A pink aura appeared in Hisoka's hand and, in the next mont, shot toward Natsu.
It stuck to Natsu, while the other end attached itself to a large nearby tree.
This was one of Hisoka's abilities: Bungee Gum—modeled after chewing gum, with stickiness, elasticity, and toughness. It could adhere to anything and possessed extre resilience. Nen users of the sa level who focused on power couldn't tear it off; naturally, Natsu couldn't either.
Yet with enough force, Natsu actually yanked the entire tree over.
Bang! Natsu wrapped both arms around the trunk and hurled it toward Hisoka.
Hisoka's eye twitched slightly.
Two figures appeared beside Ron. One of them was Chii, who was watching the battle between Natsu, Hanma Baki, and Hisoka, analyzing and compiling data to build a model of Hisoka and figure out how to deal with him. She could also optimize the fighting styles of Natsu and Hanma Baki.
The other figure was Aka. Ron still didn't fully trust Hisoka, and Aka's presence guaranteed his safety to a large extent. Her ability was simply too overpowering— even stronger Nen users than Hisoka, if they lacked a post-mortem skill, would be completely wary of her.
If Hisoka tried to charge at Ron, there were two possibilities:
1. He sensed the danger Aka posed and wouldn't dare to get close.
2. He failed to notice her threat, making it far easier for Aka to land a hit.
Hisoka would normally avoid vital spots but not necessarily injuries elsewhere because he didn't fear wounds. In the original story, he'd deliberately let Kastro break his arm to chase a greater thrill. With Hisoka's true strength, had he not consented, Kastro would never have managed it. But Aka was no Kastro—if her blade connected, Hisoka would die for sure.
Ron watched from a distance.
"Hisoka really is strong. Even A-level Natsu and B-level Hanma Baki together haven't put him at a disadvantage. Bungee Gum's toughness is almost absurd—nothing, not even Rashomon, can cut through it.
"They're both Enchanter-type Nen Beasts, so Hisoka's ability restrains them pretty effectively. It looks simple, but in his hands, there are a million ways to use it."
Ron secretly gave Hisoka high marks.
What Ron didn't realize was that Hisoka was also revising his opinion of Ron upward. Natsu's appearance delighted him, and Hanma Baki's techniques took him by surprise. Plus, these two weren't even all of Ron's Nen Beasts—he still had others hidden away. That only heightened Hisoka's excitent.
"What other Nen Beasts does Ron have? What kind of abilities do they possess, and how strong could they get? What sort of surprises might they bring ? I can't wait..."
Hisoka's eyes glead. He had once rated Ron at 83 points; now he placed him above 90, and that might not be the limit. Hisoka harboured even greater expectations.
Bang! Hanma Baki leapt up and slamd a fist down. Hisoka dodged, and the impact carved a massive crater in the ground.
Natsu turned toward Hisoka, took a forceful breath, and roared, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" A surge of fla blasted straight at Hisoka.
Hisoka ducked behind a huge rock. Natsu rushed in again. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He landed a direct hit.
But right then: "Bungee Gum!" A pink aura bound Natsu's fist to the rock.
Hisoka flickered behind Natsu to launch a follow-up attack—only to be forced back when Hanma Baki charged and a dark red spiked sphere ("Scarlet Cherry!") flew at him. At the sa ti, a crimson maw appeared behind Natsu, its gaping jaws chomping down on the boulder until it was crushed to pieces.
The fight between Ron's two Nen Beasts and Hisoka intensified, already far beyond the scope of the Hunter Exam—no ordinary candidate could even approach it.
Sensing the commotion, Illumi hurried over. He first spotted Hisoka and Ron's two Nen Beasts, then noticed Ron watching calmly, which made him sigh with relief.
"Ron?" Illumi approached.
Ron explained, "Hisoka and I made a deal. I'm letting two Nen Beasts spar with him, stopping at first contact for ten minutes, and in exchange, he gave so liquid ore."
Ron didn't hide the ore part. If he did, Hisoka would just bring it up anyway.
"A match that ends at first contact?" Illumi glanced at Hisoka, then at the two Nen Beasts beside Ron. He gained a clearer picture of Ron's strength—Ron already had four Nen Beasts, two of which were fighting Hisoka while the other two guarded him, just in case Hisoka broke his word.
As a mber of the Zoldyck family, Illumi was accustod to taking every precaution to ensure a 100% success rate before making a move—whether assassinating soone or doing anything else. He nodded, approving of Ron's plan.
That was also why, when Illumi noticed Killua straying from family rules by seeking challenges beyond his capability, he planted the Nen needle in him—conditioning Killua to automatically withdraw whenever a situation exceeded his comfort zone, until it beca instinctual.
Illumi then carefully looked over Ron's Nen Beasts. First was Hanma Baki.
"He's an Enhancent-type martial artist with solid techniques. Strength, speed, reflexes…among Nen users at his level, he's quite good. But the threat he poses to Hisoka is still limited. The bigger concern is the other one."
Illumi shifted his gaze to Natsu.
"His power, speed, and reflexes surpass the first, plus he has two abilities."
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