On the other side of the city, once they realized their teammate who'd been tracking the enemy's movements was probably dead, Cheadle's group wasted no time. They headed straight for the heart of the battlefield.
They'd already called the Hunter Association and sent out a request for reinforcements to Yorknew City—but even if help was coming, it wouldn't get there fast enough. Their best hope was still the Chairman. If he could wrap up his own fight quickly, maybe he could step in.
Unfortunately, the Zodiac Twelve members present in Yorknew this time were light on pure combat specialists.
"They're here."
Mizaistom's voice dropped as he spoke.
All six people—including the Zodiac Twelve—immediately scattered and melted into cover.
Cheadle slipped into a narrow alley, heart pounding.
How had the enemy ended up right in their path?
Yorknew was a huge city. After destroying buildings and slaughtering civilians, the enemy could have gone anywhere. Based on her analysis, they should have been more likely to drift toward Netero's battle.
And their last report from the surveillance team had been clear—they'd approached from behind. They shouldn't have been spotted at all.
"That's—"
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a familiar figure in the grip of several Cursed Spirits.
Xiang Nan.
"No wonder we couldn't reach him… he's been caught?"
Cheadle tensed.
Even though Xiang Nan was new to the Association, every Zodiac Twelve member knew him—and knew he wasn't weak. Even if he couldn't win against these things, he should've been able to run. Were these particular enemies really that much stronger?
She studied the strange "lifeforms" in silence, not daring to act.
…
"They're close. You've felt them, right?"
Still bound, Xiang Nan's voice was calm.
"I only sense two," the yellow-skinned Cursed Spirit muttered, frowning.
"No—three," Hanami corrected.
"Don't bother guessing—it's all six of them. Cheadle, Mizaistom, Pariston… If you want to guarantee the kill, you take out Pariston first," Xiang Nan said.
"Guess this guy isn't lying," Jogo said with a grin full of malice.
So far, everything Xiang Nan had told them had checked out. He'd handed them their target. Now they just needed to test whether his intel on the Hunters' strength and Nen abilities was legit.
"Pariston's the Association's Vice Chairman. Maybe not quite on Netero's level, but he's still one of the best—blond hair, yellow-striped suit…" Xiang Nan described without hesitation.
"He's right. If the intel holds, Pariston's priority number one. Killing him would be a huge win," the yellow-skinned Cursed Spirit agreed without question.
From a player's perspective, Pariston's importance in the "story" was clearly higher than the rest of the Zodiac Twelve. Taking him out would give the biggest payoff—and on this battlefield, he was also the most dangerous threat.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
With a laugh, Jogo lunged toward one of the sensed targets.
Behind Xiang Nan, Hanami also moved, pausing only to say to another Cursed Spirit, "Keep an eye on him."
That "him" was, of course, Xiang Nan.
The yellow-skinned Cursed Spirit and another player joined the attack.
Xiang Nan stayed bound by Hanami's technique.
Boom.
A blaze of fire and a deafening explosion tore through the night.
Jogo and Hanami had locked onto Pariston.
The Cursed Spirits also tried going after weaker Hunters, forcing the hidden Cheadle and the others to step in. In the flames, a charred Hunter's body dropped to the ground—proof that even with Cheadle and Pariston in play, they couldn't stop Jogo from killing someone.
Knowing an enemy's abilities was one thing; using that knowledge effectively was another. Cheadle's group would need to feel the raw force of cursed energy and techniques up close before they could turn Xiang Nan's intel into a working plan.
While the fighting raged, Mizaistom silently appeared near Xiang Nan. His instincts were sharp—take out the guard, free Xiang Nan, and they'd have another heavy hitter on their side.
But just as he moved in for the strike, the yellow-skinned Cursed Spirit doubled back like he'd read Mizaistom's mind, cutting him off.
Mizaistom's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected such sharp battlefield awareness. He immediately activated his Nen, raising a card marked with an exclamation point.
"I'm warning you—stay back."
But when he looked up, the Cursed Spirit had already closed his eyes—and vanished.
"What—?"
Something wasn't right.
How did he know the limits of my ability?
And why was their intel so perfect? Even if it was luck, the timing was way too exact.
Mizaistom's gaze swept the battlefield—giant fireballs raining down like meteors, massive trees and branch-like tentacles bursting from buildings.
The two strongest Cursed Spirits were clearly focusing on Pariston.
They'd come for the Vice Chairman.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He glanced at Xiang Nan, wrapped in branches a short distance away, only his upper body visible.
Xiang Nan turned his head and met his gaze, a faint, knowing smile on his face.
"You—"
Mizaistom started to speak, but the threat was already on him.
The yellow-skinned Cursed Spirit and another player were right there, striking hard.
The fight was fully underway.
From the very beginning, neither side had held back. With both knowing something about the other's abilities—and both aware that ignorance of the other's power system could get them killed—the goal was to end it fast.
In an all-out battle, focus was absolute.
Which was why Xiang Nan knew the moment was right.
No one was watching him.
Not because they didn't care—just because, in a fight to the death, their attention was elsewhere.
Jogo's cursed energy blazed, painting the night sky in fire. Hanami's technique toppled buildings and filled the city with impossible vegetation—the raw, overwhelming output of the Jujutsu Kaisen power system on full display.
Against this unfamiliar style, both Pariston and Cheadle needed time to adapt.
But Xiang Nan was a Hunter—he'd studied them longer than anyone else here.
"Got any last wishes?" Xiang Nan asked the Cursed Spirit player beside him with an easy smile.
"Huh?" The player froze.
"You might die soon… not by me, don't worry," Xiang Nan said lightly. "Just a hunch."
The Cursed Spirit scanned the area warily—no threats, no Hunters nearby. Every Hunter Xiang Nan had mentioned was already tied up.
"The killer's not in your senses, but they're close. Honestly, I don't know who they are, what they can do, where they are, or when they'll move. I just have a feeling… you're the first unlucky one they'll pick," Xiang Nan said casually.
He didn't believe Pariston would rely only on Netero and Cheadle. There had to be a hidden trump card—something no one saw coming.
That rat wouldn't be so easy to kill.
As soon as he finished, the Cursed Spirit in front of him vanished—teleported away by a Nen ability.
"Heh… finally decided to show yourself."
Xiang Nan's eyes hardened. The branches binding him shattered, and he launched upward like an arrow, heading straight for the hidden Nen user—Pariston's secret weapon.