Auren stares at Ella's body, now covered in a massive amount of Aura that is slowly seeping away from her body.
With Zamra collapsed on the ground, clearly unable to contain or even influence the Entity any longer, Auren stands completely on his own, exactly like he wanted to.
If I'm alone, I can use Eternity without any issues.
The Aura continues to flow out of Ella's body, twisting and folding upon itself until it takes on a vague, hazy shape—almost human in outline.
Then, without any warning, it darts forward, its faceless head turning toward Auren.
Auren only smiles, revealing a confident smile.
I asked Chrollo—the Entity's ability is still stored inside Skill Hunter. This thing can't harm me. The only chance it has left is to flee, but it's far too blinded by rage and probably half‑mad. Escape doesn't even cross its mind, as it probably wants to devour me.
Now... before I start...
Auren quickly activates Gyo, his eyes glowing faintly as he sweeps the room, making certain the Zodiacs outside are not watching by using a Hatsu or using En to spy on him.
Once he is sure, he steps forward without hesitation and thrusts Eternity straight through the Entity's chest.
The reaction is immediate, as the Entity's Aura body grows slightly around Eternity.
A deep, grating howl shakes the room—something between a human scream and an animal's cry, layered with eerie vibrations that make the air quiver. The sound isn't just loud; it is wrong, as if reality itself rejects it.
"İ̵̥̱̽̌̕ ̷̫͋̾̿Ẃ̷̙͍͂Í̸̦̯͐Ḻ̷̪̝̓̾̓̈́L̵̗̋ ̵̤̗͆Ẽ̵̖̩̈̓͝A̶̛͓̩̟͔̋͛̄̓T̴̡̘̟͆͂͋ ̵̟͖̝̦̱̓͆̾Ỹ̷̧͍̺̗͎̉̈̆̀O̶̯̭͑͆Ȗ̷̧̳̱̮̔!"
It wants to eat me? How amusing... it doesn't realize I'm the one who'll devour it.
Auren's grin widens. His eyes flash with feverish delight and anticipation as he feels Eternity begin to devour the volatile Aura of the Entity before him.
The Entity writhes and struggles, but the sword's pull is relentless. It can only slowly drag itself backwards, trying to float away, desperately longing to escape Eternity's pull.
With each second, it grows dimmer and weaker, its Aura getting weaker and weaker, while its shape becomes even less human-like.
Hehe... this is the moment I've been waiting for. Suffer...!
Auren stays close, following it step for step, refusing to let it slip away. When it crawls toward the far wall, he circles quickly around, cutting off any possible escape. Eternity remains lodged within its fluctuating body, greedily consuming every thread of Aura it can draw.
"N̴̝͋̽͐̉Ơ̸̞̜͆͗̔!̸̨̖̞̄̏̽́"
After only fifteen seconds, the shape of the Entity begins to crumple in on itself. The remnant Aura convulses violently, growing smaller and so weak that it's no longer able to move.
"Rot in hell, you disgusting, vile imbecile... goodbye," Auren says, watching the thing's final spasms.
The Entity bursts apart, scattering into a cloud of loose Aura that floods the room like mist.
Good riddance... however, I won't take any risks!
Despite the Entity's seemingly demise, Auren continues to use Eternity to drain the remaining remnant Aura. The fog of Aura shrinks and spirals inward until the entire room falls silent again.
Another thirty seconds pass, and the last traces of the Entity are now gone. Not a single particle of Aura remains.
The once‑pitch‑black blade of Eternity now glows faintly, pulsing like a living heart, heavy with stolen power, the gem embedded on the hilt, glowing bright green.
With this much Aura... I could cut anything. It will slowly but surely strengthen my sword even more. With this, it should grow even stronger, which means it will become more durable, sharper, and most importantly, will drain Aura even more efficiently.
I should thank the witch. Without her Cauldron—and the upgraded Eternity—this Entity would have escaped me. It might have been harmless, yes, but it would have survived... if that state can even be called survival... and after Chrollo's death, it would have probably attacked someone else... continuing to survive. It needed to die.
Auren lowers the blade at last, breathing steadily. His expression softens just slightly as he looks down at Zamra, lying nearby.
She looks utterly spent—her breathing shallow, her limbs trembling, eyes half‑open but unfocused.
Good... she didn't see the details, Eternity's secret is safe... for now.
I also didn't feel that the others were spying on me.
Auren puts Eternity back into its sheath, unable to make it disappear.
If I stop conjuring the sword, the others will notice. I need to wait a little so the glow and the Aura is fully absorbed.
Now, I'd better take care of the girl… despite my willingness to help her, my priorities are still a little twisted, I have to admit.
Revenge. Preserving my secrets. And only then—the girl. Still, I'll make sure she's fine. That much I can do at least.
Auren finally crouches beside Ella, feeling her pulse as he activates Gyo once more.
Despite the earlier chaos, her pulse is steady, her breathing even, and her aura calm—suggesting she's completely unharmed.
Might as well put the dog to use…
"Are you okay?" Auren asks, glancing at Zamra, who's still slumped on the ground.
Moaning faintly, she pushes herself up. "Yes… I guess so. I should've demanded more money. This wasn't worth it—not after all the fees I have to pay, and Pariston's cut, that greedy bastard…"
Is this another opportunity?
"If you want to leave the Association," Auren says evenly, "I can offer you a better-paying job and preferential treatment—along with a high position. Tell me your conditions, and I will make sure to give you at least double what the Association does for you."
