HxH: I Will Be Supreme

The four Nen users, now thoroughly entangled in "gum", collapsed into each other, their equilibrium shattered. Hisoka approached like a ghost, his cards flashing through the air like an artist's brushstrokes. Four heads sailed upward before crashing to the ground. The whole sequence took only seconds.

To Hisoka, they were nothing more than toys.

Even alone, the difference in power was overwhelming. The difference between ordinary Nen users and masters was huge. Even if those six had maintained their consciousness instead of being parasitically controlled, they couldn't have posed a real threat to him. Their basic abilities were too far behind and Hisoka wouldn't give them the chance to use their Nen abilities effectively.

Still, their loss of consciousness had weakened them considerably. In Nen fights, strategy and tactical thinking were crucial elements.

Lance spun around and charged at Hisoka again. Before he could close the distance, bodies suddenly flew through the air like macabre projectiles. As Lance knocked away the flesh-and-blood sandbags, Hisoka took advantage of the opening. In the split second after Lance dodged a body, Hisoka's grinning face materialized in front of him.

A casual flick of the wrist and Lance's head joined the others on the ground.

Hisoka slowly turned to face Oboro who had been watching from the sidelines.

Exactly one minute had passed.

"What are you so proud of?" Oboros cold voice cut through the air. "You only killed mindless 'zombies.'" While such a display might shock ordinary people like Kaki, who stood slack-jawed in disbelief, to Oboro, this was merely basic competence. If Hisoka couldn't do that much, he had no right to consider himself Oboro's equal.

Besides, the fight wasn't over yet.

"BANG!"

Without warning, two arms like iron gates grabbed Hisoka from behind. Their strength was terrifying; even if Hisoka struggled, he couldn't free himself.

His eyes narrowed.

"Click."

The vice-like arms compressed, grinding against his own with bone-crushing force. Hisoka looked back to see his captor: the headless Lance.

He'd been aware of the possibility of her resurrection, ready to react at any moment, but he'd underestimated it.

This resurrected Lance moved with enhanced fluidity, his psychic energy amplified far beyond its previous level.

"BANG!"

Another headless corpse took advantage of Hisoka's predicament and landed a crushing blow to his face. His carefully styled hair instantly disheveled as wounds opened across his features.

The remaining zombies swarmed around him, unleashing a savage attack. Hisoka had become their punching bag.

Oboro approached slowly, raising his hand to reveal a face-shaped button. "Load game," it announced. "Did you not notice the bugs evolving during the ritual? I expected you to be more observant."

His gaze drifted to the distant corpse of the Bozwa man who had committed suicide, a sacrifice meant to feed the six parasitized humans, though that purpose remained unfulfilled.

A headless corpse grabbed Hisoka by the hair, exposing his bloodied face and pale neck. A sharp bone blade erupted from the corpse's arm, ready to decapitate him.

"My, my, how devious."

Even at this critical moment, Hisoka remained unfazed. Ignoring the bone blade at his throat, he met Oboros eyes with a teasing smile. His injuries were considerable, with several burns from the psychic attacks of another corpse.

Before the blade could swing, the card-implanted corpse's mouth opened, revealing a waiting bug on its tongue. One slash of the blood blade and the parasite would burrow into Hisoka's flesh.

At the crucial moment, the iron grip that held Hisoka suddenly loosened. He fell instantly, dodging the deadly blow aimed at his head.

At the same time, Oboro flashed behind the group with tiger-like ferocity.

"Divine Fist!"

The blow smashed through a corpse's chest. With several more blows, he snatched two insects from the explosion of flesh and blood and crushed them between his fingers.

Hisoka began to counterattack.

Oboro's current ability was talent based, configured with rune points to dramatically increase his strength, precision and dominance. His summoning abilities included lightning movement and healing.

Their combined assault rendered the corpses helpless, and they were quickly destroyed.

The battle was over.

Even without Oboro's intervention, Hisoka would have escaped. While he had endured the beating, he had already activated his ability and started the emergency 'treatment'.

Observing the wounded Hisoka, Oboro refrained from mocking him.

For the first time, Hisoka's expression showed real surprise. He licked blood from the wounds on his face. "After all this time, I realize just how devious you can be."

"Your own carelessness," Oboro replied coldly.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't carelessness; Hisoka had overlooked crucial 'information' about the evolution of the bugs.

Oboro initiated the treatment, a green light of vitality emanating from his body. But it failed to envelop Hisoka.

Oboro frowned, he had intended to heal him.

The healing failed, which meant that they weren't registered as teammates.

"This guy."

Oboro understood that Hisoka had always had some "intention" against him. Even without showing killing intent or hostility, the rules still marked them as opponents.

He walked away. Although injured, Hisoka could still move adequately.

The trio pressed on.

Beyond the lake, a green area of softer terrain stretched out: hills of varying heights and slopes decorated with mountain flowers and scattered farmland. They had entered the domain of the Bozwa.

The tribal base was getting closer.

No more parasitic species appeared.

"Those six Nen users were the Bozwa's last defense," Oboro thought.

The East Gorotu Army also used Nen Users, but they were primarily used for military suppression. Their use was limited. Any remaining parasites had probably been redirected to the front lines, like the enhanced soldier they'd encountered earlier.

The tribe's primary target was the king.

The Bozwa prioritized eliminating the participants.

"Hours have passed since we entered the mountains. Dusk is approaching. The battlefield stretching from the Sawtooth Mountains must have more Bozwa-controlled parasites nearby. They could have sent reinforcements when we surprised them. Why didn't they?"

"Perhaps they allowed us to approach because three humans seemed an insignificant threat?"

His thoughts drifted as stars began to twinkle overhead, the sun sinking below the horizon.

Tension grew.

Something felt wrong.

Still, their raid had been successful.

The Bozwa tribal base loomed before them.

The forest contained numerous man-made stone formations, clearly of cultural significance.

Wind rustled through the forest canopy.

Oboro paused before a clearing that revealed a bare hill resembling an enormous stone villa. The mountain had been hollowed out into cave-like chambers, giving it the appearance of a massive honeycomb structure.

A vast plain surrounded the central hill, dotted with stone houses and carved statues: signs of a once-thriving community.

This place had clearly been a paradise, with lush grasslands and breathtaking scenery. Now the ground lay barren, pockmarked with battle scars. Many mountain caves had collapsed, while nearby stone houses and statues showed varying degrees of damage.

Devastation surrounded them.

They had arrived at the home of the Bozwa tribe.

"No one here?" Kaki looked around in surprise.

"They must be hiding in these caves. Pretty obvious. They're not exactly welcoming us," Hisoka looked at the honeycombed caves carved into the mountain.

"No defenders, no resistance, doors wide open."

Oboro's eyelid twitched.

The pressure increased.

"Such confidence. This feels like a trap."

The Bozwa's attitude filled him with foreboding.