Neferpitou had grasped how to avoid having her attack intentions predicted by enemies during battle.
But the most timid and hesitant member of the Extermination Team had experienced growth and changes not only in mindset but also in ability.
Two crucial flying fists struck, influencing the direction of the situation in that instant.
We can win!
Shoot had never been so confident, and responding to this was the subtle transformation in the form of his "Hotel Rafflesia" ability.
Nen is fundamentally the power of the heart.
When inner strength overflows, how could one fail to live up to it...
Shoot activated his ability, drawing the fist that had struck Neferpitou into the lantern along with it.
As the lantern's curtain closed, what was isolated along with the fist was Neferpitou's sensation in her left elbow area.
Although Nen is a power that can respond to human will and resolve at critical moments, it always revolves around the existence of Vows and Limitations.
The effect of Hotel Rafflesia is that after inflicting "a certain degree" or more of damage on an enemy, it can imprison the injured body part in a cage.
The greatest drawback of this ability is that when facing opponents with greater aura amounts, one must properly utilize the transitional gaps in Nen output between offense and defense, while bearing the risk of severe injury from a single mistake, to fulfill the ability's conditions.
Yet the ultimate effect isn't even substantial damage.
Therefore, when confronting monsters with superior strength, Hotel Rafflesia rarely proves effective.
Not to mention when the opponent is a speed-type Nen user like Neferpitou; merely keeping up with her speed is challenging enough, let alone inflicting a certain degree or more of damage on her.
So, to leverage his own value, Shoot's Hotel Rafflesia ability underwent some changes in form.
When a flying fist strikes its target, even without inflicting "a certain degree" or more of damage, it can directly seize the struck body part.
But as a cost, Shoot must imprison his own fist along with it in the cage.
This also means that during the ability's maintenance, he will lack one fist as an offensive means.
As Hotel Rafflesia's ability activated, the area where Neferpitou was struck immediately displayed flickering black and white dots, like static on a malfunctioning TV screen.
Not only that, but Neferpitou also lost sensation in her elbow area.
This sudden sense of limb loss caused her to freeze for an instant after landing from mid-air.
「Bungee Gum」
A pink, snake-like adhesive, concealed with In, attached itself to the momentarily stunned Neferpitou at a perfectly opportune moment.
Hisoka had been slacking off all along, an untrustworthy fellow.
If someone were to evaluate him that way regarding this battle, Hisoka's response would only be to place a hand on his hip and then... "Hmm~"
He was indeed slacking off.
After all, he's never had any interest in "group" activities.
If forced to do so, rather than teaming up to gang up on others, he'd prefer being ganged up on by multiple people himself.
But for the sole fixation in his heart, he reluctantly mustered some interest to participate in this battle.
Unfortunately... when seeing so many people ganging up on Neferpitou, Hisoka truly couldn't raise his flag. He showed little interest, even though there were at least two opportunities where he could have precisely struck Neferpitou with Bungee Gum by predicting her attack intentions, yet he refrained from seizing them.
So why did he suddenly shift from passive observation to active engagement?
It was Kalluto.
As someone who had been lingering outside the combat zone, Kalluto could both notice Knuckle's unusual condition immediately and discern that Hisoka had been idling all along.
To urge Hisoka into action, Kalluto, while stitching Knuckle's wounds, used a Surveillance Paper Doll to request that Hisoka stop slacking off.
"Kalluto~ You've never hidden your hostility toward me. I never expected someone like you to lower yourself and "plead" with me… How surprising."
In response to Kalluto's sudden request, Hisoka replied this way, shifting his gaze to Kalluto, who was treating Knuckle outside the battlefield.
When Kalluto heard Hisoka deliberately twist "request" into "pleading," he didn't react defensively as he usually would.
"Then consider it as me pleading with you."
"Oh?"
Hisoka's tone was playful, but he couldn't hide his surprise. "You're willing to go this far just to honor his death wish? I recall your relationship with him is quite distant, not even friends, at best connected only through Morrow."
"So you've noticed it too, yet you still refuse to fight seriously…"
Kalluto grew irritated and couldn't help but snap, "Hisoka, you're a detestable bastard no matter where you go!"
"Thanks for the compliment~"
Hisoka brushed it off, merely pressing on with curiosity. "I'm just curious; given your relationship with him, it shouldn't warrant you lowering your head like this, should it?"
"A bastard like you would never understand."
Realizing that Hisoka wouldn't take anyone's words to heart, Kalluto's tone turned cold abruptly, and he had no intention of wasting breath explaining anything to him.