"... I wish I could accept," Zamra mutters, her tone softer. "But I can't. Anyway… thank you for the offer."
Auren simply nods, then opens the door and steps into the corridor, carrying the unconscious Ella in his arms.
The remaining four Zodiacs—excluding Pariston, who is long gone—turn their eyes toward him, obviously curious about what happened.
Don't they have anything better to do?
"Do—I mean, excuse me, Hunter Cheadle," Auren says, addressing her directly. "Could you take a look at the girl?"
Everyone stares at Auren, a hint of amusement visible on Botobai's face, while the others look confused.
"..."
"..."
Everyone continues to stare at him, visibly thrown off by his audacity.
"I will do it. For the girl," Cheadle finally says, her voice firm. "You can leave, → Thief."
"No." Auren's answer immediately. "I'm staying. And I'm not a thief—just a former Hunter candidate who happened to pick up a few herbs. I had no obligation to give them away for free. If that's your condition, I'll leave right now… with the girl."
"I didn't expect anything less. Your ego truly outweighs your morals, → shameless boy," Cheadle replies, glaring at him with cold eyes.
However, despite her words, she approaches Auren and carefully looks at Ella.
A few seconds pass, and Auren grows annoyed as she is merely staring at her.
I shouldn't have bothered. I can use Azure Restoration on her later—I don't need this dog. I just wanted to immediately know if something was wrong with her so I could maybe treat her right away if that's the case. What is she even doing—staring at her like that?
"I didn't know you could diagnose someone by sniffing them," Auren says dryly. "Are you currently functioning as a dog or a doctor?"
Cheadle's expression doesn't waver, and she does not even bother to look at him. "Someone as clueless and destructive as you couldn't begin to understand what I'm doing—not even after studying for a hundred years, → shameless boy."
She then, just like Auren did before, gives her a quick inspection—using Gyo, feeling her pulse, checking her blood pressure, and breathing—all without any tools.
Looks like she can do a few basic tests at least. I was just eyeballing it earlier.
"She is fine," Cheadle states clearly. "She needs rest. I recommend she be cared for in a hospital for at least a week. Should I take care of it?"
"I'll consider your opinion, but I will take care of her myself," Auren replies. "Thank you."
He then moves past Mizaistom, Botobai, and Ginta.
"Wait a second," Mizaistom says, coldly tossing a card at Auren.
Botobai, unexpectedly, does the same.
Auren catches both cards with one hand, careful not to shake Ella.
"What is this?" he asks.
"I'm quite busy," Mizaistom says. "I'm guessing Botobai is too. I'm a Crime Hunter, and our dragon here is a Terrorist Hunter. We heard you took down the witch in Glam Gas Land. She was a high-priority target—wanted by the entire V5. Despite what Cheadle and Cluck told us, you seem to be interested in hunting down filth like that. Whether it was your aim or not, you have saved countless lives, and I am quite impressed. If you're interested in taking on a few more difficult jobs, give us a call."
It can't hurt to expand my contacts. I've been acting slightly stubborn—mostly because the chicken and the dog pissed me off—but the others have been surprisingly respectful. Especially toward me, and that, despite my rather blunt and rude behavior.
Auren pulls out two of his own cards and gently throws them back at Mizaistom and Botobai.
"Feel free to call me if you're ever too busy and have an important job lined up. Don't bother me with small fish, though. If I have the time and can afford to travel, I'll take care of any criminal… or terrorist. Payment is secondary. I appreciate the trust," Auren says, nodding at them.
Both Mizaistom and Botobai look at him, seemingly pleasantly surprised at Auren's change in attitude.
Ginta looks a little nervous, searching for something in his pockets, but Auren doesn't hesitate—he turns around and leaves.
Sorry, sheep, but I don't think highly of you, Poacher Hunter, huh? Also, if I stumble across rare animals, I might even become a poacher myself. Rare materials, meat, expensive leather, or exotic animals. They're quite profitable. This guy tackles problems that aren't problems at all. People are dying left and right—most countries suffer under immense poverty. Who cares if someone hunts in the wild? Most of those animals would kill humans on sight. I guess it's a somewhat noble cause, but his priorities are laughable. I am simply not interested.
With Ella in his arms, Auren quickly leaves the Association and rushes back to the airport, immediately boarding his airship.
As he carries her inside, Killi—followed by a curious Mio and Kai—runs toward him.
"Ella!!" Killi screams.
"She is fine," Auren says immediately. "However… she needs quiet. Please stay calm."
"I… okay… but she's fine?!" Killi asks.
"Yes, it looks like it," Auren replies, prompting Killi to hug him and cry softly, placing her hand on Ella's body.
Auren sighs, unsure how to respond. "You can talk to her and take care of her soon, but she needs to rest now."
Marsha appears and walks over. "I've prepared a cabin for her. Please take her inside and place her on the bed. I'll wash her and take care of the rest."
"Thank you," Auren says. "However, before you do that, I need to handle something. Give me a few minutes with her. It's Nen-related."
"Okay," Marsha says gently. "Follow me."
Still holding her, Auren follows Marsha into the prepared cabin.
Not needing light, he enters the dark room and places Ella on the bed.
He raises his hands over her body and activates Azure Restoration—the dark room lighting up in a bright azure glow.
Using just a little bit of Aura, the minimum required to trigger his Hatsu, Auren gently envelops Ella in it.
Time passes, and after fifteen minutes, he senses the Aura drain has completely stopped, signaling that Ella is fully recovered.
"Beautiful…" a meek voice whispers. "That color… am I in heaven?"
I'm afraid not.
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