HxH: Apex Predator

Inside the office of the Kolobo family leader, Sosa's son, Alex, burst in once again.

"Father, at this rate, the Solomon family won't hold out much longer! Casualties have already reached nearly forty percent, and even the officers are starting to waver.

Let me go personally! At the very least, I can stabilize morale and buy more time until the Gambino family's reinforcements arrive. Didn't they say Bat is already on the way?"

"Ridiculous. What use is you going there alone? What we need right now is combat power."

"Father, I'll take my personal guard with me to provide reinforcements. If we don't go now, they won't last!"

"Your little guard squad will just be cannon fodder—wait! Guard…!"

Sosa's eyes flickered with realization.

"So that's how it is… Tony, you really played me this time. This is an open scheme—one I can't even counter."

Sighing, Sosa leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. He had no choice but to accept the situation. But this wasn't the end. If the Solomon family was doomed, he would need to act quickly to fill the power vacuum they left behind.

"Fine. Send word immediately. Have the Solomon family abandon their headquarters and begin an organized retreat. Prioritize preserving as much of their core strength as possible.

Tell those two bounty hunters to engage the enemy and hold him back. That should buy enough time for the others to escape."

As soon as he received the order, Alex hurried out of the office to relay the commands. Meanwhile, Sosa picked up his phone once again, his voice wrapped in the subtle energy of Nen.

..........

At the same time, inside the Solomon family headquarters, the battle was entering a new phase.

Ryker had just reached the third floor, preparing to descend to the second when he noticed that the stairwell was completely clogged with corpses.

To save time, he smashed through the wall and landed in the main hall, planning to break through the windows and escape.

But before he could act, two figures appeared before him—the two bounty hunters sent to stop him.

Ryker sized up his opponents.

The first man had long, wine-red hair and wore faded vintage jeans. His black leather shoes looked worn from years of use. A violet crew-neck shirt hugged his lean frame.

But the most striking feature was the belt around his waist, lined with gleaming silver barber scissors.

If not for the Nen surrounding his body—and the eerie, twisted aura he exuded—he might have been mistaken for some washed-up hairstylist.

Ryker felt a sense of familiarity.

After a brief moment of thought, he remembered. He had seen this guy before. Though he'd forgotten his name, the man's bizarre Nen ability and twisted obsession had left a lasting impression.

That's right. This was none other than Binolt, the unfortunate creep who had ambushed Biscuit in Greed Island, only to be captured and forced into becoming a sparring partner.

His Nen ability, Cutting Beautician, allowed him to analyze an opponent's physical condition by snipping a strand of their hair and tasting it.

So it's him, Ryker thought. He probably doesn't have ranged attacks. And considering the timeline, he's likely weaker than he was in the original story.

Then, Ryker turned his attention to the second bounty hunter.

This one had a completely different vibe. He was tall, well-built, and maintained a confident, almost smug smile. His golden hair was slicked back, giving him a polished, self-assured look.

He wore a half-buttoned white dress shirt, exposing his muscular chest. Tight red leather pants hugged his legs, and his white, diamond-studded loafers gleamed under the dim lights.

His entire outfit screamed style over substance.

Most notably, his right hand was clad in a red, fingerless leather glove, while his left wrist bore a lavish diamond-studded watch.

Ryker quickly analyzed the situation.

Binolt is clearly melee-focused. Based on the other guy's stance, he's likely a ranged fighter. If their job is to stall me, then they won't go for a direct kill—just drag this out while the Solomon family evacuates.

Ryker's four Shadow Clones were still outside, continuing their slaughter, but their Nen reserves were down to fifty percent. His own energy had also dropped to around sixty percent due to maintaining them.

Should I recall them to restore my energy? No, not yet. If these two are strong, I might need the extra power. But if they're weak, I can keep the clones outside to finish off the remnants of the Solomon family.

Just as he finalized his strategy, the golden-haired man smirked.

"Little brother, I can't let you keep doing whatever you want. If you don't want to get hurt, how about staying here quietly with us for a bit?

Give it an hour or two, and after that, you can go wild again. Well… as long as I don't get a new job in the meantime."

As he spoke, Nen surged in his right hand. A silver revolver materialized in his grip.

The moment the gun appeared, the man raised it and aimed directly at Ryker.

Materialization-type? No… maybe not.

If he's a pure Materialization user, his gun's bullets should be weak due to its poor compatibility with Emission.

Unless… he's using a powerful Vow and Limitation to enhance them?

Alternatively, he might be an Emission user disguising himself as a Materialization user to mislead opponents.

Another possibility—he could be an Enhancement-type, using Nen to amplify the raw power of his bullets.

Or worst-case scenario, he's a Specialist with some unknown ability.

I need to be careful. If he's using this gun instead of just shooting Nen bullets, then the weapon itself must have some special properties.

Ryker reassessed the battlefield.

Binolt would likely focus on close-quarters combat, while the golden-haired narcissist would harass him from a distance.

In that case, I'll engage Binolt in melee while keeping an eye on the shooter's attacks. If necessary, I'll use Kamui to guarantee a clean escape. No need to take unnecessary risks just for a fight.

Having made up his mind, Ryker struck first.

.........

While Ryker clashed with the two bounty hunters, outside the Solomon family headquarters, a lone figure observed the battlefield from a hidden vantage point.

With a phone pressed to their ear, they whispered into the receiver, calmly reporting the unfolding events.