"Machi, you and Misty, Shizuku, and Elita—four of you will work together," Ron instructed. "Restrict the other attacker. Ponzu, you'll watch the situation and support both sides as needed."
Machi hesitated. "Captain, what about the other two?"
"You don't need to worry about them. I'll have my Nen beast keep them occupied."
After eating, everyone's condition had improved considerably, especially Ron. The Gourmet Cells within him gave him recovery far beyond that of ordinary people.
"Is everyone ready?"
They exchanged glances. "Ready."
"Good." Ron pushed open a door, and the group stepped into the thick mist. The four attackers seemed to sense something, but Ron and the others moved faster. Nina appeared in front of one attacker.
"You cowards finally showed yourselves!" she declared.
The attacker froze, clearly not expecting Nina to say the exact words he had been about to speak. But the words were already on his lips and could not be swallowed back, so he ended up repeating them. Immediately Nina's ability activated, taking control of him.
In terms of overall strength, the gap between the two was large. By Nen-user standards, Nina was only a B-rank, while her opponent was one of the elites among A-rank fighters. Even so, Nina's ability still worked, though not for long. The attacker could break free in a short time, but for Ron, that was already enough.
Ron appeared behind the controlled attacker, and with a motion of his hand a door opened. Grabbing the man, Ron yanked hard, and in the next moment the attacker was dragged directly into Sumas's space.
Elsewhere, Misty and Machi launched an attack on another.
"Demon Queen Form!" Misty's body transformed, horns sprouting from her head, a tail unfurling behind her, and white flames rising from her body. Machi raised both hands, ten threads of Nen extending from her fingers and winding toward the enemy.
"Ice Lock!" Shizuku called out from nearby. Elita moved in support, and together the four surrounded the attacker. Even with their combined efforts, however, they could not restrain him for long—not as effectively as Nina's ability had. Machi's group was stronger than Nina overall, but because Nen abilities varied so widely, the difference in application was decisive.
Even as Machi's threads wound around the enemy, Shizuku's frost fell, and Misty strained with all her power, the attacker still managed to move. Only when Ron had finished with the first target did he finally step in.
"Lightning: Nen Bullet!"
A torrent of electricity surged down and coursed through the attacker's body, stunning him for an instant. Machi seized the opportunity, sending more threads to bind him tightly. Ron appeared behind the man, opened another door, and pushed him into Sumas's space.
The remaining two attackers finally realized what was happening, but Natsu and Uchiha Sasuke were already keeping them occupied, making it difficult for them to intervene. They could only watch helplessly as their two companions vanished.
"A Spatial-type ability," one muttered. "We don't know where they've been sent, but they'll be at a huge disadvantage. What should we do? Should we report to Lord Claude?"
The two exchanged a glance, already thinking of retreat, but Ron would not allow them to leave so easily. Since he had already resolved to oppose Claude, he would not let these men escape.
A door opened in the mist, and a figure stepped out. An immense pressure immediately fell on the two attackers. Their pupils contracted sharply, and their bodies stiffened uncontrollably.
This aura was already beyond A-rank entirely.
Ron appeared behind one of them, opened a door, and sent him into Sumas's space. The other tried to break free from Rosgell's aura and flee, but Rosgell was already in front of him.
Bang!
The punch landed, and the attacker's defense crumbled like paper. With a single blow he fell, and Ron collected him, sending him into the Library Prison. At that moment, Ron lost control of Rosgell. The entity stood frozen, unmoving, until Ron hurriedly recalled him.
With a thought, the oily mist around them began to disperse. "Clean up the battlefield. I'll be back shortly." Ron's figure blurred and vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already inside the Library Prison. All four attackers had been brought here. One, struck by Rosgell's fist, had completely lost the ability to move. The other three were relatively uninjured, but here they faced a greater problem: inside the Library Prison, their strength was drastically suppressed, while Ron's was not only unaffected but enhanced.
The three glared at him warily as he raised his hand. At once, a swarm appeared—the cockroaches of the Rotten Life Blade. Since the blade had fused with Sumas, their power had grown immensely. They surged forward, biting into the three attackers and draining their aura.
"Together!" one of the attackers shouted, and the three charged Ron at once.
But here, the difference between them and Ron was too great. He didn't even need to use advanced abilities—his aura alone was enough to crush them.
After a short, intense clash, all three were subdued and sealed into the cells of the Library Prison, their bodies crawling with cockroaches that continued to devour their aura.