Yet Hisoka insisted on making sure Kalluto knew he could guess the reason.
"Is it because of Morrow?"
"…"
Even though Hisoka had hit the mark, Kalluto, having lost hope in Hisoka taking action, couldn't be bothered to say more and focused on stitching Knuckle's wounds.
However, Hisoka was like stubborn gum that wouldn't come off. Even without a response from Kalluto, he continued on his own, "Well, for Morrow's sake, I'll reluctantly agree to your "pleading.""
"Really?"
Perhaps because Hisoka mentioned Morrow, a flicker of hope ignited in Kalluto's heart.
"Fake."
Immediately after, the Surveillance Paper Doll transmitted Hisoka's unhurried voice.
"!!!"
Veins bulged on Kalluto's forehead, and he wished he could rush into the combat zone and smack Hisoka's damned head off with his fan.
This exchange occurred just before Morel faced his crisis.
So why did Hisoka, who had indirectly refused Kalluto's request, intervene at the critical moment?
There was only one answer.
That's just the kind of person Hisoka is.
"Bungee Gum, maximum contraction force activated."
Hisoka, who had been somewhat marginalized until now, brought his index and middle fingers together in a gun-like gesture, crossing them over his chest, while his other hand pressed against his waist with the back of his palm. He activated his ability, which was now far more formidable than before.
However, the other end of Bungee Gum wasn't attached to him; it was stuck to Knuckle's fist. Thus, as Hisoka activated his ability, Neferpitou, distracted by the effects of Hotel Rafflesia, and Knuckle, with his abdomen preliminarily sutured, flew toward each other.
But... before making his move, Hisoka hadn't used the Surveillance Paper Doll to warn Knuckle in advance.
So this scene unfolded with extreme abruptness.
Even Kalluto, who had assumed Hisoka had refused, was caught completely off guard by this development.
Yet, in the instant Knuckle suddenly flew toward Neferpitou, he felt no surprise whatsoever. He paid no mind to his splitting stitches, his heart filled only with a transcendent calm and peace.
This will be... my final punch in this life.
Harboring such thoughts, Knuckle's right fist shot straight forward.
「Doctor Blythe」
At that moment, Neferpitou activated her ability, materializing Doctor Blythe at the tip of her tail.
Bound by the Limitation of not being able to stray far from Doctor Blythe, her tail snapped taut, halting her abruptly in mid-air.
This move bought her a brief moment to react.
It also extended the distance Knuckle's fist had to travel to reach her.
And that tiny extra distance would prove fatal.
Thump!
Knuckle's fist seemed to land squarely on Neferpitou's body as expected.
But at the cost, Neferpitou's sharp claws slashed horizontally through Knuckle's abdomen.
With a soft shhh sound, Knuckle's body was severed in two, his upper torso instantly flying past Neferpitou and tumbling skyward, scattering copious amounts of blood in the air.
Witnessing this, Hisoka calmly deactivated Bungee Gum, allowing Knuckle's upper half to drift away from Neferpitou.
However, Neferpitou paid no attention to Knuckle's remains, nor did she care whether the punch that had struck her would summon A.P.R. again.
The reasoning was simple.
As long as she killed her opponent in that instant of attack and defense, there was no need to worry about being hit or not.
Such judgment was logical.
After all, Knuckle's punch wouldn't have caused any damage anyway.
On the field, the members of the Extermination Team watched Knuckle's severed body tumbling through the air, their expressions shifting abruptly.
Then they saw Knuckle's raised thumb.
"You must win…"
They seemed to hear Knuckle's final whisper at the moment of his death.
No one was confused by this.
Or rather, they quickly understood the reason.
It was Post-Mortem Will.
Knuckle had died, yet A.P.R. beside Neferpitou didn't vanish. Instead, it was wreathed in black Nen.
How intense must his will have been... to be so certain he would leave behind a seed of victory?
Morel, now without any means left, had tears streaming behind his sunglasses.
Even Kite and the others were deeply moved.
Only Neferpitou kept her gaze fixed on A.P.R., which hadn't dissipated with Knuckle's death, a flicker of puzzlement and curiosity in her eyes.
What should have been the most logical judgment had led to an utterly unexpected outcome.
Was this a miscalculation?
No, this was a manifestation of humanity's limitless willpower.
Even if she had fallen for it under these circumstances, there should be no regret or frustration.
The confusion in Neferpitou's eyes quickly faded, replaced by a peculiar glow.
"How wonderful…"
Neferpitou could sense the dangerous aura emanating from A.P.R., yet a complex emotion tinged with relief surged within her.
