability.
There was no time to think further.
With the speed of his charge, Ivan had already arrived in front of the enemy.
Velociraptor.
That was the dinosaur species Ivan had transformed into.
A carnivorous dinosaur known as the "swift thief."
It possessed powerful hind-leg muscles and forelimbs that were far from short compared to a Tyrannosaurus.
Through his slit pupils, Ivan clearly saw the incoming punch.
He could even observe the subtle tremors of each muscle as the man exerted force.
Knowing the death-Nen offered almost no protection, Ivan chose not to clash head-on.
Instead, he relied on the velociraptor's agility and his enhanced dynamic vision to dodge.
He could read every movement.
Rather than strike with his claws, he suddenly halted just in front of the opponent, twisted his body, and whipped his long tail sideways.
BANG!
A solid impact rang out.
But it wasn't one sound.
It was two.
The first came from Ivan's tail smashing into the man's chest.
The second came when the man quickly changed moves and slammed his fist into Ivan's tail.
The force caused Ivan's body to sway slightly.
But the muscles in his legs bulged as his clawed feet dug deep into the ground, stabilizing him instantly.
Meanwhile, the half-naked man he struck had already retreated several steps after throwing that punch.
Ivan's pupils shrank.
Because the moment he stabilized his body—
Aura bullets shot toward him from behind.
There was no time to check the condition of the muscular man.
Ivan's body began swaying like a pendulum as he dodged rapidly.
The aura bullets fired from the toy dinosaurs' mouths were aimed directly at his vital points.
But under Ivan's extraordinary dynamic vision…
Their speed wasn't fast.
If anything, it felt slow.
Combined with his exceptional reflexes, dodging them posed no difficulty at all.