Images of Netero and Morrow flashed through her mind.
Was it Nen that was formidable, or the humans themselves?
She could no longer tell.
All she knew was that she must shield the King from all unknown abilities and harm.
And so, she would slaughter every last human here.
The lingering presence of A.P.R. after its user's death did not shake Neferpitou in the slightest.
Instead, the perilous aura it radiated only reinforced her conviction about the threat humans posed to the King.
Her bloodlust soared at this moment.
And materialized into form.
"Terpsichora."
Shrouded in that overwhelming bloodlust, Neferpitou launched her assault at Shoot.
This was the manifestation of her will as a Royal Guard, unyielding, without hesitation or fear, even if abilities could persist and grow stronger after death.
Her bloodlust intensified, yet it no longer flowed with her aura.
The intent and trajectory of her attack became utterly unpredictable...
It was only at this moment that the true horror of Neferpitou and Terpsichora was revealed.
Before the tears in Shoot's eyes could even fall, Neferpitou's right palm... pierced straight through his chest.
Shoot finally registered what had happened, but his eyes held no fear of death.
He was doomed.
Neferpitou made this judgment and swiftly withdrew her hand, retreating to avoid losing more bodily sensations.
Another miscalculation... perhaps she should have aimed for the head from the start, even if the accuracy was lower than targeting the chest.
But dwelling on it now was pointless.
As Neferpitou retreated to create distance, she glanced at the remaining people in the vicinity while monitoring the condition of her elbow.
She wasn't sure if the ability's effect would linger after Shoot's death.
But she was mentally prepared for it.
Meanwhile, Shoot, with his life ticking away, lost his chance to attack with flying fists as Neferpitou pulled back.
Uncertain whether his meager ability effect would persist after death like Knuckle's, he mustered his last breath to steer the lantern toward Gel.
The curtain at the lantern's entrance unfurled, revealing a faint glimpse of a fist and part of Neferpitou's elbow in the darkness.
By now, Shoot lacked even the strength to utter a single word.
But Gel immediately understood his intent. With a grave expression, she Conjured her arm into a serpentine nen beast, elongating it like a ribbon to drive the serpent's head into the lantern.
Through this method, she injected a highly potent paralytic toxin into that section of the elbow.
Once successful, Gel gave Shoot a silent nod.
A faint smile touched Shoot's lips as he crumpled sideways to the ground.
He was dead.
The effects of Hotel Rafflesia vanished with him.
And the portion of Neferpitou's elbow imprisoned in the lantern returned to its original position.
But it brought the paralytic toxin back with it.
Neferpitou had witnessed Gel and Shoot's coordinated move. By the time she realized her miscalculation... her retreat had already cost her the opportunity to rectify it. Just as she retreated, about thirty Deep Purple soldiers, covering Gon's fishing line and Kite's chain flail, successfully bound her body.
Facing this outcome, Neferpitou merely calmly gazed at the returned portion of her elbow.
"This time... it disappeared, meow."
She knew that along with the return should have come some unknown snake venom.
But she remained composed in the face of danger.
Morel, setting aside his grief, whispered urgently: "Retreat. We'll win as long as we wait for her aura to deplete and enter Zetsu state..."
His voice reached everyone through paper messengers.
But at that very moment, heavy rain began pouring from the sky.
Along with the rain came one Nen-using puppet after another.
They pierced through the palace walls like javelins, carrying wind and rain as they shot diagonally into the arena. Before landing, they adjusted their trajectories mid-air using their ability characteristics, crashing directly toward the Extermination Team members.
These were the puppets that had previously flown toward Kite. After Kite dodged them, Neferpitou hadn't retrieved them.
Instead, they had proceeded to the central courtyard in the eastern direction, where the giant hands threw handfuls of Nen-using puppets while injecting Manipulation abilities into their bodies.
The battle had reached a critical moment. Both Gon and Kite, who were fully focused on controlling Neferpitou, had their Nen completely unleashed and their attention entirely locked on her.
Consequently, caught off guard, both were sent flying by the sudden aerial assault of Nen-using puppets, vomiting thick blood as they were hurled through the air.
Even Morel was sent flying and suffered considerable injuries, though not as severe as Gon and Kite's.
The others managed to defend against this attack with their high aura output. Surprisingly, just before Kalluto was hit, Menchi suddenly appeared, using her poultry knife to slice through the puppet crashing toward him.
After this wave of aerial attacks, Grachan saw the unfavorable situation. With the heavy rain falling, he finally had an opportunity to use his ability.
He immediately summoned a giant wave... intending to use this chance to cover his companions' retreat.